Recently a Chick-fil-A executive made a statement that caused a bit of a stir in the media and, especially, online. Yesterday, Gizmodo reported that Chick-fil-A (or someone representing them) created fake Facebook accounts (complete with stock photo profile photos) just to defend the company online. Chick-fil-A denies this charge, but it brings up a very important piece of advice for companies trying to navigate the digital landscape: Do not make fake accounts. It’s awfully tempting for companies that see criticism online to want to jump…
Read MoreAs a public service (as promised) and also because we're really swell, here's the official Hodges Digital "cheatsheet" for Facebook Timeline for Brands. This six-page PDF gives you more than enough information to be "dangerous" as you navigate next week's official change to Timeline. It includes advice, shortcuts and key points that everyone should know. Click here to download the HDS Timeline Cheatsheet Please feel free to download, share, spread the gospel, etc.
Read MoreDon't be nervous. Change is good. That should be the Facebook brand statement. Just when you get used to things, the mother of all social media platforms changes things up. No change in recent history has given more marketing folks heartburn as the coming change of Facebook Brands Pages to the Facebook Timeline format. The change is official in just a few days (March 30) and Jim Belosic does a great job of helping marketing folks face this reality in this blog post on PR…
Read MoreIf you are a Facebook marketer like me, today is like Christmas (or for me Chanukah) in February. Because Facebook Timeline for Brands is here and we have a month before it kicks in for good, whether we're ready or not. At first blush (here's the THP page) it is pretty much what we expected with: The new cover photo offering great promotional opportunities The ability to highlight stories for greater impact The ability to minimize or totally edit past posts to tell your story…
Read MoreOne of the most underrated ways to take advantage of all Twitter has to offer is through one of its many regular chat sessions. These are regularly scheduled sessions related to specific topics that are facilitated by using one of Twitter's famous hashtags. One of my favorite chats is the regular #PR20CHAT which has PR pros around the country responding to specific questions or trends that are posed by facilitators. So it got me thinking why not try this on a local #RVA level. We…
Read MoreSo of course I picked the worst two days in recent memory to be out of town on business (although the business partner and I did have plenty of bonding time listening to classic rock. My rendition of "Carry On, My Wayward Son" was especially poignant). Congrats go out to the folks at Venture Richmond including Jack Berry, Lisa Simms and Lucy Meade for seizing the day and quickly organizing the Turning Basin rally last night. This is exactly what we needed and was the point…
Read MoreA quick post here to preview a talk that Sonali and I are giving next Wednesday to PRSA Richmond. They tell me that more than 100 folks have signed up so seats are going fast (more than veiled attempt here to jam the room.) Here's a link to sign up. Even though Hodges Digital Strategies is still in its first year, our learning over the course of the last year or so has been exponential. I peeked back at a similar presentation I gave last…
Read MoreFirst, apologies for not writing as much lately. Frankly, I've been busy both personal and professional and I just haven't had a great deal of value to say. It is humbling to have conversations with many folks and have them tell me they are regular readers of this blog. We're approaching the blog's second birthday and when it began I didn't know where it would take us all. I'm also spending a great deal of time thinking about where things are going. The topic is…
Read MoreThis is a blog post that is more than two years in the making. Past posts have alluded to growth at The Hodges Partnership, mainly focusing on the new two-story addition to the back of our Shockoe Bottom home. But I have hinted at something more, and here it is. Today I'd like to announce the creation of a second business under the Hodges umbrella, Hodges Digital Strategies. HDS is the product of a two-year journey we're taken with a number of folks including our…
Read MoreViral videos, they are the bane of the PR firm’s (yes and/or ad agencies, I admit it) existence. In this age of YouTube, Upstream, Justin.tv, etc. everyone wants to create an online video and send it into the vast viral universe. They dream that it will magically be blessed by the viral/social media gods and gain favor. They dream that each time they hit the “refresh” button the viewer numbers will be higher than the last. Then they wake up. Because the truth is for…
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