Bloggers Take on Hollywood!

www.HashTagLounge.com

This fall, viewers will not only be able to watch popular Hollywood events from the comfort of their homes; they'll be able to join in
the fun via Ambassador Bloggers.  A Hollywood based group of new media producers, social marketers and their giant database of Bloggers have developed a way for audiences to engage LIVE - in the happenings of Hollywood.  They're calling it the #HashTag Lounge, as in the popular micro-blogging tags one would use on Twitter. 

Blogger Benefits

Bloggers invited to attend these Hollywood events will experience an exclusive VIP area designed just for them.  Complete with seating areas, charging stations, vanities and even a support team to help edit editorial/video content, Bloggers will be fully equipped to serve their audiences in record time. 

Added Elements of Fun for the Viewing Audience

Unlike traditional news broadcasts, the #HashTag Lounge delivers content as a live and interactive conversation, where the audience gets to join in the fun, via an on site Ambassador Blogger.   But the fun doesn't just end there.  To take the experience to a whole new level of excitement, #HashTag Lounge producers are already exploring ways for Brands join in the fun by sponsoring live giveaways, contests and whisper words.  I have it on good authority that sponsors can get in during the pilot phase for as little as $500.  The way I look at it, it's social media, gamification and the luster of Hollywood rolled into one.  

The team behind this concept is keeping a low profile until the official premier; however we do know they'll be on site scouting out Bloggers at the official OC Blogger Bash this Sundaaaay.....

www.HashTagLounge.com

Twitter: @HashTagLounge

How to Get Serious Cash for Your Blog, Vlog or Social Site

The "if you build it, they will come..." principle does not apply to many.  However, if you are one of those blessed individuals who happens to have a successful blog (200,000 unique visitors per mo.), Facebook following (1,000+ followers), Twitter (10,000+ followers) or YouTube Channel (1M views+), there's some serious money out there awaiting you.  No joke.

Brands and investors are getting smarter.  Rather than trying to re-invent the wheel, they're investing in the ones that are already turning out audience.  Social media brand sponsorship is a $2 Billion industry and only getting stronger.  Check out these articles on the topic if you want to learn more.

• A Blogger Who Gets It (and by "it" I mean money)
• Finding a Sponsor (They're out there)
• A Blogger Who Got Her Own TV Show Because of Her Blog (It's possible)
• A NYTimes Article  (In case you still don't believe me)
• How a Hollywood PR Company Hired Bloggers to Hang Out Backstage with Celebs (Yep. It Even Happened to Me) 

Research for the Skwikee SMO Plan: Competition Wanted

SMO class or Social Media Optimization class has got me all perplexed.  I never professed to be an expert on the subject, just know my way around the tools and a few techniques to get up to 10,000 Twitter or Facebook followers within 24 hrs.  Not something I'd advise to anyone looking to genuinely build on their social channels by the way.  Those tools are for the wanna be influencer,  and I regard them a little like Joan River's saying, "Just because it zips, does not mean it fits darling."  Others simple call it social whoring.  Whatever. I digress.

So back to SMO class.  The assignment is to write a social media marketing plan, something I've already done numerous times for clients.  But this time I'm a little stumped.   I'm doing mine on Skwikee, my experimental social media project. The plan calls for competitive analysis to delineate strengths, weaknesses, etc.  However, there's no real competition out there right now to glean from.  I have to pull from a list of different sources to hit on the: fashion, food, lifestyle vlog, turned social game elements.  I don't necessarily deem the following ladies competition, simple think they all have some elements of "ness" I should be trying to deliver within the game.  Plus, I find them all interesting and entertaining.

Top Mom Blogger:  Ree Drummond, Pioneer Woman
 

Why?  Because she knows who she is, has an artistic point of view about life and she speaks to my target audience:  35-45 yr. old middle class women.  She gives away prizes on her blog kinda like I offer virtual gifts on Skwikee.  Plus Food Network just gave her her own show, so she must be doing something right.

-----------------------------------

Top LA Based Glam Girl Blogger:  Suzanne Marques, LA Woman
 

Why?  Because she recognizes the little things that make the LA lifestyle so unique.  She's got a decent following on Twitter (personal not the blog) and I like her Glamoratti girls.  Very chic and gangsta.  Oh and also, she gives away prizes too.  Nice added value to her readers.

------------------------------------------

Top Fashion Blog:  Susan Greg Koger, Modcloth

 Why?  This girl is a rock star of the girlpreneur world.  She's become a mega millionaire by selling clothes she didn't want from her closet.  Today she's deemed as one of the most influential, under 25 entrepreneurs in the world.   But that's not even the best part.  She's majorly into social commerce, does contests and scavenger hunts on her site regularly, cross promotes the events on Facebook and just has a total system.  Respect.

 -------------

And then there's the video haul girls.  You know, the ones that sit and chat about their latest purchases on YouTube, garner millions of views for it.  Most are catering to a younger audience, but I discovered Emily Eddington's channel not to long ago on YouTube.  Looked at her subscribers and she seems to be hitting the same demographic as well.  I like her simple laid back approach.  She features lots of different items that can be found at local drugstores and she's practical.  All good things for me to keep in mind for Skwikee.

In closing, I'm not crazy about the idea of discovering competition for Skwikee, but it would be nice to have some sort of vlog/social game standard.  I've opened Skwikee up to the public and invited the top haul vloggers on YouTube to turn some of their videos into games but no one has taken me up on it quite yet.  We shall see. 

Fear Not - BLOG!

Many times I meet a Boomer that wants to be a Millennial Boomer but feels they have nothing to contribute, or that no one will really pay attention their stuff. Not true. Fact of the matter is that it’s a 90-9-1 co-created content world out there.

What’s that mean?
That means 90% of people out there are “watchers” (read but don’t contribute); 9% contribute once and awhile and only 1% are responsible for true contribution.

As I always say: “Feed the Internet and it will feed you.”