We know you love to see live promotion examples of campaigns that are using Votigo’s technology, since they are the easiest way to understand how our platform works. They’re also great for inspiration as you start planning YOUR next campaign!

And speaking of inspiration, we thought you’d enjoy these two campaigns from Gordmans and Nature’s Bounty in particular because they represent the different ways you can leverage Votigo’s various application types to engage and activate your audience.

Gordmans “Love Your Pet” Viral Sweepstakes 

Sweepstakes are a great way to grow your marketing database and drive awareness for your brand. Since they usually only require users to complete a quick registration form in order to enter, their barrier to entry is low, which means your chances of engagement are high. In this campaign, Gordmans is inviting their customers to share how they “Love Their Pet” for a chance to win a Gordmans gift card (to in turn drive traffic in-store). The brand is then also using a referral incentive strategy to encourage people to share their participation in the campaign for an additional chance to win. This drives campaign awareness as well as registration engagement, which is great for marketing list growth! This sweepstakes was built on Votigo’s Enterprise Platform and features mobile responsive design and social sharing.

Nature’s Bounty #DearFutureMe Photo Contest

Nature’s Bounty has launched a promotion that’s designed to give their audience a way to share what the brand means to them.  Entrants are invited to submit a photo with a caption that represents their commitment to a healthy future. Participants can enter via Direct Upload on Desktop, Smartphone or Tablet or with the campaign hashtag #DearFutureMe on Twitter or Instagram. Allowing users to choose their preferred entry method ensures that anyone can enter, maximizing the reach of the promotion. This contest was built by Votigo’s talented full-service development team and features fully responsive design, a custom header image carousel and viral ‘share’ functionality to increase campaign reach.

Want to learn more about how Votigo’s solutions can go to work for your brand? Click here to chat with one of our Account Representatives.

Welcome back for week three in our “Learn From the Pros” Blog Series! This series is designed to promote the sharing of information across our customer base so that we can all learn from each other as we navigate the various ways Social Marketing can be leveraged for brand success.

This week we’re chatting with Rebecca Brown from J. Walter Thompson. We’ve been working with Rebecca and her team since 2014 and are excited to share her thoughts on how contests & sweepstakes have helped JWT achieve their clients’ brand objectives. Rebecca brings terrific experience to the table, so we hope you enjoy!

Votigo: How long have you been with J. Walter Thompson?

Rebecca: About a year and a half.

Votigo: What is your role there? How did you get started in Marketing?

Rebecca: I’m the VP of Social Media and Content. Prior to this role, I founded a company called Bunch that produced events and content for hipster parents. I spun it into a content and social media consultancy that specialized in marketing to influencer parents. Then I sold it to a social media agency.

Votigo: What are your biggest goals & initiatives for J. Walter Thompson’s clients in 2017?

Rebecca: We are growing our influencer practice, optimizing our proprietary approach to surfacing consumer insights via social listening and using JWT Storymap (our strategic process for leveraging hotspots in internet culture to bring brands to life within social) to make awesome things happen across all of our client’s businesses.

Votigo: How often do you run contests or sweepstakes currently? What is the strategy behind your chosen frequency? And what platforms do you run them on?

Rebecca: We run contests and sweepstakes when it makes the idea better. It’s not about frequency, it’s about relevance and fit. And it’s super important that the contest does more than drive short term trial. It has to build equity for the brand. We’ll run campaigns across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, the Web and Mobile.

Votigo: Can you share your thoughts on these social platforms in regards to your business? Do you tend to engage with one more than the others? Why?

Rebecca: It’s not so much that we engage with one more than the other. Rather it’s that different platforms have different etiquettes. So we use the platform that makes the most sense for the idea or we tailor the content to the customs and social graces of the platform.

Votigo: Is there a type of campaign that you would like to run but haven’t yet? Why not?

Rebecca: We’d love to make a scripted web series. We’re also keen to use AI to design extremely valuable customer care experiences that are also delightful. Pretty sure we’ll do both of these things in 2017.

Votigo: What solution do you use for your contests & sweepstakes? Do you prefer a full-service offering or a self-service platform?

Rebecca: We like to have the option of either a full-service or self-service option, or a hybrid of the two when it comes to working with Votigo. Depends on the idea and the budget.

Votigo: What piece of advice would you share with someone who is just starting out with social contests & sweepstakes?

Rebecca: Make sure it builds the brand!

Votigo:  What are your favorite blogs or books on Marketing or your other interests?

Rebecca: I read from my feed which is a healthy mix of the usual suspects (TechCrunch, HBR, VentureBeat) rounded with a little Teen Vogue (they are crushing it) and some embarrassing celeb gossip sites. Plus The Skimm and Latest.is.

Thanks for participating in “Learn From the Pros”, Rebecca!

-The Votigo Team

If you haven’t had a chance to check out our new and improved Votigo Resource Center yet, definitely make it a point to pay a visit! We created this library of resources as a way to share information that we believe will help inspire our customers as you plan and execute your Social Marketing programs.

This week, we’re excited to showcase our Viral Sweepstakes Learning Series. This guide will show you how the presence of a referral incentive can really work wonders when it comes to increasing your campaigns’ registration numbers.

You’ll learn how referral incentives can generate exponential entries into your campaign, and how that behavior can really boost the growth of your email marketing lists. And to help inspire you as your plan your next Viral Sweepstakes, we’ve included a helpful case study as reference.

Interested in learning more about Viral Sweepstakes in particular, or any of our other campaign offerings? Click here to chat with one of our Account Representatives.

If you keep up with Facebook’s ever changing and growing ad platform, you may have noticed the Lead Ads option. Instead of sending potential sign-ups to a landing page and then hoping they follow through to fill out your opt-in form, you can collect their information right within Facebook. As a marketer, I’m thrilled about this new convenience.

Here’s how you get started.

• Hit Create Ad.
• Then click Collect Leads for Your Business.
• Create your audience. The most important thing? Choosing specific targeting based on interests.
• Set a small daily budget. I recommend $10 to start.  Then, once the ad starts performing, you can scale accordingly. If you invest less than this, you might not see get an accurate representation of the ad performance.

STEP 1: CREATE YOUR LEAD ADS FORM

Keep it as simple as possible. For example, if you don’t need location information, then don’t ask for it. Only collect the bare minimum. If someone clicks on your form, and is hit with a bunch of fill-in-the-blanks, they’ll exit without submitting their information.

For example, let’s say you’re trying to grow your text marketing list. You definitely want to collect first name and phone number; at the bare minimum.

When setting up your lead ads form, Facebook also requires the inclusion of a privacy policy. This helps new sign-ups feel secure in submitting their information.

STEP 2: ASSIGN A RELEVANT POST-SUBMISSION LANDING PAGE 

Where do you want your sign-ups to go after submitting their information? Maybe you want to send them right to a sales funnel; in hopes of making a small sale. Or, maybe you just to direct them to a blog post packed with tons of helpful content. While you have their attention, make the most of this interaction.

STEP 3: CHOOSE AN APPLICABLE GRAPHIC

In my personal experience, editorial images yield the highest performance, as they give the user something to relate to. If people aren’t familiar with your company, using a branded image will do no good. People just won’t recognize the image, and will therefore keep scrolling. Because the Lead Ads charge based on impressions, this will skyrocket your cost per lead. The more your lead costs; the less money you make on the interaction. However; if chosen correctly, the lifestyle aspect of an editorial will capture more attention and lead to more sign-ups.

STEP 4: GET RIGHT TO THE POINT WITH AN IRRESISTIBLE HEADLINE

Offering a bonus in exchange for information? Make that very clear. Don’t beat around the bush, as this could reduce the amount of interest in your ad. For example, let’s say you’re offering one free 30-minute consultation for all new opt-ins. For your ad headline, use something like “First 50 Sign-Ups Get a Free Consultation!” The first 50 portion creates a sense of urgency, while the word “free” always catches the attention of a potential opt-in.

STEP 5: SET UP AN AUTORESPONDER SERIES FOR ALL NEW SIGN-UPS

When it comes to marketing and customer relationship management, you always want to get the most bang for your buck. Don’t just collect an email address or telephone number and then call it a day. You want to build a relationship with this lead. Nurture each sign-up by taking them through a welcome series.

In this series, be sure to include the following.

• If there was an offer promised, deliver it immediately.
• Let them know what to expect, communication wise. Will you be emailing once a week? Every day? If they know what to expect, they’re more likely to stay on your list.
• Offer valuable information. A welcome series can also be treated like an educational funnel. Get sign ups comfortable with the language of your industry. For example, if I am promoting an info product called “How to Self Publish Your First Book in 60 Days,” I might want to use the terms ISBN, cover, paperback and manuscript in my welcome series. When you start familiarizing subscribers with the language of your industry, they will recognize an offer when it comes through.

Facebook Lead Ads provide a huge opportunity; as they simplify growing your list of contacts. Whether you’re collecting email addresses or phone numbers, this is definitely the way to go when looking to build a customer database. Once you collect this information, focus on nurturing your leads and segmenting according to predetermined factors.

When it comes to paid advertising in general, be sure to note the following rules.

• Keep your eyes on the ROI from day one. Even if your budget is small, you need to know how your marketing dollars are performing and what kind of return you’re getting.
• Split test different visuals, headlines, descriptions, and more. However, when testing one version against another, only test one element at a time. This prevents data from being skewed.
• Remember, Facebook Lead Ads charge based on the number of impressions. With that said, eliminate any opportunity for unqualified views. For example, if you find that women 24-32 are responding best to your ad, tighten up your target audience.

Give Facebook Lead Ads a try for your business. It makes growing your list simple and convenient for the end user.

This article was originally written by Kristen Vanstrom for the Heyo blog. 

We all know that a healthy marketing mix must include a strong visual content component to round out and complement the rest of your brand’s strategic efforts. But what we at Votigo are particularly interested in are the ways that the power of visual content can be leveraged in the context of Online and Social Promotions. So today, we’re exploring 3 key ways in which the rules that apply to visual marketing can be used to further the success of your social marketing campaigns.

1. 40% OF PEOPLE WILL RESPOND BETTER TO VISUAL INFORMATION THAN PLAIN TEXT

This means that there’s a huge opportunity to capitalize on the power of visual recall and use it to your advantage within a photo or video oriented promotion. Consider a call-to-action that invites your audience to share a photo, either directly or via #hashtag, that shows what your brand means to them. Research suggests that the visual conversation created by this kind of user experience will go a long way in creating the perfect setting for brand awareness and engagement. 

2. VISUAL CONTENT IS 40 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE SHARED ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA

More likely than any other kind of content. This is great news for your UGC (user-generated-content) campaigns. Pair this tendency to share with our built-in campaign functionality which promotes and even incentivizes social sharing, and you have the perfect formula for campaign success. We see this come to life in the context of a campaign in which people are encouraged to share their photo or video entry in order to solicit votes, to further increase their chances of winning. This visual content ‘share’ spreads across a user’s entire social network, only serving to further drive campaign and brand awareness. All good things for you!

3. USER-GENERATED CONTENT WILL WORK THE HARDEST FOR YOUR BRAND WHEN IT COMES TO AUTHENTICITY

While the things we say about ourselves as a brand can certainly have a lot of impact on an audience’s likelihood to favor us, nothing works quite as well as user generated content in creating a sense of genuine authenticity. And as human beings, we are more inclined to trust the opinions of others over messaging from a brand that risks feeling ‘sales-y’ and insincere. This is why UGC promotions like contests, sweepstakes and evergreen galleries are so valuable for brand awareness and engagement. They allow people to participate in a brand’s conversation, showcasing their relationship to the brand and its importance to them. 

It’s clear to see that there are a number of ways to harness the power of visual content and use it to your advantage in the context of a social marketing campaign. Create a visual conversation across Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and more and watch how it increases your brand awareness and engagement.

Want to learn more about how Votigo’s solutions can go to work for your brand? Click here to chat with one of our Account Representatives.

A few weeks ago, we introduced Votigo’s latest blog series: Learn From the Pros. This series is designed to promote the sharing of information across our customer base so that we can all learn from each other as we navigate the various ways Social Marketing can be leveraged for brand success.

This week we’re chatting with Jesse Ferrell from AccuWeather. We’ve been working with Jesse and his team since 2014 and are excited to share his thoughts on how contests & sweepstakes have helped him achieve AccuWeather’s brand objectives. Jesse brings over 20 years of experience to the table, so we hope you enjoy!

Votigo: How long have you been with AccuWeather?

Jesse: 20 years! I’ve seen it all. 🙂 It’s been interesting to see the changes in the company and the technology over two decades.

Votigo: What is your role there? How did you get started? What were you doing before that?

Jesse: I am currently the Social Media Manager of our Social Media team. I developed AccuWeather’s Social Media channels in the late 2000s, utilizing our unique news stories and videos about the weather to inform and engage. I’ve been doing Social Media since before it was called Social Media. I ran online communities of weather enthusiasts in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Votigo: What are your biggest goals & initiatives for AccuWeather in 2017?

Jesse: We would like to continue to increase our engagement, experiment more with live video, and revamp our analytics.

Votigo: How often do you run contests or sweepstakes currently? And what platforms do you run them on?

Jesse: Seasonally — 2-4 times per year. We run them predominantly on Facebook, but promote them through Twitter, our brand website, and mobile.

Votigo: Can you share your thoughts on these social platforms in regards to your business? Do you tend to engage with one more than the others?

Jesse: Facebook is our predominant platform for engagement, with Twitter being second. We were big on Facebook early and now, more of our dedicated fans are there.

Votigo: Is there a type of campaign that you would like to run but haven’t yet? Why not?

Jesse: Not yet but we’re always open to new ideas. Because we’re a publisher in constant contact with our users, we don’t run as many promotional campaigns as Social Media departments with product companies.

Votigo: What solution do you use for your contests & sweepstakes? Do you prefer a full-service offering or a self-service platform?

Jesse: We use Votigo in as full-service a capacity as possible. For example, we recognize that we’re not experts in prize fulfillment or legal contracts, so we’d rather farm that out.

Votigo: What piece of advice would you share with someone who is just starting out with social contests & sweepstakes?

Jesse: Keep it simple!

Votigo:  What are your favorite blogs or books on Marketing or your other interests?

Jesse: We watch the official blogs of the Social Media outlets and scan the tech and analytics company blogs (Shareablee is a favorite). I am a meteorologist by training, which obviously helps with the day-to-day duties here at AccuWeather. I am the resident “gadget guy” and enjoy weather photography and storm chasing.

Votigo:  Is there anything else you’d like to share with the Votigo blog audience?

Jesse: I would like to say that it’s a whole different world for publishers on Social Media. Most studies, whitepapers, stats and advice are for product companies… at AccuWeather, we are lucky enough to have an excuse (current weather news) to interact with our fans daily, even hourly. Because of that constant stream of content, we don’t have to do a lot of your typical promotional campaigns or in-depth editorial calendars. The challenge, however, is that we have to be flexible with what we plan to put out on Social Media each day… because the weather can change in a heartbeat.

Thanks for participating in “Learn From the Pros”, Jesse!

-The Votigo Team

Last week, we shared our new and improved Votigo Resource Center with you, as part of our ongoing effort to provide you with the tools and information to help you be as successful as possible with your Social Marketing programs.

Our Learning Series is one of the more noticeable additions to the updated Resource Center. This series will be comprised of a library of guides to help you better understand the benefits of the various promotion types that Votigo offers.

Today, we’re excited to showcase our UGC Contests Learning Series. This guide will show you how user-generated-content promotions such as photo or video contests can be used to engage your audience and collect meaningful and relevant brand content.

You’ll learn the benefits that are specific to UGC Contests, and take a closer look into how they work to accomplish your brand objectives. And to help inspire you as you plan your next UGC campaign, we’ve also included a helpful case study as reference.

Interested in learning more about UGC Contests in particular, or any of our other campaign offerings? Click here to chat with one of our Account Representatives.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! But don’t worry – there’s still time to launch an engaging social promotion to celebrate! And more importantly, a brand doesn’t have to be directly associated with Valentine’s Day in order to be able to capitalize on the buzz surrounding the Holiday. Chances are your audience already participates in Valentine’s Day anyway, so why not engage them by tapping into a behavior they’re already doing, for a chance to win something that IS relevant to your brand?

Let’s take a look at some examples to help inspire you as you start planning your Valentine’s Day campaign!

Last year, popular dog food brand Blue Buffalo ran a campaign that did a great job of activating their audience around the Valentine’s Day holiday. In this campaign, participants were able to create a custom Valentine’s Day card that featured their lovable pet. They were then encouraged to share the cards throughout their social media networks (hint: this is a great way to build brand and campaign awareness!) for a chance to win any number of a series of daily Blue Buffalo giveaways.

Another fun way to engage your audience is to run an Enter-To-Win Sweepstakes in which the prize is a romantic weekend away for two, courtesy of your brand. This gives you a great way into the Valentine’s Day conversation no matter what your brand is.

Simple enter-to-win sweepstakes typically only require that the user complete a quick registration form in order to enter. When the barrier to entry is this low, we typically see that campaign engagement levels are rewardingly high. So, campaigns like the one Flyerland ran for Valentine’s Day a few years ago are great ways to generate emails for your marketing database while simultaneously engaging your audience around the Valentine’s Day holiday!

Ready to learn more about how we can bring a Valentine’s Day promotion to life for you? Click here to chat with one of our Account Representatives.

We love sharing live examples with you because we really believe they are the best way to understand Votigo’s services. They’re also a great way to get inspired as you strategize on YOUR next promotion!

This week, we’re happy to share two cool new promotions from Pfizer and Angie’s List. Take a look!

Pfizer: #TweetForHope Twitter Sweepstakes

Pfizer launched this Twitter Sweepstakes as a way to allow people to engage in a meaningful conversation about living with hemophilia. It is a great way to drive brand awareness while also delivering on a positive brand experience. In order to participate, people are invited to Tweet a message about what or who inspires hope in their life. The Votigo system then aggregates all entries containing the specific promotional hashtag for the campaign – #Tweet4Hope – resulting in a branded conversation feed to serve as the digital hub for the campaign. Built by Votigo’s talented Full-Service Development Team, this promotion features an English/French language toggle, a custom Register-and-Tweet page and mobile responsive design.

Angie’s List: Laundry Room Refresh Voting Campaign

Angie’s List just launched a fun and engaging Voting Campaign in which people can vote for their favorite before-and-after laundry room makeover. Voting campaigns are a great way to engage an audience and bring them into your larger brand conversation. And when you require that people register in order to vote, that’s a great way to build upon your email marketing database! This promotion was built on Votigo’s Enterprise Platform and features direct or Tweet-to-vote functionality, social sharing and mobile responsive design.

Votigo has all the tools you need to plan, create, launch and manage a successful promotion in no time. If you’re ready to get started, click here to schedule a live demo with an Account Representative.

INSTALLMENT #1: THE CO-OPERATORS

To add to the list of information we share with you that’s designed to help inspire you as you plan your next promotion, we’re happy to announce Votigo’s latest blog series: Learn From the Pros. The series is designed to promote the sharing of information across our customer base so that we can all learn from each other as we navigate the various ways Social Marketing can be leveraged for brand success.

Today we’re chatting with Paulina Dudzinska and Katie Dance from Canadian insurance and investment company The Co-operators. We’ve been working with Paulina and Katie for over 2 years now and are excited to share their thoughts on how contests & sweepstakes have helped them achieve their brand objectives. We hope you enjoy!

Votigo: How long have you been with The Co-operators?

Paulina: 9 years this year! 8 years with MarCom and 4 years in Social Media.
Katie – I just hit my 6 years this past December. 4.5 years with Public Affairs and 1.5 years with Social Media.

Votigo: What are your roles there? How did you get started? What were you doing before that?

Paulina: Currently, I am the Manager of the Social Media department. My previous role was a Social Media Consultant for 2 years and prior to that was a subject matter expert in advertising with a focus on digital which catapulted my interest and passion for social media.
Katie –I am currently the Social Media Specialist on our small, but mighty, team.

Votigo: What are your biggest goals & initiatives for The Co-operators in 2017?

Paulina & Katie: Our team’s priorities are:

– Operationalize Social Customer Care and align it to our Omni-Channel approach and distribution model. Connect this service offering with our agencies, contact centres and web presence.

– Focus on long-term story arcs that discuss topics of mutual interest with our Canadian audiences like; climate change, community resiliency, Canada’s 150^th anniversary etc.

– Integration, integration and more integration! Social is not a stand-alone channel and cannot be successful without strategic alignment and integration into all facets of the business.

– Crisis communication planning. We all know that emergencies or high-risk stories happen online more than on traditional channels. We need to be prepared with a well thought out plan.

– Robust tracking and analytics – our focus will be to truly understand the brand equity and ROI impact of our social media efforts.

– Equip our 500+ producers with adequate support on social media through content, lead signaling and ease of use.

And more…!

Votigo: How often do you run contests or sweepstakes currently? And what platforms do you run them on?

Paulina & Katie: When appropriate to the project or initiative. We don’t like to overdo it with this tactic by trying to entice our social communities only to engage with us because there’s a golden carrot dangling in from of them (a prize). Contests and sweepstakes are decided based on strategic alignment to the overarching goals and objectives and designed to be meaningful and valuable to our audiences. For example, last year we ran a voting contest to announce the launch of our new brand campaign. We gave Canadian audiences the opportunity to vote on character names, have a voice in our brand and help us continue developing ongoing story arcs to support the awareness of our new TV and digital commercials. This proved to be quite successful; we received over 1,000 votes and increased our YouTube video views to 600,000+!

Integration is key here as well but we often rely on tried and true platforms like Facebook (to embed apps) or microsites. Other channels act as supporting mechanisms for content distribution and driving traffic to the final destination for increased reach and participation. Social advertising is another key ingredient in the success of each campaign – it’s no longer a free lunch out there.

Votigo: Can you share your thoughts on these social platforms in regards to your business? Do you tend to engage with one more than the others?

Paulina & Katie: For the Financial Services industry, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram (new) seem to be the most successful for engagement. Our core audiences and key prospects (millennials) are most active on these platforms and respond well to a blend of content and campaigns provided the mix is authentic and valuable. We could try our hand at Snapchat or other hot-right-now channels but we apply a strategic mindset to where we believe we should be present based on research and brand alignment. We could be everywhere but that would only dilute our efforts and stretch us too thin to be successful in engaging with the right audiences.

We’ve seen the most success around topics on Distracted Driving, lifestyle content, Mental Health and our support for Kids Help Phone (BroTalk) and other hot button topics that are of mutual interest to our communities. It’s not always about Product. Test and optimize every chance you get to better understand your audience. The Co-operators uses Personas (client segmentations) to ensure we reach the right audience at the right time with the right message – it’s not a ‘spray and pray’ approach that leaves you hoping for the best!

Votigo: Is there a type of campaign that you would like to run but haven’t yet? Why not?

Paulina & Katie: Good question! We’ve tried many tactics like voting, Myth vs. Fact, sweepstakes and traditional contests to drive engagement and increase brand equity.

Right now, we’re planning to launch a campaign with Votigo to promote Canadian family pride and celebrate Canada’s 150^th anniversary with a photo modifying app. Think snapchat filters and user generated content! We’re pretty excited about this new initiative and the outcomes through 2017!

Votigo: What solution do you use for your contests & sweepstakes? Do you prefer a full-service offering or a self-service platform?

Paulina & Katie: A blend of both! Find a vendor that gives you and your brand the autonomy through self-serve options for cost efficiencies but also partners with you on high profile strategic initiatives through a full-service offering model. We love working with Votigo because of their flexibility, expertise and high degree of service and account management- we consider them a strategic partner and look forward to collaborating on many more initiatives in the future!

Votigo: What piece of advice would you share with someone who is just starting out with social contests & sweepstakes?

Paulina & Katie: No matter where your social promotion will be hosted, ask yourself these questions to ensure that you’re setting your team and brand up for success:

• Do you have the time and resources to devote to the planning, management, and engagement that will be required?
• Do you have the budget to give a prize to incentivize participation?
• Is the contest part of a larger integrated marketing campaign?
• Do you have clear goals for this contest?

Here’s a high-level framework that we follow at The Co-operators:

• Set clear goals/objectives
• Select the social network you will launch on and learn the rules of that site!
• Define details (tactics)
• Integrate between online and offline channels
• Get legal and compliant not only with your internal processes but understand that each social network has its own nuances. Understand them before you start your campaign to avoid unpleasant setbacks.
• Prepare to promote and converse
• Launch!
• Manage the campaign
• Analyze the result
• Continue to engage with your community afterwards

Votigo:  What are your favorite blogs or books on Marketing or your other interests?

Paulina: My go-to blogs & websites are: Mashable eMarketer Daily, Strategy Daily, CEB Global (Marketing edition), Social Media Examiner, LinkedIn Newsfeed (anything and everything is valuable), Marketing Profs, Forbes, Economist, Globe & Mail (anything business-related)
Katie – Marketing Blogs and Newsletters: Marketing Dive, CEB Global (Marketing edition), Harvard Business Review, SmartBrief, Mashable, Canadian Marketing Association Blog, LinkedIn Newsfeed and Pulse, UnMarketing. Marketing Books: Seth Godin, Simon Sinek, Guy Kawasaki, Joe Pulizzi, Jay Baer. Non-marketing related my favourite blog is Kottke – a true delve into the beauty and amazingness of the internet and the stories and interesting things that can be found!

Votigo:  Is there anything else you’d like to share with the Votigo blog audience?

Paulina & Katie: Social is fast-moving, ever-changing and so much in real-time that it can be exhausting to keep up. Prioritize what your brand wants to achieve, align it to strategic objectives and set your plan. Be flexible and agile because you’ll be modifying as you go along, just don’t stray away from your vision too much.

Don’t forget that social is just like a conversation, except it’s happening online. Successful businesses listen first and sell second. Going out there guns a blazin’ with hard sales-focused content and campaigns won’t bode well. Use social to humanize your brand and your business. Oh, and grow some thick skin! Not every conversation is sugar and spice, everything nice. Have fun!

Thanks for participating in the first installment of our “Learn From the Pros” blog series, Paulina & Katie!

-The Votigo Team