Boo

Peek-a-Boo

August 23, 2012Nina KovnerENGAGE

“Be the person your dog thinks you are”

Anonymous

 

Boo

Please allow us to introduce you to Boo, known to over 5 million Facebook fans as “The Worlds Cutest Dog”.
While we of course think Zen L. Kovner, Faith M. Kovner & Cody J. Miller are the cutest dogs in the world, we absolutely LOVE Boo, for a few reasons;

1. Boo is super cute dog.

2. Boo is a great model of the power of the social + digital web.

What makes Boo cuter than any other Pomeranian dog on the web?  It’s his haircut.
Yep, a cool haircut on a Pomeranian.  That is the Boo brand.

Boo also has a book deal, a plush toy and has recently partnered with Virgin America to be its first Pet Liaison.  Yes, you read it right.  WOW.  While we all know cute animals are super popular on the web, there are some key lessons we can all learn from Boo.

1. Boo has a story.
He is a Pomeranian with an awesome haircut.

2. Boo is relevant.
Almost everyone on the planet loves dogs.

3. Boo kicks #*&! on Facebook.
Boo’s Facebook posts are engaging and consistent.

Check out Boo and his buddy Buddy on their most recent photo shoot with Virgin America. Adorable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwaptht9WYg&feature=plcp

Are we saying you need a dog with a cute haircut to be engaging in the social space?  No, not at all, but that may help. No seriously, what we are saying is to have a story, be sure its relevant, and know that consistency is key to success, both on online and off.

So lets take the Boo example and apply it to your salon.

1. Your salon story.
Do you have one? Every business and brand needs a story, people love stories and people buy stories, think about it.

2. Your salon relevance. 
Clients look to you for leadership and advice on all things beauty, as it relates to your brand. Are you providing relevant content for your clients?  Is it relevant to your brand?

3. Your salon Facebook Page. 
Are your posts engaging?  Are you consistently posting?  Is there a reason to engage with your page?

To learn more about how to craft a relevant and engaging social + digital plan, check out our Events tab on our Facebook page for upcoming Social Beauty Intelligence Webinars or visit our YouTube channel PassionSquaredTV to view past webinars.

(shared with LOVE from Boo obsessed your passionista, Nina)

 

 

Intelligence is Sexy

August 2, 2012Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime “

Chinese Proverb

The Social Beauty Intelligence Story

The AHA Moment

When we began discussing the creation of Passion Squared, we were energized (thank you Starbucks and our obsession with the pro beauty biz) and driven by the many opportunities we discovered within the social + digital space.  But it was not about the platforms as much as it was about how the platforms could engage and empower the people and industry we love.

The Platforms Where We Play

We saw YELP driving significant new client traffic, Facebook allowing you to have meaningful conversations with current and future guests and YouTube beginning to bring the pro beauty biz to life in a whole new way.  We were and are continually inspired by the power these new platforms have to transform businesses and careers, and help all of us achieve our dreams.

Help Me, Help You

Along the way, we realized that our community needed support, help, guidance, education and lot’s of love around the social + digital platforms which get us so excited – and out of that realization,  the Social Beauty Intelligence Check-Up was born.

Its Just What The Doctor Ordered

The Social Beauty Intelligence Check-Up is kind of like going to the doctor for your annual visit, but for your salon or business and WAY more fun and empowering.

If you are ready for your Check-Up, give us a shout via email, phone, Facebook, Twitter, pony express or click here. (a handy link to Nina’s e-mail, cool, right?)

Remember, we’ve got your back, today and always!

(shared with LOVE from your passionistas Nina + Gordon)

 

Cyber Bullying

Bullying Sucks!

July 10, 2012Nina KovnerENGAGE, GIVE BACK

We already know the horrifying stories of kids being bullied at school and have witnessed the tragic consequences.  Now bullying has moved into the social and digital space in a BIG way, thanks to young peoples 24/7 engagement on Facebook, Twitter, and one of the biggest daily activities for teens, texting! This is both a lesson in awareness, how we can do something to help, and in seeing the HUGE shift the future generation has made towards the social and digital web.

While the stats below are disturbing, there are several organizations that are available to help kids hang on through the toughest and darkest of days.  We love Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, Its Gets Better, The Trevor Project, and Boo2Bullying.org just to name a few.  We can all help, by creating awareness and stepping up when and where we can to put a STOP to BULLYING, both online and off.

Cyber BullyingCyber BullyingCyber BullyingCyber BullyingCyber BullyingCyber Bullying

(shared with LOVE from your passionistas Nina + Gordon)

 

 

 

YELP

YELP…Yikes or Yay?

July 3, 2012Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

“A happy customer is the greatest advertisement.”

Andy Sernovitz, Author of Word of Mouth Marketing

According to the US Census Bureau, 14% of Americans move every year (that’s close to 50 million last year alone). Every year, 12+ million move out of state and another 12 million move to another county in the same state. That’s a lot of people moving around and many will be in search of  “happy customers” to help them find their next great haircut and more.

Enter YELP,  “the fun and easy way to find and talk about great (and not so great) local businesses”.

YELPWith over 54 million unique visitors each month, it’s the place where savvy salons go to tap into online word of mouth and take advantage of this growing (and FREE) source of real world referrals and traffic.  In fact, salons are the 4th most searched for business on YELP, after shopping, home services and restaurants. WOW.

Check out The Power of Yelp, our newest Social Beauty Intelligence Webinar on the Why’s, What, and How’s of YELP.  Our hope is that you gain insight into this powerful referral platform and begin to use it to help attract new clients to your salon, YAY!

http://youtu.be/PCIXyhODf2w

(shared with LOVE from your passionistas Nina + Gordon)

 

 

Brian Solis Engage

The Promise, Kept

June 18, 2012Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

“One must have a good memory to be able to keep the promises that one makes.”

Friedrich Nietzsche

 

Brian Solis is one of our digital heroes.  He speaks the truth.  He understands the digital space like no other, and the opportunities it provides to businesses and people if its used in the right way.  Brian Solis is the best selling author of Engage, and The End of Business as Usual, two books we highly recommend if you are seeking a deeper understanding of the social and digital revolution.  He is a disruptor, and we heart disruptors that push to make things better.

While we read his blog daily, this one jumped out at both of us at the same time, without even knowing, and therefore, worth sharing.  “Dear (insert business name here), what is Your Promise”.  Many companies have mission statements and vision statements, many times written in a boardroom somewhere, but what is your Promise?

In today’s VERY NOISY social and digital space, people want to know you, what you stand for, what your promise to them is, and be ready, because today, you will, we all will, be held accountable thanks to Facebook, YELP, Foursquare, Twitter and all the other social spaces that people can speak their mind.

We hope you take the time to read this blog from Brian Solis, you will be very happy you did, as will your team and your customers.

(shared with LOVE from your passionistas Nina + Gordon)