Career Advice for Barbie

Barbie holds an important position at SE2. Specifically, she is stuck to the outside of the women’s room to signify that it’s not the men’s room (which has Ken doll).

This is not just any Barbie – this is the original Barbie, or at least she looks like one.

The women in the office have created a subtle system for signifying that the bathroom is occupied, leaving one of Barbie’s legs pointed out at a 90-degree angle. Occasionally, the occupant who raised Barbie’s leg forgets to put it down after she exits the lavatory. After a couple of hours, the other women in the office start looking very uncomfortable.

My seven-year-old daughter, Charlotte, provides replacement parts from her Barbie collection when needed. When the SE2 Barbie lost her shoes, Charlotte provided not-so-original blue sparkly high-heeled shoes. And when we concluded that the original Ken’s snug bathing suit could get us (or at least him) arrested for obscenity in several states, Charlotte donated a more modest pair of swim trunks.

Of course, Barbie holds an important place in American culture, too. (Recently, I met a woman named Barbie. Unfortunately, I then referred to her as Bambi and that was awkward.)

I was concerned, however, when I heard that Barbie’s newest career path is journalism.

Talk about bad timing.

Journalist Barbie? That’s like announcing blacksmith Barbie. It was a noble career but the emphasis is on “was.”

Newspapers are announcing layoffs and closures seemingly on a daily basis and the University of Colorado is considering closing its journalism school.

And it doesn’t even matter that this Barbie is a TV news anchor, not a print reporter. While the TV news industry does far less public handwringing than newspapers, it’s gone through the same wrenching budget cutting.

The typical TV news reporter of today fits the so-called “20, 20, 20 rule” – 20 year olds working 20 hours a day for $20,000 a year. And, as “backpack reporters,” they’re likely to be lugging their own equipment, which tends to tough in Barbie’s high heels, and standing on the side of a snowy highway at 5 a.m.

Now, if Mattel were thinking, they’d create PR flack Barbie. The PR industry is growing and it’s a profession where women thrive, holding about 70% of the jobs. (At SE2, men are an even smaller minority.) And – if our office is any guide – they wear really nice shoes.

What's That You Ate?

As I struggle to digest a package of instant macaroni-and-cheese – and with it, nearly half of my recommended daily allowance of sodium – I feel moved to connect with others who have experienced the same dreary reality I’ve just faced for the third day this week.

Chances are, you’ve been there.

I’m sure it happens in work places across America, when client deadlines, draft documents waiting to be finalized and a boatload of unread emails keep you at your desk over the lunch hour. When hunger has reduced your mental bandwidth to zero and you can’t remember the name of the person at the desk next to you, but you have just enough clarity to make your way back to the office kitchen.

At SE2, we call it Sad Lunch.

Like, “I can’t go with you guys. I have to have Sad Lunch.”

Sad Lunch typically consists of some combination of the following: a handful of almonds; 1-2 string cheese sticks; instant oatmeal, if we have it; Fig Newtons; some dried apricots/cherries/prunes; and a couple of Twizzlers. (Because I typically feel deprived both before and after this random collection, I also grab a handful of peanut M&Ms for good measure.)

When you put it all together, it doesn’t add up to a meal. It’s really a Sad Lunch.

I shouldn’t complain.

At SE2, we’re luckier than most. We have organic fruit delivered weekly. Our refrigerator is stocked with juice and milk, cheese and yogurt. Sometimes we even have cans of soup, and there are a few micro-brews in the fridge for Friday afternoon gatherings in the Liquid Lounge (currently doubling as a nursery for one staffer’s 5-month old baby).

But invariably, the day we dread is here. The fruit is gone, there’s no soup, the milk smells not-quite-right. (And, at 1:30 on a work day, a beer just doesn’t seem appropriate.)

So, while our colleagues go off to sit on a patio having a nice meal and repartee, we resort to Sad Lunch.

Again, I shouldn’t complain. I’ve seen worse.

I once worked for a nonprofit whose Board didn’t consider coffee an acceptable overhead expense. Our “kitchen” was a mini-fridge sandwiched between the copy machine and a dolly. In the “kitchen” you were likely to find a few packets of saltines (free); a doggie bag holding the remains of last Tuesday’s lunch; one Tupperware with unidentifiable contents; and a handful of creamers (also free) to put into our own coffee, if we remembered to bring it.

When I desperately needed a break from my desk, I could walk 30 feet to the “kitchen,” grab a saltine and gaze upon posters from the Colorado Department of Labor, telling me what to do if I was injured or harassed in the workplace. (This was unlikely, since our office was 400 square feet and there were only two employees – both of us female.)

That was about as sad as it gets. Next to that, Sad Lunch at SE2 is like a Las Vegas buffet.

Nevertheless, I often feel – well, sad, when having Sad Lunch. It’s like I am the last person on earth, like I have no friends, like the world is going on without me.

So, when you are having Sad Lunch, just know that others are out there suffering right along with you.

Sad Lunchers, Unite!


Questions for discussion:

Do you ever have Sad Lunch? If you do, what does your Sad Lunch typically consist of?

Infographics - The Key to Getting Your Online Audience to Read Your Content

Your organization has something important to say but a lot of data or explanation is needed to illustrate the issue. This data, when written out, will make for never-ending, scrolling web pages full of text. While a lot of text-based content is great for a research paper it isn’t so great for the web.

“Why?”, because online audiences don’t read.

It’s a well-known rule that when writing content for an online audience that that content has to be concise and easy to scan with the eye. But for some topics it’s nearly impossible to communicate so concisely.

So how do we solve the problem? One of my favorite solutions is the infographic.

What is an infographic? Infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly, are easily scanned and are highly engaging.

Why use an infographic instead of text? As previously mentioned, online audiences just don’t read blocks of text and if your blocks of text are trying to communicate something important, that’s a problem. That should be reason enough. But beyond that, infographics are more likely to be shared across the web. That matters because not only does it bring more attention to your cause – increasing your online share of voice – but it also has HUGE search engine optimization (SEO) benefits.

How do you create an infographic that will get noticed?

• Make your data work for you. Any organization will have tons of data. Put it to work by creating an infographic that highlights interesting trends or findings that the general public wouldn’t ever be able to glean from the data.
  
  
• Give it a snappy headline. Grab that user’s attention!
  
  
• Promote your infographic. Post it on your social profiles. Ask your audience to share it. Also use it for outreaching to bloggers or other online media. Trust me, it will get noticed.
  
  
• Don’t forget to put out a press release. Send out a press release about the news.
  

…And now two of my recent favorites:

Social Media & Dinner Parties - Why the two aren't so different

We need to start thinking about how we measure social media success. It’s not all about the number of fans. Here’s a scenario I’d like you to consider…

You’re throwing a dinner party at your place and you’re putting together your guest list. You have a choice to invite 100 strangers or 10 friends. Certainly from the outside, 100 strangers at your house would make your neighbors think you’re awfully popular, but inside the party is going to be pretty awkward.. While 10 friends may not impress your neighbors, I’ll guarantee that there will be more engaging conversation going on, and your guests are going to have a better time at your dinner party.

So, your social media communities are like a dinner party - it’s not all about the numbers.

Too often companies and organizations are overly concerned with their fan count, but as my example illustrates, 10 fans that engage and communicate with you are worth a lot more than having a huge community of unengaged, unresponsive fans.

You can’t learn anything from a huge community of unengaged fans. They’re certainly not going to advocate on your behalf. They’re not going to take a desired action. They’re definitely not going to be there for you when you need them. Bottom line is you are wasting time and energy trying to get these fans to engage with you, and what’s worse, a lot of time and effort was wasted getting them to become your friends in the first place.

So how do you find the kind of fans you want to have and how do you measure the success of your efforts?

Well, how do you make friends in your daily life? It isn’t so different online.

• Make friends where you hang out most. Online this means your website. Your website is your main presence online and it’s only natural that you’ll find most of your friends there. (I mean, they’re already on your website so they must be relatively interested in you already.) Add callouts across your website advertising your presence in the social media space. Let the tools that Facebook, Twitter and the like work for you. Prominently adding a Twitter feed, Facebook Fan box, or “Share” feature to your website is all it really takes.
  
  
• Encourage your friends to introduce you to their friends. Your friends can be your biggest advocates. Think about it in the real world. Your guard is down when an old friend introduces you to someone new. You are naturally going to be more trusting because after all, if this new person is friends with your friend they must be a pretty decent human being. It works the same way in the online world – use it to your advantage. Let your existing friends introduce you to new friends. Make it easy for them – give your friends sponsored content that they can share with their friends. Your friend’s friends will naturally find you. Then everyone can be friends!
  
  
• Make friends who share similar interests. It is also perfectly acceptable to find other places online where people like you hang out. As a real world example, I like art, so I find places where artsy people are and hang out there. Online this means finding blogs, microblogs or other online communities where people like you hang out. Make introductions and start to get to know them. (Just don’t come on too strong Just as in the real world, coming on too strong just makes you look desperate…)

And what about tracking success? I’d argue that it’s most important to pay attention to the number of engagements – comments, shares, interactions, clicks, etc. – relative to your number of friends/fans/followers/etc. That’s it. It’s that easy.

So there is it. Stop worrying about the number of friends you have and start making friends that really count!

One! Two! Three!

Everyone, meet the three newest members of our staff, Brandon Zelasko, Amy Steinhoff and Maggie McEntee. Brandon, Amy and Maggie, meet everyone. As you can see they are a playful group and fit right in!


The three of them combined add some serious talent to our staff. As an Associate, Brandon brings to SE2 expertise in online marketing strategies and tactics, from social media to website design and optimization to online advertising and communication strategies. Amy, also an Associate, brings to SE2 a passion for politics and policy. With a background in Colorado and Western issues, Amy offers clients strong research skills and an eye for framing and messaging public issues. Last but not least, Maggie, the newest member of our Creative Department, is our new Production Assistant and Traffic Coordinator. Maggie brings to SE2 a background in visual arts and marketing combined with organizational skills and attention to detail. Maggie’s keen eye, creative interests and experience are a great addition to our creative team.

Anyway you look at - even if looking through pretend glasses made with your hands - we hit the jackpot! Stop on by to meet the new crew and socialize with the “old” crew, too. We always have beverages and peanut M&Ms to share!

Sarah Kurz nominated for ColoradoBiz magazine's Top 25 Most Influential Young Professionals in Colorado!

ColoradoBiz has selected their Top 25 Most Influential Young Professionals in Colorado. Of the 150 nominations submitted, one of our very own, Sarah Kurz, made the list. She is among the 25 finalists and she will go on to possibly be named one of the Top 5!

SE2 couldn't be more proud and excited for Sarah. We congratulate her on this well-deserved honor.

We'll find out on September 30th - along with all those nominated - who makes the Top 5!

Congrats Sarah!

You can learn more about the award and the announcement event here.