Griffins assist with social media seminar

Griffins assist with social media seminar

A bench shot the Grand Rapids Griffins shared on their Twitter channel. Photo via twitter.com

The Grand Rapids Griffins are inviting you to get your tweet on this Wednesday.

That is when the team’s marketing expert, Marissa Malson, will be joined by Jeff Barrett, CEO at Status Creative, and Laura Caprara, social media strategist and owner of Stellafly Social Media, to host an hour-long seminar focusing on social media for businesses.

There also will be a social media-themed game following the seminar that participants are invited to attend.

Topics

“Some of the topics we will touch on this year are personal branding, how social media and public relations work together and how to incorporate social media into marketing strategies, including content creation and how to measure success,” Malson said.

This is the fourth year that the social media seminar is being held, and Malson said the panelists have been pared down to three this year to give time for a more in-depth discussion on the topics, as well as for more time for questions and answers at the end.

“Each of the past seminars has been very well attended and well received,” Malson said. “Social media is constantly changing, and it can be a little daunting if you’ve never used it for your business before. We want to empower people to jump right into using social media, and we believe we can do that with this seminar.

“If you do have experience using social media, the seminar is also a great way to enhance what you are already doing and bounce ideas off of like-minded individuals.”

The seminar is scheduled for 6-7 p.m. at Van Andel Arena banquet rooms B & C. The cost is $18 and includes a ticket to the game.

Speakers

This is Malson’s first season working with the Griffins. She has a background in social media, including past positions with Ignite Social Media and serving as social media specialist at ArtPrize.

Barrett has gained national recognition for his social media expertise. He was named a Forbes Top 50 Social Media Power Influencer and hosts Twitter chats with the hashtag #BareItAll.

Caprara has a diverse professional background, working in advertising as a graphic designer and various marketing fields. Her career began pre-social media, giving her a unique perspective on changes in social media.

Social game

To add to the fun, attendees will also receive a lower-level ticket to the night’s game against the Lake Erie Monsters.

“The seminar is the kickoff to a social media-themed game,” Malson said. “We will be including several elements into the night, including displaying tweets and Instagram posts on the big screen in the arena, hosting former Red Wing Mike Knuble as one of our guest live tweeters during the game and revealing an exclusive promotion on one of our social media channels — it’s secret for now, but stay tuned, because we’ll announce it during the game.”

The game will begin at 7 p.m.

Griffins on social media

The Griffins have been an AHL leader in the use of social media.

“Social media is extremely important to the Griffins,” Malson said. “We were one of the first teams in the AHL to put a deliberate focus on social media and include it in our marketing and sales strategies.

“We are able to track ticket sales generated from social media, which shows in numbers how valuable social media is to our organization.

“What’s great about being a sports team on social media is the type of content we can share. Our fans are so passionate about hockey in Grand Rapids, and social media allows us to further develop the connection they feel with the team, whether it’s posting behind-the-scenes photos, offering a special ticket deal or hosting a Twitterview (Twitter interview) where fans can directly chat with players.”