A Social Media Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day in this day and age can be an absolute no brainer if you just embrace the power of Social Media.

Check out this very timely video produced by the great people at Socialnomics, which was founded by Erik Qualman with the intent of providing Social & Mobile Statistics, Studies & Surprises. For all you guys out there, there are a lot of Social Media tools that will make life easier when getting your V-Day goodies lined up, as you'll see in this video...



And below, please find a couple great infographics from eHarmony on what men and women find most important in a relationship.







We hope you get some out-of-the-box ideas on making this a memorable Valentine's Day for your loved one!

Five Must Have Social Media Tools for Musicians - Repost from FanManager

Recently I was asked to be a Guest Blogger by FanManager, which began as a grass roots street team management company in 2005, focusing mainly on bands within the jam band scene. FanManager quickly expanded into a full-service marketing powerhouse in just a few years time. The company has worked on campaigns for artists such as Depeche Mode, Shakira, The Crystal Method, Paul Oakenfold, Infected Mushroom, Umphrey’s McGee, Imagination Movers, The Disco Biscuits, and many others. Here is the re-post of the article...
------------------
As we roll in to 2011, the selection of band-friendly social media tools continues to grow. MySpace is on its last leg, the days of no music on Facebook are over and incomplete tour information is just unacceptable. The following are tools that encourage fan engagement and help you easily manage those relationships in this crazy era of social networking and branding.

1. Improve your Facebook Page with RootMusic’s BandPage

In minutes BandPage puts all your band’s info in one place on your existing Facebook fan page. Fans can listen, share and send new tracks from your SoundCloud music player, read your bio, check out your Tweets, videos and upcoming gigs all from one tab.

2. Share Music & Merch Directly To Fans With Bandcamp

Bandcamp is the do-it-yourself platform for the sale of physical goods and digital music distribution. Features include name-your-price (or free) download options in the format of your choice, metadata of songs and album art, lyrics, list-building features and real-time stats. You can also bundle physical and downloadable goods, you own everything, and can integrate it anywhere you’d like.

3. Share Song Links on Twitter with Twiturm

Twiturm integrates with your band’s Twitter account, allows you to post your music and track listens. You can choose whether or not listeners can download the track and users can share the track with their followers in just one click. Log in with your Twitter credentials, browse to a mp3 on your computer, fill in a few details about your mp3 and click submit. From there they tweet a link that your friends and fans can click and instantly hear your music.

4. Reach More of Your Fans With FanMail


FanMail is a digital marketing solution that provides you the tools to help you find, know and reach your most important assets via email, mobile, social, websites and design. Their interactive campaigns are powered by the best technology and are produced by seasoned marketing, design and development professionals who understand fans. FanMail reaches millions of fans daily, and they each get the information they want, the way they want it.

5. Measure ROI With Band Metrics

Band Metrics is for musicians, bands, labels, managers, booking agencies, venues, A&R reps, promoters, music supervisors, publicists, marketing agencies, analysts and anyone interested in measuring artists and music. Identify fans, measure social engagement, find hot markets, track radio plays and discover trends all with their multiple in depth reports.

Marketing Tips for 2011

• Use Facebook apps to increase fan engagement.


• Blogging is still king according to Social Media Examiner. And Hubspot points out that businesses with an active blog get 55% more online traffic than those without a blog.


• Spice up your Social Media strategy.


• Focus on Customer Experience and learn about consumer behavior.


• Enact good link building activities.


• Use different kinds of content to drive results to maximize your Social Media marketing plan.


• Get the Ecommerce Tips to Guide You Through 2011 ebook from GetElastic.


• Integrate email into your Social Media plan.


• Continually learn how social media is changing and how to stay on top of the latest trends, technology, ROI stats, devices, apps, and more.

For more marketing and social media tips, be sure to follow us on Twitter!

Prepare for the Holiday Season Now

If you haven't already, its time to get your e-commerce holiday plan in order because in a blink of an eye, you'll be too late! These are preliminary steps you can take in order to have a successful holiday season for your online store.

Shopping Trends to Consider

• Consumers are skimping on certain items in order to spluge on a few pricier favorites - be sure to tout what you have that's unique or affordable.


• They’re planning more in advance to save on gas money - get the word out about your store.


• People are researching online and purchasing offline - make sure your prices are competitive and maybe offer free shipping.


• E-tailers are offering guaranteed delivery dates during the holiday season - add information in your "about" section on your Holiday ordering deadlines.


• comScore Reports $29.1 Billion in U.S. Retail E-Commerce Spending for Full November-December 2009 Holiday Season, Up 4 Percent vs. Year Ago

What's The Plan?

• Take advantage of your social networks and post reminders about Holiday shopping at your store


• Ask your friends and fans to post your store on their website and profiles to help spread the word


• Spruce up your store with a festive banner, holiday colors, cheerful descriptions


• Consider announcing specials and sales the day before strategic dates (see below)


• To help your shoppers find things easily create gift bundles or gift categories (for him, for her, by price, stocking stuffers, etc.)

Mark Your Calendars!
These are said to be the busiest shopping days for 2010. Structure your holiday plan around these days by including specials and discounts with deadlines to capitalize on the feeding frenzy.

• November 26 is Black Friday


• November 29 is Cyber Monday


• December 13 is Green Monday...in 2009, $854 million was spent in online sales.

Final Thoughts

• Get the word out about your shop now.


• Make it easy for your customers to shop.


• Enhance your site design with holiday flair.


• Make potential buyers comfortable about your business.


• Provide specific delivery lead times and shipping discounts.


• Use holiday specials to convert shoppers to buyers.

Strategy is everything during this super competitive time of the year. Take this extra time to get organized and make this your most lucrative holiday season ever.

Website Launch - ROUND ROOM PRODUCTIONS

LOGO, BRAND AND NEW WEBSITE JUST LAUNCHED!

Blooming Footprint was asked by Round Room Productions to create a clean and professional brand and website that would appeal to corporate clients seeking production services. There was an additional challenge as the concept of the company name was derived from the jam band Phish's song,'Round Room'. We were intrigued and inspired by the request and feel great about the results!

Tanzanian Student Fund - Website Just Launched!

Blooming Footprint is proud to be a part of the Gayle Lyn Kliever Student Fund and happy to announce the launch of it's new website. We have been donating our time and energy to help raise awareness and funds for this worthy cause. The fund is the result of Amy's cousin, Gayle, living and teaching in Tanzania, Africa for five years. She fell in love with the people and culture there and is working hard to help citizens of all ages in this struggling country.

By donating to the fund, one can make a huge difference in a student's life and consequently, the country's economy. A small donation goes a long way (a large donation goes an even longer way! :) And the best part is, they have been able to channel 100% of all donations directly to student scholarships!

To learn more about the fund and make a donation, please visit the website:
www.glkstudentfund.com

Still Think Social Media Is A Fad??

I loved the first video Socialnomics put out and here is the updated version. The social media & mobile statistics are hard to ignore. Watch for yourself...



Take Aways...
"We don't have a choice on whether we DO social media, the question is how well do we DO it."

"People care more about how their social graph ranks products and services than how Google ranks them." Second time I heard this today. First time was at a Hubspot webinar.

"We will no longer search for products & service, they'll find us via Social Media."

"One out of eight couple married in the US met via Social Media." This is why sites like Pickv are making waves in the online dating world.

"25% of search results for the World's Top 20 largest brands are links to user generated content."

"The ROI of Social Media is your business will still exist in 5 years."

The Big Kahuna...
"Listen First, Sell Second."