With all the different Social Media programs available, learning how to use them properly can be confusing.  Considering the value they can bring to your marketing campaign, taking the time to learn how to use them will be well worth the effort.   So, consider this Lesson #1.

A company's identity affects people of all ages. Listen to the adorable-sounding little girl in this video. She is asked to identify various logos. I found her take on each one refreshing

Most of the companies in this video have done an amazing job at branding themselves. When a child identifies your logo as the "coffee" logo without hesitation, you have made yourself about as recognizable as possible.

The more brand recognition you get at the end of the day, the more likely people are to buy your product. Good job Starbucks.

As a grandmother of 4, I love to read to my grandchildren, but living in another state made that difficult. 

Until Skype.

I think I found the perfect job!!  And it’s not mine! 

 Okay, before I get fired, hear me out! 

If you're in the Charlotte area, you've seen the commercials all over the air.  We've been promoting the African Sporting Exposition very heavily the past few months and we're so excited that its finally here!  Last night's kick-off at the Hall of Fame was a blast!

The 2012 African Sporting Exposition (ASE) kicked off last night with an Africa Full Throttle reception at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex, Jr. welcomed exhibitors and attendees as spokesman and ASE Ambassador.

Often find yourself searching or researching online and trying to remember which sites you visited contained what you were looking for? Wanting to try the recipe you saw on a blog last week but can’t remember the url?

You need Pinterest…one of the latest social networks that is taking virtual organization to a whole new level.

Launched in December 2009, Pinterest is a vision board-styled social photo sharing website and app connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests. Once joining the site you can create and manage theme-based image collections and follow other boards to gain new ideas and build on your collections.

By now, you probably know what QR Codes are. (You know, the black blob that resembles a barcode. You’ve seen them on packaging, online, and for some reason, every now and then on TV). To view a QR Code, users download an app to a smartphone, scan the blob to see that product’s offer or incentive to purchase a product. In many cases, the offer is a coupon that users can show the checkout person from their phone, rather than printing the coupon, and savings are applied on the spot. (But, you already knew all that!!) I mean, what could be better than QR Codes?

SnapTags!

Last fall is when QR codes (quick response) finally hit mass media. You are able to find these small square bar codes on magazine covers, within print ads, on billboards and custom mailers.

Why are these so important and what do they do?

QR Codes require a smartphone with a special bar code reader application installed. When a consumer “scans” the bar code with their phone it takes them to a  mobile website landing page that the bar code was created for. With the popularity of smartphones it has allowed for more people to use this technology to help promote specific sales campaigns.

Social Media Charlotte is an organization promoting social media growth and knowledge within the Charlotte region. One event the group puts on are monthly breakfast that either has a speaker or panel to discuss either a topic within social media or how a company and/or person utilizes social media for growth. This growth could be new business, leads or community inspiration.

We strive that at least one person from Ritz marketing is in attendance every month. More times than not it is myself, Arleigh Jenkins, the Director of Interactive Services. Depending on the topic I may involve co-workers so they can better understand the forever changing landscape of digital interactions.

This mornings Social Media Charlotte breakfast was lead by Kevin Grandia, the Director of Greenpeace USA. Before I hit the items shared in bullet point format I would like to mention that Kevin was a breath of fresh air. He brought real time information for those in attendance. His ego wasn’t inflated even though he runs one of the more successful green non-profits in the US. Maybe his humble views can be shared to those in the digital sphere. Do good things, be the change.

What are QR codes and how can they help your business?

Quick Response codes (QR codes) and other two-dimensional codes are expected to achieve widespread use this year – and for good reason. Consumers want immediate access to what’s relevant and QR codes are being used to make that possible.