Lindsay Casey

Has Social Media Ruined Our Manners?

I wrote this post for an online course I’m taking a couple weeks ago. It got so many comments I thought I’d post it here as well.

Remember when people used to phone each other when they wanted to make plans or catch up? Even I get nervous when my Google machine (iPhone) rings, assuming it’s a political campaign or a bill collector. It seems as though picking up the phone is taboo now; you’re supposed to send a Facebook message if you want to make plans, or tweet when you see something you know a friend would like.

How about  when you’d receive a hand written letter from a loved one just wanting to say hello? I remember those days. I miss handwritten letters, and sometimes write them just to remember doing it. Plus, I find my handwriting has suffered greatly from lack of practice.

What about email? Aside from Facebook, it seems to be the preferred method of communication. But it’s gone in a downward spiral as well! I deal with a LOT of email at work, and at the risk of sounding snobby or like some stuffy old opinion columnist, I’m appalled at the etiquette of most people. One line emails, no hello, bad grammar and worse punctuation drive me crazy. My favourites are the ones where people don’t bother to use your name or, if they do, spell it incorrectly. I can’t count the amount of emails I’ve received addressed to Linda, Lesley and Lindy. I can, however, count the amount of replies they’ve gotten – on one hand.

So, why are people too lazy to use proper grammar? Is it because they’re so used to condensing everything into 140 characters? Because they’re used to clicking a “like” button to show approval without bothering to make a comment? Because texting is now the norm of communication? I don’t understand what makes syllables that hard. and words too complicated to type. At the risk of sounding like my mother, the English language is going to hell!

Manners seem to have disappeared in the real world, but online it’s a little different. Manners are very much real online, especially in the world of social media, it’s just a different kind of etiquette. There’s a whole list of manners for correct Twitter use and even a Facebook page on etiquette, but it seems people have forgotten the importance of simple social graces.

I’m guilty of many of these things myself, but am making a concerted effort to put the human touch back into communication with friends and family. I’ll start now. Today, I will not cut off other drivers on the way home, and I will keep my middle finger to myself. When I stop at the grocery store, I will hold a door open for an old person, and when I get home I will phone my elderly aunt to let her know I care.

Lindsay Casey

Speed Network: Revving Up Social Media

When you picture an automotive auction, chances are you envision a bunch of rednecks standing in a barn & bidding on beat up vehicles. However, Barrett Jackson auctions on Speed Network are no regular auctions. They are the epitome of collector car auctions. The cars are hot, the bids fly sky high within minutes, and everyone who’s anyone in the collector vehicle market is in the audience.

As a fan of vintage vehicles, Barrett Jackson auctions on Speed Network are my Superbowl. I love seeing these beautiful vehicles rolling across the auction block, and it’s fun to window shop and pretend you have the crazy amounts of money thrown down to own them. It’s basically porn for car lovers. Just search #cargasm on Twitter and you’ll see what I mean.

In terms of having their audience engaged, Speed Network is absolutely killing it with Barrett Jackson. From their super engaged main Twitter and Facebook accounts to the Social Garage on air segment aired between auctions, the 7 person team behind the campaign has their well oiled social media machine purring like a kitten.

My personal favourite aspect of Speed’s Barrett Jackson event is the Hagerty Fantasy Bid. As North America’s leading collector car insurance company, this is great sponsorship on Hagerty’s part too. Several fantasy bid cars are chosen throughout the day, and viewers guess their bids through the website or via text. Points are racked up when you guess close to the actual hammer price, and winners receive all kinds of prizes, ranging from iPads to gas cards.

Another cool feature added this year is the Social Garage. Every now and then, the cameras roll away from the audience and over to the Social Garage, where the team invites viewers to submit their questions and engages with the audience over the air. Viewers can respond to questions via Facebook and Twitter, and I noticed more than one fan mention on Twitter that hearing their question or answer on Twitter made their day. The Social Garage is a fantastic interaction strategy that does an excellent job of engaging an audience and getting them involved with the live event.   

Speed Network has been actively promoting its Twitter account by airing its announcers personal Twitter handles and advertising its hashtags, #BJA2012, in the case of Barrett Jackson. A search on #BJA2012 reveals pages and pages of tweets and conversations, and that’s only counting today.

The key to Barrett Jackson’s social media success is consistency. The chatter doesn’t stop when the auction ends. It continues on Facebook, where their 65,000 strong fan base posts pictures of their own cars and engages with the team behind the scenes. All of this helps to build momentum for upcoming auctions, with more and more viewers tuning in each time.

The collector car market is a niche one, for those privileged enough to be able to purchase their dream vehicle. Barrett Jackson and Speed Network are doing a fantastic job at reaching out to their car loving audience and making them feel like they are part of a community, no matter whether they are lucky enough to have that Corvette in the driveway or, like most of us, just enjoy the eye candy.

Lindsay Casey

Am I too old for this?

I’m writing a paper for my online course. The topic is personal branding, and how social media impacts it. Funny, I always thought I knew what I would want my personal “brand” to be, but now that I have to write it down some ugly truths are rearing their heads and I have to admit that I’m not as sure as I thought I was.

The reading material for my assignment is this Fast Company article from 2007. By today’s standards, this 5 year old article should be completely obsolete, but it’s actually a great read, and quite inspiring.

Big companies understand the importance of brands. Today, in the Age of the Individual, you have to be your own brand. Here’s what it takes to be the CEO of Me Inc.

So, what are your plans for becoming CEO of You Inc?

Lindsay Casey

How Social Media is Saving the Pit Bulls

You’ve probably heard about Ontario’s embarrassing Breed Specific Legislation law, brought on by the McGuinty government to “save our children” from so-called vicious dogs. The law has no stance, partly because there is actually no such thing as a “pit bull”; it’s not a recognized breed, however it somehow passed in the legislature, and since 2005, thousands of innocent family pets have been euthanized.

The myth that all dogs with flat heads and stubby noses are so-called pit bulls is a dangerous, fear-mongering tactic. The American Pit Bull Terrier is, in fact, a fantastic family dog. Don’t you remember Petey from The Little Rascals? Stubby, the most decorated dog in American war history? Helen Keller’s family dog, Sir Thomas? ALL pit bulls.

But I digress. The point of this post is to explain how social media is helping the cause of these misrepresented animals. Organizations like The Unexpected Pit Bull, Bad Rap and Hug A Bull are giving pit bull owners and advocates a positive forum to share stories, dispel myths and, most importantly, organize rescue missions and transport illegal dogs to safe spaces.

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