EPISODE 6
the Youzus Report
1
TRIBUTE TO
4
NELSON MANDELA SOCIAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
12
YEAR IN REVIEW TOP 3
15
CHRISTMAS MOVIES FEATURE OF THE MONTH
17
BLUE GENIE [QUIZ] ARE YOU
15
NAUGHTY OR NICE? #DOINGITRIGHT
25
TACO BELL NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS
28
FOR SOCIAL MEDIA HEAR US OUT...
30
TO SANTA #DOINGITRIGHT AT CHRISTMAS
26
WESTJET
COVER PHOTOGRAPHER BULLER PHOTOGRAPHY
2
The Youzus Report
Table Of Contents
• Social Media Advice • • Interviews with Social Media Rockstars • • Creative Articles • Your one-stop shop for all things social media.
the Youzus Report
3
Tribute To Nelson Mandela
Written by Leah Bae
TRIBUTE TO NELSON MANDELA On December 5, 2013, the world lost a great leader and friend. I remember feeling my face drop the day my iPhone pinged me with a CNN Breaking News alert that “Former South African president Nelson Mandela has died at 95.” Immediately turning to my Facebook and Twitter feeds, I was able to verify through reputable newsmakers and internet citizens that the passing of Nelson Mandela was, in fact, true. Collectively, the world mourned. Like many others, though I had not had the privilege to see Mandela in person, I knew and had learned of his legacy of anti-apartheid revolution. He continues to serve as an inspiration to countless world leaders. The courage in which he was able to affect the vulnerable political atmosphere in South Africa with resonates ways beyond the borders of the small state. He is one of the main reasons we live in the world with the values we do today. His message is one of peace, love, and perseverance. As current President Jacob Zuma remarked in his official statement, we see in Mandela “what we seek in ourselves”. He kept a country together during an unstable time which could have easily produced a civil war. Nelson Mandela was a proponent of equality for all races. Equipped with the knowledge that “people must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love”, Mandela set to create a nation where opinions were not shaped by skin colour, background, or religion, but by freedom, equality and respect. Rest in peace, Madiba. You did more for our world than we could ever thank you for.
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” ~ Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) 4
The Youzus Report
the Youzus Report
5
Creative Driver
Written by Sonya Gill
CREATIVE DRIVER Tis the season to be grateful. It’s a time to reflect upon the past year, to see how far you’ve come, the friends you made, the laughs you shared, and of course the wine you drank (or I drank!). But it is also a year to truly be grateful for everything that surrounds you.
everything that we DO have and everything that IS working for us in our lives – definitely something to reflect upon as we enter the new year.
I was having a conversation with a friend of mine the other night and we were talking about how 2013 was such a whirlwind. It was mixed with the good, bad and down right ugly. But looking back on it, I wouldn’t have changed a single thing. In actuality, everything panned out as it should have and that’s the funny thing about life. Sometimes we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of For me, I am grateful for my our lives, we forget to take a Mother and Father who have moment and be grateful for taught me to build thick skin,
6
The Youzus Report
to my sisters who are my biggest supporters (and critics), my brother in laws who are two of the biggest comedians I’ve come to know, my friends (and mentors) whom without them my journey would not be complete, my clients who I truly look up to as an entrepreneur, and of course my team - whom without this year would be incomplete. Looking forward to an incredible year a h e a d and thank you to all of YOU from the bottom of my heart for supporting The Youzus Report/ Dream.
10 BRANDS TO FOLLOW ON LINKEDIN LinkedIn is a great platform to connect with individuals and businesses. Lately, it has become so prominent for brands to highlight their achievements, activities and updates on their LinkedIn Company Page. We’ve done our research and here are 10 Brands you should follow on LinkedIn:
1
ADOBE
6
HUBSPOT
2
APPLEONE
7
KELLOGG
3
COMMONWEALTH BANK
8
4
DELL
MARKETPLACE HOME MORTGAGE
9
5
FOUR SEASONS
10
MASHABLE NPR
the Youzus Report
7
Written By Ara Ehamparam
TECHNOLOGY IMPACTING HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE I love the Christmas holidays. When I see the first snowfall, I get that warm, fuzzy feeling in my stomach. It’s a chance to connect with friends and family as well as re-connect with people that you have not seen in a while. For some people, this can be great, for others, the holidays unfortunately bring an onslaught of negative feelings like sadness and dread. I blame technology.
FACEBOOK/TWITTER’S ACCESSIBILITY The aforementioned platforms give everyone, friends and strangers alike, access to what’s happening with your life. This is great for the lurkers who like to see what everyone else is up to but not share anything about their lives. However, there’s no element of surprise when people do get together. Your friend that you haven’t spoken to in a year because they were away for a job found out that you met Ryan Gosling at 8
The Youzus Report
TIFF through a picture you were tagged in by a friend’s friend. Instead of seeing a person’s reaction to such an exciting piece of news, you have to struggle to come up with something else to carry the conversation.
what’s happening elsewhere than enjoying the moment with the people they are with.
Put away those phones and enjoy the moment.
Technology is great in that we can access so much information so quickly and conveniently. But it’s also made It’s amazing that phones people less able to carry a have rapidly improved year- conversation. At our very over-year and have become core, human beings essentially miniaturized were created to be computers with a ton of cool social beings. Techfeatures, with one big one nology was meant being cameras. The younger to be a compliment generation are big culprits to what the human of this and I see increasingly body could do. number of older people doing this as well. I’m talking about the incessant need to take pictures of every moment. Maybe I’m old-school, but I prefer to store a memory in my brain and think about it the way I want. It’s definitely nice having a picture to capture a night, but not a hundred of them.
PHONES & THEIR CAMERAS
INFORMATION OVERLOAD People are more focused on their gadgets than the people around them. When I was younger, when I went to a Christmas party, people actually spoke to each other. I’m being dramatic when I say this, but there’s a noticeable shift to people constantly checking their phones to see
However, the Christmas experience is rapidly being reduced to Facebook posts, tweets and boards filled with commentary and pictures of great memories that are quickly forgotten by the people that experienced them. Next time you go out for a holiday party, put your phone on silent and remind yourself to only use that camera for very important pictures. You may actually end up enjoying yourself.
14
PEOPLE TO FOLLOW THIS HOLIDAY SEASON:
@SAMMYTELLEM (554,517) @QUEENHONEYC (502,018) @EVANCARMICHAEL (183,593) @IISUPERWOMANII (192,121) @BLOGTO (185,677) @IQUOTESWAG (183,485) @UNMARKETING (161,400) @THEMARKETAIRE (130,040) @DARYNJONES (126,060) @RAEHANBOBBY (102,683) @ROB_ROSS (106,139) @ALIYAJASMINE (76,152) @THEJORDANRULES (75,149) @SLASHLEEN (72,269) @MYSODOTCOM (616,007) the Youzus Report
9
Article
Written by Kristen Rubisch
My Christmas Wishlist
Believe it or not, this was a difficult article for me to write. I’m pretty sure it’s the first year I didn’t have a long list of all the things I don’t need. So in lieu of my personal list, I’ve creeped the Internet for the most hilarious and creative things kids want this year from the jolly man himself. Enjoy! 1. “My 3 year old really wants ANOTHER invisible puppy for Christmas.” No problem, anything you want sweetheart. 2. “My 10 year old asked for a butler, my 8 year old a maid to clean his room and my 6 year old requested ‘someone who will do all my jobs I don’t like’” - These poor kids must have way too many chores to deal with. 3. “My 3-year-old said ‘Mommy, I would like the colour purple for Christmas.’ ‘Anything else sweetie?’ I ask. ‘A unicorn and a rainbow, too, please.’ - I would love to see how you wrap the colour purple. 4. “My 8-year-old is asking for the Swedish Chef from the Muppets. Not a toy or puppet — he wants the actual Swedish Chef Muppet!” – How do you determine the authenticity of the actual Swedish Chef Muppet? 5. “I’m almost embarrassed to admit this BUT...my 3-year-old son would like Santa to bring him JUSTIN BIEBER for Christmas this year!” – Yeah I’ve been asking for Ryan Gosling for years. Good luck with that. 6. “My daughter said she wants a princess for Christmas.” – Don’t we all honey, don’t we all. 7. Socks – This is my own personal contribution. I really need them.
Hope Santa is good to you all!
10
The Youzus Report
the Youzus Report
11
A YEAR IN REVIEW: SOCIAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
Social media grows at an exponential rate every year. In 2013, we observed trends in changes to advertising, visual integration, and privacy controls. Below, in chronological order, are the top ten milestone changes in social media user interaction.
SNAPCHAT LAUNCHES STORIES
Snapchat Stories allow users to escape its 10-second photo sharing limit and let their friends a little more into their life.
FACEBOOK UNVEILS GRAPH SEARCH
2013
Graph Search allows Facebook users to obtain search results by entering natural language search queries, as one would on Google search.
VINE TAKES OVER! Vine become the “in” social media platform challenging users to create 6 second video that leaves an impression.
TWITTER INTEGRATES VISUAL TWEETS HASHTAGS APPEAR ON FACEBOOK By typing hashtags in almost any space on Facebook, users can create clickable links and use them to search related topics and more.
Tweeps no longer have to click ‘Expand’ to view photos in tweets; they are now automatically enlarged and embedded in users’ feeds.
INSTAGRAM INCORPORATES VIDEO Having originally launched as a photo sharing platform, Instagram’s introduction of videos to users has made it competitive to Vine.
12
The Youzus Report
GOOGLE REQUIRES YOUTUBE COMMENTS TO DERIVE STRICTLY FROM GOOGLE+ ACCOUNTS Google, in its ownership of YouTube, makes it a requirement for all commenters to be connected with a Google+ account, thus blocking anonymity from the site.
FACEBOOK REMOVES A KEY PRIVACY SETTING
PROMOTED TWEETS COME TO CANADA
Following the introduction of Graph Search, Facebook users no longer have the option to opt out of these search results.
Although promoted been available in States since 2010, troduction came to land, and Canada
tweets have the United this new inthe UK, Irein late 2013.
2014
PINTEREST INTRODUCES LOCATION BASED PINS Pins can now be geo-tagged with the user’s location of choice.
INSTAGRAM BRINGS IN ADS Like their competitors, Instagram allows businesses to pay for ads which appear on users feeds with the label ‘Sponsored’.
the Youzus Report
13
So Good. So Pure. It’s Nanak.
14
The Youzus Report
Top 3 Christmas Movies
It’s that time of the season when going out to a restaurant, playing outdoor sports or just leaving the house simply isn’t an option. That is unless you enjoy wearing three layers of clothing just to avoid being sick for the next week. The next best thing is having a lazy day in, where you are snuggled into a blanket with a hot cup of tea and watch some Christmas classics on TV. Here’s my top 3 list, but tweet us at @youzus_inc with your top 3 movies to watch during Christmas.
3. THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL I think the theme you will see with my choices is that with all the movies I talk about on this list, they bring you back to your childhood. That feeling of nostalgia that you get when you think back to your care-free days as a kid is hard to replace. The Muppets were part of my TV diet (while they were on “Sesame Street”) which also included “Underneath the Umbrella Tree”, “Pookaro” and “Ghost Writer”, just to name of a few of the obscure things I watched. Just writing these TV shows down makes me want to curl up into a ball, cry and then time travel back to my childhood.
2. MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET The movie isn’t the sexy pick for a lot of people but it really does bring me back to my childhood in terms of my naive but innocent belief in the existence of the man they call Santa Claus. I could identify with the little girl who believed in Santa. It’s hard to be the only one going against the crowd, but I learned to stand up for what I believed in (yes from a children’s Christmas movie). This movie will have you cheering for the underdog (Santa) right when you first meet him and the ending has you believing that good always prevails (it’s a nice thought...until you grow up).
1. HOME ALONE 1&2 I know we listed two movies, but both parts pretty much have the same plot. And it’s arguable 95% of the population’s Christmas movie of choice. It’s hard to explain but nothing brings more Christmas joy into a house through the TV than these movies. When I see re-runs of the 10 parts of Home Alone (okay 3) on TV, I know it’s getting close to Christmas. Christmas Movies and Eggnog, does life get any better? the Youzus Report
15
Interview
IN TER VIEW EXPERIENCE
GENIE
16
The Youzus Report
It’s not very often that I shed a tear after watching a TED Talk, however that wasn’t the case when I had the privilege of hearing Joshua Dawson speak for the first time earlier this year. Not only did I watch his TED Talk, but I had the humbled opportunity of hearing him speak to a room full of eager entrepreneurs. And thinking back on it now, I don’t think there was a dry eye in that place - to say he left everyone speechless would be an understatement. It’s seldom when you hear of a successful financier leaving their full time job to pursue their passion, especially to dress as a blue genie and grant wishes to those suffering from the big C word (cancer). However, it was pretty simple for Joshua and the transition was almost effortless. After losing his own father to the battle and several months of trying to figure out what he wanted to do, he turned to a life of giving. A life that to this day continues to keep giving back to him in the currency of happiness. Thus, in this months issue of The Youzus Report, we wanted to highlight someone who really inspires us and inspired you in return. A person who spreads Christmas cheer...All. Year. Round.
WHO IS JOSHUA DAWSON TODAY? I’m a lot like everyone else I guess - Someone that wants to love and be loved. One
of the primary things I ask myself everyone morning is “How many people am I going to serve today?” I think this thought process helps me to Love and be loved in as many moments as possible. That and, of course, dressing up like a Genie and granting wishes to people in need. Which is usually my highest form of serving others.
Our mission -
To serve others, Like a Genie would.
WHEN DID YOU HAVE YOUR ‘AHA’ MOMENT (GAVE BIRTH TO YOUR IDEA/GENIE)? Yes - in fact I did. After my father died I spent years searching for meaning in my life. Just making money and collecting things didn’t have the same appeal as it once did. I knew that there was more to life and now saw the world with new eyes. The problem was, I didn’t know what my purpose was. I couldn’t figure out what to do and was very confused and frustrated for a time. I even started drinking much more than normal to numb myself to the confusion. Which brings me to the AHA moment….
I was living in Montreal sitting in a leather lazy boy with a really horrible hangover with my laptop open browsing flickr and thinking of the last trip I ever took with my father. It was a Wrangler experience in Northern Ontario where we spend 24 hours acting like Cowboys. I thought of that day a lot and always wished that we could do something like that when he was sick. But I never got the opportunity. And then it Hit me like a holy of lighting. I may not be able to take my father out for a day like that but I could take other Cancer Survivors and people in need on “Dream Days.” My fiancé Ingrid was in the other room at the time and I proclaimed to her that I would dress up like a Blue Genie and travel the world granting wishes. She thought I was nuts - And so did pretty much everyone else. That was about 5 years ago now and since then, we have granted over $1 million worth of wishes, started the process to get a Reality TV show broadcast, partnered with some of the biggest celebrities and organizations in the world and created the I Am Genie Foundation. Our mission - To serve others. Like a Genie would.
OF ALL THE INDIVIDUALS YOU HAVE HELPED IN YOUR JOURNEY, WHICH STICKS OUT THE MOST? They are all very unique in their own way but I guess the the Youzus Report
17
stories that stick out the most to me are the ones where some of the people that we surprise pass after we surprise them. I always find that news hard to hear. Especially when they seem so full of life and energy when I see them. This happened to me in Dallas when we surprised a young lady named Tarrie. She looked like she had gotten over the hump in her battle with Cancer and months after we had our dream day I was told that she had passed. I only knew her for a couple of days but it felt like someone very close to me had passed. The connections that we establish in these dream days gets very deep very quickly.
HOW DO YOU USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO BUILD AWARENESS AROUND THE ‘BLUE GENIE’? Social media is the primary way that we build Experience Genie awareness and we do this in a variety of ways. First and foremost, I think nowadays every organization needs to have at least a Facebook and Twitter account. Which we have. We find that Facebook works best for us and we put most of our efforts in this area in a
variety of ways. The Experience Genie and I Am Genie Foundation have 4 primary lines of business and here is how we use Facebook in each area to build awareness, etc: I Am Genie Foundation Wishes Fulfilled events: This is where we bring in Big Name inspirational Speakers as a fundraiser to help us grant wishes. Our past 2 speakers have been Wayne Dyer and Jack Canfield and upcoming is Gabrielle Bernstein. Via Facebook we hold contests for free tickets, use Facebook ads, and posts about the speakers, etc. Wish Granting: We use Facebook and Twitter to post pics, video, etc. showing all of our wish grants. It’s a great way to stay in touch with everyone we surprise and helps keep the conversation going. Reality TV Show Concept: We are just now testing out the best way to use social media for our new reality show idea and this will be a very important next step in our evolution. For example, we have teamed up with Talenthouse to ask people to de-
HOW CAN WE HELP THE BLUE GENIE AND MAKE MORE WISHES COME TRUE? Go to: www.facebook.com/experiencegenie www.iamgenie.org www.experiencegenie.com 18
The Youzus Report
sign the new Genie mask for the TV show. Click HERE for more information. I Am Genie school program: This program rewards students that do and share their good deeds online. We developed a website via Ning to launch this some time ago but are now looking into other forms of social media to expand it beyond Newfoundland and Labrador.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE OF IN THE WORLD IN THE NEW YEAR? Love, compassion, peace. The path to this, I feel, is for people remember who they are and why they are here. To do this you need to slow down a little bit and keep asking the question - What is my mission? What excites me? What inspires me? Who am I? Eventually the answer will come to you and when it does you need to have the faith to follow you path. Even if it seems a little crazy.
WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE A CHRISTMAS SHOUT OUT TO? My 2 boys Jack and Hugo Dawson, my fiancé Ingrid Thornhill, my Mom, Gayle Dawson and my 2 brothers and sister Matthew and Nicholas and Hollie Dawson. I love you all!
the Youzus Report
19
Are you Naughty or Nice on Social Media?
1. DO YOU SWEAR ON SOCIAL MEDIA? a) Good Golly Ms. Molly, Never! b) Sometimes (I’m Borderline Badass) c) F*** YA!
2. DO YOU USE PROPER SPELLING FOR YOUR SENTENCES? a) Proper spelling is essential on social media. b) Your cool. c) LAWL, yer funny.
3. WILL YOU BE POSTING YOUR NEW CHRISTMAS #OOTD?
a) I’ll post myself volunteering at the local toy drive. No #OOTD. b) Maybe just a quick selfie... or two. c) Erm, durr?
4. WILL YOU WISH YOUR FELLOW FRIENDS A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS? a) I will write on all of my 452 friends’ walls. b) Maybe one generic post (kill two birds with one stone). c) Only if they do it first.
5. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE HOLIDAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA? a) Wishing my distant relatives a joyous holiday season. b) Posting pictures of candy cane lattes. All day, err day. c) Bragging about all my presents ’cause I’m awesome.
20
The Youzus Report
Written By Lisa Tyldesley
WWW.SHIPLLAMA.COM (MOSTLY A)
AW, YOU’RE NICE!
You’re a sweetie pie! People like you deserve the limelight. Just be careful you’re not coming off as fake. Way to go -- keep spreading the Christmas Cheer!
(MOSTLY B)
YOU’RE CONFUSED Your social media persona depends on your mood. Somedays you’re just Grumpy Cat and others you just want to bake a cake made of rainbows and smiles.
(MOSTLY C)
NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY Let’s be serious... even you know you’re naughty! Social Media is your crawlspace to show your badass side. You like it, and it excites you that people think you’re this bad.
the Youzus Report
21
THE PURRFECTION OF CATS ONLINE
22
The Youzus Report
Written by Kristen Rubisch
Here at Youzus Inc, I get a lot of slack from the team about my interest (or how they put it -- “obsession”) with cats. I’m always keeping them up-to-date with the latest cat memes, as I know how much they appreciate the adorableness. I often chat about my own cats (I only have two, therefore avoiding crazy cat lady status) and show photos of them being nothing but picture-perfect. Alas, when I had to freedom to write about anything in this edition of The Youzus Report I decided to roll with one of my favourite topics. You guessed it: cats. It’s actually quite impressive how popular cats are on social media, which gives me peace of mind at the end of the day. I would say at least a quarter of my friends have posted a cat picture on their social media platforms that I clearly enjoy. (This may also say something about the friends
Article
I keep)? Either way, the fascination with cats is evident and I’ve decided to rank my favourites, just in case you needed a little guidance on finding the best of the best.
Colonel Meow 247,000
119,237
6,239
12,302
Grumpy Cat
He is in the race with Grumpy Cat for being the most miser2,477,569 125,831 able cat on social media. He makes you feel like you’ve al123,647 146,742 ways done something wrong! He’s also made the GuinGrumpy Cat: She has taken ness Book of World Record “cat meme” to a whole new for having the longest fur level! The always-frowning of any cat. His strands avercat has her own line of stuffed age nine inches long, his hair toys and cat odour elimina- gets everywhere and has to tors. She’s been featured on be brushed up to three times Sesame Street and Friskas a week. commercials. Her owners have even signed rights to a potential movie deal!
Keyboard Cat
Lil Bub 550,006
283,698
27,333
70, 621
It’s clear why this “perma kitten” has a large online presence! Her tongue always hangs out because of her short lower jaw and lack of teeth, which can’t stop you from following her every adorable move! Her videos on YouTube are nothing short of hilarious!
22,328
N/A
15,230
52,643
May he rest in peace, was the original cat meme. He’s simply a cat playing the keyboard that went viral and for obvious reasons! You can find any item imaginable with Keyboard Cat on it; from keychain to mouse pad to Christmas ornament. If you can’t get enough of him, you can even download his greatest hits on iTunes.
the Youzus Report
23
Advertisement
24
The Youzus Report
Written by Leah Bae
Creative Driver
TACO BELL - YOU’RE #DOINGITRIGHT!
You call them? They’re there. I don’t even eat at Taco Bell but their social media engagement makes me want to dash to their nearest restaurant to order three orders of Doritos Locos Tacos and Crunchy Beef Burritos with a side of Fries Supreme, please. Taco Bell’s marketing strategy works. With 920K Twitter followers, 10M Facebook likes, and 233K Instagram followers, it proves in empirical facts. This past year, Ad Age even presented Taco Bell with their coveted Marketer of the Year award. The reason that the Irvine, California based TexMex fast food chain is able to draw such a massive online audience is because they are absolutely fearless in creating and maintaining connections with their customers. Heck, I could even tweet a quick oneliner this very moment about my Taco Bell-infused feelings and expect a prompt, cheeky response back. As a consumer constantly caught up in the capitalistic nature of retailers, it’s an oddly satisfying feeling. All in all, Taco Bell has found smart ways to integrate ‘social’ into all aspects of their marketing. Taco Bell uses social media
as an authentic platform to tell and share stories. They are not one of those companies that try to tie their product in with every single aspect of their customers’ lives. It is evident Taco Bell caters towards the youth demographic, consisting of consumers from the teenage years up to the early 30s. With this specific target in mind, Taco Bell was able to
focus their efforts in dedicating content in ways that correlate most with young folks. They have a full understanding of the quick, simple, yet fun role the brand plays in customers’ lives. Taco Bell is especially good at reaching out to influentials and engaging with their most loyal fans through their social media handles. They are known to send these fans hand-written notes and snailmail-delivered gifts to thank
them for their business. This past Thanksgiving, Taco Bell planned a #HappyFriendsgiving celebration dinner in which they invited their influential friends list to convene over a fancy Taco Bell dinner (which, of course, went on to be broadcasted through their social networks). For Christmas, they’ve been engaging with even more influentials to send them free PS4s which are currently available by lottery at their restaurants. The influentials always return the favour by sharing with their own social media networks their relationship with Taco Bell. While there are plenty of social media tools to pre-schedule posts and analyze outreach, the most powerful social media engagement is done on a live, reactionary basis. Just like any public relations team, a company that takes social media seriously knows how to put out the best content in a relevant context with the rest of the world’s current state of affairs.
TACO BELL – YOU’RE #DOINGITRIGHT! the Youzus Report
25
Written by Sonya Gill
Article
BEYONCE DID WHAT? The woman is a social marketing genius and here is why we think so: 1) As someone who is very private, she knows JUST how much and what to give to her audience without revealing too much, always leaving them wanting more 2) She knew EXACTLY what she was doing when she released her album through social media. She wanted people to talk about her music, and when the internet erupted over her personally leaked track, let’s just say: Mission Accomplished. 3) She made her product so ridiculously easy for her fans to connect with. In the click of a button, her fans are able to download, comment and share her newest album while maintaining the social experience.
26
The Youzus Report
the Youzus Report
27
Your Social Media New Years Resolution Every year around this time, we start to think about what our New Year’s resolutions will be. You have the standard: lose those extra pounds, quit smoking, and save that hard earned cash -- but what about your social media resolutions? What are some of the things you want to change about who you are on social media? We’re here to help with some tips and tricks to make 2014 your best social media year yet!
SOCIAL MEDIA GOALS
What do you want out of your social media presence? Do you want connections for work purposes? Do you want a lot of followers? Are you looking to influence your followers? Set your goals.
STAY ACTIVE
Why would I want to follow you or be friends with you if you’re never around? What do I get out of that? It’s simple to send out a witty tweet or update a clever status so just do it, but please don’t do it 100 times a day, which conveniently leads me to the next resolution.
THINK BEFORE YOU POST
Once your Facebook status, Tweet or Instagram picture is posted, it’s out there for the world to see. Your manager, mother, or potential boss will find it, regardless of how hard you’ve looked over your privacy settings. As amazing as social media is, this is the downside to it. So please, over the holidays, don’t drink and tweet!
28
The Youzus Report
QUALITY VS. QUANTITY
Yes, I’m aware my last resolution was to stay active but as you know, everything is okay in moderation. You don’t need to post every adorable cat meme (please see page 5 for your cat fix) that you see online. It becomes annoying to those connected to you. I know I’m not the only one who has unfollowed that overactive friend.
REACH OUT
This is one of the easier ways to gain an online presence! Look for an influencer who shares the same interests as you, whether it is beauty, technology or sports and ask them a question. Let’s be serious, we love to tweet about our “expertise” and ourselves
WOULD YOU READ IT?
HASHTAG AWAY
Ah, the beauty of the hashtag. It connects you to anyone who is hashtagging the same words. For example: If I’m a beauty blogger and I post a makeup tip I would then hashtag: #makeup #tip #beauty. Anyone who is interested in those specific hashtags would search them and and if all goes according to plan, they will follow me.
Don’t post anything you wouldn’t stop and click on yourself. You want to post something your audience will find interesting. Speaking of audience… who is your audience? Are you posting relevant information to who they are? We hope you take these tips and start off 2014 right! Happy New Year from the Youzus team! the Youzus Report
29
Do you remember writing letters to Santa? Telling him everything you wanted and needed in a nice list numbered in importance from 1 to 100. Will this always be a thing or will we catch up with the times and starting tweeting to Santa? With the way things are going, I wouldn’t be surprised if I were to witness this in the next 10 years. Hear me out -- this wouldn’t be a bad thing.
140 Characters but Unlimited Tweeting Yes you can still be greedy. 140 characters can cross off a lot on your wish list. Twitter’s limit is 100 tweets a day. 140 characters x 100 tweets a day = 14,000 characters of THE BEST PRESENTS EVER!
@Santa does exist I don’t make these things up. Santa does exist … online. You can find him under the handle @santa with just under 25,000 followers. He is ho-ho-hoing up the Twitter world! He sees you when you’re partying. Would this make us behave? Would we still tweet drunk if we knew @santa was watching? It’s something to seriously consider. Gosh darn, we would not want to end up on his Naughty List. Last minute? By tweeting to Santa, you could wait until the very last minute to send your Christmas Wish List. After all, the elves work 24/7 creating toys, games and gadgets for all to enjoy. Snail mail … no more! Because Santa is, well, Santa, he has the latest and greatest when it comes to technology. Santa’s smartphone will notify him exactly what you want and he can respond right away in real-time. Do you want something for Christmas? Don’t be sad if you forgot to send in your Christmas Wish List, we now have another option! Just tag #TweetsToSanta and let the jolly old man know exactly what you want. The perks? They are endless. 30
The Youzus Report
Advertisement
A place for online specialists to connect with brands.
Coming Soon
the Youzus Report
31
A WESTJET CHRISTMAS An airport doesn’t tend to one of the happiest places in the world unless of course you’re flying West Jet. West Jet was able to spread holiday cheer while executing an unbelievable marketing stunt that will give you goose bumps. The event was captured via hidden cameras and mimicked the poem The Night Before Christmas. For that reason, the Canadian (wooo!) airline is our choice for #DoingItRight -- Xmas edition A live-feed, high-tech Santa Claus was planted at the gate where passengers at Toronto and Hamilton airports waited to board their flights to Calgary. WestJet customers scanned their boarding passes and told Saint Nick what they wanted for being so good this year. They asked for big screen TVs, socks and underwear and even plane tickets back home to see their loved ones over the holidays. The 250+ travellers had no idea what was in store. WestJet employees played the part of the elves and hit the stores collected the soughtafter gifts in a rather chaotic yet rapid fashion. The presents were wrapped and labelled to each lucky flyer and everyone waited at the Calgary airport for the magic to really begin. Carousal 8 was transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with falling snow, Christmas treats and Santa (in a WestJet blue suit, of course). As the presents started to flow onto the carousal, the reactions were priceless: shocked looks, confused faces and tears of joy filled the terminal. We can only assume the guy who asked for socks and underwear regretted his decision when he saw his fellow passengers frantically unwrapping their new big screen TV. We’ll end this article the same way WestJet ended their ad -- “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good flight.” Watch the video HERE. WestJet, you’re #DoingItRight. 32
The Youzus Report
the Youzus Report
33
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!
Creative Director Lisa Tyldesley
Publishers Sonya Gill Lisa Tyldesley Kristen Rubisch Leah Bae Ara Ehamparam
Special thank you to Joshua Dawson for being our cover story. Presented by Youzus Inc.
Thank you for reading. See you next month! 34
The Youzus Report