Almost Home Rescue: Where Volunteers Make A Difference
Almost Home Rescue Director/President, Bonnie Martinolich with her three dogs at home.
Just about everyone in the NMC office has a pet that they brag about, posting pictures on their office walls, desks and more! As animal lovers, we can appreciate the work of nonprofit organizations such as Almost Home Rescue and this week’s Monday Maine Maven, Bonnie Martinolich.
Martinolich serves as the director and president of Almost Home Rescue (AHR). AHR is unique in that they are a nonprofit corporation, made up entirely of volunteers without a single paid staff member. A part of her work includes managing their Facebook page and she says, “We only have one very basic rule: we never post negative stories about cruelty and neglect.”
In a world filled with violence and negative images surrounding animal cruelty, it is important to AHR that they emphasize the passion of volunteers for positive outcomes and as Bonnie adds, “We want parents to feel comfortable with having their children view our Facebook page, and for people to understand the good that comes from volunteers and adopters working with AHR.”
On June 15, 2013, hundreds of people showed up for Amy Buxton’s Underdog Jog. Almost Home Rescue was a benefactor of the race and volunteered as course marshals.
The passion of volunteers displayed on their social media sites is what brings in most of their new volunteers. Bonnie says, “They are a friend who had a friend who adopted an AHR dog, or is a foster parent, and they want to do the same.”
With mobile accessibility to online sites increasing daily, it is only natural that they would look there first when they begin a search for new four-legged family members. This is why sites like Facebook, Petfinder and AHR’s website are essential for AHR.
Another key element to the success of AHR is volunteers. The rescue organization doesn’t have a shelter of their own; they simply transport dogs to foster families and partner rescue organizations, so visibility of their program is critical. Bonnie adds, “Our foster program is the heart of what we do, and allows us to continue our rescue effort.”
This past weekend, they were one of the benefactors of the Underdog Jog, a fundraiser 5K held in memory of their late volunteer, Amy Buxton. AHR not only had multiple volunteers that donated their time as course marshals, but they also brought their rescue van, full of adoptable dogs to the race, mingling with the crowd and talking about what they do within the community.
AHR relies on volunteers to raise awareness of their program.
To join their community of animal lovers you can contact them by emailing, info_ahr@yahoo.com, or donate on their website, www.almosthomerescue.net.
How To Connect Your YouTube and Google+ Pages
You can link your Google+ page to your business’s YouTube channel to gain advanced channel management features. You will be able to let multiple people manage your YouTube channel, as well as manage multiple YouTube channels from a single login. No more sharing passwords to personal Google accounts, or setting up fake Google accounts just for YouTube!
Here are instructions for linking Google+ to YouTube. You must already have a Google+ page set up for your business, and the Gmail login you use to access YouTube must be an administrator of the Google+ page.
1.) In YouTube, under account settings, click the “advanced” link
2.) Click the blue button that says “Connect with a Google+ page”
3.) You will be presented with a few options for what you can connect your YouTube channel to. Select your YouTube channel from the list and click next. Follow the additional instructions and your YouTube channel will be linked to your Google+ page.
4.) Now any of your Google+ page managers will be able to manage your YouTube account. When they log in to YouTube, they can use the “switch account” feature to select the Google+ page and the connected YouTube channel.
Contributed by Matthew Rideout, NMC Interactive Marketing Manager
Sam Shain and the Scolded Dogs’ New Album Keeps You Dancing
Sam Shain, front man of Sam Shain and the Scolded Dogs
In a recent webinar, the host suggested a modified version of the Pareto principle was applicable to social media, saying that 80% of your content development should be personal items that make you relatable to your audience and that sliding in the sales and marketing pitches in the remaining 20% is the key to social media success.
If that’s the case, then this week’s Monday Maine Maven, Sam Shain of Sam Shain and the Scolded Dogs, is doing social media very well!
Shain grew up in Hallowell and credits its “charm and strong community” for keeping him here. Sam also adds, “I’ve been going downtown to listen to music since I was a little kid—Hallowell has an outstanding scene for such a small city!”
If you’ve been downtown yourself, then you have most likely popped into the Liberal Cup, Higher Grounds, The Wharf, Hoxter’s, Easy Street Lounge or one of the many other venues that host live music on a regular basis. The scene has come a long way since Sam first started booking gigs. He says, “I used to make events for gigs, but I rarely use that feature anymore.”
Why not? Facebook.
Shain says, “My Facebook page is a great outlet when it comes to getting the word out and posting my schedule.” Another thing Shain does on his Facebook page is connect with his fans (over 1,000 of them) by asking them questions, and getting their feedback on his show and music. He says, “More activity equals more awareness, so I try to keep it light in my posts and have fun.”
Sam Shain during an interview at WBLM discussing the band’s latest album, A Song We Know.
So, what’s next for Sam Shain and the Scolded Dogs? They are working their way into the Portland music scene and are currently pushing their latest album, A Song We Know. It is currently on sale at all of their shows and Musicians First Choice in Augusta, and will soon be available on iTunes and in Bull Moose.
Shain says, “With any luck, we’ll have a 2014 release to follow up on the success of A Song We Know. In the meantime, we are going to keep gigging it up and keep all of the awesome people that come to our shows dancing.”
To learn more about Sam Shain and the band, like their Facebook page at facebook.com/samshainmusic.
Hallowell Homecoming Extravaganza
NMC client and local filmmaker Chris Walters celebrated his recent meetings with Hollywood producers by hosting a Hallowell Homecoming Extravaganza on Sunday, June 2 at Maple Hill Farm.
The event featured a screening of his film Jim Jones Juice, and music by The Band Apollo, Loc Da American Bulldog, and Sam Shain and the Scolded Dogs along with works from local artists. Hallowell Mayor Charlotte M. Warren introduced the event, which was sponsored by RE/MAX Capital Chris Vallee Associates.
The Band Apollo were one of the many performers at Chris Walters’ (right) Hallowell Homecoming.
Walters begins filming the sequel, Dave’s Intervention, this summer in Maine. To learn more about Chris Walters Productions please visit their website, www.chriswaltersproductions.com.
Should You Trade Google Alerts For Newsle?
NMC Account Executive Anna McDermott
Newsle is yet another of the latest social media platforms that is trending right now and the intrepid folks at NMC are here to tell you whether or not you should pay any attention to it. You should. It’s pretty cool and you really don’t have to do anything with it other than sign in. Newsle will then track your friends and email you as soon as they’re in the news (Newsle = news + people).
It’s an easy way to monitor your own brand and the brands of your friends and clients, and its algorithm for finding your contacts in the news is pretty brilliant – people think it’s far more accurate than having a Google alert.
When I signed in, I linked my Gmail, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts to my Newsle profile and instantly anyone I’m connected to who has been in the news in the last few years showed up on my Home screen with links to the articles. You can also follow anyone on Newsle – like the President or Justin Bieber.
You can choose how often Newsle emails you with updates (1-7 days per week) and whenever your friends are in the news, you’ll know. The more someone is in the news, the higher their Newsle rank is – Barack Obama has a 94, our own Nancy Marshall has a 28. Because your rank is dependent on the prominence of the news source you are in and how often you are in the news, your number could be seen as a positive or negative, so I wouldn’t necessarily place too much importance on it.
Go ahead, sign up for Newsle – you may find it replaces many of your Google alerts and its interface is really pleasant to use.
Contributed by: Anna McDermott
The Art of Brand Communication
Portland Museum of Art Brand Strategy Coordinator, Caitlin Brooke
When you think of a museum, what comes to mind? Do you envision a forward-thinking, branding machine that brings art to life on your phone, through an artist-inspired cocktail, or by offering Free Fridays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.? That’s the exact image Portland Museum of Art (PMA) Brand Strategy Coordinator, and this week’s Monday Maine Maven, Caitlin Brooke, hopes to conjure when you think of PMA.
After graduating from Cony High School, Caitlin attended the University of New Hampshire where she received dual undergraduate degrees in art history and communication, and an MBA in marketing. A summer internship with PMA’s PR department was her first taste of the career path she would choose, but not before spending three years in Boston working as an associate for an investment firm.
Brooke says, “I absolutely loved developing my professional identity in Boston and being thrown into the fast-paced and demanding world of corporate finance. My role evolved from investor relations to marketing, and I began to take the reins in redesigning the firm’s marketing materials and communications plan.”
At the PMA’s Winter Bash Brooke’s job was to sit and draw the guests as they enjoyed the evening.
By 2010 Brooke decided to leave Boston and do some soul-searching saying, “I wanted to eventually establish myself in Maine, so I took a break and traveled the country before beginning my search for jobs in Portland.” Why Maine? Her reason is simple stating, “The cultural vitality of the city had always enticed me and it’s the perfect location—access to the water for surfing and the mountains for skiing!”
This vital culture of Portland is the driving force behind the success of Brooke’s work with PMA. She says, “It’s about being in the know; having relationships with every department and PMA staffer so they think to call me when something cool is happening in the galleries, on TV, or across the street; it’s about embracing social media as a part of our roles.”
In 2012, the institution officially began to integrate social media into staffers’ professional roles. With this change came the need to create a social media policy and social media team who create content, take photos, Tweet and post on behalf of the museum covering all facets of the institution, and giving dynamic perspectives of what is happening on the PMA campus.
Stop by the PMA Café for an artist inspired cocktail created byAurora Provisions.
This new branding initiative plays a major role in Brooke’s daily routine. She starts her day by scrolling through social media feeds and emailing herself potentially relevant content. She adds, “I need to scope the scene and see what people are talking about. A big part of my job is connecting PMA’s exhibitions, programs and collections to what’s happening in the ‘real’ world, which in my opinion helps pull together the bigger picture of why art matters.”
2012 was a major year of rebranding for PMA, when they gathered national and international traction for their exhibition Weatherbeaten: Winslow Homer and Maine. Brooke says, “Homer was an American artistic genius, and also a hermit with a fantastic moustache and a studio on Prouts Neck in Scarborough.”
PMA used this attention as an opportunity to launch their new logo and to overhaul their brand identity. Brooke says, “Prior to 2012, the museum had an undefined strategy for social media. It was almost a marketing afterthought, but because of all the media attention, we were able to really throw our new look out into the public arena and have a lot of people see it.”
A lot of people have been seeing a new side of PMA, one that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is having fun. Caitlin says, “There is no other form of communication that can convey the energy of an organization like social media, so don’t take yourself too seriously!” While social media is a part of business, Brooke says that it is a part of building relationships, too, adding, “People like to see the behind-the-scenes, real parts of an organization. If something makes you and your coworkers laugh, more than likely other people will see the humor in it too.”
To learn more about the Portland Museum of Art, visit www.portlandmuseum.org, or like them on Facebook to keep up with their latest events and exhibits.
NMC Senior Account Coordinator Rose Whitehouse Retires
This week’s Friday Fab Foto is bittersweet for the staff at NMC—after 11 years, NMC Senior Account Coordinator Rose Whitehouse is retiring today.
She stole the scene from day one, and quickly became recognized as the most fashionable person in the office. Her Death by Chocolate dessert is legendary, along with her passion for the NMC brand.
NMC Senior Account Coordinator Rose Whitehouse (center), with Nancy Marshall (left) and Charlene Williams (right), retires today after 11 years with the company.
During a staff meeting yesterday she confessed that being one of our lead proofreaders was by far her favorite part of the job because she took pride in the ability to ensure that clients were receiving the best product possible. Rose also noted that working with the agency helped keep her trendy, emphasizing a dinner party where she impressed everyone with her knowledge of QR codes.
The office certainly will not be the same without her, but we wish her the best of luck as she prepares for her next endeavor—full-time Grammy to her (soon-to-be-three) beautiful grandchildren!
Using Social Media Channels to Help Journalists Do Their Jobs
NMC Account Executive Kevin Gove
The go-to methods for providing journalists with story ideas or story sources have changed with the times. First, there was the phone. Then, e-mail arrived and made a journalist’s inbox forever cluttered. And now, with the ability of media to Tweet or post a call for ideas or sources that can instantly be seen by thousands of eyeballs, social media channels are becoming effective and helpful avenues for reaching out to help journalists do their jobs.
Using social media to pitch stories isn’t a trend. Pitching is personal, and knowing how a media contact prefers to receive a pitch should be your first objective. But, for those who want to test the story-sharing power of Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn here are some tips for pitching media through social channels.
Pitch to Those Who Want Pitches: It’s best to e-mail or call a media contact to find out if it’s OK to pitch them through social media. Some people say in their Twitter profile or LinkedIn profile that they welcome or don’t welcome pitches. You may be surprised at how many are OK with it. Use Twitter search to find people who are “writing a column,” “writing a story” or “need sources.” And, Like the Facebook pages of local and national TV news stations, newspapers, magazines and news websites to see their “We want to hear your story” posts and other calls for story ideas or sources.
Tell How the Story Will Benefit the Audience: Even with an abbreviated pitch, it’s important to share how the story will touch its audience. If you have an idea that will save people money, improve their health, or bring about world peace, say exactly that and not something like, “Hey, I have an awesome story idea for you.” Use numbers and statistics to get your point across quickly and effectively.
Provide a Link to More (Helpful) Information: It’s important to be detailed in a social pitch, especially if adding a link improves your pitch. If your pitch is about a person, provide a link to a full bio or a video that demonstrates what makes them story-worthy. Giving a link to the homepage of a business website or to a 127-page report someone co-authored isn’t helpful or enticing.
Don’t Forget to Follow Up: If your response to a call for a story idea or a source doesn’t get answered right away, follow up with a direct message, or make a phone call. The worst pitch is the one that ends without any conversation (written or verbal) with the media contact. Most people appreciate some kind of follow-up, and it’s beneficial even if all you find out is that the person is on vacation or just really busy.
A Twitter search for “writing a story” will show you results similar to these.
Take a closer look at your media contacts on social channels to find out you are missing opportunities to share stories and get media coverage for clients.
WGAN’s Mike Violette Gives the Inside Scoop on Social Media
WGAN Talk Host, Mike Violette
Politics are dicey in the world of public relations, so it’s probably a good thing that this week’s Monday Maine Maven, WGAN’s Mike Violette, would rather talk about himself and how his love of Maine and social media keeps him fresh.
Violette says, “Politics aside, I just try to listen to what people are talking about when I’m not behind the microphone. Whether it’s in Mardens or Hannaford, I make mental notes and who knows? It might just make it on the next day’s show.”
He adds that he is lucky that the management at WGAN, the Portland Radio Group and Saga Communications are supportive of his leanings, whether they’re political or not, and credits this for his transparency on social media. Mike says, “My job is to have an opinion on the WGAN Morning News, so I take that same approach with Facebook.”
For Violette, Facebook simply feels like an extension of what he has been doing for the past 30 years on radio. He says that even before social networking came about, he was already sharing his life with listeners each day. He says, “You have to connect with your listeners, and there is no better way to do that than to talk about the same things they do—your kids, your families, your dog.”
A recent example of that relationship comes from Mike’s family beagle, Hope. After 14 years his family had to make the difficult decision to say goodbye. His daughter, Jessica, had created a Facebook page for Hope, and when he mentioned on air what the family was going through he says, “The outpouring of support and love from people I had never met was amazing. Even though I had never met them, they had met me, my family and our dog because they’re loyal listeners, and I love them for it.”
Hope Violette aka “Hope the famous beagle”
The responses he receives on Facebook are generally positive, but he encourages the other side to voice their opinion because “it makes for a spirited debate.” He adds that, “No one gets whacked by me for having an opposing view, I encourage that!”
However, you might get whacked if you try to talk smack about fresh scallops and fresh Shipyard brews, two of the items Violette credits for his staying in Maine all these years, but he also says that “in February I could be convinced to move to Key West.” All joking aside, Mike says, “I’m a Mainer and I just love the state and the people.”
When he’s not on air, Violette is a movie fan listing the following as his top 5:
You can connect with Mike on Facebook, or by tuning into the WGAN Morning News weekdays from 5-9am on 560AM.
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