Social at 5:30.  Presentation and Discussion at 6!

Event Details:

Date:     Thursday, March 11, 2010

Time:    5:30 – 8:00 p.m.

Place:   BetaLoft, 357 West 200 South #201 Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Spread the word.  We look forward to seeing you there.

In part one, integrating your social media marketing, I talked about what to do to prepare for integration and did an over view of what it takes to get it ready. Here, we’re going to go over the offline side of integration. In the next one (which will be on the Utah Pulse social media minute), we’ll look at the online side.

You don’t need to read the first one to catch what this one is all about, but it does have some good info and helps tie it all together so I’d recommend reading it.

When looking at integrating your offline and online together ask yourself this simple question. “Where can I promote my online social media presence offline?”

For starters try looking at:

Business cards
Put your Twitter, FaceBook, Blog, etc addresses on them

Loyalty cards / items
Same as with the business cards. If they have your loyalty card (or other item) then they are the type of customer you want to engage everywhere you can… they love you.

Instore placcards
Let people know where to find you
Incentivize it by letting them know they’ll get exclusive offers, info, discounts, etc

Ads (print, radio, tv, etc)
Add a couple small lines about where to find you online, also incentivize to help make people want to join.
Look at Best Buy with their TwelpForce & how they put it everywhere in their store.

Receipts
Most modern cash registers allow you to add your own custom messages. Use this space to gain awareness and incentivize them to join.

Shopping Bags
If you get custom printed ones, add your social media presences to the bag design or make an insert (preferably recyclable & from recycled material… good Karma and all that) to go in the bags.

Get creative
Look at what Trident did

Look at what else you do to market and promote your company. How can you tie them together?

How else can you possibly get your social media presence in front of them?

It also works the other way around. If you have a brick-and-mortar building,you will want to use your online activities to drive foot-traffic to your business. I’ll give you a great example from my own life.

Recently, I was tweeting about my desire to get back into a shape other than round and mentioned my interest in yoga. A local SLC company, Flow Yoga SLC, sent me a tweet and let me know that I had two free passes at the front desk waiting so I could come and try it out. I did, and immediatly I liked it. I liked it so much that I paid $60 and signed up for their Yoga 101 series that night.

If we use this as a quick case study and break it down we see how this worked and ended up in a sale for them.

1. They were obviously listening for relevenat tweets from locals so they knew their audience online.

2. They had an offer that was good enough to get me out of my house and travel the 10+ miles to take them up on it.

3. Their product was good enough to make me want more.

4. Good experience + low barrier of entry for first taste (free pass) = I bought a $60 class package

They had all the resources ready and waiting for me to make an action. I tried it, knew what it was all about, and had a killer offer (both in the free passes & the yoga 101 package) that made it hard not to buy.

All the principals and lessons learned in this can be used consistently within any other company that has an offline presence. Even if you don’t offer a product, but a service, this works. Whether it’s events, workshops, services, etc you can get the right people by following these steps and utilizing (and building upon) these ideas.

Do you have any ideas or tips for integrating the online offline and vice versa?

About Josh
Author of Twittfaced, Josh Peters is a social media consultant and trainer in Salt Lake City. He blogs at shuaism.com and helps maximize the value of social media in marketing.

Be sure to use the SMC of SLC discount code, SmacSmcDsc, when registering !! To get $100 off the ticket price.

* * *

Date: Wednesday, Feb 25th & 26th, 2010, BetaLoft (357 West 200 South, Suite 201, 84101), downtown Salt Lake City, UT. Price before discount is $447.

Instructor: Josh “Shua” Peters : social media author , active SMCSLC member, and consultant who has worked with Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, single owner companies, and everything in between.

Format: Attendees will learn as a group, building a solid social media foundation for themselves or their company. Workshops will start at 9am and end at 6pm. Breaks as needed and lunch provided at 1pm.

Attendees Benefits:
* 16 hours of intense hands on training and education ($2,000 value)
* Both digital and physical (signed) copies of Josh’s book, TwittFaced ($26.99 value)
* Lunch provided both days ($20 value)
* Solid foundation for which to grow the social presence for you or your company (continually gains value over the years)

Please Bring:
* Laptop, netbook, macbok, or some other form of portable computer (wireless internet access will be provided)
* A good picture of yourself (in jpeg, gif, or ping format)
* A hunger to learn and desire to participate

Outline:
Day 1

* The basics
* The who, what, when,where, why, and how of Social media
* The Big 4: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogs
* Audio, video, and other senses
* Creating a story and building your community
* Finding your customers and fans
* How to engage and not spam
* Best practices
* The 4 basic marketing approaches and social media’s application in them

Day 2

* Strategy, measurement, and advanced tactics
* Defining your goals, creating a strategy, and implementing the tactics
* Listening
* Defining goals
* Creating strategy and planning
* Engaging and Implementing your strategy
* Measuring
* Impact vs ROI and other fun stuff
* Twitter, FaceBook, and other platform strategies
* Strategies and tactics for your business
* Social Media for PR, Marketing, sales, communication, and more
* Integrating your efforts to maximize your results
* Social media inside the firewall (a.k.a. how to optimize your work environment)

Parking: Parking is located at 200 S 285 w. Cost is $5.00 for the whole day with no re-entry (hence the delivered food). Beta Loft is west 1/2 a block on the south side of the street (same as parking lot).

For more info on Josh Peters:

Blog: Shuaism
Twitter: JoshSPeters
Facebook: JoshPeters
LinkedIn: JoshSPeters
Email: shua @ shuaism (.) com

Note: The SMC of SLC is not conducting this workshop. But we are helping to promote it as Josh Peters is an active SMC of SLC member in good standing, and because he is offering a discount to SMC of SLC members.The name is the SMAC Social Media Workshop

It is the SMC of SLC’s pleasure to highlight one of our member agencies, Lava7. Lava7 was founded by four partners: Maile Keone, Jack Hadley, Blake Hadley, and Rob Jensen, who bring years of award-winning experience in traditional marketing, message development, concepting, copywriting, art direction, and graphic design. Focused on social media marketing, Lava7 seeks to help organizations to “expand their relationships in relevant and engaging ways, in more places, and more easily than ever before.”

* * * *

SMC: First up, Maile, what’s the story behind naming your new social media marketing agency “Lava7”? Any tie to your Hawaiian roots?

MK: The name comes from the spreading of ideas. Lava spreads explosively, then moves more slowly, and finally settles into cracks and crevices, becoming part of the landscape and creating a foundation upon which other things grow. Lava also needs to be continuously pushed out in order for the landscape to continue to grow. Part of social media marketing is helping, watching, and encouraging stories to spread. That’s how we came up with the name. But I do like the Hawaiian connection.

SMC: Maile and Jack, what motivated you both to pour your hearts, souls, and wallets into the Lava7 partnership – and to focus your agency on social media marketing?

JH: One of my favorite books is Zag, by Marty Neumeier. Marty speaks of the relationships between trends, brands, fads, “waves,” and creating businesses that are essential and truly distinctive. Social media is not a fad. Social networks have always been a big part of doing business, and the Internet isn’t going away. Tools and methods may change, but this wave will continue to create trends that raise all ships. Four years ago I saw the writing on the wall and jumped into the deep end of the pool. I love what I’m doing. I feel like the 20 years I spent working in creative environments were preparation for what we’re now doing at Lava7.

MK: The first time I heard Jack speak, I knew I wanted to work with him. We’ve somehow managed to pull amazingly talented people together and create a fun business that helps people with both traditional and new marketing. My background in traditional tech company marketing is just a platform for the massive changes that are happening in the way we communicate. Being able to talk to companies and people about those concepts gets me up in the morning and keeps me awake at night. I’m just so excited about what each day brings.

SMC: Jack, you wanted to add something to what Maile just said about massive changes?

JH: Yes, if I might. The lines between advertising, branding, marketing, public relations, and customer service have become very blurred. That’s a good thing. Businesses should be engaging with their audiences anywhere they can, everywhere they can, and as often as they can. If you’re thoughtful about the ways in which you engage, it helps tell your story without annoying your audience. People are pulling and consuming information today in very different ways than before. These new strategies for digitally engaging and influencing are not only powerful, but represent a fundamental shift in the way we communicate.

SMC: You’ve branded yourselves as “digital engagement marketers.” Give us the low-down, Jack, on what Lava7 does for clients.

JH: We provide integrated social media marketing solutions that achieve business objectives. We do that by combining three things: strategic mindset, relevant tools, and compelling creative. I agree with SMC of SLC member Erin McBride, who suggested on this blog last month that “…we stop calling this social media marketing. To better encapsulate and explain what we aim to do with social media tools, I propose that we call it Social Media and Engagement Marketing.” I think that’s good thinking.

A problem is that businesses are feeling overwhelmed by it. The space is changing constantly. People don’t know where to start. They struggle figuring out how this fits with their existing efforts. They struggle getting C-level buy in. They’re afraid of wasting time and resources, and they don’t know how to measure effectiveness. We help businesses to first, wrap their minds and hearts around it. Then, we show them how to use the tools in simple, strategic ways. And in many cases, we also help with implementation.

SMC: Such passion, Jack! Is that why at least one client has labeled you a “mad genius”? Think the term fits?

JH: Whenever people say that, I’m not exactly sure what it means! Maybe it’s more like a “nutty professor.” Either way, I think I got that label because of my passion for what I’m doing. I guess it kinda fits. Sorta.

SMC: Maile, reassure Jack! List two strengths he brings to the Lava7 partnership.

MK: If I must! <grin> Other than his mad genius, Jack has an innate ability to help others understand complex concepts and processes. That ability has led to him to speak all over the state on social media marketing. He has helped many companies, from small start-up businesses to large technology companies, come to a better understand of where to start — which answers one of the questions we get asked all the time. In addition, his background as a branding expert helps companies to further understand that before spreading their story, they must first make sure they have clarity. Jack is a master at helping others to distill.

SMC: I’m disappointed. I was so sure you were going to mention those signature sneakers he wears to business functions. That’s gotta be a strength, too!

MK: Oh my gosh, you’re right. Those sneakers have cemented that Jack thinks outside the box!

SMC: Jack, your turn. Maile is known as one of the best-connected movers and shakers within Utah’s technology industry. But what are the strengths she brings to Lava7?

JH: Maile has great business sense, and her energy is so contagious. She has a proven track record in helping take companies from point A, to point B, to point C. She has a deep understanding of traditional marketing and remarkable insight into the ways in which new media strategies integrate with traditional marketing. Maile is feisty, too. We like that — and so do our clients. It helps move us ahead on a daily basis, meet our commitments, and get the work done. Her favorite word yesterday was “snarky” after we fired a client whom she called “one snarky dude.”

SMC: Yeah, well, “dude” is probably a term she perfected on the beaches of Hawaii, right? Blake, let’s hear from you, dude. The Lava7 website is crisp, clean, and playful. Do you get all the credit for this online coolness? Is it your chief Lava7 hat?

BH: Right now, I’m doing a lot of the design execution, so yes, I guess I get most of the credit. But we also work a lot as a team, and utilize a number of outside design resources. We each wear lots of hat around here. Besides directing design, I spend a lot of my time doing behavior blueprinting.

“Digital Behavior Blueprinting” is the term we’ve coined for the first half of the creative process behind the strategies we create at Lava7. The second half of the creative process is more traditional; it’s about imagery, graphic design, headlines, colors, etc. But the first half is about coming up with ideas that engage. For example, what will draw people in? How can we get people to do the things, or click on the things we’d like them to do? How will people interact with the rollouts or promotions we create?

You can have all the cool social media tools in the world, with beautiful designs, but if there aren’t creative ideas for implementing and utilizing them, achieving the objectives, and driving results, they’re really useless.

SMC: Well said, Blake! Rob, you’re the final partner at Lava7, serving as CTO. But I hear you’re more commonly referred to as the “code guy.” Explain.

RJ: My partners do call me the “code guy.” As Blake said, creativity is no longer ONLY about messaging and visuals. In this space, it’s about applications, utility, interaction, and experience. I view my role as the technology bridge builder between the three parts of the puzzle: mindset, tools, and creative. Obviously, in the end, the execution of web-based, digital engagement is about pixels and code. But this kind of bridge building is much more comprehensive. Our creative team model is similar to the one used by Edward Boches at Mullen. I work a lot on solving the content distribution and development parts of our projects, making sure that the application of technology not only lines up functionally, but lines up strategically as well. Tying the tools together into smooth, integrated campaigns is critical — and a lot of fun.

SMC: Wow, Rob, you almost make me wish I was a techno-geek! Jack, one last question: Lava7 is actively educating the community on the benefits of social media. But you’ve also developed the curriculum for, and teach, an advertising and social media marketing class at Brigham Young University. What has teaching social media within the university environment taught you?

JH: It’s been an interesting enigma. While I’m not a career educator, my sense is that the wheels in academia turn rather slowly — while the corporate, high-tech business world I’m used to is always on the leading edge. Most communications, advertising, and marketing students across the country are getting very little instruction in universities about social media marketing for business. The students are SO tech-savvy; social media is their world! Yet, they end up in the middle, as much of their curriculum is behind the curve.

This social media marketing class has been a lot of fun because BYU (and in particular Jeff Sheets, the advertising lab director) has given these communications students the opportunity to be on the edge. The projects we do in class give them real-world experience. I’ve found the students’ blog posts on our class network to be very thoughtful and insightful. My guess is that these students will be among the very few who can interview after graduation saying that they truly understand how social media is changing the business world. Most other university students will graduate still thinking Facebook, as just an example, is only for planning weekend parties.

SMC: Lucky students! To wrap up, I’d like a takeaway from each you, please. Complete this sentence: I dig social media marketing because…

MH: …I am a connector and a maven, and it makes being both easier!

JH: …I never have to go to work. I just play all day (at least it feels that way).

RJ: …its power is accessible to anyone, yet so few have found it or know what to do with it.

BH: …it has allowed me to think beyond traditional media and dive into a fascinating level of communication that has opened a new world of creative solutions.

SMC: Thanks much, all — and Mele Kalikimaka!

***Jack Hadley is also cofounder of the Social Media Club of Utah Valley, and founder of Cowork Utah, a social media community workspace providing a collaborative environment for independent designers, bloggers, and programmers.

Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt is a freelance writer, editor, and social media trainer/marketer. Catch her online at www.Bell-Rehwoldt.com, http://www.facebook.com/SheriBellRehwoldt, and http://www.linkedin.com/in/sbrehwoldt

SMC: Hey, JD! Tell us all about eBay’s cool initiative to give back to the community this holiday season via its “eBay it Forward” program:

JD: Happy to! eBay it Forward is a new way for people to pay it forward: to share stories with one another, while assisting Family Promise, a great local charity, in the process. In a nutshell, we’re asking people to donate an item that gave them joy, comfort, or happiness in 2009. An item that, when passed on, benefits the recipient. The giver gains, the recipient gains – as will homeless families here in Utah. It’s definitely a feel-good way for people to regift. This project will really show how similar we all are, regardless of beliefs, ethnicity, geography or – financial standing.

SMC: So I hear we physically deliver our item and story to Salt Lake’s EVE event. True?

JD: Yes! I invite everyone to come down to EVE on December 28 for a preview event from 5-8 p.m. We will have an exhibit set up at the Gateway Mall, in the Depot Grand Hall, where we will be collecting the items and displaying them as an art exhibit for all to see. The exhibit will be on display throughout the EVE festivities, from December 29-31, noon to 8 p.m. daily.

By the way, your $15 EVE ticket is good for all three days/nights of live music, arts performances, dance parties, DJs, action sports, etc. You should definitely be there for the New Year celebration! Make plans to stay-up late, party in the street and ring in 2010 in a major way. This won’t be the First Night you’ve seen in past years!

SMC: Cool! After the items are collected at EVE, they go up for bid on eBay? So even my cousin in Alaska can get in on the eBay it Forward action?

JD: Yes! Once Eve is over, we will list the items, with their stories, on eBay Giving Works, with all proceeds of the auctions going to Family Promise Salt Lake.

SMC: This all sounds like a lot of work for eBay. Are a lot of eBay employees volunteering their time for this project?

JD: Many eBay employee volunteers will be staffing the venue, along with volunteers from Family Promise. eBay volunteers also will be listing all the items afterwards. And I’ve heard quite a few eBayers talking about the personal items they will be donating, so we’ve got good buzz within our center. With the help of our local vice president, who has been behind this project 100 percent, we also will be receiving personal donations from our CEO and division presidents in San Jose, California.

SMC: Sweet! Let’s talk turkey, err, mistletoe. How are the collected funds going to be distributed to the homeless?

JD: We chose a local charity for this project, as I think it’s important that people can feel great about supporting the community in which they live and work. Family Promise is awesome. They’re all about helping homeless families and keeping them together during their struggles. Their mission is to help homeless families achieve lasting self-sufficiency by providing safe and hospitable shelter, with the help of numerous and diverse local congregations. Family Promise also offers intensive case management support both during and following a period of homelessness.

SMC: Has social media played a major role in promoting this event? What tools have you used?

JD: Social Media is playing a HUGE role in spreading word about eBay it Forward. I started putting teasers out in the Twittersphere a couple of months ago, to get people thinking about items they valued most in 2009, and why. SLC has such an amazing group of dedicated Twitter users who really care about making the local community an even better place. Or maybe I just happen to follow all the right people!

We also have had an amazing response to our eBay it Forward FaceBook group and corresponding event page. I was shocked to see how quickly word spread, and how many people joined solely from word of mouth. Too, an eBay employee also went out on his own and created a Squidoo page for the event, just because he’s a nice guy. Social media as a whole really encompasses what this project is all about – Community!

SMC: Umm…not to put you on the spot (HA!), but what personal item are you regifting?

JD: It’s been hard to decide what I will be donating. Just like many others, 2009 was a stressful year; without my wife and daughter I may have exploded! But, as donating people is frowned upon (and I would never give either up without a fight to the death!), I think I’m going to donate an item we all used together during one of our rare weekends together as a family (we events people don’t get many free weekends; so when we do, we really make them count!).

SMC: Cool! I can’t wait to read the story that accompanies that! See you at EVE, JD. We wish you much success with eBay it Forward!

JD: Thanks! It’s scary doing something entirely new like this, as it could be a giant success or a huge flop. I guess it all depends on whether or not the SLC community is willing to pay forward important things in their lives. I have a hunch they are!

**Note: JD’s Twitter handle: jdnorton. But also be sure to check out eBayEvents_SLC.

Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt is a freelance writer, editor, and social media trainer/marketer. Catch her online at www.Bell-Rehwoldt.com, http://www.facebook.com/SheriBellRehwoldt, and http://www.linkedin.com/in/sbrehwoldt

The Minute should be about 800 words on a social media topic, and deadlines are on Wednesdays at 5:00. (Take a look at UtahPulse to read past Minutes!)

If you’re interested in contributing, please comment on this blog and we’ll get you on to the schedule. Oh, and if you contributed in 2009 we’d love to hear what you have to say in 2010 as well!

Happy Holidays and get writing!

by Jack Hadley, SMC of UV member

Whether you’re a blogger, advertiser, PR manager, programmer, SEO specialist, branding expert, or business owner—you’re a marketer. And if you’re reading this post, you’re likely a social media marketer as well.

Tough economic times, bailouts, loan difficulties and foreclosures have taken a devastating toll on the banking industry. Although the severity of conditions has varied from region to region, consumer trust levels have declined.

Western Community Bank (full disclaimer, Lava7 client), a three-branch community bank in Utah County, has always approached marketing with an innovative attitude. During difficult economic times, their commitment to starting a social media engagement strategy by launching a simple blog demonstrated a proactive community mindset and a willingness to assume some thought leadership.

Lesson 1: Think Ahead Of The Curve

Enter, Adam Weight, VP of Marketing and Technology. During the bank’s blogsite development, a number of prominent social-media-specific articles began appearing in banking publications.

Adam was one step ahead. Are you? Ask yourself, “Am I being timid in my industry? Is there an opportunity—however small—to assume a leadership position? What’s holding me back?”

Lesson 2: Be Human, Listen, And Participate

Western Community Bank (WCB) started with a simple premise… Engage with customers and community members in ways that are honest and transparent, and provide clear insights and useful tools that are relevant to local audiences.

As one of the founders of the Social Media Club Utah Valley, I’ve noticed that the majority of our initial members are people inside our industry (meaning advertising, marketing, pr, branding, seo, etc.). There are few engaged members who either own or work in businesses from other verticals. Adam is one of them—and he makes a point of attending our club’s meetings and functions.

If you’re one of those people who falls outside “this industry” ask yourself, “Am I taking advantage of every opportunity to learn the mindset and tools that surround social media marketing? Am I attending SMCSLC (or Utah Valley, Cache Valley) meetings and thinking about how to leverage this wealth of passion and expertise to build my business? Am I using a blog, and/or other basic tools to listen and participate?”

Get involved! It makes a difference! And it doesn’t need to be difficult. Take off your marketing hat and put on your audience hat to better understand their needs and perspective. Here’s a recent, actual WCB Twitter exchange:

Lesson 3: Don’t Quit. Your Tenacity Will Pay Off

Afraid you’re not a great writer? Maybe that’s true. But in Seth Godin’s words, “Stick with it and you’ll get better at it.” Are you afraid nobody’s interested in what you have to say? Perhaps… At least today. But whether anybody reads your blog or not, the metacognition that takes place in formulating how you talk about what you do is priceless. Don’t stop. This is as much for you, and the way in which you view your business, as it is for your prospective audience.

Lesson 4: Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

Let’s face it… Banks are, pretty much, boring. Agreed? They’re the epitome of traditional and conservative. The nature of what they do is all about regulatory requirements, privacy and safety. Not exactly a party. While remaining thoughtful and sensitive to their position and reputation, WCB isn’t afraid of having a little fun. It keeps them human—and here’s a good example.

So, dive in! Zig passionately while everyone else is zagging. Ignore the economic doom and gloom. There’s never been a better opportunity in history to take the four lessons above and turn them into a powerful blogging and social media marketing foundation for your business.

Onward!

Jack Hadley is CEO at Lava7, a Digital Engagement Marketing Agency. Often referred to as an epiphany catalyst and corporate storyteller (although a client recently called him a “mad genius”), Jack helps both large corporations and small startups distill and refine their message for clear communication. An award-winning copywriter, and former agency Executive Creative Director, Jack has a rich background in all aspects of the creative process, and has passionately focused the last several years on social media engagement strategies for business. People often tell Jack that he’s helped them really understand social media marketing for the first time. He’s frequently asked to speak to groups about messaging, creativity, and social media marketing. Jack also teaches a social media marketing class at Brigham Young University.

From our humble beginnings, planning meetings with six founders last fall, to our world record setting Utah Social Media Awards, our chapter has much to be grateful for this time of year.

Besides our events and networking, and in spite of the Great Recession, we even have a good financial foundation for 2010.

SMC of SLC Program Director, Pete Codella, outlined some of the chapter’s 2009 accomplishments earlier.

Year-End Event Details

For our final third Thursday meeting, we’re gathering again at SelectHealth for a Social Media Club holiday social.

Date: December 17, 2009

Time: 6 to 8 p.m.

Place: SelectHealth (4646 West Lake Park Blvd, SLC, UT 84130 - map it)

RSVP: none required, just come and have fun!

Food: it’s potluck, so bring something you’d like to share (sorry, no alcoholic beverages per our gracious host)

Hashtag: #smcslc

Help Us Support Toys for Tots

Since this is the season of giving, we’re encouraging all SMC of SLC members and friends to help us support Toys for Tots. All you have to do is bring a new, unwrapped toy for a child of any age/gender. We’ll collect them and the Salt Lake City Mommy group will deliver the donations to the Toys for Tots in Salt Lake City.

Bring Something to Snack On

We invite you to bring something to eat or drink to the party.

Join Us

We’ll socialize and share social media insights, successes and tragedies from 2009. You’ll have plenty of time to connect with fellow social media practitioners in the Salt Lake Valley at this informal, potluck social.

Come one, come all! Help us celebrate this season of family and friends and giving to others.

A few weeks ago my younger brother called me for help. He was stuck on the side of I-15 with a flat on his new Jetta GLI, and he didn’t know how to change the tire using the complicated repair kit.

After enjoying the thrill that only an older sister can feel when her little brother asks for help with something car related, I turned to the Internet. I searched the obvious terms for his make and model car and “flat tire.” I found a few discussion forums, but ignored them. I tried the manufacturer’s website but found nothing about flat tires.

Next, I turned to YouTube, and typed in the make and model and was immediately greeted with “how to change a tire.” Bingo! We were in luck. I realized he could be watching this same video on his phone, and quickly texted him the link. He watched it, but couldn’t see which tool they were using to remove the hubcap on his tiny phone screen.

I returned to the discussion forums I had noticed earlier. I was amazed at what I found! Just a few days before, another person asked the group for help with this same problem, and online contributors rapidly replied with instructions on how to remove the tricky hubcap (this was a painfully unintuitive repair kit).

The responses on the discussion forum told me we weren’t going to be able to change the tire without help, a conclusion I likely would’ve taken hours to come to on my own.

In just a few quick keystrokes I had located my brother’s insurance company and their toll-free number, and a few minutes later, a tow truck was at his side free of charge.

Later that night, I thought about how quickly and easily we handled the situation using social media. I wondered how many people had learned to change a flat tire on the side of the road by using their media equipped phones. Or what we would have done if I hadn’t found that discussion forum.

Let’s take it a step further: How convenient it be if you could just tweet to your insurance provider, “Need a tow truck! Send help!” and attach your GPS location? (Comcast Cares does a great job doing something similar.) There are so many ways companies and people can go the extra mile using social media. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone did?

Thank you, social media, for saving my day.

Erin McBride is a freelance social media and engagement-marketing consultant. She expounds upon social media and engagement marketing at http://mcbridemarketing.wordpress.com and as @erinmarketing.