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Tag: new orleans

NOLA: Something to Write Home About
I am not a New Orleans native. I don’t ask how your “momenem” are doing, and I didn’t grow up eating red beans and rice every Sunday. I’m a good ole-fashioned Midwestern girl. I love a good steak, a cold Bud Select, and Cardinals baseball.

I’ve been living in New Orleans for a year and a half now—a tech transplant working for Search Influence, a fast-paced online marketing company that’s given me a chance to not only experience this city, but also has given me an awesome tech career. And I love it down here in NOLA! The people are warm and welcoming, the food is delicious, and the city itself feels like home. I’ve had the privilege of showing off my new city to my mother, my in-laws, and multiple friends, but there’s still one visitor I have yet to host: my dad.

Who wouldn’t want this guy to visit?

My dad and my stepmom, Jennifer, lead active, busy lives. They each own and run businesses, and they are parents to my adorable eight-year-old brother Blake.

I mean seriously, does it get cuter than this?

Although they likely have their vacations booked through 2016, I’m determined to ensure New Orleans makes the list. To help my case, I recently sent my dad an email with two (in my very biased opinion) fantastic ideas.

In case you are in a similar boat and trying to convince a friend or family member to come visit you, here’s the email. Feel free to paraphrase or steal any part of it to get them to book a ticket.

Email Subject: Best. Ideas. Ever.

Idea #1: Dad & Jennifer Take On NOLA

Contrary to popular belief, there are TONS of fun things to do in New Orleans that don’t revolve around partying like a frat bro. Here’s a sample of some of the things we would all enjoy:
- Swamp tour
- Visit a plantation
- Walking tour of the French Quarter
- Audubon Zoo
- Girls shop while dudes go skeet shooting
- Dinner at Brisbi’s on the lake
- Rent bikes and tour the city
- Go on a ghost tour
Idea #2: Dad & Charlie Best The Big Easy

Editor’s note: Charlie is my talented, hilarious, fun-loving 26-year-old brother who lives in Denver. And yes ladies, he’s single. And a dog lover to boot!

In line with popular belief, New Orleans is a freaking blast. Here’s a sample of some things we all might enjoy:
- Swamp tour with a stop at the daiquiri shop beforehand
- Mardi Gras World (open year ‘round!)
- Skeet shooting
- Deep sea fishing
- The Sazerac Bar
- Piano bar at Pat O’Briens
- Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar, the oldest bar in New Orleans
- Live music on Frenchmen Street
- Spend an evening on a Bourbon Street balcony with a bunch of beads (fun fact: this happens outside of Mardi Gras with similar results)
After sending the email, I received a pretty standard dad response: he’ll think about it. While I continue to hold my breath to see which of these trips will happen, hopefully you will find this to be a helpful guide to convince your own sought-after visitor to sample life in New Orleans.
July 6, 2015
Show Me An Infographic, Mister! New Orleans’ Unique Content Marketing Approach
There’s definitely a story behind New Orleans—the city of festivals. And it’s an insider story you likely haven’t seen online before. For example, what New Orleans tradition includes 822 floats and is 21,000 riders strong? What celebration features more than 130 pyramids of burning logs? When it comes to content marketing, New Orleans gives tourists and locals alike reasons to share the kind of fun, behind-the-scenes information that makes the Big Easy one of the world’s most fascinating cities. In a city steeped with so much history and culture, infographics are helping to bring some of the key celebrations—such as the recent New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Mardi Gras—to life through visual storytelling.

A City of Festivals Comes to Life

The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation enlisted the help of Search Influence and its creative infographics team to reinforce the city as a year-round destination where there’s always something happening. Yes, it’s true: there’s virtually always a parade, festival, second line, or other event every week. And along with the big-name festivals like the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, French Quarter Fest, Essence Music Fest and Voodoo Festival, there are many other celebrations that lend to the city’s reputation for being among the most diverse festival cities in the world.

In fact, New Orleans is deep in its festival season now, and this infographic gives the story in eye-catching detail—in a way that just plain old written content can’t match. Check out the part that describes summer festivals in New Orleans:

See the Magic of Legendary Mardi Gras

This February, another Search Influence-produced infographic detailing the legendary New Orleans Carnival—a tradition that dates back to the city’s first Mardi Gras parade in 1837—helped bring renewed interest among people that visited the official New Orleans tourism guide website. While visitors to the website typically spend an average of two minutes browsing, visitors to the Mardi Gras infographic page were spending upwards of eight minutes reading the content. On social media, the infographic was shared more than 700 times on Facebook and Twitter. In fact, the infographic received 6,000 views in its first week. Here’s a glimpse of part of the infographic:

What Makes a Good Infographic?

While content marketing is certainly taking off in New Orleans with lots of local flavor mixed in, all businesses—no Jazz Fest or Mardi Gras required—can learn infographic best practices from these New Orleans examples.

When crafting an infographic, follow these four tips:
- Include impressive or interesting statistics that draw readers’ engagement. For example, the average Mardi Gras float in New Orleans is 50 feet long and weighs 10 tons—the weight of two elephants!
- Make sure the infographic is very graphics heavy. Include images and charts to show your audience the story. That streetcar with “Stellaaaaa” amplified by a megaphone really illustrates the best-loved play that pays tribute to one event: the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival.
- Include an element of usefulness. For example, with more than 70 different parades during the Carnival Season, it can be hard to keep track and determine which ones to attend. For example, the handy “Noteworthy Parades” section of the Mardi Gras infographic doubles as a useful calendar, and the key to the festivals infographic, for example, is to showcase the festival—or multiple festivals!—for every season theme.
- To finish, craft all of your data and graphics into a visually appealing design. The Mardi Gras infographic, for example, makes use of the vibrant and traditional purple, green, and gold colors as well as a few bold fonts to form an appealing connection between all of the information.
With these tips on creating the best infographic, keep in mind that the goal with this graphical content is typically to generate website traffic, backlinks, and social shares. And with Facebook and other social media sites putting more and more focus on visual content, it is a safe bet that infographics are not dead. In fact, these Big Easy examples demonstrate further that infographics should be a part of a company’s content marketing strategy.
May 19, 2015
Optimize Your Commute: Influencers Caught Ridin’ Sweaty

At Search Influence, biking to work is not a passing fad (and that’s not just because this is how our CEO Will Scott gets to work). Search Influence riders braved rainy weather conditions last week to ride in support of the 2015 NOLA Bike to Work Week, finishing among the top businesses citywide along the way.

Bike Easy’s 2015 Nola Bike to Work Week included a total of 35 New Orleans businesses participating, with more than 1,015 trips logged over the course of the eight-day challenge, according to Bike Easy.

Out of the 35 participating workplaces, Search Influence placed in the top five for two of the three pillars of the challenge. Though the team was small, we came in third place for the total number of trips our riders logged as well as fourth for the most new riders (first-time participants in NOLA Bike to Work Week).

For many members of the SI family, biking extends far beyond just one week a year—it is the way they commute to work daily. Some ride from Mid City, Central City, and Treme, while others come from as far as the Ninth Ward to get to the CBD. Influencer Mattie Kenny said her favorite part about biking to work is “connecting with my environment while I have ‘me time.’”

NOLA Bike to Work Week is one of many events throughout the year put on by Bike Easy, whose mission is to “make bicycle riding in New Orleans easy, safe, and fun.” To find out more about what Bike Easy is and how to get involved, you can check out its website here.

April 30, 2015
Getting Vocal About Buying Local: How Small Businesses Give the Big Easy its Charm

Some of Search Influence’s online marketing clients are small, local businesses that serve a neighborhood, town or region. To find out how small, local businesses impact a city as well as more about the trendy “buy local” movement, we talked to Mark Strella of StayLocal!.

Power to the SMBs

The real impact of locally owned, independent businesses in New Orleans became known just days after Hurricane Katrina struck the city. While Wal-Mart and Starbucks waited for New Orleans to recover, local bars, venues, and hardware stores reopened without hesitation.

Ten years later, the predominance of small, local businesses can be seen on nearly every street in the Greater New Orleans area. And the biggest advocate for preserving New Orleans’ cultural singularity is StayLocal!.

StayLocal! is the Greater New Orleans’ Independent Business Alliance, a non-profit, member-supported organization that connects local New Orleans business to customers, resources, and each other. StayLocal! works to foster the culture of the city by helping local businesses—and subsequently, New Orleans—thrive.

Project Manager Mark Strella tells us more about StayLocal! and its efforts to support locally owned, independent businesses in New Orleans:

So what exactly does “locally owned, independent business” mean?

To us, it means a business in which majority ownership resides within the five-parish New Orleans region. That means the business is owned by New Orleans residents, and decisions about the business are made here, by locals. Or in plain English: not a chain.

Who are some of the locally owned independent businesses you work with?

We work with local businesses of all types around the New Orleans area. We work with a lot of retail businesses, from smaller guys who sell around town at markets and pop-up shops, up to bigger local businesses who have numerous locations, and ones in between. We also work with service businesses and folks in the food industry. Our goal is to be these businesses’ ally: we’re here to provide them with the resources they need to thrive and be around for years.

As a New Orleans resident, how can I benefit from buying locally?

There are a bunch of reasons, and everyone has a reason that is particularly dear to them. For me, it’s that one of the reasons I love New Orleans is that it looks like nowhere else. And so much of that is because of how strong our local business presence is. Most cities in the country don’t come remotely close to being so heavily populated by businesses that are locally owned, rather than the standard menu of chain stores. So when you buy local, you’re supporting that part of our culture and identity and actively doing your part to ensure it stays a part of what you love about New Orleans.

It’s also better for our economy when you spend at a local business versus a chain. That local then takes your money and re-spends it locally, whether it’s on supplies, or accountants, graphic designers, marketers, etc. So that money stays here in New Orleans, whereas money spent at a chain or online leaves New Orleans and benefits some other city. Studies show that spending locally has two or three times a local economic benefit than shopping at a non-local business.

I’ve seen quite a few television shows poke fun at the buy-local movement, specifically Broad City and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, so it must be a pretty big trend. Where does New Orleans stand in the push for staying local?

Ha, I have too, and that’s a testament to the buy-local movement’s success. It’s cool now. I think its success is a reaction to the rise over the past years and decades of chain businesses and now even online giants. People see these faceless businesses everywhere they go and they start to crave authenticity. They gain a greater appreciation for the local business down the street that’s owned and run night and day by their neighbor.

I think New Orleans is way out in front. We’ve always had a thriving local business scene. One study a few years ago showed we had one of the best local business to non-local business ratios of any city in the country. And we have such great appreciation for it as a culture. Our entrepreneurship and start-up scene is huge, thanks in large part to a number of great organizations that are fostering entrepreneurship like Idea Village and Propeller. And when we have this buy-local culture deeply imbued in our behavior as residents— that supporting all things local is simply what we do as New Orleanians—those new businesses have a huge audience to serve.

What events does StayLocal! host or promote throughout the year to encourage New Orleanians to buy local?

We do a ton of stuff. We recently put out the second of our Neighborhood Guide series, which points residents towards local businesses in a specific neighborhood. The neighborhood we did was Central City. Last year, we did Mid-City. And up next is Algiers Point. We have a constant stream of good information on our social media channels, so we definitely encourage folks to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, yada yada, so that we can turn them on to new local businesses. We also are very active in the fall and holiday season pointing New Orleanians towards local shopping options, through our shop local for the holidays campaign, as well as Small Business Saturday.

And then in general, we spend the rest of our time working with the businesses in our network, helping them run a better business. We do workshops and run all kinds of initiatives and promotions to help our members better connect with one another and access tools that will boost their biz.

Last question: what should I tell my co-workers before they buy their next cup of coffee at Starbucks?

… it’s just important to say “everything in moderation,” and to think of the big picture and what matters to you. If you care about the economic health of the city, think about how local coffee shops re-spend their revenues locally and use local service providers and local firms, creating more jobs and opportunities for New Orleanians. If you care about living in a unique place, think about what New Orleans would be like without its local businesses. If you care about innovation here in New Orleans, we have so many coffee shops doing amazing things with coffee. Mojo. French Truck has its new spot in the Lower Garden District. Spitfire is incredible. So often, local is simply better. But if Starbucks is your thing and that’s not changing, try taking that mindset and applying it to anything else you buy and see what’s out there locally instead.

For more information and to find your new favorite local business, visit Stay Local! at StayLocal.org. Be sure to also follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Image source:

StayLocal!

Proudly NOLA Owned

April 20, 2015
Googleplasty: How to Reshape Your Search Results (Part 1)

As businesses grow more in touch with their online presence, it becomes more and more challenging to stand out in the search results of highly competitive markets and areas—and nowhere is this perhaps more true than in the cosmetic medicine industry.

First things first, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about the two major kinds of results that we see in desktop results for plastic surgeons. “Localized organic” search results and “maps pack” results typically appear together in what is referred to as “combined” search results. The factors that determine what appears in these two areas are not the same, as you can tell by the the difference in results and by the appearance of a site more than once between the two. Maps packs can come in a variety of forms and don’t show up for all search queries, which is also important to note.

In the screenshot below on the left for the search “plastic surgeon columbus oh,” you’ll see 10 localized organic results below a 7-count maps pack. In the screenshot on the right for “plastic surgeon albany ny,” you’ll see 10 localized organic results, but the 3-count maps pack appears below the first organic result.

Stand Out in the Maps Pack

In the maps pack itself, the most striking features are the review stars and rating display. The data in the maps pack area is pulled directly from Google Plus local listings in Google Maps. So, to make your practice stand out in the maps pack, you should claim and verify your Google Plus listing via Google My Business.

Once you’ve claimed and verified your listing, you’ll want to get reviews from your patients. It’s important to understand that one or two reviews a month over a few months is better than 15 reviews in one week. As with most online marketing strategies, natural behavior is the best behavior.

Stand Out in Localized Organic

The most obvious way to stand out in the localized organic results is to be ranking as high as possible and to AT LEAST be in the top 10 so that you’re on the first page. As the age-old SEO joke goes, “The best place to hide a dead body is on the second page of Google search results.” Hardly anyone looks past the first page, and—according to eye-tracking data—not many look past the top half of the search results page.

The Google PageRank algorithm that determines these rankings takes into account somewhere around 200 factors, so it’s not as simple as pinpointing one or two efforts to be made.

Now that we’ve got a better understanding of what we’re looking at in search results, we can start to understand the major factors that affect ranking in each of these sections. Stay tuned for my next blog, where we’ll talk about the top five ranking factors in the maps pack, in the localized organic results, and in competitive markets!

April 14, 2015
Champions in the Field: SI Finishes Strong at its Spring Team-Building Event

Three-legged race. Water balloon toss. Potato sack race. Search Influence. What do all of these have in common? The first ever Search Influence Field Day!

This quarter’s team-building event was planned by the Partner Accounts Department, and they did not disappoint. Taking it back to our school days, Influencers were divided into teams and competed against each other in various events. Field Day was held at the beautiful City Park on Friday, March 20.

The Events

There were a total of seven events that the teams had to participate in.

To start off the relay, the first event was the shoe switch race. People participating in this event had to take their shoes off and put them in a pile with the other teams’ shoes. At the start of the race, participants had to run to the pile, put on and tie their shoes, and then run back to the start to tag the next person.

The next event was the three-legged race. Influencers partnered up, were tied together at the knee, and raced to the finish line to then tag the next person to move on to the next event.

The third, and “coolest” (pun intended) event was the water balloon toss. No one could move on from this event before completing five tosses of water balloons with their partner, getting farther and farther away from each other.

Afterward, the teams could move on to the spoon balance. Eggs were put on a spoon, placed in the team member’s mouth, and balanced as they walked to the finish line of this event. If your egg fell, you had to start over!

Next was trivia. Team captains asked their team members questions about the company, SEO, and even Will Scott himself! Once the team answered 15 questions correctly, they could move on to the final event!

This event was for every member of the team. After lining up, they had to pass a beach ball over and under each person. The team that finished first won the Search Influence Field Day!

The Aftermath

After a long and hard fight, the gold team took the win. Search Influence Field Day, of course, ended with great food, drinks, and team-building fun.

Photo credit:
Mary Silva Photography

March 31, 2015
From Search With Love, 007 New Influencers Are On The Case!

Search Influence looks forward to continued growth in 2015! As February comes to an end, we’re excited to welcome our newest Influencers.

Adrienne Myers – Junior Account Associate

Adrienne recently graduated from Mississippi State University, where she studied marketing and French. She is originally from Covington, but she spent some time working as a District Sales Leader Intern for Frito-Lay in Jackson, MS. Adrienne enjoys traveling, baking, and spending time with family and friends.

Anthony Armstrong – Junior Account Associate

Anthony is from New Orleans and has lived here all his life. He loves music and spends most of his free time writing acoustic songs. He sings and plays guitar for a post-hardcore/metal band called Eye for an Eye. He also thoroughly enjoys reading and creative writing.

Chris Roberts – Software Developer

Chris was born and raised in San Jose, California. Years later, he graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of New Orleans. Chris arrived in Louisiana nearly a decade ago, and he has been an avid programmer ever since. Chris enjoys playing guitar and attending various festivals in his free time.

Cory Agular – Junior Internet Marketing Associate

Cory was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He graduated from Tulane University with a B.A. in English. Prior to accepting the position at Search Influence, he did freelance writing, and his articles have been published by Tulane’s athletic department and the NCAA’s official website. In his spare time, he loves to catch live music and sporting events. He looks forward to working at SI.

Jason Vermaelen – Junior Account Associate

Jason is a fun-loving, quick-witted karaoke superstar. He is also a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has been training for almost nine years. He is from Baton Rouge, and he graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in marketing with a concentration in advertising this past December. Jason is looking forward to starting his career at Search Influence and meeting everyone!

Mikel Pak – PR & Marketing Manager

As the daughter of an Air Force pilot, Mikel Pak has lived everywhere from Oklahoma to Kentucky and Idaho to Texas and beyond. She brings more than eight years of experience as a public relations professional and journalist to her post at Search Influence. Her expertise spans media relations, marketing, social media, crisis, and political communications. As a journalist, she got her start in the newspaper business covering health care, technology, higher education, and real estate, among other industries. You can follow her on Twitter @MikelPak.

Serena Hirasawa – Account Associate

Spending almost all of her life in Richmond, VA—from preschool to college at Virginia Commonwealth University—Serena needed a change of scenery, but with a river still close by. Prior to Search Influence, Serena’s professional life included appearances in higher education and the transportation industry, but she’s finally ready to put her Communications degree to good use. Serena recently arrived in New Orleans and is looking forward to warm winter months, crawfish season, and playing roller derby with the Big Easy Rollergirls.

Join us in welcoming Serena, Chris, Mikel, Adrienne, Cory, Jason, and Anthony. We’re very lucky to have all of you on board!

February 25, 2015
Three New Influencers to Start Off the New Year!

Sarah Felton – Account Coordinator

Sarah is a native to New Orleans and an enthusiastic pet lover (Three cats and one dog that she frequently plays dress up with). She received her bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University, where she still attends football games in the student section every fall. Her work experience is mainly in the hospitality field, as Sarah worked for Caesar’s Entertainment from 2007–2013 here in New Orleans and also in Las Vegas and Biloxi.

Kim Koelling – Junior Graphic Designer

Kim was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She received her degree in Graphic Design from the University of Kansas. Shortly after, she was accepted into the U.S. Peace Corps and hopped on a plane to Cameroon in West Africa, where she lived for 27 months. She taught computer science and English at her village high school, and she worked closely with a local women’s cooperative on marketing. She now lives in New Orleans and is very excited to be joining the Search Influence team!

Brenna Benson – Operations MBA Intern

Born in Tampa but raised in Gainesville, Brenna is a native Floridian who managed to eventually find her way to New Orleans. Brenna graduated with a degree in Public Policy Studies from Duke University and is currently pursuing an MBA at the Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. She welcomed her first son in December 2014 and (like any New Orleans mom) is excited to introduce her son to king cake (although we may need to wait until next year). She’s also very excited to kick off the new year with the Search Influence team as an Operations Intern!

Join us in welcoming Sarah, Kim, and Brenna to the Search Influence team. We’re glad to have you on board!

January 27, 2015
Behind the Scenes: How Social Media Is Being Used in the Local Film Industry

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past ten years or so (and not just any rock, but one without TV or Netflix), chances are you have watched a movie that was filmed here in New Orleans. The city – and the state as a whole – has seen an explosion of film and television productions over the past several years, earning the region the title of “Hollywood South.”

From comedies like 21 Jump Street to Oscar-winners like 12 Years a Slave, Louisiana has even surpassed film production stalwarts like Los Angeles and New York City to become the country’s production capital – all thanks to the highly lucrative tax credits introduced in 2002.

And while the big-budget movies are driving the local industry (check out NOLA-shot blockbusters Jurassic World and Terminator: Genisys in theaters this year), this influx has also helped inject momentum into the independent film industry – more specifically, the micro-budget indie film scene. These are projects made by passionate local filmmakers looking to find a foothold in the industry at large.

These are not films the average moviegoer is typically going to be able to see or even hear about. So how do these filmmakers get the word out? How do they raise the funds to even get it made? And how do people find out where they can see these smaller films?

The best and easiest way is through social media, an umbrella term that can be divided into several different platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.). The most effective social media strategies take a multi-faceted approach into account and are tailored to suit each medium’s strengths to maximize effectiveness.

I talked to a few local filmmakers about the importance of social media and other Internet marketing strategies. I found that first and foremost on these filmmakers’ minds is exposure, whether for fundraising or promotional purposes.

Fundraising and Promotion

“Facebook is a useful platform that enabled a community to form around the project. It is very useful in promoting fundraisers and screenings,” explains Sam Bass, who has helped with the social media campaigns for two films, How to Disappear Completely and Give Light: Stories from Indigenous Midwives. “Twitter is better for engaging with people outside of your immediate community with the potential to lead to significant opportunities and connections.”

“We began our social media campaign to draw attention to our Kickstarter,” says Hunter Burke of Construct Films, who is using social media to raise funds for and promote the film Atchafalaya. “It was the quickest and most effective way to get our message out.”

Greg Tilton, director-producer of reddit doc, had a similar mindset, but he wanted to lay the groundwork for their project before asking for fundraising help. “Social media was key because I did not want our IndieGoGo campaign to be the first time someone had heard of the project,” he states. “It’s been successful because people who don’t know me or my immediate network are following and engaging the project.”

Mac Alsfeld, the writer-director-star of Father-Like Son, found social media to be most effective after the film was made. “We heavily relied on Twitter to build a relationship with festivals,” he explains. “I think it is important to show festivals that you are the type of filmmaker that will market yourself and that festival to potential filmgoers.”

Getting Help

For these filmmakers and others, this was a very important part of the behind-the-scenes process. For the most part, they were navigating the tricky waters of social media without any substantial professional Internet marketing experience – though some had help.

Burke turned to a friend who had social media marketing and crowdfunding experience. “I really owe a lot to him for educating me on what is standard, what has worked in the past, and also coming up with some wonderful ideas. Without him, I would have been totally lost.”

Lucky enough to be dating someone in the tourism and marketing industry, Tilton found it helpful to have someone more experienced to bounce ideas off of. “As I experimented, talked to her, and read a lot of articles online, I slowly built up my knowledge. She was a great sounding board for ideas.”

Thoughts on Social Media

Even without much prior experience, these filmmakers now have some very astute thoughts about the medium overall gained from their newfound experience.

“I do believe that it is VERY important to have a presence within the social media community,” declares Kenna J. Moore of Ghost of Elysian Films, who was awarded the Emerging Vision Award for a Louisiana Filmmaker at the 2013 New Orleans Film Festival and the Louisiana Shorts Jury Award in 2014. “It is crucial that our image and what is being put out there is closely monitored. I like to have a presence but stay away from all of the ‘look-at-me’ syndrome that one can easily fall victim to in most social media settings.”

“The thing about social media is that it is, at its core, incredibly voyeuristic,” says Tilton. “Many people do follow the musings of their interests, so there is a large audience to be engaged and many want to be a part of something big. You can find that audience.”

Tips for Fellow Filmmakers

As for fellow indie filmmakers feeling overwhelmed by social media, all the filmmakers have useful tips to share:

Bass: “Have a social media strategy. Know how to work it. And don’t panic when nothing happens for a week. The most important things are follow-through and relationship building.”

Alsfeld: “Show people that you have passion. Use your social media to blast information. And even more importantly, have fun. Don’t be boring.”

Burke: “We performed the best when we released media. Posting a picture, an interview with the filmmaker, or a sample of the score really got our audience interested. People really responded to something they could interact with. Make it a fun experience. Keep it simple. Leave them wanting more.”

Moore: “I’ve learned that social media has pros and cons. Some people gain opportunity and references from it. Some social media activity allows for negativity and distraction. I would encourage people to stay focused.”

Tilton: “If you have nothing to say, don’t say anything. So many people are retweeting and posting haphazardly. It’s just a jumble of buzzwords and hashtags. Just make sure it’s always quality and you will find that pays off bigger.”

Additional Resources
Here are some more tips directed specifically at indie filmmakers on making the most out of social media:

7 Tips for Promoting Your Indie Film on Social Media via Premium Beat

6 Tips on Using Social Media for Your Indie Film via Media-Match

Image Sources:

3, 2, 1 Film Image

Social not-working Image

The End Image

January 14, 2015
The Christmas Influence: Coats For Kids Fundraiser Warms The Heart
As the holidays approached this year, I realized I was getting really caught up in gift shopping, party planning, and the usual hustle and bustle. I wanted to do something to help brighten the season for someone who may not have all those same opportunities. After brainstorming with my co-worker, Gabrielle, we thought we could try to get the whole office involved.

Former Influencer Caroline Robinson has stayed in touch with many of us since she left SI to work for Covenant House of New Orleans. She and her fiancé, Charles, have been members of our company kickball and dodgeball teams for the past few seasons. It was Gabrielle who suggested that our office initiative could benefit Covenant House, so we did some research and gave Caroline a call.

What we learned is that Covenant House is a shelter and safe haven for 150 at-risk, runaway, or homeless youth aged 16-22, and it’s just a few blocks away from our office. The staff provides food, shelter, clothing, resources, educational opportunities, and so much more to these young people, even helping them transition into independent living when they are ready. Caroline told us that many of them have never experienced Christmas or the holidays in a positive way before.

The organization always accepts non-perishable food products, gently used clothes, and similar items. We wanted to know if there was anything special or different we could do for them, given the time of year. Caroline let us know that some of the residents have toddlers and babies who also stay at Covenant House, and they are in desperate need of new winter coats this year. So we made it our goal to raise enough funds to purchase all 31 kids a new winter coat and deliver it to Covenant House in time for Christmas!

About Our Fundraiser
- We didn’t have a lot of time, but we figured we could challenge our fellow Influencers with a one-week donation drive.
- We asked our teammates to contribute in one or more of the following ways:
  - Monetary donations of whatever they were willing / able to contribute
  - Gently used clothing
  - Non-perishable food items
  - New personal care items such as:
    
    Bar soap
    
    Body wash
    
    Deodorant
    
    Toothpaste
    
    Toothbrushes
    
    Shampoo
    
    Hand/body lotion
  - Bath and hand towels
  - Sheets and blankets
- We set up a tree and some donation boxes in the office and collected donations through the end of the week.
- On Monday, December 22nd, we delivered our gifts to Covenant House and got to experience a quick tour of the facility.
Amount Raised: $600 in just a single week! This money was used to purchase 31 brand-new winter coats.

Covenant House

Caroline Robinson, former influencer and current volunteer coordinator/development associate for Covenant House in New Orleans, was able to provide info on Covenant House and its mission.

“Covenant House is a safe haven for homeless and at-risk youth ages 16-22. We also have toddlers and babies in our program because many of our young women are mothers. We provide food, shelter, clothing, medical attention, individual and family counseling, educational assistance, vocational and job training, life skills, and so much more. Over the past three years, the number of kids in our program has grown from 45 per night to 150 per night. We would love to give each and every one of these kids a Christmas they will never forget. Most Covenant House residents have never experienced a ‘traditional’ Christmas because their families either couldn’t or wouldn’t provide for them. Our goal is to give everyone a giant gift bag full of practical and fun items they’ll enjoy throughout the year. Every kid will receive what we consider the essentials: a winter coat, socks, underwear, gloves, pajamas, and hygiene products. From there, we provide at least one item from wish lists we receive from every resident. Wishes include video games, purses, baseball hats, jewelry, and more!

We’re always accepting donations and looking for volunteers. Only brand-new items are given out on Christmas Day, but gently used clothing is always accepted for our clothing donation room. We also accept non-perishable food. If you can’t help our kids this Christmas but want to get involved with Covenant House, you can provide a meal, do a service project to keep our grounds well maintained, or run for us in the Crescent City Classic! Covenant House is a charity beneficiary of the race this year, and we’re always looking for more runners.” – Caroline Robinson, Covenant House Volunteer Coordinator/Development Associate.

For more information on how to get involved, email Caroline Robinson at [email protected].
December 29, 2014