Social Media

Start Your Week Off Right

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This weekend was a nice and quiet. I was coerced into watching the Niners vs Giants game yesterday (the first football game I’ve seen in years) and it was a close one. I’m not a football fan, but I had to root for my city, San Francisco.

It’s too bad the Niners won’t be in the Super Bowl. I was looking forward to baking a red velvet cake for our annual Super Bowl party. Now I wonder: will there be any famous spouses or significant others in the audience that I can look forward to seeing?

I like starting off my week by reading or watching something inspirational or happy. For example, I once posted this video about the power of positive thinking.

Here are some inspirational words that have caught my eye on Pinterest.

Hope you all have a great week ahead!

GoodReads

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I enjoy keeping up to date on all the trends and latest happenings in social media. Last year I blogged about Pinterest. My most recent obsession is GoodReads.

What is GoodReads exactly? It is a social network for bookworms, like myself. On GoodReads, you can share what books you’ve read, your reviews, and what you are currently reading. Have you ever been in one of those instances where you’re at a bookstore and you can’t remember the name of the books you’ve wanted to read? (I’ve been there. Many times.) GoodReads has that covered with a handy “to read” list.

And best of all, this is a social network so you can add your friends and their lists! Think the book that your friend is reading is interesting? Add it to your list!

There is also an app for the iPhone and Android. So if you’re at a party discussing books (what? that doesn’t happen to you? ) you can quickly jot down the names.

Check out my GoodReads shelf here!

Are you on GoodReads?

From Blogger to Business

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I am always in awe when I read stories about people who have taken their blog and made it into a full-time business. With so many blogs out there, it makes me wonder why certain blogs succeed. But I realized that there is no formula (I wish it were otherwise!).

The blogs below have a few key things in common: they target a niche, and provide fun, innovative content every day.

Here are some of my favorite blogs, who have turned their hobby into a full-time job and in some instances, much more.

Cupcakes and Cashmere – Emily started her blog while she was working at Teen Vogue. It became an instant hit with posts about fashion, recipes, home decor, and more. She has since left Teen Vogue to focus solely on her blog. She has designed a Coach bag and even has a book coming out later this year.

MissMalini – MissMalini is touted as India’s gossip girl. Her and her team basically get paid to attend events and hobnob with Bollywood’s finest. Sounds like the best job ever right? MissMalini is taking branding to a whole new level. Here is an article the Huffington Post did on her just last week.

Sugar– Sugar is a San Francisco based online global network geared just towards women. It started as a blog (created by Lisa Sugar) about all things entertainment and pop culture.  Lisa and her husband took it to the next level and now they have 130 employees!

What do you think about blogs turned into businesses? I’d love to hear your comments!

Branding

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For those of you reading this post, please look at the address bar. Yep that is correct, I have my own domain: http://amisampat.com.  It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while, especially after I revived this blog a few months ago.

I bought the domain on 11/11/11 and considering I’m not an engineer, it took me a while to figure everything out. But I got it! 🙂

I’m pretty excited, because I am finally starting to create a brand for myself. This is especially important in the marketing/social media field, which I hope to one day find myself in. Having read countless articles about branding and how it helps boost your visibility, I am glad to have taken the first steps.

Next up, I need help in making my site prettier! Any graphic designers want to help me out? I promise to pay you with an abundance of baked goods. 🙂

The Human Factor and Social Media

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I often shake my head when I see companies not taking advantage of social media. This doesn’t mean they don’t have a social media account..they do. But rather all their posts sound mechanical and one-way. Social media is all about engagement. Engaging with your followers and hopefully creating a loyal following for your brand.

This article really shows why the human touch is absolutely required when handling social media. People want to feel like they are conversing with an actual person. Just as you would behave in person with a client is exactly how it should be done over social media.

Not sure what I mean? Take a look at Zappo’s Facebook page. They are building engagement and answering customer service queries in a timely manner..using social media to the fullest.

What do you think about the article? What are some companies that you think are doing a great job with social media?

Speaking of the human factor, if you are South Asian and haven’t signed up on the bone marrow registry- what are you waiting for? I signed up on Be the Match, will be getting my swab kit at home, which I can just mail back. Easy peasy and you can possibly help someone in need!

Also see  how Amit Gupta, who is suffering from acute leukemia, is using social media to help find a bone marrow donor here.

Advertisements

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While brands and companies are focusing on social media as it reaches a wide audience for virtually no cost, I don’t think print media should be dismissed as a valuable marketing strategy just yet.

I’ve always felt that the best ads are ones that are creative, funny, and/or useful and educational.

I came across this interesting article on Adweek that showcases 10 great magazine ads. My favorite was the ad for the advocacy group, Reporters Without Borders because it also includes a QR code and the use of an iPhone. It’s an ad that intertwines all the elements of marketing, both new and old,  into something simple and sleek, all while restating the non-profit’s brand.

What are some of your favorite ads? Why do you like them?

Technology and the Cookbook

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Just the other day I was browsing through my mom’s recipe book trying to find a recipe for alfredo sauce. I flipped through all the recipes multiple times until I finally found it. I wondered why I was spending so much time when I could have easily found the recipe online in a matter of seconds.

This article, featured today on Huffington Post, discusses how technology is affecting the cookbook, and helping create satisfying meals. Certainly cookbooks as we know it are a thing of the past. There are countless websites that give you recipes based on the ingredients you have and your dietary restrictions. You can even splice together different recipes you find interesting.

There is also an added video aspect to recipes nowadays. Many cooks post YouTube tutorials of how to make items, which certainly helps those that learn visually. Or if you’re a beginner cook like me and lack any estimating skills about exactly how much masala to put in your paneer tikka masala.

How do you find new recipes? Do you still use cookbooks or have you shifted to recipe websites?

Life on the Go

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I’ll be honest, I was really struggling with a topic to write about today. So in the midst of my brainstorming, I opened up my Facebook app on my iPhone and browsed through the newsfeed. It made me realize just how ingrained Facebook is in our lives these days. It’s turned into such a big deal, causing divorces and ending friendships or relationships. But that is a whole other blog post entirely!

My favorite aspect of Facebook is the mobile uploads section. I feel like it really gives you a good insight into the person..you can learn a lot about the person based on what they decided to take a picture of and deemed it worthy to share with the rest of Facebook. If you all saw my mobile uploads album, you’d think “Wow, that girl really loves her desserts!”

All jokes aside, here are some of my mobile uploads I thought I’d share with you. Maybe it’ll give you a better idea as to who I am! (If this blog hasn’t told you already. :))

Crumbs cupcakes in NYC.

My own baking and decorating skills (for the India vs Pakistan World Cup Final).

Funny signs I come across.

Beautiful scenery: Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

My travels: Maui, Hawaii

I love pretty things.

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Whenever I get stressed or bored, I look at pretty pictures online. It could be of an awesome outfit, a delectable dessert/dish, a wonderfully decorated room or a beach. They all serve as great distractions from whatever issues are occupying my mind and my mood is instantly changed. Well, now enter Pinterest.

Pinterest is site where you can find and share beautiful pictures that you come across on the internet. It could be anything from home

Bliss.

decor, wedding/party planning, food & desserts, to exotic locales. You can then “re-pin” the pictures you see and share them with your friends. It’s a great tool for anyone planning a wedding, re-decorating their house, or looking for inspiration on what to cook for an upcoming dinner party.

Log on to Pinterest and request an invite. (It doesn’t take long- I requested one this afternoon and got an invite just an hour ago.)

You can view my board here. They are still barren as I am just getting started. And if any of you are on it, add me!

Another website I saw today and loved (courtesy of my friend Pari) is Bookshelf Porn. For anyone who is a bookworm and loves pretty pictures like myself, this site is like heaven. It showcases all the best bookshelves from all over the world. I am in lust. I cannot wait to have an awesome bookshelf in my future house (along with a fantastic view of the ocean, of course).