Live Events and Social Media Moderating

Did research for audience targeting

In preparation for live interviews hosted on EPIX's website I researched the talent's web-presence and online audience. This ensured that our promotion hit the right demographic and garnered the biggest possible response through social media platforms. If possible I worked in tandem with online fan communities. Tapping into already establish fan sites often resulted in word-of-mouth traction, which give way to huge traffic spikes.

Prepared social media plan-of-attack with a full, detailed actionable time line

This was a document that articulated how EPIX's social media accounts would handle the live event. This ensured that the messages across different platforms remained consistent, and all web traffic was sent to the right place. The plan took in account other internal departments, as well as the talent's social media team.

Live sentiment tracking

During the time of the event I read posts on EPIX's Facebook page and mentions on Twitter. This helped to quickly trouble shoot user issues, and be in touch with current relevant conversation.

Tracked campaign response and put together reports outlining sentiment and traffic

In order to measure the success of an event I made sure all links online to the event used trackable short URLs. In combination with the site metrics and various other engagement metrics on social media, such as Facebook comments, I was able to create a clear document outlining where the event was successfully promoted and how it affected user traffic on the site.

Managed Multiple Social Media Accounts and Platforms

I created a full social media plan that incorporated several accounts. The site launched with a 2 Tumblr accounts, 4 Twitter accounts, and a Facebook page. Having multiple social media accounts can help boost a companies placement with in a search engine result (S.E.O.). Each account had it's own specific purpose.

Oversaw four different Twitter accounts

Having multiple accounts helped with visibility on Twitter. By targeting specific keywords, usually chosen based on popular trends, I was able to ensure that our name was prominent within search results. Different accounts on Twitter also allowed a fan to follow EPIX in a way they are comfortable with. If one account tweets too much, or if they're looking for a more informal and personal tweeting style, they had that option. Different identities could also focus on different subjects, for example a producer can tweet about the details of his job and the main account can tweet about a new movie on the site.

Ran a "behind the scenes" Facebook Page

A Facebook page designed with the intent to be the halfway point between a company and real people can give a company a face. The posts consisted of behind the scenes events and the experiences in the office. Unlike most companies at the time, I responded to comments under the post as EPIX. This allowed EPIX to have a voice and encourage discussion.

Oversaw a Tumblr entertainment news blog

By having an entertainment news aggregator I helped EPIX prove that the new movie channel understood the industry. The blog posted movie stories, celebrity tweets and general entertainment news. By having daily posts the site was able to draw in more traffic because the subjects were topical and rated higher in search engine results. The blog linked to news articles and specific movies on the site.

Short-form addictive blog

I wanted to tap into a current fad on the internet similar to Lol Cats, an extremely viral(shareable) short-form blog post. Awesome Movie Posters was created to highlight older movies in EPIX movie library. The tone was intended to match general Internet user's off-kilter humor. Each image had the sites URL stamped on it so that if the image was used else where the web address would go along with it. This ceated a viral loop. Each post linked back to EPIX's main site.

A new blog after launch to cover a missing niche

Since the launch of EPIX we discovered that there was a need for a more informal long form blog. Instead of creating a whole new page on the site for highlighting a collection of movies EPIX could just have a blog post. I knew the value in a blog from the perspective of S.E.O. I helped design the blog, programed it, included social media actions (share, life, tweet), and helped hire a blogger. She was an excellent writer and by coaching her on the tone, basic HTML for linking, and how to use Twitter, the blog became the companies main blog.

Site Game Mechanics

Leverages real game design mechanics

I know how valuable game mechanics can be to a website looking to engage an audience and I know it isn't just about having "points" and "badges." I've studied conceptual game design and how to implement mechanics into a defined system. I wrote a product requisition document (P.R.D.), which included wireframes, explained the benefits of game mechanics, and how to implement it into the site. The system was designed to give EPIX's users a sense of ownership and a purpose to share the experience. The system could be compared to a mixture of Lemonade Stand, Farmville, Foursquare, and Mario Party. User's design and maintain their own virtual theater they can invite their friends to.

Used to set EPIX aside from competition

I looked for a niche online; something that could set EPIX aside from their competitors and find their stake in a market. At the time of launch EPIX offered a feature that allowed users to watch movies with their friends. The game mechanics I designed highlighted this feature and built upon it. Even though it was possible for a company like HBO, Showtime or Netflix to create the same feature, EPIX would have unique game machines optimized for the specific feature. Competitors would be forced to look like clones of something EPIX was already doing.

Planned as a metric to measure audience engagement

I knew engagement would be a key metric to prove my success in a job position focused on social media. Unfortunately there wasn't a clear metric for this on the site. Page views and movie views can prove interest, but I wanted to prove that people were engaging by creating a metric that included sharing content and inviting friends. With this metric I would have a solid number to prove when a new media audience is truly engaged with the content.

Designed to increase sharing on social media platforms

The mechanics were designed not only to directly reward people for sharing, but also to encourage sharing by offering an experience that's enhanced by inviting others. Interactive elements were designed with the idea that they would be more enjoyable by sharing them to other people. You can only beg people to "share" so much; why not encourage them by offering a great experience and solid content?

Designed to work with EPIX's multi-screen strategy

Aware of EPIX's unique business plan and multi-screen strategy I ensured that any interactive elements functioned with other platforms in mind. Users would be rewarded by watching EPIX on linear channels, through the website and through their mobile devices. Each platform offered rewards that contributed to the overall game.

Company Social Media Meetings

Synchronized promotions

Even though I was in charge of social media there were several other people tweeting and posting on blogs under the EPIX name. To ensure that all promotions and platforms were in sync I ran a meeting every other week letting everyone know what links they should be focusing on and what they should be promoting.

Presented internal social media analytics

I order for everyone to know what affects social media was having on the company, and to encourage everyones efforts, I shared social media metrics from the site, Facebook, and Twitter. I shared with them metrics that resulted from our efforts and interpreted what they meant. This helped everyone understand where we were coming from and what direction we were going to move in.

Shared social media news and trends

The social media industry moves incredibly fast and every company needs someone focused on those changes. At EPIX I tracked social media news and trends, and presented what was relevant. As shifts occurred I ensured my company was always in the know and on the cutting edge.

Analytics Reports and Metrics

Daily morning newsletters and live updates

Every morning I sent a brief newsletter outlining current trends on social media platforms, such as trending Twitter hashtags, and updates on social media platforms. If a social media sites and tools were down, like Cotweet or Tumblr, everyone knew about it immediately and how to handle the situation until the platform resumed regular service.

Presented weekly social media analytics

Every week I provided my supervisors with a full list of everything that was posted and highlighted what posts had the strongest response. I interpreted the information and suggested strategies moving forward.

Wrote custom software to track sentiment

Having a programming background gives me an edge in social media. If the software doesn't exist for the task I need it for I can write it. I wrote custom software that put tweets on a spread sheet followed by clicks for each tweet. Every day my software would automatically track link clicks and followers and export them in a format that worked best for EPIX.