Some people think it’s cool, some say it’s nerdy, some proclaim it’s self involved glorification. I find it to be one of the most rewarding hobbies and learning tools. I’m not saying I learned more in the blogging world that I did in college, but I’m not saying I didn’t either.

mollydixon.com was born in 2009 out of a fit of boredom. I was blogging for a magazine in Scottsdale, AZ and wanted more than just a weekly post about the trendiest dresses for the club scene.

I started out being fine with the fact that literally not a soul was reading my personal blog, nor should they have been since I wasn’t telling anyone about it. Years later my Type-A personality kicked in and I wanted to be the best at blogging I could be. I found products I was passionate about like The Cambridge Satchel Co. and Dani Notes iPhone cases (photos below – shameless plug), and I blogged about them. A funny thing started happening, people were interested, and so were the brands I believed in. They sent me free products, and I became the best marketing source for the products I loved. My friends freaked out and clicked “purchase” on more than one occasion.

I also found Social Media tools to get my readership up to 12,000 page views a month (woo hoo)!

Here are some of the platforms I use to increase traffic to my blog:

1. My personal Facebook (it’s personal for a reason…stalkers!)
2. My blog’s Facebook
3. Google+ : A place where I can share my blog posts and others can share them (you get the idea).
4. Pose : An iPhone App that allows to take quick snapshots of what I’m wearing that day. Pose will then post to Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook.
5. Instagram : If you don’t know what this is GOOGLE it. I share screenshots of my blog posts, what I’m up to, and interact with other bloggers (I’ve made quite a few friends)!
6. Twitter (almost up to 1,000 followers baby!) The connection I’ve made with bloggers across the world is amazing!
7. rewardStyle (an affiliate program I’m a part of for fashion bloggers) : I can pin, tweet, and blog lustworthy items that I would like to see in my closet or items that I’ve just recently purchased myself. If someone likes what they see and clicks “buy” I get commission!
8. Pinterest : Again, if you have no idea what I’m talking about see AJ’s blog. Or check out my page here.
9. By guest blogging for GuiltyStar. I write two weekly blog posts for them.They promote my blog and I promote their products. It’s a sweet and simple relationship that benefits both parties!
10. Polyvore.com – I can create clothing collages and post them to my blog, Tumblr and basically every Social Media platform every created.

When Snapple came onto the market, its creators were a group of quirky, down-to-earth entrepreneurs and the brand reflected that image with fun graphics, and unique flavors.  And of course the Snapple Lady.  They believed in their product, drank it morning, noon and night.  On a shoe-string budget they built a national brand with a cult like following.

If you don’t have personality in your brand or you haven’t clearly identified your brand, you’re missing out on a great deal of customers. It doesn’t need to be quirky, it just needs to be clear. Think about how clear your brand is conveyed.

-Julie

If the demographic of Pinterest does fit your audience, and you are ready to pin the world over, here are 5 key tips to help you boost your business with Pinterest.

1. Invest your time
   Think of Pinterest as a big networking event. Spend the time to connect with others on Pinterest, follow those who are the movers and shakers, and find users who have quality pins that garner attention and comments. Above all, be authentic and yourself. Your brand online is an extension of everything you put in your business. Make your voice heard here as well as everywhere else.
2. Keep it simple
   Keep the captions of your pins smart, simple, and to the point. If you are pinning products from your own website and business, don’t be shy to create a link back to your website. Keep your boards clean, and aesthetically appealing. You don’t want your Pinterest page to look like the home of a hoarder.
3. Connect your profiles
   You can use the “pin it” button on your website, driving traffic back and forth between your website and your Pinterest boards. You can link your pins to Twitter and Facebook. Some businesses use creative promotions that work Pinterest.
4. Share your knowledge
   The last thing you want people to think about your business is that you are too self-absorbed. Try pinning quotes that you find inspiring, products from other industries/businesses, or even tips and tricks. People who follow you will quickly lose interest if all you talk about is yourself.
5. Cross-promote
   Use your other social network channels to promote what you are doing on Pinterest. Try tweeting a photo contest for your followers to pin with your product. If you see others posting photos on Facebook or Twitter of your products, ask if you could pin them on Pinterest. The more you network, communicate, and respond to people online, the more traction you will see with your efforts. Remember, like any good relationship, you have to invest quality time to see results.

Enter Vlingo, the app that is built for those in my shoes. I’ve had the app for quite a bit, but decided to ‘test’ it for a month or so to see if it’s worth it. Turns out it is.

It doesn’t do all the voice-activated fanciness that Siri does, but it definitely holds its own. It calls people, it writes notes, it texts people, it can compose an email and do Google searches.. it also keeps me from crashing the car because I’m trying to do all the aforementioned things on the keypad while driving.  About the only thing it doesn’t do that Siri can is integrate them together with the calendar.

Now, it’s not perfect, but for as much as I’ve monkeyed around with Siri with its incorrect results, it’s roughly the same. Strangely (IMO), it doesn’t struggle at all with people’s names. When I say, “Send text to Tammy Hester,” it never fails. It also has an easy ‘redo’ style if you (or it) gets something wrong. You simply touch words you’d like to change, and it will suggest other words it thought you might have said. Pretty slick.

When I got it a bit ago, it was free. I’m guessing it still is, but even if it’s $1 it’s a good buy if you’re looking for this type of function at little to no cost.  It’s also available on other devices, so if you’re wishing you had the iPhone for the sake of Siri, try this first.  I think you’ll like it.  That means you, Travis.

vlingo.com

When I was watching a presentation through iTunes U, Jurie Pieterse from ING Direct had a brilliant definition. He defined a brand as “Simply a memory association.” I thought that was right on target. When you think of a brand, it is nothing more than your associated memories/feelings that go along with it. After the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, many people’s association to BP turned a very different direction, as did their brand. It doesn’t matter what they do as a company, but their brand, their perceived brand, was what was on the tip of everyone’s thoughts when they heard “Gulf Spill.”

Thinking of this, a brand is never a still object. It is constantly evolving, changing and re-inventing itself. And when it does not do those things, those are the brands that we see fall away. Look at SAAB. They just recently had to shut the doors to their factories, and are ending their business. They continually put out the same image, the same format of marketing, and reminded us how SAAB makes jets. Which incidentally means they make good cars. Or something like that.  They never tried to re-invent themselves, or change their perceived image.

A Brand exists in the collective minds of the consumer, and that is where perception truly becomes reality. It builds a relationship between a business and it’s customers/consumers that is almost symbiotic in nature. The goal for us in the marketing field is to continually question, test and gauge what the perceived experience of our, and our client’s, brand is, and where it should be going. The day it stops evolving is when natural selection wins.

» www.featherlitegraphics.com

He is a rebel leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), and for nine years (he started when he was 23!) Jason Russell, a USC Film Graduate and resident of San Diego, has done all he can to get our government to capture this man. He’s created a crusade of young people to sure make sure that Kony is captured and justifiably punished for his crimes against children in Uganda.

While the KONY 2012 Campaign has some impressed, others are none to happy with it’s immediate popularity. Comments are being thrown around like, “watch a video for 30 minute and become a social activist” or “the LGA hasn’t been in Uganda since 2006”.  What I took away from the video was a brilliant marketing plan. Before yesterday I had no clue who Joseph Kony was, and after watching that video I spent $17 on a bracelet to pledge my support to the cause. Before yesterday, I knew that children were being turned into killing machines and that there were parts of Africa unsafe, but never had I seen such imagery. It’s a testament to the power of Social Media, Pop Cultue, Celebrities, and Government Officials. It’s also  testament to if you package something the right way – people will take notice and react (much like I did by buying a KONY 2012 bracelet).

KONY 2012 Video

KONY 2012 is working like a political campaign similar to what you might be seeing Mitt Romney or Barack Obama doing. It’s making us aware of an issue that we would otherwise have no knowledge about. We sat down as a team today, and spent 30 minutes, watching a video that left those of us in the markit office with so many questions. With  a feeling of “wow – that was brilliant”.

This isn’t a political ploy by any means, but to encourage you watch the video, take in the marketing and then check out http://www.kony2012.com/. If you get a chance follow @Invisible on Twitter, and “Like” Invisible Children on Facebook.

Will you be blanketing the night on April 20^th, 2012?

Alla is excited to be working here at markit, and learning all about marketing. She recently moved here to Rochester, and has discovered the joy of gelato at the Shops at University Square, her lack of skills at Ms. Pac-Man and how community-focused Rochester is.

Welcome Alla!

Date: Friday, February 10, 2012

2:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Location: Ramada Hotel & Conference Center 1517 16th St. SW, Rochester, MN

Cost:  $25 Members/$40 Non-members

You can Register online by clicking here.