Last week I analysed the outcomes of a game that Jasper Visser and I use to conclude our social media trainings for Kom je ook? at Mediamatic. During this game participants write down what they will start and what they will stop doing in terms of social media marketing. After summarizing hundreds of ideas scribbled on brightly colored post its, I identified six clear trends in social media marketing. Jasper wrote a great blog about my analysis: enjoy!

Photo: Simone Schouten, Mediamatic

During my social media trainings I give participants infographics with backgrounds on different platforms –how many members, user demographics, marketing opportunities, etc. I’m always asked to share these infographics, so I put a bunch of them on my Pinterest. It’s an open pinboard, anyone can add their favorite visualisation of social media.

Pinboard on pinterest.com/minkehavelaar/infographics-social-media

I will continue to host social media trainings with Jasper at Mediamatic the rest of the year. Check the calendar for the dates!

Below are some pictures from the previous trainings, thanks to Simone at Mediamatic!

Enlightening the audience on ‘pinsanity’

A Facebook persona

Social media logo game: guess the platform

The ‘backpack’ at the end of the training: things participants found helpful 

The first Social Media Marketing training at Mediamatic was a hit! While the snow fell inches thick from the sky, the energy inside was bubbling. Jasper and I were lucky to be working with a highly motivated group, with people from very different professional backgrounds: advertising, non-profits, arts and culture. A truly inspiring day!

Photo: Mediamatic

Because of the success of this first edition, Mediamatic decided to program another three training days. Do you want to get the most out of social media for your organisation? Book a place for one of the sessions on Friday April 13th or May 11th (March 5th is already sold out).

We offer a full day program where we start by defining the place of social media in the marketing mix and end with a complete social media strategie, including a list of Things-To-Do for your next day at work. Expect a lot of new (strategic) insights, interaction, discussion and fun!

A couple of weeks ago, Creative Culture International asked me if I wanted to join their global network of communications specialists. I was immediately excited, because I’ve always been fascinated with intercultural communication. When I was in university I became familiar with the academic theory of cultural differences and I’ve always wanted to do ‘something’ with my knowledge. But what? Well, this might be it.

Creative Culture is a company specialized in linguistic and cultural expertise. They target creative industries like advertising, marketing and entertainment. The aim is to help clients export their creative concepts and projects around the world in the most striking way, while taking into consideration the local values, norms, language and culture.

To get in to their network I had to do an assessment which was pretty fun. There was a creative copywriting case for MINI and a report for Motorola on Dutch consumer trends and cultural values in advertising. They were happy with what I came up with and let me in! 

As a strategic planner I will be delivering insight on consumer trends and cultural values. Can’t wait for my first project! 

Image: Creative Culture. In the US, tipping any less than 15% indicates dissatisfaction. In contrast, leaving tips should be avoided in Japan unless you are dealing with your surgeon, removal man or waitress at a traditional ‘ryokan’ hotel.

Mediamatic –the Amsterdam based cookpot of creativity, new media, arts and society, and also my previous employer– asked me to develop a social media marketing training together with Jasper Visser. It’s an exciting project because we will both write the modules, and host the actual training days in February and March 2012.

Image: Mediamatic

The training will focus on how organizations can use social media for marketing and communications purposes. Knowing your audiences, being visible and connecting with them without being pushy is an art on its own. The training, part of the Kom je ook? brand, will be very hands-on with many games, cases, brainstorming, discussions and inspiration. Click here for more info and to buy tickets.

Graphic design studio Mainstudio designs magazines, books and visual identities for clients within architecture, the arts and fashion. I helped producing a workshop that Mainstudio’s Edwin van Gelder hosted in Tokyo, Japan at the end of October 2011. The workshop was about approaching graphic design with different media and participants created a 3D poster with their personal belongings.

Image: Mainstudio

During the past months I’ve also worked on copywriting for interviews with Edwin van Gelder, project descriptions and texts for Mainstudio’s website. I also submitted Mainstudio’s work for awards – with success! Mainstudio won a number of international awards this year, including an award from The One Club and the Dutch price for Best Designed Annual Reports.

Dutch fashion designer Elja Lintsen has launched her new bags and accessories label LAAEL. I developed a communication plan to improve the label’s visibility, grow the number of (web) shops selling the brand and increase direct sales. 

Image: Sabrina Bongiovanni

After sending a press release to fashion magazines, journalists and bloggers to announce the S/S 2012 collection, we are now building a webshop together with United Creations. I also worked on copywriting for LAAEL’s website, a direct mailing and email campaign, and I developed a communications planning.

I’m happy to be working again with my (other) ex-colleagues at Elsevier Global Medical Research. They are looking for ways to improve efficiency and marketing effectiveness of Global Exhibitions. As of January 2nd I will be helping them by managing a couple of interesting development projects. 

Image: Elsevier

One of the initiatives is a ’Flyer Machine’; a web-based DTP system that marketing managers can use to create instant posters, flyers, postcards and more. Next to that, I work with a designer to create a visual identity that unifies all 430 different journals and make beautiful templates for print collateral. Another project is to develop a web-based system for selecting PR material and sending it to international exhibitions. I will also produce introduction video’s of Elsevier’s medical journals. That will keep me busy for a couple of months! 

In December 2011, when the year came to its end, I started a new beginning. I decided to create a business out of what I’ve always loved doing: helping people connect with other people. With Minke Havelaar Communications I work as a freelance marketing and communications consultant. I help organizations and individuals finding new ways to connect with their audiences. My specialties are strategy, social media marketing, copywriting and project management. 

Image: Edwin van Gelder

This blog is here so you know how to reach me while I’m working on my ‘real’ site. If you want to get in touch with me, you can contact me by email: minke [at] minkehavelaar.com, telephone: +31 6 14998616, Twitter: @minkehavelaar, or LinkedIn.