Origami Owl Lockets and Charms

@LocketsNcharms - A Think Goodness Brand Partner

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Get to know LocketsNcharms (Origami Owl) via Social &Why You Should Use It

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Before I came to know Origami Owl, I have always had a fascination of how people are able to communicate themselves out into the world via the internet and via social media.  I recall exhausting my mom’s credit cards just so I can be on AOL as much as I was. Being online was a way for me to take in what the world had to offer and meet people, both at very little cost.

Eventually I realized I had something to offer too. I started blogging about me and my life at JennylouRaya.com and whenever there was a new social media platform, I jumped in on it, even though I really had no idea what for. I just wanted see more of the world an its people.

Then Origami Owl came along and I eventually carried over my social shenanigans to a new persona named ‘LocketsNcharms‘ to share my life as an Origami Owl Ind. Designer.  First, it was LocketsNcharms on Facebook (FB is the gateway drug to social media addiction).  I started doing YouTube because it was easier to show and tell, rather than write when it came to Origami Owl. Then, I decided to start blogging at Locketsandcharms.com (another  ID took LocketsNcharms). While I was building up and adding content on to these platforms, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram came out.  Of course, I had to get on these too and in these platforms, I stayed as ‘LocketsNcharms’.  My latest social platform I joined is Snapchat and I am really enjoying that I am able to share video snaps of whatever it is I am doing at the moment. I joined Periscope – the latest craze – prior to Snapchat but I really find Periscope annoying to me as I am not a fly by the seat of my pants type of talker.  I am on Periscope as ‘LocketsNcharms’ and Snapchat as ‘LocketsNcharms5’.  What’s the deal with the 5?  Someone took ‘LocketsNcharms’ on Snapchat and doing nothing with it.  Even if they did, anything that person would do would bring attention to me. Type in ‘LocketsNcharms’ on Google Search and see. I win 😉

My latest fascination is not a new platform but a new thing I am doing on YouTube. It is called daily vlogging.  It is where I share what I do on a daily basis. Why do I do it?

1. To remember my days and have them documented via video. I was coming across old baby videos and was a bit sad I did not have more. I also had not recorded much in the last years (just pictures because of smartphones) and I wanted to do it again. I loved reliving the emotions as I watched my babies. I also sense I have early signs of dementia and this would be a gift to my future self (or I could just be a tired forgetful mom).

2. To share life to friends and family near and far. They are all over the country and in the islands somewhere in the Pacific. My mom, I only see her once every three months or so, if that and this is a way for her to see her grandkids.

3. To shine light, be of use, and a source of smiles to those who watch. I try to post things that are helpful and useful or at the very least, something that would make someone smile.

I recommend people use social media. Why?

First reason: To help people connect with you after meeting – or verify you are real before meeting. This is a legit reason in personal and business life. Have you ever searched online for a boss, teacher, person you are about to hire?  What about to following up?

Second reason:  To keep the conversation going.  Nothing beats the phone for conversation but not everyone has the time for that. Being on social media lets you let others know what you are up to and talk to you on their own time.

Third reason: It is free.  It is a free way of marketing or advertising one’s business, but I highly recommend keeping #3 above as the mindset of why you are online on social platforms.  Even major companies that sell things know not go on social to push products. Be social to be social on social media.

I mentioned daily vlogs earlier.  My daily vlogs are at youtube.com/JennylouRaya.  It is on there and not my LocketsNcharms YouTube Channel because my days are not consumed with Origami Owl.  If you are interested in seeing my life beyond Origami Owl, you are welcome to my other YouTube Channel while you remain a subscriber to LocketsNcharms.

Here is my vlog for Sunday October 11, 2013:

How to Be Known in Your Origami Owl Business

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Yesterday, I resurrected a blog post from 2013 where I talked about the importance of bringing value to those we meet in networking groups.  I stated that instead of talking about my products for the 8 mins I was allotted (it’s what people do with it), I used the time to help them with their business. I brought value to them instead of me trying to make them understand the value of my products.  How did I do this and what did I share with them?

Be Known Be Likeable Jennylou Quote

I shared with them the importance of people getting to know them and how they can be known and be liked, while they are everywhere else or asleep. I shared my personal experiences and results and if they wanted it too, it’s time they make the change in one aspect of their business. I stated that if a mom with 2 little kids with no car and no money for a sitter can excel in business because of what I have done, especially in a party plan business, they definitely can too.

What am I talking about here? I am  talking about establishing an online presence. People are going to look you up and your business and it is up to you what they will see.  What is popping up when that happens? Is it crickets or plenty of your not-so-shining moments at a frat party?  Make your online first impressions count because, like I said, people do business with people they know and like, so be known and be likeable.

Having an online presence in the form of a blog or any of the numerous social media platforms can help business on top of what they already do.  They are, after all, already there to meet people.  Why not have a way for people to learn more about them and reconnect beyond the initial point of contact.  An online presence transcends the human limits of time and place.

Now I am asking you, are you giving people the opportunity to get to know you and like you, even while you sleep? People don’t like to do business with strangers. It’s time to stop being a stranger. Be known and be likeable.

Are you ready?  Don’t worry or fret too much over the process.  Get started with how you will get online.  Will it be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Periscope, or a blog?  Decide and get on it.  It is not until you get online can you be likeable online.  If you’re not online at all, what’s there to like? Being online is not going to make your business go from zero to hero but it will boost what you already do.  Give it a shot. Your business will thank you and you will thank you.

What’s the Deal with Hashtags? (video) #Growo2 #origamiowl

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I was sitting in a social media class at the Origami Owl National Convention (#o2nationalconvention) and someone asked, “How do I open up a Twitter account?”  Another asked, “How do I get a Pinterest account?”  It was quick to think of an answer in my head to these questions and it included the word ‘Google’ in it.

But then someone asked, “What is a hashtag?”  That intrigued me.  How would I answer this question? Some people threw out some answers of what it was, as well as the facilitator.  Though useful answers they were, I didn’t feel that I would have truly understood what a hashtag was with the answers I heard.

I soon started thinking more and more about it, eventually “googling” it and I noticed that there are many ways to explain ‘hashtags’ and that I share with you here. Before, I answer the title of this blog post, “What’s the Deal with Hashtags #Growo2 #origamiowl?” I would like to answer the person that asked what a hashtag was in that social media class that Saturday afternoon of #Growo2.

 

1. WHAT IS A ‘HASHTAG’? The plain dictionary definition states:

hash·tag
ˈhaSHtag/
noun
plural noun: hashtags
  1. (on social media sites such as Twitter) a word or phrase preceded by a hash or pound sign (#) and used to identify messages on a specific topic.
    “spammers often broadcast tweets with popular hashtags even if the tweet has nothing to do with them”
    • the hash or pound sign (#).

The Urban Dictionary definition does a great way of explaining how it came to be and used: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hashtag

To see what it has become for everyday hashtag users on social media, as well as see how fun hashtags can get, watch this YouTube video:

(source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57dzaMaouXA) Do you have an inkling or sense of understanding of what a hashtag is now?

If you are still reading, you may want to now know…

 

2. HOW DOES ALL THIS HASHTAG STUFF RELATE TO MY ORIGAMI OWL BUSINESS?  

Let me share how this relates to Origami Owl (this is afterall, my blog of things Origami Owl). Some of us who already knew what hashtags were were probably using this way before #o2nationalconvention even started.  If one had never heard of it before, you inevitably came across it soon after arrival as our swag bags given to us included literature that said to use #Growo2 #origamiowl when sharing online in regards to all things that were to come in the days ahead.

Hashtags were found everywhere, including the Jeep that someone won at convention. See that big o’ #origamiowl in the back?

Now you may be thinking… I now know what it is, I see it being used but…

 

3. HOW CAN I USE HASHTAGS FOR MY ORIGAMI OWL BUSINESS?

You use hashtags to be a part of the conversation when you post or you can use it to see what others are posting on any particular word or topic. Though hashtags were initially mostly used on twitter, you can join or view the “conversation” in all the major social media platforms such as Instagram and Google+. For example, when you see a post of mine online with ‘#origamiowl’, you can click on it and you can see everything else that has been posted publicly by others with ‘#origamiowl’ in it too. You get to see all the #OrigamiOwl talk on the social media platform you are currently on.  And when you add #OrigamiOwl to your Origami Owl related posts (and set it to public view), others can see you as part of the Origami Owl talk.

In a nutshell, clicking on hashtag shows you a collective feed of everyone’s post on a particular topic such as OrigamiOwl (#OrigamiOwl).  Want to see people who were at convention and their posts? Log in to your preferred social media accounts and search #Growo2 (the official hashtag for the event). You can also search related ones such as #origamiowl and #o2nationalconvention to the same posts, as the one posted deemed these hashtags relevant to their post.  If you see anything you like, you can retweet or repost to help spread and give klout to your own Origami Owl business.

 

4. CAN I USE HASHTAGS IN REAL LIFE TOO? 

There are many ways to use hashtags in real life.  Some use it for research, some use it for fun.  The majority use it for a mix of both research and fun. Want to see what others are saying about anything in particular, such as organic food or a celebrity? Add a hashtag to the topic or in front of a name and everything hashtagged with it pops up. You can find real time talk of anything and even see what is a hot topic aka “trending,” particularly on Twitter.

Just for fun and curiosity, I have used hashtags on Twitter to connect with others watching the same TV show at real time, talking to others as if they were sitting beside me on the couch but in reality, hundreds of miles away. On Instagram, hashtags connects you with the pictures of others. I love to post my fashion pics and see the fashion pics of others.  For example, when I post a fashion pic with my Ipsy, Birchbox, and Stitchfix items, I add hashtags to the related company names, and post.  After posting, that hash-tagged words turn to links.  Click on one of them and you will see your picture and the pictures of others who used the same hashtag.  For twitter, it pulls up the hash-tagged sentences of others Twitterers.

 

5. SHOULD I BOTHER USING HASHTAGS?

That is ultimately up to you.  How you use it too is ultimately up to you.  You can use hashtags to look at everyone else’s stuff online (strictly as a lone social lurker) or you can use it to be a part of something bigger or trending and be included with everyone else’s post linked to a particular hashtag. I personally like it.  I view hashtags that interest me or relate to me.  Sometimes I find a new online friend, sometimes I don’t.  It’s fun and if one ever feels like one does not belong or relate to any hashtag, you can create and belong to your own hashtag. You can start one your own. Just like that.  Try it ‘# + ___________.’ Before you know it, you will be the hashtag pro and you just might go hashtag crazy =)

 

Do share.  What is one way you have found hashtags useful to you?

Want to see how I use hashtags?  Connect with me on Instagram and on Twitter.

Rebranding to ‘locketsandcharms’ and ‘locketsNcharms’ and Why?

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When establishing a brand online, consistency is important.  With that said, I have changed my “name” associated with Origami Owl to “locketsandcharms” on all of my sites where I share Origami Owl Custom Jewelry.

I also will be using ‘locketsNcharms’ online, as Twitter and Pinterest usernames boxes could not fit ‘locketsandcharms.’  For this reason, my Origami Owl Facebook page’s URL will also display ‘locketsNcharms’ for the sake of social media username consistency.

Just as I have consistently branded myself as a Mom Blogger as JennylouRaya, and my ties to our family’s candle business consistently display iHeartEclipse, I am doing the same with LocketNcharms on Facebook, Pinterest , Twitter.

Why the name change?  The previous name, my personal name, I had on my Origami Owl sites is overwhelmingly tied to topics related to mothering, cooking, homeschooling and business in general.  It was a clash, in my opinion.  When someone “googles” any of my “names,” I want a consistent message.  I do not want to be googled by any one of my audience and they see everything else but my intended message for them.  It would be a loss of credibility to me and a world of confusion to them.

The Ultimate Goal: the audience coming across any one of my “names” or brands, know or have an idea of what it is they are getting into and not be totally blindsided by something else.  A successful brand strategy will give audiences one thing and one thing only; the specific information they need and want.  LocketsNcharms online is Origami Owl Independent Designer #1186 and blogger of https://locketsandcharms.com =)

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