Posted by Lindsay Fultz on Mon, Aug 23, 2010 @ 01:47 PM
Lara McCulloch, founder of #Eventprofs on Twitter and CEO of Ready2Spark, the "special events industry's highest ranked independent blog," recently announced the Event Profs 2nd annual blog award nominees and I am very proud and honored that Grosh Backdrops was nominated for Best Inspirational Blog!
Congrats to all of our fellow #eventprofs out there! Thank you for educating, sharing, challenging, motivating, mentoring and inspiring me! Good luck to you all!
Grosh Backdrops would definitely appreciate your vote! To vote on all the nominated blog categories, simply click on the link. Click here to take survey
Posted by Lindsay Fultz on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 @ 10:41 AM
***The following is a guest blog from Jenise Fryatt, a very good friend of mine that I just happened to meet on Twitter.***
14 Tips To Help Build A Community on your Blog
Is your blog a fun place to hang out? Not every successful blog needs to be a place for community, but the ones that are often enjoy higher traffic, more comments, more retweets and less pressure for the blogger.
What is a blog community? To see an excellent example, visit Liz Strauss's Successful Blog. Her tagline "You're only a stranger once," pretty well sums it up. Liz's blogging goal is to do the same thing with her blog that her father did with his saloon - create a place for a community to grow and thrive.
Successful blogging communities share certain traits:
* They are not ghost towns. The are busy with posts and comments.
* They are places where information is shared.
* They add new ideas to the conversation.
* They are fun places where friends encourage each other and laugh together.
* They are open and receptive.
Creating a place like this on your blog isn't as hard as you might think, though it will take a little time and effort. Here are a few tips:
1 - Start posting on a regular basis.
This is the only way to let people know you are alive and well and open for business, not a ghost town.
2 - Take a break from your soap box.
Having to write profound blog articles several times a week is a lot of pressure. Blog posts that promote others can take the pressure off and show that you support your community.
3 - Post a guest blogging policy.
This shows you are open to sharing your bully pulpit with others. Guest bloggers add: variation and interest to your blog; new members to your community (themselves and their readers); and content with a fraction of the work it takes to write your own posts.
4 - Seek out guest bloggers.
They might be friends or colleagues, or they may be people you know from social media. I've found many of my guest bloggers from Twitter chats or when people have commented on links I've posted.
5 - Comment on blogs
Commenting on blogs of friends and favorite bloggers is one of the best ways to build a community for your blog. Fellow bloggers usually appreciate comments very much. Often they will take an interest in you and will post comments on your blog.
6 - Retweet
Tweeting or retweeting a link to a good blog post serves to promote the blogger and the original tweeter and provides useful information to your community. If you know the blogger's Twitter handle, be sure to include it so that they will know you tweeted their post, and will be more likely to do the same for your posts.
7 - Ask questions
An easy way to get great content is to do an interview. You can record it on video and post it or you can trade questions and answers via email. Or, do as
Liz King often does, simply ask a question from you community and encourage them to post responses in the comments. Either way, you are promoting others and sparking conversation.
8 - Promote helpful blog posts of others on your Facebook or LinkedIn page
Again, you are helping your community by giving them great information and promoting fellow bloggers who will come and hang out at your blog. (This tip comes from watching my social media mentor Lindsay Fultz of Grosh Backdrops.)
9 - Think of new ways to promote others
Liz Strauss gives out the
SOB award. I created a "Join these #eventprofs on Facebook" list of links on my blog. Remember, everything you do to support members of your blog community helps to keep it thriving on your blog.
10 - Keep the dialogue going
Encourage and respond to all comments. If a good discussion gets going, promote it on other social media sites. Whatever you can do to keep the discussion going helps to enliven and enrich your blog community.
11 - Repost
Did someone write a blog post that particularly spoke to you? Write a recommendation as a post on your blog and link to it. Again, supporting other blogs will serve to make your blog community stronger.
12 - Rant
It's definitely good to get on that soapbox every once in a while. If you have an opinion, share it. The best discussions happen when bloggers are willing to take a stand on an issue. But be gracious and open to those who disagree with you in a respectful way.
13 - Guest blog
Take every opportunity you get to guest post on other blogs. It helps expose you to new audiences and supports other bloggers who make up your community.
14 - Create a blog roll
Create a place on your blog for links to friendly bloggers who's sites you frequent and recommend. Again, this helps provide useful information to your community and helps promote other bloggers who make up your community.
Creating a successful blog community really comes down to two main things: hanging your "open for business" sign and helping others. If you have any more tips to add on how to do this, please support your community by sharing in the comments. :)
Jenise Fryatt is the co-owner/marketing director Icon Presentations - audio, video, lighting for events/actress/mom/improv/karaoke and yoga devotee trying to stay in the present. Jenise is the founder of the #FF alternative, #EIR (Engages, Informs, Retweets) phenomenon on Twitter.
Posted by Lindsay Fultz on Tue, Aug 03, 2010 @ 11:33 AM
Recently there was an incident on Twitter where I commented on a tweet about QR Codes. I stated that:
"I'm not sold on them yet."
I received many DM's and @replies to my account wanting to know why? Jenise Fryatt from Icon Presentations was kind enough to post my response in a guest post.
To read my full post please click on the link below.
(Photo by nati_superstar)
Posted by Lindsay Fultz on Mon, Aug 02, 2010 @ 03:06 PM
Recently I had the honor of being featured in the WONDERFUL event branding blog of Liz King of Liz King Events.
To check out my full feature click on the link below. Enjoy and thank you again Liz for the opportunity!
Posted by Lindsay Fultz on Wed, Jul 14, 2010 @ 02:06 PM
Ok, so I have a Twitter confession to make. If you follow one of my two Twitter handles @lindsayfultz or @GroshBackdrops and/or I follow you…I have something to tell you that you may or may not find disturbing...
I have looked in your medicine cabinet when you weren’t looking, and have been for the past couple of months.
Say what?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Well on everyone’s Twitter profile there is a favorites link and what I do, is go in and look at all the tweets that you deemed "favorite" worthy. I first started snooping in your cabinets because I am a compulsive "favoriter". My tally was nearing 1,000 and I became a bit self conscience. I was curious as to what the norm was so I did some research. What I have found and learned from the Twitter medicine cabinets has been invaluable to me.
How I utilize the favorite button as a learning tool:
1.) Twitter to-do list: When I am busy at the office or out running errands and I have a few seconds to spare I hit up my Twitter stream and favorite tweets of interest. Then when I have time I use it as a to-do checklist and "unfavorite" each one as I read them. Yes I read everything that I retweet and you should too but that's another topic in itself. I then retweet it if I found the content helpful. Guess it's kinda like my Google Reader but on Twitter.
2.) To learn more about my competitors: What #HowTo's, tips and tricks are they favoriting? Think about it...you can see what your competition has up there sleeves.
3.) To get inside the brilliant minds of thought leaders and my mentors: If thought leaders are favoriting things they want to learn more about or what they have found helpful, you better believe, I'm all eyes.
4.) To decide if you are follow worthy
5.) To learn more period! Yes, I bogart the can man and favorite other peoples favorites! It's a great way drown out the noisy Twitter stream. When I have a particular topic I would like to learn more about and am pressed for time, I will go straight to the favorites of key players in that industry or subject.
Ok, at this point some of you may be feeling a bit violated...or perhaps the jig is up and it's your Twitter secret too. Either way, I feel better getting this off of my chest.
So let's hear it, who snoops? What are some clever ways you utilize Twitter for benefit?
Posted by Lindsay Fultz on Tue, Jun 22, 2010 @ 01:53 PM
I am a huge fan of Foursquare, you can see from my tips and to-do's that I am an active Foursquarer and not just because of the social media marketing potential it creates for businesses and marketers, but because like you, I am a consumer and I LOVE me some free. In fact, my favorite local restaurants I discovered by key word searching on Foursquare and reading the tips that other people have left. The badges, bragging rights and Mayorships you can earn and accumulate when checking into various venues are fun and incentive enough to frequent an establishment; however businesses are finding out that real rewards are creating loyal brand ambassadors. It's a win/win outcome.
I am currently the Mayor of 8 venues, none of which are currently running any Foursquare specials but that hasn't stopped me from benefiting from physical rewards. From free appetizers, to round of drinks, to burger vouchers, and movie rentals, I have been handsomely rewarded for just "checking-in" to venues.
Foursquare, while fastly gaining in popularity with users, is still widely untapped when it comes to businesses. Many places that I frequent, I take it upon myself to educate the managers. After a couple minutes of me explaining how all the social networks are linked together and the reach potential their brand and company can obtain via new media channels they are sold! I have even taken it steps further to physically show them on my phone all of the people (their target market) currently raving about their business and it's word of mouth reach, I am almost always thanked with freebies. Now free, is not always a given, and that is not why I take it upon myself to educate them about Foursquare. I do it because the more businesses that are educated on the benefits of social media the more consumers benefit.
This past weekend, I went to Fatburger, the specific location is below, and had a great Foursquare experience, which I promised the manager I would not only Tweet and Facebook about but also give a shout out in a blog. Also just an FYI, for a burger chain, they have one of the best veggie burgers!
Thank you very much to Fatburger team, Vermont Ave, in Hollywood for embracing social media and for participating and enhancing my virtual gaming experience. Your reward, a new brand ambassador for your Fatburger chain.
My original tweets that I showed the manager are below.
Tweet #1 with location of chain: I'm at Fatburger (1611 N Vermont Ave, at Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles).
Tweet #2 with picture: These guys at Fatburger on Hollywood blvd are totally hip 's!!! Got me a NICE discount!! 
Tweet #3 with picture: Not only did we get a nice discount at Fatburger but also 2 free coupons 4 veggie burgers!
If you are a business that is interested in promoting via Foursquare here are a some links and stories to help you unlock your creativity and get started.
How to add a Foursquare for your business. Notice on the right hand side there is a current list of local promotions.
Why Yelp and every single establishment should be on Foursquare.
A practical guide to creating Foursquare for events.
Restaurant Marketing without leveraging Foursquare is like eating cookies without milk.
Complete list of Foursquare badges and how to unlock them. Foursquarers love to earn badges, especially the random, off the wall, hard to earn ones. Check out the complete list and see if you can market your business around one of them!
How Domino's rewards Foursquare Mayors with free pizza. See even delivery heavy retail and restaurant establishments can benefit from location based marketing!
Restaurant owner increases sales by 110% with Foursquare swarm badge party! This is so awesome and creative!
The I'm on a boat restaurant badge party leads to sales record.
Grand opening of a store/restaurant promotion.
Restaurant adds Foursquare funding advice to the menu.
Restaurant serves up Foursquare advice for non-profits.
How the fashion industry uses location based marketing.
Why the fashion industry loves Foursquare.
Why restaurants should use Foursquare for marketing.
How Foursquare has the ability to change the way we travel.
TopGuest to blend Foursquare and Facebook check-in with hotel rewards.
Middle school marketing: 4 motivations behind using Foursquare and how to appeal to them.
How 5 brands are mastering the game of Foursquare.
Foursquare for business marketing and local search domination.
As a consumer have you experienced any real rewards from Foursquare?
If you are a business are you looking to incorporate Foursquare into your marketing strategy?
Posted by Lindsay Fultz on Tue, Jun 15, 2010 @ 01:48 PM
Grosh Scenic Rentals is proud to announce the launch of our Grosh Backdrops in Action community Flickr page! At Grosh we are always looking for ways to be more social in social media and create win/win/win relationships with our wonderful customers and online and offline communities, who thanks to social media have become more like friends and neighbors!
Since we launched our social networking sites in April 09, I have gotten to know a lot about Grosh customers and the dance, theatre and events people. I have gained so much insight on each of your respected industries as I hope you all have gained a little insight on what goes on behind the scenes at Grosh Backdrops and on social media as a way to market your business successfully, after all, we succeed by you succeeding.
The Grosh Backdrops in Action Flickr community page was devised to create a win/win/win for the Grosh Backdrop community. Our customers can learn so much from each other. You all use the same Grosh product to enhance your special events and who better to give advice, ideas and helpful tips on creative ways to utilize, light and enhance our products than other Grosh customers! Every week I get tons of pictures emailed to me from our customers and I see the backdrop pictures you post and tag of Grosh on Facebook and I must say they are all so beautiful and creative. Each is different from the next!
In celebration of this new venture of ours, Grosh will be frequently be running product picture contests. Here is how the contests will work:
When you post a picture(s) or a video(s) of your Grosh Backdrops in Action on our community Flickr page please list the following:
1.) The name of the backdrop (ex: Emerald City Backdrop)
2.) The name of your special event, recital or production
(ex: Wizard of Oz production)
3.) A couple sentences about your special event, recital or production.
Every 25 picture entries will be considered a round. After each round, Grosh will give out a pretty cool prize. The winner of the mini contests will be determined by picture and community interaction. It’s that simple! Upload a pic(s), comment away on other members pictures and give and receive helpful backdrop tips and you could be a winner!
Once we reach a minimum of 100 picture/video entries we will open the community floor up to vote for the grand prize, TBA, but you can be sure it will be AWESOME! Depending on how quickly 100 entries are received will be dependent on how long the voting floor is open. I would love to keep the vote open for 1 month.
Frequently Asked Questions about Backdrops in Action Community Flickr Contests:
Q: Do I have to be a member of Flickr to enter?
A: Yes, but it literally takes a minute to create an account if you don’t already have one to join ANDit is a great social site to be on, especially for small businesses...hint, hint!
Q: Who can enter the Backdrops in Action picture contest?
A: Anyone and everyone that has ever rented backdrop and/or drapery from Grosh for their dance recital, theatrical performance, wedding, prom, homecoming, Church VBS, gala, corporate meeting, holiday party, bat mizvah, fundraiser, etc!
Q: Does the picture or video showcasing our Grosh Backdrop have to be recent?
A: Absolutely not. It can be from your most recent event or one from a couple years ago. As long as it showcases a Grosh product (drapery does count) you are good to go!
Q: If I already uploaded a picture on your Facebook page and tagged you, does that count?
A: No, you must upload the picture on the Backdrops in Action Flickr page to be eligible for the contest and cool prizes; however our Flickr is linked to our Facebook page so any pics and videos backdrop members upload will be automatically transferred over to our Facebook profile for friends to view, comment and "like".
Q: Can I enter multiple pictures?
A: You most certainly can!
Q: Once 100 entries are received and the voting floor is opened, can I still enter the contest?
A: You most certainly can! Remember we will be regularly holding mini contest rounds every 25 entries and award prizes based on picture and community interaction.
So there you have it! Consider the Grosh Backdrops and Drapery community Flickr page open for submission. This is something new so if you have any questions please do no hesitate to contact me directly on Facebook, Twitter, Skype (lindsayfultz), email (Lindsay@grosh.com) or phone (877-363-7998 ext 124)! This is a new social platform for Grosh and maybe many of you, but it is meant to be fun and social. I will be blogging and updating our social networking sites regularly giving shout outs to outstanding backdrop members because, let’s face it, we ALLdeserve more than just 15 minutes of fame.
Posted by Lindsay Fultz on Tue, Jun 15, 2010 @ 01:37 AM
S2849 Church Interior Backdrop, Pic courtesy of PMA Industries and Kizirian Photography
All Grosh Scenic Rentals customers deserve to be in the spotlight for longer than 15 minutes. Grosh Backdrops in Action is a group on Flickr created for our customers to showcase pictures of their special event, recital or production. This group is also meant to inspire creativity and highlight the many different looks and ways you can utilize and light Grosh Backdrops.
When you post pictures or videos of your Grosh Backdrops in Action please list the following:
1.) The name of the backdrop (ex: Emerald City Backdrop)
2.) The name of your special event, recital or production
(ex: Wizard of Oz production)
3.) A couple sentences about your special event, recital or production.
Start uploading today! We will be having a backdrop contest where the pictures and videos with the mostotes wins some pretty great prizes. Stay tuned!
About the Backdrop in Action event pictured above:
Our event was just awesome. The event was for a local college celebrating St. Domenic weekend. Their invitation featured a stain glass window, and from there I ran with your beautiful church panels. People could not believe that they were standing in a basketball court. The head priest and President of the College said that the room definitely had a 'wow' factor!
Thank you to Grosh for such great backdrops., and quality service. I hope I get the opportunity to design another event using your backdrops.
Nancy Archambault
PMA Industries, Inc., RI
Posted by Lindsay Fultz on Thu, Jun 10, 2010 @ 12:40 PM
Social Media, is a crowded place and to stand out you need to be able to quickly set yourself apart from the rest.
Questions: What makes you so special? Why should people choose you over your competition?
Hint: It's not because every other post is "Like" me, follow me and while you're at it "You buy now!"
Answer: Personality and uniqueness. You bring something different to the table and are refreshing.
I came across this great video and thought, huh...average singer...Most unique drummer ever! He's got his own style, is not afraid to rock it and gives his band a personality which I bet has led to them getting booked over competition.
What are some of the ways you make noises for yourself to stand out from the crowd?
Posted by Lindsay Fultz on Tue, Jun 08, 2010 @ 09:57 AM
I was a competitive runner for 8 years. I experienced highs and lows throughout my athletic career; however one of the things that kept me coming back for more abuse was the possibility that my next runners high experience was just around the next block. If you’ve never experienced runners high before, it’s an on cloud nine kinda feeling, a feeling that you can do and achieve anything. Some have thought it to be a high that is a result of a difficult task completed rather than the exertion itself. Ask anyone of your friends that is a runner and they will tell you the same thing. Runners high is HIGHLY addictive; therefore people become addicted to running.
At this point you are probably wondering why I am blogging about runners high. Well if millions of people can get addicted to a sport that most people view as a punishment, including other athletes, merely to experience a feel good emotion then listen up!
Why do good? Because doing good makes us feel good…literally! Yes! Reports from the journal Science show that giving is good for the brain and produces a “warm glow” feeling!
"We must be the change we wish to see." ~Gandhi
There are many ways you can do good: Charitable donations, canned food and clothes drives and donating your time to various service and community outreach programs.
"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." ~Hellen Keller
Grosh Scenic Rentals recently ran a promotion called Grosh Backdrops Gives Back where 5% of all new orders placed went to one of the follwoing three charities of our customers choosing: Make a Wish Foundation, American Cancer Society and the National Stroke Association.
In two short months our wonderful customers raised a grand total of $19,585.45. Grosh Backdrops is matching 25% of the money raised bringing the new total to an amazing $24,481.82!
Make a Wish Foundation: $10,612.54
To grant one wish for a child it costs an average of $7,500. Grosh customers, because of you, one child will get the wish of their life granted!
Thank you!
American Cancer Society: $9,290.93
National Stroke Association: $4,578.35
On behalf of the entire Grosh Backdrops staff and the many affected by these diseases, we would like to thank all of our customers from the bottom of our hearts. You all have made a difference in the lives of many!
Pictured above is Grosh President Amanda Uhlein and her mother Donna Lindoerfer. In loving memory of her mom, Amanda is a big supporter of the National Stroke Association.