The crew at Hammock Inc. is an environmentally-friendly one. We recycle. We eat locally. We volunteer for organizations that take good care of our planet.
So when one of our vendors, partners or clients takes a step in the same direction, we just have to give them a pat on the back and a heartfelt thanks! Today, that “thank you” and “congratulations” go to Brown Printing Company of Waseca, Minn.!

Four Tips for Making Content Work Online
Some may think that writing is writing. But truth be told, writing for the web is different from writing for a children’s book or for a magazine. Research shows that web readers want fast and easy information, in a format that is easy to digest. Here are a few things we keep in mind when we write specifically for online audiences for our clients or ourselves:

As a group, we’re big movie buffs here at Hammock. We often end our Monday morning staff meeting with our latest reviews of which movies we saw over the weekend. Our own Jamie Roberts in the last year has even seen AFI’s list top 100 films. Most of don’t have quite that depth of background in film history under our belts, but we still like to share our picks for Oscar. When I asked my co-workers who they’ll be rooting for on Sunday night, this is what they shared:

Results from the Angerosa Research Foundation

Many association executives we talk to are interested in social media and how other associations are taking advantage of social media tools. A report recently released by the Angerosa Research Foundation provides some data and benchmarking for this in their study “How Associations are Tapping Social Media.” The report covers a range of related information including overall trends, wikis, blogs and strategic issues.

Probably of the most interest to many executives are what benefits associations are reaping from these social media efforts. The report is definitely worth reading, but in the meantime, here are the top seven benefits from the report for those associations who are using social media tools:

  1. Relevance to younger members
  2. Opportunities for member interaction
  3. Improve member retention by increasing engagement
  4. Connect before/after meetings
  5. Increase the frequency of brand interaction
  6. Create member-generated content
  7. Source of non-dues revenue

The report indicates that there were other unexpected benefits mentioned by respondents including increases in knowledge about member issues, member interaction and responses to public policy and advocacy issues.

Click here to download a PDF of the executive summary. If you are interested in a social media strategy for your association or if you have questions about social media, contact us to learn how Hammock can work with you to help you meet your association’s goals.

Over the last few years, my life has become almost entirely wired—I pay all my bills online and haven’t bought a stamp in ages, I blog instead of writing in a journal, I take digital photos and publish them to Flickr instead of printing them out, and I get all of my news online. (Is it obvious that I work in digital media yet?)

But despite my gravitation toward all things digital, one hard-copy habit I haven’t been able to totally kick is magazines. No matter how obsessed with my computer I am (and believe me I am—friends tease me for having an emotional attachment to my Macbook), sometimes I just need to curl up on the couch with a cat and a magazine. (Also, it’s a lot less hazardous when eating a ham sandwich and drinking a Coke.)

Some of my subscriptions have changed over the years, but one I have loved as long as I can remember is Rolling Stone. The writing is edgy and witty, the layouts cram a ton of information in but stop right before I feel overwhelmed (Wired, which I used to love, could learn a thing or two here), and the photography often makes me feel as though I’m standing right in front of my favorite artists.

I’ll admit I was a bit disappointed in Rolling Stone‘s decision to abandon the large format they had used since 1981 for a traditional size, perfect-bound (no staples) style. I loved how the cover photos were larger than life almost. I loved the crinkly sound the cover made as I cracked it open.

But more importantly, I still love the content (everything music + acerbic, unforgiving take on politics + cussing = perfection, for me at least), so I’m letting this one slide. Just no more Britney Spears covers, ok?!

Our Favorite Magazines
Posted in Magazines, by Megan Morris
February 18, 2009

It’s no secret we’re nuts about magazines around here. So today when I asked the Hammorati what their favorites were (besides the ones we do for our clients, of course!) it was no surprise that I was immediately inundated with passionate responses.

My magazine subscriptions have changed over the years, but my favorite will probably always be Rolling Stone. Read on to find out the favorites of the other Hammock staff:

The social media services company Vitrue recently released their list of the most social brands of 2008. Social brands were defined as those with the most mentions in social networking, blogging and microblogging sites. They used a “social media index” to track these mentions but did not differentiate between positive and negative conversations. The purpose of the index is to capture a brand’s share of voice on the web. The top 10 brands/branded products were the iPhone, CNN, Apple, Disney, Xbox, Starbucks, iPod, MTV, Sony and Dell. View the full list here.

There are three lessons associations can take from these big brands/products to help generate more mentions in social media venues for their groups:

  1. Join the chatter
    You must make the effort to participate and make your own mentions on behalf of your association. This will help you learn what type of content solicits the most feedback and comments from readers. Keep an eye on trackbacks to see how many other people are linking to a post.
  2. Give them something to talk about
    Once you start to understand how mentions are made and what drives the participation, concentrate on the type of content that will be of the most interest to your target audience. What will get them involved and talking? The conversation you are seeking can take place on your site and on other social media sites. The important thing is that you foster the conversation with compelling and fresh content that will connect with your target audience’s passions.
  3. Be responsive
    To keep the conversation flowing, keep an eye on comments on your site and others that mention your association. If questions are asked, respond to them promptly. If suggestions are made, for example, to improve your annual event, share your association’s response. Showing that there is a two-way dialogue for these online conversations will increase the likelihood of a jump in volume mentions.

And don’t forget to measure your success. Keep an eye on your analytics to see the effects of your efforts so you can constantly tweak your strategy. If you have questions about social media marketing or want to learn more about how Hammock can help you develop your online community, contact us .

Organizations like yours are likely extraordinary at a couple of things: providing a service, manufacturing a product, building advocacy or creating value in any number of ways. Is publishing and managing media one of those things that you do better than anyone else?
It’s not just a matter of identifying your core competency. It’s a matter of cost.
Here are five ways working with a custom media company will save you money:

It might shock you to learn that Marines are competitive, especially among themselves, and every unit from platoon to division boasts that it’s the best. So Marines who train at the home of the 1st Division aboard Camp Pendleton, CA, must endure the brickbats of being called “Hollywood Marines,” since the northern reaches of the 125,000-acre camp lie near Los Angeles.

With beaches that developers drool over and vast stretches of nearly untouched coastal terrain, Camp Pendleton basks in the Southern California sunshine much of the year. During the 2009 Marine West Expo held 4-5 February, the region was abloom with flowers, from roses to the exotic bird-of-paradise. Daytime temps hovered in the 70s, while USA Today reported that 90 percent of the rest of the nation was below freezing.

But 1st MarDiv Marines don’t get a lot of time to enjoy the weather, though their counterparts aboard Camp Lejeune, NC, along the humid Atlantic coast would likely swap places in a minute. With deployments behind and ahead, these Marines spend days and nights training to keep skills honed. The rotor beats from the 3rd Marine Air Wing’s choppers echo almost continuously from the hills, and the crump-bang of weaponry and ordnance carries from remote firing ranges.

All of which made an appropriate setting for the Expo, co-sponsored by our client the Marine Corps League and the Marine Corps Systems Command, which coordinates development and deployment of most everything a Marine takes into harm’s way.

The Marine West Expo, now in its 14th year, brings active-duty Marines together with the people who make their gear, vehicles, aircraft, software, uniforms, boots and other items. Marines are encouraged to speak frankly to the suppliers – not that they are shy! – and vendors are even more pointedly encouraged to listen to what may sometimes be a highly critical appraisal of some item. The goal – make it better, faster, stronger, more comfortable, lighter, safer, deadlier – whatever it takes to keep Marines alive and victorious in the field.

For the second year in a row, the visiting Marine Corps Leaguers visited the headquarters of the Wounded Warrior Bn.-West, where about 55 Marines – many suffering from Post Traumatic Shock Disorder or Traumatic Brain Injury – work hard to try to return to active duty at some post in the Corps, or, failing that, to a meaningful job outside.

UPDATE: The groundbreaking was held 27 February.

Companies that offer services or devices to help defeat roadside bombs have been a major presence at the Expo for several years. One company, The O’Gara Group, had a kitchen table set up at its booth, filled from edge-to-edge with beakers, glass bottles and various compounds and liquids.

Several young Marines stopped to examine them. “What are they cooking here?” one asked with a smile. “Bombs” was the answer, and the young Marines instantly turned somber, remembering – and perhaps anticipating – their journeys into harm’s way. This was no longer Hollywood.

(Click here for more photos from the Expo)

Many people think of magazines as flat pieces of paper in flat publications, but truth is, the pages can be much more dynamic than that. Advertisers and marketers have a unique opportunity with magazines that they don’t have with other media.