Lauren Landry of BostInnovation Edu asked that she write a bit about my social media-obsessed self. I was honored to be considered newsworthy! Other BostInnovation Edu spotlightees include fellow BU Social Medialite Emma Tangerine Tangoren.
I get asked these questions a bit from time to time, so I decided to post some excerpts from what’s to come in the BostInnovation Edu piece– stay tuned!
What initially drew you to social media, and what do you think it has the power to do?
I was initially drawn to social media because I thought it had the power to do so much. I’m an advertising major and sociology minor, so I could sense that it was people my age who were really involved and engaging online, and a lot of the conversation was (and still is) about the field of social media itself. I’ve been tweeting since 2009 (January 5th, to be exact– I hope to have a 3 year twanniversary celebration), and at the time, every platform was developing very rapidly. The only people online to engage with at first were fellow Bay State (the nation’s longest-running and award-winning college soap opera) folks, but I’ve always loved watching what brands do in social and how they use this raw space as a way to explore their audiences and their own brand. Every day I come across a new drool-worthy campaign or strategy from somewhere.
Truthfully, when I started thinking about internships and potential career goals during my sophomore year at BU (shout out to Jon Scagos, who sat with me for hours composing my resume and helped set me up for life– his help was extraordinarily valuable), I quickly realized that my obsession with Twitter was something I could leverage to set me apart in the aggressively competitive job market. Every AdAge and Mashable article I’d read said something about how “emerging” the field was, and I knew that, as a “millennial,” I could provide companies with a fresh perspective they need. Twitter and social media was very confusing for a lot of people, and I just decided to keep calm and tweet on.
Many of my positions were self-created and self-appointed. For example, I approached the President of my sorority and explained why a social presence made sense for philanthropic and recruitment efforts. It evolved into a really fun position with Twitter and foursquare presentations to the group, and has served as a relevant way to include my Greek affiliation on my resume.
Let’s talk a little bit about your internship at HBO. Why did you, and the network, find it crucial to implement a Twitter/Hootsuite and social marketing strategy?
Interning with Showtime Networks and HBO were two of the most educational opportunities I’ve had, ever. I interned in essentially the same department at both networks (though the companies are structured differently), and both of the Digital Marketing and Social Media teams taught me so much about gauging audiences, quantifying the social space, and how and why a creative manipulation of the platforms is crucial.
Sabrina Caluori was my supervisor at HBO and she has an absolutely incredible understanding of the bigger picture of social media marketing. Her leadership in particular really emphasized all facets of a social strategy and helped me understand the greater why that, in this industry, often gets buried beneath things that are “cool,” where a lot of brands can forget the actual purpose of their message.
In a meeting last summer, Sabrina said “social media is not a campaign, it is a long-term strategy,” and I’ve loserly been obsessed with that quote ever since. I’m going to get it tattooed on my face. Social media is so new that people get confused between campaign and strategy, but I think HBO’s social media presence is a great example of social media with strategic longevity.
HBO Connect, HBO's social experience
Not many college students have close to 2,400 followers on Twitter. How did you build that following?
I’d like to think that my Twitter following is based on my keen expertise and personal enthusiasm for the space. True life: I’m friends with @JoJoistheway and a lot of her fans follow me for some reason. Anytime she tweets at me my follower count triples. #idonthateit
What’s the craziest @-reply or direct message you’ve ever received?
During the World Cup, an Argentine fan of JoJo @ replied me with a twitpic of a customized “Monte” jersey they’d produced, asking for my address to mail me the gift. I politely declined the offering.
What are your top three favorite Twitter handles and/or blogs to follow?
Holy hashtag, I could never name just 3 faves. On Twitter, I learn the most from following @SabrinaCaluori, @kaitlinmaud, & @schneidermike. Among others, they’ve taught me a lot about the industry and have served as huge mentors whether they know it or not. For entertainment, @lenadunham and @BretEastonEllis are hilarious to follow because they often become the characters they’ve created. My latest favorite blog is DEFINITELY Suri’s Burn Book. Whoever is running that tumblr is absolutely brilliant and poor Suri Cruise has never been, and may never become, quite so awesome.
Stay tuned for the full piece #comingsoon!
Thanks for the #twove, Val!