Bauserman Group | Reno, NV Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Web Design, Web Development

Social Media Image Sizing Infographic

Amy — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:21:11 +0000

Have you searched for “social media image sizes” one too many times? Us too.

The ever-changing image sizes can be challenging to keep up with, and no one infographic has all of the sizing info we most frequently search for, so we created our own. It’s current (currently). Make sure to check back; we’ll update it as new sizes come rolling in.

Download the Cheat Sheet as a PDF

The Jake Effect

Amy — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:50:28 +0000

If you attended classes at the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno any time from the ’80s to the spring of 2011 it’s likely you took a class from journalism professor Jake Highton. And once you took a class from Jake Highton, you became part of an unofficial club. The club was made up of stressed-out students comparing equally bad grades. The amount of his hastily-penned — perhaps even violently-scratched — red-ink corrections caused almost everyone considerable anxiety. The harsh feedback I received remains etched in my memory, like the beautifully alliterative: “WOEFULLY WEAK.” But as time goes by, a sense of pride sneaks up on you as you say, “Yeah, I had Jake, too.”

I can still see him leaning over the lectern, saying: “I’ve seen misspellings in brass.”

Photo via briansergott.virb.com/unr-professors

In honor of National Grammar Day I dug out my old journalism binders and flipped through my work from his legendary First Amendment and copy editing classes and reminisced on the effect they had on me.

I don’t think I was a great student in Jake’s opinion during my time in his classes, but I know I’ve become one since. I’m still often hunched over The AP Stylebook, brow furrowed in confusion, but if nothing else I gained a great respect for the craft of writing and editing. And while most of my papers were covered in red and I made the same mistakes more than once, I did get a “perfect” from him one day. And with Jake, whether it was good or bad, you knew you deserved it. And a “perfect” made you grin all the way home.

And the Winner Is…

Anne — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:31:11 +0000

The last Sunday in February is always circled in red on my calendar and blocked off a year in advance. It’s the one night I get to be with a guy that’s not my husband – and his name is Oscar.

The Academy Awards are Hollywood’s biggest night, where both the couture and the speeches are either breathtakingly good or amazingly bad. In both cases, it’s difficult to look away. Whether I’ve seen most or nearly none of the movies nominated, it’s still a wonderful time to enjoy the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown from my couch right here in Reno.

In honor of this auspicious occasion, I’d like to share with you some of the best design work out there in movie posters. Not the original designs paid for by the big movie production companies; no, these are done simply for the love of the craft and the movies themselves. These folks have taken it as a personal challenge to design new art for famous past movies with as little imagery as possible, while still communicating the title immediately – not an easy task.

Also worth mention is this year’s commemorative Oscar poster, which the Academy commissioned Gallery1988 to complete. They in turn brought in Olly Moss, an amazing illustrator/designer, who interpreted the Best Picture winners from the last 85 years as Oscar statuettes. Simply delightful.

Cheers!

Click to see full image.

Hometown Client

Amy — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 22:35:09 +0000

We’re excited to be working with Hometown Health on their new campaign. Below is the first TV spot; we had fun shooting with the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows at their 9th street location in Reno.

Holiday Giving Roundup

Amy — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 22:08:48 +0000

This time of year, there are so many easy ways to give back. Help an elderly neighbor shovel the driveway once the snow hits. Start a chain of random acts of kindness by paying for the coffee order of the stranger in the car behind you in the drive through. Or give back on a bigger scale through an office-wide effort. One of our traditions at Bauserman Group is participating in the Boys and Girls Club’s Adopt-A-Family program. We also love getting the chance to help our clients help the community.

Fun job: Adam Carter (web, social media) helped Ryan Dolan of Dolan Automotive Group pick out 100 toys for ToysForTots last year.

We’re continually amazed by our clients and the way they give back. Read on for just a couple of our favorite holiday giving opportunities.

Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows

Adopt-A-Family program

Businesses, families and others can adopt a family that is asking for assistance during these difficult economic times. The Boys & Girls Club is hoping to match more than 100 families – 400 children – with generous community members. Adopt-A-Family wish list items range from toys and clothes to food baskets and school supplies and family sizes vary from small to large. For details on the Adopt-A-Family program and other ways to help this holiday season, check out the Boys and Girls Club calendar.

Dolan Automotive Group

Camp Christmas Toy Drive

Dolan Automotive Group has again partnered with Toys for Tots and the U.S. Marine Corps to provide toys for children who risk going without this holiday season. Take part in the annual Camp Christmas toy drive by bringing unwrapped toys to any of Dolan’s area dealerships including Reno Toyota, Reno Scion, Lexus of Reno and Reno Mazda Kia through Saturday, Dec. 15 when the official Camp Christmas event takes place at Reno Toyota on Kietzke Lane.

There’s no shortage of ways to give back in Northern Nevada. Stuff a stocking for local children in need, be “Santa” to a soldier or senior, serve Christmas Day meals and much more. Check out this RGJ.com list for more holiday giving ideas.

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

Q&A with Creative Director Steven Aramini

Amy — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 22:20:47 +0000

Northern Nevada Business Weekly recently picked the brain of our creative director Steven Aramini.

Check out their Q&A to find out who turned Steven on to advertising as a profession, the best memories he’s had on the job, what’s on his iPod and much more: “In his own words: advertising executive Steven Aramini“

Advice to Graduates

Karen — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:00:15 +0000

So you’ve landed your first job. Now what?

A bouquet of bright sharpies sits next to my black inbox, telephone and computer on a crisp white desk.

The cursor on the screen taunts me to begin typing.

I’ve officially begun my first professional job.

I joined Bauserman Group as a full-time employee in January. Transitioning from a university to an agency atmosphere has been a scary yet exciting move. The work I put forth is no longer about A’s and B’s, but client approval or disapproval.

To prepare yourself for this transition, it’s crucial to understand how your new company ebbs and flows, to stay up to date on the latest business trends and to understand your clients or customers.

To help make the transition from school to career a bit easier, I’ve put together a few general tips and forewarnings.

Don’t barrage (or barge).

If you’re working in a fast-paced, high-volume environment, your co-workers and boss are busy, most likely receiving a large number of emails a day.

Help them out and don’t send a barrage of emails. Rather than sending numerous one-question emails, send as few as possible and make them concise and to the point. And if you have questions, save them for a meeting rather than barging in on your boss seven times in one morning.

Make a task list.

Your boss gives you instructions. Your client gives you 10 deadlines. You’re heading into a meeting and you have only so many Post-Its to keep track. My advice: Keep everything in order and organized by using a task list on your desktop and phone.

I use TeuxDeux, a browser-based to-do list, which is also an app. You can add new tasks, cross them off or move them over to the next day. It’s very helpful in making sure nothing slips through the cracks. (Plus, it has a cute name.)

Prepare the night before.

Students are acquainted with an irregular sleeping pattern. Say “sayonara” to that lax schedule and “hello” to regimented sleeping and early-bird mornings.

It’s very frustrating to wake up in the morning and have to prepare a thousand things before you leave for work. My advice: Do as much as you can the night before to prevent having to run out the door with a granola bar stuffed in your mouth and a coffee-stained shirt. Prepare your coffee, pack your lunch, and ladies, if necessary even curl your hair and set out your outfit the night before.

I’ve found it to be very relaxing to wake up and simply make breakfast, sip my ready-made coffee and read or watch the news before dressing. With a little preparation, I have more time to enjoy my morning before leaving for work.

Congratulations 2012 graduates! Whether you’re joining the work force, taking time to travel or figuring out your next big move, I wish you the best!

Is the Press Release Dead?

Betsy — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:04:01 +0000

In this video, Michael Pranikoff from PR Newswire answers that continually popular question: “Is the press release dead?”

As a PR professional, I have watched the “Is the press release dead?” conversation take place my entire career.

The answer, in short, is no.

However, that does not mean that anyone practicing PR out there has free reign to throw a bunch of words on paper that he or she feels is “newsworthy” and send it to every media outlet in town.

What it does mean is that as a true professional, you have an obligation to produce thoughtful, useful, helpful content.

It may require you to convince a client that a two-paragraph-long quote is not appropriate. It may require that you spend time doing research and gathering information on your own. And it may require some time with your nose spent in the AP Stylebook. But in the long run, it will keep you from having your name added to the “blocked senders” list.

Here are a few tips on how to make sure your press release isn’t on the fast track to the local cemetery.

1. Write a good lead – include only relevant, factual information that answers all basic questions right off the bat.

2. When writing, ask yourself, “Who Cares and Why?” and then write your content accordingly.

3. Include links to more information and make sure you’re using terms that are searchable.

4. Write well – include all the necessary information without being redundant or fluffy – create useful, smart content!

5. Put yourself in their shoes…be respectful of the fact that all e-mails take time to read and time, after all, is money. And we hate wasting either!

6. On the same note, put yourself in the customer’s shoes….if you were searching for information on this topic, what terms would you search? What information would you be seeking? What would be most helpful to you?

Time to get our swagger back

Jim — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:33:19 +0000

*This article was published in the Reno Gazette Journal’s “Your Voices” column on March 28th, 2012.

We are fortunate to have organizations that are working hard to push out the good word about Reno-Tahoe — EDAWN, RSCVA and NNDA, just to name a few.

Along the way, every organization has developed numerous slogans. And while I’m sure that each slogan is rooted in solid thinking and supported by some level of research, I would ask all of the agencies promoting our market to consider coming together and unifying behind one slogan, “Reno: the Biggest Little City in the World.”

That’s been our city’s slogan since 1926. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in support of it, and people from one end of our country to the other know Reno as the Biggest Little City in the World. New York is the Big Apple. Reno is the Biggest Little City in the World, plain and simple. It’s a great slogan that is relevant and established, even though we’ve been running from it for the past 20 years or so.

Arguments against the slogan? “It doesn’t promote us as a region.” “It doesn’t encompass all of the recreational offerings we have beyond gaming.” “We need ‘Tahoe’ in our name to offset the negative image that people have of Reno.”

I would suggest that the region as a whole could be promoted comfortably under the Biggest Little City umbrella. As far as having “Tahoe” in our name to help with our image problem, I frankly don’t think we are fooling anyone.

We need to get our swagger back as a city. The Biggest Little City in the World has attitude, and we can back up that (established slogan) on Day One. Reno has a cool vibe. We also have great entertainment, big-time events, a wide range of dining experiences, fantastic outdoor recreation, a vibrant arts community … oh, and one other huge benefit: It’s an affordable destination to visit.

Let’s simply promote who we are and what we have to offer all wrapped in a value proposition. Target and Southwest Airlines have done pretty well using a similar model.

Every organization that is promoting Reno as a place to visit and do business is strapped for cash. But if all of these organizations come together and start promoting Reno as “The Biggest Little City in the World,” we have a fighting chance of re-establishing a great slogan and making our city stand for something other than “Reno 911.” The RSCVA’s new campaign, “What’s Your Passion?” is great. Make that the headline and put “The Biggest Little City in the World” at the bottom of the ad. Voila! A fresh campaign with a consistent brand and slogan.

All of the different messaging from all of the organizations in our market need a consistent anchor. “The Biggest Little City in the World” is a big, strong, proven, on-strategy, infrastructure-supported slogan that is as relevant today as it was in 1926. But it’s more than a slogan. It’s what we are: big-city amenities with a small-town feel. There’s nothing wrong with that.

The 5 “Musts” of a Social Media Manager

Amy — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:28:26 +0000

I’m a social media manager. Turns out, it’s a job that needs a lot of explaining.

“What do you do for a living?” the Trader Joe’s cashier asks me.
“I’m in marketing.”
“What kind of marketing?”
“Mostly social media.”
Her eyes widen. I can almost feel the pang of jealousy she experiences as she scans my frozen sweet potato fries. “You do social media as a job?”
I know what’s coming next.
“So you get to like, play on Facebook all day?”

It’s also a difficult line of work to describe to your grandma.

“Now explain to me what you do again,” she asks.
“It’s like…there’s this thing called…the Internet,” I begin.

Image via e-Junkie.info

There’s even a lot of debate surrounding “social media” as a job title, with some arguing it’s just a set of tools. Call it what you want, but know this: It’s a job with a capital J.

I’ve been doing this for a year and a half. Here are my top five “musts” for a social media manager:

1. Must have multiple personalities.

You have to be able to adopt the tone of your client or their brand and be able to switch back and forth constantly. I’m me. I’m a car salesman. I’m a jeweler. A professional kayaker. An ad agency. I’m a resort and casino, would you like a deluxe or superior room?

You also have to be interested in EVERYTHING. You never know what a future client may need, so you have to follow everyone. On every social network. No exceptions.

2. Must never stop.

When I was being introduced to the job I had a meeting with a seasoned social media manager. He described one of the best social media managers he knew: “She goes 110 miles an hour. She never stops. She’s a little ADD. She’s great. Perfect for social media.”

This may change any second, but as of right now, a Facebook post has a 3 hour viewing window. This means we need to constantly be posting. And tweeting. And pinning. It’s a never-ending cycle and you MUST NOT STOP.

3. Must be a good writer/detail oriented.

Since the invention of social media, we’ve all realized the same thing about our friends. They need a little help when it comes to spelling, grammar and punctuation.

I’ve heard over and over again how important it is for those of us in social media to “think like journalists.” Well-written, timely content is vital. I’m convinced you can’t manage a client’s social media account well without being able to write well. You also must be detail-oriented. (Make sure to have a cup of coffee close by when scheduling a month of Facebook and Twitter posts for multiple clients.)

4. Must be prepared for the day disaster strikes.

Sure, everyone makes mistakes on the job. But when someone makes a social media mistake, it can be a national headline in seconds. (See Mashable’s list of the most shocking social media disasters of 2011.)

It’s inevitable that you’re going to mess up. Post the wrong tweet to the wrong Twitter account. Go off on a rant on your personal Facebook page, only to find out it’s one of your client’s pages. So have a plan. (Mine is to secretly clear out my desk under the mask of night, delete my Internet presence and move to another country.)

5. Must be a good listener.

In the social media game, you can be behind the curve in a mere minute. Listening in on the conversations of others is a must, whether it be on Facebook, Twitter or in “real life.”

You have to be nosy and ask questions: “What was that you said? A new social media network? How do I sign up? Do they allow brands yet?”

I could go on and on, but I better wrap up. There are posts to be written, schedules to be approved, analytics to be studied…and a grandma who wants to know how to Google. There’s much to be done.