We’re all aware of social media and the impact it has had on how we market our service or product and value to customers. The ability to deliver real-time marketing messages, at low or no cost via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social platforms has enticed businesses to embrace social technology for a large percentage of their outreach endeavors, and has changed the entire marketing and advertising landscape. Today, most businesses have done the work to embrace and brand themselves via social media. As a result of this shift, savvy companies are applying their social media technology and experience to streamline many of their internal programs and optimize organizational transparen

Maybe it is just me, but I am so thankful that Facebook was not around when I was in high school. The drama that it can cause is ridiculous. Even people in their late 20s and 30s succumb to the drama Facebook provides. "You checked in at where with who? I thought you were home sick! You told me you don't even like that girl. Liar. We're through!" "I get so mad at all those girls who comment of my boyfriend's wall. Don't they know we're together now?" "Who is that guy who always ‘likes’ your photos and comments? Do I need to pay him a visit?" "Why are you still friends with your ex? Now he can see everything we do!" Please raise your hand if you have been a part of or heard of situatio

The truth is, I have trouble letting go of people I care about, and Facebook is like a little cyber-room where we can visit every day without time consuming phone calls or awkward letters.   My first online date is one of my Facebook friends. I invited him over the first time with virtually no thought because it was his birthday, and I hated the idea of him spending it alone. It was one of the rare times I behaved maturely and had my girlfriend there to chaperone, lest he turn out to be a psychopath.   She made biscuits, I think.   She is also my Facebook Friend and former HR Manager, now married to my second online boyfriend. Seriously.   He is not my Facebook Friend.   There are a

I have 131 “friends” on Facebook. Twelve of them are not people. Sixty-five of them are not women. Of those 65, I have not kissed 50 of them—sometime in the past thirty years, give or take. I have acquired an eclectic and devoted group of friends over the years, and I have come to accept that, for whatever reason, most of them are male. It might be that, being one of few women working in radio in the 1980’s, I naturally met, worked with, and befriended a greater percentage of men than women. It might be that a lot of the women I did work with were bitchy and competitive and difficult to bond with. The same could not be said of me; I was never competitive. Many of the women I met in

I love Facebook. I didn’t think I would, but I do. Ironically, the person who dragged me kicking and screaming onto the site with promises of more frequent communication as the incentive is one of the people who appears there the least. But, no matter. Within a week of creating my page I found a friend from high school (I wasn’t interested in even looking for very many of them, actually) who had been living in Australia since graduation, and I was hooked! Facebook is my Cheers and I want to go where everyone knows my name. Facebook has become the place I can drop in throughout the week where someone is glad to see me, pretends to be amused by my every witty status update, and offers ch

Tag!  You’re It! So, I’ve stepped in it again and this time what I mean by “it” is the ubiquitous package we call technology.  Namely, the “technology” of which I speak is Facebook.  I possess just enough knowledge to be dangerous about a variety of things, social networking being one of these.  While I’m not particularly knowledgeable about Facebook, generally, I am even less knowledgeable, specifically, about the related etiquette.  Evidently. Having said that, Facebook does make some things easier; like uploading photographs.  You can upload pictures and tag them over to your friends in less time than it takes to mop the kitchen floor.  While I do understand the concept that is the

Through their use of Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other social media tools, many local charities have spread their message, raised funds and increased public awareness of their cause in order to promote social change. In the hopes of spreading their stories and inspiring other philanthropic organizations to do the same, four local charities will be conducting a panel discussion at the Sacramento Social Media Club’s “Social Media Best Practices for Charities” on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Urban Hive. Moderated by Clay Nutting, director of Concepts 4 Charity and account executive for 3Fold Communications, the event will include panelists: Kate Towson, Americorps VISTA with Sacrament

It’s time for business to overcome the fractured, narrow view of social media as only a marketing channel or a public relations campaign. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and LinkedIn have taught us the value of social networking platforms on a global scale. Businesses fueled by the hype and the excitement to "get online" and drive sales have created a "tools-first, strategy later," environment. The result? Some success stories and just as many social media disasters. In order to avoid this tool trap, businesses need to get latest information about how to maximize processes, analytics and tools available to get ready (systemic social business strategy), aim (integrated methodology), and to fire

Q. My 32 year old brother died recently in a motorcycle accident.  He doesn't have much in the way of assets but he does have a Facebook account with lots of photos and a Twitter account that reflects all of his musings.  Is there a way for me to get access? A.  The companies that have created the most popular places and tools for online expression have specific policies usually buried in "Terms of Service Agreements" and often involve some effort, like providing a death certificate. Facebook offers to "memorialize" the profile when an individual dies. It deactivates certain features and resets various privacy controls, converting the account to a place where friends can leave remembrance

Let’s face it; those of us that use social networking sites are pretty much addicted. Whether you are connected through Facebook or Twitter—or both—you have a pretty good idea of what’s going on around town. Businesses that have been paying attention for the past two plus years are aware of this phenomenon and have leveraged social media to broaden their reach to potential customers. Restaurateurs are no different. On Tuesday, the Social Media Club, Sacramento (@SMCSac) hosted the “Dining Social: Restaurants & Social Media” at The Urban Hive in midtown to discuss how local restaurants are using social media and the impact it has had on their business. Ashlee Gadd (@AshleeGadd), PR Manager

What or whom are you influenced by when you are looking for a new product? It might be commercials, television shows, or maybe if you are like millions of other people around the world, you are influenced by bloggers. Gone are the days when you only read ads in the Sunday newspaper, or watch commercials on the television. Today many of us are being swayed commercially by social media, the internet, and other digital mediums. In fact, according to Marketing Charts.com, nearly 50% of blog readers say they purchase products mentioned in the blogs they read on a daily basis. That is quite powerful when you put it in perspective. So what about here locally? What kind of power and influence do

Imagine this: You’re driving down the highway in a new Sacramento Tree Foundation Truck. It’s your first full day on the job, it’s raining, you’re slowing down to look for your exit when… bam! Another truck sideswipes you at 70 MPH. Suddenly you’re tumbling, tail over hood, down the embankment, until finally you come to a stop – miraculously right side up and without a scratch on you. The roll bar saved your life, but the trees, the truck, and yes, your first day are completely wrecked. Know what’s even worse? You don’t have to imagine it. It happened. On one rainy day in April the Sacramento Tree Foundation lost a truck that we had hoped would help us move trees and large supplies to our

93% of all American adults adult internet users are now on Facebook. While this is not a surprising statistic for anyone that has fielded a friend request from their mom, aunt or even grandpa, it does make it harder for small businesses to ignore Facebook as a platform to engage their target demographic. The argument that a business targets an older or less tech savvy demo than Facebook users just doesn’t hold water any longer. Businesses without a Facebook presence are not just passing up a valuable opportunity to engage their customers, provide customer service, and gain new consumers; they're falling behind. But just being on Facebook and setting up a business page isn’t enough. A Face

98 percent of the people using social media do not know what they are doing, but the 2 percent who do know what they are doing are rapidly expanding their businesses and making money. That’s the message from, Patrick Schwerdtfeger, an author and new media marketing guru, who spoke this week to a group of about 40 small business people at the Sacramento Speakers Network. “Most people practice trial and error and fail their way to Success,” Schwerdtfeger says. The ground floor method is to attempt campaigns, and see what happens.” Schwerdtfeger, 40, a native of Ottawa, Canada now based in the Bay Area, spoke to the group the very day his new book – titled “Marketing Shortcuts for the Self

Mark Bean, the managing director of C7, and Josh Hilliker, the director of social media at Intel-GE Care Innovations, sat on a panel moderated by 3Fold’s Gordon Fowler to discuss whether or not social media’s return on investment (ROI) is measurable. Turns out, it is. As was revealed over the course of their discussion, there’s a plethora of tools out there for everyone to track just how effective their social media presence is. There are a lot of dated measurements (i.e. number of clicks or time on site), but they don’t quite carry over into social networking very well. Some of the newer tools include Hootsuite and Tweetdeck for the smaller businesses, or Radian 6 and Crimson Hexagon for

At La Raza Galería Posada, they’re always thinking about what issues or art that’s important to Latino Americans and interests that the community would like to see, according to curator Ella Diáz. Their exhibit “Miráme,” which opened Friday, did just that. “Miráme”is about self-portraits of cultural representation. When Diáz set out to put together this exhibit, she was initially going to explore aesthetic mixtures as an allegory for racial and cultural mixture. But she said that seemed too serious of a topic — too serious for the lighthearted Diáz who brought in a DJ and a karaoke machine for the opening. Diáz’s inspiration instead shifted toward the great Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, wh

Hundreds of Sacramento locals gathered at the corner of J and 20th streets in Midtown Sacramento late Saturday afternoon as world-renowned performance painter David Garibaldi showed appreciation for Kings fans by featuring them in his “Be Heard” mural. Garibaldi requested photos of fans via Facebook and Twitter last week, and he chose 10 of the photos to display on his massive mural. “I’ve never done anything quite like this,” said the Sacramento artist. “I was honored to give something back to the Kings fans, who are the ones responsible for the team staying in Sacramento.” DJ Joseph One’s music echoed off the buildings and through the streets as crowds of people watched in awe and gos

UC Davis law professor Anupam Chander spoke to a large crowd at the California Museum on Tuesday, April 19th about the role social media has played in the recent uprisings around the globe, and how it could be a key player in making the world better. Just prior to the professor taking the stage, a wonderful meet-and-greet was held in the lobby of the museum. Politicos, business leaders, media experts, teachers and others chatted over mouth-watering hors’doeuvres provided by Blue Prynt and wine provided by Grace Patriot Wines. Professor Chander was there to discuss a new paper that he had recently published called Googling Freedom. His presentation came in three parts: (1) is social media

What do you get when you mix drink specials and poker chips? Tipsy Tokens, founded in Sacramento in 2011, is similar to the concept of Groupon, but focuses its promotions on local bars and nightclubs. What sets Tipsy Tokens apart from the other coupon sites is its social focus, co-founder Robert Cima said. “Though you’re purchasing something online, there’s a social aspect involved. There are reps on-site at the event checking people in and making sure everyone is having a good time. Also, you’re provided something physical: Tipsy Tokens. These tokens are colorful poker chips with the company logo on them used for buying drinks and playing games.” According to Cima, the project began ab

It’s been nearly two and half years since we launched The Sacramento Press, and today we released a few changes (more than just the temporary purple color), one of which is removing the beta stamp from our navigation. What is a beta stamp, you ask? Well, since you can no longer see it on our site, I grabbed this screenshot of what it used to look like. Beta generally indicates that a company is still working out the kinks in their core product. But we finally are happy to say we feel pretty happy with what we have, so no more beta! Does this mean we stop working on new features? Absolutely not. We will in fact bring new and increasingly cool features to The Sacramento Press over the co