Author Archives: Norah Carroll

Case Study: Veridian Credit Union’s “Surprise Squad”

January 6, 2012 / posted by Norah Carroll

At Lava Row, much of our work with clients takes place behind-the-scenes: helping companies build an internal social media team, providing employees with best practices training for social platforms, brainstorming online integration with existing marketing and communication projects. But every so often, we have the opportunity to work with our clients on end-to-end digital media strategy, bringing an idea to life and helping that idea become viral through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs and more. Continue reading →

So you want to work in social media?

December 2, 2011 / posted by Norah Carroll


Photo via labnol.org.

Here at Lava Row, we cross paths with college students on a pretty regular basis. We sit on panels at universities, speak in front of student groups and participate in local networking events with students. Nathan served as an adjunct instructor at Drake University, teaching an Internet marketing course to upperclassmen. Norah graduated from college a year ago, and remains involved in Drake’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication as a graduate. As we’ve met incredible, driven students from schools across Iowa, we’ve answered one question more than any other: “How do I get a job working with social media?” Continue reading →

Business Blogging 101

October 11, 2011 / posted by Norah Carroll

If you’re like most companies, it can often be a struggle to divide your time and resources between Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social platforms; to add blogging on top of that seems impossible. But maintaining a blog for your business can actually help connect the dots between your various social presences and provide you with meaningful content to share!

In our next Lava Lunch series workshop on Wednesday, November 30th, we’ll share examples of how various organizations of all sizes have used blogging to reach their audiences — from moms to liquor fanatics. We’ll also take a look at the most effective ways to structure your blog’s content, share tips for managing a multi-author team and discuss a few “must haves” that make any blog more social and more sharable. Continue reading →

Measuring and monitoring your Facebook page

October 11, 2011 / posted by Norah Carroll

In the past year, we’ve seen companies big and small begin to use Facebook as a meaningful extension of their communications efforts. From customer service to social campaigns, more and more businesses from all industries are using Facebook pages to communicate with their audiences in new ways. Now that your company has its own Facebook page, are you taking advantage of all the free tools Facebook has to offer?

In our next Lava Lunch series workshop on Thursday, October 27th, we’ll dive deep into the existing and emerging Insights features behind Facebook Pages — how to find them, interpret them and act on them. We’ll also discuss the best third-party tools for monitoring your page, including best practices for staying efficient when moderating a Facebook page. Continue reading →

Beyond check-ins: writing useful tips on foursquare

August 4, 2011 / posted by Norah Carroll

On Wednesday, we talked about foursquare’s newly launched brand pages, which allow companies to leave their own tips at other foursquare venues. Today, we’ll discuss a few ways to make your tips stand out — whether you’re posting on behalf of your business or sharing your own personal favorites through an individual account.

If you use foursquare, you’re already familiar with using your smartphone to check in to the venues you visit in real life. You’ve earned a few badges (maybe even the elusive Swarm badge) and taken over a few mayorships. But when was the last time you left a tip?

Tips are notes you leave on a venue for friends and other foursquare users to find. Think of tips as the types of recommendations you’d share with a friend before they visited somewhere for the first time — things to try, things to avoid, best places to park, anything that will make their experience better. When your friend (or someone “following” your brand page) checks into a venue where you’ve left a tip, your tip just might pop up on their phone, where they can add it to their To Do list or say “I’ve done this!”

The best tips have a few things in common:

  • They’re actionable. Use action words like “Do this,” “Try this,” or “Order this.” The ultimate goal of leaving tips is to have the largest number of people choose “I’ve done this!” That moves your tip up to the top of the list, making it more likely your tip will be shared with others. If you can’t say “I’ve done this!” to a tip (like this El Bait Shop tip that just says, “Crazy selection of beers on tap”), find a different way to say it.
  • They’re specific. Use one tip per recommendation. If that means you have to leave three tips, then leave three tips! Users are much more likely to choose “I’ve done this!” on a tip recommending one menu item, for example, than one recommending half the menu.
  • They’re exclusive. Foursquare specials are all about the exclusivity of rewarding people “in the know,” so think of tips the same way. Do you know of a secret menu item or a hidden parking lot that always has a few spots open? Now’s your chance to share it.
  • They’re real. Don’t spam foursquare venues with “tips” about your company, your products, your services, your events, or anything else unrelated to the venue itself. The foursquare community will flag these as spam and your tips will be removed. This is not about selling — it’s about sharing your expertise.

Ready to leave a tip? In the foursquare app on your smartphone, simply search for the venue, then click the Tip button in the bottom left corner of the venue page. Or visit foursquare.com from your computer, navigate to the venue’s web page and leave your tip in the text box.

Our challenge for you? Leave tips at three venues you checked in to in the last week. Want a bigger challenge? Scope out other users’ tips when you check in to a venue and see if anything strikes your fancy. Foursquare isn’t just about checking in anymore — it’s time to leave your mark.