Inspired by a Feeling of Inspiration...

Who said It Can't be Done?? That was my motto for 2009...and now I want to start 2010 fresh. I'm working on a new Motto. :) New. Brand New. With an enthusiasm for inspiration and motivation to make it the best year yet.

Some new found inspiration stems from meeting amazing women over the past eight months in NYC. It has meant so much to me to connect in many ways and with women of all personality types. I feel inspired to be free, express myself however makes me a better person and truly dig deep to find what keeps me going everyday. A passion for the new and exciting has kept me going and not to mention, working with agencies and creative gurus who make no excuses for never having boundaries.

Here are some goals I have for 2010...

• Stay Out of the Box
• Don't be Intimidated...I am Just as Intimidating to Some I'm Sure
• No Regrets...No Decision is Worth Muddling Over
• Do What Feels Right
• Volunteer More of My Spare Time
• Inspire Others
• Conquer Everyday with a Freedom to Go Beyond

Happy Holidays and Here is to an Amazing 2010!!

Find the Great Deals...Get Social!

This Holiday Shopping season is heating up the social network scene...family and friends are passing along some great deals, coupons, free shipping codes and even exchanging this year's ideas on the best gifts. Carve out some time to get connected socially on Facebook and especially Twitter this month. Web marketing forecasters expect Twitter traffic to rise in December despite a recent decrease in traffic in October. Users are posting links and retweeting those deals like crazy.

Remember to use your network to drop those holiday wish list hints!!

Twitter & Facebook Exposure

Twitter and Facebook exposure on ads, billboards and biz cards is getting bigger. While out this weekend at the Garden State Plaza Mall, they have enormous billboards and whole wall imagery throughout the mall that displays only two things: "Follow Us on Twitter" and "Fan Us on Facebook" with the Keyword Hint. This is something that was made popular with AOL users and followed with to TV commercials and online advertising. It's smart if you have a long brand name or a new brand name that doesn't provide instant results when searching. Twitter is really bad at providing the appropriate results for their search sometimes...you really need to know the username to find a user on Twitter. That's what GSP Mall did, they provided the user name as their keyword for Twitter and their Fan Page title as the keyword on Facebook. Didn't even mention their web site URL. And why would they when the mall is catered to younger web users still in their teen years. Very smart on their part.

It's Fall!!

So excited to feel the Fall weather! I feel like I rushed Summer in NYC waiting for my first real Fall in the Northeast. I kinda miss the heat. :) JK. It really does SMELL like Fall outside. Maybe the wind that carried those falling leaves, carries with it a smell of foliage changing...maybe it's a breeze from Upstate NY where those Pumpkin Patches are overflowing. It's great...LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Fall here!

I'm going to be attending some Fall Fashion Shows this month and will be turning my posts a little more in that direction so look out for FUN, FABULOUS posts about Fall fashion trends. Here is a link I found that is cute, and a little funny. Models falling on the runway. :)

Given that October is now in full swing, Halloween is inching closer and the Christmas season is around the corner, I am so anxious to see what new and exciting ad campaigns are going to be released this year. Not to mention the start of 2010 and the Superbowl Commercials!! Those were so much FUN last year.

Happy Fall Everyone!!

A REAL Detox from Everything Food Related

I started the Martha's Vineyard Detox last weekend and it's paying off. I feel great, I have much more energy and I feel good about how clean my body and mind seem to be. But I can't help thinking how hard it is to do a REAL detox when you are still bombarded with advertising and sneaky ways advertisers use to make you cheat. It's shameful to say the least. The food and beverage industry have taken steps to reduce the amount of advertising that focus on the very unhealthy foods and shifted to advertising the foods that SEEM to be more healthy. But are they? 21 Pounds in 21 Days, the book I'm currently reading, says No. The advertising dollars have shifted to those more healthy looking foods and beverages, not because they care, but because those products are more expensive and in turn the advertising generates more ROI for them. The products you read that say "Fat Free", "Light", "Smart Choice", "Healthy Choice", etc. are still full of the artificial ingredients, sodium, etc. that we are supposed to stay away from. Detoxing is not about reducing the overall calorie intake but reducing the kinds of foods you put into your body. Our meals are 6 times the size they were a generation ago. What?? Wow. Maybe I'll move to a farm with no internet, cable or stores...yeah right!! That would be a true detox.

What is the Deal?

I feel like it's been an eternity since I've blogged on my own blog!!! What is up with that?? :) But I'm here with lots to say, as usual. :) On a more personal note, I've been reading this novel by Jennifer Weiner called "Goodnight Nobody"...about a woman and her family who have relocated to this perfect little town in Connecticut where the perfectness is ooozzzing with ridiculousness. Could never live like that. Anyway, a perfect housewife is found murdered and the town is turned upside down. The woman in the story, who used to live in NYC and was a reporter before getting married and settling down, starts digging around and finds herself being threatened by an unknown person. I'm not quite through so I can't ruin it for you by giving away the ending. :) But every woman who wishes she had time for playdates and ice cream after school and chit chat at the park (but not really wishes...) should read this book.

So, in almost two weeks I'll be down in the Atlanta region helping organizations learn more about social media and how to use it. It's going to be workshop/group activity based and should be a very productive two days with the group. Really excited about this. With all the hype everyone is writing about and posting info about, sometimes it really makes the difference to have a one on one training sessions with someone and show them the basics first. It's still very intimidating stuff for the seasoned execs.

I'm working on ways to tie the traditional ways of public relations to the interactive social media world for them...I think that showing people who are used to the good ol' days way of communicating could grasp the concepts and the reasoning better. That will be my weekend thought...along with finishing my book.

Have an awesome weekend. ;)

Why are so Many New Yorkers Disconnected from the Social Scene?

You would think that after seeing everyone in New York with some communication device in their hands at all times, one would be a social butterfly. But I'm finding it's not always the case.

My theory is...everyone in New York is always so busy, talking with one person or another, out there on the scene that there is just no time to keep up with an online social life. I cannot count the amount of people I have met and had a conversation with who don't know what Twitter is, don't have a Facebook account and don't keep up with their friends online like they should. It's like mass communication that there is just no time for I guess.

Anywho...I want to make it a mission to show as many people I meet that...YES...you can have a Facebook and you can have a Twitter...and you can update it right from that handy device you are on all day!! Come On! There are many people here who freak out when they lose their phones. Why?? They have about 500 contacts in there and no other way of communicating with them other than a phone number!! It's crazy.

If you are reading this...you are social...be social online. It's not an extra task to add to your day. It's fun! It's exciting to reconnect with old friends and it's a great way to meet new people!!

If you don't have it on your phone, get it!

Download Twitter for Your Blackberry Here: http://digg.com/d17Awf

Download Facebook for Your Blackberry Here: http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/features/social/facebook.jsp

Enjoy!!

Day Two was a Blast at CM Summit!

It was just as good as Day one...everything we could have hoped for. I think my eyes were dry by the end of the day, I really didn't want to blink for fear I would miss something! It was jam packed with speakers getting about 15-20 minutes to make their case and then it was "Showtime!" for the next act! Very fast paced but it kept everyone energized I think. There were some excellent show and tells...I'm going to get a list of the videos showed during some of the presentations and post them here. They are too good for words. 

Check out Twitter for all the Highlights from this year's event. http://www.twitter.com/kristencruz. 

And to top off the day, I finally found a dress for the the Webutante Ball this Friday evening...somewhat of the closing formal to end the "Internet Week" event. It's supposed to be alot of fun and it's definitely what we need after such a hectic week. I think they are even choosing a Webutante "King & Queen" of the ball. Very cute. I wasn't going to go long but I found this Asian inspired black/white number and I had to get it. It was calling my name from the display window...now let's just hope that everyone who attends the ball is attending from out of town and didn't happen upon the same dress! :) That's never fun. 

I really hope everyone found my Highlight Tweets from the conference informative and gave you some good ideas on social media. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to post them here or reach out to me on Twitter.

Thanks Federated Media for a great event this year!

The First Day of the CMSummit...What a Day

Ok, the first day of the summit was a great start to a week full of social media madness and this other chaos called Internet Week. :) There is literally something happening every minute this week...there won't be much time for actual internet usage on my part. lol

With starbucks in hand and a paper and pen ready to go and blackberry set to twitterberry...I was ready. The conference was packed full of everyone in all media mediums...journalists, publishers, publications, social platform marketers, search marketers, media buyers, advertisers and agencies. Did I miss anyone??... Every topic was covered from social experience case studies to media buying through social sites and everything in between. After the conference concludes tomorrow afternoon, I will be summarizing all the great take aways, stats and trends. It's alot but anyone who has any affiliation with social media will benefit. Check out my Twitter Page for all the tid-bits from today's conference. http://www.twitter.com/kristencruz. Be back tomorrow with more great information from the conference. It's been a long day and my brain is mush. :) Good Night!

CMSummit Next Week in NYC

Federated Media's CMSummit this year in NYC focuses on what we all want to know at the end of a hectic and busy day...what is working in our industry. The title of this year's conference is "What Works? The Case Studies". And there are many of them. The CMSummit provides key insights from some of the world's largest brand advertisers and the web's most successful social media properties. I am attending the CMSummit this year as part of New York's Internet Week (June 1 -5). http://internetweekny.com/ Internet Week New York is a week-long festival of events saluting New York's thriving Internet industry and the many talented companies, organizations, and innovators creating the future of online media. It is presented by IADAS & The Mayor's Office of Film, Theater, and Broadcasting. There will be a wealth of talented speakers from a huge range of companies with recent successes in media and advertising including Facebook, MTV, Google, Procter & Gamble & American Express. I will be blogging during the two day seminar on June 1-2 as well as Tweeting my way through the sessions. The most important points from each session will be coming through real time on Twitter and I will follow up after the conference on June 3rd with a fun-filled recap on my blog. 

So stay tuned!! This conference is expected to knock our socks off! :)

Panama City Beach CVB Launches New, Real. Fun. Web site.

Panama City Beach is making a new splash online just in time for Summer travel. The new web site promoting Panama City Beach as “Real. Fun. Beach.” among many other exciting attributes officially launched today with high praises and excited locals waiting for the official unveiling. The new web site developed by Jennifer Barbee, Inc. allows visitors to the site to begin their PCB experience with a FUN personality quiz to identify the rest of their jouney through the new site. The personality types are chosen for the user after a series of fun questions are asked and include After Dark Shark, Leader of the Sandy Bottom Bunch, Eco-Seeker, Wave Warrior and Soul Surfer. This personality each user is given coins them and their customized experience each time the user visits the site. Many other fun games can be found within the new site keeping new as well as returning visitors coming back for more FUN. The Jennifer Barbee, Inc. creative and marketing team had an amazing and “FUN” :) time developing ideas and promotions for the new site. Having an array of marketers and developers all fitting a variety of the personality types developed for the site really allowed for some very creative and interesting ideas to drive the new look and feel of the web site. Check it out! http://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com. 

Send us your feedback! We would love to hear all your comments and enjoy the new site!

Laying Roots in NYC

After a two week moving extravaganza, I now have a new place to call home. NYC! Living in Edgewater, NJ is a hop over the Hudson to Manhattan but gives me a sense of quiet and calm. I can see the city from many of the hundred windows I have in my home! (And I'm serious. One bedroom alone has 14!) We are so excited to officially be residents complete with a Parking Sticker and everything. As you can imagine, we are going to love living here but we are also loving working here. Today is my first day back in the "work saddle" (no Texas roots pun intended here), and I have this sense of having the opportunity to do anything that I can come up with just because of the location. There are so many networking benefits, social events, networking meetups and just a sense of everyone in this industry wanting to bounce ideas & creative thoughts off of others. It's a huge community of social, search, creative & media sources here. In the coming weeks I will be scouting locations in the NYC area to house our new Jennifer Barbee, Inc. New York offices. We are very excited to get this plan off the ground. It's been a long time coming and it's getting very close. I'll keep the blog updated on the progress of the office opening as well as networking events I am attending, social events that I attend and how those worked out for business opportunities for fellow New Yorkers looking for some beneficial events to attend. I won't forget to mention the open bar or drink specials as well. :) Don't worry.

The Importance of Video Marketing in Today's Interactive World

Here are some stats that will WOW you: 

YouTube is the top fourth visited site on the web. 

One in four searches on the web happens on YouTube. 

This means that users are searching for information using YouTube as more of a search engine than ever before. Now that companies are launching their new products and demoing them on YouTube, the users searching have really evolved. Local news channels have begun uploading their reporter's interviews and top stories for all to see. It seems we can find everything on YouTube these days. 

So, what does this mean for marketers? Well, obviously...if you have video...post it!!! You'd be crazy not to! It's more than just posting though. Make sure your video is tagged properly. You want to be found easily. Think about all the words users could use to locate your video. Also think about semi-relative keywords. For instance, if you post a video with kids playing at the beach, you would probably use keywords like: "beach vacations, kids at the beach, family getaways at the beach"...but also think about using keywords such as the beach name, the city the beach is closest to and maybe even seasons like "summer vacation with kids" or "spring break with the kids". A lot of users are developing Video Channels for the Families so users can find all their family's videos easier. The way they do this is with tags that reflect how users search that family's name. The title of your video and description also play a major factor in how videos come up in the results. Your user name can also make an impact.

Just last month Loudoun County Virginia started a whole YouTube channel with only the destination's videos in Hi-Def. The first all Hi-Def video channel for a destination on YouTube. This can mean very big things for Loudoun County and YouTube. The next level of interactive marketing has been reached. 

Remember...Have Video...Will Post! Right?? Happy Posting & Watching!

What a Conference! SES NYC 2009

I can't tell you how glad we are that our team was able to get to the SES Conference this year. So many people I talked to at the conference thought this year was by far the best year yet. The presenters ranged from Marketing Reps at Google, Microsoft, iProspect and many more. The content was unbeleivable! The opening keynote from Guy Kawasaki was an amazing start to an amazing day. He spoke to the Twitter "takeover" and how to use twitter and the many twitter tools for your brand. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be blogging specifically related to key points taken away from this conference. I have a whole notebook full of notes so bare with me...but you can also look at my twitter page for insider tips and points from conference. I twittered live from each session to try and give everyone not in attendance some of the important points. There were so many, it was hard to keep up!

Stay tuned for more good info!!

PPC Summit in Chicago, NYC and LA

With all the hype out there over social marketing and the twitter phenomenon, it's important not to lose focus of the essentials. SEM and PPC are still very much alive in the world of online marketing tactics and should continue to be explored and researched. It's very evident in the statistics that are being released and talked about that everyone has some idea of what PPC ads are and what they look like. Engines are very concious about making sure that PPC ads, although paid placements, are still relevant to the consumer and speak to the language they in turn are speaking in their search. The days of buying up a gazillion keywords to market any message is OVER. 

I'm doing some research on conferences that should be considered for interactive marketers this year and the PPC Summit being held in Chicago, NYC and Los Angeles this year is on that list. Chicago in April, NYC in May and LA in September. http://www.ppcsummit.com/ It is a conference we are actively looking into and considering being part of. Although the art of the PPC message and the choosing the words to market may not be something we all need refreshers on, the WAY in which engines and web sites are offering their PPC ads and HOW they are offering them is changing and we need to stay ahead of the curve. Just wanted to pass along some good info I found. Check back soon for a list I am putting together of those top conferences for the rest of 2009. 

Until Next Time! :)

KC 

Prepping for the SES Conference

Search Engine Strategies Conference in NYC...I'm really excited about being part of this conference. March 23-27. So many sessions, speakers and workshops plus a key note from Guy Kawasaki. Needless to say, I will have so much to come back and blog about! I'll be twittering from the sessions and commenting on the workshops as they happen so make sure to follow me closely on twitter March 24-25 which will be constant sessions and networking. I'll be concentrating on social, economic stimulation, messaging to consumers and of course media influence. :) I'll be holding interviews with organizations while I'm there to bring back topics for the next JBU webinar on April 8th. Stay tuned!!!

Social...Is the New "Black" this Season

It's officially everywhere, more mainstream than we've ever seen before. Sitting at the cafe in Barnes & Noble you look around and everyone is on their Facebook, they are twittering, blogging, posting comments to forums and groups they belong to. It's ridiculous! Doesn't anyone work anymore?? Actually in my line of work, being social and twittering and blogging...is work. It's how I stay in front of consumers and businesses each day and share my knowledge and kindly except others knowledge...I love it. How many other jobs allow you to legitimately Facebook during work hours? On CSPAN this weekend, the CEO of Twitter discussed with a panel of journalists just how far Twitter will go this year...and yes, it's spreading...to other countries, languages with new features and new ways of accessing and twittering from mobile devices. I have to say I'm so glad for this, I'm such a Twitter addict for more reasons than one. :) So, being social is like wearing the bright spring color fad...or the new flamboyant jewel fad. Be social, don't be afraid to share your knowledge with others and follow the trend...Wear your new "black".

JB University...Talk about Virtual Education

The new program from Jennifer Barbee, Inc., JB University, is a program that is being backed by some of the largest destinations in the country. I am so proud to be affiliated in any way with this program. Talk about a virtual blast of education...we so need this in our industry right now. We all get massive amounts of articles and stories in our email everyday and yes, they are informative but who has the time? Really? I'm so slammed with tasks and staying ahead that I just want to be guided sometimes. Just tell me what I'm missing...that is why this program is so needed. JB University takes education in the travel & tourism industry to the next level, allowing any level of marketer or agency to be involved in the process of teaching and being educated. The program allows you to share your challenges, your questions and concerns and addresses needs individually and as a group. Like being part of a virtual classroom. We've all sat through boring webinars that are more like sales pitches than education and if you are like me, angry when I hang up because it just wasted an hour of my day. The first webinar is on March 2nd and I can't wait to be part of it and see just how pleased and enthused people are when they see the difference this program will make in tourism marketing. Sign up! It's well worth it. www.jenniferbarbee.com/jbu

A Good Read...

I'm reading this new book, Guerrila Publicity (2nd Edition) and I can't stop. I'm almost done and I have learned more tips and insight in this book then I took away from any of the many other PR books I've read over the last year. I think we have all seen the benefits the internet gave to the PR professionals over the last decade but the rise of social networks has been the best gift we could have asked for. The groups you can join and the information you can spread across these networks is massive. Just this morning I joined a group on Facebook that caters to the PR business. Minutes later, I received a message asking me where I would be the first week of March...someone needed an active blogger and PR professional to attend an event and share with the world how great it was...too bad this event was across the country because I would have definitely done it. At this point, I'm having to dedicate one whole day out of the week (not to mention countless time on weekends) to be "social". And we thought Fridays were supposed to be date night...these days my Friday dates are all online. :) 

The Value of a Dollar

 These are serious times in our economy. We all know that...but do our kids realize how much has changed over the past year? My son is 9 and is very curious about all this economic crisis talk. So, tonight I decided to remind him what the value of a dollar really is. I took him to the grocery store, gave him $20 and asked him to pick out items he knew we needed for the week...milk, cereal, etc. and I would stop him once he has reached his limit. To Kevin, $20 is a lot of money (fortunatly for me) so he was very surprised to find with his $20 he could only buy one gallon of milk, one box of cereral, one package of juices, a box of granola bars, a package of paper towels and a bag of apples. He didn't even get halfway through the list of items he wanted. It's so important to teach our children that we can't always buy what we want, when we want and to be thankful that we can still afford the items we have to have and even more thankful we can afford the items we want. 70,000+ jobs were lost yesterday and more layoffs are expected this week. We have to communicate this with our children without worrying them, but showing them it's time to take the dollar seriously. 

Google Preferred Sites...Kristen Preferred :)

There is nothing like an improved Google search...but they have managed to make that happen. I use Google it seems like 50 times a day. Everytime I think of something and need info, I head straight to google without giving it a second thought. Like an inner instinct. But when I read about the Google Preferred Sites option last week I had to look into it.

So the first thing I did was download the newest Google Browser "Google Chrome" which I have been thinking of doing for the 6 months but just haven't had the time. If you search in google for "google preferred sites" then you will see a listing for the Google Help Page that takes you right to the area to add preferred sites. You must have a Google Account though. Make sure you get that first. It will give you the rest of the instructions from there.

Start adding the sites that you prefer to get your information from. They offer you a list of the most popular first but you can also look through their directory and from there choose from a list or search by the sites you often use.

This is such a neat tool and let's people get to the information they are most familiar with from they sources they trust most. Personalization at its best.

Thanks Google!

Obama in Rural America...What Does This Mean to Online Behavior?

After reading all the "Top Priority" projects for Obama when he begins official duties this month, I was surprised to see that bringing High-Speed Internet and Cell phone service to Rural America up there. We all know there are some major obstacles to tackle ASAP but I'm pleased to see that he has included this in the mix. Believe it or not, there are thousands of small businesses in these rural areas, many not owning one computer much less being able to utilize all the benefits of good 'ole Google. It's a shame. I can tell you right now; after having lived and worked online over the past decade, I would feel lost without it. No Google? I mean, how do people survive!!!!??? So, for anyone who know people in rural American towns that don't have the luxury of anything more than dial-up access and land lines...leave a message on the Answering Machine! Send a telegram! They will soon understand the phenomenon such as YouTube...and Facebook...and Google Maps.

Thanks Mr. Obama for keeping the little (but extremely important) tasks on your list!

Until next time...

What's In Store for '09

When I start this blog by saying '09 is a year of THE 'trend'...I mean that in a big way. So much happened last year to pave the way for big ideas and big to dos in 2009. So I've made a little 'trend' list of my own to give people a sense of ME before I give you all a sense of what I do and love which is Interactive Marketing and PR. So here goes...

This year I want to trend toward :)...

• Revitalizing the environment around me and the people that make my life so enjoyable. We all need a little refresher every once in a while.
• Helping the less fortunate in more ways than one. I want to encourage people to think more about themselves this year but remember to help the ones who want to help themselves.
• Spend a little more time on ME.
• Keep the peace all around me...kind of like an invisible aura...
• Throw away all my flip flops and house shoes...this year is the year the heel comes back into play.
• Focus my engergy on building a network of friends and collegues that are true to themselves as I want to be to myself.
• Give back to the family and friends who made the most influence in my life in 2008 and those of you reading this blog know exactly who you are. I love you guys.

Well, there you have it. Not so much a list of resolutions but a consistent list of wants and needs that I will make sure to incorporate into my life and my family's life this year.

Thanks all for reading and check back soon for my next blog post. This year is the year of the bloggers and the bloggettes so keep following! And remember I'm HOT on the Interactive Trend Watch.