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social media

Why I Loved Being an HMG Creative Intern

Posted on by Stacey Donelan

It seems just like yesterday I was frantically calling the office on my way in for my first day at HMG.  I think I passed the office building about three times before I actually realized that was where I needed to be.  Ha, what a newbie!  After a friendly greeting, these eager beavers put my straight to work, which has been the best part of my internship—there was always plenty of work to be done.  No matter how big or small, there was always something I could be doing and no, it actually didn’t require me to make a coffee run!  There are many more aspects I loved about being an HMG Creative Intern that I’d like to share with you in one of my final blog posts.

I was more than an intern. Yep, you heard that right.  Although you might assume I was just a coffee-running, copy-making, good-for-nothing but the grunt-work college student, I am very proud to say…you’re WRONG.  My work was so far from this definition and half of the time I actually was referred to as a the HMG Social Media and Marketing “Coordinator.”  Every member of the HMG team treated me with the utmost respect and as a true employee, something that is very rare to find at any internship and was truly appreciated!

They even used my ideas! I was always encouraged to present my personal opinions and insight.  I was often invited to team meetings where I was asked to contribute my thoughts and ideas and I even took charge on two of our major campaigns.  This has left me with great experience and the confidence to embark on my future careers.

Fun atmosphere. Coming into HMG office every week was always a joyful experience.  The close-knit team welcomed me every day with a warm hello and provided me with plenty of laughter throughout the day.  The atmosphere around the office was laid back and one of the best aspects of working here (in my opinion) was getting to wear jeans whenever I wanted!  Who doesn’t love that?!

Gained a wide variety of experience. From social media and blogging to learning the foreign concepts of website development, I can truly say I have learned a vast amount of knowledge that I feel confident will carry me into this new chapter of my life as I start the search for a real career!

All in all, I couldn’t be more grateful for my time at HMG Creative.  I truly appreciate all of the opportunities and responsibilities given to me as the Social Media and Marketing Intern and I can only hope that I will be remembered as a great intern.  So as you can see, an HMG Internship is one of a kind, so my advice to you college students is: be on the look out for the next internship opportunity available and maybe you too can be as lucky as I was to experience it!

Why Your Facebook Fans Hit the Unlike Button—And What to Do About It

Posted on by James Trumbly

You put a lot of effort into building your Facebook page, so it can be discouraging when people “unlike” you. Strange as it may seem, people take their Facebook pages super seriously. So seriously, in fact, that unliking is often viewed as the ultimate way to show disapproval, even more than negative comments or reviews. What’s the main reason people unlike a brand? Simple, you annoy them.

“Stop Pestering Me!”
I’ve seen brands do some pretty obnoxious things, from pelting the news feed with multiple posts every day to posting political nonsense that has nothing to do with their company. According to this enlightening infographic by market research company Lab42, people most often unlike brands for these annoying habits (which ones are you guilty of?):

  • Posting too frequently
  • Posting irrelevant content
  • Posting overt religious or political content
  • Bad customer service and communication

Respect Your Fans and Give Them What They Want
At the end of the day, your fans want to hear from you or they wouldn’t have liked you in the first place. Most Facebook users like brands because they feel more connected, they want to receive special offers or discounts, or they want to stay up-to-date on new products. Encourage them to stick around by resolving to:

  • Post less frequently—Pay attention to how often you’re posting. If necessary, ask fans for feedback on how often they’d like to hear from you.
  • Post relevant, valuable content—Make sure your fans receive top priority when it comes to notification of sales, coupon offers, giveaways, and other deals. Avoid topics that have nothing whatsoever to do with your brand (although it’s fine to let your personality shine through).
  • Encourage fans to manage notification frequency rather than unliking—Facebook allows users to change their notification preferences by hovering over the “Like” button on a brand’s fan page.
  • Let fans know they can hide a like—If your company has embarrassment potential (you sell diet products or certain medications, for example) fans can hide the fact that they’ve liked your page from their friends. Don’t be distraught by this. Just be thankful they’re still receiving your information, even if all their friends don’t know it.

Maintaining a healthy Facebook fan page is all about building relationships. Learn what your customers want and give it to them. Keep the conversation fresh. And pay attention to the likes and dislikes of your target market. It’s the only way to stay on top of your game in an increasingly competitive social market.

One, Two, Three More Steps to Improve Your Branding Score

Posted on by John Wagner III

As consumers we know “brands” simply as a particular product or service we like or dislike. However, as a business owner we know there are several factors to be considered before consumers can truly identify and trust a specific brand. In a perfect world, everyone would be a great target for all marking and brand identities but that’s not the case. Let’s cover the three main steps to creating an interactive branding message that your consumers can begin to connect with!

1.  Logo – (Noun) “A symbol adopted by an organization to identify its products or services” We all know it’s never about what you have, it’s about how you use it that makes the difference! Since you’ve spent the time and/or money on this masterpiece called your “logo,” make sure it shows up everywhere including business cards, social media sites, and any other promotional materials. Your logo is your company’s identity in a picture and the more you show it off, the quicker your brand recognition will grow.

Does this really matter, you ask? Consider this… how likely are you to remember a random fast-food restaurant you visited when they use generic bags and soda cups versus the restaurant that brands every cup and bag with their logo? That garbage in your car becomes advertising and will make an impression every time you see it.

2.  Interact – Who knew this was a part of branding? Speak directly with your target and, even more importantly, with your clients. Share and respond to social media comments, answer your phone using your company name and/or slogan, and use interactive communication tools such as surveys and email marketing. Remember, everything you send and share should always include your logo and slogan.

3. Solve – Your mission should be simple. Every business offers a product or service that offers results and/or a solution; and just because you know that, it does not mean your target market does. Leverage your interactive tools to share a clear, concise, and consistent solution that is unique to your brand identity. Remember, the process you use to help your clients may be complicated but your message should be simple enough to earn the trust and comfort of your clients.

Branding is more of an art than a science; it takes creativity, time, patience, and just like a painting, it will even go through an ugly stage. An initial brand launch should focus on creating awareness for your unique product or services. Luckily you have a friend in the industry- whether your current brand is sour or your business is brand new, HMG can help you too!

Twelve Impressive Twitter Numbers

Posted on by John Wagner III

Trends, Shares, Hashtags and Retweets!  Twitter is social media’s most interactive resource to keep in touch with virtually anything and anyone you so desire, and, in real time. Since Twitter became one of the leading social media sites, I have become curious to know the numbers that make Twitter unique; so I did some research and I came up with a list of my favorite ever-changing Twitter statistics.

- 124,000,000,000 (Yes, that’s 9 Zero’s!) Tweets worldwide in 2012

- 500 million Twitter users worldwide

- 300 thousand NEW Twitter visitors every day

- 73 percent of Twitter users are between 15 and 25 years old

- 50 percent of 2013 Super Bowl ads mentioned Twitter

- 24 million Tweets accounted for during the 2013 Super Bowl (XLVII); up nearly 50 percent from 12 million in 2011 and 15 million in 2012

- 22 percent of Twitter user accounts are located in the United States (that’s 110 million Americans!)

- 16 million: the amount of the official Twitter account followers

- 11 new accounts are created every second

- 7 years since Twitter’s 2006 launch at SXSW

- 2nd ranked country for Twitter users is the England, just behind the US

- 1st Ranked for Twitter followers is Justin Bieber, 34 million and counting

Regardless of what number or metric we measure, it’s clear that social media has taken the world by storm.  Nearly 1.5 billion people engage in one or more social media platform as of December 2012; that’s 30% of adults worldwide.  The numbers for the United States are even more impressive with 69% of Americans ages 15 and up using social media, for a tally of 168 million users.  It’s always been said that “numbers don’t lie”; so my educated guess is that this social media craze will only grow and become more embedded in our culture and economy just as the internet and television did some 20 and 60 years ago. Until next time, happy Tweeting, Liking, Pinning and connecting!

The Scoop on SXSW

Posted on by Daniel Alvarez

As the month of March rolls around, Austinites (and now, people from across the globe) are preparing themselves for the one festival that brings together over 50,000 locals, techies, musicians, hipsters, film makers, producers, celebrities and many more. Yes, South By Southwest or “South By” for those of you in tune with the local lingo has quickly become the go-to festival in North America. Boasting musical acts from over a thousand artists, countless indie movie premieres and hundreds of technology start-ups, SXSW feeds the souls of those in attendance.

In addition to the many fun-filled events, there’s a lot of business that goes down during the nine days that make up SXSW. And as a creative agency that specializes in working with startups, we take this time seriously, both as a networking opportunity and as a chance to help these young entrepreneurs realize their dreams.

Over the years, SXSW has been the launch pad for many major players in the tech and web-based industries. So much so that the third largest social network, Twitter, launched at SXSW back in 2007. The launch of the micro-blogging platform was so successful that Twitter’s servers became overloaded with users during the event. But not every story is as big as Twitter’s, there are hundreds of smaller companies making a name for themselves each year during the festival- and we’re excited to be part of that growth.

As a progressive digital agency with over nine years in the biz, we know how much hard work goes into building a reputable brand and a dominant online presence from the ground up.We can help get you to the next level through proven marketing techniques, creative web design/development and a plan of action that works.

Are you planning on visiting Austin for South By Southwest? If so, make sure you give us a call, Follow us on Twitter, or come say hi when you see us front row at The Flaming Lips and Green Day concerts!

Our St. Jude Fundraiser in a Nutshell!

Posted on by Stacey Donelan

Valentine’s Day has come and gone and The Crew at HMG Creative has put on another successful campaign.  The past couple of weeks have been dedicated to promoting social media interaction, through our Facebook and Twitter channels, in order to generate donations for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. From February 15 to midnight of Valentine’s Day, we were able to:

  • Gain 87 new Facebook Fans
  • 346 Facebook Shares on St. Jude photos
  • 500+ Likes on St. Jude photos
  • 41 Retweets on Twitter for St. Jude tweets
  • 24 New Twitter Followers

Through these efforts, we were able to bring in $300 to donate to St. Jude and we couldn’t be more proud!  Although we did not reach our goal of $500, this is our very first donations-based initiative and we feel confident that this experience will leave us with the knowledge to create an even stronger campaign for the future. Not only were we able to share our love with children in need but we also created an incentive for those who helped us in the final push of our campaign.  Those who shared the St. Jude photo during the last two days were entered into a drawing to win a $100 Apple Gift Card.  We are thrilled to be giving the prize to Ms. Alayna Boyd, student at The University of Texas at Austin! (Who could be more deserving than a poor college student, right?!)

Despite the fact that the “Share the Love” campaign was able to stretch our social media efforts and gain more awareness for our company, what truly matters is that we were able to do all of this for such a great cause.  It is our hopes that through our donations we will be able to further assist the children of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and that they will be able to enjoy their Valentine’s Days for years to come. We thank everyone for all of your help in making this donation possible!

How to Achieve Social Media Stardom

Posted on by James Trumbly

Certain businesses have become overnight starlets in the world of social media. Somehow, things just clicked right from the start, and they “get it.” As it turns out, these social media divas all have some essential practices in common. With just a little effort, you too can enter the social media stratosphere.

  • Don’t be afraid to ask for fans.
    Let your email subscribers know about your social media efforts by including “Follow Us” buttons in each message you send, including customer service messages. You can also create a special campaign to request followers. Templates are free and easy to integrate into your newsletter format.
  • Incentivize subscriptions.
    One-time incentives such as a coupon or discount for liking a Facebook page can be excellent tools to acquire likes. You can also tempt would-be followers with promises of regular Twitter-only specials, sale previews, or VIP access to sales events.
  • Integrate your promotion efforts.
    Email marketing is a great way to spread the word about your social media efforts, but don’t ignore other promotion opportunities. Include a link on your website, solicit followers in your print advertisements, and pin your emails to your Pinterest board with keyword-enriched descriptions so your business shows up in a search.
  • Encourage your fans to interact.
    Engagement is one of the keys to succeeding with Facebook’s Edgerank algorithm. In order to show up in a fan’s newsfeed, you need to establish a pattern of interaction. Think outside the box and make it fun with ideas like:

    • Post photos of recent community events you’ve worked with.
    • Run a video contest.
    • Ask questions.
    • Invite fans to post their pictures to your page.
    • Link your blog posts to your Facebook page.
  • Tailor content to the strengths of each venue.
    Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Youtube—each social media venue you choose interact with will exhibit various strengths and weaknesses. Don’t try to shove all of your content into one mold. Create conversations on Facebook, provide how-to ideas and inspirations for Pinterest, and tweet about your online sales. While it’s important to integrate your marketing efforts, it is also important to recognize that your fans have different expectations from each venue.

Proactively building your fan list, providing great content and incentives, encouraging interaction, and capitalizing on the strengths of your various social media endeavors will give you all the know-how, popularity, and success you need to catapult you to rock star status.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas, HMG Gave to Me: Eight Fans a-Liking

Posted on by John Wagner III

The Holidays bring a lot of people to the shopping cart both virtually and through retail stores. There is no time like December to ramp up social media marketing and attract new subscribers and well… “Likes!”  So let’s unwrap Eight tips on attracting more Facebook Likes to your company’s page for Christmas!

1.  Leverage the store-front advantage! Incentivize your customers to check-in for discounts; if they’re willing to drive to your store, they’re willing to check-in!

2.  Post exclusive information or offers that will spark excitement and encourage subscribers to share the offerings.

3.  Words are great; however fans and prospective fans are twice as likely to engage with pictures, links and video content over text.

4.  Everyone likes cheap and free however, people like one thing a little bit more, competition! If the radio station can do it, so can your business. Create unique and engaging competitions every once in a while to attract new customers and more importantly, generate repeat visits to your page and website.

5.  Respond to posts and feedback though sentences that sound like they actually came from a real person, not a robot. Remember, there should always be time to communicate with your followers and clients, they are the first priority.

6.  Use links and keywords to help optimize your content so it’s seen by more friends of existing subscribers.

7.  Don’t just post, sponsor and promote the message.  Organic Facebook page visits are only a measurement of the contact with existing followers, so go viral!  About 80 percent of consumers say they are more likely to try a new product or service based on a suggestion from a friend through social media.

8.  Witty, funny and fresh content wins!  Don’t be shy when posting; get those creative juices flowing to maintain existing subscribers and draw new fan interest.

So just remember to engage, promote and respond to your fans quickly and your business will see the the “Likes” a-flowing this Holiday season!

On The Seventh Day of Christmas, HMG Gave to Me: Seven Shows-a Streaming

Posted on by Daniel Alvarez

What makes a video go viral? Perhaps it’s the catchy dance-inspired jingle or the tooth biting little brother.  Whatever it is, we can all agree that they have one thing in common: originality. Add in some humor, sex appeal or complete random-ness and you have yourself a Grade-A viral anomaly. Here, take a look at seven of our favorite viral videos.

Isaac’s Live Lip-Dub Proposal

I Told My Kid I Ate All Their Halloween Candy Again

Felix Baumgartner

Gangnam Style

Dollar Shave Club

Kony

The Dog Strikes Back

On The Sixth Day of Christmas, HMG Gave to Me: Six Birds-a Tweeting

Posted on by Daniel Alvarez

Twitter is gaining momentum at an alarming rate and more and more businesses are using Twitter to create new revenue, build relationships and solve customer issues. As a Twitter user for both personal and business use, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. Below are 6 tips to writing good tweets and getting more followers!

1.  Keep it simple! Probably the most important piece of advice anyone can give you…no one wants to read a novel; especially on a network of fast-moving posts.

2.  Be original. Yes, I know this is trivial but a lot of people forget to use their own thoughts.

3.  Be personal. Bring your followers into your world, show them what YOU are about and make them feel welcome.

4.  Make ‘em laugh. If you can’t come up with anything creative then default to a funny joke, everyone can appreciate a laugh now and then!

5.  In conjunction with keeping it simple, make it catchy at the same time! Use words that define you and intrigue the reader. Separate yourself from the pack.

6.  Hashtags. Another no-brainer in the Twittersphere;  hashtags are to Twitter as SEO is to a solid website.

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