Football has always been my favorite sport to watch. I’ve never been one of those people who watches the Super Bowl just for the commercials. Even if my team isn’t in the game, I’m still interested. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy watching advertisers battle it out on one of TV’s biggest nights.

This year, I found the commercials were overall a little lackluster. There were a couple that got me laughing, but none that had me rolling on the floor. My favorite, by far, was the campaign by Coca Cola. I think they truly set the bar high for the future of Super Bowl (and year-round) advertising. Although the commercials themselves were clever and cute, what really stole my heart and captured my attention was the Web component of their campaign. Through a Facebook app, you could watch the Coca Cola bears react to the game in real time. One bear was rooting for the Giants, and one for the Patriots. It was a feat of technology, and I give major props to Coke and their ad agency for the creativity that went into this campaign. I had my laptop open the whole game, and found myself looking to the bears to see if their reactions were the same as mine. Most of the time, they were. Little animated bears captured the excitement, stress, disappointment, hope, and many more emotions that real fans were feeling. What’s more, each bear had an “Internet-enabled” device and they tweeted their feelings and taunted each other throughout the game.

As much as I loved this campaign, there was one flaw that I found: Not enough people knew about it. I heard about the bears because I read Mashable and saw this article a couple of weeks ago. My dad watched the game with me, and although he enjoyed having the bears on our second screen, it’s not something he would have done himself. I texted a friend during the game who I knew would appreciate the cuteness, and she had no idea about it until I told her. When my co-workers and I dissected the Super Bowl commercials at lunch yesterday, none of them knew about the bears either. They are all under 30. Maybe Coke got the word out and I just didn’t see it…but neither did most of the people I know. Promoting a cross media campaign like this can be a challenge, but I definitely don’t think this innovative idea got as much attention as it deserved.

What did you think of the commercials? Did you watch the bears? Do you think other brands will follow Coke’s example and up their creativity?

Tomorrow is this my three year “blogoversary.”  I can’t believe this little box of chocolates has been around for three years! This year has been amazing and crazy busy. That whole getting married thing took up a lot of time! In all seriousness, I do wish I had been able to spend more time on this blog in the past year. Going from a job where social media was a major part of what I was doing, to one where it’s only minor, definitely had an impact. I also don’t believe in posting for the sake of posting. If I don’t have something worthwhile to say, if I don’t think you will be able to get something out of it, or at least enjoy it, I’d rather post less often than give you crap.  You deserve more than that…and you also deserve my thanks and appreciation for reading this blog. Thank you for your comments, emails, RTs, Facebook likes and comments. Each one put a smile on my face!

In the past year, 87,630 people have visited this blog…wow!  The majority of readers hail from the United States, with the Philippines coming in a distant, but surprising, second. The most viewed post was Be Kinder Than Necessary, with A Thank You Note to My Friends remaining as the all-time leader.

So, as a blogoversary present, I want to hear from you. What would you like me to write more about on this blog? Any suggestions for how I can improve? Any new topics you would like me to cover?  Recommended plug-ins/analytics tools are also appreciated. Looking forward to your feedback. Thanks again for reading

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When we’re little, one of the first lessons our parents teach us is the importance of sharing. Young minds are initially suspicious of this concept…Why would I want to share my awesome toys with someone else? I don’t want to let Cindy play Barbies with me. Her stories probably aren’t as good. What if I let Mikey borrow my Legos and he never gives them back? It wasn’t until we had our first few mutually beneficial sharing experiences that we started to believe the hype. So, if I play nice with Rachel and let her do my dolly’s hair, that means I get to try out her sparkly new crayons? Cool! 

This desire for mutually beneficial sharing has manifested itself in the social media world. We create something and share it with others, hoping they will share something in return.  The sharing is awkward at first, and a little hesitant, until we see that we are in a place where everyone helps each other share and is generally happy to do it. Our sharing has gone beyond Barbies and legos, but the process and the feelings attached to it are the same. We are proud and slightly protective of our words, pictures, products, and brands. Taking the control of these things out of our hands can be scary, but if we develop the right relationships, it’s totally worth it.

This development is key to forming a social media community or network. In order to establish real, worthwhile connections, you have to put in the effort. If your feeds are endless streams of one-sided sharing, you’re not going to make many friends. But, if you share things of your own and things of others that you find valuable, you’ll find that those people will share right back. Foster interaction and conversation and see just how powerful sharing can be. Think of the smile on Cindy’s face when you finally let her play Barbies with you, and try to replicate that feeling among your friends, fans and followers. Create an experience that is rewarding for all.

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Note: It took me WAY longer than it should have to find a normal-looking Barbie and Ken.

There is so much content on the Internet, that sometimes it’s hard to know what to read. I’ve built up my Google Reader based mostly on suggestions from friends and fellow bloggers. So, I wanted to share with you three blogs that I admire. These bloggers inspire me daily, and if you add them to your reader, you won’t regret it:

Jill Felska and Jenn Krenn of ChiPassionistas and DreamChamps: Jill and Jenn are amazing women. They were unhappy in Corporate America and they did something about it. Despite being newbies to the working world, these independent women were determined to pursue their passion. They started their own business, and chronicled their struggles and triumphs through their blog.  Recently, they launched a “passion project” called DreamChamps. The tagline “We’ll help you find a job you love, because life’s too short to do work you hate,” says it all. These two inspire me on a regular basis, and I value their perspective. I can’t wait to see what they do next!

ChiPassionistas Blog: http://pursuingourpassion.com/
DreamChamps: http://dreamchamps.com/
Twitter: @ChiPassionistas and @DreamChamps

Sam Davidson of Cool People Care and Proof Branding: In addition to having a fantastic name, Sam is an entrepreneur, a father, an author, a speaker, and an all around nice guy. His writing focuses on caring for others and our planet, eliminating the unnecessary stuff in our lives, and living life more fully. Sam co-founded Cool People Care in 2006 to connect people who want to save the world with the organizations and opportunities to do just that.  He is also the Chief Storyteller at Proof Branding, a full service branding company in Nashville that has an impressive portfolio. Reading Sam’s words reminds me to be more aware of the world around me and make the most of every day.

Sam’s Blog: http://samdavidson.net/
Cool People Care: http://coolpeoplecare.org/
Proof Branding: http://www.proofbranding.com
Twitter: @samdavidson

Molly Mahar of Stratejoy: Molly is a rockstar. She’s also a life coach. I’ve had the privilege of working with Molly, and I can honestly say that she changes lives. Stratejoy is all about strategies for living a more joyful life. Molly and her team of bloggers write about life and all of its ups and downs. The posts are honest, real and easy to relate to. Even though she has worked with countless young women, if you get the chance to work with Molly, she really makes the effort to get to know you and she truly cares. Her Joy Juice journal prompts and self-help courses are awesome too.

Stratejoy Website:  http://www.stratejoy.com/
Blog: http://www.stratejoy.com/blog/
Twitter: @stratejoy

Social media has quickly become the first place we go for information. It’s where we find out about celebrity deaths, natural disasters, the latest technology, changes in relationship status, college acceptances, what people are doing and where they’re going. Those who aren’t on social media miss out, or find themselves behind. The first place my friends have gone to upload pictures from our wedding was Facebook. This is great for me, but not for my mom and other family members who aren’t so technologically inclined. I learned about the postponement of last night’s World Series game before my husband, because I follow ESPN on Twitter. I wanted to know when the new DSW was opening in Manhattan, so I went to Twitter and asked. How did I find out that a friend of ours had recently proposed to his girlfriend at Mizzou homecoming? Twitter, and I watched the video on Facebook. Muammar Gaddafi’s death and Gilad Shalit being set free…Twitter. You get the point.

When brands have news to share, traditional media cannot be the only place they go.  As young professionals, we keep our ears to the ground and our eyes on the screen at all times. To reach us, you have to be where we are, speaking our language.

What are some other examples of things you’ve found out on social media? Have you been among the first to know because you’re connected?

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With the recent releases of the Kindle Fire and the iPhone 4S, I’ve been thinking a lot about our desire for a device that is all-in-one. Amazon started a reading revolution when they first came out with the Kindle in 2007, and now it seems they’ve gone beyond the simple e-reader and entered the tablet market. The Fire itself is also revolutionary, boasting a dual core processor and the Amazon Silk browser.  Apple’s announcement of the iPhone 4S was disappointing to those who expected the iPhone 5, but with an 8-megapixel camera and the Siri personal assistant, pre-orders of the phone topped 1 million in 24 hours.

As an ardent reader who commutes on public transportation, the Kindle has been life changing. It takes up far less room in my bag and saves me from elbowing people and almost falling over as I attempt to turn pages. I love the Kindle for what it is, and while I was very happy to win a newer Kindle with enhanced e-ink, I would have been fine with my 1st generation if that opportunity hadn’t come along. The Fire just isn’t for me. Currently, I also have an Android powered LG smartphone, an iPod Touch, and a digital camera.  Although I am more than a little bit tempted by the iPhone in general, I’m also a little wary of having all of my devices in one. I can certainly see the benefits: you only have to remember one thing, instead of three. For those with pockets or small purses, it’s a lot easier to cart around one device. When you can’t find something, you know where to look. There is less of a chance of losing your electronics…but then again, what happens if you lose your all-in-one device? The iPad and other tablets present similar questions in my mind.

There is no question that Steve Jobs was a genius and much more, so I’m quite confident he knew what he was doing when he and his Apple cohorts built these devices. Their ridiculous popularity also backs this up. But, I want to know, those of you who have these devices (and others): What appeals to you about the all-in-one device? Has this eliminated your need for things like cameras and mp3 players? Do you think there’s any danger in trying to combine everything into one?

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I love the digital world. This blog means the world to me, and I’m so grateful to all of you for reading it. Twitter and Facebook help keep me connected to friends and family, and up to date on the latest news and trends. Social media is definitely a big part of my life…but, when it comes to the intersection of the digital world and the professional world, I’m at a bit of a loss. Although I’m well aware that any current or future employer could easily type my name into Google and find all of my social profiles, I’m still hesitant to make that part of my life an official piece of my professional persona. I’ve applied to jobs where I’ve talked about my social media presence in the cover letter or interview, even provided links in the application. But, my blog is not on my resume or my LinkedIn profile. Every time I log into LinkedIn, this yellow box stares back at me:

“I know I haven’t!” is my usual exasperated response. For some reason, which I can’t quite pin down, the separation feels right to me. Or at least, it has. Now, I’m not so sure what to do. So, I need your help. Do you list your personal blog and Twitter profiles on your resume and/or LinkedIn? Why or why not? If you do, are you extra conscious of what you say in posts, tweets and status updates (so you don’t end up like these people)?

We all like to win. Not in the crazy Charlie Sheen “winning” kind of way (at least I hope not). But, every single one of us has a least a little competitive side, and we all want to come out on top. Human nature drives us to work for success and to want to distinguish ourselves from others. It can be something as small as racing your brother home, or something as big as being named to the New York Times Bestseller List or Forbes Top Something. Whatever it is we’re winning at, winning feels good.

So, speaking of winning, I have a confession to make. Every day, I spend about 10 minutes entering online contests. I have a saved search on twitter for #giveaways, and I comb through to find the prizes I would actually be interested in. Sometimes the requirements are too complicated, and I close the window without entering. But, I generally enter a few different contests each day. This strategy/habit/minor addiction has proven successful. I’ve won a number of prizes, including a CD, a few gift cards, leather luggage tags, and most excitingly, a Kindle.

The reasons why I enter these giveaways and what motivates me to do so are good lessons for individuals and businesses trying to reach people in some way.

There is little to no risk. As I mentioned, most of these giveaways make it pretty easy to enter. You usually just have to look at the sponsor’s website and comment on the host blog about something you like from the sponsor’s site. This is easy, so why not take two minutes to enter? (Bonus: It gets eyeballs on the sponsor’s page as well.) But, a word of warning: some giveaways require several complicated steps to enter. When I see that, I close the browser window right away. Make sure finding information about you or your company isn’t like a scavenger hunt. Have visible calls to action and easy to navigate menus. Remember that confusion does not equal warm fuzzies.

They are easy to find. The smart giveaways tag their tweets so they can be searchable. That way, all people have to do is search giveaways and click on the links. Easy peasy. Likewise, make sure you or someone at your company knows at least a little bit about SEO. Keywords are called keywords for a reason. Having the right ones and using them correctly is essential. You want people to be able to find you without having to dig too deep.

Proven results. When I first started entering giveaways, I was a little skeptical. I thought it might be like playing the lottery, and I would never win. But, once I won the first one, I knew it was possible to win again. Someone has to win, so why not me? People are more likely to try something that has proven results and/or positive endorsements. This is why it’s so important to get recommendations on LinkedIn and maintain relationships with people who will speak highly of you and your skills. It’s also the reason to make sure you have reviews, testimonials, awards and accolades displayed prominently somewhere on your website or in your store.  The truth is, people probably aren’t just going to take your word for it that you’re the best. Plus, letting others do the talking sometimes mean you won’t always be tooting your own horn.

Free stuff! Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t like free stuff? I highly doubt it. So, if you have the opportunity to offer something free or discounted, do it!  You can always partner with someone who is willing to give a good or service away in exchange for the publicity you’ll bring them. Think about your network, I’m sure you know some creators of some kind. If not, reach out to someone new.

The bottom line is that people like to get something out of experiences. Whether that something is tangible or not, we like to feel rewarded, and know that our effort was worthwhile. Even when you read this blog, I would guess that you want to walk away feeling like you’ve learned something or gained a new perspective. If nothing else, I hope you enjoy reading my posts. So, in your blog, your business, and your life, think about what you’re putting in, but also what other people are getting out of it.

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There are a lot of brands on social media. Some simply promote their own content, and RT positive news about their company. But, there are others who truly understand the value in social media. One such brand is DSW, and here are three reasons why they rock it:

1) They encourage interaction and participate in two-way conversations with their fans.  If you tweet something, they respond. They thank you for compliments and make sure to answer your questions. They ask questions and facilitate conversations. This should be a given for all brands on these channels, but sadly it’s not. Engagement and interaction are not one-way streets. Responding to your fans and followers shows them that what they say matters. The more positive they feel about your brand, the more likely they are to be advocates for you.

2) They appreciate their customers and it shows. DSW has one of the best rewards programs out there. It’s free to join, and you rack up points every time you shop online or in stores. After you accumulate a certain number of points, you receive a $10 certificate in the mail. Plus, there are several times during the year when purchases garner double or triple points, and they send you a $5 certificate for your birthday.  What’s more, you don’t even have to carry a card around. Cashiers can easily look up your account by phone number, and their newly redone website makes it super easy to track your purchases and your points. If you don’t want to spend money to get money, you can participate in DSW’s social media giveaways. They do at least one a week on Facebook and Twitter, and occasionally offer additional opportunities to get gift cards, just for interacting with them. A couple of weeks ago, I simply commented on a Facebook post asking what people liked about the new website, and I was sent a $5 gift card in the mail. It’s so nice to know that a brand truly appreciates customer feedback.

3) They’re not just a brand, they’re people who love shoes. It’s evident that the people in charge of DSW’s social media accounts are shoe-lovers, just like their fans. They’re passionate about their jobs, and really want to show the human side of the company. When I received that $5 gift card, there was a little note from a specific person thanking me for my feedback and support. Last year, I was one of the winners for “free shoes Friday,” their weekly Twitter contest. The person I emailed my address to was incredibly friendly, and seemed genuinely happy to be sending me my prize. Those personal touches only further endear me to the company because it’s much easier to relate to a person than a logo.

In case you were wondering, I was in no way compensated for this post. I believe that people and brands should be recognized and applauded when they’re doing something right. Other brands should follow DSW’s example, and if you love shoes, make sure to follow and like them!

Which other brands are rocking social media engagement?

One of my friends always asks me what my plans are for the night. Quite often, my response is the same: go to the gym, shower, make dinner, eat dinner, relax and watch TV with my fiance, sleep. Some nights I read a book. Others I read and write blog posts, but during the week, that’s about it. It seems like so many people in the social media world have projects. I totally admire people like Grace, who runs a foodie blog in addition to her regular blog, and her day job…and her life. I give major kudos to Mehnaz who continues to works her butt off on freelance projects, usually on the weekends, despite acquiring full-time employment. Andrew has so many projects and “evil plans” going on at any given time, it’s hard to keep up! (Ask him for his mashups!)

Then there’s me. No, I don’t have any projects. Unless you count planning a wedding (which I guess you probably could), working hard at being happy and learning to love myself more, or figuring out what I want to do with the rest of my life. I used to feel bad when I gave that answer. If all these other people can do so much in their days, shouldn’t I be doing more too? Maybe…but I’m not, and that’s okay. I go to work every day, do what needs to get done and try to make a difference.  I am blessed to be in a wonderful relationship and have great friends and family. This blog is my creative outlet, and I’m grateful for the community it has given me. No, I don’t have any projects right now, but that’s quite alright.