Category Archives: Social Networking

In a previous post, I talked about how social media can be a very effective tool for improving customer service as it allows for direct customer engagement. While this aspect social media is usually very beneficial for most businesses, it can also turn ugly when it’s not handled correctly. Social media gives people to ability to become broadcasters of information to the rest of society at literally the click of a button. Lately, people have been discovering that social media is one of the most effective ways to capture the attention of businesses whose traditional channels of customer service have proved unsuccessful. These companies really get the point when this information starts to go viral. Ironically, both of my examples have to do with airline companies, but the same principle applies to businesses in all industries. Read On

Mark Zuckerberg spoke at Brigham Young University in Provo on the 25^th of March, sitting down for the first official interview he has had on a school campus in front of an audience of 10,000+.

Never graduating from a formal university himself, his advice on company management and choosing a career path is based on life experience and successful entrepreneurship. The words of wisdom I took away from his interview with US Senator Orrin Hatch all funneled into two basic principles: advice for creating a successful company, and the second is a necessary characteristic to become a happy and successful employee. Read On

OrangeSoda recently invited skydiver, adventurist, and entrepreneur Peter Shankman to talk about social media.

Peter is best known for founding HelpAReporter.com (or HARO), a site where  journalists and bloggers put up queries describing what they’re writing about. If you answer and it’s a fit, you could be interviewed and mentioned in their story. It’s a great way to get free publicity for your business.

Over 200 small business owners came to hear Peter (here’s a blog post with video clips). He’s really funny!

This video introduced Peter Shankman and the idea that with social media, the best way to learn is by immersion — just jump in. Read On

With Halloween coming up, we were wondering how haunted houses, haunted forests, haunted corn mazes, and haunted laundromats did business, marketed their hauntings, and made money.

You’d figure that, in 2010, the number one marketing tool for these guys would be social media and the Internet but alas, it’s still the radio. Here’s some quick ideas of what haunt peddlers could do to take advantage of social media.

Take frightened pictures of your guests

Take patrons’ pictures when they’re screaming because that headless-zombie-Jason-look-alike-with-the-limp-and-baby-arms just jumped out and everyone screamed like they were at a Justin Bieber concert. But then give these pictures out for free. If it were me, I would have a kiosk setup outside where guests could claim their pictures by posting them straight to Facebook.

Use the power of video and scary pranks

In a brilliant move, a movie recently used Chatroulette to scare people by with a cute girl that goes all crazy demon possessed.  Haunt peddlers should rinse and repeat, record the reactions, and shared the love. Showing people that you can scare through the Internet will convince them that you can scare in person.

Use your theme to the Nth degree

If your haunted attraction has a theme like The Ring, tease it up by releasing your own 7-days till death video before the opening. Try to extend whatever themes you’re working with. For another example, across the street from the office I’m sitting in is a “Haunted Forest.” Why not go and haunt a popular forest spot to promote what you’re doing? Go hang Blair Witch symbols in the park everyone frequents and set up some clues that point back to what you’re doing. Then tease it up with videos, cryptic tweets, or whatever.

Okay, those are all the ones I could think of off the top of my head. Submit your ideas below or just checkout our infographic! Read On