In today’s connected world, the fact that a business’s presence on social media can grow and retain customers is a reality. We also know that you have to do more than just be online – you need a strategic understanding of your brand’s role in the internet ecosystem. If you own a business, you also own a social media reputation, and that reputation’s condition is critical to your success. As a community manager at WideFoc.us, I find myself applying skills from my customer service background while interacting with social media users every day. This overlap is not surprising, because today’s consumers are savvy, informed buyers who understand their social influence when they endorse or condemn a brand. If you represent a brand, it’s important to give customers every reason to praise you. And it's critical to monitor social channels for mentions. Despite this, many businesses on social media haven’t taken adequate steps to expand their customer care capacities via social platforms. I suspect the reason is that many executives and business owners still don’t understand that anytime they interact with their social media audience, they’re also doing customer care, and the only variable they control is the quality of the service they provide. After all, maintaining relationships with your customers is essential to keeping their business, no matter what medium you use to reach them. Here’s an example of a user reaching out to a client’s Facebook page for technical support: The best way to handle support requests on social media, or a negative comment, is to respond to them in a way that diffuses the situation and shows the customer, and whoever else might be listening, that your brand is there to help. The top priority is to move the conversation out of public view. This could mean solving the problem directly (“We’ll get that resolved for you right away, John! Check back with us in 20 if it’s not fixed.”), or providing the user with the resources to get the help they need: Sometimes, users complain about things that can’t be addressed directly. In this example, my coworker’s reply prevented a discussion from turning negative by providing the user with an outlet for her concerns (focusing attention on resident updates). However, customer service is about more than just responding to support requests and negative comments as they come in. It’s also about keeping positive discussions positive, and happy users happy. In this example, the top tweet is a Twitter user referring another user while mentioning one of our clients. Replying to (or otherwise acknowledging) a positive comment not only makes the user feel good and encourages them to interact again, it promotes rapport and brand loyalty so that they’re less likely to complain on social media if they have a negative experience with your brand. It’s not so different from the friendly treatment customer service reps provide when approaching happy or neutral customers in any customer care-oriented setting. Remember, customer care as a part of social media management is about being present, engaged, empathetic, and helpful at all times when interacting with your audience, regardless of what they’re saying. Do you know of any brands that are really winning at social customer service? Call them out in the comments. —by Erin Maes Erin Maes is a is a lifelong writer who is passionate about language, communications, storytelling, and how they differ across mediums and platforms.

As a community manager, I am a firm believer in the importance of engagement. It’s the reason why social media is social. It’s why social media isn’t traditional marketing. We aren’t simply talking to people. We are speaking with them. One of my favorite ways to engage fans and reward them for interacting online is to give away free stuff! You may be skeptical. But I promise people win. And when they do, they often become more vocal, loyal supporters of your brand. Let me repeat: contests work. Not because it’s my job to tell you that, but because I’ve won them, myself. On several occasions. I won a trip to Austin, TX with Firefly Vodka by getting people to vote for a friend’s winning poem. I’ve won troves of concert and movie tickets—sometimes by being one of the only participants in a contest because people just don’t believe they will win. And, most recently, I won a stay at the Bud + Breakfast in Silverthorne, CO. Interestingly enough, I came across the Bud + Breakfast Facebook page because I was doing some community outreach on behalf of a WideFoc.us client. That’s when I saw that the Bud + Breakfast was hosting a NCAA March Madness contest. It was easy enough: fill out a bracket, and the person who accumulates the most points or comes closest to the final outcome would win a weekend at one of the Bud + Breakfast locations. I filled out my bracket and chose Duke to win. Not sure why. It was just a hunch. I haven’t followed basketball since owning an Orlando Magic Penny Hardaway jersey. (That was 1996, for those keeping track!) Sure enough… Duke won. Not only that, but I was only one of two people to choose the team as the final winner of the Big Dance. I had also chosen a couple other key bracket busts to help me edge out the competition. The folks at Bud + Breakfast reached out and I planned my weekend stay. Having never been to a bed and breakfast (much less something as specialized as this), I wasn’t sure what to expect. But it was so much fun! I was impressed with the knowledge and kindness of the hosts and the giant breakfasts they made every morning. Sometimes it’s nice to get out of town and have someone else cook (or order in pizza) for you. Most of the other lodgers were baby boomers. And, of course, from out of town. It’s such an excellent concept. With the marijuana tourism industry booming here in Colorado, it was only a matter of time until someone came up with a plan to host people from all walks of life, all ages, from all over the world, where they can safely and legally partake. Even smarter on their part—giving away a stay. It just so happened that the winner was someone who would evangelize the hell out of their brand.* But that’s the point of a contest like this—provide a unique experience, show what makes your brand special, and let the winner share the joy across his or her social networks!. As for me? Not only will I tell my friends about Bud & Breakfast, I will absolutely return. I mean, how could I not, when they’re offering strains that pair perfectly with homemade blueberry pancakes AND a Bloody Mary bar? —by Sara Grossman Sara Grossman is a Floridian-New Yorker now residing in Denver. When she isn’t busy thinking in spurts of 140 characters, you can find Sara enjoying live music, planning her next travel adventure, and trying to make her Mini Schnauzer famous on Instagram! *Bud + Breakfast is not, nor have they ever been, a client of WideFoc.us.

The WideFoc.us staff pretty much eats (and drinks) our way through the city on a regular basis (just check out Eric’s food photos if you don’t believe me), so it’s no surprise that three of the events I’m most excited for in July are food-centered. If you don’t like to eat (and if not, who ARE you) you can find plenty of other fun in D-town this month. Beginning Saturday, July 11: Harry’s Urban Farmers’ Market The newest farmers’ market in Denver started the season a little later than most. But that’s by design: Harry’s Urban Farmers’ Market runs every Saturday until September 26 because that’s when the bounty of Colorado produce is at its peak. Beyond seasonal fruits and vegetables from Colorado farmers and cottage industry urban growers, Harry’s will also include artisan vendors who make jellies, soaps, fashion, pie, and furniture, with new vendors added regularly. Located at Crofton Elementary, just north of downtown, it’s the perfect spot for folks who live in the city’s Ballpark, RiNo, and Five Points neighborhoods to get to by bike, scooter, or à pied. What: Harry’s Urban Farmers’ Market When: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Every Saturday, July 11-Sept. 26 Where: Crofton Elementary, 2409 Arapahoe Street (24th and Arapahoe, downtown) Tuesday and Thursday, Civic Center EATS Now a Denver tradition, this summer marks the 10th anniversary of Civic Center EATS. Each week, enjoy a round-up of the hottest food trucks and carts. An eclectic assortment of the city’s best is ready to feed hungry workers, residents, and passers-by. (See the full list of vendors here.) Most vendors take cards, but an ATM is also on-site for your convenience. Mosey on down for an al fresco lunch. What: Civic Center EATS When: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Every Tuesday and Thursday, through Oct. 8 (excluding Sept. 3 and 8) Where: Civic Center Park (plaza closest to Colfax end) July 16: Pluto Party If this event wasn’t included, I’d never hear the end of it from our office fish—Pluto—for obvious reasons. (See his tweets @WideFocusCO for a taste.) The Denver Museum of Nature and Science’s monthly Science Lounge offers a way to learn more about the world around us, or to get an inside peek at DMNS exhibits. This month, they celebrate all things Pluto! So, what exactly makes this orb a dwarf planet and no longer a planet-planet? You can find out for yourself (assuming you’re over 21) at this month’s event and raise a toast to space, the final frontier. What: The Science Lounge: Pluto Party When: 6:30-9:30 p.m., Thursday, July 16 Where: Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard Tickets: $10 member, $12 non-member July 23: The Big Eat The Big Eat, one of EatDenver’s signature events, returns this month. Wander around the Denver Performing Arts Complex sampling morsels from 46 of Denver’s best restaurants, not to mention cocktails and beer. Sound like fun? Feel even better knowing your dollars go to supporting independent restaurants and local nonprofits. Tickets support EatDenver with additional donations going to Colorado Cooking Matters, Denver Urban Gardens, and Work Options for Women. Ready to eat your way through the booths of some of Denver’s best restaurants? What: EatDenver’s The Big Eat When: 6-10 p.m., Thursday, July 23 Where: The Galleria at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1100 13th Street Tickets: $55 July 31-Aug. 2: Denver County Fair If you’ve never been to the Denver County Fair, you have to go at least once. Denver didn’t even have a county fair until 2011. Never, ever, never! Beyond carnival games, fried foods, and various items on a stick, the Denver County Fair also has concerts, crazy pavilions, chicken-judging, pie-eating, pancake-making, and famous internet cat Lil Bub. You can even enter a blue ribbon competition for Best Selfie, Best Cat Art, or Best Compost here. It’s a little bit country (as all county fairs are) and the right amount of rock n’ roll. What: The Denver County Fair When: 12-8 p.m., Friday, July 31; 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday, August 1; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, August 2 Where: National Western Complex, 655 Humboldt Street Tickets: Prices vary per event Is something noteworthy missing? Give me grief about it (and keep me in the loop) over on our Facebook page! —by Leah Charney Leah Charney is sassy yet classy and is most excited by the things she can't stop writing about, like food, music, and people. She directs operations for the WideFoc.us team, which is just a fancy way of saying she is chief cat herder.

YES: Vote Now for our Denver Startup Week 2015 Panel! Our 2014 Denver Startup Week talk, "SEO, PPC, and Social Media: The Trifecta of Digital Strategy,” attracted more than 700 attendees! What’d we talk about in 2014? Google's Hummingbird algorithm favors social presence. Facebook now throttles organic visibility, which means your fan page won't be seen without paying for it. Never before have there been such opportunities for SEO and social to work together, or for advertising options and platforms to create such a wide reach. What’s more, ads must now be part of your social strategy and social must now be part of your SEO work. Want more? Here are some of our handouts from the 2014 talk: The Trifecta of Digital Strategy 2014 slides Digital Strategy Flowchart What now? We have the opportunity to make “Trifecta Part 2” a reality. Voting is now open for Denver Startup Week 2015. If you'd like to see a Trifecta panel part two (updated for all the algorithmic changes of the past year), please vote at http://mymem.es/Trifecta2. Voting is only open through July 10, so don't delay! —by Leah Charney Leah Charney is sassy yet classy and is most excited by the things she can't stop writing about, like food, music, and people. She directs operations for the WideFoc.us team, which is just a fancy way of saying she is chief cat herder.

It’s been a wet and soggy spring here in the Queen City of the Plains. (Who do we think we are, Portland? Sheesh!) Whether you’re ready to get outdoors, or happy to relax inside, this month in Denver we celebrate summer by crushing on annual events and serieses. Tell us which ones make your list! Beginning June 11: MCA Denver’s Mixed Taste 2015 Season Horror films and the sun? What could possibly be more different? Well, fern bars and George Orwell, for one. But that’s the whole point of Mixed Taste! Mixed Taste: Tag Team Lectures on Unrelated Topics pairs two speakers, who each talk for twenty minutes on completely unrelated subjects. A question and answer session follows. During the presentation portion of the program, no connections are allowed between the topics, but during the Q&A, anything can happen. The first Mixed Taste of the season is, actually, Fern Bars & George Orwell, presented by Nicola Twilley and Helen Thorpe on June 11. Or, show up on June 25 for Mixed Taste #2, and see Horror Films & The Sun with James Fiumara and Steve Tomczyk. We have a feeling it’ll be a summer of interesting segues. The series goes through August and truly is a mixed bag — in the best possible way! What: Mixed Taste: Tag Team Lectures on Unrelated Topics When: 6 p.m., every other Thursday, June 11 through August 20, 2015 Where: Holiday Event Center, 2644 W. 32nd Avenue Tickets: $15 members, $20 nonmembers, $80 members only VIP Season Pass June 12: Be Beautiful Be Yourself Hollywood Ball Come one, come all (as long as you’re 16 or older), to the fourth annual Be Beautiful Be Yourself Hollywood Ball! The Global Down Syndrome Foundation invites adults with Down syndrome, their family and friends, and all community supporters, to enjoy a night of dinner and dancing. This year’s theme is “Gold & Glam.” It should be a night of Gatsbian-level dancing and glitz. Full disclosure, the Global Down Syndrome Foundation is a WideFoc.us client, which makes us even more excited about this year’s big party. We can’t wait to get our glam on while supporting this fantastic cause! Who’s ready to glam it up with us? What: Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s Be Beautiful Be Yourself Hollywood Ball When: 6 p.m., Friday, June 12 Where: Four Seasons Hotel, Cottonwood Ballroom, 1111 14th Street Tickets: $50 June 20: Westword Music Showcase The Westword Music Showcase, now in its 21st year and finally of legal drinking age, is a celebration of our state's vibrant music scene. Colorado is home to internationally renowned bands, indie artists, and Grammy winners, so this annual music event provides a prime opportunity to take in both local and national acts. Flume, MisterWives, Black Angels, Robert DeLong, and hundreds of other bands will be taking the stage to dazzle Denverites with tons of tunes. Get ready to see performances in just about any genre you can think of — and probably ones you can’t! This all-day music fest has become a summer staple and we can’t wait to take it all in again this year. Which acts are you just dying to see? What: Westword Music Showcase When: 12-10 p.m., Saturday, June 20 Where: Golden Triangle District, Denver Tickets: $40 general admission, $100 VIP June 21: Denver PrideFest Did you know that this old cow town boasts one of the country’s largest gay pride celebrations? Dust off that rainbow feather boa and help Denver celebrate its 40th pride anniversary (yes, 40th!) by coming down to the weekend-long PrideFest in Civic Center Park. Let’s not forget the parade that runs down Colfax from Cheesman to Civic Center on Sunday and the tons of other fun activities in between! If you were curious, one of those activities happens to be a Dogs in Drag contest. Community Manager Sara Grossman promises to dress her mini schnauzer Maddie up for the occasion, because, we know: pictures or it didn’t happen. What: Denver PrideFest When: Saturday June 20 & Sunday, June 21 Where: Civic Center Park Cost: Free! June 27: Brews & Bites ‘Ello Gov’na! The folks at Imbibe Events have an excellent evening of food, drink and fun lined up for us in "Colorado's Home," the beautiful Governor's Residence at the Boettcher Mansion. Built as a private residence for the Cheesman family in 1908 (yep, as in Cheesman Park), the house was gifted to the State of Colorado and has been available for use by Governors since 1960, both as a home and for official Governor's Functions. Enjoy tastes of Colorado Brewers Guild members’ masterfully crafted beer paired with the culinary creations of well-known Colorado chefs while wandering the mansion’s many rooms and gardens. Cheat on your diet for this one; it’s for charity! The proceeds from your ticket purchase benefit the Governor's Residence Preservation Fund, an inclusive, non-partisan 501(c)3 dedicated to preserving the historic Governor's Residence at the Boettcher Mansion for the people of Colorado to enjoy. What: Brews & Bites When: Saturday, June 27 Where: Governor’s Residence at the Boettcher Mansion, 400 East 8th Ave Tickets: $80 general admission, $200 VIP June 30: Steamboat Bill Jr. Silent Film One of our favorite events is back in (silent) action this summer. You may already know we’re big fans of the silent film series up at Chatauqua in Boulder. They keep us coming back for more every summer. On June 30, experience Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928), starring Buster Keaton—a man who Operations Maven Leah Charney has a framed photo of on her bedroom wall!—with live musical accompaniment by The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. We can’t think of a better reason to wear suspenders in the summer. (We’re all looking for more reasons to wear suspenders, yes?) The Colorado Chautauqua Association is committed to making the Colorado Chautauqua the country’s “greenest” National Historic Landmark. They do this by creating a sustainable and eco-friendly environment for concert-goers, campers, and silent film watchers alike. So come for the evening or stay a while. Keep it authentic and even order a picnic basket for the event! What: Steamboat Bill Jr. When: 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 30 Where: Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder Tickets: $6-12 Did we miss something noteworthy and you want to give us grief about it? Tweet to us at @WideFocusCO and our office fish, Pluto, will splash some sass back your way! —by Leah Charney and Sara Grossman

Here are some stories for you. Ian (@ianxcarlos) is working on a new book. He’s drinking iced coffee to help stay up and edit his latest chapter. From the looks of the strategically-placed princess emoji, the coffee is royalty to him. The next morning, he eats scrambled eggs with ketchup and pancakes with strawberries on the side. Ellie (@elliciarose) just had a baby. His name is Ezra. “She can’t even” when she sees her partner holding the baby for the first time. I “can’t even” because that was the name I suggested! I haven’t gotten him a baby gift yet, but I am now eternalizing him in a blog post about Snapchat. When he’s 16, that will be even cooler than the dinosaur onesie I’m considering buying for him. Snapchat user @ianxcarlos Stephanie (@heylookitskibbe) has a new summer Thursday ritual: visiting the ice cream truck outside of her Midtown NYC office during her lunch break. Her coworkers don’t look like they approve. She got herself a giant chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich and it looks EPIC. The panorama of the truck on the street made me momentarily homesick for NYC. Moreover: it makes me want to walk around the corner to Little Man Ice Cream and get myself a cookie sandwich! These are just a few snippets from the “Stories” section of Snapchat, the popular app millennials are using to share daily updates about their lives . They’re stories created by friends of mine from college or growing up or grad school. These are friends I may not necessarily talk to daily, weekly, or even monthly. We may or may not be friends on Facebook, even. But I still feel connected to them through these little insights into the (sometimes mundane, sometimes exciting) moments of their days. Did I mention that any individual photo or video in a story is only visible for 24 hours? The ephemeral nature of these stories gives them a sense of urgency and emotional weight. Creating stories like this is useful for more than just keeping in touch with friends. Brands are using this feature as an opportunity to connect with their fanbase on an even more personal level. Present followers with a story and then they connect that to their own lives. Folks love “behind the scenes” snippets. They love connecting faces and people to brands. This sort of marketing works. I followed the live feed from Coachella on Snapchat the weekend of April 18. (40 million other people did, too!) The feed was hosted by Snapchat, but possibly sponsored by Coachella itself. Hundreds of “our stories” images and videos were presented on a curated channel of user-submitted content from all around the big event. They did it again at Electric Daisy Carnival, and again in early May when a live feed from the UK’s election was featured. I watched 230 seconds of people explaining why they voted, where they were from, or just snaps from walking up to the polling station. I wasn’t there. I’m not even on the same continent. But I felt completely connected to those people and excited that they, too, were participating in their civic duties. This geo-targeted storytelling means that Snapchat users are engaged with content that’s branded and personal, lively, and in-the-moment. Right now, Berlin and Nairobi are featured cities. I was just able to be inside of Berlin’s subway and then listening to the Berlin Orchestra within 30 seconds—incredible! With Snapchat giving us the tools to market in a different, more personal fashion, we’re making recommendations on how to use the platform to reach particular target audiences. We’re excited to use the app to drive more awareness, more interactions, and, of course, more website traffic and revenue for our clients. Want to learn more? Here are some resources for your reading pleasure: Snapchat Murders Facebook (Organized Wonder) Why Snapchat Should be the Inseparable Addition to Social Media Strategies (Ad Week) The Secret Psychology of Snapchat (Nir Eyal) How to explain Snapchat to your parents (The Verge) —by Sara Grossman Sara Grossman is a Floridian-New Yorker now residing in Denver and the newest member of the WideFoc.us team. When she isn’t busy thinking in spurts of 140 characters, you can find Sara enjoying live music, planning her next travel adventure, and trying to make her Mini Schnauzer (pictured in a Snapchat above) famous on Instagram!

Denver’s crazy weather this time of year (sun, then snow, then rain, then more sun, then a blizzard) means it can be difficult to really know if spring has actually arrived. Luckily, the signs of springtime are in full bloom at WideFoc.us World HQ: A bunch of new clients. We get a ton of calls in the early part of every year, after the post-holiday doldrums have passed, and CMOs, marketing directors, and interactive agencies start to dig into delivering on the new year’s goals and priorities. Although we’re taking on clients all the time, spring seems to be our busiest onboarding season. Late winter is full of excitement, while we conduct discovery work — learning about clients’ target audiences and business goals, doing competitive analysis, and creating social media plans that are designed to deliver on those goals. By early spring, our community managers are deep into implementation; updating content calendars, posting several times per day across platforms, and coordinating social advertising strategies. Lots of new clients also means… New team members! Because we get busier in the spring, we start hiring and training in late winter. Our process is pretty intense, because our team-based approach means that employees have a lot to learn in a short amount of time. We’re thrilled with the three new community managers we have brought on board since February. Metrics, metrics, metrics. One of the lovely things about social media in springtime is the way engagement levels seem to go up across all platforms, for all clients. We might see lulls for some clients at different times of year, but spring just seems awesome for everyone. It doesn’t hurt that, over the last (almost) eight years, we’ve become more sophisticated in driving engagement, website traffic, and conversions and revenue through social media. Springtime energy. With several WideFoc.us employees marking anniversaries in the last couple of months, we’ve had fun celebratory status meetings, honoring their contributions to the team. Warmer weather also means we’re able to keep our big door open during the day, which fills the office with light and fresh air. And with new friends on the team, and everyone busily making our clients happy, our energy is upbeat and full of promise. —by Eric Elkins As CEO and Chief Strategist of WideFoc.us, Eric brings nearly two decades of of experience to our clients. In his other life, he’s a single dad, a good eater, and a bourbon aficionado.

We’re now a month into spring and coming up on a majorly important holiday: Earth Day. “Earth Day?” you ask, unsure of my categorization of “major” holidays. Yes, Earth Day. Because what holiday could be more important than one celebrating the physical reason we’re all able to be alive! This month in Denver, you’ll find a suite of late April events designed to make the Earth a better place—some in an environmental sense, some in humanizing ways, but all geared toward making this planet infinitely more awesome. Now that’s something we can all get behind, right? Apr. 21: Hubble Space Telescope’s 25th Anniversary The Hubble Space Telescope was launched into space on April 24,1990, and forever changed our view of the universe. It’s fitting that the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS) will celebrate 25 years of the Hubble on April 21, the day before Earth Day. The Earth is so small when compared to the vastness of the universe, isn’t it? As the Hubble has aged, she’s been spruced up. The DMNS has gathered a group of panelists who have played a major role in the Hubble’s work over the last 25 years. You know how much we love learning about space? Infinity times! And we hope you do, too! What: Hubble Space Telescope’s 25th Anniversary When: 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 21 Where: Denver Museum of Nature and Science Phipps IMAX Theater, 2001 Colorado Boulevard Tickets: $8 member, $10 non-member April 22: Earth Day Denver At this Certified Green event, produced by the City and County of Denver, residents can learn to live more sustainably. Go green and do your part to reduce-reuse-recycle, thanks to interactive displays and demonstrations about everything from recycling to solar panels to urban gardening and making your own cleaning products. You can even test-drive electric cars and bikes! This event is the most literal on our list, as in you can literally make the world a better place by using the lessons you’ll glean from Earth Day Denver. Who wouldn’t want to do that? What: Earth Day Denver When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Wednesday, April 22 Where: Civic Center Park, E. Broadway Ave. & Colfax Tickets: FREE Apr. 22: Denver Botanic Gardens SCFD Free Day What better way to celebrate the earth than to meander through flora and fauna on Earth Day and support a cultural institution dedicated to preserving botanical life and providing a home to native insects and birds? Take full advantage of living in a city that supports culture and head over to the Denver Botanic Gardens on Earth Day for an SCFD Free Day. Since 1989, the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) has kept arts and culture at the center of the Denver-metro lifestyle. SCFD distributes funds from a special sales tax (1/10 of 1%) across seven counties in the metropolitan area and makes it possible for institutions like the Botanic Gardens to open their doors to the public at free and reduced prices. See all the 2015 locations with free days at http://scfd.org/p/free-days-calendar.html. What: Denver Botanic Gardens SCFD Free Day When: Wednesday, April 22 Where: Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York Street Tickets: FREE Apr. 24-26: Denver Music Summit Here at WideFoc.us, we’re firm believers that music makes the world a better place. We’re also firm believers in the mission of the Denver Music Summit. A biennial event, the summit is dedicated to bringing together musicians, industry professionals, civic leaders, and music enthusiasts for educational programming, live performances, and policy engagement. Okay, so I might be a little biased since I serve on the planning committee, but that should only solidify how worthy and incredible an event this is! The three-day summit begins on Friday night with a performance from QBala, Land Lines, and a collaborative supergroup made up of local and national acts. Professional development sessions hosted on Saturday and Sunday include presenters like Thao Nguyen (Thao and the Get Down Stay Down), Joe Gittleman (Mighty Mighty Bosstones), George Schwindt (Flogging Molly), Sean Moeller (Daytrotter), Martin Atkins (NIN, Ministry), Shannon Daut (Alaska State Council on the Arts), and Bodie Johnson (7S Management). But wait, there’s more! Saturday night’s performance is a collaboration between storytellers from The Narrators and the Musica Sacra Chamber Orchestra; Sunday night is sponsored by National Public Radio’s All Songs Considered. Isn’t this a heck of a way to spend the weekend and improve your music worldview? What: Denver Music Summit When: Friday, April 24-Sunday, April 26 Where: McNichols Civic Center Building, 144 W. Colfax Ave Tickets: $10 for individual events or $35 for the full weekend pass Through Apr. 26: Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia When an artist is asked to take over an entire museum, that’s a pretty special event. And when that artist is Mark Mothersbaugh, a prolific drawer, sculptor, photographer, and mixed media creator (who also happens to be the frontman of the band DEVO), the result is beyond special. If you haven’t seen this magnificent show, which opened at the MCA Denver back in October, you’re in luck! The retrospective—spanning Mothersbaugh’s career from the early 1970s to the present—has been extended through Sunday, April 26. Go and bask in creative genius. After all, the Earth without art is just “eh.” (Hey! Sometimes bumper sticker wisdom is actually wise.) What: Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia When: Through Sunday, April 26 Where: Museum OF Contemporary Art Denver, 1485 Delgany St Tickets: $8 ($5 after 5PM) Did we miss something noteworthy and you want to give us grief about it? Tweet to us at @WideFocusCO and our office fish, Pluto, will splash some sass back your way! —by Leah Charney Leah Charney is sassy yet classy and is most excited by the things she can't stop writing about, like food, music, and people. She directs operations for the WideFoc.us team, which is just a fancy way of saying she is chief cat herder.

A few months ago, a friend of mine posted a link on Facebook with the simple caption: “!!!” That link was a call-to-action from NASA to apply to be a part of their NASA Social program. They were looking for folks with social media chops to visit Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, California and live-tweet/Instagram/Tumbl*/Facebook/Pin/Flick/etc. the launch of their Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite. I applied on a whim, submitted my different social media channels, Klout score, and a short essay on why I should be involved with the NASA Social program. I left it to fate, and on the last night of Hanukkah (another miracle!), I found out I was chosen as one of 50 social media ambassadors to go out and tour the facilities, see the red button they push when it’s “Go Time,” and meet other space-loving people from around the world! In the email that was sent to the group of us, Pismo Beach was noted as “closeby accommodations” to Lompoc. I didn’t need to read any further. My ‘90s-obsessed heart almost burst at the seams. I NEEDED to go stay in the very place where Cher Horowitz donated her skis in the movie Clueless. Needless to say, it was one of my better ideas. I had two nights of gorgeous sunsets that looked just like this: (#NoFilter) (Seriously.) Vandenberg Air Force Base was about an hour north of Pismo. The first activity we were brought to was a press conference aired on their website and television station. Here, we got to interview the scientists, engineers, and marketing team behind Soil Moisture Active Passive. They explained that SMAP’s purpose is to rotate around the earth, monitoring soil moisture and weather. It’s going to help enhance predictive skills around weather and climate, potentially helping prevent or predict floods, fires, and freezes — certainly something of interest for folks in Colorado. The NASA Social program exists for a very smart reason: free publicity. NASA brings in people with interesting and wide social media presences in an array of different areas— both location-wise and interest-wise. The goal is to get new people talking about NASA projects within their own networks, creating new constellations (as we say here at Widefoc.us!). It’s a brilliant idea and works so well. While the participants were all tweeting about the press conference and satellite, NASA’s social media team was busy interacting with all of us, and our networks, creating natural, organic engagement via conversation. After the press conference, we got to see all of the behind-the-scenes testing and technology. I was actually surprised to see that everything was being run on computers that looked like they were from 1998. And running Windows 1998. Not a huge update from the first keyboards or computers featured in their museum: From there, we stopped by the place where SMAP was going to launch the next morning. We all took selfies with Delta 2, as instructed. Success! The next morning, I woke up at 3:30 a.m. and got ready in my NASA-launch best. Drove an hour down the coast to Lompoc. Was seated in the VIP NASA Social bleachers for the launch. Ate a few peanuts with the other NASA Social folks. Waited. We got to listen to the conversation in the base. There was a 3 minute window for the launch. If they did not make it within that window, it was going to be scrubbed. I was confident that wouldn’t happen. The weather was perfect. Suddenly, there was a message from the Base: the launch was being moved from 6:30 to 6:31. The window was down to two minutes. At 6:30, they said they were locked and loaded to launch. The countdown began. At 6:32, the wind was sucked right out of our sails and blown into the upper atmosphere, where it was apparently too windy for a successful launch. It was scrubbed at the last minute. The other 200 or so people who had gathered to watch shrugged, got up, and left. I sat there with my mouth hanging open. The launch was rescheduled for the next morning, but I was too nervous that the same thing would happen. So I drove back down to Los Angeles, feeling defeated. I was so glad to have had the experience, though. Learning all about the history of NASA and all the good that SMAP will do for the planet made me feel great about the future of climate technology. Hopefully, the satellite (which did launch) will help places like Colorado avoid fires and floods. NASA’s social media team is impressive, as well. NASA has accounts for all of their launches, satellites, rockets, bases, organizations, astronauts, and programs. Oh my! I highly recommend applying for the next NASA Social event! It’s an awesome way to connect with other space geeks and learn about the new technologies that are moving exploration of the universe forward. —by Sara Grossman Sara Grossman is a Floridian-New Yorker now residing in Denver and the newest member of the WideFoc.us team. When she isn’t busy thinking in spurts of 140 characters, you can find Sara enjoying live music, planning her next travel adventure, and trying to make her Mini Schnauzer famous on Instagram!

Love is in the air this month, right? So, while you’re digging on the Valentine’s vibe, don’t forget to show our fair city a little love too. Below are the events we’re most excited for in February, most of which lean toward music-lovers, one for history-lovers, and all of them perfect for plain ole lovers! Reason #1: Feb. 13: Have A Honky Tonk Valentines In the immortal words of music legend Lefty Frizzell (who inspired the likes of Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, and John Fogarty), “We’ll go honky tonkin' and we'll have a time.” Yes, let’s! When the likes of Barnraiser, Western Daughters Butcher Shoppe, and Wolfe Narratives, leaders in the sustainable food world, join forces, it’s sure to be one hell of a party. Have A Honky Tonk Valentines is described as “a riot of an event filled with music, dancin’, and raisin’ a hearty glass and a buck for a good cause.” If beer, bites, raffles, and live music sound like your kind of good time, get ready to get your honky tonk on. What: Have A Honky Tonk Valentines When: 8-11:30 p.m., Friday, February 13 Where: Converge Denver, 3327 Brighton Boulevard Tickets: $35 Reason #2: Feb. 16: Levitt Pavilion Fundraiser at Illegal Pete's South Broadway Do you know about Levitt Pavilions? They’re only about the coolest sounding thing we’ve ever heard. Levitt Pavilions is behind the largest free concert series in America and they’ve selected Denver’s Ruby Hill neighborhood as the site of the next venue. Once completed, the Levitt Pavilion Denver will host 50 FREE concerts each year. Though the shows will be free to the public, ALL participating musicians get paid! Cool, right? But the Levitt Pavilion Denver dream can’t become reality without your help. Eat at Illegal Pete's South Broadway from 5 p.m. — 11 p.m. on Monday, February 16, and enjoy some live tunes to support Denver's next great outdoor venue! Make sure to mention Levitt Pavilion at the cash register, and Illegal Pete’s will donate 50% of sales back to the project. What: Levitt Pavillion Fundraiser at Illegal Pete's South Broadway When: 5 p.m., Monday, February 16 Where: Illegal Pete's South Broadway, 270 South Broadway Reason #3: Feb. 18: Rufus Wainwright with the Colorado Symphony Guys, Rufus Wainwright is someone whose music you can gently introduce your parents to. (C’mon, I mean I want to take my dad to this show!) Born into a talented family, Wainwright’s career has moved from singer and songwriter into the realm of author, composer, and screen actor, solidifying his place in the worlds of rock, opera, theater, dance, and film. As the Symphony’s website puts it best, “Rufus Wainwright brings his incomparable voice to Boettcher Hall for a one-night-only performance with your Colorado Symphony.” Le swoon. What: Rufus Wainwright with the Colorado Symphony When: 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 18 Where: Boettcher Concert Hall, 1000 14th Street Tickets: $25-$89 Reason #4: Feb. 24: Denver's Immigrant Heritage Tour When you meet someone who can actually claim to be from Denver, the joke goes “Yep, I’m the one.” That’s because Denver has always attracted folks from all over the country and the world and true natives are like unicorns. Immigration waves have given the Queen City of the Plains the rich texture and cultural fiber that continues to attract new influxes in modern times. Jump on the History Colorado bus and tour various parts of the city, while also treating your brain to all kinds of learning about the people who really made Denver what it is. What: Denver's Immigrant Heritage Tour When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday, February 24 Where: Various locations Tickets: $36-46 Did we miss something noteworthy and you want to give us grief about it? Tweet to us at @WideFocusCO and our office fish, Pluto, will splash some sass back your way! —by Leah Charney Leah Charney is sassy yet classy and is most excited by the things she can't stop writing about, like food, music, and people. She directs operations for the WideFoc.us team, which is just a fancy way of saying she is chief cat herder.

We recently did a big project for a nonprofit where they were going to maintain daily social media management in-house, but needed a plan and training. The organization’s marketing and development departments understood the value of using social media to drive awareness, increase donations, and enhance communications, but higher-level execs still didn’t understand why they should dedicate budget to something that was “for kids.” Another organization we worked with had full support at the top, but reluctance from the marketing director to take on social media, because she didn’t see its value. Luckily for both organizations, WideFoc.us has been making a business case for social media for seven years, and we know how to explain why strategic, sustained effort is so important. In many ways, Google’s Hummingbird algorithm scrapped the established “rules” for search engine optimization (SEO). The most basic keyword and metatag SEO work (aka on-page optimization) is essential, but it only brings a website to the baseline. What Google has done is to use social media presence and domain authority (built through a solid content strategy) as defining factors when ranking websites in search outcomes. This is a huge change. Search ranking is now dependent on social media outreach and engagement. Without domain authority, websites are becoming invisible to search queries by their target audiences. In other words, brands and companies that don’t have a content-rich, responsive, real-time social media strategy will not rank on page one in relevant Google searches. Active, strategic social media effort isn't an add-on or something nice to have. When organizations like the nonprofits we recently worked with (these in particular are dependent on visibility in a community with diverse audiences), don't do social media well, they're actually leaving money on the table in lost ticket or event sales, donations, and public goodwill/awareness. If you’re not on the first page of Google, or you’re not interacting with your target audiences on the platforms where they spend their time communicating, you’re invisible. Social media done right is a revenue-generating part of the overall marketing plan, and it's measurable (unlike, say, a brochure or flyer). How much is just a single new customer, member, donor, or volunteer worth to you? In many cases, we can demonstrate that the acquisition of a single customer, or sale of a small number of products, will cover the cost of social media planning and implementation. But if your potential customers, donors, or members can’t find you when they do a web search, or aren’t paying attention to your ads, or don’t see your content when they’re engaged on their social platform of choice, how do you expect them to open their wallets to you? —by Eric Elkins As CEO and Chief Strategist of WideFoc.us, Eric brings nearly two decades of of experience to our clients. In his other life, he’s a single dad, a good eater, and a bourbon aficionado.

Our top three event picks for this month in Denver include cowboys, diamonds, and sailors. Oh my. You’re wiped from the nonstop party train that is November and December. We get it. Baby, it’s cold outside and we’re having a real winter for the first time in years. We get that, too. But let’s pretend for a moment that you’re feeling a little blue, or a little blah, or are going a bit stir crazy. Sounds about right for January, eh? Pull on your best boots, or your snazziest outfit, and let’s paint the town together! Jan. 10-25: The National Western Stock Show and Rodeo Did you know that every year Denver hosts the world’s largest rodeo? It’s true! The events that make up the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo include horse shows and livestock judging, performing pigs and chainsaw demonstrations, and yes, several rodeos. You can even mosey through an exhibit of western art, if you’re more into drawings of livestock than the actual animals. Check out the schedule and make plans to thank a farmer, watch a stick horse rodeo, eat a deep-fried Twinkie, or see the real deal during the Denver Professional Bull Riders Chute-Out. Yeehaw! What: National Western Stock Show and Rodeo When: Various times, Saturday, January 10 through Sunday, January 25 Where: National Western Stock Show Complex, 4655 Humboldt Street Tickets: Varies, depending on age and event Jan. 24: Art of Brilliance As they say, diamonds are forever. It’s too bad, then, that the Denver Art Museum’s current exhibit Brilliant: Cartier in the 20th Century will only be in town until mid-March. There’s no better way to ogle the baubles than when the DAM’s young philanthropist group, CultureHaus, throws a big ol’ party they’re calling “Art of Brilliance.” Clink your Veuve Clicquot-filled champagne glasses while viewing Cartier jewelry, timepieces, and other precious objects. Marvel at trinkets once owned by the queen of diamonds herself, Elizabeth Taylor. Did we mention decadent desserts, live jazz, a silent auction, and burlesque, as well? C’mon Denver, this one is worth putting pants on for! Want to win a sparkly of your very own? Jump onto Instagram, post a photo of you wearing your favorite jewels, and tag @culturehaus for a chance to win a dazzling piece of jewelry. What: CultureHaus’s Art of Brilliance When: 7:30-10:30 p.m., Saturday, January 24 Where: Denver Art Museum Hamilton Building, 100 W. 14th Ave. Tickets: $75 for CultureHaus members, $90 for nonmembers Jan. 24-25: HMS Pinafore with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra January also provides two showtime options to take in one of the longest-running musical theater pieces, Gilbert & Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore. When the captain’s daughter falls in love with a lower-class sailor, hilarity ensues as the two try to keep their romance under wraps. The Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony Chorus, and the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players join forces to bring this comic opera to life. Gilbert & Sullivan skewer the British class system, party politics, and even the British Navy, all aboard the good ship Pinafore. What: Gilbert & Sullivan: H.M.S. Pinafore When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, January 24 and 1 p.m., Sunday, January 25 Where: Boettcher Concert Hall, 1000 14th St. Tickets: $25-$89 Did we miss something noteworthy and you want to give us grief about it? Tweet to us at @WideFocusCO and our office fish, Pluto, will splash some sass back your way! —by Leah Charney Leah Charney is sassy yet classy and is most excited by the things she can't stop writing about, like food, music, and people. She directs operations for the WideFoc.us team, which is just a fancy way of saying she is chief cat herder.