Cindy Plackmeyer

Social Media Madness — A Week+ To Remember!

2010-08-19T15:41:10Z

After the big press conference at the harbor, it was truly time to work. And that we did. The team assembled one last time at the Home Builders Association of Maryland’s offices and doled out tasks and responsibilities and we were off.

I started by converting the Maryland Community Builders’ Foundation Facebook page a more obviously linked Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Baltimore page so that once people found it, they would know that this is where they could get current updates on the build. The folks in Hollywood provided me with the appropriate logos to use and I went to work in Photo Shop making the best of what was supplied.

But something many don’t realize – the production team in California has a very tight rein on all things Extreme, so if something is not cleared through them first and if ABC is not happy with it, ABC will pull the plug on the entire program in that city.

Yep…so no pressure tweeting and updating Facebook…ha!

But I developed a system; if it appeared in the mainstream media’s websites, in-paper or on-air, it was fair game to post. And that I did. Every morning, I scoured the website looking for the latest article and television interview to post. I wanted our page to be the most complete Extreme resource for everyone. If a story appeared anywhere, it would be on OUR Facebook page. Any time something new was online, it was on our page.

After I got this strategy rolling, I needed to concentrate on the other tasks that would befall me in my role as social media marketer for this project. Most notably, how to handle the ‘call out’ to local craftspeople and industry-related teams? So many last minute jobs pop up on the site, I started to get phone calls and emails when I least expected them. This volunteer job became a full time gig for the duration of the build as this project presented so many needs.

And of course, the deluging storms that hit Maryland didn’t help anyone at all. Teeming rains rolled through the site for what seemed like an eternity, but actually, on and off, for 2 days. But when a build is only supposed to take 109 hours or something like that, we didn’t have an extra 2 days, let alone two hours to spare.

Schedules on-site were severely delayed…people were showing up only to find that their services weren’t needed for another 12 hours. It was a game of hurry up and wait for many. I sat by my computer waiting for people to email the status of the job site. And they did. Wonderfully, the social media assistance was really starting to become an important part in getting our information to the masses in a very quick and compelling way.

Local radio stations and papers were re-tweeting my updates. If you’re not on Twitter, you don’t realize what a big deal this is. My first re-tweet was almost as exciting as my first piece of mail when I was a kid. Seriously, a big deal. The community was reaching out to me and my quest to keep people informed and the job site rolling with the craftspeople they needed like I never imagined. Days flew by…

One day, I did make it out to the site but my time there felt wasted – not because there wasn’t anything to do, but because I knew my role and by being on-site, I wasn’t doing what I had volunteered to do. So for as exciting as it was at the house and adjacent VIP tents and everything, I realized that I was needed in front of my computer. Off on the shuttle bus and back to the parking lot I went.

Some success stories about our social media adventure, other than what is above are:

From the pages I administered (Home Builders Association of Maryland and Maryland Community Builders’ Foundation); those who ‘like’ these pages skyrocketed. I looked at the baseline of June 21, before we started the Extreme Makeover updating and HBAM had 322 and the Foundation page had only 18 fans.

I pulled the report just a month later on July 19 and the HBAM page now had 335 fans (an increase of 13 fans) and the Foundation page had, get this: 429 fans(an increase of 411 fans). Incredible! The Foundation’s page had grown from just 18 fans to 429 in such a short amount of time. Not only was this great news for us in getting the message out to the masses but for the Foundation, whose role in the build wasn’t really known. Now we had proof people knew about the Foundation!

So…not bad for a week’s work (a week being a what we tell everyone on the outside world, but it was more like 6 weeks’ work) – I made some new friends, got lots of followers for my tweets and updates and now I have a very, very warm spot in my heart for Boys Hope Girls Hope Baltimore.

From what I hear the show is scheduled to air Sunday, October 3 and is certain to bring happy tears to so many eyes in Baltimore the night it airs. Everyone who volunteered just may need to get together to watch this and to do a big group hug at the end of the show.

You can watch the ‘reveal’ when they ‘move that bus’ but for me, the happiness was in knowing that I provided a necessary service during all the days of the build.

And now I just want to express my sincere appreciation for all who helped me do my social media thing, for all who volunteered their talents and for all the media who helped us in getting the word out on a regular basis. Without everyone, none of what was accomplished in a very short time could have happened.

Please put Boys Hope Girls Hope Baltimore on your charitable giving list. This is truly an amazing program that enriches the lives of so many less fortunate kids.

Extreme Door Knock, the Baltimore Version

2010-08-03T18:31:46Z

Ty Pennington getting ready to charge the stage to surprise the girls.

If you are familiar with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, then you know about the ‘door knock’ and in what part of the show it falls.

For those you who don’t know, it’s when Ty Pennington with the crew and the bus show up at the recipients’ home/makeover home to announce that they need to hit the road for a week so the crew can come in to demolish/renovate their current home.

It’s a huge deal and a very emotional moment for EVERYONE involved with the project.

This segment’s recipients are unlike any others since no prior home existed for Girls Hope, so the production team decided that there should be a staged event for the kids of Boys Hope Girls Hope at Harborplace. They would be told that they were going to be interviewed by the nice folks at ABC News 2 in Baltimore about a community service project they had just completed. Simple enough.

As I said, because there was no ‘house’ and no ‘door’ to knock upon, this elaborate scheme had to be concocted so that they were completely unsuspecting.

While the kids from Boys Hope Girls Hope were congregating and getting ready for their live shot on local TV on a stage set up by the Maryland Science Center and the south entrance of the visitors’ center, the volunteers, production crew, on-air staff, Baltimore City Police Department, Baltimore City Fire Department with the BUS itself, were pulling themselves together closer to the north entrance of the visitors’ center.

Once everything was ready on stage, the signal, through very sneaky ‘plants’ in the Channel 2 live shot audience, was given to us on the volunteer side to start to make our way down the promenade toward the stage.

Everyone was facing Light Street, NOT behind them closer to the water, where we were all approaching with a motorcycle police escort.

First came the motorcycles and behind that was the Extreme Makeover bus followed by the fire trucks/emergency equipment. We, the volunteers, already clad in our yellow and blue shirts, brought up the rear of this surprise parade.

Honestly, we had a tough time keeping up with the bus so we arrived ‘back stage’ a little later than we would have liked, but we did get to see the surprise, the hugging, the screaming, the crying and the profound enormity of what was about to happen in the lives of these wonderful girls from Girls Hope.

Ty Pennington, as you might suspect, riled up the entire crowd, both on stage and off, by running from the bus to the stage. It was a moment meant for the TV cameras and production crew, for sure. They needed to catch the incredulous faces of the girls, the boys and the girl’s moms who were also there for this press conference. To the best of my knowledge, no one, aside for the executive director of Boys Hope Girls Hope, had any idea that this was going to take place that morning.

And for anyone that knows me, yes, of course I was crying. It was a very moving experience to see this outpouring of emotion.

With a successful surprise at the harbor completed, the start of a whirlwind week of construction activity was now upon us, one like many will never experience again in our lives.

Extreme Social Media, Part II

2010-08-03T18:35:14Z

Kevin Carney and Chris Rachuba prepare to take the microphone.

The first event for the EMHEB team was the pep rally at Grace Fellowship Church in Lutherville/Timonium. If you’ve never been inside this place, it’s amazing and huge. The Extreme Makeover pep rally was going to be just off the main hallway in a theatre-style room with a stage, two giant screens on either side of the stage – and the day we went to look at this space – it was set for a band with a full drum set.

A few days prior to this Thursday morning event, I was made administrator of two Facebook pages and one Twitter page that I was to use for the entire Extreme experience. The HBAM Facebook page linked to the HBAM Twitter page, so that was pretty easy…then there was the Maryland Community Builders’ Foundation Facebook page…with 18 fans. Boy, my work was cut out for me on this one. (But I knew I also had my personal Twitter and Facebook pages to rely on too and I had been building their fans, friends and followers for over a year or two, so it would all work out. I was sure of it.)

Undaunted, I tackled the MCBF page first…I had to get permission from Hollywood (yes, this is where the production company people are, of course) to use the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition logo on the Facebook page. We wanted to brand the Foundation with the event to drive more traffic here and further educate the surrounding area about the role of the Foundation in the EMHEB project.

And getting permission to use this logo was really no small task. I basically had to promise that I wouldn’t do anything without getting permission first…and I do mean anything. If I should in any way leak important, secret information, ABC could opt to pull the plug on the entire project. Can you just imagine my fear at this point? Oh great. The social media chick ruined the whole thing for Baltimore because she just couldn’t resist telling people stuff… That was not something I was going to be responsible for.

So after I did get permission and did get the bejeezus scared out of me, I set about creating an image in Photo Shop for this Facebook page using the EMHE logo, the Foundation logo and another cute piece of art someone from HBAM sent me as well. I just used everything I had at my disposal to make us look at REAL and professional as possible.

Once the Foundation’s page was ready to go…so was I.

I then created a hashtag for Twitter users so that I could track re-tweets and others who might want to tweet about or follow the event on Twitter too. (It was #EMHEB and anytime I saw it pop up in Tweet Deck, I was thrilled.)

We had about 4 days to get the word out about the pep rally and we needed to get over 200 people there…no small task on a Thursday morning from 8 to 10. Most people have jobs.

Tweeting and posting up until the event and with the support of Channel 2, we were able to get a really respectable crowd to the church auditorium. One of the other volunteers from HBAM did a phenomenal job in getting both the Ravens and Orioles mascots there, cheerleaders from a local high school with their school mascot and even the Met Life Snoopy mascot was also there(wonder how he found out about it? .

We had coffee, juice, bagels and Berger cookies for breakfast set up in an adjacent kitchen/dining room area just off the entrance.

The event kick-off went well…still no one knew what family was going to be selected, and in fact, some of the applicants were in the audience that day, I found out later. Attendance was great…City officials, Extreme crew, cast, Foundation and HBAM members, kids, families – so many people that were just curious and interested in getting involved with the build.

Many speakers from HBAM, the modular builder and the TV show took the stage that morning. It was a very moving experience. Everyone knew the importance of what was about to happen in Baltimore and how it was going to change the lives of everyone who participated, most significantly for the chosen family. Heart wrenching videos were played and we all were in the spirit of things by the time we left the church, and tear-drenched, I might add.

One week until “door knock”

Social Media Marketing – Extreme Style!

2010-08-03T18:35:25Z

When the call came from the Home Builders Association of Maryland on behalf of the Maryland Community Builders’ Foundation, I took it. Of course I did. Getting a call from HBAM was nothing unusual since I sit on about 3 committees, currently, and have been involved with the Association (both as an employee and as a member) for almost two decades.

“Cindy, how would you like to be in charge of the social media for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that is coming to Baltimore?” asked Kristin Hogle, HBAM’s director of communication.

And seriously before I could even think it all the way through, I said, “Sure!”

That’s all I remember…the rest was just a whirlwind of activities.

A couple days after my positive response to THE QUESTION, I met the ad agency from Harrisburg (Pavone – who handled Excel, the modular builder brought in on this build), some of the location folks from Hollywood (yep, that’s what their card says) Kristin and some additional HBAM members that had agreed to help with volunteers, food and a myriad of other very necessary tasks that were about to crank into high gear.

We visited the site – a very hush, hush visit to an empty lot. We couldn’t make a lot of noise or talk too much about why we were just standing on the sidewalk before this grassy expanse as, I was told, the neighbors could overhear and they’d not yet heard that their street was about to become THE largest build project location that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has ever set out to do.

And along with the construction equipment and people, of course, came the camera crew, location and production crews and a host of trailers, tents, street blockades, crowd fencing and what not.

But wait, I am getting ahead of myself.

So after we did this covert rendezvous at the site, we then headed out to Timonium’s Grace Fellowship Church. Why? Well, this was one of the largest auditoriums they could find that could accommodate the masses they expected for the pep rally the very next week. And let me tell you, this place was amazing. Huge. I think some use the word ‘mega.’

But just as a needle scratches across a record (many of you reading this may not understand this reference, but bear with me) to stop the action, we all sort of looked at each other – we being the HBAM people, scratched our collective heads and realized that we needed to get the word out to hundreds of people so that they could actually attend this pep rally in less than a week. Just how were we going to accomplish this?

Sure. There are traditional media outlets we can call with the hope that they will cover this event, but as many of you know, there are just no guarantees that you’ll get any of the media to cover what you want them to. Heck, should a shooting occur or some other major catastrophe, our little event will be tossed aside like yesterday’s news. (Ha!)

That’s when it dawned on me…just how important my role in handling the social media was about to become.

To be continued…

The Business of Social Media Marketing

2010-06-04T14:40:00Z

Facebook, Twtter, LinkedIn and foursquare

foursquare - the new game that's a marketers' dream

logos and mentions are everywhere you turn: on television and radio, in print ads, in menus, on billboards so if you’re not fully up to speed with one or more of the social media, let’s discuss the practical uses for them from a consumer and from a business perspective.

Social media, by its very nature, is engaging and is all about creating conversations with its audience. “Did you like that movie? What did you think about the meal you just had at that new place? Where are you now?”

While from an outsider’s or newbie’s view, the conversation seems a little too simple, but from a marketer’s stance, it’s pure genius. Social media conversations allow companies to track what is being said about them and interact with their customers in a way that is non-confrontational and can be fun.

If you ‘like’ a business on Facebook or follow them on Twitter, you are privy to some insider knowledge, or at least you feel that way.

Locally, Kooper’s Chowhound Burger Wagon uses this technology perfectly. Every day they update where the burger wagon can be found and from what time you can find them there. Seemingly simple, but seriously smart.

Others to embrace social media and do it well are Cupcake, a chic dress shop in Fell’s Point, whose owner Lisa Schatz is tireless in her updates, photos and social media marketing efforts. When she’s getting in a new shipment of hot little summer dresses, everyone who ‘likes’ Cupcake gets an update.

Alexander’s Tavern, Gin Mill, Bartender’s, V-NO, Taco Fiesta, Helen’s Garden, Ale Mary’s, Todd Conner’s, Tapas Adela, Miguel’s, Ryleigh’s and many other bars/restaurants are all in on the act.

And there’s a reason for this: social media works. It communicates important messages to its favorite customers in a succinct and relevant way. If you have a happy hour special, a new ‘blue plate special’ or anything to tell people, social media is the best way to do that, quickly and inexpensively.

Foursquare is the new game on the scene; people are ‘checking in’ to let their friends know where they are and what they are up to and businesses can ‘shout’ to their friends about specials. Points and badges are earned and the game continues without end. Should anyone become a ‘mayor’ of your business, well, you had better acknowledge them in a special way. Heck, maybe they wear a crown while they are in your place so others can envy the specials you’ve just thrown their way because of their allegiance to your establishment. Foursquare also allows its players to recommend places, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, gyms, movie theatres…the list is endless. It’s a game of loyalty and isn’t that what all business owners are hoping to earn from their customers?

With all this STUFF going on, it’s really quite simple to see that the core principles of marketing are very much in play. The 4 Ps are still here: Product, Price, Place and Promotion – but I’d like to add a fifth P – PEOPLE. And social media is the grand dame of tying that fifth P into your brand.

Having conversations with your customers and potential customers – what a concept – because without customers, you have no business and you know where that leaves you.

SMC SalesCamp Less Than a Month Away

2010-02-12T16:12:47Z

A Grand Entry into Sheraton BWI

As a very active member of the Home Builders Association of Maryland and a board member of the Sales and Marketing Council (SMC), I am anxious to experience one of the biggest initiatives we’ve ever embarked on to date — the SMC SalesCamp (www.smcsalescamp.com) taking place March 9 at the Sheraton BWI beginning at 8:30 a.m. What has me all a twitter (pardon the social media pun) is the roster of speakers for this action-packed morning.

After registration and a nice continental breakfast, the crowd (and I do mean crowd) will be welcomed by the SMC president, Ryan Houck and past president of the Maryland Associationof Realtors, Al Ingraham. What’s so notable about this pairing in my mind is that over the past few decades, the HBAM and the MAR have often operated separately with very little co-mingling. So this, in itself, is truly a big deal! After this nice welcome, the morning kicks into the meat of the program with Marc Witman of Yerman, Witman, Gaines and Conklin speaking about “Developing a Circle of Influence that will Open More Doors.” I fully expect this to be thought-provoking.

Our second speaker is a dear friend and an ex-colleague of mine from my Ryland Homes days, Dennis O’Neil, who also owns his own company, O’Neil Interactive. Dennis is one of the best and most patient trainers in the business and he’s an ultra tecno-geek, this said with most affection. His topic, “99 Ways to use Twitter, Facebook and Other Social Media Sites” will certainly be information packed. I always takes pages of notes whenever Dennis presents!

And before our first morning break, we will hear from Steve Meszaros, president of the MAR speaking about “Leveraging the Power of Two.” While I’ve not yet met Mr. Meszaros, I would imagine he’ll finish the first portion of the morning’s program with a bang.

Next post: AFTER THE BREAK — still more amazing information crammed into a could hours!

SMC SalesCamp's Conference Room -- Built for Learning

Social Media School?

2010-02-02T19:49:11Z

I am always in search of the next big idea and I’m sure you are too. That’s why I have just signed up for NewComm Forum in April in San Francisco. The schedule of topics and speakers really looks above average and worth the flight across the country.

I am always trying to do the best work I can for my clients and by keeping sharp, hearing new ideas and always trying to stay one step ahead, I hope to be able to do this. At the rate technology changes though, it’s a tough dancing act, for sure.

It’s super exciting and I embrace change…ever hear that one?

Here’s to everyone going out there and saying out loud “I embrace change.”

New Year, New Media?!

2010-01-04T19:09:34Z

So, social media isn’t really new but it’s still in its formative years. The beauty of its newness is in how many companies are finding ways to utilize social networking to its fullest. Every day we are bombarded by companies and even groups that push the boundaries of this new media.

Susan Powell — the search for her is continuing through the use of Facebook and Twitter to hopefully reach from one coast to the other. While the topic is sad, the use of this media is exciting.

Stores are utilizing social media as well. Specials, inventory additions, last minute or weather related sales, they are all publicized this way.

News is now even more instant with Twitter and Facebook. Just log on to either and find out about so many things. How did you hear about the death of Michael Jackson? I found out from Twitter. Avalanches, fires, traffic jams, weather and seriously, that’s just the tip of it. If you follow stars on Twitter, I am certain you are in the know if they do ANYTHING of significance or anything not so significant.

My point in all this, and yes, I do have one — if you are not utilizing one form of social media yet, you need to do so. And if you don’t know how to think through it, hire a professional to get you started.

Social Media Users Want to Be Heard

2009-12-21T17:25:13Z

DECEMBER 17, 2009

A look at user attitudes
While social media users may not find social sites quite as trustworthy as traditional sources of news, according to research from Crowd Science they do see it as an important communications medium—for better and for worse.

Users want to be heard. Overall, 45% reported liking when others notice them—leading some to stretch the truth or reveal too much personal information. Young people were especially vulnerable to activities that might haunt them later.

But 36% believed others are simply interested in what they have to say. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to marketers, who know many users will tell all their contacts about good (and bad) experiences with products and services.

Females lived up to their reputation as prime targets of marketers seeking the benefits of earned media. Among users over age 30, women were significantly more likely than men to think others wanted to hear what they thought.

In addition, women overall were more than three times as likely as men to say online social media was their favorite leisure activity.

Though not everything appearing on social media is trustworthy, nearly one-half of users responding to the survey claimed they could “easily” tell whether information they got from social media was true. Less than one-quarter disagreed. These savvy users believe they can spot the difference between the real deal and insincere efforts.

While face-to-face contact with friends was generally preferred, about one-third of users said they would rather communicate by social media than by telephone.

Keep up on the latest digital trends. Learn more about an eMarketer Total Access subscription, today.

Benefits of Social Media

2009-12-02T20:40:26Z

As the prevalence of social media continues to rise, organizations of all types and sizes are recognizing the ways in which social media can help them better understand, respond to, and attract the attention of their target audience.
As a result, businesses are now jumping on the social media bandwagon at a rapid pace, embracing blogs, social networks, wikis, and other vehicles to achieve their marketing and public relations goals.
What types of benefits can corporations achieve with an effective social media strategy?
Get the Message Out Faster – and to More People
Social media enables more rapid sharing of information. It may take hours, or even days, for a new announcement to reach the end consumer through traditional channels. Why?
Because when a press release is issued, a journalist or writer must first wade through all the sales and marketing lingo to find the key points. Then, the content must be re-purposed in article format, and sent to an editor or proofreader before it is published.
Social media vehicles, on the other hand, allow for instantaneous dissemination of not just news, but images, audio, video, and other multimedia content as well. And because releases geared toward social media outlets contain only key highlights, pertinent facts, and hyperlinks to related statistics and quotes, the information they contain can be immediately picked up and posted by bloggers and other online journalists.
Social media also provides more widespread coverage, enabling breaking news to reach a much larger and broader reader base than standard media outlets alone.
While magazine readership and the number of available print publications continue to decline, the number of consumers using the Internet to access and share information continues to rise sharply. For example, one recent study showed that almost one out of every four Internet users – over 41 million people total in 2006 – visits MySpace on a regular basis.
Improve Branding
Social media, and blogs in particular, can be a highly useful tool for enhancing both awareness and image. Blogging can help “spread the word” about a company, its products, and its services to more people, dramatically increasing brand recognition and awareness.
Additionally, social media can enable executives to gather input and feedback directly from their target audience, and use that intelligence for more effective reputation management. Insight into why people like – or hate – a brand is needed to help change and control audience perceptions and preferences.