Sandra Says

The next Social Media Breakfast will be held on Friday, April 13, 2012 at 8:30am at Canopy Houston. The speakers will be the fabulous Karen Walrond and Kelsey Ruger:

To get attention and cut through the clutter, you have to become a visual storyteller. Posts that use visual elements like photos, video, and graphics consistently perform better than those that don’t. At the Social Media Breakfast of Houston (#SMBHOU) this month we will be exploring the different facets of visual storytelling. We will hear from some brilliant visual storytellers about how to develop visuals that work across multiple channels and how to develop materials that moves pass the pedestrian to a inspire the people who see it.

We will be sharing several examples of impactful visual media and will ask you to share some of the visuals that have caught YOUR attention.

SPEAKERS

Kelsey Ruger, Vice President, Design & Innovation at ChaiONE. With over a decade’s worth of experience in building web and interactive solutions, Kelsey brings a unique perspective that merges design, creativity, strategy, and digital solutions.

Karen Walrond is a well-known speaker, writer, blogger, and photographer. In addition to being lead blogger for BlogHer’s “Own Your Beauty” initiative, making appearances on both local and national media (such as PBS, Huffington Post, CNN.com, and The Oprah Winfrey Show), author of the award-winning Chookooloonks photoblog, Karen’s book “The Beauty of Different” has become a bestseller.

The Social Media Club Houston is hosting a fundraising event on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at 6pm at Smash Burger on Buffalo Speedway. Seating is limited, so reserve your spot.

Spring Smashing Tweet-up #SMCHou
April 17th Tues 6-9
RSVP Required Limited Space

Celebrate

Celebrating Spring with our fellow colleagues in Houston, we will be treated to great food at SmashBurger.

We partnered with Smashburger to bring in Spring with good food, fun and companionship.

Donate

One of our goals is to raise money for SMCHouston Chapter so we can bring great speakers to teach us new and upcoming strategies.

We are asking for donations in no specific amount-we want you to tell us the value you want us to drive for you in 2012. Whether you choose to donate 10.00 25.00 100.00 is up to you!

We have given all our meetings for free since 2011 and we have a couple more great get togethers in planning for 2012.

Tell Us Your Desires

Tonight the leadership team will be all ears, learning how we can serve you the business community. So tell us what would you like to participate in for 2012?

• Do you want more hands on workshops?
• Do you want more panels discussing specific issues or industries?
• Do you want a full day workshop with speakers here, to save your confernece & travel dollars?

You get to custom make your solutions in 2012.

This month’s Houston Social Media Breakfast tackles the topic of real influence online:

As tools proliferate to measure your “online influence,” more companies use them to decide who to work with, employers use them to select who to hire (and fire), and more decisions are made about individuals based on their “scores,” whether we like them or not, we need to find a way to work with these measurement tools to find influencers.

But how do you find the right influencers for your brand or organization? And how do you build yourself as a specific type of influencer to build your career and attract brands or organizations?

We will talk about all of this and more at the upcoming Social Media Breakfast.

SPEAKERS

Jennifer Patrick is a freelancer, a “sorta-kinda-stay-at-home-mom” and family lifestyle blogger. She regularly works with big brands, both as an influencer and a guide through her PR work. She also writes a blog for the Houston Chronicle. Her blog is Still Living the Dream at http://www.stilllivingthedream.com/about-me and on Twitter she is @jpatrickcomm

Julie Pippert specializes in building communities of influencers for brands and nonprofits. She works with Zoetica, sits on the American Cancer Society’s Blogger Advisory Council, and helped launch its Choose You blog. Julie was named one of “The Stir’s” 30 Political Mom Bloggers Who Will Change Your Vote, has consulted with national and local political campaigns, is an editor at TheMotherhood.com, and is a contributor to the blog MOMocrats. You can catch up with her @jpippert on Twitter, on her blog http://theartfulflower.blogspot.com/.

I’m still sick, so I don’t know if I’ll be there this week. But I really want to go, especially since I haven’t gotten over my disappointment with my Klout experiment.

The meeting will be tomorrow, Friday 11/11, at 8:30 am at Canopy. Please RSVP on Facebook.

If you are registered for my class tomorrow at the UH Small Business Development Center, you’re going to get a notification that it’s been cancelled. I’m sick. So sorry!

written on my iphone

The Honorable Annise D. Parker
Mayor, City of Houston
&
The Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Board

Cordially invite you to a reception
celebrating
Houston Hispanic Heritage

Thursday, October 6, 2011
The Downtown Aquarium
410 Bagby
5:30 – 7:30 P.M.

RSVP by Thursday, September 29, 2011
832-393-0815

Business Attire

For those of you interested, here’s the list of classes I have scheduled through the end of the year at the UH Small Business Development Center. Yes, one is tomorrow:

Social Media Measurement and Monitoring
Wednesday, 9/28/2011
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Pay at the door Price: $49.00
Pay On-Line Price: $29.00

Using LinkedIn to Grow Your Business
Thursday, 11/3/2011
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Pay at the door Price: $59.00
Pay On-Line Price: $39.00

 

Social Media Measurement and Monitoring
Thursday, 11/10/2011
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Pay at the door Price: $49.00
Pay On-Line Price: $29.00

Getting Started with Twitter
Thursday, 12/8/2011
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Pay at the door Price: $59.00
Pay On-Line Price: $39.00

Creating a Facebook Business Page
Thursday, 12/15/2011
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Pay at the door Price: $59.00
Pay On-Line Price: $39.00

Location: UH SBDC, 2302 Fannin, Suite 200,
Houston, Texas 77002

Yes, I’m a speaker at this one too…

SAVE THE DATE – Register Now!
City of Houston Department of Planning and Development hosts

Community U: Lessons in Neighborhood Organizing
 
Saturday, October 15, 2011
8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

United Way of Greater Houston
50 Waugh Drive
Houston, TX  77007

Cost: $5/person (Free parking)

The City of Houston Planning and Development Department is hosting its 7th community conference. Spend time with your fellow community leaders and learn all about the latest tools and techniques to make your neighborhood a better place for all. This half-day conference will provide Houstonians with training, resources and solutions through a combination of workshops, presentations and networking opportunities.  Learn about positive changes taking place in neighborhoods throughout Houston.  See how your area can benefit from what other communities have done and discover existing resources your neighborhood may not be taking advantage of right now.  
 
This year’s conference is shaping up to be one of our best. Some of the conference highlights will include a visit by Mayor Annise Parker, information booths from local service providers and lots of door prizes for attendees!
 
Advance registration is required and payment MUST accompany the registration form to attend this half day event. To download the conference brochure and registration form see http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Neighborhood/community_u.html
 
For more information, contact CommunityU@houstontx.gov or 713.837.7803. If you love your community, this is one event you can’t miss!

Registration, etc. is at http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Neighborhood/community_u.html.
More info at CommunityU@houstontx.gov or 713.837.7803.

On Wednesday, September 28th I am giving a presentation on “Social Media Measurement and Monitoring.”

Learn about measurement tools and techniques targeted specifically at your social media applications, how to tell if they’re working, and when to adjust.

If you pre-register and pay online, the class is $29. If you pay at the door it’s $49.

Next Friday, August 12th, I am giving a presentation on “Creating a Facebook Business Page.” For those who attended last month’s “Beyond 2.0 – Using Social Media Effectively” this is an extended view of setting up and using a Facebook business page.

Facebook is the largest social networking site on the planet and is now being used by small businesses to set up meetings, conduct research, promote collaboration and market business.  Attend this workshop and learn how to connect with your audience in new and exciting ways.

In this hands-on workshop, you will learn:

• How to create a Facebook page for your business
• The basic components of Facebook
• The most important types of information to share and with what frequency
• Tips on how to visually engage prospects and customers
• The anatomy and features of successful sites
• How to integrate Facebook into your marketing strategy and branding

Prerequisites:

• Proficient using a mouse and keyboard
• Proficient navigating the Internet
• Able to save and retrieve files in various formats
• An email account you can access remotely

If you pre-register and pay online, the class is $39. If you pay at the door it’s $59.

I put a call out through my networks for examples of effective use of social media by government or public entity for crisis communication. I’m very blessed that I’ve had a lot of responses; I have a wonderful network.

Why do I need examples? I’m freshening up a presentation on Social Media for Government for a presentation the day after tomorrow. “Beyond 2.0 – Using Social Media Effectively” will be presented to the PIO Network, and I wanted to use new examples.

If you have examples to share, leave a comment or send me an email.

If you want to attend the presentation, see the info below.

MEETING NOTICE:

You are cordially invited to attend the next meeting of the Houston/Galveston Regional PIO Network scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 21, 2011.

LOCATION:

The meeting will be hosted by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in its first floor meeting room #109 located at 7600 Washington Avenue in Houston, TX (near Houston TranStar).  If you use a GPS or web-based map program to obtain driving directions, please make sure that you enter “Washington Avenue” (not Washington Street) to obtain correct driving directions.  Free parking is available in the parking garage next door.

TOPIC:  “Beyond 2.0: Using Social Media Effectively”

Are you ready to use social media to communicate with your customers in a crisis?  Do you know: which tools to use? how often to post? how to reach out to your customers?  Sandra Fernandez will cover tips and tricks for everyday maintenance to improve customer engagement and get you ready to use web 2.0 to communicate during that next hurricane, flood, or emergency.

GUEST SPEAKER:

PIO Network member Sandra Fernandez is a communications professional with more than 15 years of experience with higher education, government, and non-profit organizations.  Sandra is currently Manager of Public Relations for the Houston Public Library.  Her strategic use of social media and online services to communicate with Library customers has made the Houston Public Library an industry leader in social media implementation.  In 2009-2010, she co-chaired the Mayor’s Social Media Task Force, a partnership between Houston IABC and the City of Houston to teach neighborhood groups how to use social media to organize civic improvements and stay in touch during a crisis.

PLEASE RSVP:

If you and/or any Guests would like to attend the July 21 meeting, please RSVP by sending an e-mail to:  admin@pionetwork.org

If you have any questions about the PIO Network, please call our Co-Chairs Joe Laud at 713-884-3607 or Chuck Wolf at 281-980-1400 or visit our website at: www.pionetwork.org

Thanks!

I’ve met best-selling authors, well-known actors, national news anchors, politicians at all levels (even a presidential candidate), one first lady, as well as celebrities and internet pseudo-celebrities. I make it through most of these meetings focusing on the task at hand. I don’t go ‘fan girl’ for a lot of people.

But I am, at heart, a geek girl. So my giddy responses tend to run towards the geek factor. Shonali Burke is definitely going to get the fan girl response. I may be so bad as to ask her to pose for a photo. Why? Because she’s brilliant. And she’s coming to Houston.

Shonali Burke Workshop: Commo at the Speed of WARP
Sponsored by Houston Technology Center and A.Brink & Co.
Tue, Jul 19 2011 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM CDT

About Shonali Burke, ABC

Here’s What One Notable IABC Member Has to Say

“There’s a reason I call Shonali a “measurement maven”; she understands metrics, measures results and uses the data to make better business decisions. A strategic thinker who’s not afraid to roll up her sleeves, she knows communications today is a 24/7 cycle, and plans accordingly. Shonali is the consummate 21st century PR professional.”

~ Katie Delahaye Paine, CEO, KDPaine & Partners

And Here’s What We Have to Add

In social media circles nationwide, Shonali Burke, ABC is a super star. In 2010, she was named one of 25 Women Who Rock Social Media. In 2007, PR Week named her one of their Top 40 Under 40.

Prior to starting her consultancy in 2008, Shonali was the ASPCA’s Vice President, Media & Communications, where she was critical in re-inventing the organization’s communications function in its quest to be a leading resource on animal welfare, focusing on research-based, strategic, measurable and integrated communications. Working with measurement leaders KD Paine & Partners, she put in place the organization’s award-winning communications measurement program, which has become the gold standard for non-profit communications measurement.

Shonali is adjunct faculty at Johns Hopkins University’s M.A./Communication program and  one of BNET’s cadre of business bloggers, as their Startup Storyteller. She also serves as editor for Network Solutions’ Women Grow Business blog community.

“I believe strongly in the power of community,” Shonali says, “to give back to the communication community that has given me so much, I am an active member of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), through which I earned my accreditation in 2005. I am IABC/DC Metro‘s Immediate Past President (held the post 2009-2010) and am a past member of IABC’s International Accreditation Council.”

The summer doldrums are upon us and, due to low turnout, we’re discounting our prices an additional $30.00. Claim the very best pricing before midnight Wednesday, July 13; final deadline midnight Sunday, July 17. PRSA, AMA, and Social Media Breakfast members get the IABC Member Rate; and we’ve discounted student rates an additional $20 as well.Don’t miss this great value! We’ve set the agenda, details below. We’re offering GREAT content (and company), light breakfast, lunch, and valet parking – and some priceless one-on-one time with one of American’s top presenters on social media and measurement.

You can still attend! Registration info is on the IABC Houston site.