#Quoted

When I found out I would be taking part in a tweetchat, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I don't use twitter too often and I have never taken place in a conversation with several others through hashtags.

I signed onto twitter at about 8:50pm, nervous that they would start early, but sure enough, 9:00pm rolled around and the moderator, @tribe2point0, sent out a welcome message. People rapidly were joining by including #PinChat and I didn't want to fall behind. I started by introducing myself as others were doing. Immediately I was welcomed into the community as if I had always been a part of the chat, comforting me for the next hour of conversation.

@Personal_Ink, also known as P.INK, was a special guest for the hour who was there to talk about a business they started via Pinterest. They provide tattoo designs, inspiration and information for breast cancer survivors. It was incredibly helpful to ask this company questions to learn more about how they got started and the effort it takes to upkeep the site. I was intrigued by what they do because one day I would like to work with a cancer-related organization and this completely broadened by view as to how I can impact this audience through social media. I was curious as to how this impacted others rather than just their target audience because when it comes to breast cancer, the entire family is impacted, not just the women. Through conversation with this company, I found that for them it is easier to only target the women because their site is focused on visual images and men are not as interested in communicating that way. In my opinion, this makes their social media strategy easier to create because they are only focusing on one gender. P.INK did send an article to explain why men are not as interested in talking about this topic. The moderator was great about understanding when she should jump in with a question and when she should allow other members of the tweetchat to ask their own questions.

I found that though the tweetchat, I really enjoyed seeing what other people asked the company, because it sparked ideas in my mind that I may not have thought about otherwise. I was surprised to see how quickly P.INK was able to answer questions and provide supplemental information to give us a full answer through the character limit in twitter. Often times I found it challenging to cut down all I wanted to say because of the limit. It was comforting to see that others supported my thoughts through mentions or favorites. By the end of my conversation, I looked back at my twitter interactions and was amazed at how much positive attention I had, even though it was my first time. I even got quoted in a #Storify story.

I look forward to getting involved again in the future to learn even more about how social media can be used effectively, especially through Pinterest.

If you ever want to learn more, I would encourage you to join us on Wednesday from 9:00-10:00pm.

The Hidden Cooking Connection

This past weekend I went to a charming place called Woodhaven Farm, the Cooking Connection, for a "surprise trip" with my scholars program. When I first arrived, I was greeted by a spunky, outgoing woman, named Tami Cecil, who I soon found out was our chef for the day. Her motto is that through cooking people can build a team and sure enough, the people I went with and I did. Coming from a partly Italian family, I know that food can bring a body of people together, especially when you take the time to mix the ingredients, wait for them to cook, and then finally indulge in the final product. I felt a true sense of camaraderie as everyone feasted on our homemade meal.

I had no idea Woodhaven Farm existed until I was surprised with the experience, but once I got home, I did a little research myself. Woodhaven farm has their own website and a Facebook account, however the two web pages are not linked together. The web page is a simple site that focuses on the basics of what the company is, where they are located, who they are looking to accommodate and other smaller details. The way they look to engage their customers through the website is their e-mail list and newsletter. Their Facebook was created in 2010 where they posted a couple times and then stopped posting completely for a year. Woodhaven Farm returned to Facebook in 2012 and has posted a few more times since then, although nothing has been seen in the year 2013.

Both their website and Facebook has much room for growth and plenty of potential. Through Facebook, I would recommend at least monthly posting (to start, but then definitely engage on a weekly basis after that) and through those posts show the experience the customers are having. Since food is appealing to the eye and people want to be like other happy people, Woodhaven Farm could greatly benefit from posting that on Facebook. Also, when hosting people of a younger generation, the chef could encourage them to invite their friends to like the page or post about the experience and link back to the Woodhaven Farm account.

Once they have established a secure Facebook presence, I would encourage Woodhaven Farm to look into Instagram. As I was looking into their social media presence, I came across a user who had posted about her experience at Woodhaven Farm using #woodhavenfarms on Instagram. If Woodhaven Farm had an account, they could suggest that all their customers tag them in a post to show their friends about the food they made or their overall experience. This would be a successful way to get their name out to the public, without having to do much advertising.

Although Woodhaven Farm is an all natural, country environment, they would benefit greatly by tapping into a modern resource to advertise the benefits of teambuilding through cooking.

Accept the Challenge

BuckeyeThon, Ohio State's largest student-run philanthropy, has made an impact that has been incomparable to any other student organization on campus. For those who don't know, BuckeyeThon started in 2001 and had its' first signature event, the Dance Marathon, in 2002 raising funds for Nationwide Children's Hospital through the Children's Miracle Network. This program ensures that all children will be treated, regardless of the family's ability to pay. BuckeyeThon's funds more specifically impact the hematology/oncology floor, although BuckeyeThon celebrates all children who have been treated at Nationwide Children's.

In the past 5 years, BuckeyeThon has made tremendous strides, including doubling their total two years in a row and having the highest number of registered dancers in Children's Miracle Network history. This student organization, run like a small nonprofit, raised over half a million dollars last year and look to continuously increase.

In order to do so, BuckeyeThon plans to engage the community year-round, rather than at the Dance Marathon. Through social media and BuckeyeThon's website, the organization advertises their upcoming events, how to give and introduces the community to the kids they are impacting. This information, right at students' fingertips, gives them full access to the organization and encourages them to be a part of the BuckeyeThon family.

This week, in the world of BuckeyeThon, is called Push Week. It is one week a few months out from the Dance Marathon that "pushes" dancers to register to guarantee them a spot at the Dance Marathon. In order to inform dancers of the opportunity to register, phrases like #FTK, Accept the Challenge and BuckeyeThon are all over forms of social media, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

BuckeyeThon also has a marketing strategy where during Push Week they have their general body members wear a sign that has an "Ask me" phrase. This opens the door for prospective or current dancers to learn more about the cause, without feeling intimidated. Through BuckeyeThon's social media campaigns, they provide the opportunity for  dancers feel inspired and connected to the cause.

So it really all comes down to you. Are you willing to Accept the Challenge?

Snapchat Promotes

As many people may know, Snapchat is a recent phenomenon in the social media world. In September 2011, the app was released, but really gained its' popularity in 2012. Amongst the young adult age group it generated attention when pictures started being saved and the issue of privacy came up. But since then, the app has become a pivotal part of social media and has positively impacted the way our generation communicates.

As businesses have started using the social media site to connect with their audience, Snapchat has capitalized on this opportunity through a recent update. Users were notified by this update through a video message from teamsnapchat who then encouraged their users to double tap the screen to update.

This update allows users to create a video within 24 hours. Similarly to Vine, users are able to establish story, but have a longer timeframe to do so. The social media site created a promo video to encourage users to make a story themselves.

Businesses are able to now use the social media outlet, not only to connect personally with their viewers, but also to send promotional videos, similarly to how Snapchat sent one to advertise themselves. This visual app is creating a new kind of digital communication encouraged by Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, captivating a wider variety of audiences than ever before.

Make a story for yourself and watch the Snapchat ghost dance for joy. 

Social Media Shutdown

When I hear the word shutdown, typically I think of something serious. Well, in the case of recent politics, the government partially shut down within the past 24 hours and this is the first time it has happened in the past 18 years. This is a pretty big deal to the 800,000 workers who did not receive a paycheck today, the couples who planned to celebrate their wedding at a national park or on national property and the members of the House who are still debating over the fiscal crisis.

Although Americans nationwide probably sympathize with these individuals, they may wonder how this crisis is applicable to their lives directly, besides the initial shock of hearing "the government shut down" from a passerby. According to ABC news, many of the federal agencies are having a tweet blackout because without a payday there are no people in the office to keep up with the social media.

So, how about those pandas you love to watch on the National Zoo's "panda cam"?

Unfortunately, this black and white footage and updates via Twitter and Facebook will be in complete darkness until the shutdown passes. 

But, if the national zoo isn't quite up your ally, how about NASA and the astroid watch? 

Due to this partial government shutdown, we won't know through one of the fastest information sources that an astroid is headed towards earth. Social media is applicable to many Americans nationwide and now we are being deprived of immediate information we have come to expect.

I do recognize that the inability to receive social media updates are not the worst thing to happen, however the sooner the politics are resolved, the sooner we will be granted freedom to our social media access. More importantly, people will have their paid positions back, wedding bells will happily ring, and peace will be restored in the House.

Stay tuned via twitter, the first place for your most up-to-date information.