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Team Detroit created a series of hilarious PSA- style ads for the College for Creative Studies. The tagline: “Talk to your kids about art school.” Ad Week said, “If art is your drug of choice, you’ll appreciate these wonderful print ads from Team Detroit for that city’s College for Creative Studies.” This series of low-tech posters, treating art as a drug which is accurate to anyone , hit the internet and went viral. Here’s the collection below.
Source: Team Detroit
Number 1 on Yahoo’s list of “Dying Careers You Should Avoid” is Desktop Publisher. The alternative for which is Graphic Designer, with a projected growth in the industry.
Dying Career #1: Desktop Publisher
Desktop publishing was revolutionary during the printed media era, helping organizations avoid the cost and complications of using large printing presses to print everything from advertisements to magazines. Today, desktop publishers still design layouts with computer software for newspapers, books, and other printed media, says the U.S. Department of Labor, but the printing party has come to an end.
Projected Decline: According to the Department of Labor, desktop publisher jobs are expected to decline by 15 percent from 2010 to 2020. That’s a total of 3,300 lost jobs, which is sizable considering the profession had only 22,600 jobs in 2010.
Why It’s Dying: The Department says that advances in user-friendly desktop publishing software will allow other workers, such as graphic designers and copyeditors, to perform the tasks desktop publishers do now. Automation will also lead to job loss. Finally, the Department says, opportunities in desktop publishing will be stronger “for those with a degree in graphic design or a related field.”
Which begs the question: Why not consider…
Alternative Career: Graphic Designer
Not only does the career of graphic designer have a better outlook for job growth, according to the Department, it also gives you the opportunity to be more creative. That’s because graphic designers use computer software, and sometimes even draw by hand, to create visual concepts for logos, websites, or product illustrations.
Projected Growth: The Department projects graphic designer jobs to grow by 13 percent from 2010 to 2020, which translates to 37,300 possible new jobs.
Why It’s Growing: The Department says that due to the increased use of the Internet, graphic designers will be needed to create layouts and images for such things as websites, electronic publications, portable devices, and video entertainment media.
“Companies need artists to create packaging, branding, marketing/PR materials, trade show/billboard signage, online and print advertising, gaming development artists, and many are anxious to [hire graphic designers]” says Cheryl Chapman, a professor of digital graphic art with Coastline Community College in Southern California.
Education Options: Typically, a bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a related field is a must for graphic designers, says the Department. “However, those with a bachelor’s degree in another field may pursue technical training in graphic design to meet most hiring qualifications,” says the Department.
Dr. Seuss may have some crazy rhymes and guys drawn in his books, but if you look at the core of his thoughts and words, the man was brilliant. He can even teach us some nice lessons in regards to social media.
1. “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.”
Authenticity and transparency in social media are the “green” in the green eggs and ham. I like realness, Sam I am! Don’t be a different person offline than you are on Twitter and Facebook.
2. “Be who you are and say what you feel because those that matter don’t mind, and those that mind don’t matter!”
Stop worrying about what everyone thinks of you. Build your plan, work it and get out there. Yes, you will need to manage your brand, reputation and online image, but make it real.
3. “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
Did you get laid off or fired from the corporate world, or did you just plain quit? If you’re out of a job, quit crying. It’s a blessing. Get on with your life and build a new one in your own way.
4. “You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”
You’re in love with the Twitter bird and you know it. If you’re dreaming of him, it’s a fact.
5. “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.”
Isn’t this the truth? Take charge of your life. Go, people, go! Think of the communities you can build, the business you can win and the people you can connect with if you only try. Quit following in your competitors’ footsteps. Forge your own path and make things happen.
6. “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”
This one makes me think of how complicated we make social media. Think newbie questions like, “What’s a retweet?” and “What’s a ‘tweet’ as opposed a ‘twit?’” The list goes on. The best advice I give people is to just do it. The answers are simple if you only engage.
7. “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”
Just because you have tens of thousands of followers on Twitter doesn’t mean you’re any better than the new guy who only has eight. You were there once, too. That person is a person, and probably smarter than you.
8. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Listen and learn. Read, engage, watch your mentors and learn from them. You’ll soon learn and build your own track.
9. “We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”
I love this one. It reminds me of all the awesome people I’ve met on Twitter. I love my Twitter buddies. I’ve met people from around the world, and we all have a bit of quirky weirdness. Be quirky and you’ll find others who are quirky, too.
10. “Being crazy isn’t enough.”
Yes, have humor, but you need to add value. Inspire, educate and engage with your audience. Don’t approach social media like a bird out of the crazy cage. You may be excited you learned how to tweet, but put some sense into those 140 characters.
11. “From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere!”
Social media is filled with humor. Just look around. Do a Twitter search for the term “get more followers” and see just how many funny crazies there are who think they are making progress by spamming. Embrace the humor of social media folks.
12. “I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful 100 percent!”
Stick to your words and make your words stick.
13. “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!”
Think bigger than a tweet, faster than a zoom, and what you can do if you reached for the moon! Be different. Be bold. Stand out from the crowd.
14. “In my world, everyone’s a pony and they all eat rainbows and poop butterflies!”
This one reminds me of the people who think social media is free, and that social media alone will save their businesses. Get over it, folks. Social media is far from free. It doesn’t enable you to eat rainbows, and it sure as heck does not poop butterflies. It poops a bad return on investment and negative brand equity if you don’t manage it and plan.
15. “How did it get so late so soon?”
This happens to me every night on Twitter. I’ll just get into it when I pass out on the laptop. If only there were more hours in the day. Time flies when you’re having fun!
Article Source: By Pam Moore
Facebook has about 500 million active users each day. All that activity is prime real estate to advertise your business. Does your business page stand out? What does it take to get noticed and keep fans and customers coming back to your page? Here are the businesses that we feel really stand out on Facebook, and what exactly it is that makes them so captivating. Take a cue from the best and find out what you should be doing for your business page.
1. Condescending Corporate Brand Page
I started with this page so you know exactly what not to do! This page demonstrates exactly what not to do as a corporate business Facebook page in a hilarious way. It pokes fun at different tactics businesses use to get followers on Facebook. Don’t underestimate people. We can always tell when things are not so genuine. Being real and down-to-earth is important to consumers and potential customers, and will get you more activity on your page than the corporate condescension. Check out this page to find some funny commentary on what not to do for your own business!
2. Old Spice
Old Spice has a fantastic advertising campaign. It’s Facebook page perfectly showcases the brand’s humor with its captivating cover photo and play on words. It engages people and urges them to watch their witty videos up front at the top of the page (which you should because they’re very funny), making you want to “like” them and follow to see updates.
3. Threadless
Threadless is a t-shirt company where anyone can submit designs to be scored and, hopefully, made into funny or whimsical t-shirts. This company is all about fun and playfulness. This is perfectly exhibited by the cover photo, which works nicely with the profile picture and icons on the page. The best part is the interactivity available in the icons at the top. You can vote on designs, look through the catalog and add shirts to your shopping cart directly from the page. Talk about convenience!
4. Starbucks
I found the Starbucks page warm and welcoming… everything you want from your coffee! It posts photos of customer’s actual coffee and food at their table or on the go. The most successful part of the page is that it encourages fans to post their own pictures of their coffee, making the large corporation seem extremely personable.
5. Burt’s Bees
The Burt’s Bees Facebook page has a great branded look and is very visually striking. It’s engagement and interactivity really stand out here. The company really encourages fan and customer participation. Its icons display consumer coupons, information on the products, a call to action to share and give your feedback on their products, and contest announcement, updates and rules.
6. Red Bull
This page exhibits all the energy and action that the drink gives you. The engaging icons showcase Red Bull TV and videos, games and apps, careers and athletes, Red Bull news and events. Their photos consist of extreme sports and action packed activities. With over 32 million likes for the page and 68 thousand shares just for the last photo they posted, I’d say it’s a pretty successful page. Touché Red Bull, touché.
7. Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is simply a classic. You get this nostalgic feeling immediately when looking at the page, especially with the classic glass Coke bottle pictured repeatedly at the top. The page urges you to share your stories about Coke from around the world, and the page is full of pictures of real people having fun with Coke. The interactive icons features videos, events, stories and music, making the page even more endearing.
8. Pringles
The Pringles Facebook page is full of fun. You get that message right away by it’s playful cover photo, which works very well with it’s profile pic. The rest of’ photos are just as funny, including one of a dog with the Pringles’ mustache, a little kid dressed up as a Pringles can, and the chips spelling out words. The interactive icons give you plenty to do on this page as well: watch videos, listen to music, look at upcoming Pringles events, and share your Pringles photos and ask questions.
9. Oreo
The Oreo Page is very engaging. Every day it posts a new cover photo with a different fan’s picture wishing them a ‘Happy Birthday.’ This makes the huge corporation seem extremely personable right away. The photos that they post are also very playful. They make things out of Oreos and for holidays, even the obscure ones, it gets really creative. For the “First Flight Around the World” they posted a photo of an Oreo with the top cookie carved out as the globe.
10. AT&T
AT&T has a mix of serious and playful on their Facebook page. Their anti- texting and driving message in their cover photo gives off a serious tone, urging people not to take the risk. But as you scroll down to their posts, it gets more humorous. One post pictures an emergency zombie kit, including ninja stars, a yo-yo, matches, glow sticks, a baseball bat, underwear, and an At&T phone of course. Other posts give hypothetical text message conversations, including texts from throughout “Texting History.” All in all, this page is very entertaining.
If you’re online, your business is probably on popular social media sites. It’s an important part of online marketing. You most likely have a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google +, and maybe even Pinterest. However, there are rules to these social media sites and if you are unknowingly breaking them, you could get banned. Here are the biggest social media mistakes that could get you banned.
Having a cover photo with calls-to-action.
Including promotions, requests to share the photo or ‘Like’ your page , contact your business.
Running promotions or contests outside of a Facebook app.
Facebook wants you to run any contests or promotions using an official Facebook app or canvas page.
Posting copyrighted content.
As with any social media site, you should be posting copyright-free content.
Repeatedly posting the same thing over and over.
Don’t tweet the same thing or links over and over again. This will only hurt you.
Misusing hashtags
Using a hashtag or trending topic with an unrelated tweet just to get seen could annoy followers and get you banned.
Using trademarked usernames.
If your competitors trademarked the name, you can’t use it as a Twitter handle. Twitter can reclaim it and give you the boot from the site.
Connecting with people you don’t know.
LinkedIn, being a more serious business-to-business platform, requires you to know the people you are connecting with.
Putting links where they don’t belong.
There’s plenty of room in your profile for links. Don’t put a link in the ‘Name’ slot for example.
Google +
Keyword stuffing.
Because it’s Google and so closely related to search, you can be penalized for over stuffing updates with keywords.
Adding too many to circles at a time.
Aggressively adding and deleting of people to circles can be a bad thing.
Marketing regulated products.
You can’t use Google+ to market this industry, including alcohol, tobacco, medical devices, fireworks, pharmaceuticals, etc.
Using another company name.
If you get caught using another company’s name for your account and are not authorized to act on the behalf of the company, you could get banned. If you’re banned from Pinterest, you can no longer make another account with them.
Spamming in the comments.
As with any social media site, Pinterest doesn’t like spam.
Automating your Pinterest actions.
Everything you do on Pinterest, pinning, commenting, re-pinning, must be done manually. You cannot use an automated service to post anything.
Full Article on Hubspot
Image by Kexino.com
Photo from Google Images
In today’s marketing world, it’s essential for businesses to have an online presence in the social media sphere. Your business needs to have a website, hopefully a regularly updated blog, and accounts on popular social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn. If your audience is online, you should be online. The best way to reach your audience, form relationships and gain followers and new interested, potential customers is through social media marketing. But once you create these accounts with your business information and links to your website, what’s next? What type of content and information should you post and share with your followers? How do you get new followers?
Once your business has accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn, you should join groups, send follow requests to your friends asking them to follow you or suggest your business page to their friends. You can also follow other pages relating to your town or industry to target your audience. Try to comment on posts from these groups and pages to get your name out there. If you have something interesting or useful to say, this may encourage people who follow those groups to follow you as well. You should also share your links to your site and blog posts on your page to get more traffic.
I know that the ultimate goal of this marketing strategy is to find customers to buy your products and services, but the goal of social media isn’t to simply post all about your business and products. If you’re constantly posting about yourself, people may not follow you. You should also post useful, interesting, or funny news, current events, information, facts, advice, questions, polls, pictures, videos, or anything else relating to your geographical location or industry. This will cast a wider net to intrigue a more general audience of followers. Then, when one of your followers needs a product or service that you sell, they will be more likely to become a customer. You want to sell yourself, yes. But first, you want to reel in an audience of potential customers with information that they will find useful and interesting enough to follow and connect with your business, and maybe share that information with friends. Unique, interesting content is key.