Twitter for Business

I recently came across the He Said She Said blog and in volume 1 the topic of Twitter for Small Businesses was discussed. This discussion sparked the inspiration for this post.

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Since joining Twitter a couple of years ago, I have used it to become the 'virtual fly on the wall' more often than not. By doing so a business will be able to learn the good, the bad, and the indifferent regarding its brand.  The business will also be able to identify keywords, language and strategies to engage its intended audience.  In some instances, the business may also learn of a new target market it hadn't previously considered.

To learn what is being said on Twitter about your company, brand, product, service, etc. use search.twitter.com.

Also be sure to read a related post: How the Everyday Person Should Use Twitter

What to do in NYC: September 16 & 18th

While I am seeking full-time employment, I have been identifying projects I can work on to enhance my marketing craft. One such opportunity came to me while perusing facebook last month.

A rising star and personal friend, Adina Nyree, posted on facebook that she thought it was time for her to get a publicist. Although I have only done PR work for not-for-profits, I told Adina that I was up for the challenge and the experience if she was willing to try me out.

The plan is to share with you the new experiences I gain from this project and any others that seem blog worthy. Below you will find an image of the news release I wrote for Adina Nyree's live performances later this month. Click here to see the news release on PRWeb.


Note: A five song EP is available for purchase at live performances only. Certified Organic, the debut album, will be available for sale on iTunes, cdbaby.com, adinanyree.com and at all live shows after October 24, 2009. Also don't forget to check out Adina Nyree's official website and become a fan on facebook.

Adina Nyree

Cold Feet

Early this week I was on twitter and came across a tweet from "Sandwiched" asking for LinkedIn help and talking about the agony of updating a resume. Sandwiched included a link to a blog post as well.

I read the post and realized cold feet was getting in the way of a great opportunity and decided to leave a comment to hopefully warm things up. Here is the advice I offered based on my own job hunting experiences:

Before you call: Look up the contact person and company on LinkedIn.com. See what you can learn about the person’s background that you could potentially comment on during future conversations. By searching for the company, you may be able to identify other people you could contact / get to know and it may give you a feel for your future co-workers.

Call! You have the inside scoop and should take advantage of it before someone else does it for you.

When you call introduce yourself, mention who referred you (if appropriate) and ask for more details regarding the position. Once you get the details (even if you think you know them), offer tidbits about your professional experience and skill sets that tailor fit to the roles & responsibilities provided in the details.

Close the deal by saying you would love to come in to put a face to a name and have a more detailed conversation on how you can add value.

Be prepared to send your resume before your in-person interview. If you call in the morning, let the person know you will send it to them later in the day when you have access to your files. This will give you time to finish updating it if not yet complete.

Would you do anything differently? If so, what?

ADCOLOR Awards 2009

I want my company to sponsor my attendance at the ADCOLOR Awards. Is it too early to start planning...especially when you don't have a job? Guess that means I had better get on it!

2009 ADCOLOR® Awards in Phoenix, Arizona on October 4, 2009

Portfolio: Creatively Inclined, yet Business by Nature

It is with great pleasure that I offer to the world, the Internet debut of a 2009 Spring portfolio. If you know of anyone who may wish to utilize my knowledge, skills or tenacity in the form of employment (contract or full-time, leave a comment here or send me an email.

Spring 2009 Portfolio

View more presentations from Nerissa Marbury (1EPIPHANEE).

If you have any questions about the work, please leave it in the comment area. Also feel free to share words of encourage and critique. It is through these comments, that one learns and grows to become even better.

Part Three: A week of networking and match-making

During my spring break, I drove up to NYC from Richmond to meet with three agencies, attend two social gatherings, visit with family and network with a variety of folks within the advertising & marketing industries.

Here are my thoughts on the networking portion of the trip:

Network #5: If I believe LinkedIn is great, my sorority network is just as good especially when technology helps make the connections even easier. I've been considering client side big brand companies as employment options. However, it is always good to talk to people who have been with the company and are in the know of the "real deal". In this case, I leveraged my "crimson & cream" sorority connection and used LinkedIn to get my request for information out to the person. She was able to tell me what subsidiaries I should focus on as well as some possible obstacles I may experience during the application process.

Network #6: It is definitely a small world. I had been trying to get in touch with a Creative at an interactive agency for a while. The entire time I kept on thinking the name sounded extremely familiar. We finally talk (I got some GREAT tips and advice about the entering the digital marketing space) and he tells me how our paths had crossed in the passed. He had come to my graduate school as a Friday speaker.

Network #7: Don't know if you would count this one or not, but I do. I went to a photography exhibit of a person who befriended me on FB. We chat every now and then, but not too much. He invited me to the exhibit even though I no longer reside in NYC. However, when I realized I would be in NYC when the show was on I figured it would be a great opportunity to increase my cultural awareness. Plus it never hurts to show support to people when time permits. You never know when or how they may be able to do the same for you.

Network #8: Had a lunch date with a contact in Radio. Met this person via Facebook and instantly became interested in his background. I look forward to more interactions especially since Radio hasn't been a medium heavily talked about in my advertising program.

Part Two: A week of networking and match-making

During my spring break, I drove up to NYC from Richmond to meet with three agencies, attend two social gatherings, visit with family and network with a variety of folks within the advertising & marketing industries.

Here are my thoughts on the networking portion of the trip:

Network #1: Met with an alumna from my graduate program. We initially met via social media and communicated that route. It was a wonder opportunity to finally meet in person. I wish this alumna only the best as I am positive she is on the verge of wonderful things. UPDATE: Alumna got a job offer at a growing interactive agency. Yippee!!

Network #2: Perhaps this one doesn't count, but I spoke with a classmate about an agency internship from last summer. We spoke about the company's ethics, environment and clients.

Network #3: Another alum meeting. We stay in touch via social media as well, but it is always a good thing to touch base face-to-face every now and then.

Network #4: If I haven't said it recently I do like LinkedIn.com. I wanted to apply for an account manager role out in L.A., but didn't know anything about the company other than what I found on the website. So I used my LinkedIn network and found a current account manager at the firm and reached out to him. He responded immediately and set up time for us to talk via the phone.

Part One: A week of networking and match-making

During my spring break, I drove up to NYC from Richmond to meet with three agencies, attend two social gatherings, visit with family and network with a variety of folks within the advertising & marketing industries.

Here are my thoughts on the business portion of the trip:

Agency #1: This was one of my first interviews for full-time employment in advertising. I was nervous and don't feel I've represented myself as well as I could have especially given my time allotted was shortened to 17 minutes. Not because the interviewer was less intrigued by me, but because the flight was delayed and the interviewer arrived 40 minutes late. The good thing about this interview is it helped me sharpen my skills just in time for the rest later in the week.

Agency #2: Fabulous! The little of experienced of the work environment was great and reminded me much of what I liked about the last company I worked at - the people. Since I wasn't applying for a particular job, just an opportunity for face time and get my name in the pipeline.

Agency #3: Jury is still out on this one. I'm definitely intrigued and I believe the feeling is mutual. My primary concern is associated with the economy and how it may be effecting some of the agency's major clients. As anyone knows, if a client tanks so do the people associated with the account. Other than that I am interested in and look forward to pursuing opportunities within the social media group or on account management team.

The Update on The Hunt

I'm a little behind in providing updates on the job hunt so allow me to quickly catch up with this summary.

January: Focused on updating my resume so it reflected a newer format and optimized keywords for enhanced search abilities. Unlike in the 90's, these days it's all about will a computer find your resume attractive versus a human. Human interaction seems to be the "second line of defense" nowadays.

February: I had a very slow ramp up. The plan was to send out a blast to my network letting them know I'm on the job prowl and the type of opportunities I am seeking. Since I've received quite a few of these type of emails myself, I have been rather hesitant to send one of my own. But know it will be done sooner or later. In lieu, I have been taking more of a one on one approach and as I talk to people I do my best to let them know at that time.

February has also been the month I began applying for positions online. It is an extremely SLOW process. One that requires lots of time to find, read and match my skills with those written in the job description via a cover letter. It's the cover letter that seems to always get me....I just don't like them although they are a necessity in most cases.

The other mental obstacle is salary requirements. We are in a day where you talk money before you even talk about being the right fit for the position. I can't speak for everyone, but there have been times in my career that I was willing to go down on base salary for the experience. If the value of the experience a company or position could offer is not evident in a job description, it is extremely difficult to communicate my flexibility in numbers. And I've already come across some people who didn't want to receive only words.

March: This month is the start of my interviews and hard-core networking. I define hard-core networking because in the first couple of weeks I feel like I've spoken to 100s of people even though it was actually only about 10. I've also began have a couple of informational and real interviews. Interviews have not been for any particular position. They seem more to assess my abilities and background so as opportunities come up I can already be in mind.

Moving forward: I will continue applying to positions online and focusing on the client side of the board as well. LinkedIn will be leveraged more as well so I can try to get an inside scoop on companies and get my resume to a human sooner while going the online application route as well.

If you have any suggestions or word of wisdom, please post in the comment section. You never know....you may help me or another reader of my blog.

How to be a LinkedIn superstar - iMediaConnection.com

"I'm a big fan of LinkedIn.com. Read this article and felt it was good enough to share. It's a little slow in the beginning, but has good sound tips/advice for business users that can be applied for the individual as well."

View >>

Above is a copy of a comment I wrote about the referenced article.

Job Search -vs- Company Search

It was refreshing for me to discover there is at least one person at the VCU Brandcenter using alternative methods to make himself known and is doing it in ways that do not involve creative or team based competitions. (See Drop the Job Search, Start a Company Search by Les Green) It was an added bonus that he is a fellow CBM. This is a great example of "a little thing" a person can do in his or her spare time that has no requirements or deadlines. It may sound corny, but I'm proud of Les' accomplishment and look forward to reading more articles. He is DOING what others have only thought about and for that he is an inspiration.
Below was written by me after reading Les' article and the comments related to it...

I was lucky to have learned early in my career it is not worth the time or energy to continue in a position that doesn't make you happy. Therefore, I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Green.

Although I understand the perspective of Mr. Crandall, I do not agree with his assessment that Mr. Green's advice is for the longer-term. Everyone should consider the company first and job second. It helps in the short-run, long-run and even when economic conditions are not so favorable. Why? It's less stressful knowing that you are where you want to be versus worrying about rent, loans, the crappy job, your boss seeing the lack of interest in the crappy job coming out in your work, job security, the job you wish you had but didn't have the time to look for, and your friends disowning you because they are tired of hearing you complain about all of the above.

Yes, as a person who will graduate with her masters in May 2009, I am concerned about keeping up with my financial responsibilities. However, I am more concerned about diligently identifying companies that can help launch a career. Is it easy? No, but it is definitely worth it. I'm keeping my eye on the broader picture. I may only stay in my first role after graduating for a couple of years, but if done right I hope to stay with the company for many years to come.

Female Workplace Attire

This Today Show segment is a little dated (Fall 2007), but I thought it was an interesting topic for discussion. Click here for Video

In the workplace, should a woman be responsible for keeping a man's focus on her face?

My thought is no. The woman, just like any man, should dress appropriately for the environment in which she works. Once you have attire that fits the workplace, add your own flair that represents your personality. You don't want an office full of clones and you should have to be responsible for keeping another person's hormones in check.

Photos: Hillary Clinton (politician), 1Epiphanee (marketer / blogger), Helen Mirren (actress)

Can't wait to hear your thoughts.

On The Hunt - Independent Study & More

I've been trying to figure out what my focus would be for my blog post election since for the last several posts the topics that sparked an entry was about the pending presidential election. Well, I believe I now have a couple of topics.

The first is what I learn as I move forward with my job search. The other will focus on my independent study project that will officially start December 1st and go through early May. I've included a description of the independent study project because I am still searching for a company for whom I could help solve a marketing problem. I hope you will help me by suggesting some companies who may be interested in benefiting from this program.

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For several years, VCU Brandcenter graduate students have contributed to businesses and non-profit organizations as part of our independent study program. This program requires each of our Creative Brand Management students to complete a semester-long marketing project for an outside client in order to graduate.

Typically, there is no cost to the organizations who participate in this program and they can put to use the outstanding work that results. In past years our students have tackled serious projects such as these:

• Conducting research and developing a strategy to accelerate the growth of Genworth’s Long Term Care insurance line.
• Identifying new avenues for growth for an organic pet food company.
• Crafting a plan for DICK’S Sporting Goods to increase growth within minority communities.
• Developing strategies for outreach for a regional hospital.
• Helping a national office furniture retailer target new customers.
• Developing a social media strategy for a global educational marketer.

Each of these projects is supervised by a team of VCU Brandcenter professors, including Founder & President of O'Keefe Brands, Kelly O'Keefe, along with former Martin Agency CEO, Don Just and the Martin Agency’s Chief Strategic Officer, Earl Cox.

This is one of the programs that has helped make the VCU Brandcenter the #1 ranked graduate school of advertising. I hope you will consider participating.

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I hope you will help me by suggesting some companies who may be interested in benefiting from this program. Feel free to leave your suggestion in a comment or email me privately here.