Against the Grain

It’s that time of the year again when everyone has a little hustle in their step. Whether it’s finishing up end-of-the-year reports or running to the store to get more flour for cookies, everyone is busy.

Here are a few ideas to help you survive the holidays stress-free:

• Finish up before you leave. Take care of last-minute assignments before you leave the office for a few days. Even if this means coming in early or staying late, you’ll be thankful to come back to a crossed-off to-do list.

• Begin projects that are due after the holidays. If you want to be really ambitious, you should start projects that need to be complete a few weeks from now. With a head start, you won’t be worrying during your time away about coming back to work with a full plate.

• Organize your office. Take 10 minutes and clean up your office. You couldn’t start the new year in a better way!

• Turn off your phone at home. So many professionals are connected to their email 24/7, so turn it off and enjoy time away from the office. If you have to have it on for emergencies, vow to check it once every couple hours, instead of constantly.

• Relax. This might be the hardest task of all because the holidays are such a busy time of the year, but it’s imperative for your well-being to take time away and relax!

 The Trilix crew is out of the office Friday, December 23, and Monday, December 26. We’ll be back and refreshed on Tuesday, December 27. Happy holidays, everyone!

I like to consider myself an early adopter; someone who jumps on the latest social media platform to test it out for myself. I’ve been a long-time fan of Facebook and Twitter and I can’t wait to see where newcomers like Google+ and Get Glue go. Social media is a powerful communications tool for people, companies, non-profits…you name it. Here are a few examples and statistics to demonstrate social media’s importance in today’s society.

Mind-blowing statistics of a couple poplar social media platforms’ reach:

• Facebook has more than 800 million active users (source). That’s the population of New York City multiplied by 100.

• 100 million people joined Twitter in 2011 (source).

• 48 hours of video are uploaded each minute on YouTube. That is eight years of content uploaded each day. Additionally, three billion videos are viewed each day (source).

Remarkable real-life examples of social media’s power:

• Most recently, The Collegiate Time –– the Virginia Tech school newspaper ­­–– utilized its Facebook page to keep the campus alert as to where the shooter was. Students and faculty were giving updates minute-by-minute to ensure campus-wide safety.

• The Wall Street Journal or USA Today did not break the news of the Hudson plane crash. Instead, a man who witnessed the crash simply tweeted a photo.  

• Of 20,000 people polled on Mashable, more than half reported they heard about Osama Bin Laden’s death from either Facebook or Twitter (source).

It’s hard to remember what life was like before social media – how would people have reacted to the news of 9/11 or John Lennon’s death. Social media allows you to have a voice. You don’t need to land a front-page story on The New York Times for your organization’s story to be told – you can do it yourself using these amazing social media platforms.

Take time to think about this important question: if you aren’t utilizing social media, who is telling your story?

What other powerful social media examples do you have? Share them with us on our Facebook page.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Many Americans will gather with their loved ones to watch the Macy’s parade, feast on turkey and cheer for their favorite football team. After the dinner table is clear, the real work begins. Savvy shoppers scrutinize dozens of print and online retail ads to formulate their Black Friday game plans.

Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Retailers pull out all the stops to woo holiday shoppers during the wee morning hours. Many consumers are willing to sacrifice a few hours of sleep and to score great deals on the season’s most popular gift items. Early-bird specials are taking on a whole new meaning this year with several national retailers announcing plans to open their doors at midnight, coining the term “Black Midnight”. Stores including Target, Walmart and Toys R Us are opening as early as 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving and are advertising “waves” of sales for each hour they are open.

Major retailers can afford to pay employees overtime and offer deep discounts—especially on clothing and electronics—because shoppers will pick up day-to-day and high-profit margin items while they’re in the store. Sacrificing profits to get customers through the door on Black Friday may not be a lucrative strategy for small business owners.

Here are some tips to capitalize on holiday spending without breaking the bank:

1. Hold a customer appreciation event. B2C companies can invite VIPs to shop after-hours while munching on appetizers and enjoying shorter lines at the checkout counter. B2B companies can use this social setting as an opportunity to connect with and cross-sell current and potential customers.
2. Include a bonus gift. Give your customers an incentive to spend a minimum dollar amount, like a free $25 gift certificate with a $100 purchase. This will also increase the likelihood of a repeat visit. 
3. Offer exclusive deals to your social media communities. Reward your Facebook fans and Twitter followers for their loyalty by offering modest discounts and specials throughout the holiday shopping season instead of extreme one-day deals. Use a special code or keyword to track redemption rates.

Are you a local business owner? What’s your Black Friday strategy—extreme one-day deals or modest savings all season long? Share your story on Trilix’s Facebook page.

It’s that time of year again and chances are, your company or organization is in the midst of planning some form of holiday get-together. Whether it’s a big night out on the town or a lunch-hour potluck, it’s always great for employees to get away from their desks and mingle with each other. At Trilix, we’re planning our annual ugly sweater contest, chili and soup cook-off, and company holiday party all in the same week. Sound like a lot of work? Not with these five simple tips:

1. Figure out a Budget – A lot of what you can do depends on the size of your budget. Renting a space for an after-hours office party with food and beverage can get expensive. However, if you want to get a few decorations, you can have a fantastic potluck to fit any budget!

2. Start Early – After determining a budget, pick a date and start planning! Call venues and caterers if you are planning an event outside of the office, or gather a small group of colleagues to help with planning. Since we’re quickly approaching the holiday season, it’s best to start soon!

3. Send out Invitations – Your invitations don’t have to be formal or fancy by any means. Draft up a fun, office-wide email to invite your colleagues to the big event. They’ll surely start getting in the holiday mood after receiving it!

4. Finalize Details – As your party date approaches, double check to make sure everything is in order a week before. Send out a reminder invitation to those invited and if needed, call the venue/caterers to confirm all the details. You’ll sleep much better at night knowing everything is ready to go!

5. Have fun! – Since you followed the first four steps, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about during your company holiday event. Mingle with people outside of your department or who you don’t work with regularly. Now is the time to let loose a little bit and talk about things other than work!

How does your company celebrate the holiday season? Let us know on our Facebook page!

Des Moines native Ben Silbermann started a website in March of 2010 and it grew into the latest and greatest social media startup. Haven’t heard of Pinterest yet? Let me introduce you to one of the most addicting sites on the web.

Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board filled with what I like to call, “pretty things.” The website allows you to collect images of your favorite things and ‘pin’ them in organized categories called ‘boards.’ To get started, you request an invitation. After you receive an invitation in your inbox, you can create an account, find friends to follow from Facebook and Twitter, and set up boards to organize your favorite images. From there, the possibilities are endless. For example, I have boards filled with my favorite recipes, outfits, DYI ideas and much more. You can repin images from other people’s boards and even install the “pin it” button on the menu bar of your browser, and collect images from any website.

So, who pins? Brands, companies, organizations, individuals, men, women, adult, youth and many more pin and share images of their future office space, home, dream wedding, recipes, favorite destinations, bucket lists and beyond. Pinterest is not just for individuals, for example, Drake University has boards set up for everything related to college life from dorm room decorations, homework inspiration, studying abroad and alumni gear. They even have a board dedicated solely to exploring the Des Moines area. My personal favorite? The bulldog mascot board – how clever!

No matter your brand, company mission or industry, Pinterest has a place for everyone to showcase their culture, products and services. So, what are you waiting for? Jump on the Pinterest bandwagon!