My ROI for Giving up Facebook and WWF for Lent.

My daughter looked me in the eyes and said - you could give up Facebook and the game you play when you're talking to me. 

That did it.  I listened to her and now and living a life of organizing my locker room.

I am paid to know about and utilize Social Media Tools to their fullest extent.  So I explained to Ellie that I could do it - but that I would still blog and I would still utilize the social media pages Facebook.com/consumerscu as well as @ConsumersCU, Linked In, Twitter, and the ConsumersCU Pinterest accounts.  

I have switched off Personal FaceBook Posts and Words With Friends.   I'm giving you a step by step guide on how I've completed this daunting task:\

1) Stop all notifications.

I went into settings on my Iphone, MacBook Air and Ipad and turned off all notifications.  I am amazed at how much this one little step took the

"want" out of seeing what is going on.  If it's not up in my face I tend to look for something else to do.

2) Turn off email notifications in the programs themselves.

I turned off email for FaceBook a long time ago because I was tired of having 20 You're Invited to Zombie Wars requests in my in box each morning.

I had not turned off Words With Friends because I am very competitive and wanted to always respond right away.  I have 19 games going. I turned off

my email notification and I am slowly trying to get past my intense desire to play just because I don't want to resign - and I will resign automatically because I'm 

not  playing.  I've resigned myself to that fact.

3) Bookmark Professional Social Media Only.

I took off all of my personal social media sights on my personal browser.  This helps me not be enticed just to habitually click it when I have a few moments.

4)  I moved the APPS off my main screen on my Ipad and Iphone.  This was easy and when I need to use FB for business I know where it is.

5) When I do open up the FB page it opens to my professional Consumers page vs., my home page.  Wha-La - that was quick and easy.  The only issue I have

is I see the red button that shows my personal notifications and friend requests.  I ignore them and so far have over 100 notifications!  I know they are mostly zombie

requests - but still.

What do I miss most about my personal FB?

I miss bragging about my kids.

I miss saying happy birthday.

I miss looking at my Hubby's face on his page - I love his profile pic and his face makes me smile.  (I've fixed this by putting the pic in my camera again)

I miss LOL from some of my friends posts - FB Friends posts can be hysterically funny.  

I miss knowing if I'm missing something important like a death or sickness.

My family knows to alert me in a text if there is something HUGE going on - but otherwise it's been relatively quiet.

What do I miss most about my WWF?

I miss knowing I'm SO close to beating some of my toughest rivalries

I miss playing 9 games with my husband while he sits next to me - and we don't speak - we just go back and forth.  Every once in a while you hear a snicker.  I miss the snickers. (so I'm eating them instead)

What am I gaining?

I am not one who thinks social networking is a time waster.  My work and life revolve around keeping people connected and staying connected.  So for me it's not about wasting time.  But it is about connecting.  I am gaining new insight into how we have become attached to our smart phones. How when we play a game at home we casually glance to look at the phone when it is not "our turn" vs., being in the moment with everyone. This is selfishness beyond belief.

I am also gaining knowledge of when posting something is just frivolous vs. having meaning.  

Mostly I am pausing to be calm, still and prayerful.  

I will continue to take a ton of pictures - and I'll upload them in an album called "40 days and 40 nights of Photos" 

To give you an example - here is a pic of Ellie's artwork that is being displayed at the Forest Hills High School Art Display.  (I just can't help bragging!) 

I'll keep you posted!

Lynne J. Johnson

Consumers Credit Union

Chief Marketing Officer

Good Times Ahead>>

616.214.0207 iphone

lynne.johnson@consumerscu.org

269.342.7904 x1753 office

269.488.1885 fax

Posted via email from LifeWithLynne

Digital + Face to Face = Engagement!

I love that I'm celebrating my 4th month anniversary with Consumers Credit Union the week of Valentine's!   One of my first goals was to visit each of our 13 offices and meet members and colleagues face to face.

In Marketing we are always trying to get more "face time" with our customers.  Some marketers are focused on numbers of visits,  unique visitors, friends and followers. In this new digital world they are important.  But I am a strong believer in real face time - where you can make eye contact and understand the feeling of what's being said.  You can communicate without guessing what the "text" or "email" really was trying to say.

I just spent last week traveling through West Michigan meeting with our Consumers members.  The stories they share are inspiring.  I've talked with a Coldwater mom who has only a few more payments until she's debt free.  I've met a South Haven entrepreneur who came to Consumers for a car loan as a student. He told me that the loan changed his life, enabling him to finish school. He has just opened a brand new laundromat in Hartford!  I've met a woman from Kalamazoo who's aunt was Elvis' Seamstress. (How cool is that?!) I've learned that because we have savings programs in our elementary partner schools, entire families have come to us to learn about budgeting and saving money.  I have also learned Consumers colleagues are chairing amazing charity events this year while working full time.  I can't wait to see those events come to life.

One way we will help share those stories is through our new Consumers Kodachrome effort. We will be taking to the streets to see our community partner's work in action.

Consumers volunteers spent Friday night with hundreds of people dressed in Pink!  We supported the West Ottawa #PinkOut and introduced our Kodachrome by Consumers concept with you, capturing the fun and excitement in pictures of communities doing the right thing.  Monies raised from the basketball game will go to VanAndel Institute for Cancer Research. Being there to see the excitement was so much fun and being able to share it with you is even more fun. (See the results here!) 

Join us all year long as we continue to share your stories one member at a time.  Who knows, you may just make it to the big screen - American Idol has nothing on our members!  See for yourself here!

I read with interest a recent blog by Steve Olenski on the LinkedIn Forbes CMO network.  He writes:  "A recent McKinsey Quarterly study revealed that having the ability to engage their customers and leverage those relationships is the No. 1 digitally related challenge facing marketers today."

The challenges we all face - whether we are on a marketing team or a hockey team- are connecting in a way that matters.  It's about using the right tools to communicate.  A teenager may like his or her mom to text (even though they say it is so uncool).  A teacher may request email.  A grandma may want to sit on the porch swing and chat.  What ways are you staying connected?

My role at Consumers Credit Union is to ensure we keep the lines of communication open and educate members on our services and products.  What ways can we stay connected with you?  Please share with me your thoughts lynne.johnson@consumerscu.org.  And by the way, if you'd like to be in pictures, sing a song, or just tell us about your member experience you can connect to me or goodtimesahead@consumerscu.org.

Posted via email from LifeWithLynne