With each of our Scoop newsletters we send we’re going to start featuring Publishers from our various platforms (we used to do this back in the day). Think of it as a brief look behind the curtain of each person, why they use our platforms to monetize their social media efforts, and why they enjoy using social media in their lives. So without further delay I’d like to introduce you to three of our amazing Community members. 1. You’ve been part of the IZEA Community for some time. What originally drew you here? After a year of blogging and building up my social media profile, I was confident that IZEA was a great place for me. Several people that I respect in this space were already singing the praises of the community, so I decided it was time to jump in and try it for myself. I’ve never looked back! 2. Why Fashion? I have always been very passionate about fashion as a form of personal expression and as an art form. However, I think that most women are very intimidated by fashion, trends, and trying to figure out where it is that they fit. My goal in writing about Fashion was to take away the intimidation factor and make it accessible for every woman regardless of her size, shape, or budget. 3. What inspires you to blog? The idea that I might be able to help a woman whom I don’t even know to feel confident and comfortable in her own skin is what keeps me motivated from day to day. I also really enjoy writing and sharing information with others – I was always the know-it-all! 4. What’s been your favorite SocialSpark (original platform) campaign? My favorite campaign by far has been the one that I did with Talbots – their Red Chair Confessions campaign was fun and young – I loved being a part of it and my readers really got into it! 5. What are you most looking forward to about SocialSpark 2.0? I’m most excited about the direct publishing with 2.0! I love that Sponsored Tweets automatically publish once they are approved, so I’m really excited that Social Spark is adopting a similar method. I feel it will make things much easier on publishers and advertisers alike! 6. Say something in French (hey…you brag about it in your Twitter bio)!
“Regardez là-bas! Il ya un chat vert dans la piscine!”
Ha! Stick that in your Google translator. ☺
7. Complete this thought: If I could I would ______. Learn to fly. 8. My favorite word right now is ______. Loquacious. (It suits me perfectly!) 9. You attend many industry events. What is the most valuable thing you get out of doing so? The relationships that I have developed through attending these events are incredibly powerful and are by far my most valuable takeaway. I have met some of the most brilliant people that our industry has to offer, and am honored to call many of them friends and colleagues. The genuine friendships and network of support is absolutely priceless in my day-to-day life and business. 10. What’s one word of advice you’d give to bloggers who are looking to increase the quality of their content? I think the biggest key to creating quality content is to be yourself in your writing. Don’t stress over perfect syntax and grammar and let your personality shine through. A little humor never hurts, either. You can keep-up with Erika by reading her blog, Chic Shopper Chick. All answers will be given in tweet form – in 140 characters or less! 1. What originally attracted you to Sponsored Tweets? Despite the controversy, it made sense that when given an opportunity to be transparent about a paid placement, everybody would win. 2. What has been one of your favorite campaigns in which to participate? I can’t recall a specific campaign, but I always appreciated those which have given my own community direct value for looking. 3. What do you love most about Twitter? It’s a perfect playmate for those of us who have attention deficit! 4. Finish this: Without Twitter I would ____. “continue to do what I do… elsewhere… just like I did before Twitter existed.” 5. How do you get creative with your Tweets? I write them with my pinky finger while standing on my head. 6. What do you do to market yourself, and gain new Followers? I don’t do anything to market myself other than just being myself. 7. Any advice to other Tweeters on how to get more Sponsored Tweets Opportunities? Tweet every tweet as though it was your last. 8. A Tweet a Day ____. “keeps the MySpace away.” 9. What’s your favorite bird (tweet, tweet!)? The Blue-Footed Booby. Yes, it’s a real bird. Follow Chris’s Tweets at @ChrisPirillo.
1. Why do you WeReward? I use WeReward for a couple reasons. 1) I have found it’s a great way to meet and connect with new people. “Oh you eat there too? That’s right by my house! I eat there all the time. We should grab a bite to eat and chat one day.” It’s a great conversation starter. 2) I have to eat anyway, so why not get paid to check-in at the places I’m already going to? I’m not going out of my way to do any of this. I was already using Foursquare to share the places visit with my social networks, but foursquare wasn’t paying me. Sure, there are benefits to holding mayorships, but you can link your WeReward account to your Foursquare account and reap the benefits from both platforms. 2. What device do you claim rewards from? iPhone. 3. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear WeReward? Ted Murphy. 4. Where have you checked-in the most? Chick-fil-a, Chipotle and Starbucks.
5. What’s been your favorite
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eReward reward claim so far? My favorite WeReward claim was the Taco Bell 500 point offer (see claim photo below, with the taco shoved in my mouth!). 500pts = 5 bucks. That buys lunch! What beats that?! 🙂
6. What other mobile social applications do you actively use? Okay, you ready? There’s a lot of ’em… HootSuite, Tweetmic, Tweetdeck, Twitvid, Facebook, Flickr, Foursquare, YouTube, iSwing, UStream Broadcaster and Skype. Dailybooth and Myspace are on my phone, but never get used. 7. Sky’s the limit – what company would you love to see using WeReward? My local watering hole. I’m sure everyone would like to be able to check-in at their favorite bar. It’d be easy to structure “tasks”, fun for users and a great way to connect/network. It’d be a great tool for marketing and advertising. 8. Tell one thing about yourself nobody knows. I used to be a competitive dancer in a professional dance company then a full-time actor before I gave it all up to focus on golf. 9. If Chops were to have a girlfriend, what would you name her? Babe. Duh. 10. Most importantly, what’s your favorite way to eat bacon? “The Baconcado” is the best way to eat bacon. Google it. The only thing better is the name of the site that the recipe is on: Bacon Jew. 11. Finish this: Bacon makes me ____. Giddy. John can most often be found on Twitter and on his blog.
