Welcome to the Table: Social Media Potluck

I'm feeding your brain, fools!

Typically, a post like this is a long-winded introduction into the "Why" and background....So, here we go!

I've been in the world of Corporate Social Media, Digital Marketing and Social CRM for over a decade. Using high-level branding, strategy, digital tools, apps, and more to work behind the scenes helping a singular brand or project gain brand awareness, sales, and reputation.

But...

Then I moved to Western North Carolina, overrun by folks that simply view Social Media as a means to "chat" or "share funny cat pictures" (I swear, if I hear that sentence one more time I might punch the 4th wall).

I have literally spent 1/3 of my life using, manipulating, and accelerating your "chat toy" to help businesses/entities/personalities grow. Social Media is the most important networking/advertising and selling tool for businesses and entrepreneurs since the invention of the business card.

However, there is a small group of people that hopefully understand the value in Social Media, Social Marketing and Digital Marketing. I can't put a price tag on what I'm worth (if I did, those same people that simply acknowledge Social Media as a toy-for-kids would scoff or their heads would explode)...But I can put a value on it. And I can trade that value for the following:

1. Creating a sincere community of like-minded folks that wish to grow their presence online.
2. Creating awareness in the WNC for digital communities, and the tools to create them (broadband internet, education, etc...).
3. Honestly, NETWORK the hell out of my skillset so that if you ever know of a company, brand, or entity that needs my help, you can confidently recommend me!

Hopefully, this simple blog post is a good start.  I have plans to post the very simple steps on creating a brand from scratch, from the end user perspective.  Instead of trying to sell you on expensive marketing tools, a pricey marketing agency that doesn't see your "vision" or a digital online ad that only sends you a "renew" email (instead of letting you know how successful your ad was), the goal is to walk everyone hand-in-hand through creating a successful presence online.

Blog Topics Coming Soon:

1. Creating your Presence.
2. Social Media Potlucks -What? Okay, then when and how?
3. How does all this translate to making money?
4. Spreading Awareness of your Blog/Social Media Presence.
5. How "Word of Mouth" and Traditional Marketing work FOR YOU.

Okay, but why the name "Social Media Potluck"?

The idea of Social Media Potluck stirred from the fact that we have many friends with real lives and real jobs across the region. Since it's difficult for all of us to get together, the idea of everyone meeting on Sundays, with food as an incentive came together.  Yes, I do plan on hosting more of these, and will write about them in upcoming posts.

Currently, the Social Media Potlucks are hosted in downtown, historic Marion, NC. At THE SHOP ECCLECTIC (click on the hyperlink to learn about this great local business).

You can check out the dedicated Facebook Group I created for this endeavor by clicking HERE.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/351291178859873/

Everyone learns at a different pace, and that's okay.  That's an aional reason this blog has been created, so we can revisit some of the topics discussed earlier. But regardless of your skillset and or understanding, everyone in our group is welcome to pull up a chair, bring some cookies, and get some knowledge.

As someone that used to work as a consultant, I would call the "everyone" above a "client" -what sets these people apart is the fact their actually friends/family. Which means I can confidently recommend them as good people to work with and do business with. So, current friends at the Social Media Potluck are:

The Shop Ecclectic


CreepGeeks Podcast:

M and D Paranormal:

The Asheville Past Lives Project:

Asheville Cryptid Society:
 
Conjured Curios:
 

Whew! That was a lot of image uploading, image fixing, and LINKING. Hey, that might make a great blog post!  Every entity above is linked to their primary online presence, and you can click on both the icon and the name to find out more about them.

So, here's your first lesson:

How to Link an image in a Blog or Web Post:

First, upload the image, you can do that by finding the icon that looks like a photograph or says "Image" in whatever web-editing program you use (I'm using Blogger as an example).

Follow the prompts to upload the image, and resize it if necessary.

Once you've got the image in your post, drag your mouse across it to highlight it.  Then, click "Link" to link that image:

Now, on the Edit Link page, put the URL of the website you want to link to. Pro-Tip: It's 2019, man...there is no reason to be typing a Web URL. Go open that website in another tab, and COPY + PASTE into this window.

Now, I know this is a really basic tip, however, the VALUE in doing this on every single post where you mention another group is the fact you're giving that group a chance to be seen by others, and you're putting a "face to the name".  You can type "Omi the Social Media Person" all damn day, but unless you give a link, or a way to learn more about Omi, you're literally throwing your advice to the wind and there's no guarantee that the audience or person you're talking to will be able to successfully find "Omi the Social Media Person" or worse, they might end up with someone you DON'T recommend.

So, that's enough learning for today, and hopefully, I've grabbed your attention and given you a reason to come back for more.  Let me know in the comments what you think, and what you'd like to see happen with this blog!

PS: If you would like to help support this blog, be sure to shop through my Amazon Affiliate link. It doesn't change the price of the items you buy off Amazon, and I get a small percentage of each sale. Click below to check out my Amazon Influencer Page and Storefront, or shop on your own!


www.amazon.com/shop/leftovers4dinner