Aspiring and established social media-lites alike gathered at California State University Sacramento's Modoc Hall Tuesday night for Social Media Club Sacramento’s 2013 kick-off event. A panel-style workshop, “New Year, New Predictions,” predicted the social mediascape and shaped personal and business social strategies for the upcoming year. The speakers, a who’s who of local social media professionals, included: Scott Eggert, Co-Founder of ClickSpring  @ScottDEggert Alicia Allen, Social Media Manager, 3Fold Communications @AliciaToday Tony Gates, Owner of Tony Gates Consulting  @TonyGates44 Julie Gallaher, Owner of Get on the Map Local Search Marketing @JulieGallaher Panelists alternat

Facebook fail? Kupros Bistro fights discrimination accusations online Storified by The Sacramento Press · Mon, Dec 17 2012 19:25:07 A midtown restaurant has found itself in a social media clusterflop, fighting accusations on Facebook that it fired a pregnant woman. Kupros Bistro, at 1217 21st Street, recently fired off a Facebook post (since taken down) aiming to set the record straight about a former employee: For the record, Shawna Arrington was not fired at all. It was clearly understood between her and management before she went on a 10 day vacation, a month ago, that she would transistion out of a demanding night schedule into a lighter day schedule. We were looking out f

Taken 2 Directed by Olivier Megaton When “Taken” opened, it came as a surprise for assorted reasons. The basic plot about a man who fights to free his kidnapped daughter was extremely simple, as simple as, for example, the original “Die Hard” about a cop in the wrong place at the wrong time. Both movies featured a favorite theme of mine – the reluctant hero, the person who finds themself in an unexpected and undesirable situation that requires their action. But “Taken” was also quite different from many other films of that nature in that while the hero is an ex government operative with prodigious skills, he’s also a father worried only about his daughter’s safety. Most heroes in most fi

Become a social media storyteller for The Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis by entering The Golden Ticket Facebook Photo Contest. The winner will receive a Golden Ticket to all Mondavi Center Presents performances during the 2012-13 season and then be invited to share his or her experience on social media. “We are looking for someone who enjoys the performing arts and who loves to engage online,” said Rob Tocalino, Mondavi Center marketing director. “Our story teller can be a Facebook guru, a Twitter master, a serious blogger or someone who is adept at taking great photos and video blogging. We will definitely cater to the strengths of the winner once he

Broken dreams can either stir up hunger or infuse discouragement. I look around my city and see shreds of both woven into the fabric of the small business community. We are hungry to press on but weary from the fight. For most of us, what started as a passionate expedition into the direction of our dreams, has proven to to be an exhausting up hill battle. Is this sounding familiar? For those of us who aren’t locked in the grip of struggle perhaps you find yourself treading water in the grip of survival? Unable to capitalize to your fullest potential and continually replicating the same results? My name is Russell Breton and I am on a mission to make a difference. I want to change the s

On May 25, 2012 The Sacramento Bee (a local newspaper) reported that local business owner Sonny Mayugba was the almost victim of an extortion attempt of sorts. Apparently a past customer claimed he and his family had obtained food poising from dinning at Mr Mayugba’s Sacramento restaurant (Red Rabbit Kitchen and Bar, 2718 Jst) that he co-owns with partners. Food poising is very hard to prove and even harder to defend yourself against if you are a restaurateur. So in the spirit of good customer service Mr Mayugba offered the customer a $60 gift card. The customer however would have nothing of the sort because he stated to Mr. Mayugba that he wanted at least $100 or he would leave a bad r

For more than a decade, Cafe Soleil owners George and Nicole Ix have served countless customers from their restaurant in Cesar Chavez Plaza. The economic downturn proved devastating to Café Soleil and owners George and Nicole Ix. To cope, they dropped their health insurance like many other mom-and-pops. Recently, Nicole was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and is unable to work. The family is struggling to make ends meet. Now, the cafe's loyal customers are coming to the aid of the business by launching a three-month campaign to give them a boost in business. Starting June 4, customers will employ several strategies to give Cafe Soleil a sustained cash infusion and help them rebuild their

Don’t be surprised if it feels like everyone from Mayor Kevin Johnson to the head of the Parks Department is on Twitter or Facebook – it’s one of the reasons Sacramento was recently ranked one of the top 10 social media-savvy city governments in the nation. The University of Illinois study released March 22 ranked Sacramento ninth among 75 major U.S. cities based on the level of civic engagement the city government has to offer. Criteria for the study included how accessible city officials are to residents and how easily residents can get information about services and neighborhoods, the study states. “Huge growth in the use of social media has been seen in the past two years,” said Kim

This free, information-packed seminar will cover essential strategies and best practices as you begin to market with social media. You'll have plenty of time to ask questions, share your experiences, and network with your peers. (Bring lots of business cards!) You'll leave with real-world insights and knowledge that you can put to work immediately to help your business succeed. The speaker at the event will be Maureen Dudley of Dudley & Nunez Communications. Event Details: Social Media Marketing Made Simple Wednesday, February 22, 2012 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Raley's Roseville Event Center 1915 Douglas Blvd. Roseville, CA 95661   To register visit http://ow.ly/8Nc7b *Registration

We are currently seeking a highly motivated social media intern for Agency M at The Sacramento Press. About the position: The Social Media Intern will have a large role in maintaining and updating our clients' social media accounts, gathering data for regular reports, and helping with strategy. You will be expected to understand the in's and out's of every social media platform we use, and be able to think strategically and apply that understanding. You are the ideal candidate if you can work independently and as a team member, if you have the drive to go above and beyond what you've been asked, you are creative and love to write, you are "social", you are constantly exploring new possi

We’re all aware of social media and the impact it has had on how we market our service or product and value to customers. The ability to deliver real-time marketing messages, at low or no cost via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social platforms has enticed businesses to embrace social technology for a large percentage of their outreach endeavors, and has changed the entire marketing and advertising landscape. Today, most businesses have done the work to embrace and brand themselves via social media. As a result of this shift, savvy companies are applying their social media technology and experience to streamline many of their internal programs and optimize organizational transparen

Sacramento Steps Forward is a non-profit tasked with a critical mission of ending homeless in Sacramento by 2020, serving as a national example of how to end chronic homelessness. Beginning in January 2012, C7group will partner with Sacramento Steps Forward staff and volunteers to implement social business strategy and tactics for their organization. Social media technology increases the number of communication channels available to listen and respond to the community and social business procedures often improve workflow processes. For Sacramento Steps Forward, social business integration plays a dynamic role to fulfill their mission and communicate internally and externally to staff, vol

The Urban Hive was filled with nearly 100 representatives from local charities and non-profits at the Sacramento Social Media Club’s “Social Media Best Practices for Charities” last Tuesday. The event, hosted by Clay Nutting, director of Concepts 4 Charity and account executive for 3Fold Communications, inspired attendees to use social media outlets, such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube to spread their message, raise funds and increase public awareness of their cause in order to promote social change.  Panelist Julie Bornhoeft, director of development and community relations for WEAVE, Inc., advised the audience that beginning to use social media is quite simple – you must have a presen

Through their use of Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other social media tools, many local charities have spread their message, raised funds and increased public awareness of their cause in order to promote social change. In the hopes of spreading their stories and inspiring other philanthropic organizations to do the same, four local charities will be conducting a panel discussion at the Sacramento Social Media Club’s “Social Media Best Practices for Charities” on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Urban Hive. Moderated by Clay Nutting, director of Concepts 4 Charity and account executive for 3Fold Communications, the event will include panelists: Kate Towson, Americorps VISTA with Sacrament

It’s time for business to overcome the fractured, narrow view of social media as only a marketing channel or a public relations campaign. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and LinkedIn have taught us the value of social networking platforms on a global scale. Businesses fueled by the hype and the excitement to "get online" and drive sales have created a "tools-first, strategy later," environment. The result? Some success stories and just as many social media disasters. In order to avoid this tool trap, businesses need to get latest information about how to maximize processes, analytics and tools available to get ready (systemic social business strategy), aim (integrated methodology), and to fire

Let’s face it; those of us that use social networking sites are pretty much addicted. Whether you are connected through Facebook or Twitter—or both—you have a pretty good idea of what’s going on around town. Businesses that have been paying attention for the past two plus years are aware of this phenomenon and have leveraged social media to broaden their reach to potential customers. Restaurateurs are no different. On Tuesday, the Social Media Club, Sacramento (@SMCSac) hosted the “Dining Social: Restaurants & Social Media” at The Urban Hive in midtown to discuss how local restaurants are using social media and the impact it has had on their business. Ashlee Gadd (@AshleeGadd), PR Manager

A speaker lineup to include Twitter co-founder Biz Stone kicks off the new format for Perspectives 2011, offering more businesspeople the opportunity to attend the region’s premier annual speakers forum. “As with so many things these days, it’s not business as usual,” said Sacramento Metro Chamber Vice Chair of Events and Sponsorships Kathy McKim of AT&T. “We wiped the slate clean and started over—re-designing a program from the ground up that will meet the needs of more businesspeople and provide a greater networking and educational experience. We are especially thrilled to have Biz Stone in our lineup this year for this reason.” Over the last decade, Stone has been instrumental in craf

What or whom are you influenced by when you are looking for a new product? It might be commercials, television shows, or maybe if you are like millions of other people around the world, you are influenced by bloggers. Gone are the days when you only read ads in the Sunday newspaper, or watch commercials on the television. Today many of us are being swayed commercially by social media, the internet, and other digital mediums. In fact, according to Marketing Charts.com, nearly 50% of blog readers say they purchase products mentioned in the blogs they read on a daily basis. That is quite powerful when you put it in perspective. So what about here locally? What kind of power and influence do

93% of all American adults adult internet users are now on Facebook. While this is not a surprising statistic for anyone that has fielded a friend request from their mom, aunt or even grandpa, it does make it harder for small businesses to ignore Facebook as a platform to engage their target demographic. The argument that a business targets an older or less tech savvy demo than Facebook users just doesn’t hold water any longer. Businesses without a Facebook presence are not just passing up a valuable opportunity to engage their customers, provide customer service, and gain new consumers; they're falling behind. But just being on Facebook and setting up a business page isn’t enough. A Face

What began with an adult beverage and a frustrated Twitter post quickly led to a series of grassroots efforts to keep the Kings in Sacramento.  Radio personality Carmichael Dave, founder of #HereWeBuild, was relaxing in his backyard when he discovered that the Anaheim City Council had voted to pursue efforts to bring the Sacramento Kings to Anaheim.  “I thought this is frustrating and I’m ticked off and I want to let people know,” Carmichael Dave said. “So I tweeted out, ‘Carmichael Dave votes one-to-nothing to issue $200 into a fund to build a new arena. Whose with me?’” Then the explosion happened which soon resulted in the HereWeBuild, HereWeStay and SacDeflated.com campaigns, and th