Let’s get dirty: The Pittsburgh Dirty Girl Mud Run

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I’ve always been a bit hesitant at races that include more than just running (such as those that include paint or fire). Running is hard enough, why add the nuisance (and danger) or jumping through a firey hoop or getting paint thrown in your face? Nope, not for me thanks. But, I recently had a change of heart when I received an email from the Dirty Girl Mud Run. The Dirty Girl Mud Run is the original women-only national mud run series where ladies run, walk or crawl over and through obstacles and experience the muddiest and most fun-filled day of their lives. It’s basically an excuse to run around and get silly with your girlfriends. Then take ridiculous Instagram-worthy photos afterward of yourselves covered in mud. Messy? Yes. Fun and hilarious? Definitely. Plus, they have bag check where you can bring a change of clothes for afterwards and you can hose yourself down at the “rinse station.” So, no need to worry about getting your car all muddied up after. This race requires no real training or athletic ability, either. You go at your own pace and it’s just for fun. And if you need to skip an obstacle you can, too. So what are the obstacles like? Well, there are ropes and walls to climb over, mud pits to go through, tires to run across. It’s like bootcamp with mud. (I’ve been doing CrossFit lately, so I will be totally ready.) I like how it gets you out of your comfort zone and is for ladies only, as opposed to similar events that are co-ed. Nothing against the guys out there, but I like the idea of women doing this together.

Need more convincing? Watch this video.

After watching that, and learning that cancer survivors can participate for FREE, I was convinced to participate. So, on Saturday, June 8 I will lace up my shoes and get dirty and run! A perfect summer activity. Want to run with me? I’ll be there as a blogger ambassador, capturing the day on social media and blogging about the event afterwards. Speaking of the after, they will have live entertainment, beverages (including a free drink), merchandise, local deals, samples and more. A good way to spend a Saturday to me.

And did I mention I have a discount code for you? Use DGPITBLOGGUEST when you register online for 20% off the Pittsburgh event!

More details:

DIRTY GIRL MUD RUN, PITTSBURGH
– The Biggest Mud Run for Women Comes to Pittsburgh, PA –

When: Saturday, June 8th, 2013 (rain or shine) First wave of runners: 8 AM Last wave of runners: 4 PM

Where: Fayette County Fairgrounds

Who: Women ages 14 and up (cancer survivors run for free)

Register: https://register.godirtygirl.com/mud-run/Pittsburgh-PA-2013/27 (click “sign up today”)

Questions? Visit http://www.godirtygirl.com/faq/or email help@godirtygirl.com.

Hope to see you there!

Why “surprise and delight” is still a tried and true tactic in social media

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If you’ve worked in any capacity of marketing, PR or advertising, you’ve probably heard, used or implemented the phrase and practice of “surprise and delight.” Whenever social media really took off (from a business perspective), giving your customers free stuff was THE thing to do. And today, as social media grows up and evolves, it’s still a great thing to do, to a point. If you work in the retail/consumer space, surprise and delight is still a tried and true tactic to implement in your overall social strategy. Here’s why (in my opinion).

The other week, I was scrolling down my Instagram feed (per usual), when I saw Pretzel Crisps posted a photo montage with a beer koozie with one of my favorite phrases on it, “These Pretzels Are Making Me Thirsty.” (For those of you who live under a rock, it’s from Seinfeld.) First, that’s super smart of Pretzel Crisps for putting that on their packaging. Marketing brilliance, if you ask me. I casually commented on the photo and asked where I could find that gem of a koozie. Much to my surprise, I was greeted by a friendly email in my inbox a couple hours later from a woman from the company asking me for my address so they could send me one. Talk about making my day! The next week, my day was made yet again when I got a package on my front doorstep with about six koozies and six bags of Pretzel Crisps (in assorted flavors). Score! I immediately took to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to share with my networks my awesome swag.

So why’d it work?
Pretzel Crisps saw that I genuinely liked the product, wasn’t trying to “get” anything from them, and have a decent social following. So, why not? They didn’t ask me to do anything either, which I think is great. I wouldn’t have minded a note with the package with any calls to action to follow them or post about them, but I did it anyway because that’s what I do for a living and love to share personal stories from brands I experience. Pretzel Crisps showed me they are listening and wanted to reward me for being a fan. Now I am stocked with delicious product. (Jalepeno is my new fave.) And it’s not a (sometimes worthless) Klout Perk that half my Twitter friends got, too. It’s targeted to me individually. Klout Perks are just blasted out to an audience in hopes of making people feel “influencial.” It’s not genuine in my opinion. Surprise and delight is.

Some other prime examples of surprise and delight

Taco Bell (source: Post Advertising)

No explanation needed here. Mad props to that high schooler for being awfully clever and Taco Bell for knowing who its target niche is and obliging. I basically love everything Taco Bell does in all of its touch-points – packaging, TV, digital, in-store, etc.

Aetna (source: Likeable Media)

aetna

A man battling advanced colon cancer used Twitter to debate with the CEO of his insurance company, Aetna. He was facing potential medical bankruptcy. To his surprise, Aetna’s CEO responded to address the issue and agreed to pay the medical costs. Now, we can’t all just pay for someone’s medical bills, but the CEO took to Twitter to make things right. It’s not often the CEO of a major company like Aetna casually tweets with his or her customer or user-base. This example showed they are listening and value their customers.

There’s a fine line between surprise and delight, and buying off your customers
Remember on Full House when DJ got mad at Uncle Jesse and he bought her a drum set to make up for it? (Yep, I just referenced Full House.) Well, DJ was pretty pumped but wise Mr. Danny Tanner stepped in and reminded Jesse that “buying” DJ’s love wouldn’t work every time he messed up. They needed to talk it out (which happened on every single episode of that show) and get to the root of the problem. The same thing applies to surprise and delight in social. Think about the “real life” aspect of it. How many times have you been out to dinner and something went horribly wrong and the manager stepped in and offered a free dessert or took something off the bill? That works with some, but really, they need to get to the root of the problem. If the pizza was cold, they need to cook their food longer. If the server took 45 minutes to wait on you, they probably need to up their staff or go through some more training. So, if a consumer complains on social media, instead of just shipping them a free box of something, ask them what you can do to make it right, and follow up to let them know the issue was resolved. Some people are free-stuff-loving, coupon mongrels (thanks for nothing, Extreme Couponing), but others are legitimate consumers not looking for free stuff, but quality service and/or products. Making it right goes way further than a free coupon in the long run, and that’s how you’ll keep those people and turn them into brand advocates. Oh and if all else fails, you can show up at their door and give them a hug like the Tanners would (although that could cause a restraining order…)

Final thoughts
Surprise and delight doesn’t need to happen when something bad happens, either. I personally am a bigger fan of companies rewarding customers for just hanging out and interacting with their pages rather than trying to fix a problem (like Taco Bell). If you marry surprise and delight with active listening when there is an issue and letting your fan base know you will make it right, things should run pretty smoothly on your page(s). So keep on innovating in this space, but also stick to the good old fashioned roots of surprise and delight since it still goes a long way (says the now loyal Pretzel Crisps fan). Oh and it doesn’t have to be giving away free stuff either. It could be as simple as acknowledging a fan in a tweet or post. I STILL get excited thinking about when Target tweeted to me two years ago. I’m not kidding. #TargetFanGirl

Do you agree or think this tactic is SO 2010?

How to: Get Google Authorship with Social Media Pittsburgh and Lunametrics

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Last night, I attended my first Social Media Pittsburgh event. Social Media Pittsburgh is an informal group of Pittsburgh’s social media professionals. They aim to share best practices and local knowledge through their monthly speaker series. Before I get into my overview of last night’s discussion, I must say that I took home with me a few pieces of valuable knowledge that I can actually apply. So important when you sign up for a professional development event.

The evening’s discussion was led by Dan Wilkerson of Lunametrics, a Pittsburgh-based company and Google Certified Partner. They bring the complete digital experience to your brand using innovations in Google Analytics, SEO, PPC and Social Media. Dan is Lunametrics’ social media project manager and I instantly knew he was going to give a great presentation from his opening “about me” slide (click the image for a larger view):

Dan Wilkerson

Genius.

On to the presentation: 
Dan spoke about something I had never heard of before, Google Authorship. On my little blog, I had never thought about that before, but now I’m on a mission to become an author. Why? It can increase click-throughs on your pages by 30-150%! So what’s authorship? Let it be known you don’t have to be “techy” to do this. Actually, it’s a really great tool for all writers on the web. (Copyblogger just wrote about this subject the other day.) It makes you more searchable, more visible, and more authentic. It’s a little easier than the the old school tactic of commenting on other blogs to hopefully drive traffic back to yours (although that still works and it’s still important to share the love). Anyways, according to Copyblogger, “authorship is the method to display authorship information in search results for the content you create.” Basically, it makes you stand out in search. There are a few simple steps to achieving authorship, and all it takes is having a profile on a little thing called Google+. (Sneaky, Google, I see what you’re doing there :) ). So what do I mean “standing out?” Let’s compare. First, a writer without authorship (unfortunately, me, until I set up my page in a bit):

non_authorship

This is a post I wrote last month. Yes, it says deannaferrari.com, but there’s no byline, no image. Basically, there’s no authenticity about it. Now, let’s see what a blog post would look like WITH Google authorship (image from Copyblogger):

Now we know it’s written by Brian Clark. He’s got 41,911 connections in his Google+ circles, I last visited his page in January, and oh look — his image! You can even see more articles written by Brian. See the difference? If Brian and I wrote a post on the same subject, I bet you’d click on his post in the search results, right? I just blew my own mind.

To set up your own Google Authorship, just be sure you’re signed up for Google+, log in, and then visit https://plus.google.com/authorship. (The only tricky part is you need to enter a little bit of code in there. If you don’t know basic HTML, see a developer near you for help).

Dan went into more detail on this process, including how to measure your efforts through Google analytics. I’m also going to be learning more about Google analytics in the coming weeks since I need to up my analytical game. Lunametrics puts on fantastic training sessions about learning Google analytics, and you can also check out Conversion University.

Social media is a HUGE world. Many different industries tackle it — from the marketing side of it, to the content, to the measurement. Social Media Pittsburgh understands this, and is putting on events monthly to discuss all there is to know about this broad and ever-changing, fast-paced landscape. For ten bucks, you can learn something new each month (FREE for students!!) and network with other professionals in the process. It’s an incredible resource and I plan on checking out many more!

You can follow Social Media PGH on Twitter and like them on Facebook for more information on future events. (The next event is April 17 and will discuss building social media relationships). They also post relevant and insightful articles on their social media platforms.

Thanks to Social Media Pittsburgh for allowing me to check out last night’s session and blog about it!

Songs to run to, part 11: spring forward edition

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songs to run to part 11

I’m normally not one for counting the days away, but we need spring. And sunshine. And warmth. And it’s a-coming! This Sunday is Daylight Saving Time (in a lot of places) so we spring forward one hour. Yeah, we technically lose an hour but who cares? I’m ready for it to be daylight well into the evening. Grilling out. Flowers and birds chirping. Dead stink bugs, perhaps? Oh and marathon season starts! As much as I don’t mind running in the cold and snow (for the most part), there’s nothing like a 60-degree day to get out there and run. I’m coming up on the one-year anniversary of running a marathon. Time flies. I have to say, not having to rigorously train has been nice. I won’t be running another full this year, but I am looking forward to doing my first Pittsburgh Marathon Relay with some friends to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. (If you’d like to donate, visit my charity page.) So get out and enjoy the longer days with this playlist. I even put some “sunshine” songs in along the way to brighten your days. (As always, some songs are embarrassing.) So cheers to winter’s farewell — whenever spring decides to show up! (Link to listen to this list right away on Spotify is below.)

I Love It – Icona Pop
Intergalactic – Beastie Boys
You Can Do It – Ice Cube
Scream&Shout – Britney & will.i.am
Brighter Than The Sun – Colbie Caillat
Can’t Hold Us – Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis
Soak Up The Sun – Sheryl Crow
Mercy – Duffy
Country Grammar – Nelly
Let Me Clear My Throat – DJ Kool
Here Comes The Sun – The Beatles
Ms. New Booty — Bubba Sparxxx
Feel This Moment – Pitbull
Troublemaker – Olly Murs
Don’t You Worry Child – Swedish House Mafia
Halo/Walking on Sunshine – Glee Cast
Battle Scars – Lupe Fiasco
Mo Money Mo Problems – Notorious BIG
Hey Porsche – Nelly
Chasing The Sun – The Wanted
Hall of Fame – The Script
The Fighter – Gym Class Heroes
I’m Different – 2 Chainz
Pon De Replay – Rihanna
Raise Up – Petey Pablo
It Takes Two – Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
Suit & Tie – Justin Timberlake
Follow The Sun – Evermore
Pocketful of Sunshine – Natasha Bedingfield
Steal My Sunshine – Len
Boogie Shoes – KC & The Sunshine Band
Internet Killed The Video Star – The Limousines, Tommy Sunshine
Walking on Sunshine – Katrina & the Waves
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers
Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In – The Fifth Dimension
Rio – Duran, Duran
C’Mon – Ke$ha
Blister in the Sun – Violent Femmes
Jerk it Out – Caesars
The Sound of Sunshine – Michael Franti & Spearhead
Ass on the Floor – Diddy
Oh My Love – Chris Brown
Around the World/Harder Better Faster Stronger – Daft Punk
Sun is Shining (Funkstar De Lux Mix) – Bob Marley
How Deep is Your Love? – The Rapture
Little Secrets – Passion Pit

Listen to this playlist on Spotify.
Visit my playlists page for more.

Your career, visualized: How to use images to amplify the job search

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pinterest_imagePinterest. Instagram. Tumblr. These sites have been taking over the Internet in the last year or so. From wedding planning to fashion to interesting architecture and everything in between, all of us have been telling the stories of things we love via visuals. I’ve always been a visual learner. I took notes in school and now in the working world (despite the presentation being available afterward) so I could see the words on paper. And I learn better by doing something rather than simply being instructed. That’s why I love visual blogs like Brit + Co. and The Beauty Department that really give a how-to by way of photos. And I’m constantly inspired by my friends on Instagram and Pinterest to recreate a smoothie recipe or outfit idea. Which brought me to thinking about my professional life. Sure, I read articles, attend webinars and conferences, network, and participate in industry organizations. All of which help me grow and learn. But there’s just something about seeing great work or words that really inspire me. The same goes for the job search. You can apply to 100 jobs, but what’s your goal? What are your passions? And how can those help your career?

From the sites listed above, following are a few simple ways to have visuals help you in the job search (and current job motivation) process.

Tumble into action
Tumblr is perfect for quick bursts of inspiration.  Do a search for “career” tags, and you instantly see interview tips, motivational quotes, and others in your shoes just blogging about their experiences. You can even see what’s happening in your town in terms of networking events. One of my favorite accounts is the NYC PR Girls page. Just follow the tags that you’re interested in (type of industry, city, what type of accounts you’d like to work on, etc.) and you’ll be on your way to immediate encouragement. (It’s also a great way to network.)

Pin to motivation
I’m basically planning my entire wedding (thanks, secret boards!) on Pinterest, but I also started another secret board for all things work-related as a PR pro. Basically, when I see an article that I think my clients could be in (or at least benefit from), I pin it to my board. Yes, I bookmark these articles too, but re-visiting this board from time-to-time helps me see these stories rather bookmarking and forgetting, and I am reminded of what it is and what I’m trying to accomplish, as well as give me ideas for future pitching. Looking for a job? Pin images of people in action to help motivate you. No, not stock imagery of men in suits shaking hands, but people in the industry you look up to. Think Jack Dorsey, Marissa Mayer or even those you see in your local business pub’s “40 under 40.” They can even be fictitious characters (I’m a big fan of Mary in The Mary Tyler Moore Show).  

Instagram to insta-gain
Yes, Instagram is full of cats, food and nail art. However, it allows you to connect with those near and far in a fun way. Think about where you want to work. Let’s take an ad agency in your local area, for example. Are they on Instagram as a company? Follow and start liking. On a smaller scale, find folks who work there and follow them as well (easier to find if you find them on Twitter first). Start following and liking images that pique your interest. Just don’t “like” everything – you don’t want to be a stalker. You can find common connections (such as love for a sports team) and even see where they hang out and what networking events and conferences they attend. If they attend a monthly event, you know they’ll be there so you can attend and meet other professionals, too (again, just don’t be creepy!). And, like on Tumblr and Pinterest, Instagram can help motivate you when you see others in action (I’m a big fan of what Amy Jo Martin and Sarah Evans are bringing to the table).

Sure, Pinterest can’t write you a resume and Instagram can’t land you an interview, but sometimes we go through the motions of the job search so much, we forget what we’re passionate about and what we’re looking for. The same goes for our day-to-day work. So, before you begin your search (or improving your current situation), write down what you want, start looking for images and visuals that represent that, and you’ll spark a new motivation you may have been lacking before. Just like looking at a picture of someone buff in a bathing suit may motivate you to lose a few pounds before summer, looking at a logo of where you want to work (or the people who work there) can give you that extra bit of oomph you need to amplify the process and shake things up.

This post is part of HAPPO (Help a PR Pro Out). HAPPO is a movement that seeks to use social media to leverage relationships and help connect those seeking a job in the PR industry with employers. It’s led by co-founders Arik Hanson and Valerie Simon. Follow the #HAPPO hashtag on Twitter.

Follow me on Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram.

Pittsburgh Dave and Buster’s gets a revamp

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D&BWhat do you think of when you hear Dave & Buster’s? I remember my first time at a D&B. I was a little kid — maybe 10. I remember there were tons of games and lots of people, and someone saying it was like “Chuck E. Cheese for Adults.” Being a kid, I had no interest since it was a bar and filled with “old people.” Years later, I had a company holiday party there. Now, my perception had changed. Beer, food and games? Yes, please. So when I got an email the other week that talked about Pittsburgh’s Dave & Buster’s getting re-vamped, I thought it really didn’t need any improvement. But this past weekend some friends and I decided to put it to the test to see the updates. The results? We were in love. They are mixing things up a bit to have something for everyone. Steelers fans, gamers, bar-goers, happy hour fans — you name it. Here’s more:

Dave & Buster's Mixmaster

Mixmaster Station: Upon entering, you now have the option of checking in at this brand new station. Your host is there to guide your experience and the mix of fun you’re looking for. Think of it like a “fun concierge.” Not into games? They can show you where to grab a good seat at the bar. Can’t wait to play games? They can hook you up with a Power Card. I think this is a really great concept for a place like D&B, especially for newbies.

Dave & Buster's Big Screen

Sports Bar: I don’t think I’ve ever watched a game at a Dave & Buster’s…but I may have to re-think my decision. They’ve added 25 + HDTVs lining the walls, as well as two 180-inch projection screens to see your game in focus. For those of you who’ve been at this Dave & Buster’s before (located at the Waterfront in Pittsburgh) — remember the closed-off area where the pool tables were? They’ve opened it up for more seating and screens (in the photo above). They just moved the pool tables over. It looks awesome.

Bars/Lounges: They made it a bit more intimate with multiple bars and lounges throughout. There are also private booths available — perfect for a birthday party, or bachelor/bachelorette party. My friend was in from NYC, so us girls stuck to catching up and having food and drinks at our table, while the guys hit up the games. Everyone was happy.

Game Room: They didn’t mess with a good thing — the game room! However, they did add some new games and an updated prize room.

Menu Items: New items are ALWAYS a good thing in my book. New and classic favorites returned. I was a fan of the snow cone drink (!) and the Poppin’ Potatoes (both in the above picture).

All in all, my experience at the newly revamped Pittsburgh Dave & Buster’s was a great one. I’m definitely going to add it in to my “going out” repertoire now for a spot to grab dinner and drinks, then play some games with friends. Or hitting it up for a Steelers game. Definitely a nice change from the typical bar scene.

Big thank you to Dave & Buster’s for being great hosts and showing us around!

Microsoft Pittsburgh Pop-Up Store and the New Surface

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On Friday, I had the chance to check out the grand opening of the Pittsburgh Microsoft Pop-up store, as well as the unveiling of the new tablet Surface. It was a big day for Microsoft. Here’s more on my experience:

The Store

Microsoft opened 32 holiday pop-up brick-and-mortar stores across the country this week. One city on the list was Pittsburgh. The store is located at Ross Park Mall in the entrance between the Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen. The store is basically a large kiosk. I found it really accessible and less intimidating than an Apple Store or a Best Buy. The employees of the store were super helpful and gave me a great demonstration of the Surface. They’ll be there from now until after the holidays, about January. According to Microsoft, “the holiday stores will feature a “curated selection of the best Microsoft products.” To keep up on Twitter, follow along at @MicrosoftStore.

The Surface


I was particularly interested in checking out the Surface. Here’s a quick snapshot of the features:

  • Starting price: $499
  • Available in 32GB and 64GB models
  • 1.5 pounds
  • 1,366 x 768-pixel display
  • 8 hours of battery life
  • Pre-loaded with Windows RT, Microsoft Office 2013 RT2, Xbox apps, and other essentials

Disclaimer: I have an iPad. There are other tablets out there, obviously, but here’s what I observed the Surface has that the iPad doesn’t:

  • Keyboard options: Yes, the iPad has keyboard accessories, but this one has a keyboard and protective cover all in one. There is a type cover and touch cover option, allowing you to go from tablet to laptop easily. Plus it’s waterproof, which is always a good thing.
  • The integrated “kickstand.” Stand up your Surface without a cover. Pretty cool.
  • Ability to plug into external displays like projectors and HDTV.
  • Pre-loaded with Microsoft Office 2013 (this was a big differentiator for me. I personally don’t use my iPad for work. I use it for play. With the Surface having the external display and Office features already built-in, I’d be more inclined to do work on it (without having to pay extra for Office).
  • “Tiles” are where your apps live. When you look at your home screen, a number of apps appear that are relevant to YOU, and in realtime. This can be your latest couple of emails, tweets, weather and tailored news headlines. It’s pretty cool that it’s all at-a-glance. Think of it as your RSS reader, “tabletified.”
  • Multi-tasking: You can check your emails and see a website at the same time, something you can’t do on an iPad.

All in all, I was impressed with the Surface. It’s been three years in the making, so Microsoft did a nice job creating a tablet to do even more than its competitors. Downfall: Apple is hard to compete with. I have my iPad, iPhone and MacBook Air, so all my stuff is in the cloud and in my Apple ID. I personally don’t want to get a new device that won’t sync up with my other stuff, but then again, if the Surface has more to offer, it could be my next device. I suggest going to check out the pop-up shop and checking it out for yourself!

You can pick up your Surface at the store, or online here, and follow them on Twitter at @Surface.