Hasta La Creative!

Avec sa série Family Stuff, l’artiste Huang Qingjun présente des clichés de familles sur le seuil de leur maison, accompagnées de leurs affaires. Depuis 10 ans, il traverse les contrées et espaces ruraux de son immense pays, cherchant ainsi à montrer le contraste entre ces personnes face à l’aspect gigantesque des villes.

Stuck in a virtual rut? Can’t seem to gain any online traction?

Or did you stick your virtual social-media footprint in your virtual Twitter mouth? It’s time for a social-media makeover.

Whether your engagement lags or you have a mess to clean up, here are a few tips and tricks to get that lifeblood transfusion for your social media presence.

Tip 1: Cultivate the Content

If no one reads your drab copy, no one will remember your brand. If no one remembers your brand, no one will buy your products or services. A clean slate is a beautiful thing, even when a campaign has worked in the past. Your revamping needs a voice, and that voice comes with the right words.

Tip: Don’t be afraid to look for help. A hired content writer can breathe a little life into the brand you might be a bit too close to see in a fresh new light.

Success story: General Electric. Not known for must-have cutting-edge products, this big brand uses its social media presence to engage consumers, employees and investors in conversation.

Tip 2: Reach out to Bloggers

The food industry leads the way. By turning to popular bloggers, established food brands get an instant facelift through product reviews and sponsored posts. The tell-a-friend method gets a turbo boost when that message is delivered to loyal subscribers and easily shared through their social media channels.

Tip: Host an event for bloggers. Red Lobster sought bloggers to invite for complimentary dinner for them and a guest, giving the blogger an opportunity to write about the food and the dining experience.

Success story: Chuck E. Cheese. This kids’ pizza parlor promoted its gluten-free pizza and rewards calendars through 650 influential mom bloggers found by a marketing agency.

Tip 3: Engage

It’s fitting that an egg is Twitter’s default icon. If you don’t give your social-media presence life, it’ll give you a well-deserved goose egg in return. Whether it’s Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter – or a combination, or something else better suited – you must build your community by becoming part of it.

Tip: Don’t just update to sell something. Post updates about valued clients, the home team’s big win, or anticipation for spring weather late in winter. Give your brand a personality within your community.

Success story: Verizon. This company is present and accounted for, whether it’s on Facebook (Fans of FiOS), promoting careers on Twitter or corporate responsibility videos.

Tip 4: Find your Focus

How does social media fit in your marketing strategy? Identify whether you seek to augment your online presence, draw leads, or establish loyalty among existing customers. Use different social media platforms for each objective, but don’t feel as if you need to be everywhere, all at once.

Tip: Don’t discount the value of market research via social media. Listen to your customers, and learn who they are, what they say, what they do, and ultimately, what they’re looking for.

Success story: Martell Home Builders. This Canadian homebuilder’s must-have lists and tips & techniques blog plan attracted homebuyers by encouraging interaction.

Tip 5: Learn From the Peaks and Valleys

With a tracking service such as Buffer or Rival IQ, you can add up favorites and retweets to identify which posts cultivated the most engagement, and the least. What are the common factors? The right hashtags? Pictures? Humorous quotes? How do your followers react to purely promotional posts?

Tip: End your posts with questions, especially those that are just promotional. It’s an easy way to encourage engagement, which is what people go to social media for in the first place.

Success story: UPS. This package-delivery company consistently outperforms many businesses with posts that include compelling stories, sharable images, and creative engagement.

One great thing about your social media presence is that it’s not forever. You too can overcome a boring campaign or even an embarrassing gaffe. You just have to roll up your sleeves, reach out for a little help, and get back on track.

This article was written by David Preston, husband, father of 2 and freelance writer for a variety of sports, entertainment, and marketing sites. You can reach David via his email.

New outlets flooded readers with Nelson Mandela coverage after the former South African president died on Thursday.

Time magazine quickly assembled a special issue for Monday, devoting the cover to a previously unpublished photo of Mr. Mandela during his first trip abroad after his release from prison in 1990. It plans to distribute 200,000 copies to newsstands.

The New Yorker’s cover illustration, by artist Kadir Nelson, shows a young Mr. Mandela, from his time on trial, with his first raised in the air.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

(TrendHunter.com) For the person who has been everywhere, a guide of gifts for travelers can come in handy. Even though the constant barrage of vacation photos can get under your skin, you still love that intrepid…

Spotify plans to offer a free advertising-supported version of its music service for mobile devices, according to three people with knowledge of the situation.

Spotify will provide details at a press event on Dec. 11 at its New York offices, said the people, who requested anonymity because the plans aren’t public. Spotify currently only offers a free ad-supported service on computers, charging $9.99 per month for an ad-free service on mobile and other devices.

The new ad-reliant mobile service will let Spotify attract more users who can potentially be converted into paying subscribers, said the people. New agreements with music companies have given the Stockholm-based company flexibility to develop additional features, the people said, as it competes with Pandora, Apple’s iTunes Radio and, next year, planned entries from both Google’s YouTube and Beats Electronics.

Continue reading at AdAge.com