Why I Like Fall So Much

I have written and spoken on why I like Fall so much. It is hands down my favorite season. There are many reasons why and I will give a few.

1. The leaves of course.

It's always beautiful to see the leaves changing, especially where I live. There are all sorts of colors and it simply looks festive and refreshing.

2. Football is back

I wrote an entire piece simply dedicated to football a couple of years ago. It is America's sport, an awesome one, and best watched and played during this season. Like Fall, football never seems to last long enough.

3. The county fair.

This is another separate topic that I recently wrote about. The fair always comes to my area just as Fall begins and I associate one with the other. The weather is just getting cooler as the fair rolls through. And speaking of weather,...

4. The weather.

During the Fall, it's a nice balance of weather. There is usually not too much rain or snow, and is simply comfortable outside and in. Summer is often too hot, winter is often too cold, and spring is too sporadic. Fall is the weather equalizer.

5. Fall holidays.

Some of my favorite holidays occur in the Fall, especially Halloween and Thanksgiving. Halloween is great simply for the candy, parties and dressing up. Thanksgiving is the ultimate cheat day from any clean eating regimen and it is great for socializing with family and friends. All of this embodies the Fall spirit.

6. College homecomings

They seem to be exciting, even if you didn't attend that college. The HBCU homecomings are especially fun and have set the standard over the years for Homecoming. It is also another good time for reuniting.

7. Christmas is around the corner

Love or hate the winter holiday season, one must admit this is when people are often in the happiest of moods. They are leaving all other worries behind, and are focusing on humankind, as we should do year round.

What are some of the things you enjoy about Fall? Is it one of your favorite seasons?

Internet Marketing Tips Part One

We're near the end of yet another calendar year. The weather is cooling down, the grass is dying and the leaves are changing. There are still plenty of Fall festivals, Halloween parties, and later on Christmas parties to be had.

Now how do you expect to get the word out in this digital age?

Over the past few weeks, I have been posting marketing tips that have proved successful for me on the web and on social media. I will share these now.

1. Utilize every outlet and medium appropriate for the occasion.

Social media is basically a must in this era. Facebook, Instagram, and even Evites are what's in. Good old fashioned mass texting and messaging is also good. You want to get the word out and stay in people's ears. These are some of your better mediums for accomplishing this.

2. Include all pertinent information.

This includes the date, time, location, what the event entails, dress code (if any), whether or not to bring a gift, contact info, admission price, and even directions to the venue.

3. Use a picture of the event promo/flyer as your picture on social media.

This is one of the best ways to stay in people's faces. They know all the details regarding the event the minute they see you on Facebook, Instagram, etc.

4. Post frequently about the event, but remember all of your updates may not be seen.

This includes even if you're posting in a group or within an event invite. Some stuff gets missed so post away, but remember that there is not a 100% guarantee that everyone will see your posts.

5. Tag folks to certain posts and pics.

This way, the audience you are reaching is sure to see it. It is almost as effective as an event invite. Even if the person chooses to turn the tag off in their privacy, they will still see the post.

6. Strike a medium within your medium

You do not want to be the annoying promoter that is flooding everyone's timelines with your events. So post on certain days, mix up your times and types of posts, and use moderation. In short, do not make others tired of your event before it arrives, even if it's the event of the year.

7. Do your heavy marketing during peak social media hours.

This is usually primetime, after 7pm on Sundays-Thursdays, and even heavier during a big television show or sporting event that everyone is talking about. You know they are on, so your posts will have higher visibility. Also, the tagging feature works to the max here.

8. Advertise no later than 1-2 weeks prior to an event, and even a month in advance.

You must give people time to plan and schedule. Therefore, don't call anyone late for a meal. Promote early and often.

9. Require RSVPs so you can get some sort of a headcount.

This works the best when food is involved. One needs to be able to plan for the crowd they are entertaining.

10. Be creative, catchy and clever

Go outside of the box and use clever headlines and posts. Use pop cultural and news references. This goes for the name of your event also.  For example, my family reunion is always held on the second Saturday in September. Therefore, I may frequently say SSS Dover/Bradley and friends. I also like to utilize the song in my promos "See You In September" by The Happenings. The key here is to catch and capture their attention.

Well this is all for now, happy promoting!

Do you have any marketing tips you care to share? Have any of these worked better than others?

There is a season, turn, turn, turn,...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6jxxagVEO4

Yes sure there are seasons, no denying that. We have the basic weather seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer (although in certain parts of the USA and world, these can vary), the sports seasons: football, basketball, baseball, racing, golf, etc. There are also fashion seasons, workout plans often devoted to certain seasons, even wedding and breakup seasons. That's a lot of seasoning for something that's not usually even a food item!

Now I'm the type of person that has a hard time going by the traditional diems of a season. I'll start with my workout sessions. Now I'm no fool and I try to be fit and safe. Therefore, when it's sub 40 degrees outside, I'm not going to be outside running. That can wreak havoc on a person's joints, especially at my age. However, I know many folks that choose certain times of year to focus on certain body parts, goals, etc. For example, I know many folks that instead of trying to lose weight at the first of the year like many "Holiday Hoppers" I know, they try in the Spring and Summer, where you will usually sweat more due to warmer conditions. Then you have folks that lift weights and love to spend the winter months building mass. All of this is fine. However, a season shouldn't necessary determine what your workout plans should be, especially if you're in an indoor gym. Climate usually goes out the window then.

Then you have vacations. Many folks like to take vacations during the summer months where it's beautiful and can go to the beach, on cruises, the lake, and such. Plus for those that have children in school, and/or are schoolteachers, it's the easiest time to take time off from work. All of this I understand perfectly. This is why I will usually only take my extended vacations in any month but June, July, August, or September. So many people take that time off, and it's easier to get the time off from work during the other months. Plus, even the hotel and airline industries hike up their rates during peak vacation times. Therefore, it's much cheaper to go during the off-seasons. Also, cruises are dirt-cheap during September-October (hurricane season). I personally don't like to take that risk of going on the Carribean seas when hurricanes are running rampant. Many do, however.

I mentioned in an earlier blog of my passion for grilling. Grilling is commonly done when it's warmer weather outside (April-October). However, there are those that grill year-round, and I'm cool with that of course. I even have a friend whose father once grilled during a blizzard!

Sports makes a lot of sense far as seasons are concerned. Basketball and hockey are more popular as indoor sports when it's more colder and people just want to be inside more. Baseball, softball are better when it's warmer and the grass is alive and green. Football is similar, except it's more of a fall sport. One doesn't want to be out when it's too cold (although football in the snow can be fun), and it's kinda miserable to play and watch football in smoldering temperatures.

My thing is to use common sense when doing any type of activity, and of course availability, cost, etc. Don't let seasons, weather, affect every type of activity you may do. Once again, the two key words are common sense. I won't even get started on those that choose to leave Christmas decorations up year round. That seems to run rampant in the South.

Speaking of the South, it seems there are really 2 and a half seasons instead of four: summer, more summer, fall/winter (with some spring and summer sprinkled in once/month). That really confuses a lot more of the paradigms and theories that folks have when it comes to seasons.