Yes, I know those statements sound ridiculous, but we all develop our own languages. Our friends are enablers in these situations, which brings me to why I now feel old on social media. How well “ballin” is your hashtag game on Instagram? I bet you are getting some “likes” from your friends and random people when you post that #beach #tbt. Well, that is okay… if you are 27 and have 300 followers! Not cool, bro. No one cares unless you are posting pictures of you and your friends, then letting your other friends vote off the ugliest until there is a sole survivor. Need a more in-depth explanation? Read the article below, and then join me again after the jump.

Exactly. Petty little princesses right? Not so fast, ladies. When you were in high school, did you ever team up on one friend and exclude her for no good reason? You definitely had your own version of a burn book (Mean Girls reference: if you don’t know, you should). Still, these are habits best left to adolescents. If I ran my Instagram the way this trend suggests, I would lose friends, followers, and have to be concerned about retaliation every time I passed a dark alley.

The right way to look at this situation is that teenagers are stupid. I was stupid when I was a kid. You probably were, too, so we know where these impulses are coming from. Instagram is way better, though, when you follow your favorite brands, thought leaders, and your real-life friends who “like” and comment on your photos because they actually like you. Touching, right? I know, I should totally speak at my local high schools about acceptance of others and bullying. (Currently accepting all offers to speak at motivational conferences, you guys.)

Since I don’t wish to participate in petty games on social networks, I suppose I am too old to actually be “cool.” Then again who even says “cool” anymore, am I right?

PS – It’s spelled kewl, duh.

Having said that, last week that kiddie pool delivered some front yard fun. I do wish I had a better lens (Canon please feel free to send me one, and in return I will take photos with it/continue to tell everyone how much I love your products). Photography is a hobby of my mine, which is very beneficial to my friends. They get awesome pictures of themselves, and I get to do something I thoroughly enjoy. However, there are some extra benefits for me.

Here is where you get to enjoy the photos, and you have no obligation to read on. If you do that, however, you will miss out on some great guidance on what to do with your surf photos (the extra benefits). Do you take photos at parties, on vacation, of your daily life (yes, this includes instagram)? Well, don’t cheat yourself, and apply my surf photography tactics to whatever you do.

Create your own blog/website. This way you consistently have your own place for all of your photos. I looked up some keywords like “New Jersey surfing” and “surf photography” using Google’s Keyword Tool, which both have great search numbers and low competition. The competition is dominated by pretty big sources, but nothing with news or authorship is showing, so I have a chance for Google search results. Insert these keywords in  natural fashion, and we having begun optimization.

Let’s Share Our NJ Surf Photographs

Not all the people I shot surfing are on Facebook, but I know one is and he will like/share the photo (you better, Will, or no more photos of you). Our friends and family members will probably comment on the great wave, which will help my status update gain edgerank resulting in more exposure.

Surfing is a niche, which means you have a readily defined audience. I can hashtag words like “surfing,” “New Jersey,” “photography,” “beach,” “waves,” and much more on Twitter and Instagram, which will give me exposure to people who enjoy these niches. This will result in more likes, followers, and sharing. The key here is to think of every element of surfing from the wetsuit the surfer is wearing to the board he is riding to the spot they are at (word to the wise: keep it general. If you name a secret spot, you are dead meat).

Did you tweet  just once? Bad move. Schedule a week’s worth of Tweets with each hashtag once a day. Also, find users to @ reply to. Both Instagram and Twitter are filled with people who have more followers than you. In the case of Twitter,  schedule @ replies to these super users each day until they do respond or ReTweet. Once you see they did, then remove the extra Tweets, so you don’t annoy them!

Google+ is overlooked completely, but is crucial to search engine optimization. Each +1 you get helps your ranking, so spread your content out. There are a variety of Communities to post photography to, and there are Communities focused on surfing. USE THESE COMMUNITIES! When you insert your link choose a different photo for your profile than on each Community, so it doesn’t look like you are posting the same thing over and over again. Use the same hashtag rules with Twitter. You can also use Do Share to schedule your profile posts for each day ahead of time. This will give you more time take new photos or write a new blog post!

Here is where I leave you to do your own research. Look for forums! Stay active in them, and you will gain regular commenters and followers. Local Swell, NY NJ Surf…yup, they are out there and you need to get on them.

Golden Rule: You better share, tweet, like, +1, and comment on other people’s photos if you want them to do the same. Reply and thank those who do the same for you.

As far as I know there is no cure! However, I have been told keeping your iPhone in your jacket’s breast pocket is a pretty good way to avoid fading in the winter. Yet, in the summer months we must rely on alternative carriers such as backpacks or this thing…

I have also noticed girls do not get this fade as often, which leads me to believe maybe softer thighs are the answer.

If you, or anyone you know, has fallen victim to phone fade, then please speak up! Let us know your tips and tricks to avoiding this plague. If you are a girl, then good for you, and also let us know how soft your thighs are compared to how faded your jeans are.

Big things have been happening for her as you can see she landed a great spot as the focus of Men’s Health’s Valentine’s gift guide. So by the time this was posted you only have about 24 hours to get your lover something nice.

Additionally, you should support her and watch her new series “Golden Boy” on CBS. If you were watching the Grammy’s you may have already caught the commercial, but it is posted below in case you missed it.

Keep Scrolling and check out even more eye candy from Alexandra.

Are you completely stoked? Of course you are because GoPro’s marketing campaigns are intoxicating. I have one (original HD) and barely use it, but watching that commercial makes me want to buy all the mounts and go on epic adventures. Considering the price of this water-proof, shock-proof HD camera you get way more bang for your buck than a DSLR with waterproof housing. Of course they are way different animals, but for the adventurer who wants to documents his/her next skydive, base jumping, surfing, or any other epic activity these things do incredible justice.

There are two reasons why I am focusing on the GoPro, and they both have to do with the marketing campaign. One, this company knows how to get people amped. From the music to the athletes these videos have amazing aesthetic appeal (also the HD helps). GoPro puts their cameras in the hands of our athletic idols who in turn put us in their shoes, flippers, bindings, etc.

Two, GoPro lets its users make many of its commercials and encourages them on their daily videos page. Of course the sponsored athletes like Kelly Slater riding barrels are featured as well, but GoPro lets its users become the stars. Whoever owns a GoPro and shoots a fun/interesting video can be highlighted by the company in emails, on social networks, on their app, and even on TV commercials. This completely feeds into social media and how anyone can become a star online. FEED THAT EGO!

Quick Tip: If you are shooting with a GoPro you better go find groups on networks like Vimeo that are related. People who shoot with GoPro are a niche market and support each other. You could get a great fan base simply by connecting with others who use it.

If you want more information on how you can optimize you videos or get more quality views on networks like Vimeo or YouTube, then hit me up!

Vice recently interviewed the developers of Bang With Friends. The three guys who headed this revolutionary invention stated the motivation for the app was, “To cut through the pretense of dating and connect people to friends-with-benefits or more.” They go on explaining, “It can be awkward to breach the subject of your sexual interest in a friend unless you know it’s mutual. We take down that barrier. It should be something that is celebrated and open, not something anyone should feel awkward admitting is their goal.”

By now everyone has seen the main image for Bang With Friends, but here it is anyway. Plus, I joined simply to show you what it is like on the inside. To take it one step further I asked my girlfriend to “bang,” but haven’t gotten any response.

Before I leave, I know the title is “Bang With Friends Is A New Form Of Desperation,” and I pretty much praised the app. However, I am a pretty big advocate of meeting your mates in person because we all know the MySpace angles.

Yes. These tips will help you get exposure, as well as traffic to your acting website.

As an actor/actress your best social media outlets are obviously centered around video. Both Vimeo and YouTube offer more than just a place to host you reel, and there are simple tricks for both of them.

General Video Marketing Rules For Actors

It doesn’t matter whether you choose Vimeo or Youtube, you must follow these rules.

1. Change the default title the networks choose including “.mov” or “.mp4″ to something catchy and descriptive.
ex: Don’t use: “dcsm001.mov”  Do use: ”Comedic Improv with JOHN SMITH from ABRAHMS ARTISTS AGENCY” or “Touching Monologue from THOSE THE RIVER KEEPS by DAVID RABE.” Capitalize the Important names because they will be not only be highlighted in the search, but your eye will be drawn to them first. This will cause the viewer to be more apt to viewing, instead of passing it by.

2. Provide a precise description (no more than two paragraphs) of the video , and the key players involved on the project. This description should also have a link of the full url of your website.

3. Use keywords tags. Do not stuff random words! Be accurate such as: Film Noir, Surrealism, Silent Film, California, New York, New Years Eve….who, what, where, when.

4. Comment on other videos, and make some friends! They may just end up providing free promotion to their followers on other networks.

A little more in depth with…Vimeo

Vimeo’s player is very aesthetically pleasing and can easily be modified to match the colors of your website. The network is centered more around artists, so you can get away with racier content.  To draw viewers within the network you should definitely get involved in Groups. Groups cover niches including Short Films, Film School, Surrealism, and Canon 60D (yes, even Groups revolved around the equipment you use). Your market is already segmented and waiting for your content!

A little more in depth with…YouTube

YouTube is extremely popular, and completely over-saturated with content. 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, and it is actually the second largest search engine! However, you can put the odds on your side by doing some extensive work. If you type out every word said in the video and upload that with your video, then YouTube will translate it in every language it can. Perfect for those looking for international work. Since Google owns YouTube, if you use the right keywords in your title, description, and tags, then your video can show up in search results. Video is much more appealing that web content, so your result will probably sway Googlers.

There are many more marketing tactics actors can use on video websites, but these will give you a start. If you want more help with your actor marketing, then please contact me.

Thank you to Alexandra Vino for helping out with this post. Here are some final last words from this very talented actress:

This is not a waste of time! Casting Directors are constantly searching for new talent. They want to find you easily. Agencies are also always in the search. They actually have divisions in the company that have the sole purpose of searching for new talent on the INTERNET! 

Make sure your reel is fast and always give them “less not to like.” You can have a great scene but if 2 seconds are not so hot, the viewing can quickly change. Always remember give a little and keep them wanting more.

Do your research! Compare video’s with massive following to the ones that don’t have more than 10 clicks from their closest friends! What is causing the other to be successful? They probably used all the tactics above. ^

The only problem I had is that if you look it up on Mashable, there is no link to get to the next video in the series. Viewers have to look up that last video in order to get the links for all the other ones. They are on YouTube, but they stop at episode 13 for no reason. However, Vimeo had them all except the recap, so I chose to collect them from there.  I am partial to Vimeo anyway because it is just a nicer looking player.

Enjoy!

“Meet Vungle”

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And here is the finale!

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Although I use WordPress, Tumblr is a great blogging platform that I have successfully used in the past. With certain tweaks the themes can be manipulated into attractive branding and entertaining blogs. Tumblr also offers effective ways to reach niche markets, and thus the reason for this post. Here are some tips on how to get followers on Tumblr.

First things first, back to basics, etc. CONTENT! Yes, you need attractive and engaging content. Your audience will share the post they love giving you free, non-time consuming promotion. Tumblr is a very visual platform, so use photos (especially GIFs) to your advantage.

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Tags are the best way to define your content. They help others find your content when using http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/search. Only use tags relavent to your post.

How do you actively gain a following? Search for it. Search for other blogs with similar content using http://tumblr.com/spotlight and follow them. You should also share/reblog their posts. If the blogger has an “Ask” box, then that is an open invitation to connect one a personal level. I do not suggest writing “hey we have similar interests so follow me.” Tell the blogger a specific post you like of theirs and why you like it. If you are lucky they might just reply with more like it, and in turn you can suggest simliar posts of yours.

Now get off Tumblr and use other social media platforms to promote your content. Tweet, Share, Pin!!!

Do you want to learn how to effectively use other social media platforms? Then simply ask me using the contact page.

I met Rich Durik, the Owner of Brand Allure, through a mutual friend/business partner. Rich is a super nice guy…especially since he got me free access to Bamboozle for our first project together. Honestly, I think working at events is my favorite, and thanks to the smart purchase of a Canon 60D more and more people invite me to them. Anyway, below is one of the Bamoozle videos and a few others I edited using Rich’s content. Please take note that each one was catered to the content given to me, so some have soundtracks, some are narrated, and others are just live noise. The decision was based on the quality of content at hand, and the best way to display the event.

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