Working for BostonTweetUp

When I started visiting events in Boston, there was always one guy who seemed to know everyone. Whether he was there in real life or joining the conversation on Twitter. It was obvious: he knows what is going on in Boston. I can’t recall where I read about him, but I guess I started following him on Twitter, because some blogger mentioned he was one of those entrepreneurs who really knows how to use social media. You might already know who I am talking about: Joselin Mane from BostonTweetup.com

Blogging for BostonTweetUp
Guess what I did, when Joselin was looking for help. I applied immediately. After my first meeting with Joselin, I felt energized. His mind is always full of ideas; he knows how to – and how not to! – organize a Tweetup; he has energy for 3 and is always willing to hear your opinion. In short, I really wanted to work with this inspiring guy.

So since a few months, I also blog about the events in and around Boston for BostonTweetup.com. For example, I covered the What not to web event organized by the MIT Forum, the Boston World Partnership Leaders Networking Reception and a Boston PHP Meetup. During those events, I noticed almost everybody knows BostonTweetup. Either from the MegaTweetup Joselin organized, the online event calendar or its Twitter feed. But next to promoting events and organizing a yearly record-breaking Tweetup, we also help organizers with their event planning and – maybe even more important – the way they can leverage social media before, during and after the event.

Relaunch
At the moment, we’re busy relaunching the website. The site got a new lay-out and includes episodes from BostonTweetup TV, event planning guides, reviews of events, networking tips plus information for venues, sponsors and others. A lot of this is already live, some we still need to work on. In the meanwhile, check it out yourself on BostonTweetup.com or watch this video interview that was taken with Joselin during the Inbound Marketing Summit with the Pulse Network.

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Is social media bigger in Boston than in Amsterdam?

Before I left Amsterdam, I had lunch with an former colleague, Michael Minneboo. Out of the blue he asked me if he could interview me about my blog and what it was about. Since it was only five days before our departure to Boston, I wasn’t really prepared for this question. However, Michael managed to make this video out of it. Well done, Michael!

I almost forgot, one of my main questions at that time was whether organisations in Boston integrate social media more easily in their business strategies or not.

My first impression
After three months, I have noticed that I could visit events, meetups or seminars where marketeers, community managers, PR and other communication professionals get together on a weekly basis, if I wanted to. Discussing social media strategies, sharing best practices or other valuable information.

In addition, all restaurants and cafés have a Twitter handle, a Facebook page and provide special offers on Foursquare. Hospitals use social networking tools to inform patients. Social media policies are integrated in introduction programs for employees. An incubator like MIT turns Cambridge into a breeding place for innovative start-ups like no university in the Netherlands is capable of. (I sincerely hope the TU in Eindhoven is, one day). Start-ups and communication agencies all seem to have a blog, which is regularly updated and not only by the junior PR executive. And the entire team, including the CEO, is engaging with audiences on Twitter.

On the other hand,  most corporations still struggle with transparency. 25% of the companies ban social media at work, compared to only 8 % in the Netherlands…

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Millennials ad from Time Magazine

I have to say, the image of graduates flying over a QR-code and the red frame that is so recognisable for Time Magazine  are nicely blended together by the art director. But as a copywriter it was the wordplay that turned a little smile on my face when I walked by this ad last weekend. Just enough to make me look forward to the next issue. Mission accomplished…

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Guerilla marketing on legs

An ad agency in New Zealand came up with a great piece of guerilla marketing for Superette, a clothing company. DDB Auckland made sure that their ads where not only shown on one location.

How they managed to do this?

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The importance of being a change agent

Wednesday (2/2 2011) David Meerman Scott, author of the book Real-time Marketing & PR, gave a guest lecture in the Morse Auditorium of BU. One of the returning topics was that this generation of young professionals need to become change agents within many companies.

If your boss does not want to invest in real-time communication, you have three options:

1. Become a change agent
2. Collect your paycheck and be happy you’re employed
3. Quit your job

Check the video below for the explanation given during the lecture.

Go to 4:13 for the information on change agents

Personally, I went through stage 1, got disappointed and moved to phase 2. Soon, I started to look for another job, so finally I ended up in number 3. And guess what, I was hired for my next job, because I read and write blogposts gave workshops on social media and had built a valuable network through Twitter and LinkedIn.

So if you’re a change agent yourself, do not give up nor start doubting yourself. David Meerman Scott proved as well that the stock prices of companies who do engage with their public on social networks, are higher then those who don’t.

That’s why Scott (or @dmscott on twitter) advises young jobseekers to be sure to ask one question in a job interview:

‘ Do you ban social media at work?’

If the answer is yes – according to Scott, this still is the case at 25% of all companies – get up and end the interview. Otherwise, Scott explains, you simply can’t do your job.

Note for my Dutch readers:
David Meerman Scott will speak at The Growth Summit Europe, May the 18th, Nyenrode Business University

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Personalised advertising

Trader Joe’s is the first supermarket that makes me smile while reading in-store advertisements. Instead of putting up screaming ads which are provided by the marketing department from the head office, I can almost see the local employees  making up for the lines of the ads themselves. And having fun doing so.

For example, this ad about coffee compares the costs of a cup of coffee with a ticket on the Green Line. The subway – also called ‘The T’ – that stops right in front of the store. Chances are that many of their customers just got out of this Green Line. Smart thinking. Plus, in this way it almost becomes storytelling, instead of just sending a message.

Humor
As a copywriter I also noticed that humor pops up more frequently in slogans, ads or any other communication material here, then it does in the Netherlands. Trader Joe’s uses wordplay. Husbands for hire for example, a small business that provides home improvement services, uses a ludicrous metaphor. When their van drove by, the company name immediately attracted my attention. And that’s exactly what a name or a ad is supposed to do: make the message stick.

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