Archive for March, 2012

Sh*t Jewish Grandmothers Say

by A 3G in NYC on March 4, 2012

Category: Media, Technology

We’ve all seen the variety of “Sh*t (INSERT GROUP STEREOTYPE HERE) Say” videos on the internet, spread virally through our social media networks.  There are various Jewish Meme videos out there, I could even post videos depicting three generations of Jewish women, after finding ”Sh*t Jewish Girls Say,” “Sh*t Jewish Mothers Say,” and “Sh*t Jewish Grandmothers Say” on YouTube.

It made me think, what would be included if someone were to make a video of what “Sh*t My Holocaust Survivor Grandmother Says?” Of course I Googled it, and one doesn’t exist yet. It may be too risqué, even for the vast depths of YouTube.

Of the few “Sh*t Jewish Grandmothers Say” videos I found online, I like this one the best because in incorporates the Eastern European accent and incorporates some typical Yiddish sayings:

I can think of a few quotes to add that a Jewish grandmother would say (Holocaust survivor or not) I’ll leave you with these two:

“It’s going to snow this weekend, do you have enough food in the house?”

“I hope your coat is warm enough. Why aren’t you wearing the scarf I knitted you?”

Tagged in: , , , , , , , ,

Interview with Aaron Herman, 3G and Digital/Social Media Guru (Part 3)

by A 3G in NYC on March 4, 2012

Category: History, Media, movies, Perspectives, Technology

The following is the third and final segment of 3Glegacy’s interview with digital marketing and social media consultant Aaron Herman. Thanks to Aaron for his time, and we look forward to seeing what Aaron has up his sleeve for social media in the Jewish space in the future!

You’re a 3G. What is your connection to video and social media as a grandchild of Holocaust survivors?

I had a very close relationship with my grandmother, who was a survivor. I made a documentary of my experience during my March of the Living trip in college.

My grandmother was very open about her experiences. She grew up in Czechoslovakia, and survived Auschwitz - Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen. Throughout my school years, she spoke in my classes about her experience. I had a very special connection to her, and wanted to learn more about what she went through. In 2000, I went on March of the Living because I wanted to see what she went through. It was really a unique experience to be in Auschwitz and to look at the crematoria.

The whole experience shaped me in such a way that I wanted to tell the story in any way I could. I had an old-school video camera. I wanted to show what I saw — I shot everything, hours and hours of film. I taught myself how to shoot and edit video, this was my first foray into this type of thing. I made a small documentary, I conned my way into the film department in college, and I put the video together.

Where is the video? I think the 3Glegacy audience would love to see it.

I actually didn’t post this one on YouTube yet. It’s so raw – I want to work on it more before I share it with others. I’d actually love to do a more professional piece, to honor her and tell her story.

What’s next in the pipeline for you?

I’m doing a segment on In Darkness, a Holocaust film currently in theatres. I’m  interviewing a grandchild of  one of the survivors from the movie.  She was just in California for the Academy Awards, as In Darkness was nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category this year. 3Gs – look out for that clip, it should definitely be of interest to the community.

Tagged in: , , , , , , , ,

Interview with Aaron Herman, 3G and Digital/Social Media Guru (Part 2)

by A 3G in NYC on March 4, 2012

Category: Media, Perspectives, Technology

The following is a continuation of 3Glegacy’s interview with Aaron Herman, a 3G and digital marketing/social media consultant. This segment focuses on social media for Jewish organizations:

How do you think Jewish non-profits are utilizing social media now? What is necessary to implement an effective social media program?

Every organization says they want to do social media, but many do not know where to begin. When people say social media, they just put it out there, they don’t understand the intricacies of what they have to do to build a good program. If you have the right strategy, you can be effective in the space. In order to be successful, you have to integrate social media into your organization’s DNA.

What Jewish organizations are doing a good job in the social media space?

American Jewish World Service (AJWS). That public service announcement video they did last year for their anniversary was totally brilliant.

There are certain things, like this video, that become viral and so popular when they first come out. It was all about content development, crafting a message to resonate with an audience. When you share content like that on Facebook and Twitter, it’s a no-brainer for people to connect – the content is engaging.

The only way that you really connect to something, is when you have the Wow effect. That’s really what people want out of their social media experience. They want to be able to feel something, to connect to the organization.

Bigger names, like UJA Federation of New York - they’re very strategic. They’re not putting out a post every minute, and they are judicious in what they post. It’s part of the control, when you’re a larger organization, there’s ramifications when you put certain things out there in the vast realm of the internet. You have to understand how you want to be perceived in that space before you go into it. Similar to putting out a press release, you have to make sure there are no misspellings or inappropriate language that would give people the wrong impression.

Another example of a Jewish organization with a handle on social media is Manhattan Jewish Experience (“MJE”). The MJE Rabbi now does three-minute clips for his weekly Torah portion. That type of thing is effective for his congregants, offering them quick cliff notes each week. By putting that onto their platforms, they’re creating something that’s dynamic and sharable. Whenever you can engage someone in an interactive way, your chances of a reaction is much higher.

What about organizations that continually ask questions as part of their social media strategy, like “How you do feel about this article or topic?”

They are trying to elicit people to connect, asking something like “what do you think about iPad’s in the classroom?” It’s expected to get comments, but it’s not really a good strategy. To engage people on a mass level, you have to create something that will entice them, not continually post random questions.

Do you have any advice on how to navigate Twitter and Facebook for Jewish organizations?

Follow as many people as possible, because eventually they’ll follow you. Follow people appropriate for you in your constituency, it’s like a guerrilla type of social media strategy. If you follow someone, if they’ve heard of you or have a connection with you, they’ll likely follow you. Also make sure to include a short description of your organization in your Twitter profile – it’s important for search.

In terms of the content you put on Twitter, you should make sure what you put out is appropriate for the medium. There’s a difference between the social networks – with Twitter, it’s like opening a conversation. You have to be careful about what you post, use discretion. It’s a constant management challenge for the organization, in maintaining the message across these platforms.

Even for organizations with no experience with Twitter or Facebook, it’s not too late to learn. Even my wife’s grandmother is active on Facebook – and she is 80 years old. I don’t believe anyone that says they can’t learn social media and Facebook. It’s very teachable and can be integrated into an already existing marketing strategy.

Does the Jewish community have an advantage in social media?

We are on par with the rest of the world, and we know how to activate ourselves when necessary. When there’s a cause behind something, or something is an emergency, we know how to engage our constituents. The same way we can act for a fundraiser – people act as ambassadors, and will push out your message. Word of mouth advertising is the most powerful technique, and the same applies with social media. If your friend asks you to post something, you will likely do it because you know and trust them. It’s a great way to motivate and connect people.

Tagged in: , , , , , , , , , ,

Interview with Aaron Herman, 3G and Digital/Social Media Guru (Part 1)

by A 3G in NYC on March 4, 2012

Category: Events, Media, Perspectives, Technology

3Glegacy had the good fortune to interview someone who is making waves in the digital marketing and social media world for Jewish organizations. Aaron Herman, CEO of Digital Marketing and Social Media company Aaron Herman Consulting, also happens to be a 3G and is very active in the Jewish Community. We had a lot to discuss, let’s start at the top:

How did you get your start in the digital and social media space?

I’ve been in social media space since before there was Facebook. In college, I worked for Collegeclub.com. They gave me a Sony digital camera with a hard floppy disk, which I went around taking pictures with.  In the first month that I started Collegeclub.com, I got 20,000 people to visit to the site. My entire dorm room was filled with boxes of t-shirts and bottle openers.

About two years ago, I was helping this start-up sports company, and I was asked to create a show for the company. I was interested in technology, I created a show called “Sports Tech.” I had some background hosting a show, but I always liked the process of developing content and I had a passion for media.

 Wow, 20,000 hits – impressive. How did you get involved in the Jewish world in terms of social media?

Because I’m involved in Jewish organizations, I saw that there was an issue within the Jewish community. There wasn’t anything being done to follow-up and promote events effectively after the fact.

I started just covering all these events, and I looked at the Jewish spectrum to see what was out there. I approached The Jewish Week  to feature these videos on their site, right before they re-launched it.  I pitched them, knowing they wanted a younger demographic of visitors, and now they feature my videos continually on their home page.

That’s fantastic. So video is your chosen medium in the social media space. What kinds of video projects have you worked on, and why the focus on video?

It’s all about clips. I can show people what I’ve done, I’ve been featured on CNN, and I’m semi-mainstream, but mainly in Jewish world. I tried to broaden my spectrum. I try to empower Jewish organizations to do social outreach. I like to find organizations that don’t have a voice in the community. The video clips help give them one.

One mainstream video I worked on was interviewing Joseph Gordon-Levitt at the 50/50 movie premiere.  I was on the red carpet, between E! and US Magazine, and I was the only Jewish outlet there.  The video interview was showcased on CNN.com.  I also interviewed Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Bartha for their film Holy Rollers. 

Another example is a few months ago, I got a call from someone for a favor. They said come to Washington Square Park. They said we don’t have permits yet, they were doing an installation for Artists 4 Israel (A4I) – they made a bomb shelter and invited graffiti artists to paint on it. I was there for the interview, and because I do everything from shooting to post-production, I was able to get it edited and posted in four hours. It got it onto CNN.com — when you click on U.S. Home, I was there.

CNN? That is big time.  Can you tell me a bit about your social media strategy in maximizing publicity for your videos and the events you cover in general?

Fast forward a couple of years, we see how social media influences how we communicate.  I’m involved with a company called Social Passport, which allows organizations to leverage social media and tap into networks like never before.  Users download the Social Passport app on their smartphones.  Through one scan or tap of your sign event attendees are able to like a post on your Facebook page, follow you on Twitter and check in at your event. Additionally, the message/deal you create will be communicated to their entire social network reaching hundreds of thousands of people.  When I go to an event now, I set Social Passport up for the organization in advance. 

Do you have best practices or tips on social media for Jewish organizations?

A social media program is a good thing to think about, but it has to be appropriate for your organization. In a normal world, you read an article and share it o n Facebook. In an organization, you may have to go thru many different rounds of approval regarding the content you share.

Content comes first.  You have to figure out what you have in your arsenal that could be appropriate for social media that could start a conversation.   First, I’d compile some quotes, pictures, and facts, and have this content ready so you can start the conversation early. Get your assets in line. Get focused on what you want to do first. You have to think about what will happen once you get that “like,” are you prepared to continually create content for your feed?

The same way you have an event chair for an event, you should have a social media committee for the event within your organization.  You can start leveraging your networks individually which will then generate buzz for the event and funnel activity to your page, on Facebook for example. If I like something on a page, it will be posted to my network, and people will start commenting.

For best practices, I try to look at the Huffington Post’s, the Techcrunch’s, the Engadget‘s out there.  Think about how you react to the videos, pictures and other media on those sites?  The goal is to try to find that button for people to really get connected.

I’d say that once you find the right way — it’s a long process to find your niche in the social media realm. It’s a challenge, but an opportunity, because social media is evolving, you have the opportunity to evolve too.

Tagged in: , , , , , , , , , ,

Newer Entries →