Tag: social media

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How to avoid overdesign




An important skill for designers besides HOW to design is to know when to STOP designing. Everyone gets caught up in their project at hand wanting to have the perfect outcome and before you know it, your design can start to look like you will be the only person to understand its purpose. Learning not to over design takes practice and communication. The happy medium of design comes with experience throughout your design career. “Less is more” rings true throughout the design world and should be a phrase that hangs over every designer’s head. Trying to incorporate too many ideas or design elements can leave you with a cluttered design that has lost its initial function. It can be easy to overdesign without even knowing you’re doing it. There are many tips and tricks of the trade to help designers become aware of overdesigning before their concepts crash and burn. Here are a few to keep in mind:

5 TIPS TO AVOID OVERDESIGN

  •  Have a plan & don’t second-guess yourself

Know exactly how much time you have to get a project done. Having a clear plan of action can help the function of your design. It can be easy to second-guess yourself, especially if it is a new project or new client you are designing for. Remember to always go back to your proposal brief and review exactly what your client is asking for. If you come to the conclusion that YES! your design is achieving what the client wants, send it off and wait for feedback.

  • Enlist a second set of eyes

Take a step back and take a break. When you have been consistently staring at a project and tirelessly working, it is nice to have someone else take a look. They might spot something you missed or give you constructive feedback. You as a designer can also be your own second set of eyes if you pull yourself out of the design process for a period of time and return to your design with a fresh mind. You will probably find yourself eliminating aspects rather than adding more.

  •  Consider each elements purpose

After taking a step back from your design it can be helpful to take some time and consider each element’s purpose. Does that color palette represent the brand? Do those lines actually break up the content? It is important to consider the purpose of each element in your design since if you can not justify its purpose it may be necessary to hit that delete button.

  • Create more than one version

Options, options, options. Whether it is a logo, web graphic or poster, more than one option can ensure a good outcome. Having multiple versions is very important when it comes to client work! It is better to see what elements work and what better way to visually notice in two designs than cramming every idea into one design. Trust me, it will not look cohesive. Your vision will come across cleaner from two versions than one cluttered one.

  • Always keep your goal in mind Know your audience and the purpose of the design.

Written by Erin Riley

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Do Creative Hashtags Earn More Engagement?


Imagine having the task of choosing your organization’s main hashtag to be used on all promotional materials. Sounds pretty easy, right?

An article by Sports Blog Nation ranked all of the NFL team’s new Twitter hashtags that are all-purpose, representations of each team. Twitter has deemed these the official team hashtags by adding an emoji of the appropriate team’s logo whenever their tag is used. Although the article ranks each in creativity, by using Social Mention, a media monitoring platform, we’ll really see if innovation in hashtag creation effects engagement and reach.

#RiseUp – Ranked one of the highest in SBNation’s article, the Atlanta Falcons hashtag has been the team’s slogan since 2010. It receives an immensely positive sentiment of 11:0, however only has a reach of 10 percent and strength of 7 percent. The team’s official Twitter account doesn’t consistently use the hashtag and focuses more on short term campaign hashtags. Since this is the team’s long-lasting slogan, it isn’t the most popular among social media, but is regularly used by loyal fans.

#FlyEaglesFly – Although there are outside influences that can cause these hashtags to fluctuate in popularity, the Philadelphia Eagles hashtag currently has a strength of 100 percent, meaning the team is definitely being talked about across social media. It’s sentiment is 16:1, greatly more positive than negative, and has a reach of 65 percent. It has a passion of 35 percent, meaning more people are likely to talk about it more than once. This hashtag is both creative yet identifiable as to which team is belongs to, which can make all the difference. Fans and non fans alike are likely to use the tag, giving it a much higher ranking when it comes to exposure.

#Chargers – These basic hashtags are categorized under mundane yet identifiable – boring, but straight to the point. Almost every NFL team has a hashtag like this, however, it stands as some teams’ official tag on Twitter. It’s easy-to-use when spreading news about teams instead of using their witty, fun and sometimes long slogan hashtags. The Los Angeles Chargers hashtag receives 100 percent strength, a 2:1 sentiment, 40 percent reach and 79 percent passion. This basically means that most uses of the tag are neutral and are somewhat equal when swaying positive or negative. The team’s recent relocation is definitely getting it some attention with its strong passion and strength, however even similar hashtags receive the same awareness. #Chiefs (Kansas City Chiefs) also has 100 percent strength and 124 percent reach, also likely due to the tags simple nature.

So, to answer the age-old question: Does Twitter hashtag-naming creativity effect engagement? Through this investigation, it doesn’t seem like it – the simpler, the better. Something that’s recognizable and short receives far more engagement than the slogan-like tags that seem to only be used by fans of those teams. Even if the hashtags sentiment sways closer to neutral, simpler tags greatly receive more exposure.

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Alumni Spotlight: Sara Pimentel

 

Photo’s by Sara Pimentel.

With May approaching, many of our graduating staffers have begun job hunting and looking to alumni and recent graduates for guidance and direction on what is wanted in a public relations agency. We hear in classes or from internships the importance in making connections. Creating connections is valuable in any field of work but especially in public relations.

Networking is Key

Networking is a valuable skill because it opens opportunities with future clients, PR pros, news outlets and journalists. In TGC we create personal relations with our clients, but it can be easy to forget that the most important relationships we make are with our fellow interns. A great way to network is through the connections that we make with alumni in our agency. Our alumni provided our agency with guidance and growth and it is valuable to stay connected with their lives.

Sara Pimentel, alumna of TGC, graduated from California State University, Chico in Spring 2016. She served TGC for two semesters as an Account Executive and Editorial Director for eight different clients. Since graduation she moved to San Francisco and worked for two different PR companies. She interned for SHIFT Communications and was recently employed as an Assistant Account Executive at Finn Partners. She faced some difficulty transitioning from the small town of Chico to the Bay Area because she had to start from scratch, but was is also exciting for that same reason. She got to recreate herself and build new relations with those surrounding her.

Enjoy what you do

Sara emphasized that when choosing a job, it is important to keep in mind that you need to enjoy going to work every day. On her job search the core culture values she looked for was a company that was understanding, fun, supportive, spontaneous and open. These core values are what led to the beginning of her career at SHIFT Communications.

Sara was thankful for her experience interning with TGC and working on multiple accounts because it prepared her for an unusual experience interning with SHIFT. She worked on 7 to 9 different client accounts simultaneously.

“My team knew it was a lot,” Pimentel said. “But they trusted me, and I was able to do it.”

A company’s culture is everything

 

Moving away can be tough you are given a clean slate, starting a new job can be challenging. Sara said the most important lesson she learned from working at SHIFT is the value of being honest.

“If you have too much on your plate, tell someone,” she said. Pimentel chose SHIFT because of their supportive culture. Finding a supportive agency was valuable to her, she emphasizes how important it is to not be afraid to tell someone you are feeling overwhelmed, you are a team and they are there to help.

Change is good

She has just begun working for Finn Partners, and so far she loves it because it allows her to be more creative. Finn works with consumer technology clients, so she is familiar with the space and the products, but it’s still a new world.

San Francisco has become her home and she does not see herself moving away for a long time. She hopes to become even more confident in her abilities and eventually have people looking to her for advice.

Work with what you have

Her advice to graduating students is: “Know what you want, but be flexible. You have to go with the flow. Some things will happen just like you dreamed they would, but a lot won’t, and you have to make that work.”

Written by, Hope Lumbley.

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Social Media Audit: NBA Players


Following professional athletes on social media can be quite the experience. It provides the opportunity for fans to get a closer look at their favorite players’ personalities, day-to-day lives and even political views. There are many players in the NBA that use Twitter to connect with fans and Joel Embiid, Damian Lillard and Chandler Parsons are ones who stand out on the site.

The NBA recently released a memo cautioning official team accounts from “mocking and/or ridiculing” other players and teams in order to prevent social media feuds. This statement was released after Parsons and C.J. McCollum got into an argument on Twitter.

Will this stifle players from being active on the site or will they continue to entertain fans both on and off the court? We’ll have to wait and see, but I, for one, hope the Twitter antics never stop.

Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid): Philadelphia 76ers

Followers: +612K

Ask any NBA fan who they enjoy following the most on Twitter and Embiid is sure to be their top choice. The 76ers center uses his account to push the team motto to #TrustTheProcess and shows that he’s like any other sports fan when he sends out tweets during NFL and other NBA games. Give his account a look and I’m sure you’ll become a fan of “The Process” yourself.

 

 

 

Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard): Portland Trail Blazers

Followers: +1.21M

Lillard has the largest following of the three with over one million people tuned into his tweets daily. This is because he’s hilarious and isn’t afraid to respond to the trolls who constantly message him. His ability to joke around makes him more personable and scrolling through his tweets is sure to provide some laughs.

 

 

 

Chandler Parsons (@ChandlerParsons): Memphis Grizzlies

Followers: +297K

 

This list wouldn’t be complete without Parsons–the catalyst to the NBA’s cautionary statement. It all started when the Trail Blazers joked and tweeted out a gif of Parsons missing a 3-pointer during a game. Parsons didn’t let that one go and replied telling them “Good luck in the lottery show this year,” implying that the team’s losing record would have them trying for a high draft pick rather than a playoff spot. Both parties seemed intent on keeping the light banter but the NBA’s response shows that they’re worried about these conversations getting out of hand.

 

Parsons uses his account to answer fan questions and laugh at jokes about himself and I’m sure he’ll continue to do so.

 

https://twitter.com/ChandlerParsons/status/825231654398545920

 

https://twitter.com/ChandlerParsons/status/828839662932389888

Written by Gabriella Miller

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Visit Sacramento: An Instagram that makes me want to do just that


It’s not every day that an Instagram account makes you want to become a tourist in a city you’ve lived an hour away from for the majority of your life. Yet, Visit Sacramento’s page has convinced me to do just that.  

This account is for the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau, whose main focus is to attract tourism. Their Instagram account is curated by Faithmari who also welcomes guest Instagrammers to share their favorite spots in Sacramento.   

As a California girl born and raised, I can say that Visit Sacramento has done a superb job at showcasing not only Sacramento as a lively city, but showcasing parts of northern California that don’t receive the attention they deserve. Some of these places include the Yuba River, Grass Valley, Foresthill and Yankee Jims.  

With Sacramento as the main focus, the wide range of photos and subjects gives off a feeling that this city has much more to offer than just a place to watch the Kings play. Restaurants and the art scene are among the featured themes on the account. .

Visit Sacramento’s Instagram page has 73 thousand followers and almost 4 thousand posts. Each photograph attracts and receives ample attention through comments and likes.

Personally, I hope to move to Sacramento after graduation in May, and Visit Sacramento has helped sell me on this city. If you haven’t checked out this page, do it! It’s a social media win in my opinion, and will give you an excuse to visit the state’s capital and a city that is only growing in popularity.  

Written by: Taylor Sinclair

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Social Media Audit: Chicago Cubs

It’s possible to have no interest in the sport of baseball and still know a little bit about the Chicago Cubs. The professional team swinging out of the Windy City continuously made headlines this season for their play on the field, but their presence on social media channels keeps their brand going strong long after the final pitch.

For a team that hasn’t won a World Series title since 1908, their fan base is incredibly visible and a big reason for that is their social media presence.

From Twitter and Instagram, to Snapchat and Facebook their impact reaches millions through their carefully crafted content. Their graphically designed game recaps, GIF reactions and perfectly timed in-game responses, allow the Cubs to stay relevant and humorous in the fast-paced world of sports social media.

Breaking It Down

Twitter: @Cubs

1.1M followers

What they do: On game days, the Cubs’ Twitter account is the best place to hit for their widest range of coverage. The two guys (Kevin and Travis) in charge of posting stay true to the Cubs long-standing brand while keeping up-to-date with the ever changing media.

In Sarah Spain’s “That’s What She Said” podcast, they talk about their strategy and goals to stay consistent and true to their voice.

The account interacts with fans, responding to tweets with witty comebacks and GIF replies relevant to the moment.

Why it works: Twitter can be a hard place to navigate. With fans directing every emotion felt during the games at people whose job it is to respond on behalf of the team, humor is a great way to combat the more ridiculous responses sent their way.

Instagram: @Cubs

853K (and counting)

What they do: With visual content being crucial to brand building, the Cubs Instagram account is the perfect outlet to drive them home. Having an aesthetic look and theme is the goal for many companies, and the Cubs manage it by posting only the best moments. Oct. 15 brought game one of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and their social media team was ready.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLmtHPgj4li/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLm_tJvjSYF/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLnFRQyDFe1/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLnEp-CDV8F/

 

Why it works: By highlighting Javier Baez’s steal at home and Miguel Montero’s grand slam that ensured the Cubs would #FlyTheW, they showcased everything fans want to see. Even if you didn’t watch the game, scrolling through their content would give you the best highlights of what you missed.

Snapchat: Cubs

What they do: Snapchat’s 10 second limit allows for quick updates during games, but also provides a behind-the-scenes look when there’s no baseball being played. Follow them for virtual tours of Wrigley Field and to experience a game-day atmosphere right in the palm of your hand.

Why it works: Many fans will never get the chance to see the team play in person. While Snapchat doesn’t offer two-way communication between the user and viewer in the same way Twitter does, if offers a more personal feel. Through each Snap, the excitement of the games can be felt even thousands of miles away.

The Cubs social media will have to continue producing great content through the end of October as the team made their way to the World Series for the first time since 1945. The first two postseason series provided plenty of drama, suspense and elation to practice with, and if it ends up being the Cubs’ year, everyone will be ready.

Written by Gabriella Miller, Account Executive

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The Harmony of Music and Social Media

In the current day and age, social media is a frequently used method of self advertising and personal branding. In the music industry this is especially significant. Whether you want to be a performer, manager or music journalist, increasing your popularity through social media is a vital strategy.

Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat are successful and common social media platforms. However, when it comes to the music industry, audio streaming applications should also be used to the musician and their team’s advantage.

Giving listeners the opportunity to stream music on multiple platforms allows for an increase in audience. Both of these platforms have their unique attributes.

Here’s how to keep your social media game rocking on the ones and twos.

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  1. Spotify currently has more than 100 million monthly active users, 30 million of those are paying subscribers. Spotify allows streaming for free, however there are a few minor setbacks. Every few songs the music will be interrupted by an advertisement, and when used on a mobile device, you can only shuffle playlists or albums and cannot choose specific songs.

For the more avid users, Spotify premium is available for $9.99, $4.99 for college students, in the US. By joining premium, customers are guaranteed higher audio quality, uninterrupted playback and the option to download tracks for offline listening.

Spotify’s most appealing characteristic is the plethora of listeners. When artists put their music on Spotify they are immensely increasing chances of reaching new listeners.

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  1. Even though most SoundCloud users do not register, there are still 40 million registered users on the site. The website reaches 200 million unique listeners around the globe through the Web, mobile devices and social-media sites.

Similar to Spotify, SoundCloud’s most appealing characteristic is their massive audience. However, SoundCloud is more beneficial for electronic dance music. When searching on SoundCloud for music that isn’t electronic, you are likely to come across remixes rather than the original song.

So get your music out there, and maybe we can stop listening to “Closer” by The Chainsmokers every 10 minutes.

Written by Julie Cogert, Lead Editor

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The “Benefit” of Social Media

It seems like everyone has some sort of social media channel today, whether it be a person, a company, a brand, or even a dog (seriously!).

Social media has allowed companies to interact with their customers in a different way. This has brought around some wins and, of course, some fails.

Overall social media has been beneficial to many industries and some have simply flourished with the growth of each channel. Perhaps one of the most successful in implementing social media into their identity is the beauty industry.

The beauty industry is a visual one. So many companies have really taken the visual aspect and worked it together beautifully with the personality of their companies. One has really set itself apart in the eyes of the beauty world and its followers: Benefit Cosmetics.

Benefit has been around since 1976, the company was started by Jean and Jane Ford and has thrived ever since. Benefit is known for their colorful and often times sassy packaging and products.

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How are they killing the game?

Benefit has effectively blended the sassy personality of their brand, the colorful charisma of their products and the behind the scenes looks at their company. Not only is their personal content on their channels amazing, but the relationships that they build with their fans and followers is something that all brands should strive for.

Benefit makes it a habit to interact with their followers. It is rare to send a tweet or tag a picture on Instagram that doesn’t garner some sort of response from this huge global brand. Benefit also makes a practice of displaying and promoting great work that their followers have created with their products. Whether it is a great wing using their innovative liner, or a set of eyebrows that is totally on “fleek” after a visit to the Brow Bar, they will let you know and sometimes even share your photo on their channels.

Twitter

Benefit “slays” the Twitterscape by bringing their bold personality into each tweet! Check out of a few of their most recent. Benefit isn’t afraid to color outside the lines when it comes to their brand and voice!

 

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Instagram:

Not only are they winning at Twitter on daily basis, Benefit’s most visual channel, Instagram, is a beautiful representation of the words aesthetically pleasing. The photos are bright, high resolution, simple and beautiful. The entirety of Benefit’s Instagram embodies the colorful charisma of their brand. Benefit embraces the different side of the beauty world, whether it is guys wearing makeup or cutting-edge products, they are not afraid to be different and encourage their followers to do the same.

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YouTube:

One of the biggest social media channels in the beauty world is YouTube. YouTube has quickly become a haven for professionals and enthusiasts in the beauty realm. There are billions of beauty related YouTube videos, and the amazing thing is most of them are not created by brands. Beauty “gurus” have quickly taken over YouTube as a channel. Benefit has done a great job of not only competing with brands that are trying to make their mark on YouTube, but they have worked to integrate these gurus (who have millions of followers) into their own channel and hold their own in the world of YouTube.

Check out Benefit’s new campaign featuring beauty gurus Dulce Candy (2,116, 131 followers) , Nyc Dragun (112, 717 followers), Nicol Concilio (193, 152 followers) , and Tess Holliday a well know plus-size model.

Snapchat

Finally, Benefit has made the leap that many companies are making to Snapchat (BenefitBeauty), which provides an even deeper look inside the world of Benefit. Behind-the-scenes looks, chatting with beauty gurus, contests and daily office life. Their story is a must follow for all the beauty lovers and social media enthusiasts.

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While Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat seem to be the fan favorites. Benefit has completely covered their bases in the social media game and have amazing accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook and Pinterest!

Benefit is a great display of what a dynamic social media strategy looks like for not only a beauty company but all companies and industries. They have created a strong brand and compelling voice that has been successfully applied and appropriate for each for channel they utilize.

Written by Cheyenne Cameron-Pruitt, Digital Media Director

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Free Social Media Tools

Managing and maintaining consistent messaging across all of your social channels can be overwhelming. Finding shortcuts to successfully execute campaigns will not only save you time, but boost your following and engagement in ways you never thought possible. Below are five of my favorite free tools that I use to get the job done:

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  1. IFTTT (Various)
    IFTTT, an acronym for If This, Then That, connects two services together so that an action from one service triggers an action at another. These connections are called “recipes” and their possibilities range far beyond social media but here are my top three:

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  1. Crowdfire (Twitter and Instagram)
    Crowdfire makes finding and connecting with your target audience simple so you can focus on doing what you do. Here are some feature highlights:

    • Track audience growth by seeing recent followers and un-followers.
    • The Copy Followers capability lets you find who might be interested in your content through a competitor’s followers.

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iconosquare logo

  1. Iconosquare (Instagram)
    Iconosquare is a thorough Instagram analytics suite that helps you manage your Instagram activity, analyze your performance and engage your community. Here are some feature highlights:

    • Share snapshots of your activity with followers such as: #actionsquare and #monthiconsquare.
    • Suggestions of the best times to post and which filters to use.
    • Receive emails that summarize your main metrics.

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  1. Hootsuite (Various)
    Hootsuite has become an essential tool for managing social media, tracking conversations and measuring campaign results via the web or mobile devices. It helps to collaboratively execute campaigns across multiple social networks like Facebook and Twitter from one web-based dashboard.

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  1. Grama– (Instagram)
    Grama is a free iOS-only app that helps you find hashtags to use on your Instagram posts through a keyword search. I love this app because you can type in one hashtag that summarizes your photo and it will provide a wall of related hashtags that you can then click, copy and paste directly into Instagram.

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Whatever your social media needs are, these tools will help you successfully boost engagement across platforms.

Written by Baret Yahn, Account Executive

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Misconceptions of Fashion PR

The fashion world is a fast-paced environment, one that is dependent on creating trends that attract and retain the attention of an image-conscious public. Many assume fashion PR is a glamorous gig – you get to work closely with well-known brands, attend the coolest parties and always meet A-list celebrities and designers. Though there can be some amazing perks working in fashion PR, it’s simply not an easy job.

The role of a PR professional in this industry is critical because they put the face of their client’s companies out in the world. This person is responsible for marketing the latest fashions in a creative way, creating a buzz among influential journalists and bloggers. Any individuals leaning towards this industry must understand the following:

Creating a strong brand

A strong brand in this industry is an image that the public can easily identify when they think of your client’s styles and products. Because it is such a competitive industry, if a distinctive brand isn’t created this will definitely mean failure for your client. One must be able to narrow the focus of the styles you are promoting in order to draw out what is unique. This is where all of the other responsibilities in the industry start; the brand must always be front and center. 

Kelly Cutrone, one of the first fashion publicists and founder of People’s Revolution, one of the leading fashion public firms. Courtesy: Women of Upstate New York
Kelly Cutrone, one of the first fashion publicists and founder of People’s Revolution, one of the leading fashion public firms. Courtesy: Women of Upstate New York

Understanding social media trends

Social media is giving the fashion industry an extreme makeover. Fashion is worn as a statement, and those who are active on social media use their profiles to illustrate their unique styles through their outfits. For fashion brands, these platforms are a way to show customers new upcoming trends, as they leverage celebrities and successful bloggers to market their products.

For example, Snapchat provides users with a live stream from the runways of well-known brands, such as Michael Kors and Burberry, during New York Fashion Week.

As a PR professional it’s important to be able to come up with innovative social media strategies for your client’s brand, as these networks are giving the public a more intimate look into the behind-the-scene details of the fashion world.

Designers and models give Snapchat users a closer look into fashion shows during New York Fashion Week. Courtesy: Harper’s Bazaar
Designers and models give Snapchat users a closer look into fashion shows during New York Fashion Week. Courtesy: Harper’s Bazaar

Creating relationships with fashion editors

Being able to work with the editors of fashion magazines is crucial for a PR professional. It’s your job to create long-lasting relationships with not only the editors, but with their writers and photographers as well.

Major fashion magazine teams have the capability of creating the most effective buzz for fashion lines and events. Not every designer’s creations will make it into the pages of major magazines, so it’s important for the PR specialist to be creative and to have continuous interaction with these editors in order to help the client stand out in such a saturated market.

Anna Wintour, the influential editor-in-chief of Vogue Magazine. Courtesy: Ozon
Anna Wintour, the influential editor-in-chief of Vogue Magazine. Courtesy: Ozon

People might expect this job to be purely social and fabulous as shown in television shows and movies, but it takes a lot of hard work and consistency in order to be successful. But for someone who is passionate about all things fashion, it will definitely be an exciting and rewarding adventure.

Written by Neelam Kumar, Account Executive