Sparkatopia

Jess Dennis and Tommytrc discuss the 2010 Winter Olympics and how social media is negatively affecting tape delays in programming. Can networks like NBC continue to control when live events are aired and whether participants can discuss the proceedings in their social networks? Are the big networks acting as gatekeepers and trying to control the message? Control freaks or not, discuss on Twitter using the hashtag #redshoesspeak.

Red Shoes Speak No. 16: Olympic Tape Delays from Jessica Dennis on Vimeo.

For this week Online with Erin Davisson, I was asked about a new social media craze called FourSquare. FourSquare is a geo-location tool to tell your friends where you. Kinda like geo-tagging in the big city. You get points for going to different places and can see how many points your friends have.  See what Ross LaRocco and myself have to say to Erin. Thanks Erin and WFRV for having me on the show again!

Are you a digital hoarder? Tommy and Jess discuss how Gmail and cloud computing have changed the way we store and search for information. Is Google changing the way individuals will file information forever? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter using the hash tag #redshoesspeak.

Red Shoes Speaks No. 15 Digital Hoarding from Jessica Dennis on Vimeo.

Does it feel like people are too positive on twitter and social media in general? Do you gravitate to people who are positive in nature? Is your glass half empty or half full? Lisa and Tommy discuss this social media topic in this weeks Red Shoes Speak. #redshoesspeak

Red Shoes Speak No 12: Positive Influences on Twitter from Jessica Dennis on Vimeo.

Jess Dennis and Tommy Clifford talk about the impact of social media on our TV watching habits. We are in a “I want it now” mentality and social media gives us the feedback we crave, when we want it. Now if TV could just keep up. DVR’s help, but they don’t give us the true access we want.

Red Shoes Speak No. 9 Social Media and ON-Demand Television from Jessica Dennis on Vimeo.

Jess and Tommy talk about Jess’ blog post called Social media, not a strategy or a tactic…a communication channel. How should companies be using social media and incorporating it into their marketing plans? Jess and Tommy discuss best practices for corporate social media use.

Red Shoes Speaks No. 8 Social media, strategy or communication channel from Jessica Dennis on Vimeo.

Open letter to the team at Red Shoes PR

2009 has been quite a year from me and my family. One that will be hard to top.  But, looking back, I have to ask:  Why do we live in a society where people spend so much time writing letters telling people when they do things wrong, but never enough time writing when things are going right?

As 2009 comes to a close I feel compelled to complete the circle on a few things. Sending thank you notes has been one of my goals for 2009 and I feel that I have one a pretty good job. Many times it’s hard to remember, but it’s the small things that count! However, in one specific situation, a simple written card just would not do justice.

Let me explain….

Back in February I went to my first “tweetup.” I had no idea what this would be like. Would it be a fun event or load of guys doing nothing but dinking on their tech toys? Well, it was a bit of both. Picture this…here we are at the food court of the local mall. Just like a money drop in a kidnapping, we picked a public spot, just in case things got bad. We had 3 -4 tables pushed together in the center; ten to twelve males and three lone females in attendance. The sexes were divided like Moses parting the Red Sea- guys on one end of the table with the ladies on the other. The awkwardness of a 7^th grade dance. I had been following most of them on twitter, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into… I had never met any of them “IRL,” in real life.

This is where I had my opportunity of meeting the great ladies from Red Shoes PR. Lisa, her son Manny, Karen, and Maria were all there.  I think Manny was brought to provide protection just in case things got ugly So, that’s where it all started.

Fast forward a few months… May 22^nd was a big day in the life and times of the Tommy household. It started off like any other day…you know, a trip to the local hospital to give birth to our son. A few pictures, a few tweets, and an IV drip and we were off to the races. With all the attention on mom, dad needed something to keep himself busy and out of her hair.  So twitter was it. Keeping everyone up to speed was my new job. Soon tweets started coming in from the 4 corners of the globe. Needless to say the gals at Red Shoes had their ears to the railroad tracks. One thing leads to another and soon I was getting messages from a local TV reporter at WFRV saying they were coming down to do a story?

Coming to do a story? What’s happening here?!?!?!

You all lived it so I don’t need to rehash…

What I do need to do is express my deepest thank you for the love and faith you have put in me and my family.  What started out as a lark certainly has turned out to be no joke! The term social media has no greater meaning than in my  own life experiences. The ability spread your wings and fly is exactly what has and continues to happen.  To date, my sweetheart has always been my biggest fan and cheerleader, but I now have some new faces in my cheering section… and I love it. You gave me a chance… and chance to stretch and do something I have never done before. I was given the chance to speak in front of the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce which has blossomed into other speaking gigs and workshops.

2009 has turned out to be such a whirlwind year. Many companies that were pillars in their respective industries have crumbled to the ground and small business like you have flourished and continue solid growth. Red Shoes certainly didn’t get any bailouts or freebees to get along, your hard work and dedication did the trick. Just a great team of ladies…working a little, laughing a little and giving your clients exactly what they ask for…exceptional service.

This secret sauce is one that needs to be captured and bottled. I bet others would pay top dollar for this secret to success!

So to the ladies of Red Shoes PR… THANK YOU! My life has forever changed. I have a new son, I’ve honed some new talents, but most of all, I have some amazing new friends who will be in my life forever. Can it get much better than that? No it cannot!!!

YOU ALL ROCK

-  Tommy!

Will e-mail be around in a few years from now? Are Web sites on their way out? Should companies have a social media corporate policy? Tommy and Lisa share their 2-cents worth on what they think is coming up in 2010 and beyond.

Social Media/Technology Predictions for 2010 from Lisa Cruz on Vimeo.

Lisa and Tommy talk about smart phones and the choice of a touch screen for entering texts and tweets as opposed to a real keyboard. Which works better? The answer might surprise you. What do you think? Sound off on Twitter hashtag #redshoespeak

RedShoe Speak No. 4 New Smart Phone from Lisa Cruz on Vimeo.

I was asked by Rebecca Corliss @hubspot marketing to do this blog posting. I was so extied, but when she told me she wanted me to do a video blog posting, I was even more excited. I feel this is where my personality really shines. THANKS Rebecca and thanks HubSpot for your faith in me!!

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Thomas Clifford, or @tommytrc, is a personable guy who loves creating videos for his kids, blogging, and building relationships on Twitter as the top Twitterer in Wisconsin. He’s given talks on how to “Be a Social Media Rock Star,” inspiring audiences to develop strong relationships in social media.

Tommy is a great example of someone who has used his personality to create a strong online (and offline) network. He holds nothing back, even sharing the the birth of his son with his online network by live-tweeting.

In the video below, Tommy talks about what building a personal brand means to him, and how being yourself online can help your business. Who wants to do business with people they don’t like?

Here are Tommy’s three steps to building a personal brand:

1) Start slow. The number of tools available can be overwhelming. Pick one or two, learn them, and move on. You’re not going to tackle the whole world overnight.

2) Just do it. There are plenty of excuses not to try, but social media is an experiment. You don’t know what does work until you find out what doesn’t work.

3) Be yourself. Don’t be a fake person or a robot. If people fall in love with you on a personal level, they are certainly going to want to do business with you on a professional level.

Who do you know and/or appreciate for their strong personal brand?