Jen Butson

We’ve begun our Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign for Suprpod!

If you live in Ottawa, and invest $50 or more at Indiegogo, I will bake and deliver you a dozen cupcakes! That is in addition to the perks outlined on the page.

Yummy, yummy cupcakes.

After working social media for a few years, and seeing the rise, and fall (and sometimes rise again) of many social networks, I’ve noticed a trend in businesses in social media:

Lack of understanding forces people to throw as much spaghetti as they have against the wall of every network, to see what sticks.

I get it, mastering every social media will make you a powerful player. Only, that’s nearly impossible. Because I can confidently say that no company in the world can cover every network available. Not only do they lack the manpower (read: time) to achieve this, but there is no way that enough ROI would come from each network to make that effort worth it.

You know what, being successful in social media (I hope I’m not sounding like a “guru”) is actually much easier. Here’s all you need to do for a simple social strategy if it’s yourself or your one-person marketing team:

1. Define your audience and objectives: who are you trying to attract? what action do you want them to take?
2. Pick 2-3 networks: you defined who you’re after, now figure out where they’re hanging out. Further, what network will help facilitate the action they need to take?
3. Develop strategies for these networks: it’ll be a lot easier with just 2-3 networks to figure this out. Your strategy needs to cover your tone for each network. It is likely that the things you post and address on Facebook, will be different from Twitter, or Dribbble, or Pinterest, for example. Your calls to action may differ for each network: this is okay.
4. Execute: Stick to your plan in terms of consistency, but readjust every few days depending on the interactions you have with other users.

There’s really no need to try and tackle every social network you find. If anything, you brand will look lazy if you create a profile and then neglect it (which you will, because you can’t be everywhere at once!).

Go forth, be social.

ghosts in the machine: Drop Pants, Not Fees (Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Protest Sign, but Not Really)

wintermutetower:

Within just a couple of days, our Drop Pants, Not Fees event has exploded into a huge thing that’s apparently actually happening and really mobilizing a lot of students, so I feel that I should address my thoughts on the matter and clear up any confusion.

I’m going to state right off the bat that…

stevestp:

(if you have a girlfriend, you know what I’m talking about)

I ❤ this pug.

You might be obsessed with marketing if…

5. You despise being likened to “Social Media Gurus”. Social media is a tiny sliver of the marketing pie, friends. Twitter and Facebook aren’t everything.

4. You cringe at companies who don’t invest in professional branding. I mean, nobody can be that blind, can they?!

3. You buy clothes 30% based on what they look like, and 70% based on what brand they are. It may be just a screened tee, but it’s an Abercrombie screened tee!

2. You can name any brand after the first half second of their commercial. It’s a fun game if you have cable, and, y’know…an affinity for brand names.

1. You look at any inanimate object and wonder what marketing strategy lead to the choice/purchase of that object. Why that door knob? Was it the product? The brand? A recommendation? WHERE DID YOU COME FROM, DOOR KNOB?!

Hi, my name’s Jen and I’m addicted to marketing. CHEERS!

2011 was crazy. The other night I began thinking about how much happened in my life this year. So here’s a rundown month-by-month, mostly for my own reflection.

January:

• Kicked off 2011 by attending the funeral of my Uncle, who passed from cancer. Rest in peace Uncle Larry ❤.
• A relationship ended and, though it didn’t seem like it at the time, it turned out to be a happy happenstance.

February:

• I took the trip of a lifetime with my dad. During reading week, we flew to Punta Cana for 5 days. Amazing trip that I will cherish forever.

March:

• Greg and I started dating. Our first date was on the 4th, and we went to Play.
• My roommate’s father passed away in a tragic accident. After living together for 3 years, we became like family. Rest in peace Mike ❤.

April:

• I finished University - pretty proud accomplishment, so woo. Also, can’t believe how fast those 4 years went by.

May: 

• Moved into my new apartment - first time living all on my own. Also my first apartment in Hintonburg. Fell in love with the neighbourhood immediately.

July:

• Turned 22 - what a strange age. Boring age.
• Got my left helix pierced - my single act of rebellion against…nobody I guess.

August:

• Began working at Select Start Studios - I love this company, and this team.

October:

• Moved in with Greg and Pint in our awesome-sauce house.

Okay, okay, so I left a few months out. Either I can’t remember what happened in June, September, November, and December, or nothing exciting happened. Probably the latter.

Here’s to 2012 being just as eventful, but even more positive!