Last night I was channel surfing when I was lucky enough to come across my favorite television episode of all time: Seinfeld’s ‘The Pitch.” If you haven’t yet seen it, click here for a brief synopsis. See, the writers at Seinfeld realized their often plotless sitcom was both lauded and criticized for the exact same reason. Folks would say “the show’s about nothing!” So they ran with it.

The episode features Jerry and George ideating about a ‘television show about nothing,’ and plan to pitch it to NBC. Ultimately, “The Pitch” became a critically acclaimed piece of American television for its ability to creatively make fun of itself. An episode ‘about a show about nothing’ – on a show about nothing.

If you’re still reading, it’s likely you know where this is going…you got it. A social media blog – about social media blogs.

Here are our favorites:

★ AllFacebook

★ AllTwitter

★ Likeable

★ SocialMouths

★ MarketingTech

★ Soshable

★ TopRank

★ RSP Marketing

Enjoy!

I read something disturbing online the other day. It said that the most common time of year for suicide is the months of April and May. Quoted within the piece was a sociologist who suggested that despite the common suspicion that the holiday season brings about the heaviest feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety – it is in fact Springtime. She argued that Spring is the time when people begin to get out of the house, resume activities, and become more social. This can be scary for individuals struggling with mental health issues.

We are a social media agency, and aren’t here to give medical advice to anyone. But we also don’t believe this is an issue that will go away if we just pretend it’s not there. Below we’ve compiled a list of ways to connect digitally with mental health resources. If we are able to help even one person feel less alone, we’ll be glad we took the time to build this list.

★ MoodKit: This app allows users to record their mood, and how environmental factors may affect it. This lets users identify which things may help or hurt their mood, and make behavioral changes to combat stressors.

★ The National Institute of Mental Health Facebook: If knowledge is power, then this is a vital tool in helping you gain more control over your emotions. It highlights the most recent mental health studies and tips on how to stay even-keeled.

★ The National Institute of Mental Health Twitter

★ @PsychCentral Twitter: Psychology and mental health information and support.

★ BellyBio: This app helps users monitor deep breathing exercises to eliminate stress and anxiety.

★ @MentalHealthAm Twitter: The country’s leading nonprofit dedicated to helping ALL people live mentally healthier lives.

I have a horrible habit of explaining to readers why I titled a post the way I did. And old habits die hard. So; I was going to title this post ‘Spring Social’. But, my blog titles are generally alliterative & catchy – and Spring is a time for new beginnings – so I decided to take the rhythmless and straightforward approach.

As the days get longer, so do businesses’ to-do-lists. Being a business owner in the summer is the same as being one in the winter – besides the 3 million things that people don’t do when it’s cold and snowy. So with increasing temperatures and revenue streams, how should you be thinking about your company’s social strategy?

★ Remember that people are spending less time sitting on their couch browsing the net. Also remember more people are out and about, on the go, and accessing the internet from their phones. Your social communications should be less wordy. You should encourage them more often to “stop in” for this or that. You should expand your marketing radius to individuals who wouldn’t travel to your business in the cold.

★ People love cute, unique, witty posts about the weather. Weather is something everyone deals with, but is normally boring to talk about. If you can make it fun, it can have viral potential.

★ Devote more resources to social media customer service. Warm Weather = More Business = More Problems = More Customer Service Resources Necessary.

★ Communicate your weather/raincheck policies regularly – but not too regularly. You want people to know that everything will be okay if the weather doesn’t cooperate, but you don’t want to scare them away with the “what-ifs.”

★ If all or some of your business occurs outdoors, consider those who don’t like being outside mid-summer. Tell them about the umbrellas, water bottles, bug spray, and sunscreen that are available to them.

★ Have fun. Warm weather makes people happy. Consider running more contests, giveaways, and sweepstakes to keep them that way.

Tweet @RSPMarketing and tell us your summer plans!

Social Security is a program that was implemented by Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression to protect senior citizens from facing poverty after their working years. It is also a remarkably boring topic for a blog post.

So let’s talk about Social MEDIA Security instead.

As a business, having your Twitter (or Facebook) hacked is nothing short of humiliating. If you don’t believe me, just ask Burger King. On President’s day 2013, the Burger joint’s Twitter account was broken into after hackers somehow guessed that its password was ‘whopper123′ (we’re not kidding). Hackers of course changed BK’s Twitter name to ‘McDonalds’ and sent messages about Burger King employees using drugs.

Over the weekend, CBS’s ’60 Minutes’ and ’48 Hours’ Twitter accounts began tweeting messages claiming that Barack Obama was “in bed with Al-Qaeda.” This of course was a prank pulled by hackers, and CBS is still working to resolve the issue(s).

So, what can businesses do to maintain security within their social media platforms?

★ Don’t ever, ever, ever use a password that has anything remotely to do with what your business offers. Period.

★ Use a variety of numbers, letters, and symbols. Consider beginning the password with symbols. Some media allow your passwords to be case sensitive. Use both upper and lowercase letters if this is the case.

★ Change your passwords at least every couple of months. Hackers use programs that guess random passwords over and over and over and over. (Most social media systems are sophisticated enough to recognize this after a couple guesses and ask you to copy down an image of a set of text characters). The more you change it, the less likely it is that a computer can guess it.

★ Use a wireless network security program. Oftentimes hackers are able to access exchanged information if they are able to break in to a company’s wireless network.

★ If possible, keep your social media department regionally siloed. This will decrease the frequency in which password changes are communicated across different networks.

★ Last, frequently scan your computers for viruses and malware.

It’s likely that Social Security (benefits) will soon become a thing of the past. Hopefully Internet hacking isn’t far behind.

I initially intended to title this blog post “Why Blog?,” but that would have violated everything I’ve ever loved about alliteration. And, my goal is to illustrate the importance of blogging to marketing professionals, not 13-year-old Beliebers.

So, why should businesses blog?

– Blogging will help your business appear as an industry leader. You have to have the knowledge, time, and resources to regularly blog about your category, and readers know this.

– Blogging helps your Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The more frequently you pump industry keywords into your website, the more likely your site is to show up during a search.

– You can provide a link to your blog on Google+. Google’s search engine weights Google+ content more than other social media because – well, it can. Make sure you plug your blog content into your companies’ G+ page.

– It’s free content for your other platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.).

– When individuals blog, they stay sharp on current industry trends and become better suited to ‘talk the talk’ to professional peers and/or prospective clients.

– It can result in free PR. Journalists are more likely to reach out to someone who maintains a regular blog because they want their story to have credibility.

– It can help you learn more about who’s visiting your website by using Google Analytics. Is your message being absorbed by competitors, potential customers, etc.? This can be very important information.

– It gives your brand a voice. The fact that this blog includes a large picture, a joke about Justin Bieber, and talk of alliteration reflects the fact that RSP’s brand is visual, fun, and fond of grammar and language.

Need support with your businesses’ blogging efforts? Tweet @RSPMarketing or call us at (612) 412-9509.

There’s no delicate way to put it. There was a tragedy in Boston Monday that left three individuals dead and 140+ injured. Normally, writing about social media on a grievous day like today would be out of the question. But because the medium has been a great resource for reconnecting missing friends, comforting families, locating co-workers and organizing several forms of relief efforts – we felt it was appropriate to share how.

– Google used its ‘Person Finder’ program to launch a Boston Marathon Person Finder Campaign. Those in the Boston area could create a record for themselves to let friends or family know they were okay.

– Mary Beth Aasen of Wisconsin was using an app that tracked her daughters real-time location throughout the marathon. After the explosion, her and her husband were able to see that their daughter Maggie was still moving. They eventually connected via cell phone and found out Maggie was unaffected.

– The American Red Cross setup a Boston Marathon tab within the “Safe & Well” landing page on its website. It used the same concept as Google Person Finder.

– A Google Doc was passed from one Boston citizen to the next via social media. Dozens of locals typed their home address, contact information and housing capabilities for out-of-towners affected by the bombings.

Considering how inaccessible cell phone service was yesterday in the Boston area, social media was a crucial communication tool.

To donate money to the American Red Cross and its Boston Relief Efforts: Click Here

I could recite to you a statistic about the poor state of the job market, but it’d be like telling you that cats meow – so why bother? So to help you fight back against this relentlessly fruitless economy, I’ve compiled a list.

11 Things You Can Do To Improve Your LinkedIn Profile

★ Customize your LinkedIn URL to your full name (or something similar). The more you use your name in your LinkedIn profile the more likely it is to show up within search engines.

★ Gain 2-3 written recommendations from reputable connections. The best way to go about this is to write these people a recommendation first, and then request they write you one 6-8 weeks later.

★ Using your full name in the background section will also help your profile’s search engine optimization. You can do this without using third person and sounding like an arrogant elitist. (ex. ‘My name is Brian Overson and I love digital marketing.’)

★ Remember that the first six words of every LinkedIn profile section are what search engines use as keywords. So, don’t start a job description with ‘During my long tenure in this position….’ Be prompt and specific about what you want to be known for/associated with.

★ Don’t overrate your skill set. You don’t have 37 skills if you graduated six months ago. Of the skills you do list, ask friends to endorse a couple of them. Don’t have them endorse all of them, otherwise it will be obvious that someone was in fact doing you a favor.

★ List every job you’ve had besides your childhood lemonade stand. When I look at people’s LinkedIn profiles and see that their first job was as a reporter for the Star Tribune, I automatically assume they were either too lazy to complete their profile or some degree of nepotism was involved.

★ Write your contact information at the bottom of your background section. If your e-mail has your full name in it, it will again reinforce search engine optimization. Also, it will make it easy for hiring managers to get a hold of you.

★ Have five people read your entire profile, and ask them to be highly critical of your grammar. One misuse of “your” could make you look dim and cause you to lose you’re dream job. (See?)

★ Recent Graduates: ask your college professors to recommend you. Remember you paid their salary – the least they can do is write a few nice sentences about you.

★ List the high school you went to. Don’t worry if the school isn’t nationally renowned – (almost) no one chooses where they go to high school. At the very least you will share a mutual connection with a hiring manager.

★ You don’t have to be fluent in a language to list it. Hiring managers will likely be baby-boomers who never had to learn an alternative language. They won’t ask you to write a paper in Spanish.

Hopefully this list is of value to you and can help you get that perfect job!

I don’t (think I) have to remind you that the 2013 Masters Golf Tournament begins this Thursday. I also assume you’re aware of some of the more unfortunate historical traditions of the course at which it’s played. In case you’re not:

— Up until 1982, caddies had to be of African-American descent, and only since 1990 have African-Americans been admitted as members.

— Women were not allowed to be members of Augusta National Golf Course until 2012.

We’re happy that these practices are a thing of the past and that its leaders finally decided to crawl into the 21st century. Another sign of progress (though less of a reminder of a tainted past) is the tournament’s increasingly expansive set of social media resources. So to prepare you for the year’s biggest golf tournament, here’s a list of the must-use social media platforms to help you stay connected.

★ The Masters Tournament Facebook Page

★ The Official Masters Tournament Mobile Application

★ The Masters Tournament Twitter Account

★ CBS Sports Twitter Account

★ Golf Channel Facebook Page

★ Golf Channel Twitter Account

★ ESPN Golf Twitter Account

★ Golf Digest Facebook Page

★ Golf Digest Twitter Account

Who do you think is going to win The Masters? Tweet at us @RSPMarketing and give us your prediction!

For more information on how your brand can use Instagram for your brand call RSP Marketing at 612-886-3467 or click here.

If you aren’t a Millennial or an avid Twitter user, the answer to your question is no, I didn’t fall asleep on my keyboard when titling this blog post. Online acronyms began with us Generation Y-ers upon the advent of AOL Instant Messenger, and continue to be a staple of internet communication today. Of course, phrases like JK and LOL have become cultural commonplace even among the most OOT (Out Of Touch) individuals. On the other hand, there are acronyms listed online that frankly, no one really uses (“OH” apparently means ‘overheard?’ – that’s nonsense).

The aim of this post is to educate readers about phrases that are not mainstream – but also are not so niche that they’re viewed as irrelevant. HYE! (Hope You Enjoy, Obvi).

FF: “Follow Friday” – This is a Twitter acronym. Users type in “#FF” and then type in 3-5 other users that they recommend others should follow. It’s essentially promoting the people you follow.

IMHO: “In My Honest Opinion” – This phrase is used in Twitter, forums, and other online communication platforms. Most commonly, Twitter users who regularly receive questions from their followers use this term before stating their answer.

NSFW: “Not Safe For Work” – This is pretty self-explanatory. If someone sends you a video that isn’t pornographic, but does contain (comedic) nudity for example, it’s a good way to warn the viewer.

ICYMI: “In Case You Missed It” – This is often used by journalist/news outlets on Twitter when they promote a story/article/video of theirs for a second time. They don’t want to appear as though they are constantly plugging their content, so they use ICYMI beforehand.

YMMV: “Your Mileage May Vary” – This term is often used in forums when people talk about things like medication or other personal products. It’s a way of saying “everyone is different and it may or may not work for you.”

DM: “Direct Message” – A direct message on Twitter. Direct Messages are private messages that only sender and receiver can see. If someone posts a job opening on Twitter they may end the tweet with “DM me if interested.”

SMH: “Shake My Head” – This term originated on Twitter. It is often used at the end of a sentence where you are disagreeing with someone or complaining about something. “I am so sick of this snow I could die! SMH”

FWIW: “For What It’s Worth” – Often used by opinion leaders trying to express a tone of arbitrariness or modesty before stating their thoughts when using social media.

PWNED: “Owned” – This term came from the online game “Warcraft,” after one of their programmers accidentally typed a ‘p’ instead of an ‘o’. When the computer beat the player, it would say “player x has been pwned.” The term stuck, and now means dominated, beaten, or destroyed.

FML: “F*** My Life” – This phrase originated in the movie Superbad when a lowly liquor store worker drops a bottle and it shatters. The term quickly was shortened to FML, and people started using it after they complained about something in their life.