I’ve got three odds and ends to discuss, so I decided to gather them into one post! Huzzah!
1) I had the absolute honor of writing a guest post on Heather Whaling‘s PRtini.com, which has been one of my favorite industry blogs for years! I’m so excited that Heather and I will be in the same place at the same time at SXSW, after many “just missed yas.”
My post, 11 Ideas to Kickstart A Brand’s Facebook Timeline, can be found here.
2) So long, Davy Jones
When I was a kid, I used to watch the reruns of The Monkees ALL THE TIME! I remember how crushed I felt when I found out the show was actually 20 years old by the time I watched it.
Nevertheless, The Monkees were one of my first favorite bands.
Their lead singer, Davy Jones, died this week at just 66. I know for many people, across several generations, Davy’s voice was part of the soundtrack of life.
Here is my favorite track by The Monkees – and it was my favorite before Shrek.
3) American Idol vs. The Voice
American Idol was one of my favorite TV shows.
Whew, glad to get that off my chest.
I never saw The X Factor as competition, since they were on the same network and in different seasons.
However, the time has come to realize the Idol’s days are done, with a much superior show taking it’s place.
The Voice is just better – the coaches (Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera and Cee-Lo Green) soundly trump the Idol judges (Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler). The talent level is so much greater and the performances feel much less campy.
On Idol, it’s painful to see world-famous musicians try to convince themselves that a horrible performance was great. The Voice doesn’t show comedically-bad performances – just people trying to take the next step in their careers.
I’ll still take Ryan Seacrest over Carson Daly, but that’s not enough to save a tired show.
Sorry, Idol – you had a good run, but we’re through.
#idol is an accepted search hashtag for comments about the TV show American Idol.
#BecauseImAwesome adds a certain snarky self-deprecation to the Tweet.
One enhances the visibilty, one enhances the content.
Both are totally cool.
But when they are misused, it makes you look, well, not good.
Here are some tips to rule the hashtag world:
1) Timing is key
In the American #Idol example above, anyone following that conversation will likely be doing so while the show is on TV (or shortly thereafter) or at least when it’s culturally relevant. So, in-season, off-season breaking news, etc. Tweeting on the hashtag in August when the show starts in the winter will likely be a lost cause.
2) Make sure it’s a used hashtag
Nobody wants to be shouting in the woods by themselves, right? You worked hard crafting that perfect message, so make sure that you are tagging it with words people are actually searching.
A caveat here is to make sure you aren’t forcing something into an unrelated conversation just because it’s popular. If you have a link about coffee, don’t send it to a sports group, unless there is a logical tie in.
3) Build off other hashtags
Are you trying to start a unique conversation about something? Post to other related hashtags to pique interest and attract attention. It shouldn’t bother the folks over there.
A perfect example of this is when #SIDchat (Sports Information Directors) was launching. They used the more established #SportsPRChat hashtag to find other SIDs who were on Twitter and interested in talking marketing. Victory!
4) Be careful of auto-fills
This is my biggest problem that I work on. I use Seesmic Desktop (which I LOVE). The program suggests hashtags as you type – no matter how popular they may be. It’s so easy to take their suggestions, but these are just as likely to be false leads as actual conversations.
In one of the most shocking eliminations in show history, the American Idol viewers voted off stand-out Pia Toscano.
Despite being a favorite of judges Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson, she garnered the lowest amount of votes. And since the judges already used their one save to keep the talented but odd Casey Abrams, there was nothing they could do.
So, bye bye, Pia.
Sort of.
By making the Top 10, she’s guaranteed a spot in the lucrative annual concert tour. She’ll continue to make business under the American Idol banner and has been the beneficiary of hours of nationwide TV exposure.
Know why I’m so confident her talent can rise above a reality show injustice?
Chris Daughtry.
Perhaps my favorite contestant the show has ever had, he was also cut too early in his season. Should I mention his countless hit records that came after American Idol? He’s become a legitimate rock star and hitmaker, crossing between light rock, hard rock, alternative, pop and country. Versatile, popular, successful.
Pia, use Daughtry as an example.
And if you don’t want to follow the rocker, may I mention Jennifer Hudson? While she only made it to 7th place, she has gone on to become one of reality TV’s true success stories. She’s won an Oscar, a Grammy, a Golden Globe and more. She’s a pop culture touchstone (not quite an icon yet), product endorser and an all-around entertainer.
Being released from Idol isn’t the end…just the beginning.
Bonus – here is Pia’s farewell song, “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders:
Just a few quick thoughts on Wednesday’s American Idol season 10 premiere!
- Nice video package at the start distinctly NOT mentioning Simon Cowell’s name. (Or should we call him “He Who Shall Not Be Named?”
- Sometimes, it’s REALLY hard to tell Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler apart when they are sitting next to each other.
- Man, I would feel bad for Randy Jackson…but he’s making some serious coin for this gig. I mean, people CRIED because they were in the presence of J-Lo!
- I do like that the focus was on GOOD Idol auditions, not bad ones. It was a funny running joke for the first several seasons, but definitely wore out it’s welcome.
- I seriously miss He Who Shall Not Be Named. His lack of presence was felt.
- If this season becomes the lovey-dovey season without a voice of tough-love reason, I may have to stop watching Idol.
- Wait – was that a Constantine Maroulis sighting at the beginning? No chyron, either? Yeesh…only one of the most popular contestants of all time and a Broadway star…
- Does anyone TRULY care about the music director? Sorry, but I just don’t.
- Here is my favorite audition/story of the episode:
