Joe Wald: A True Humanitarian, Successful Businessman, and Admired MSU Professor

Joe Wald is not only admired by students at Michigan State taking his courses in public relations and advertising, but is well-known by the larger community by contributing his efforts to the Greater Lansing Food Bank (GLFB) and Sparrow Hospital. Joe has been working with the Greater Lansing Food Bank for about a year as the Executive Director, and has managed to promote it successfully. He graciously sat down with us to talk about his work, giving helpful tips about marketing, public relations, business, non-profits, and becoming an active volunteer.

Get Active and Rock The World!

A Grand Ledge resident, Matt Dykstra, has started something completely unique and beneficial for the Lansing community. Rock The World is a 5k race and music festival, that will be held in Grand Ledge at Fitzgerald Park on June 30 and July 1. This race features 12 obstacles representing landmarks from around the world such as: The Great Wall, Grand Canyon, Victoria Falls, Mount Kilauea, and the Oregon Trail. Interested in learning more about the event, Matt sat down with us to discuss the details.

Found on Rock the World's Facebook Page

Hot Spots in the 5-1-7

Warm weather is approaching, and we’ve come up with a few ideas to get the most out of the spring and summer in Lansing. Listed below are our favorite five outdoor events, one rainy day activity, and seven spots you can’t pass up!

5 Outdoor Events

East Lansing Art Festival- Peruse the streets to of East Lansing during the Memorial Day holiday, and check out the beautiful creations from more than 200 artists. This festival also provides live music, kid’s activities and an international-style food court.

Source: CiesaDesign

How Twitter Users Are Getting Their Questions Answered [Infographic]

What are people asking on Twitter? How are their questions being answered? Who’s listening? Below is an infographic by InboxQ, reminding us about the importance of two-way communication.

Source: InboxQ

Digital Humanitarianism

Source: Mobileactive.org

In the past decade, we have shifted from using bulky, brick-like phones with only a dial pad, to flip phones with cameras, to smart phones. These popular smart phones have not only changed the way we communicate in our social lives or in business, but have opened a whole new ground-level for humanitarian aid. Lending a hand has become a faster process via social media–and it’s powerful.

In this video by TED Talks, Paul Connelly illustrates how the mobile device can inform, coordinate and guide relief efforts.

What are your thoughts?

Art in the Heart of Lansing

There is something very charming about Old Town Lansing. Maybe it’s the friendly vibes, seasonal festivals, unique eateries, and the historic architecture. One thing is for sure—Old Town has an amazing artistic culture.

Old Town hosts many events for the community where there are opportunities to explore the art scene in a unique way. Some of our favorites include:

Source: John Young

First Fridays: Every month, extended hours are held in the shops and galleries for the community to take advantage of what Old Town has to offer in a more relaxed, fashion. Don’t forget to look for bargains–great specials and  discounts are always given during First Fridays!

4 Tips on How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Company Page

The LinkedIn Company Page is a recent tool allowing companies of all sizes to recruit, market their brand, engage with customers and employees, report analytics, and increase their SEO. Below are some helpful tips to get the most out of your LinkedIn Company Page.

1. Build followers

Creating a solid follower base is important–it increases visibility and credibility for your company. Generate new followers by asking employees and customers to follow the company page. Promote your page by using other social media accounts such as Twitter and Facebook, and start following groups with your target audience. One advantage to a LinkedIn Company Page compared to a Facebook Like Page, is that LinkedIn allows you to export contacts and save email addresses.

Google Plus 411

Source Buzzom

What’s the hype? Is Google + here to stay? Only time will tell. The semi-new social media cite is certainly not mainstream. Google Plus came into the picture in 2011, rivaling the popular social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter. So, how does Google + distinguish itself from other social media websites? Features of Google + include:

Circles: Groups of friends organized by topic. For example, Friends, Family, Co-workers, Roommates etc. The privacy settings in Circles allow you to put people into groups, without them knowing their title.

Social Media and Sports [INFOGRAPHIC]

In honor of Michigan State’s Men’s Basketball Big Ten Championship win last weekend (and the beginning of March Madness), we decided to focus on social media and sports as sparking topic. Social media is no joke in the sports world. Twitter and Facebook allow fans to engage, celebrate, and keep up-to-date during games — also providing tremendous marketing opportunities for team pages.

The Biggby Buzz

Source: Twitter @theBIGGBYbuzz

Can you think of a local business with a massive presence on social media? Take a look at Biggby’s accounts – they’re buzzing. Biggby is constantly interacting with customers, posting new information and hosting fun contests. The marketing department is clearly doing something right.

Biggby has continued to expanded with over 130 stores under contract, and have developed a positive foundation with their customers. Wondering  how they have made their business so successful, I asked for an interview with one of the marketing department’s employees– Katie Koerner.