Junior High 101: The Why and How of Popularity and Brand Advocacy

The opportunity for a brand to connect with an audience on an emotional level is more alive now than ever in the world of marketing.

Through social media, a brand has a personality. There's the brand voice in messaging and the visual representation in images and video. More impactful, is the ability to take advantage of a brand's popularity to make a connection and share an experience to propel brand advocacy.

photo via: Flickr.com

Why does Popularity work? How does Brand Advocacy work?

1. Junior High 101: Popularity.
Everyone wants to be popular. Using social media listening tools, you can easily see who talks about your brand favorably and shares your content the most.

For whatever reason, these people are attracted to what you have to offer, whether it be a product or a service or maybe they just feel your brand says a lot about who they are or aspire to be.

Jason Townsend on NASA's Google+ and Social Media Marketing

I am pleased to have had the opportunity to sit down with one of the lead social media managers at one of the brands I #LOVE: NASA. Not only is NASA leading the way space discovery, it's utilizing multi-channel, targeted social media tactics to bring stellar experiences to us.

 [VIDEO] Jason Townsend, Deputy Social Media Manager at NASA and Georgia Cross, Co-founder of Social Media Club Nashville, discuss NASA's Google+ and social media marketing content strategies at the #moonbuggy #NASASocial event at NASA Marshall Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL (April 2013

• Learn more about the #Moonbuggy #NASASocial Event
• Connect  and Collaborate with NASA 

Related NASA Social Media posts:

• Brands I #LOVE: @NASA is a Social Media Star with #NASASocial Events

Brands I #LOVE: @NASA is a Social Media Star with #NASASocial Events

I've been following +NASA on Google+ for a while and always love seeing the pics from space, as well as the insider info on NASA events and Google+ hangouts about NASA's space exploration.

NASA hits it into space with social media! 

NASA truly has something for everyone with niche social media channels for all the different initiatives. Anyone can find their interest on NASA'S Social Media Connection Page. Imagine talking to astronauts IN SPACE! You can! Just connect with NASA via your favorite social media channels.

A brand with personality out of this world! One of my favorites..
Funny, suave, quirky, and sweet with a ton of pop culture references...meet @MarsCuriosity
(I think it's a guy...and I'm wooed by him!) I'm not the only one. See the Brandchannel.com article below.

Life of a Social-ITe at #TechVille2013 (Part 2)

So much is happening at TechVille 2013, I couldn't fit into one blog post!

Follow #TechVille2013 for LIVE TWEETS!

What: TechVille 2013 is the Nashville Technology Council's annual flagship event focusing on the state of technology in Nashville and highlighting technology innovation, talent, and entrepreneurship.

When: Tuesday April 23, 2013 from 8 am till 5 pm.


Basically, anyone who's anyone in technology in Nashville will be at TechVille and I'm all up in the mix of things going on!

Here are just some of the day's highlights I'm anticipating at TechVille 2013:

Great Speakers!
Keynote: Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association + speakers from Etsy, Moteva, Windstream, DePalma Studios, Populr.me -  See the full list of TechVille 2013 Speakers.

@NissanUSA is Sponsoring the Social-ITes!
This year Social Media Club Nashville's Social-ITes are proud to be sponsored by Nissan, which will have a Nissan Leaf (@NissanLEAF)  on site for us to explore the wonders of as we take the event social. Social-ITes (aka roaming reporters) are covering the event minute by minute as the most interactive form of media and PR: social media!

Visit @SMCNash's booth at TechVille!
Social Media Club Nashville will have a booth at TechVille. Look for us roaming around sharing the TechVille experience and happenings live on all the social networks. We'll show you all the latest #TechVille2013 Tweets and help you get social with some Twitter tips.

Vote me (@crossga) for "Mayor of #TechVille 2013"!
I've been selected to be in the running for "Mayor of TechVille" where the winning candidate will be determined via text vote. My platform is "The Social Connector," leveraging my fabulous social skills in connecting people. If you're attending, I appreciate your vote!

Whether you are there on site or not, please follow the hashtag #TechVille2013 and join in the conversation, follow all the Nashville Technology players, and feel free to reach out to me to connect you with who you want to meet! I'll track them down for you. It's all about building relationships.

See ya on the #TechVille2013 hashtag stream! Follow @NashTechCouncil for the roundup of speakers and sponsors.


Related TechVille posts and articles:

•  Life of a Social-ITe at #TechVille2013 (Part 1)
• #Nashville's #TechVille 2012 Social Media Cheat Sheet

Life of a Social-ITe at #TechVille2013 (Part 1)

Social-ITe: Pronounced "social" as in Social Media and "ITe" as in as in Information Technology.

The term Social-ITe came from the Nashville Technology Council's staff last year when they partnered with me and a few other Social Media Club Nashville members to be roaming social media reporters at their annual tech event, TechVille 2012.

Meet the Social-ITes! (pictured left to right) Leah Mackey Schultz, Lisa French, Krista Ashton, Ashley Nicholson, Katie Adkins, and Georgia Cross.

Using our social media marketing skills and leveraging our network in Nashville, the Social-ITes helped trend the #Techville hashtag, to the top of Twitter in Nashville in 2013.

We had a blast tweeting quotes from speakers, featuring TechVille attendees and sponsors in photos, and posting video clips. No social network was left out: Facebok, Twitter, Instagram, FourSquare, Google+, and YouTube. The best part is that we shared the TechVille experience with people that weren't even there. They were chiming into the conversations and commenting on the event in real time. 

TechVille 2012 was such a success, that Social-ITes were asked to cover Social Media at the Tech Awards Gala. We were even featured in the Nashville Technology Council's annual publication, Catalyst 2013.  

It's a win, win, win situation being a Social-ITe! Social Media Club Nashville gets some exposure and recognition, Social-ITes get to make new connections while telling the TechVille story via social networks, everyone following the hahstag gets informed and entertained, and Nashville Technology Council gets a ton of non-traditional PR.

Social Media has the power to reach and connect unlike any other medium. The best part is...you...yes, YOU can get in on the action with this year's TechVille2013!

What: TechVille 2013 is the Nashville Technology Council's annual flagship event focusing on the state of technology in Nashville and highlighting technology innovation, talent, and entrepreneurship.

When: Tuesday April 23, 2013 from 8 am till 5 pm.

Follow: #TechVille2013 , @NashTechCouncil, @crossga (Me!)

 Look for Part 2 of this post Tuesday 4/23 with the inside scoop on Techville2013!


Related TechVille posts and articles:

• #Nashville's #TechVille 2012 Social Media Cheat Sheet
• TechVille 2012 Social Media Analytics
  (Courtesy +Leah Mackey Schultz & Xerox/ACS Advertising)
• ACS Advertising Well-Represented at the Tech Awards Gala in Nashville