International Spa Association: Taking a look at ISPA 2013's social media efforts

Even though an event or conference may only come once a year for an organization, the excitement has to be sustained throughout the year for that event to be a success.

According to Social Globe Media, a social strategy is essential to sustain excitement about an event: “The key is that an event is not really an event if people aren’t sharing it, talking about it, promoting it and talking about it after it happens.”

On pretty much all of the major social media channels, the International Spa Association kept building anticipation and excitement before, during and after its 2013 conference in Las Vegas. They did this by sharing behind-the-scenes photos of pre-conference preparations, sending live tweets from the conference floor and asking attendees afterward how the conference enabled them to “Grow.”

ISPA has a presence on pretty much every major channel: Facebook, two Twitter accounts (one for the conference and one for the organization itself), YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, as well as its website, conference page and blog.

During the conference, ISPA mostly used Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. ISPA seemed to get the most interaction on both of its Twitter accounts, alerting participants to what was happening at that moment in the conference and what was coming up next, including talks from speakers, the live auction and reminding participants to visit the conference's Relaxation Area.

Prior to the conference, ISPA would give its followers a taste of the spa vendors that would be present at ISPA 2013. Through Facebook and Twitter posts, ISPA would show either a picture of that vendor's product or a link to that vendor's site, and denote the booth where that vendor could be found at the conference.

To keep the conversation organized, two hashtags were used for Twitter, as well as Instagram: #ISPA2013 and #GrowYourWorld, which was the overriding theme of the conference and expo. These hashtags enabled ISPA to find who was talking about the conference before, during and after and talk back to them, or even retweet them.

Sponsors were mostly promoted through a special page on the ISPA Conference page, and somewhat on social media. Though I did not attend the conference, I'm sure I would be safe to assume that attendees were given "swag bags" complete with sponsor-branded goodies.

Some delicious IMC at the ISPA conference!

Speaking of branded goodies, ISPA had some edible integrated marketing communications going on. Check out the scrumptious-looking "Grow" cupcakes to the left:

Outside of its social media efforts, the most impressive standout of ISPA's IMC conference efforts was an app available for iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry. Admittedly, I haven't been to a conference or event in a while, but this really stood out to me because I don't recall going to an event that had its own app. With the app, attendees have the schedule, exhibitor locations and hotel information at their fingertips:

As you can see, from the logo from ISPA's conference website above to the ISPA 2013 app screenshot to the right, the color, look and feel of the branding is consistent.

ISPA not only displayed consistent graphic branding, but with their messaging as well. Most of their Facebook posts, Tweets and Instagram pictures were similar to each other. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it ensures consistent communication, but marketers should not be afraid to change up messaging from channel to channel.

There are only two nitpick items I would have liked to see more of in analyzing ISPA 2013's social media effort:

-More pictures of attendees. People LOVE looking at photos of themselves having a good time with their friends and colleagues. Sporadic photos of the conference were posted here and there on social, but having a photographer go around and take loads of pictures to post in a gallery on the ISPA website and on social would be a great addition.

-More updates to the blog. The last blog entry in the ISPA blog is from October 14, a whole week before the conference started. From its latest tweet, it sounds like ISPA is trying to round up proper reactions from attendees for a blog, but it would be a nice touch to see blog entries from right before the event, during and right after. It doesn't have to be anything fancy; it could just be a round-up of Twitter reactions to the conference. The quick blogs would serve as a great update until there is more time to craft a longer, in-depth blog post.

Good luck to the staff as they gear up for #ISPA2014!

Disney's Animal Kingdom: A proposed social media content plan

The following is a proposed social media marketing campaign for Disney's Animal Kingdom. It is a portion of the park's larger integrated marketing communications plan for the park. Note: Some of the posts are based on actual park activity, while other posts are a result of what you'd call "Disney magic" a.k.a. Imagineering:

One could argue that Walt Disney World doesn't really need any help selling itself. Disney is a brand that's recognized all over the world. Overall, Disney Parks has an established presence on Facebook and Twitter, letting guests know the latest happenings at not only Walt Disney World but Disneyland as well.

However, there's always room for improvement and we at Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World want to build a larger Facebook and Twitter following for Animal Kingdom.

We will do this through engaging our loyal visitors, asking them to share photos and memories from their visits to the park. We will draw potential followers in by informing them of all of the attractions and animals the park has to offer.

Here is a proposed schedule of our posts for the month of December:

Sunday, December 1
Facebook
Hello to our Facebook fans! It's December, one of the most magical times of the year. From Discovery Island to DinoLand, Animal Kingdom is #WhereDreamsComeTrue."SHARE" your favorite part of the park with us. (INCLUDE BELOW PHOTO IN POST)

Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Twitter
Welcome to the #DisneysAnimalKingdom Twitter account!  RETWEET if you're excited to celebrate the holidays with us #WhereDreamsComeTrue

Monday, December 2
Facebook
Do you have a case of the Mondays? Herbert the Hippo is right there with you. "LIKE" if you're counting down the days until you can come back and visit him in the Africa section of the park.
(POST WITH FUNNY PHOTO OF HERBERT)

Twitter
#MotivationalMonday: You can soar with the eagles http://bit.ly/1ayq8Ej #FlightsOfWonder

Tuesday, December 3
Facebook
VISIT PANDORA: Did you know that an Avatar-themed world is coming to Animal Kingdom in 2017? "SHARE" if you're as excited as we are!

Twitter
Avatar's Pandora is coming to #DisneysAnimalKingdom in 2017! We're so excited! Click here to learn more: http://bit.ly/1d94XPj

Wednesday, December 4
Facebook
It's #WildlifeWednesday! Say hello to our friend Joffrey from #KilimanjaroSafaris. (POST WITH THE PICTURE OF JOFFREY TO THE RIGHT)

Twitter#WildlifeWednesday: Joffrey the giraffe from #KilimanjaroSafaris says hello: (POST WITH THE PICTURE OF JOFFREY TO THE RIGHT)


Thursday, December 5
Facebook
From our family to yours, we wish you a very happy last night of #Hanukkah (POST WITH PHOTO OF AK SIGNAGE WITH THE FULLY LIT MENORAH)

Twitter
From our family to yours, we wish you a very happy last night of #Hanukkah (POST WITH PHOTO OF AK SIGNAGE WITH THE FULLY LIT MENORAH)


Friday, December 6
Facebook
From the end of #Hanukkah yesterday to #Christmas in 19 days, the holidays are in full swing here at Animal Kingdom! Check out the holiday decorations in the Asia section of the park. How do you celebrate the holidays at your house? (INCLUDE PICTURE OF HOLIDAY DECORATIONS IN AK'S ASIA AREA)

Twitter
#Christmas is in 19 days! Check out the holiday decorations in the Asia section of the park. (INCLUDE PICTURE OF HOLIDAY DECORATIONS IN AK'S ASIA AREA)

Saturday, December 7
Facebook
THE CIRCLE OF LIFE: Get in touch with your animal nature along with Simba and his pals during the #FestivalOfTheLionKing: http://bit.ly/1ayEt3y (USE PICTURE BELOW IN POST)



Twitter
THE CIRCLE OF LIFE: Get in touch with your animal nature along with Simba and pals during the #FestivalOfTheLionKing http://bit.ly/1ayEt3y

Sunday, December 8
Facebook
Guess what? We've got lots of great healthy food and drink options throughout the park to keep your family refreshed! Hummus, veggies and fruit, oh my! (POST WITH PRETTY PICTURE OF AK FOOD OFFERINGS)

Twitter
Guess what? We've got lots of great healthy food options throughout the park to keep you refreshed! Hummus, veggies and fruit, oh my!

Monday, December 9
Facebook
You don't need to go to Grandma's for the holidays: Bring Grandma and all the gang to the Animal Kingdom Lodge! Start planning your trip: http://bit.ly/GXames (POST WITH PHOTO BELOW)



Twitter
You don't need to go to Grandma's for the holidays: Bring Grandma and all the gang to the Animal Kingdom Lodge http://bit.ly/GXames

Tuesday, December 10
Facebook
A lot of you are have asked for a behind-the-scenes look at how the building of our forthcoming Avatar world is coming, so here's a sneak peek, just for you (POST WITH PICTURE OF THE WORK SO FAR). "SHARE" your excitement!

Twitter
A lot of you are have asked for a behind-the-scenes look at how the Avatar world is coming, so here's a sneak peek (POST WITH PICTURE OF THE WORK SO FAR)

Wednesday, December 11
Facebook
It's #WildlifeWednesday! Meet Speedy and Sassy, our pair of Galapagos Island sea turtles (POST PICTURE OF SPEEDY AND SASSY AND LINK TO DISNEY PARKS BLOG ABOUT THEM)

Twitter
It's #WildlifeWednesday! Meet Speedy and Sassy, our pair of Galapagos Island sea turtles (POST PICTURE OF SPEEDY AND SASSY AND LINK TO DISNEY PARKS BLOG ABOUT THEM)

Thursday, December 12
Facebook
It's #ThrowbackThursday! Here's a photo from Amanda W., one of our social media managers, from way back in 1999, the year after we opened! Post your #tbt pictures to our page or email them to animalkingdom@disney.com. We'll share your photos on future Throwback Thursdays!



Twitter
#ThrowbackThursday: Here's a photo from Amanda from 1999, the year after we opened! Send your pics to animalkingdom@disney.com (ADD LINK TO ABOVE PHOTO)

Friday, December 13
Facebook
It's Friday the 13th, but you don't have to be superstitious of this black cat! (POST WITH PHOTO OF SHELLIE THE BLACK PANTHER)

Twitter
It's Friday the 13th, but you don't have to be superstitious of this black cat! (POST WITH PHOTO OF SHELLIE THE BLACK PANTHER)

Saturday, December 14
Facebook
Looking for a great place to take the family to eat on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? The Tusker House Restaurant in the Africa section of the park will be serving up classic holiday flavors. Reserve your table now: http://bit.ly/19VKeYb (POST WITH BELOW PHOTO)



Twitter
Looking for a great Christmas meal? The Tusker House Restaurant will be serving up classic holiday flavors http://bit.ly/19VKeYb

Sunday, December 15
Facebook
10 days until Christmas! Get your celebration on by checking out Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade from now until January 2. Full details: http://bit.ly/1gYSyO9 (USE PICTURE BELOW IN POST)



Twitter
10 days until Christmas! Celebrate by checking out Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade from now until January 2 http://bit.ly/1gYSyO9

Monday, December 16
Facebook
Each day this week, we're shining the spotlight on each area of our park. Today, we're looking at DinoLand U.S.A. (POST WITH DINOLAND PHOTO, LINK TO BLOG POST/GALLERY ON DINOLAND)

Twitter
Each day this week, we're shining the spotlight on each area of our park. Today, we're looking at DinoLand U.S.A. (LINK TO BLOG POST/GALLERY ON DINOLAND)

Tuesday, December 17
Facebook
TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT IS ON: Asia (POST WITH PHOTO OF ASIA, LINK TO BLOG POST/GALLERY ON ASIA)

Twitter
TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT IS ON: Asia #DisneysAnimalKingdomSpotlight (LINK TO BLOG POST/GALLERY ON ASIA)

Wednesday, December 18
Facebook
TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT IS ON: Africa (POST WITH PHOTO OF AFRICA, LINK TO BLOG POST/GALLERY ON AFRICA)

Twitter
TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT IS ON: Africa #DisneysAnimalKingdomSpotlight (LINK TO BLOG POST/GALLERY ON AFRICA)

Thursday, December 19Facebook
TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT IS ON: Discovery Island (POST WITH PHOTO OF DISCOVERY ISLAND, LINK TO BLOG POST/GALLERY ON DISCOVERY ISLAND)

Twitter
TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT IS ON: Discovery Island #DisneysAnimalKingdomSpotlight (LINK TO BLOG POST/GALLERY ON DISCOVERY ISLAND)

Friday, December 20
Facebook
TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT IS ON: Camp Minnie-Mickey (POST WITH PHOTO OF CAMP MINNIE-MICKEY, LINK TO BLOG POST/GALLERY ON CAMP MINNIE-MICKEY)

Twitter
TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT IS ON: Camp Minnie-Mickey #DisneysAnimalKingdomSpotlight (LINK TO BLOG POST/GALLERY ON CAMP MINNIE-MICKEY)

Saturday, December 21
Facebook
And now, we shine the spotlight on the portion of Animal Kingdom that we're all anxiously awaiting the arrival of: Avatar http://bit.ly/1d94XPj (POST WITH PHOTO SHOWN BELOW)



Twitter
And now, we shine the spotlight on the part of Animal Kingdom that we're all anxiously awaiting: Avatar http://bit.ly/1d94XPj #isit2017yet

Sunday, December 22
Facebook
It's the most wonderful time of the year ... to take on Everest! Check out everything you need to know to get ready for the expedition: http://bit.ly/1a5TgGc (POST WITH PHOTO OF GUESTS ON EVEREST)

Twitter
It's the most wonderful time of the year ... to take on #Everest! Get ready for your expedition: http://bit.ly/1a5TgGc

Monday, December 23
Facebook
We know, it's Monday. Perhaps your family is staying with you and driving you a little up the wall. (But hey, you still love 'em!) "SHARE" if you know what we're talking about! (POST WITH FUNNY PHOTO OF MEERKAT FAMILY GETTING ON EACH OTHER'S NERVES)

Twitter
It's Monday. Perhaps your family is staying with you and driving you a little up the wall. (But hey, you still love 'em!) #MeerkatMadness (POST WITH FUNNY PHOTO OF MEERKAT FAMILY GETTING ON EACH OTHER'S NERVES)

Tuesday, December 24
Facebook
Wait up for Santa tonight at Animal Kingdom with Mickey and his friends. Here's the scoop on where you can meet the characters at the park (POST WITH PIC OF SAFARI MICKEY AND MINNIE, AND LINK TO CHARACTER MEET AND GREET TIMES)

Twitter
Wait up for Santa tonight at Animal Kingdom with Mickey and his friends. Here's the scoop on where you can meet the characters (LINK TO CHARACTER MEET AND GREET TIMES)

Wednesday, December 25
Facebook
We wish you a Merry Christmas and hope to see you soon in 2014 (or even sooner)! (POST PHOTO OF HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS AT THE PARK, LINK TO BLOG ABOUT UPCOMING 2014 EVENTS)

Twitter
We wish you a Merry Christmas and hope to see you soon in 2014 (or even sooner)! (POST PHOTO OF HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS AT THE PARK, LINK TO BLOG ABOUT UPCOMING 2014 EVENTS)

Thursday, December 26
Facebook
From the Animal Kingdom family to yours, may you have the happiest start to your Kwanzaa season today (POST PICTURE OF KWANZAA CANDLES IN AFRICA SECTION OF THE PARK)

Twitter
From #DisneysAnimalKingdom family to yours, may you have the happiest start to your Kwanzaa season today (POST PICTURE OF KWANZAA CANDLES IN AFRICA SECTION OF THE PARK)

Friday, December 27
Facebook
We're always looking to improve so we want to hear from you, our loyal guests: What you like us to do to make your next visit to Animal Kingdom even better than the last? (POST WITH PHOTO OF SAFARI MICKEY EARS TO SHOW WE'RE ALL EARS)

Twitter
We want to hear from you, our loyal guests: What you like us to do to make your next visit to Animal Kingdom even better than the last? (POST WITH PHOTO OF SAFARI MICKEY EARS TO SHOW WE'RE ALL EARS)

Saturday, December 28
Facebook
Where's Nemo? We've got him right here! Just keep swimming and check out Finding Nemo: The Musical http://bit.ly/16lvNlg (USE PHOTO BELOW WITH POST)



Twitter
Where's Nemo? We've got him right here! Just keep swimming and check out Finding Nemo: The Musical http://bit.ly/16lvNlg

Sunday, December 29
Facebook
Thanks for sharing your holiday celebrations with us! We've loved seeing all the photos you've sent so far. Send your photos to animalkingdom@disney.com and we'll add them to our fan gallery! (POST WITH FAN PHOTO AND LINK TO GALLERY)

Twitter
We've loved seeing the AK photos you've sent so far. Send your photos to animalkingdom@disney.com and we'll add them to our fan gallery!

Monday, December 30
Facebook
It's #MotivationalMonday! Get ready to get 2014 started off right by registering for our brand new Welcome to the Jungle 5K (POST WITH RACE LOGO AND LINK TO DETAILS ABOUT THE RACE)

Twitter
It's #MotivationalMonday! Get ready to get 2014 started off right by registering for our brand new Welcome to the Jungle 5K (POST WITH RACE LOGO AND LINK TO DETAILS ABOUT THE RACE)

Tuesday, December 31
Facebook
Happy New Year's Eve! We can't wait to see you again and wish you and yours a prosperous New Year. Have you made any resolutions? Ours is to continue protecting the wonder of nature. Click here to learn more about the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund: http://bit.ly/1eCVEFu (POST WITH A PHOTO OF THE ZEBRAS)

Twitter
Our resolution is to protect the wonder of nature. Learn more about the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund: http://bit.ly/1eCVEFu

Engaging and advertising on Facebook 101

For small business owners, using social media as a means to grow their business may seem overwhelming. They may be wondering “where is the best place to start?” That place is Facebook.

Facebook allows users to find friends, personalize a profile page with photos and status updates and connect with brands they love. In turn, Facebook allows brands to connect with its customers, steer the conversation about their business and target advertising very specifically.

The social network famously founded by Mark Zuckerberg and friends in 2004 at Harvard (famously dramatized in 2010's "The Social Network") has gone from 1 million monthly active users at the end of its first year in existence to 1.15 billion active users as of June 2013. With monthly user growth of 115,000 percent in just under a decade, it’s safe to say that a good chunk of a business’ prospective customers are active on Facebook.

Back in its early days, Facebook was thefacebook.com and it was only open to students on select college campuses. In September 2006, the membership flood gates opened and anyone with a valid email address was allowed to join. Back then, opening up Facebook was decried by many college students (myself among them), but it ended up being a good move for the social network, doubling its base from 6 million users in December 2005 to 12 million users in December 2006.

Facebook for everyone, everywhere
These days, according to Business Insider, 67 percent of people in the U.S. who use the Internet are on Facebook. Though the younger age brackets still have a larger presence on the network, its reach is expanding. Since the end of 2012, the 45 to 54-year-old age bracket has seen 46 percent growth on Facebook.

Facebook users are taking the show on the road, as 819 million monthly users accessed its mobile products as of June 30, 2013. Business Insider also reports that the Facebook app is the No. 1 social media smartphone app. If a U.S. business is looking to expand its brand internationally, there's also the potential of reaching more people with Facebook: 86 percent of users who log in to Facebook are from outside of the States.

So, if more than a billion people from everywhere in the world access each month Facebook from a desktop or an app, it just makes good business sense for local, regional and national brands to be a part of the conversation on Facebook.

How to get started
The first step in building a business presence on Facebook is to create a page. Page administrators will want to choose engaging photos that are the correct dimensions for the page’s cover photo and profile picture. Filling out the page’s About and Location information will make it much easier for users to find that business on Facebook’s Nearby feature, thus making it easier for consumers to connect with that business on mobile Facebook when they’re out and about. For a basic tutorial on how to build a page, click here. For a more advanced look, watch the video below:



Many businesses and public figures started out in Facebook’s early days by making profiles that a user could request to be friends with, just like a regular personal profile. However, many businesses ditched these friend-type profiles when Facebook Pages launched in 2007, making it much easier for users to differentiate between business pages, public figure pages and personal profiles.

To support a brand’s page making and posting efforts, Facebook has created several different informational pages, including Facebook Business and Facebook Marketing. These pages offer tips on how to manage business pages, show how these pages will appear in mobile version and how to leverage Facebook’s advertising capabilities.

Expanding reach with Facebook ads
According to Facebook Business, there are 1 million businesses actively advertising on the network. For a long time, Facebook shied away from ads, not wanting to ruin the user experience. In order to keep the site free to users, ads had to come along.

Facebook’s approach to ads is more refined for businesses, targeting the consumers who are most likely to buy that product or service. While keeping user identity private, Facebook sells and displays ads based on “demographic factors such as location, age, gender, education, work history and the interests people have chosen to share on Facebook.” Citing a 2012 Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings report, Facebook says its ads reach 91 percent of its intended targets.

Ads, which can appear in the site's right rail or as a sponsored story in the news feed, can be crafted based on what a business wants to accomplish. See the examples of sponsored stories below: a business can drive likes for its page, encourage users to share an offer, buy an item or download their app or program.

In fact, Facebook wants to do even more of the latter; drive users to apps they already have. Facebook ads of this nature will appear in a user's news feed and drive that user to apps they already have installed on their phone.

Best of all, Facebook's advertising offers instant feedback through analytics, allowing social media marketers to alter their campaigns on the fly. You can get more details on analytics in Facebook's Ad Manager Guide, or read this blog from my colleague Janis Butkevics.

BONUS: Facebook plays nice with others
Twitter and Facebook updates can be synched together. Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012, so a business can share its filtered Instagram photo posts on Facebook. Content a business pins on Pinterest can be blasted out to the News Feed. A Facebook profile can be linked to a Klout account so a business' "moments" can be measured. Also, Facebook Home for Android will allow Tumblr, Pinterest, Flickr and Instagram content to be shown on its lock screen.

I'd hate to play on the "everyone's doing it" mentality when it comes to Facebook, but it's so true. Numbers don't lie, and those numbers show a whole lot of people are on Facebook. So what is your business waiting for? Start advertising to targeted customers without delay!

Not in the mood for all that reading? Check out the Prezi below:

NaNoWriMo: Inspiring writers all over the globe (including me) to bring their novels to life

Since I was 9 years old, I have dreamed of writing a novel. Over the years, I have started and stopped the process over and over again. The National Novel Writing Month project has helped me to realize that I need to accomplish this dream sooner rather than later.

NaNoWriMo, short for National Novel Writing Month, gives aspiring novel writers the kick in the butt they need to start writing. Writers have from 12 a.m. Nov. 1 to 11:59 p.m. Nov. 30 to produce a 50,000 word novel. That’s about 1,666 words per day.

The best part? It’s free, thanks to the generous donations from individuals and businesses that keep the National Novel Writing Month 501(c)(3)nonprofit going.

The target audience includes pretty much anyone worldwide who has a dream to write a book. According to NaNoWriMo’s 2012 stats, “341,375 participants started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.”

Throughout the month, writers submit their word count to the NaNoWriMo website. Wannabe novelists can also get support online from other “wrimos” past and present, as well as through in-person meetups. Winners (those who write a novel that’s at least 50,000 words and upload it to the NaNoWriMo site) will be eligible to win “goodies.”

The NaNoWriMo project and site are important because it gives many people of various walks a chance to actually accomplish their goal of writing a book. Most people just need a deadline and structure to get them going and NaNoWriMo provides that.



The thing is, and they warn you about this during the process, is that you can’t be afraid to write some stuff that is crap. Full disclosure: this is a big reason that I have started NaNoWriMo a few times and not finished. The fear my writing isn’t good enough is a fear I really need to squash. But that’s another blog for another time.

In terms of the other major social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.) I don’t think NaNoWriMo is meant to be a direct competitor. What NaNoWriMo has to offer is much more specialized than general social networking. National Novel Writing Month gives aspiring writers the tools and motivation they need to buckle down and write a book instead of letting life get in the way.

NaNoWriMo does a great job of helping writers connect with other writers where they live through the individual localized threads set up on their site. To increase awareness, NaNoWriMo could introduce an app, which would send push notifications to users and let them know when there are writing meetups in their area or where the closest Come Write In location is in their area.

Like their worldwide participants, NaNoWriMo seems to be everywhere. The organization already has a great presence on Facebook, Twitter and content communities YouTube, Pinterest and Flickr. They’re working on building a presence on Google+.  They’ve got a blog on Tumblr.

The next place National Novel Writing Month may want to work on building its presence is on LinkedIn. There is a NationalNovel Writing Month group, but there is no company page. Also, NaNoWriMo sends emails to writers who sign up, but they could perhaps extend their reach with a direct mail campaign as well.

Bottom line, for a nonprofit with just seven full-time staffers, NaNoWriMo does a great job of inspiring writers young and old all over the world, including me, to live their dream.

Pizza social media battle royale: Domino's vs. Pizza Hut vs. California Pizza Kitchen

This pizza is from Toppers Pizza, a regional chain, which is why I did not
cover them in this blog. But doesn't that look like a yummy taco pizza?

It's the battle of the national pizza joints! Domino's vs. Pizza Hut vs. California Pizza Kitchen.

How did I arrive at that combination of pizza places? Well, I wanted to use Papa John's or Little Caesar's as the third choice instead of CPK (since Papa John's and Little Caesar's are also national "fast food type" pizza chains), but each brand chosen had to have:

--Facebook --Twitter --Instagram --Google+ --And at least one of the following: LinkedIn/Pinterest/YouTube

Papa Johns and Little Caesar's were each missing one of these requirements. Since I have a little background knowledge of pizza (I may have worked for one of these chains at some point) and social media, I thought I'd examine these chains' social media strengths and weaknesses.

Domino’s can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube & LinkedIn)

By taking part in and being relatively active on all major social channels, Domino's takes an integrated marketing communications (IMC) approach that's in line with their humorous, sometimes irreverent tone. Even their pizza boxes get in on the IMC act and encourage social participation. The box provides instructions on the best tips for Instagramming a Domino's pizza with #pizzapics.

Pretty much all of Domino's IMC messaging and imagery is consistent. In most of their social photo posts on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, they have their logo in one of the corners of the photo as a sort of watermark.

The company tweaks its message to be appropriate for each channel. On LinkedIn, Domino's profile has a much more buttoned up tone, reflecting the company's business goals:



However, on Facebook, the tone is much more playful (below right):

The Domino's Pinterest page is cool but a little confusing: The main page is called "Domino's Second Hand Logos." The idea behind it is cool: showcasing artists re-purposing signage with the old "Domino's Pizza" logo. However, it's a little confusing to have this project be the name of the main Pinterest page instead of being the name of a board. Users will question if they're on the right page -- I know I did.

On most of Domino's social channels, the content is up-to-date. However, the glaring exception is Google+: The most recent post is four months old. (Content on the Pinterest page is about two months old, but this is less obvious because you have to click on pins to see how old they are.) The lack of Google+ posts is probably because, like many other businesses and users, Domino's hasn't quite figured this channel out yet. The easiest remedy to this would be pre-scheduling Google+ posts.

One great example of Domino's driving users from social channel to social channel is shown in a recent post on their Instagram. Users with the best filtered pic tagged with #pizzapics have a chance to get their picture used in Domino's next Facebook cover photo. The most glaring missed opportunity for Domino's to steer users to its social channels? Its website. The most emphasized call to action on the site is to sign up for a "Pizza Profile," which lets you save your regular order and takes only five clicks to place. The only social channels that are teased on the website are Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Though Domino's may not have caught on to pushing social in all of its places, they have caught on to hashtags. #PizzaPics, which seems to be the hashtag Domino's has staked out, isn't just limited to Domino's Instagram. They use it on Twitter as well.

Another item of note: It was pretty impressive that someone was responding to customer complaints and compliments on the Domino's Facebook wall on a Sunday afternoon. Because as we learned earlier this semester, social media keeps a business open 24-7.

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Pizza Hut can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube & LinkedIn)

Pizza Hut, the No. 1 Pizza chain in America based on sales, tops No. 2 Domino's by just a smidgen overall when it comes to IMC. This is mostly because branding-wise, The Hut's imagery across platforms is probably a bit more consistent.

Pizza Hut's branding, including the use of company's iconic red and #makeitgreat, is very consistent across its channels almost to the point of being matchy-matchy.

Did you notice Pizza Hut is following me?

The consistency carries over to the messages posted on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram. For example, Pizza Hut held an event to preview its new 3-Cheese Stuffed Crust, and content about this event "Discover Great" was posted on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

Like Domino's, Pizza Hut is having trouble with Google+, but they're even worse off. There are NO posts on Pizza Hut's Google+ page. Also like Domino's, Pizza Hut's Pinterest page is a little less fresh than, say, its Facebook or Twitter.

The best example of Pizza Hut driving users to their other social channels is its branded Twitter background, which shows off that its Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and even Vine. However, like little brother Domino's, Pizza Hut is missing an opportunity in this area: pushing users to social channels from its website.

When you visit Facebook and Twitter with the consistent branding (see above), there's no mistaking that Pizza Hut's iconic slogan #MakeItGreat is the company's main hashtag. Like Domino's, Pizza Hut is good about using hashtags, though they may take it to the next level by doing this to feature new products, like #3CheeseStuffed Crust.

Like Domino's, Pizza Hut's social media efforts match up with its overall IMC tone: We like to help you celebrate fun occasions with our pizza, yet we're serious about making quality pizza.

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California Pizza Kitchen can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube & LinkedIn)

CPK is a bit more of an upscale restaurant chain compared with Domino's and Pizza Hut, and that's reflected in their IMC approach. For goodness sake, they shared a photo of a pizza with edible gold on their Facebook, Google+ and Instagram pages (below right).

Given the fact that most of the content posted on CPK's Facebook, Twitter and Google+ is the same, the messaging and imagery is consistent. Some of the content on CPK's social channels even matches up with their website. An ad for their Salted Caramel Pudding is in the right rail on their website, and it's also posted on their Instagram (below right).

Not only does the content on the CPK pages match, it is also up-to-date. Unlike Pizza Hut and Domino's, the CPK's Google+ page is up-to-date! Obviously, whoever is manning all these pages is adept at consistently posting or consistently scheduling.

Like Pizza Hut and Domino's too, California Pizza Kitchen also uses its Twitter background to let users know that they also have Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram accounts. Unlike The Hut and Domino's, California Pizza Kitchen uses its website to drive users to social channels. They have their social logos front and center. Gold star to CPK (see below right)!

CPK's hashtag of choice is #PizzaReimagination and they regularly use this on their Facebook and Twitter. It would probably be a good idea for them to get into using the hashtag more often on Instagram as well.

CPK seems to be doing everything right when it comes to social media, yet has less followers/fans overall than Pizza Hut and Domino's. This is probably because CPK has less brand recognition than PH and Domino's. CPK has only been in existence since 1985 and The Hut and Domino's have been around since the late 1950s and early 1960s respectively. The more and more CPK extends its brand reach through new locations and grocery store sales -- and the more and more the company keeps up its diligence on social media -- the better they will be.