My One Year Anniversary in TN

It’s been one year already in TN (starting on 9/5/12). In this one year, I finished my MBA Degree, went Flat Footing to Bluegrass/Country Music, ate all types of BBQ, saw snow fall for the first time, had my gallbladder removed, and launched my own business. I can say this has been one of the most eventful years of my life. I networked like crazy to get my name out there. I met great people along the way and feel blessed to be in such a friendly community. Most importantly, have friends that I can count on (hint: sudden gallbladder surgery). I read somewhere that launching a biz in the south is easier b/c the folks here tend to be loyal and into helping out others get ahead.

My first year in TN

Benefits from Targeting in the Hispanic American Market

Sofia Vergara on the cover of Forbes Magazine

I get excited when I read Forbes writing an article about The Next Media Jackpot: The Fight For The $1 Trillion Hispanic Market

From the article:

“There are now 52 million Americans of Latin-American ­de­scent. By 2050 that number is projected to reach 133 million, meaning that nearly one in three Americans will be Hispanic.

 

..annual spending power is already $1 trillion and will climb to $1.5 trillion by 2015, according to Nielsen Media Research.

 

If Hispanic Americans were a nation, it would have the world’s ninth-largest economy.”

 

Companies don’t realize there are cultural sensitivities when reaching different types of Hispanics, you can’t just post an image of a Mariachi band in your Ads because that isolates your message strictly to Mexicans. Not all Hispanics are Mexicans. Same as not all Americans are Southerners. Imagine someone from NYC or Portland seeing an AD that targets Southerns. They won’t identify themselves as such and most likely not buy from the company.

Key point: Research! You can’t approach Mexicans the same you would European influence Argentines. You can’t introduce your brand informally to nationalities that are follow strict customs such as South Americans (Argentines, Ecuadorians, Chileans) vs. formally addressing the playful bunch of those from the Caribbean (Puerto Rican, Cubans, Dominicians) who have been in the USA for over 50 years.

Contact me if you’re interested in branding to the Hispanic Community with Social Media. Remember “The median age of U.S. ­Hispanics is 27 — smack in the middle of the media world’s most coveted 18-to-34 age range” plus I’m millennial with an MBA degree.

 

 

Want to Hire a Millennial, Here’s What You Need to Do

I’m pretty satisfied working for myself because I’m aware that most employers do not offer flexible hours, enough mentorship, and training (I’m not even mentioning the money issue). I also know I’m going to help more small business and non-profits through my own work, my sense of accomplishment is enough to keep me going. Here’s a  infographic (By YEC & MBA@UNC)  breaking down understanding what makes the millennials tick, this is important because by 2020, we’ll make up almost 50% of the workforce:

Infographic by Millennials

 

How Twitter Can Change your Business and Who Can Help

Photo by Leah Prater

I was inspired to blog about this topic based on the article (for small businesses) How Twitter Changed My Life  found on the New York Times.

Twitter has changed my life, especially since I’m new to my area. It’s open doors to connections which have led to potential clients. I really want businesses to embrace Twitter for it’s potential benefits (as mentioned in the article above)

Sometimes I’ve been asked: “what if I can pay a “kid” to do social media for my company”?

Automatically, what’s wrong in this sentence? “Kid” & “My company” are in the same sentence. Would you allow a “kid” to run your company? No, right? But what do you think you’re doing by providing this “kid” access to direct conversations with customers? (Yes, social media is a direct form of conversation with customers).

Automatically, “kids” are the solution because they have grown up with a computer and are quick to learn about using these platforms. But in the end, it’s all about sales. How well do you know your product? How long did it take you to learn how to close a deal? What are your customers really wanting? I’m pretty sure you didn’t learn everything that your company has to offer on the first day of the job and right out of college? Knowing your product/company is as important as knowing how to do social media correctly. 

Next time think about it: Does this “kid” really know how to handle objections effectively (in person & online)? Do you really trust someone who has practically no experience to speak with your customers (on a daily basis)?

If you’re working with a limited budget and can only afford a “kid, teach your intern (or “kid”) how to handle objections, the “ins” & “outs” of your product/service, and the culture of your company before providing passwords to your social media accounts.

Questions? Tweet me

ROI Return on Influence My Book Review

Valentina with author Mark Schaefer

I had the pleasure of meeting author Mark Schaefer at Social Slam in April. I was blown away by his presentation of the value of influence in social media platforms and the power of a high Klout score (i.e. hotel room upgrades)

Instead of telling you how much I enjoyed the book, I will share some of the various items I highlighted throughout the book:

• “Social Media is like a Darwinian hyper catalyst. Business better adapt, adopt, and become the fittest because the societal pressures through self-publishing and reviews like this are unprecedented”

• “…increasing proportions of corporate marketing budgets are now dedicated to creating content and encouraging interactions that may capture a share of that conversation”

• “There is content strategy and network strategy. Content strategy is the stuff you create that is valuable to other people, and network strategy is what you have that let’s you share it”

• “Content is the currency of the social web, and today, creating it is as easy as typing text, uploading videos, and hitting the “publish” button”

Women on Boards Lead to a Higher ROI

Valentina handing her Biz Card, Photo by Leah Prater

Two great reads if you’re currently trying to decide on adding a new Board member, perhaps a female? What about increasing your ROI?

Companies with women on their boards have been proven to lead to a higher ROI.

“women are the power users of many products and it’s just smart business to have an understanding of key customers around the table. Could you imagine a game company without any gamers on the leadership team or board?” Read more:
Why Your Next Board Member Should Be A Woman

Finally, Forbes does a great job tying in the previous article and focusing on the ROI of having a woman on the Board, read this: Facebook Is Ignoring Its Most Lucrative Users

Just Graduated and Using Social Media to Get a First Job

Lindsey Kirchoff’s blog photo

 

 

Amazing author, Social Media Marketing Guru, David Meerman Scott: Giving advice to New Grads/Young Professionals entering the workforce (view below):

http://www.twitvid.com/embed.php?guid=PRFLI&autoplay=0

Top Articles of the Week for Young Professionals

• 

  Leading Social Media Discussion . Photo by Leah Prater

  Productivity Trick: Pick Your Best 2 Hours 
• What to Blog About When You Have Nothing To Say (Good Tips!)
• Digital resumes may become the norm for grads, job seekers (Creative)
• 7 Tips for Networking 
• 5 Qualities of Charismatic People. How Many Do You Have? (Yay!)
  Millennials and Print Newspapers: A Surprising Story (Bought my newspaper today)
  Why More Women Aren’t in Corporate Power Seats (Dress Well/Play Golf)

Why More Women Aren’t in Corporate Power Seats

Why More Women Aren’t in Corporate Power Seats by WSJ

One Tip: Dress Well & Play Golf! See video below to learn more tips….

http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/VideoPlayerMain.swf

More Young Women Start their Own Business

I’m about to officially register my business this week, I’ve been consulting for a few months. I’m 26 years old & with an MBA degree. Companies can’t afford to hire someone full-time to do their online engagement marketing in this market in East TN. I would love to work at a company or organization and executive everything I’ve learned, until then I consult with passion!

Here’s a video (from the Today show) about millennials starting their own business and opting out of sending resumes:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640

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