Alabama Social Media Association – ALsocme

Don’t miss this video of the presentation by Erika Napoletano  at the Hill Event Center on April 24th, 2012, entitled, “The Power of Un-Popular” by  Vulcan Media.  Many who attended said it was an extremely helpful approach to building their business.

At the meeting, Erika signed copies of her new book entitled,  ‘The Power of Unpopular: A Guide to Building Your Brand for the Audience Who Will Love You (and why no one else matters)’ .  A limited number may still be available via ALSocme  HERE or you can purchase one at Books-A-Million.

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At the Alabama Social Media Association educational meeting on Tuesday, April 24th, Erika Napoletano shared with humor, honesty, and peppery quotes that in branding your company, ultimately  it’s not how popular you are, it’s how well you connect with your customers.

She stressed that likeability is a subjective thing, and return customers always prefer a strong brand.  Erika admitted that while her fiery style was ‘not for everyone‘, it was also why her loyal audience keeps following her sometimes bawdy, but never boring, RedHeadWriting.com .

Her book, The Power of Un-Popular,  includes the ‘how’ of many of the points that she made during the educational meeting, including the widely retweeted quote,  “Give away the why, sell them the how!”

A long-time resident of Denver, Erika is originally from Opelika, Alabama.  Consequently,  she enjoyed connecting with the Southern audience via phrases like, ‘Bless your heart‘,  (which can have multiple meanings) and ‘roadkill’ as in, “Don’t build for the middle or you’ll be roadkill“.

And whether you’re an aspiring business of just one person, or part of a major corporation, she stressed, “Think BIG“.  Create an infrastructure that includes the following:

1. Approachability – which gives your customers ownership in your brand
2. Scalability – which is your pricing and production infrastructure and
3. Profitability – which includes emotional AND financial profitability

In addition to her own book, she highly recommended the following which provided her with inspiration:

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
• The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
• Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown

A few other highlights included her assertion that being unpopular as a child prepares you for business success because you learn early to ‘figure things out‘ and you don’t ‘follow the crowd‘.

• “Bring it down a notch“  is one of her least favorite phrases.
• “Stay to the right or the left and you won’t get run over.“
• “We are all inherently altruistic and want to share“, so give your audience something to share and let them be invested in your brand.

Thank you Erika, for reminding us that it’s not only cool but might be good for businesses to think outside the box and dare to be unpopular!  There are some segments in every audience that will never like your brand, regardless of how much you dilute it for mass appeal.  So be genuine, be daring, be honest, and your audience will find you.

Note: To hear the entire presentation or view photos, stay tuned for the video by Vulcan Media and photos by Arik Sokol which will be posted soon at www.alsocme.com.

Thanks to Vulcan Media and Arik Sokol who donated their media services, as well as our sponsors:  Location sponsor is the Hill Event Center at the Alabama Theatre; catering sponsor is Momentum Telecom. Door prizes will be provided by Griffin Technology and MailChimp. Beverage sponsor is Dekalb Office.  Please support our sponsors!  We couldn’t have these meetings without them.

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Don’t miss this video of the James Spann presentation at the Hill Event Center on February 20th, entitled, “Social Media: What’s worked for a TV Meterologist” by videographer Amy Polley.  Thank you also to DAXKO for the use of the camera equipment (and a much appreciated partner of the Alabama Social Media Association).

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The following is the slide presentation accompanying ABC 33/40 Chief Meteorologist James Spann as he spoke about his passion for engaging the community via social media. Complete video, photos, and a transcript of this event will be posted soon.

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Even experts can learn a lot about social media from James Spann because, as he says, his ‘servant’s heart’ is in it. The ABC 33/40 chief meteorologist  shared his passion for engaging with the community via social media, and gave tips for others to harness its power at  ALsocme’s Feb. 20 educational meeting.

Spann (@spann) spoke to a packed audience at the Hill Event Center at the Alabama Theatre (the first sold-out event for ALsocme.)  The Emmy Award winner  passionately portrayed the impact social media has recently had in his life with the following three powerful examples:

• The first example, graphically portrayed on the screen behind him, was 4/27/11, or the day that 252 people were killed by a sweep of tornadoes through Alabama. He admitted that he was affected so deeply by the damage that it was six months before he was even able to speak about it. He vividly portrayed the destruction and his role in alerting citizens to the danger. He shared that he manages all his social media himself and hand-types every tornado weather alert on Twitter, responding to as many messages as possible. In his own words, “I’m not an all-caps kind of guy, but when you see me type TORNADO EMERGENCY about your town, dig a hole!”

• His second example regarded the enormous outpouring of support for victims after the tornadoes. Because of his huge following on Twitter, he became by default the channel for the Alabama ‘needs’ and the ‘haves.’ He did not anticipate the role social media would have in providing relief and connecting people throughout the state. And he believes that it was the first time that social media became an imperative part of relief following a natural disaster in Alabama. He said that although he’s a meteorologist first, he believes in providing useful information beyond the weather when necessary.

• The third example was the social media outrage directed at Diane Sawyer and ABC News after her comment that Alabama residents were not warned about the sweep of tornadoes through the state.  Spann challenged Diane Sawyer to a now-famous Twitter debate with the whole-hearted support of the Alabama social media community firmly behind him. Diane Sawyer was forced to recant (although she never apologized) after officials at ABC News were overwhelmed by the response.  As he said, it was a proud moment for the social media community of Alabama.

Finally, a few James Spann words of wisdom regarding social media included:

• When people follow you (on Twitter), follow them back
• Be genuine; People will find you out if you’re not
• Handle your words yourself. No one else can do it for you effectively
• Have a servant’s heart in social media
• Provide useful information in a timely way
• Everyone is important and deserves useful information even in remote rural areas
• Business leaders who belittle social media just don’t get it!
• Everyone has time for social media — it’s a matter of making it a priority

We’re most appreciative of James Spann taking time out of his busy schedule to address ALsocme.

Note: To hear the entire presentation or view photos, stay tuned for the video by Amy Polley and photos by Lynsey Weatherspoon which will be posted soon at www.alsocme.com.

Thanks to Amy and Lynsey who donated their services, as well as our sponsors The Hill Event Center at the Alabama Theatre, Ted’s Restaurant, Instant Sign Center, MailChimp, and Griffin Technology.

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We have grown tremendously during our inaugural year and couldn’t have done it without the help of our friends, sponsors, and volunteers.  We appreciate each and every one of you!  Thank you!

Sponsors:

• Birmingham Sign
• Daxko
• Griffin Technology
• Hill Event Center
• Wesban Financial Consultants

• Dreamcakes
• J. Clyde
• Mellow Mushroom
• Ted’s Restaurant
• Urban Cookhouse
• Zoës Kitchen

Photographers:

• Angela Blake Photography
• Jelani Newton at J&M Photography
• Arik Sokol Photography
• Lynsey Weatherspoon Photography

Videographers:

• Randy Archer of Archer Creative
• Chris Davis of fi-Plan Partners

Speakers and Panelists:

• Mayor William Bell
• Ed Bowser of Luckie & Co.
• Julie Brannon
• Mack Collier
• Daniel Davenport of Think Interactive
• Chris Davis of fi-Plan Partners
• Melanie McCraney of McCraney Comunications
• Ike Pigott of Positive Position Media Consulting
• Jenny Schmitt of CloudSpark
• Julie Wall at Markstein Consulting

Contributors:

• Bud’s Best Cookies
• Samford University Bookstore

Leadership Team:

• Randy Archer (@randyarcher)
• John Bagby (@jbagby25)
• Trish Bogdanchik (@trishbog)
• Kathy Bowers (@kathycbowers)
• Javacia Harris Bowser (@writeousbabe)
• Tim Clay
• Chris Davis (@chriscreates)
• Catie Farrell (@caetee)
• Cherie Fields (@cheriefields)
• Lauren Fischer (@lsfischer)
• Mark Harvard (@MarkHarvard)
• Jason Hill (@jasonjhill)
• Sheree Martin (@ree_tweets)
• Henry McBride (@mcbrihk)
• Eric McClain (@ewesban)
• Rebecca Moody (@MoodyPaints)
• Anna Alford Nelson (@annaanelson)
• Ike Pigott (@ikepigott)
• Stephen Vinson (@whoatemyblog)
• Daniel Walters (@socialmediabham)

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This Sunday, Join ALsocme for Our October Social!

Come fly a kite with the Alabama Social Media Association (ALsocme) this Sunday, October 23 at Birmingham’s Railroad Park! We’ll meet under the pavilion at 3 p.m. and the fun will continue until 5 p.m. Families are encouraged to attend the event, which is free and open to the public. In addition to flying kites, we have fun family games scheduled. Please RSVP on our Facebook event page so we know you’re coming. Email us with questions at alsocme@gmail.com.

The Alabama Social Media Association is a professional nonprofit organization open to anyone who wishes to share ideas or advance their knowledge of social media.

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The Hill Event Center at the Alabama Theatre was the venue for the Sept. 29 educational meeting featuring a panel of five moderated by Ike Pigott. A standing room only crowd began arriving early  to hear Ed Bowser, Julie Brannon, Chris Davis, Melanie McCraney and Julie Wall speak. And as anticipated, each panelist had a unique story to share regarding their successes with social media. All agreed that there is no single “one size fits all” solution for utilizing the many forms of digital communication now available.

Melanie used social media to share the location of a Duracell battery charging station after the devastating tornadoes in Tuscaloosa. Chris talked about how, as a financial planner, he counted on others via social media to talk about money which is often difficult to address directly. Nonprofits, fundraisers, community outreach, and advertising agency strategies were just a few of the other items addressed by the panelists.

Ike Pigott finished the discussion by asking each of the panelists what they had learned. Their answers illustrated that even the “experts” gain from hearing about the experiences of others. As the panelists stressed, digital or face-to-face, social media is still social and involves effective communication, regardless of the means.

To order tickets for the next event 24 hours ahead of public registration, please sign up for the e-newsletter using the box in the upper left.  Seating is limited and based on registration.

Thank you to our sponsors Daxko (for providing lunch), Angela Blake Photography, Archer Creative for videography, Griffin Technology for door prizes, Instant Sign Center for table signage and Bud’s Best Cookies for the treats!

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On Sept. 21, Mayor William Bell spoke to a packed house about “The Future of Technology in Birmingham”. The setting may have been Old Car Heaven, but the talk was all about the New Ways of Communication and how much they’ve changed since Mayor Bell made his first cell phone call as a public official decades ago. He got a laugh from the audience when he related how at that time, he didn’t realize he could call everyone with his cell phone … he thought he could only dial other cell phones. How times have changed!

Since that first cell phone call, Mayor Bell acknowledged that communication technologies have exploded, and he was enthusiastic about the established and emerging tech-related industries in Birmingham. Although he admits that much of the new digital communication and social media still mystifies him, he is a strong proponent of educating our youth and preparing them for a technological future. Consequently, the Mayor believes that incorporating leading edge technology into our educational programs is imperative.

The attendees enjoyed a Greek dinner and homemade cookies provided by Ted’s Restaurant on Southside. Some had time afterwards to treat themselves to a tour of over 200 of the restored early century cars in the Old Car Heaven museum on the railroad tracks of 1st Avenue South.

Thanks to the many volunteers and our sponsor, Wesban Financial Consultants, who made this event such a huge success. Thanks also to Lynsey Weatherspoon Photography, and Chris Davis for Photography and Videography, respectively.

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Aug. 12, 2011

BIRMINGHAM — The Alabama Social Media Association (ALsocme) has appointed marketing specialist Stephanie Hutcheson as the nonprofit group’s new executive director.

“We’re excited to work with Stephanie,” said Jeff Vreeland, chairman of the ALsocme board. “She brings great talent, strong leadership and new ideas to our group.”

Hutcheson, a Haleyville native, is Digital Marketing Director at Homewood-based Web development company Infomedia. She holds a B.A. in Economics and Communication Management from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Master Certificate in Internet Marketing from the University of San Francisco. Hutcheson is also a volunteer with the Young Professionals Society for the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama, YP Birmingham, and The Summit Club YP Committee, among others.

She will serve the remainder of the 2011 term left vacant by departing executive director, Kristen R. Heptinstall, who moved to Orlando recently for a new job.

The Alabama Social Media Association (ALsocme), is an independent, grassroots nonprofit group, open to anyone who wishes to share ideas or advance their knowledge of social media and how it is used by businesses, organizations, and consumers. Its mission is education: empowering people with social media tools and knowledge to help them meet professional and personal goals.

ALsocme holds educational events five times a year at the Hill Event Center at the Alabama Theatre, and monthly networking events at area businesses.

For more information, visit alsocme.com or email alsocme@gmail.com.

ALsocme executive director Stephanie Hutcheson is available for interviews to discuss the group’s events and plans for the remainder of 2011. To arrange an interview or to set up event coverage, please contact Erin Street at e.shawstreet[at]gmail.com.

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