Sarah's Faves

Where are the most socially savvy small businesses (SMB) in the U.S.? Most reside in California, considering the state has three of the top five social cities.

This list is from small business market sales intelligence provider, Radius‘s Social Small Business Report. They looked at SMBs in the top 85 U.S. cities and ranked them via the Radius Social Index, a score compromised of social media presence and daily deal activity.

The top 10 list as it currently stands looks like this:

1. San Francisco
2. Los Angeles
3. Washington D.C.
4. Seattle
5. San Diego
6. Chicago
7. New York
8. Dallas/Ft. Worth
9. Phoenix
10. Tampa

Some other cool stuff from The Social Small Business Report:

• Grand Rapids, MI (29%) and Oklahoma, OK (28%) have the highest percentage of SMBs with Facebook pages.
• Metropolitan cities that serve as home to major daily deal companies such as Living Social (Washington, DC – .5%) and Groupon (Chicago, IL – .4%) have the highest percentage of SMBs that have done at least one daily deal. However, both cities are less than 1 percent.
• Buffalo, NY (20%) and Rochester, MN (20%) have the highest percentage of SMBs with Foursquare check-ins.

If you want to know more about the report, email the Radius team at info@radiusintel.com.

If you follow people who actively tweet then you know how fast content can move. Even if you’re using a third party platform with columns, like Tweetdeck or Hootsuite, it’s easy to overlook tweets and even easier to miss links people share. Tweetsee aims to put the hop back in your step.

UPDATE: Looks like Tweetsee is down. Boo! I’ll update the post if they come back to life.

Okay, they really just want to make viewing link content more enjoyable. TIP: If you use more than one computer screen (which most of us do), this is a great use for the second (or third) screen.

Tweetsee pulls all of those links that people share on Twitter throughout the day and builds a steady stream of content out of it. (–PandoDaily)

I find the scrolling content both maximizes screen real estate space and content is more likely to catch my attention.

Questions? Email the nerdindustries team at hello[at]nerdindustries[dot]com.

Beta alert. Don’t expect it to be perfect, that’s why they’re in beta.

(h/t PandoDaily)

Ready to let your geek flag fly on May 25? It’s a day to celebrate all that is geeky and nerdy in the world. It’s like your birthday, an Apple launch announcement, free bacon for lunch and a Star Wars marathon all rolled into one.

 What is Geek Pride Day?

An initiative to promote geek culture, celebrated on 25 May. The date was chosen as to commemorate the release of the first Star Wars film, A New Hope on 25 May 1977 (see Star Wars Day). In 1998 a guy named Tim McEachern started “The Geek Pride Festival” in Albany, New York. Next, the initiative was celebrated in Spain in 2006 as “Orgullo Friki” and spread around the world via the internet.

How can you celebrate? Look for Geek Pride Day activities on Plancast, order something from Think Geek to get a Geek Pride Day pin, or read a book in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) category.

*****BACON*****BACON*****BACON*****

Here on FAVES, we’re about to celebrate in true geek fashion. I’m giving away one, six-month membership to The Pig Next Door’s The Pig’s Heirloom Bacon Club*. This is bacon made from heritage breeds raised using sustainable methods (from farmers who care about flavor, not profit). As if you needed added incentive, right? Bacon delivered to your door each month. Boom!  

*Unfortunately, TPND only ships within the United States.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enjoy the day!

What are you FAVES? Share them with me for future posts, right here.

photo credit: miss_rogue via photo pin cc

Who doesn’t love an animated GIF? Now, pair that animated GIF with short, concise recaps and we’ve got a winner, winner chicken dinner in GIF HOUND.

Recently created by Mike Hayes, social media editor at BuzzFeed, I was hooked after viewing GIF HOUND for less than a minute. Brilliant. Viewing animated GIFs highlighting headline-making news stories in short form actually relaxes my brain. The photos make me take pause before moving to the next and entice me to read the caption-length recaps.

The animated GIF above was one Hayes created to tell the story about Portland filmmaker James Winters who “enlisted his two sons and nephew to remake the classic music video as a tribute to Adam “MCA” Yauch who passed away on May 4.”

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then I say an animated GIF is worth a million. You are onto something here, Mike.

Do you think animated GIFs are underutilized in the news industry? Share your thoughts in the comments.

p.s. Think I might to start making some for FAVES.

What are you FAVES? Share them with me for future posts, right here.

(Photo courtesy of GIF HOUND)

There are some seriously cool sports, government and entertainment openings over at ole Twitter. Looks like they’re revving up their production of curated and original online content. If you “live and breathe” the world of Twitter, you might want to check these out.

Associate Producer, Sports Editorial
New York City, NY

Twitter is changing the way athletes and teams connect with their fans. Twitter’s Media team is looking for an ambitious, highly creative individual to help tell stories using the wealth of authentic sports content on Twitter.

Hey sports buffs! If you’re an expert curator, know lots about sports and love Twitter, this could be your next gig. You’ll get to share sporting events from NASCAR, PGA, MLB and more. The right candidate has likely been a sports writer or blogger, and has experience covering sports live.

Associate, Government & News
Washington, D.C.

Have you participated in a Twitter chat around events like the State of the Union or presidential debates? This is probably right up your alley. You get to help produce the integration of Twitter at major political events and work with government officials, agencies and candidates to share real-time news and information.

Editor, Twitter Media Site
San Francisco, CA

The Content & Programming team needs a creative, ambitious writer and editor to both 1) help us tell the story of that transformation and 2) support our partners in those industries with data, case studies, and best practices. This is an opportunity for someone fascinated by the future of media to help define and drive it: you’ll be writing the playbook for the next two years of innovation.

Manager, Sports Creative Relationships
Los Angeles

Your task: nurture relationships, develop best tweeting practices and produce unique content in collaboration with high profile athletes and their teams. You should have a strong vision for the broad potential of sports on Twitter, while being rigorously focused on execution of specific content plays and event integrations.

What are you FAVES? Share them with me for future posts, right here.

Steve Jobs hated the stylus, but he obviously wasn’t playing Draw Something! The MicroStylus Jack is a teeny, tiny stylus for touch screens that fits in your 3.5mm audio jack.

My beautiful artwork

I bought the MicroStylus after a TechCrunch review because, honestly, I couldn’t believe it worked well. Although my husband may not agree, I don’t mind being wrong. The “world’s smallest stylus” doesn’t only work well, it’s super convenient as it has a nice little home in your phone (or tablet) audio jack. The stylus tip is super soft allowing for easy motion and doesn’t scratch the screen. Even though the entire thing is only about .8 inches long, it wasn’t difficult for me to use (I have super small hands).

By the way, when in the audio jack you can still play music from your device’s built-in speakers.

For those who actively play drawing games like Draw Something, I give this little guy four out of four geek goggles (that’s my completely nonexistent grading scale).

If you’re in the market, the stylus is $9.99 for one or $15.99 for two (plus free shipping) and comes in black or silver.

What are you FAVES? Share them with me for future posts, right here.

What better way to walk the talk than to actually do it? That’s what Gary Vaynerchuck (@garyvee) recently did by sending thank you gifts to all 3,200 people who pre-ordered copies of his new book, The Thank You Economy.

Guess how he found out who bought his book in advance? It wasn’t an automated process. He personally read and reviewed each and every email with a receipt of purchase. Mad props to the Vaynermeister. So, what did people get? A personalized gift box chalk full of goodies from Gary and other brands who want to be associated with his brand. I’ll guess, based on the tweets and photos recipients are sharing, that Gary just made a big deposit in their emotional bank account.

who got their box? This was for peeps that pre ordered TYE months before it came out -“@markinhifi Thanks, @garyvee http://t.co/Ay4AYUeh”

May 9, 2012 9:03 am via Tweetbot for iOSReplyRetweetFavorite

@garyvee

Gary Vaynerchuk

This is a testament to the power of THANK YOU. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that it adds a more sincere way to market. I mean, I like the idea so much I shared it as a FAVE! And I’m not the only one. Fast Company contributor Francine Hardaway says,

“Can you believe it? He’s thanking ME for buying his book when I thought I was thanking HIM for speaking at the Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference:-) And he is actually going by hand through his emails to find out who bought and sent the receipt. No one is doing it for him, and it’s not an algorithm. It’s a friend talking to a friend, expressing gratitude, authenticity, and loyalty.”

In the spirit of today’s post, THANK YOU for reading FAVES. I write this blog to help make the interwebz a bit more intimate and learn from each of you.

Want an alert delivered to your inbox each time something from your site is pinned on Pinterest? PinAlerts, still in beta, is like Google Alerts for your FAVE pinnable site.

Sign up is quick and painless and you have the option to add additional websites once your registration is finalized. Don’t have multiple sites? No problem. Add in your competitors to monitor who is pinning what from their site(s). It’s all in the name of competitive analysis.

Once your account is activated you’ll receive simple, bulleted emails with links to the pins, name of the images and date they were pinned.

If the thought of getting more email gives you hives, you can adjust email notification settings.

What can you do with the information? Use it as a pulse check to see which images get the best response, interact with people who care enough to pin your stuff, keep an almost real time grasp on your content and brand reputation. Doesn’t hurt that it’s free.

Check out PinAlerts for yourself and let me know what you think.

This weekend I announced my move as the new Chief Evangelist for Tracky. It couldn’t have come during a better (and more inspirational time) as I attended Mashable Connect (#mashcon) at Walt Disney World. People have asked WHY I decided to make this move, uproot my family and go “all in” on a Vegas startup.

Thanks to #MashCon, I took away extremely valuable life and business lessons that allow me to communicate my move and, hopefully, share inspiration with other entrepreneurs.

It’s all about the #partyofdavids (as in David v Goliath).

CAVEAT: This was much more eloquently put by the man who reinvented political campaigning, Joe Trippi (@joetrippi).

The #partyofdavids doesn’t only apply to social media and #gov20. Entrepreneurs and startups, in particular, rely on the masses (us little guys) to use their products, platforms and networks. The Davids are the ones getting things done. In fact, it’s one of the essential reasons I decided to join Tracky. The “little guys” are in the trenches. We are building “the next big thing.” We have willpower and determination — and a little bit of crazy — that big guys may no longer have.

When someone says, “Yah, but doesn’t Google do that?” Remember Wave? The biggest don’t always succeed at everything they touch. In addition to the smarts (and some funding) it takes spirit, heart and passion. Next time you’re discouraged think about the #partyofdavids and know that the small, but mighty can (and do) prevail.

The current state of email is broken.

This one is inspired by MakeLoveNotPorn founder, Cindy Gallop (@cindygallop) (otherwise known as the woman who stole the show). She asked the question, “What if a brand solved the problem of email overload for all of us?” It gave me chills when she said it. Why? Because it re-framed the way I think about my new role. That’s what Tracky is DOING. There isn’t a good way to stay on top of it all, manage tasks, create content, respond on social networks, etc… You know the drill. Now it’s my job to get the word out to the #partyofdavids and help solve this problem.

Pass out the slingshots.

The businesses who provide the TOOLS to the #partyofdavids will ultimately win. Not as easy as it sounds. You need to create the tools the masses need (e.g. Apple) the way they want. Once you get the tools in their hands, not only has your business won, but your customers do, too.

The new marketing is complete transparency.

Don’t laugh this one off. If you work somewhere and the thought process is, “be careful what you post online,” you should probably ask yourself why. If you’re completely transparent, you have nothing to fear. I don’t mean to imply you should post trade secrets and internal documents online. This applies to honest online interactions. In fact, this doesn’t ONLY apply to social networks. It gets at the heart of what Tracky does with social collaboration. When you’re all working together on a project in a platform that allows you to get everything done, it eliminates the need for excuses, passing the blame, CYA, etc… Your transparency is the the final product you create and the steps it took to get there.

Disney really is a magical place.

I left Orlando with a sore back (darn you diaper bags) and a reminder of the power of children. Watching Baby K and thousands of other children interact with unabashed glee really did something to the ole ticker. I feel more inspired today than I have in a very long time.

p.s. No, not every post from now on will be about my new career. It just so happens that it’s my FAVE thing right now. We’ll get back to the FAVES format, stat.

Here it is my FAVE family, friends and colleagues, an announcement I’ve been waiting to share. It’s the chapter of life’s adventure myself, along with the Tracky team, are excited to share with you:

PR and social media consultant Sarah Evans (@PRsarahevans) announced (and tweeted) she’s joining Tracky, a Las Vegas-based startup, as the new Chief Evangelist and moving her family to the City of Lights.

Tracky is an open social collaboration tool that Evans believes has the potential to change the way we work together both online and off. This isn’t just press release kind of talk either. It’s already working for her. She’s fully embraced the product to do everything from changing the way she engages with audiences, receive pitches for her blog, Sarah’s Faves and even plan her family’s move to Vegas.

Evans originally joined Tracky’s advisory board and realized the HUGE potential of the product. She wanted a bigger role in the company and co-founders David (@davidgosse) and Jennifer (@jennifergosse) Gosse couldn’t say no to her puppy dog-like begging.

As Chief Evangelist, Evans’ role is a mashup of all her favorite things (which happen to be Tracky’s as well). She will continue blogging, speaking, attending tech events and consulting all over the country. When she’s in the fabulous Las Vegas office she’ll be in-house PR counsel and produce a new web show, Track Stars.

Want to send Sarah and the Tracky team your well wishes, jokes and quippy remarks? Use hashtag #ontracky.

As one of Evans’ best friends, Lindsey Brach said, “You would work for a company with a smiley face as their logo.” It’s true. Tracky makes meaningful connections and productive collaborations on a daily basis.

Need to get stuff done? You might enjoy Tracky. Go ahead and give it a try. We’re not the only ones who like it. They just won first place for “best web app” at Future Insights Live, judged by super smart peeps like Jason Calacanis — @jason.

At Tracky, we don’t want our community members to be humorless doer-drones; we want them to express themselves, be themselves, create a portfolio of projects that represents who they are, and feel empowered by the Tracky community to get amazing things done.

Tracky: Connect. Collaborate. Done.
Tracky is an online open social collaboration platform that encompasses to-do lists, live chat, calendars, task management, people and project discovery, social accountability, cloud-based storage and more.