Posts Tagged ‘facebook’

Backdrops @ USITT 2016!

March 26th, 2016

We traveled to Salt Lake City to be a part of one of our favorite theater trade shows, USITT. We loved meeting so many students with passionate aspirations and talented theater directors and stage managers. The heartbeat of the theater industry can be felt through the many USITT Sessions and, of course, on the stage expo floor.

USITT 2016 - Paris Opera House1 backdrop

For the backdrop showcase, we chose to highlight our Paris Opera House backdrop. It showcases the high-detail and intricate work of our designers and artists. This backdrop is truly a show stopper. We were so excited that our hand-painted backdrop was next to the Electronic Theatre Controls booth. We loved the student session ETC held, which educated those passionate about following their dreams of being in the theater industry. Check out the short video showcasing our backdrop on our Facebook page.

USITT 2016 - Haunted House 1 backdrop

Our Haunted House backdrop was an awesome theatrical background to feature at USITT. We had so much fun with featuring this backdrop. So many of the attendees could not believe that it was hand-painted. It is such an inviting, spooky, and colorful backdrop that instantly caught the eye of onlookers. We loved talking to so many lighting designers that provided such positive feedback on how their techniques could enhance our backdrop. It’s so fun to see how the different color lighting can completely transform the look of the backdrop. With one backdrop, you can create multiple different moods depending on the lighting and what is focused on.

USITT 2016 - Haunted House 1 backdrop

We may have even gotten a little silly in front our our backdrop with OSF Costume Rentals. Check out how fabulous their seriously awesome costumes look in front of our hand-painted background.

It was an amazing experience to be surrounded by the best in the theater industry. We’re already looking forward to next year’s USITT show.

Posted in Audio Visual, Backdrops In Action, Conferences, Technology, Theater, Tradeshows, Welcome | No Comments »

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Maximize Your Business Exposure On Facebook

December 15th, 2010

Claim Your Business on Facebook and Offer a Deal

If you own a local business with a physical location that your clients can shop and haven’t claimed your place on Facebook, you are missing out on a great opportunity to promote your business.  In addition to Places, Facebook has now launched a new service called Deals and it is currently available for free.  Similar to Groupon, you can create special offers for your customers.  Having recently learned about Deals myself, I was inspired to show everyone just how to do it.

To do so, you first have to check in via your mobile device through Facebook app.  (If your smart phone is not equipped with the Facebook App you can download it from your smart phone app store or simply use touch.facebook.com)  Similar to Foursquare, you need to check in via your mobile device.

  1. Open your Facebook App
  2. Choose Places
  3. Choose Check-In
  4. Do a search for your business to see if it’s been added. If your business is present move on to step 6.  If not, you will need to “Add” it.
  5. Add Your Full Business Name and include a business description and press the add button.  Your business will now be visible to anyone that visits your business.
  6. Your business will now be in Places and is ready for you to check in.  You may check in alone, or check in with your friends by tagging them.
  7. You must now login your Facebook account via the web.  Click on your profile tab and locate your business check in.
  8. Once your business has a Facebook Place, you will see the following screen.  There is a link at the bottom left side that states “Is this your business?” Click on the link to begin the verification process.
  9. You will now get the following pop up:
  10. Upon certifying that you are an official rep of your business you will need to complete the next step/form.  Please note that claiming your Place on Facebook does require some supporting evidence including document verification to prevent from strangers trying to claim your business. (Unfortunately, there will be a waiting period of about a week before you receive an approval email from Facebook.)
  11. Once your claim has been reviewed and approved your page will look like this and you will be able to add a photo, edit your details and create deals for your customers.  Click on “Create a Deal”
  12. You will get the following box:

You are now ready to create you Deal on Facebook Places.

Click on “Create a Deal for this Page”

You have 4 different types of deals you can offer: (deal descriptions via Facebook Help Center)

  • Individual Deal: Reward individual customers when they check in at your business. Best for simple discounts or gifts with purchase.
  • Friend Deal: Reward individual customers when they check in at your business. Best for simple discounts or gifts with purchase.
  • Loyalty Deal: Reward customers for visiting your business a certain number of times, similar to a traditional punch card.
  • Charity Deal: Pledge to donate to a charity of your choice when customers check in at your business. A win-win for everyone!
  • For demonstration purposes I will walk you through the steps in creating an individual deal.

For an individual deal you will need to define your offer, explain how to redeem, enter the dates you plan on running your promo, maximum number of redemptions if applicable and the number of times it can be claimed by the customer.  Proceed to clicking on Save.

You will then be prompted with the following screen.  You have now successfully submitted your deal to Facebook and it will take an approximate 48 hours for them to review and approve.  Please note that your page may have only 1 active deal at a time.

When your customers now check-in via Places on Facebook your deal will display in the following manner:

I hope this “How To” post helps you on improving your business presence on Facebook.   Even if you decide not to participate on Facebook Deals, it is imperative to at least clean up your listing on Facebook Places with a proper description and photo so that it is branded properly.

Check out Facebook Deals Video:

Posted in Facebook, How To, Marketing, social media, Technology, Tutorials | No Comments »

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Brand your Facebook Page with a Unique Username

November 17th, 2010

I often get asked for help on how to set up an assigned username for Facebook pages.  In fact, the question of how to setup a username came up via twitter in last night’s #eventprofs chat.  So I thought I put a quick post together and show everyone how to do it step by step.

Why setup a username you ask?  For one, it will make it easier for your clients to find and like your page.  It is also a great way to brand your work and provides accessibility for search engines to index you properly. It’s important to capitalize on all the features Facebook offers to set your brand apart from your competitors and what better way to start than by claiming your own brand name.

A default Facebook page url (username) will appear like this:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/backdropsbeautiful/106828624998

Make sure you log-in to your profile page and that you are an administrator of your Facebook page.

Go to the Facebook username assignment page:  www.facebook.com/username it will look like this:

Next, select the page name from the drop down box:

Enter your custom name in the right hand box that appears once you’ve selected the page name you want to assign a custom name:

Finally, press the “Check Availability” button (it will warn you if the chosen name is not available).  If available, a pop-up disclaimer will advise you that once you set your page with a username, it is final.  Accept disclaimer if you agree.  Upon confirmation your username will be assigned and you can now promote it.

http://www.facebook.com/backdropsbeautifulfanpage

Please note that your fan page must have more than 25 fans (likes) in order to assign it a custom username.  This is a big change from a year ago when Facebook required you to at least have 1,000 fans.

For FAQ Facebook Pages questions click on the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/help/?search=usernames#!/help/?page=900

I hope this tutorial helps you effortlessly setup your custom name and that you see the benefits of doing so.  If you disagree, I’d like to hear why.

Posted in Facebook, How To, social media, Tutorials | No Comments »

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“The Hard Knock Life of an Entrepeneur” Part 3 – Change is Good!

April 26th, 2010

Guest Blog by Ashani Mfuko


Have you ever hit a stalemate in your business? Maybe you’re in slow season, or maybe things aren’t bad, but they’re not growing either, they’re stale. Well, years ago you might have considered printing and handing out flyers to promote your business, maybe advertising in a newspaper or trade magazine, doing a mass mailing, or, if you had the budget, doing some radio or television advertising. These are all very traditional forms of marketing your business which are effective, however, they will also affect your budget in a significant way. Times have changed, and the world is getting and sharing information in brand new ways, and it’s called, Social Media.

Social Media did not just come onto the scene, it’s been around for many years now. However, there has been a significant growth spurt and demographic transition and expansion for those using social media, and it’s one that you need to pay attention to. Remember, change is good!

Here are the top 3 reasons why some people don’t participate in social media:

1) I don’t understand it.

2) I don’t have the time.

3) I don’t see the point/benefit for my personal brand/business.

And my response:

1) I don’t understand it. – Well, let’s simplify it. All you need to do is 3 things: a) Determine who your target audience is b) Share useful information that is of interest to that audience c) Engage in conversation and offer support to your audience.

2) I don’t have the time. – You don’t necessarily have to spend 10 hrs a day on your social media accounts. And furthermore, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and Linked in accounts can all be connected to one another. You can schedule your updates ahead of time on a website like http://socialoomph.com. Or you can start off by simply dedicating 30 min. or 1 hour a day to social networking, and take it from there.

3) I don’t see the point/benefit for my personal brand/business. – First and foremost, when anything hits the masses and is acknowledged by television, radio, and global businesses, that should tell you that it is definitely beneficial for your brand.

I know this from experience. One example of this is, the “America’s Best Dance Studio Contest” that my company, Kiner Enterprises Inc. created. It’s all about showcasing excellence in dance studios across America, in celebration of National Dance Week. All of our contest sponsors were acquired through social media, and the success of the contest is solely based on social media, as we have done no other type of promotion or print advertising for this contest.

When done right, social media can help grow your business, enhance your brand awareness, and ultimately increase your bottom line. The best part, however, is all of the wonderful relationships that you will build with great, passionate, and hard-working people just like yourself. You’ll gain motivation, inspiration, and learn A LOT.

To read parts 1 and 2 of this series, visit the Kiner Enterprises Inc.’ Dancer’s Blog

Folllow Kiner Enterprises Inc. on Twitter

Become a fan of Kiner Enterprises Inc. on Facebook

Become a fan of the America’s Best Dance Studio Contest on Facebook

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Can Facebook Fans Equal Fall Financial Success

February 23rd, 2010

Guest Blog by Jann Davis
The Digital Dance Studio


What are you using to attract more customers for the fall of 2010? You have your email list, you have your website, your photos for the fall ad campaign are in place, so what’s next? Have you ever considered the power of Facebook to attract new customers to your facility? Facebook is growing every day, it isn’t just for the high school or college student anymore. Companies like Pepsi and Toyota send out daily updates to fans on their pages. Dance Vendors, Dance Teacher Magazine and Dance Distributors offer daily articles or discounts to their fans on both Facebook and Twitter. So how can you expand your student base and attract more customers in your doors for the summer and fall?

Join Facebook and set up your own studio fan page, if you haven’t already. Then decide how you would attract a new customer into your facility. In a newspaper ad you might offer a coupon, you can do that on Facebook, or you might announce your summer program through your email customer base, you can do that too, and you can do it quicker and more efficiently. Everyday dance studios post class cancellations due to weather conditions, upcoming workshops or community events, kudos to their students in weekend dance competitions, just about anything they are currently offering in their studio. You don’t have to wait for ad design or approval from your local newspaper or until the next edition comes out to get feedback from customers. Facebook seamlessly integrates events (which you can request your fans to post on their walls to friends who are potential sales leads for you), information about your studio which you can edit without waiting for your website manager to do, or ask customers to review your studio in the review tab. You can upload latest videos of your dance events including competitions or mid-year performances; create a photo album of your latest fund raising effort, or post notes about recital picture days and rehearsals. How you use it to advertise is as creative as you want to make it.

I am not suggesting that you abandon the traditional methods you currently use. I am suggesting that you research the new concept of social media marketing for your facility. Recent articles suggest that a fan base created on Facebook increased a return of sales for most companies by 36%. In these economic times that is an investment worth researching.

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Embracing the Bad from Social Media

February 4th, 2010

Clocks Backdrop by Backdrops Beautiful

We all love it when we get positive feedback on our products/services.  But what happens when we stumble upon a customer who has had a bad experience? 

I’ve been doing a lot of reading on why businesses are afraid of moving forward with establishing a presence on social media.  The number one concern seems to be reputation; the fear of consumers posting negative feedback on a bad experience with their service or product.  The only way to get past it is to learn how to embrace the good and the bad from social media.

I recently got introduced to Jenise Fryatt Co-Owner/Marketing Director of Icon Presentations (@lyksumlikrish) and her philosophy on Twitter, “Engage, Inform and Retweet.”  As the founding mother of the hashtag #EIR she has educated many on the importance of communicating properly on twitter to maximize your investment.  Engage:  the essence of participating in conversation, whether you agree or just liked someone’s post or link.  Inform: pertains to posting relative information within your community and/or posting links that you find useful or worth hearing about.  And finally, Retweet:  if you come across a great post or link repost (retweet) the information and make sure credit is given where it is due. 

Jenise’s philosophy on Twitter can easily be adopted by anyone, and can contribute to having a positive and successful experience on social media platforms such as Twitter.  If you’re engaging it means that you are listening to what everyone is saying about your product/brand.  These types of social platforms can facilitate a discussion, answer questions, or perhaps even solve concerns customers may have.  In addition, you will have access, in real time, to address any negative feedback.  I like to think of negative feedback as useful feedback.  This always provides an opportunity to improve and refine a situation.

Another important aspect to remember when using social media for your business is that it is imperative to be transparent with your customers.  In other words, don’t be afraid to show your face as you represent your brand.  Add a picture of yourself to make it more personal.  Consumers need to be able to identify who you are rather than be under the impression they are speaking with an icon.  Be professional but don’t be afraid to be who you are.  This extra step will make it easier to communicate with your customers. 

It is important to be accessible during a bad storm.  Don’t hide behind the storm but rather be in front to help guide the ship.  Your brand cannot afford to be drowned especially during a recession.  Customers will likely show compassion and forgive if issues are dealt with upfront in an apologetic way and establish a means of moving past it by having a plan.

Monitor your social media platforms.  It is meaningless to establish social media accounts if you’re not going to pay attention to what is going on.  There are many Twitter management tools on the market such as, TweetDeck and HootSuite, to help you keep an eye on your accounts.  These applications make it easier to manage your accounts since they are centrally located in one place and readily available in the palm of your hands via your iphone, blackberry, etc. or your desktop.  

The number one practice to remember and apply when participating in social media systems is to always listen.  Listening and responding to what customers are saying about your brand is essential to growing your business.  There is no point in trying to make a presence on social media platforms if you’re not taking action on what consumers are saying about your product or service. 

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogs have allowed us to further brand our product and to connect with different industries and generate leads.  In addition to connecting with new people, social media can solidify existing relationships and help them grow into partnerships.

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2010: New Year, New Opportunities

December 31st, 2009

New Year’s Eve is the celebration that commemorates the beginning of a new year.  For some, 2009 was a trying year yet we learned new ways to survive in an ongoing recession.  New technological opportunities boomed allowing companies to reach new masses.  Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and blogging sites took over conventional communication methods and a new phenomenon emerged.

Rooftop Terrace Backdrop

As we get ready to kick start the new year, we should take a little time to reflect on what we want to tackle in the upcoming year. Positive thinking is the key to success.  It is helpful to set goals and stay focus to accomplish these objectives.  We hope that the new year is filled with creative inspiration, new business opportunities and a healthy lifestyle.

The Backdrops Beautiful Way for 2010:

Budget – Learn to work with lean budgets
Experiment – Don’t be afraid to try new strategies in reaching a new audience
Adapt – Every customer is different
Understand – Understand current trends and utilize modern technology
Target – Find the niche that works in today’s times
Inspiration – Be creative and let your imagination inspire
Focus – Listen and engage with your customers
Unite – connect with others and establish new partnerships to maximize exposure
Learn – Continue to develop new concepts and expand on industry knowledge

Backdrops Beautiful is extremely grateful to have met so many wonderful and creative people this past year.  We established new business partnerships and gained new client relations by becoming members of elite organizations such as ISES, MPI, NACE and UDMA.  We attended many meetings and dinner events that allowed us to create brand awareness and showcase our backdrops.  These organizations have given us the opportunity to work with many talented professionals in various industries and we look forward to being more involved in the upcoming year.

Additionally, we exhibited at many tradeshows and will be no different in the year to come.   Our participation at tradeshows such as the Special Events Show, Dance Teacher Summit, Rhee Gold’s Dance Life Teacher Conference, Dance Teacher Web Conference & Expo and UDMA’s Dance Resource & Costume Shows gave us the opportunity to meet with all our existing clients and meet new ones. These shows allow us to work on a personal level with everyone and obtain feedback to create new backdrops in line with today’s trends.

We wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year.

Fireworks Backdrop

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Backdrops Beautiful – The benefits of Social Networking

September 24th, 2009

Social networking has allowed Backdrops Beautiful to interact at a more personal level with all of our existing customers and has given us the opportunity to meet new ones. As we continue to evolve in these fast changing times we explore new and creative ways on how to bring you our latest backdrop news. We are proud to announce the launch of our new blog. We believe this will be a great way to get different opinions and encourage conversation. We would love to see your comments and feedback.

An innovative approach in reaching people in the industry is to reach them through the social mediums they like to be part of, i.e. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, EventPeeps, LinkedIn, Blogs, etc. Social networking can open doors to new potential customers if you participate in blog discussions and forums. In doing so, we have been able to talk about what makes our backdrops unique, suggest backdrops for their events based on the theme and/or décor and answer any concerns or questions they might have. In addition, we are able to reach out to more than one individual with only one posting!

Backdrops Beautiful is now part of twibs and is now registered on wefollow directory! Twibs was created to give twitter users a place to find businesses on twitter and wefollow is a twitter user directory organized by interests.

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