A Conversation with Stephanie Hanna: Demystifying Sponsored Posts

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A Conversation with Stephanie Hanna: Demystifying Sponsored Posts

This is the fourth post in the “A Conversation With” series, where I interview talented folks about their areas of expertise, whether that’s social media, marketing, or communications. You can read past entries in the series here.

This month, I interviewed Stephanie Hanna, the content creator behind Sip and Savour Rochester. We talked about everything that goes into creating content, partnering with brands, and crafting a great sponsored post. I hope you learn something new!

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Social Media in the Time of Coronavirus

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Social Media in the Time of Coronavirus

We sure are living in some strange, uncertain, and scary times. I don’t profess to be an expert in navigating life in the time of coronavirus, but I wanted to at least offer some of my thoughts on how to handle social media during this weird era. In the past couple weeks, I’ve seen some thoughtful posts, some entertaining ones, and some truly cringey ones. It’s no easy feat to figure out what to post on social media right now, but here are some guidelines that I’m trying to keep top of mind as I craft social content for my clients.

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8 Tips for Working from Home

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8 Tips for Working from Home

For awhile now I’ve been meaning to write a blog post about working from home, and with the coronavirus top of mind for countless American workers, I figured there was no better time than the present to get this post out into the world. Of course, you know that you should blast Fifth Harmony’s “Work From Home” at the start of each workday, but what else should you do to ensure #WFH success?

I’ve been working for home for about 10 months now, ever since I took Serve Me the Sky Digital full-time. I walk a fine line between introversion and extroversion, so I wasn’t sure how working from home was going to go. I was nervous I might feel isolated or bored. That hasn’t been the case. However, there are a few key things I’ve learned along the way that have made working from home work for me. I’m sharing them here with you today in case they help you too.

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A Conversation with Katie Strang: Tips for Finding Your Niche

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A Conversation with Katie Strang: Tips for Finding Your Niche

This is the third post in the “A Conversation With” series, where I interview talented folks about their areas of expertise, whether that’s social media, marketing, communications, or public relations. You can read past entries in the series here.

This month, I interviewed Katie Strang, a graduate student who has found her niche on Instagram. She runs @OCDIllustrated, an account dedicated to sharing what it’s like to live with OCD. In just a few short years, Katie has built a vibrant community. I hope you enjoy her tips and best practices!

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What I Learned in My First Year on a Nonprofit Board

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What I Learned in My First Year on a Nonprofit Board

About one year ago, I nervously headed to my first Board meeting at Cameron Community Ministries. I had no idea what to expect. I’d met with the Executive Director and Board Chair in December and they were eager to have me. All I needed to do was fill out a form. They voted me in at the January meeting, and I was told to show up on a cold Monday night in February for my first meeting. Now that I’ve been on the Cameron Board for one year, I wanted to share a bit about my journey, advice I’ve gotten, what I’ve worked on, and what I’ve learned.

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I Tried Not Reading for One Week. Here's What Happened.

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I Tried Not Reading for One Week. Here's What Happened.

If you’ve visited the Serve Me the Sky Digital blog before, then you may already know: I love reading. I love reading so much that I read 118 books last year. I’m well aware that I can’t perpetually read more books, so I decided to cut back in 2020. Still, I never would have guessed that in 2020 I would take a week-long break from reading.

Following the recommendation of my therapist, I skeptically picked up a copy of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. The book is a twelve-week course where you’re supposed to get in touch with your inner artist-child by journaling daily, doing a fun activity once/week (your “artist date”), and trying out recommended tasks that make you sit with your feelings. The whole way through, I’ve been doubtful that any of this will work. What would it even mean for it to “work”? I’m about five weeks in, but I’m plugging away.

One recommendation in a recent chapter stopped me in my tracks. “Engage in a week of reading deprivation.” I stared at the book aghast. I nearly threw it across the room. Excuse me? ME? Not read for a week?! It’s true that I’m an obsessive, habitual, voracious reader. But it’s also true that I’m extremely stubborn. So I decided to try it out.

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A Conversation with Paige Engard (Doerner): Tips for Facebook Fundraising

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A Conversation with Paige Engard (Doerner): Tips for Facebook Fundraising

This is the second post in the “A Conversation With” series, where I interview talented folks about their areas of expertise, whether that’s social media, marketing, communications, or public relations. You can read past entries in the series here.

This month, I interviewed Paige Engard (Doerner), an experienced social media professional. She has developed and implemented an effective Facebook fundraising strategy for Lollypop Farm. I hope you enjoy her tips and best practices!

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What I'm Reading for Black History Month 2020

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What I'm Reading for Black History Month 2020

Last year, I read 118 books, and one thing that made my reading challenge extra-enjoyable was spending specific months focused on a particular reading topic. I read books by Black authors for Black History Month, by women authors for Women’s History Month, and by LGBTQ+ authors for Pride Month. Of course, it’s important to read diverse authors year-round and not just in certain months, but it helped me to diversify my reading list all around. If you’re interested in diversifying your reading list, you can catch my best tips on the 540WMain blog.

This year, I’m slowing down my reading pace a bit, but I have four books I’m eager to dive into for Black History Month.

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11 Things Not to Do on Instagram

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11 Things Not to Do on Instagram

Instagram has quickly become the golden child of social networks over the last few years. Facebook has declined among the younger generation (though it remains popular with baby boomers), and Twitter remains somewhat niche (it’s just not for everyone). And then there’s Instagram—full of beautiful photos, compelling captions, and endless Stories to watch when you’re bored. It may seem like Instagram is an easy platform to navigate, but there are actually several pitfalls you’ll want to avoid when managing an Instagram account for a business. Today I’m highlighting the top 11 things not to do on Instagram. 

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A Conversation with Alaina Brubaker: Tips for Getting Started on Instagram

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A Conversation with Alaina Brubaker: Tips for Getting Started on Instagram

I’m excited to introduce a brand new series on the Serve Me the Sky blog! Each month, I’ll be interviewing folks about various marketing, social media, and communications topics. My hope is to expand beyond my own knowledge and share the expertise of other amazing experts.

Up first in the “A Conversation With” series is an interview with Alaina Brubaker, an experienced therapist who joined Instagram in September 2019 to much success! We discuss what led her to join Instagram, factors that have helped her succeed so far, and some of her best tips for setting yourself up to shine on social media. Enjoy!

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