As technology ushers in an unprecedented age of globalization, it often seems like the world just keeps getting smaller. This is especially true on modern social media, where people around the world can interact conveniently in real time, in conversations that can include hundreds of thousands of individuals. For marketers, this means unlimited possibilities, but we also know that social media interactions are legendary in their potential for going sideways in the blink of an eye. Marketers, community managers, and brands (and, to some extent, individuals), are increasingly forced to evaluate what they say with great care before posting. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Due to the sheer number of daily interactions on social media, it’s vital to consider the vast range of perspectives and backgrounds you’re likely to encounter. If you’re sponsoring Facebook posts with paid traffic, many of the individuals reached are going to be a long way from your company’s backyard, both geographically and in their lived experiences. As the front line of a brand, company, or even social movement, try to evaluate your words in a global context. It won’t just save your brand a lot of trouble-- it’s also the respectful course of action when the alternative is adding to the countless microaggressions that many groups experience daily. If you’re not sure where to start when considering all the ways in which your content might inadvertently alienate some members of its audience (and we all get it wrong, sometimes), below is a basic list of content best practices to get you started. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, will not replace market research, and may not apply to every topic that you or your brand may post about. Common sense, knowing your audience, and maintaining a willingness to turn a critical eye towards your own perspective are also musts for writing inclusive content. Use person-first language. If you write for a nonprofit, clinical practice, or other organization that deals with medical ailments or disability, be sure to post about these topics using person-first language. For example, use “people with disabilities” instead of “disabled people” or “the disabled.” This may seem awkward and not as concise, but it’s an important distinction. Although a disability may change how someone experiences the world, it is not their defining characteristic. [Note: I would also recommend using person-first language to refer to socioeconomic status. For example, “women living with poverty” or “women experiencing poverty” instead of “poor women.”] Use humor cautiously. It’s true that humor in brand marketing can lead to more conversions if used properly, but it also has a high failure rate. To help keep your joke from falling flat, most marketing sources recommend steering clear of any and all controversial topics. However, social commentary is necessary for some organizations, including brands that would like to appeal to a specific audience by being “edgy.” If you do decide to stir things up with witty commentary on a social issue, look at it in a sociological and historical context. Does the humor make light of a group that has suffered (or still suffers) oppression at the hands of the majority? Could it possibly be interpreted that way? If so, it’s probably best to scrap that particular joke, even if your brand is irreverent. Try not to frame the issue in terms of the audience lacking a sense of humor. Jokes that make fun of people who already live with some kind of social stigma or racial tension are likely to make some of them angry, and understandably so - jokes can trivialize, erase, and contradict their lived experiences, and justify the harm they have experienced. Instead, make sure your joke is on the majority, not the minority. In other words, make sure your joke calls attention to a problem in a humorous way and doesn’t kick the underdog. Failure to make the distinction between “good” and “harmful” humor might provoke backlash from the people for whom you meant to show support. Avoid ableist language. Ableism is insidious, partly because many people tend to base their own identities on being able-bodied. For example, being an “avid hiker,” “outdoorsman,” or “athlete” is a common core component of personal identity. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this, it can make it easy to inadvertently stick a foot in your mouth on social media. Try to avoid words or language in your content that normalize able-bodiedness or carry connotations of mocking those with disabilities, even though many such terms are used every day in casual conversation. For examples and an in-depth analysis, check out Autistic Hoya. [Note: I chose to highlight ableism due to its relative absence from the spotlight in discussions of relevant sociological issues, but the same need for conscious writing applies to race, gender, age, or any other source of widely held prejudice. Keep your content open, non-restrictive, and free of terms or idioms that might stir up unwanted controversy in the comments section or unintentionally contribute to a status quo that you don’t support.] Think “interests,” not “demographics.” Writing and designing inclusive content goes beyond featuring a range of skin tones and genders in visual content. While it’s to your advantage to know your audience and feature diversity in marketing materials when appropriate, a more meaningful way to be inclusive to your target market is to avoid stereotyping their interests or lifestyles. That is not to say that you should ignore data that describes your audience’s most common desires, goals, and demographics. For example, even though active users on Pinterest are primarily women, try to avoid creating content that conveys any assumption about the race, gender, creed, etc. of your audience. After all, some men enjoy fashion and home DIY projects too! When in doubt, leave it out. As always, use your best judgement and common sense, and don’t hesitate to fall back on the latest research. If you add idioms and colloquial phrases to your content because it benefits the brand image, do a quick etymology search to make sure the ones you choose don’t come with unwanted historical or sociopolitical baggage. For a commonly cited example, see “rule of thumb.” For a less common (but more factual) example, see “hysteria.” As marketers know, words DO matter. And, not just for boosting your social media performance! Considering global and sociopolitical diversity as part of your brand’s social presence (and, indeed, in any other context) can be overwhelming, even for those accustomed to thinking about it. We’re all human, and we’re all learning. Mistakes happen—in fact, they’re an absolute certainty if you post frequently enough to a broad audience. But, that’s okay! The important thing is maintaining an open, flexible perspective and a willingness to learn. If you make an honest effort to express goodwill towards all demographics through your brand, the audience will notice, even as they’re calling out a mistake. You’ll also have the chance to come out one BIG step ahead of brands that got defensive under pressure instead of offering an inclusive, thoughtful response right away. —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.

Here’s the thing about Facebook. It’s always changing. The news feed algorithm gets tweaked, the ad standards are adjusted, its privacy policy gets better (or worse). That’s just how it is. If your target audiences are on Facebook, then you just have to suck it up and accept that. On Friday, Nov. 14, Facebook announced that it did something it does all the time: it made a change to the Facebook algorithm. This change—which won't kick in until January, p.s.—is designed to limit the frequency that promotional-only posts appear in the Newsfeed. The reactions in the social media and content marketing communities were predictably over-the-top. “Facebook Organic Reach is Dead!” implied one headline. “Expect your reach to drop even more than it’s already dropped,” wailed another article. On and on, the Cassandras of the digital media world tore at their hair, donned sackcloth and ashes, and wrote a bunch of overblown articles about the villainous social platform that dared to make a change to the way its users interact with content. Listen, Chicken Little, the sky isn’t falling. Facebook has two major goals: Make money Increase daily engagement by users in order to assist with item 1. When Facebook users (who are less and less satisfied with the platform, but still feel compelled to use it) find their newsfeeds awash in marketing messages and calls-to-action, they become more disenchanted and spend less time on the platform. And with the majority of the ‘Book’s users accessing the social network via mobile, that tiny canvas becomes ever-more critical. The most recent announcement was more of a confirmation of something most of us already knew than a bombshell. Facebook has been ratcheting down organic reach from fan pages since fall of 2013. The recent announcement just codified this change, stating that especially salesy and promotional posts will get even less visibility than their more relevant and interesting counterparts. With that all in mind, how will WideFoc.us operate differently when it comes to our clients and their messaging? Short answer: we won’t. Longer answer: no, really, pretty much can’t think of anything that changes. And that’s because one thing has never changed from the very beginning of social media’s emergence as a marketing and PR tool: content must be relevant and interesting to target audiences if they’re going to respond (with likes, shares, comments, clicks to the website, conversions, whatever). It may help to think of social media as a cocktail party. If you’re a Realtor®, for instance, you wouldn’t walk into a party and demand everyone buy a house from you. You wouldn’t lead off your conversations with a sales pitch. You might share your expertise about the hot neighborhoods in the city, or what you think will happen with interest rates, if asked. And if a party guest says she’s looking for a new home, you’d likely hand over your card and invite her to contact you with questions. A well-designed social media plan uses multiple forms of content across the platforms where audiences are gathering, providing value, in order to generate awareness, trust, and credibility. When an online community is vibrant and engaged, driving behaviors like clicks and sales becomes more a matter of encouragement than out-and-out pitching. So, no, the sky isn’t falling due to the most recent Facebook update. But we do encourage you to take this opportunity to think about how you’ve been engaging and interacting with your online communities. Do you need to make some changes? —Tag-teamed by Eric Elkins and Leah Charney

This is the third in a series of blog posts about travel from the WideFoc.us team. When I used to think about air travel, the first phrase that would come to mind was “necessary evil.” Air travel is stressful and chaotic, even on good days. Baggage is cumbersome and carries an ever-present threat of being mishandled or lost. Traveling by yourself is a feat on its own, not to mention traveling with others. Security is never synonymous with “easy,” and in no part of the experience did I ever find myself feeling calm. Not many people do. I was always envious of the ones who slept on the plane or those who were blissfully lost in a book: unaware of the boarding announcements, the beverage cart, or the noisy and often unhappy children around them. And then somehow (but regrettably, not overnight), I became one of those people I had found myself envying for years. I found myself dreamily sipping coffee in my seat at the gate, intermittently people watching and then diving back into the latest novel I was reading. At one point in the last year I even found myself on the tail end of a trip, speeding down I-93 towards Boston-Logan International Airport, and actually looking forward to spending the last few and precious moments of my vacation in the airport. Moments spent locating new and promising fiction, a hot cup of coffee, and a cozy seat, before heading back to the daily routine. I had found a way to enjoy my entire vacation from start to finish and it included my time spent traveling. How did I accomplish this feat? This is how I feel once I have my coffee and my book. It started with a simple routine, begun while I was traveling in college to be with my family over school breaks. I was always traveling alone, so I would call the house and check in. Every time I called, my father would tell me the same thing, without fail: “Go get yourself a cup of coffee and a good book and go settle into a comfy spot at the gate. And call me when you land.” In the beginning, I would nod at his sage advice, ignore most of it, and call when I landed. Usually I would grab a cup of coffee and try to get comfortable at my gate. I would find myself people-watching or chatting with a friendly stranger or their kids. Then, sometimes, I would go browse the bookstore in the terminal, contemplating my internal and ever-shifting list of “need to read” and “want to read” books. Occasionally, I would pick up a new one. Then it became a ritual—a new book every time I took a new trip. And that little airport purchase became a treat that I looked forward to because I could immerse myself in that novel when I had absolutely nowhere else to be during that 4-hour flight. There is a sense of being centered, grounded, even at 30,000 feet, because you are stuck in that assigned seat and you have a destination that is hours away, so you have two choices. You can be anxious, stressed, angry about the chaos at the airport, and constantly letting your internal 8-year old self think “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” Or, you can find the parts about air travel that you enjoy. You can create a small ritual that allows you to enjoy your experience. The last time I travelled, I was calm, I was enjoying myself, and my vacation had started before I had even left DIA. —by Rachel Mincarelli Rachel Mincarelli is a first-time resident of Denver. She enjoys writing because it connects her to communities and their stories while simultaneously allowing her to express her own interests.

I get giddy every month when I sit down and dig through all the great stuff happening in the Front Range to cull down a list of incredible possibilities to just the few ventures that make it onto this blog. Yes, giddy. Why? Because I love Denver. Because I love knowing what’s going on. Because what happens in a city is the stuff that makes it worth living there. Because I’m a weirdo who gets giddy; see “eccentric.” These things are all true. And it’s also true that November is one of my favorite months for events because of one week: Denver Arts Week. First launched in 2007, Denver Arts Week 2014 runs November 7-15. The week includes more than 300 events, discounted memberships, and Saturday’s Night at the Museums, where many of Denver’s best institutions are open late night, several at discounted pricing. Some of my favorite people will want to overfeed themselves in my presence over Thanksgiving later on in the month, but I’m overfeeding myself in pure arts joy earlier in the month — with the 37th Starz Denver Film Festival and every museum showing off like a peacock and there’s a new art festival and and and… Deep breath. As an unabashed (and biased) lover of the arts, I decided to turn to fellow art-lovers and those in the industry to get their picks for the best of Denver Arts Week. Each person was asked the very simple question: Which Denver Arts Week event are you most looking forward to? Gio Toninelo, creative director at Rocket House Studios—a small-but-mighty firm doing seemingly everything from design to film—is fired up to see the new artworks from DEVO frontman Mark Mothersbaugh, now showing at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. Toninelo is most excited to see “the postcard artworks...I mean his entire show, I think! Not to mention that Denver is the kick-off city for this show.” While not a Denver Arts Week event specifically (the Mothersbaugh exhibition opened October 31 and runs through April 12, 2015), the exhibition, titled “Myopia,” is a full takeover of the entire museum and is a wonderful and whimsical way to engage in the art of a living legend. This year’s Denver Arts Week also marks the launch of a new indoor art fair, ArtDenver, brought to you by the producers of the venerable Cherry Creek Arts Festival. “It’s going to be an amazing show!” swoons Associate Director Tara Brickell. “There are other indoor art shows in major cities around the country and we think Denver is ready for a new art experience... As the finale event to Denver Arts Week, we hope that ArtDenver will bring patrons and artists together for a celebration of the arts.” I know this is one I’ve personally been saving up for. I can’t walk into an art festival or fair and not walk out with a new, beautiful, something. For Laura Bond, the Colorado Symphony’s director of community and media relations, the answer is a bit of a wonky one. “As I spend a lot of time these days thinking about arts policy, audience development, and the cultural moment in Denver, I'm really looking forward to the CBCA Economic Impact Study breakfast. I'm a sucker for all of the charts and graphs and quotes and data that illustrate the contribution the arts make to our state,” she explains. “We know the arts make our lives, schools, and communities better. Organizations like the CBCA help us see that they significantly fuel our economy, too.” Rachel Cain, the program manager for Public Art Archive, shares a similar sentiment. She tells me, “I like the fact that someone has identified a week to highlight the arts in Denver. That specific programming happens to bring awareness to the scene and the people who work in it. That the richness that we have is consolidated into one week where people can find new things and explore places they didn't know about before.” Finally, I decided to ask one of the most reliable sources for arts coverage in Colorado: Corey Jones, arts reporter at Colorado Public Radio. (You KNOW how much we love CPR!) “Oh man,” he says, “this gig doesn’t allow me to editorialize, so I have to plead the 5th on this one.” We like to think that what Jones means is that no matter what event you choose, you’ll be in for a wonderful cultural treat and get to see the best of what Denver has to offer.* So, what Denver Arts Week event are you most looking forward to? Comment here, tell us on our Facebook page, or reach out to Pluto, our tweeting office fish, @WideFocusCO. —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. *While he can’t ethically pick a favorite event this week, Jones did direct me to this survey about arts consumption that CPR is actively working on. You should visit the link and give them a piece of your mind!

After the whirlwind that was September, maybe you’d like to take ‘er easy in October. That doesn’t mean you should turn into a hermit. Below are four events—one for each week of the month—so you can still see and be seen without overdoing it. Game on! Oct. 11-12: Palletfest Denver is a DIY town; we really don’t have to tell you that. But on October 11-12, Palletfest ups the ante as attendees wander through a maze made of shipping pallets, get inspired in the Home & Garden section, and can even make their own pallet-based creations. Palletfest even includes upcycled art, to further celebrate all things green. What can you make with pallets? Find out this weekend! What: Palletfest When: 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday, October 11; 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday, October 12 Where: Sculpture Park, Speer Blvd. and Champa Street Tickets: FREE Oct. 19: The Great Pumpkin Haul If picking a pumpkin from the patch and then racing through a two-mile obstacle course sounds like your kind of fun, then do we have the event for you. The Great Pumpkin Haul, October 19 at the Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, invites individuals and teams of two or four to run through forests and fields, over creeks and hay bales, and through the gardens, all while carrying a big orange gourd. Families are welcome and costumes or team-themed tee shirts are encouraged. After the Haul, would you rather enjoy beers or apple cider at the post-race celebration? What: The Great Pumpkin Haul When: 8 a.m.-noon, Saturday, October 19 Where: Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield Tickets: $45-$50 Oct. 24-Nov. 7: Lord of the Butterflies It’s not Lord of the Flies, it’s Lord of the Butterflies... Drag queens Shirley Delta Blow, Zoe O, Olive de Bottom, and Dan D Lite are stranded on a deserted island. How can they put their fabulous wardrobes and all the glitters to work in order to survive? A spoof of Lord of the Flies, this competition for top queen is told through dance numbers, musical performances, and improv. Ready to bust out the sequins and fringe? What: Lord of the Butterflies When: 8 p.m., October 24, October 30-31, November 7 Where: Off Center at the Jones Tickets: $18 Every Thursday: Women & Whisky Mixer A weekly event celebrating women and their love for a good brown liquor, Argyll’s Women & Whisky Mixer features a different distilled spirit (of the whisky, bourbon, or rye persuasion) at each gathering. Experts guide attendees through tasting notes and other qualities unique to the night’s beverage of choice, so you can meet new folks and enjoy the signature cocktail of the evening. While this event was created specifically for the ladies, we assume menfolk are also welcome. You know how much we love the whisky here at WideFoc.us World Headquarters! What: Women & Whisky Mixer When: Every Thursday Where: Argyll Whisky Beer Tickets: Discounted whisky drinks Did we miss something noteworthy and you want to give us grief about it? Tweet to us, @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.

...and why they absolutely should. By Tuesday afternoon more than 680 people were registered for "SEO, PPC, and Social Media: The Trifecta of Digital Strategy.” By Wednesday morning, just hours before our Denver Startup Week session was to begin, 725 people had registered. I’d been asked to moderate the talk, which really just seemed like a good excuse to hang out with Andrew, Brian, and Krista. At WideFoc.us, we work with each of these folks or their companies regularly to maximize results for our clients. 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. SEO depends on social. Display supplements SEO. Social works best when informed by search strategy. The only effective digital strategy plan integrates your resources and attention across display, search, and social. And all of these platforms need a smart content plan. Were you at our session? Tried to be there but weren’t allowed upstairs once the session had filled? You were on the moon at the time? We got you. Voila! The Trifecta of Digital Strategy (#TrifectaDSW) slides Digital Strategy Flowchart Session #TrifectaDSW tweets Thank you to Denver Startup Week for the opportunity and to our hosts at PaySimple for providing the space (and the all-important WiFi!). Thank you Andrew, Brian, Eric, and Krista for creating such a robust, informative session! On behalf of the panelists, I’d like to thank everyone who got into our session (all 150 of you, by my rough count). We hope you learned from it and, if you have more questions or just want to keep in touch, we hope to hear from you again soon. And for those of you who tried to get in but were turned away, we appreciate you, too. Please be in touch if we can help out. —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. 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 open through July 10, so don't delay!

September is somewhat of a tricky month here in Colorado. The fall spirit is in the air, yet the sometimes 90-degree daytime temps argue that summer is still to be enjoyed. Autumn foliage, while gorgeous and golden on the aspens, does not turn the fiery hues of the sugar and red maples of the iconic New England autumns of my childhood. And it is difficult to crave pumpkin everything while we are still enjoying the Indian summer harvest of tomatoes, zucchini, and watermelon. But one thing about September everywhere is absolutely certain, no matter the climate or location. September is National Bourbon Heritage Month. A whole month to celebrate all things bourbon. A month to celebrate the history, the craft, and the many delicious and complex cocktails that can be artfully constructed to strike whatever mood you might be in. Locally, we can celebrate the impressive number of distilleries that take such great pride in what they create. These craftspeople truly celebrate all year long in an ever-present striving for perfection and a general love of all things bourbon. The best part? We generally love all things bourbon all the time, too! I can tell you for certain that I’m not the only WideFoc.us staff member with bourbon on the brain... Lately I’ve made a rule to try a new, local brand of whiskey every time I restock. It is a fun way to get acquainted with the offerings of our home state. Breckenridge bourbon has climbed to the top as my all-time favorite (so far…). The flavor is smooth and rich, with elements of both sweet and spicy that play well with almost anything. However, I’ve been known to enjoy it simply with rocks, because it is seriously that good. Have what we're having at https://www.breckenridgedistillery.com Over the summer, I have been exploring the Highlands neighborhood, trying to get a taste of what Denver has to offer. Not surprisingly, it offers plenty of menus with local spirits and artfully-crafted drinks. I will, without question, be revisiting these places and their delicious creations. First up, is Spuntino’s The Bourbonator. This simple and refreshing drink has local Colorado Fireside bourbon, fresh lemon, fresh basil, and sea salt. Each ingredient complements the other and has me wondering when I can next go back for more. The other cocktail that has lingered with me long after I paid my tab is the Centennial Smash at Williams & Graham. With peach, mint, lemon, and honey each playing a vital role in this libation, it is difficult not to feel summery, even with chillier nights slipping in. While they aren’t your traditional bourbon cocktails (like a sazerac or an old fashioned), these drinks have stuck with me long after leaving the bar. They are creative and fresh, which is what I believe National Bourbon Heritage Month to represent. It is a nod to the past and strong roots, as well as a healthy dose of bright personality that keeps you coming back for more. Tweet to us @WidefocusCO with any must-try recommendations to help us round out our celebrations this month. —by Rachel Mincarelli Rachel Mincarelli enjoys writing because it connects her to communities and their stories while simultaneously allowing her to express her own interests.

Let’s not pretend there’s nothing to do around these parts during this month, okay? Below is a roundup of (only!) seven events to add to your September schedule. Sept. 11: Clayton Moonbeam Harvest The Clayton Moonbeam Harvest, held on the historic Clayton campus in east Denver, brings together our community’s best chefs for a cause. Once a college, the Clayton campus is now home to Clayton Early Learning: a center focused on the needs of kids from prenatal to 5-years-old. The Moonbeam Harvest is an annual fundraiser to benefit Clayton’s many outreach programs. According to the event, guests at the Moonbeam Harvest will have an opportunity to “mingle with tastemakers and groundbreakers between gourmet food stations and custom bars, sipping hand-crafted cocktails, and soaking in the autumn evening on Clayton’s historic campus.” Sounds pretty good to us! What: Clayton Moonbeam Harvest When: 6 p.m.-9 p.m., Thursday, September 11 Where: Clayton Early Learning Campus, 3801 Martin Luther King Boulevard Tickets: $85-$125 Photo by Rupert Jenkins, CPAC Sept. 13: Tin-Type Portrait Day The Colorado Photographic Arts Center (our next-door neighbors!) and the Art Students League of Denver team up to create blast from the past portraits. The event includes both a takeaway (the portrait) and a history lesson: tintypes were a popular photography style from the 1850s to 1870s. What: Tin-Type Portrait Day When: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturday, September 13 Where: Art Students League of Denver, 200 Grant Street Tickets: $60-85 Sept. 15-20: Denver Startup Week This year marks the third annual Denver Startup Week, an event designed to connect the startup community for innovation, learning, and good old-fashioned networking. The schedule is published and registration is now open. Need some help with your schedule? Our team has pulled together an all-star panel to discuss how combining search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click ads (PPC), and social media can lead to powerful results. We’re calling it the “Trifecta of Digital Strategy.” What: Denver Startup Week When: September 15-20 Where: Various locations Tickets: Most events are FREE and open to all registrants Sept. 24-27: Taste of Iceland It might be the most difficult spoken language to learn, but Icelandic food, music, and culture is readily accessible this month! Rioja will run a special Icelandic menu, devised in partnership between James Beard-winning chef Jennifer Jasinski and Iceland’s own Viktor Örn Andrésson. Bistro Vendome’s bar will also serve specialty glacial cocktails and offering workshops and demonstrations throughout the weekend. Don’t miss local acts and their Icelander counterparts taking the stage at Three Kings for a free concert or yarn-bombing creative art! What: Taste of Iceland When: September 24-27 Where: Various locations Sept. 26: Animaniacs LIVE at the Colorado Symphony, presented by Arrow Electronics For fans of ‘90s cartoons, the Animaniacs, and the Warner sibs, Yakko, Wakko, Dot, need no introduction. Voice actors Jess Harnell, Tress MacNeille, and Rob Paulsen (who also voiced Pinky of Pinky and the Brain) take the stage for a performance with the Colorado Symphony that’s not to be missed! Costumes are even encouraged. (Psst, pro-tip: Use the promo code “NERDNITE” to get your choice of $25 tickets!) What: Animaniacs LIVE at the Colorado Symphony When: 7:30 p.m., Friday, September 26 Where: Boettcher Concert Hall Tickets: $22-$84 Sept. 26-Oct. 4: Denver Beer Fest Couldn’t get tickets to GABF? Never mind that, as it’s merely one of the 300 beer events at breweries, tap-houses, restaurants, and other locations throughout the city taking place during Visit Denver’s Denver Beer Fest. Navigate the Denver Beer Trail, visit a brewery, take a beer walking tour, and (most important) drink some of the finest brews and craft beers the Queen City of the Plains has to offer. What: Denver Beer Fest When: September 26-October 4 Where: Various locations throughout Denver Sept. 30: When Worlds Collide: The Moth in Denver If storytelling is your bag, baby, famous storytelling show The Moth flies into Denver at the end of the month. Even better than listening to the Moth Podcast or the Moth Radio Hour, see stories told live and on-stage and maybe end the night with a story of your own. What: When Worlds Collide: The Moth in Denver When: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, September 30 Where: Paramount Theater Tickets: $25-$65 Did we miss something noteworthy and you want to give us grief about it? Tweet to us, @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.

...But you can't help him dive. It was a day like any other... until, that is, Pluto, our office fish, heard this story about Casa Bonita on NPR's All Things Considered. He decided that his true calling was not to be an office fish, swimming about and happily consuming fish pellets, but instead to be a Casa Bonita cliffdiver. We attempted to reason with him: reminding him just how good his life is, speculating that they probably don't hold cliff-diving tryouts during business hours, informing him that we couldn't get sopapillas into his fish bowl without serious problems. Nothing worked. He just wouldn't stop talking about going to Casa Bonita. Pluto may be a Betta, but he's very bull-headed. So, off to Casa Bonita he went with Sara, the reporting and analytics specialist here at WideFoc.us. In case you didn't follow along with Pluto's #PlutoDives exploits on Twitter, we've put together this recap blog post so everyone can join in on the fun of one fish's dream to dive. (Side note: If you're not following Pluto on Twitter, you can put an end to that silliness right now by following him at Twitter.com/WideFocusCo.) First, Pluto was confused by the sign advertising other entertainment options, including dancing monkeys. He insisted the sign only need to advertise the cliff diving. The idea of dancing monkeys being somehow on equal level to cliff divers caused Pluto to go off on a tangent about his cousins, Spanish Dancer Sea Slugs. No one really followed along, but that didn’t stop Pluto from going on and on and on… After getting inside and ordering the customary Casa Bonita meal, Pluto got even antsier waiting for the cliff diving show to begin. Sara picked up his bowl and took him for a walk, to show him the other sights of Casa Bonita. We discovered that Pluto is afraid of the dark and does not like caves. He does like treasure and pirates, but not enough to have enjoyed Black Bart’s Cave in all its silly glory. He panicked and was causing a scene that both confused and upset the children nearby, so back to the dining room he went. Finally, the cliff diving began. Once Pluto saw the graceful divers, he grew very quiet, mesmerized by their form and technique. Alas, divers only dive for some of the time, and as soon as they stopped Pluto grew quite irate. He demanded that someone carry him up to the top of the cliffs so that he could embrace his true calling and leap from his bowl down the 30-foot drop over the cliffs to the pool below. By this time, Sara and her dinner companions were a bit tired of Pluto’s bratty behavior. He is normally such a pleasant, calm office fish—it’s lovely to watch him swim in his bowl, he’s eager for fish pellets, and he’s a marvelous conversationalist. The dream of cliff diving proved too much for Pluto’s apparently fragile psyche, however, as he melted down in a tantrum that would put many toddlers to shame. Pluto and his bowl were left in the jaws of a nearby jungle creature to give Pluto time to think about his pool public behavior and to ponder the golden rule. Once Pluto normalized he was ready to go back to the office. He realized that dreams are wonderful things, but obsession is the stuff of nightmares. —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.

Well, hello, August! There’s so much happening this month, so we broke it down to help you choose your own adventure. Take advantage of the great weather and be sure to hit up some of the cool things to do in the Denver area in this month. For Cultural Enthusiasts… If you’re ready to get your culture on, the three events below (including one in Boulder) will fill your brain with wonder and improve your cocktail party chatter by at least threefold.* At least! Silent Film at Chautauqua Auditorium — August 6 The silent film comedies of the 1920s were dominated by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd. Chaplin (and Keaton, to a lesser extent) are still remembered today, but the daredevil pratfalls of Lloyd were just as popular for audiences at the time. Released toward the end of the silent era, Kid Brother follows Lloyd through a series of high jinks and misadventures as he tries to thwart thugs and win over the woman he loves. Enjoy the film with live musical accompaniment, just as moviegoers would have in 1927! Scooter Public Art Tour — August 21 Feeling mod? Jump on your Vespa and cruise through the city during this guided tour of public art from the City of Denver’s collection. Guest speakers will provide information and facilitate brief discussions at each stop along the way. The tour begins and ends at the McNichols Civic Center Building, 144 W. Colfax Ave., and online registration (at the link above) is required. Who are we to judge if you can’t help but say “Ciao!” to those you meet along the way? Historic Denver Walking Tours — Fridays and Saturdays through October Learn the story of Denver, including the sometimes sordid details of corruption, affairs, and true tales of how the city was made. Docents spend 75 minutes guiding each group through LoDo, stopping at historic buildings and architectural marvels to complete the sequence of Denver’s founding and growth. The tours are offered on Fridays and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Pick your dates and reserve your spot. What new bit of trivia might you learn? *Charm not guaranteed. For Foodies… Denver is a food town — and not just steaks and Mexican food, as some not in the know (or living under a rock) would lead you to believe. Below, our top three picks for eating out in August. Dining Al Fresco on Larimer Square — August 16 There’s something so refined about dining outside, especially when the table is decked out in a white tablecloth and under twinkling strands of lights strung across Larimer Square. This event, the final in a series of three, takes over Larimer Street between 14th and 15th streets. Make reservations with any of the Larimer Square restaurants and enjoy a beautiful dinner, al fresco style. The most important question to consider is...who will be your date?! Hoofin’ It — August 17-21 Let’s see, five neighborhoods in five nights, four restaurants per night featuring farm-to-table fare, and one hoofed animal featured on the menu each night? Yeah, that math checks out… Hoofin’ It is a guided culinary walking tour through the Denver neighborhoods of Uptown (8/17, bison), LoDo (8/18, goat), LoHi (8/19, pig), Ballpark (8/20, cow), and Baker (8/21, sheep). Attendees can support their favorite food ‘hood, or hoof through new areas of the city. Make your reservations after deciding: Which animal would you most like to eat? Denver Summer Restaurant Week — August 23-29 Every winter for the past 10 years, Visit Denver has presented Denver Restaurant Week—where restaurants across the city and metro area create special prix fixe menus to tantalize diners and cure them of winter blahs. To celebrate the 10th anniversary this year, a second summer event lets you take advantage of the freshest produce on seasonal menus served on patios metro-wide. So, will you go to an old favorite or try somewhere new? For Those Who Like to Curate… Collect new knowledge, new trinkets, new kitchen items, and other novel additions to your life at the three selections below. Denver County Fair — August 1-3 For four years now, the Denver Country Fair has brought together the traditional fair with the wacky spirit of Denver and merged the two in a celebration of creativity. Oozing personality, the Denver County Fair embraces new trends like urban homesteading, food trucks, and (of course) legal marijuana. Star Wars fans won’t want to miss R2D2 Square Dancing or the Geek Pavilion. But with 16 other pavilions to choose from, there might truly be something for everyone at the event. Yeehaw, ya’ll! Le Jardin Secret — Saturdays through August 23 Le Jardin Secret is a tres chic way to get your farmer’s market on. A French-inspired chef’s market, Le Jardin Secret features a small group of select purveyors, hawking meats and cheeses as well as breads and speciality goods. Did we mention drinking is encouraged? The market is held in the Bistro Vendome Courtyard, so grab a mimosa as you carefully select the best edible items the city has to offer. Such a refined way to shop, n’est-ce pas? TheBigWonderful — Saturdays through October (plus Final Fridays as a bonus) To set the scene: TheBigWonderful takes place on a three-acre garden. During the event, this veritable Eden is filled with food, beer, volleyball, dogs, lawn games, and DJs. More than 50 stalls showcase vendors selling foods, brews, and crafts. According to their website, “TheBigWonderful seeks to bring the best of Denver’s emerging food scene to the masses without leaving a footprint. That means no two booths are the same, and there’s no waste. All organic waste is recycled back to farms to produce nutrient-rich foods.” How’s that for sustainability? For Lovers of the Off-beat or Cheeky… Right. So you’re probably thinking that a lot of the above could be described as “off-beat” or “cheeky,” but trust us when we say we’ve saved the cheekiest for last. RiNo Beach Club — August 10 Have you ever wished Colorado wasn’t such a landlocked state? Do you lay by the pool and dream about being on the beach? Oh friends, do we have such a wonderful find for you! The RiNo Beach Club events have music, a giant swimming pool, and, oh yeah, 10,000 square feet of sand. Beach bums unite! Which drink will you request a tiny cocktail umbrella be added to? Freak Train — August 25 Look, there’s a lot to be said just for the name alone, but there’s so much more to Freak Train than a name. The last Monday of every month, a rotating cast of performers takes the stage for five minutes each to do pretty much whatever they want. It’s like an open-mic on steroids — it could be funny, it could be painfully awkward. Either way it’s a good time! (Hello schadenfreude.) Nerd Nite Denver — August 28 Okay, okay, we’re biased because Nerd Nite’s co-boss, Sara Wilson, is WideFoc.us Corp’s reporting and analytics goddess. (And your lowly blog post author is personally extra-biased this month, because my partner-in-crime is one of the speakers!) You’ve heard us talk about Nerd Nite before, a monthly event where 2-3 speakers spend 20 minutes each, diving into a nerd-friendly topic. The speakers at this month’s event tackle such life-changing topics as the evolution of Nintendo video game controllers, cosplay, and satellite imagery (because it’s not just the NSA spying on you!). Nerd Nite’s motto is “Be there and be square,” but you can choose to be round or octagonal or whatever shape best suits you. Hope to see you around town this month! —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.

As a freelance writer by trade, I learn new things every day in my role as a WideFoc.us community manager (CM). Although authenticity is always important for connecting with a social media audience, administering a branded account for a client is still quite different from the way many of us use Twitter for our personal online identities. Below is a list of five best practices for managing a branded presence on Twitter that every CM should know, even if you're just entering the profession. 1. Avoid beginning a tweet with a handle. It's quite common for Twitter users to start a tweet with a handle, but it can actually have a negative effect on visibility. Twitter, in its infinite wisdom, only allows those tweets to be seen by mutual followers. That's why you'll see some people start tweets with a period. We like our tweets to be elegant and readable, so we always start with a word. For example, "Hi, @active_follower, thank you for the RT!" is a little more personable than "@active_follower Thanks for the RT!" 2. If you quote a tweet, be sure to add something to it. The types of social media management software frequently used for managing branded accounts make it easier to quote a tweet instead of merely retweeting it. Some software only allows you to schedule retweets for the future if they are quoted tweets. Retweets can only occur in real-time, which is slightly less convenient than scheduling them ahead of time. Whenever possible I prefer to quote a tweet and add a comment, in order to drum up additional engagement from the retweet for both the original poster and me. 3. Avoid prepackaged greetings and auto-DMs for your client's new followers. Nothing turns off a branded account's followers like spam, perceived or otherwise. Few Twitter users want to receive a notification, only to discover a DM similar to the one below in their inboxes: "Hi @username, thanks for the follow! We hope you enjoy our information and updates. Check out our blog." ...It's spammy, inauthentic, and just plain tacky. 4. Include usernames/handles in your tweets whenever appropriate. Directly mentioning other Twitter users in posts helps build relationships and open new communication channels. It can also strengthen a social media community by alerting followers that they have at least one thing in common: your client! It's a great way for users to discover common goals or interests that otherwise may not come to their attention. 5. Shorten all URLs. This may seem obvious, but I constantly see tweets, including some from branded accounts, that include full-length URLs. In addition to looking cleaner, shortened URLs leave more room for content and make your posts more retweetable. They're also more easily trackable for reporting. You've probably realized that as a CM, it's your job to build authentic engagement in the client's social media community, maintain a strong, growing network, and avoid adopting a "market-y" tone. However, it's just as important to know these (sometimes unspoken) rules so that you can represent the brand as professionally as possible. Have fun! —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. She joined the WideFoc.us team in 2013.

WideFoc.us CEO Eric Elkins is presenting at the following seminars: April 8th (Monday) 1-3 pm in Vail, Colorado The Colorado Association of REALTORS will welcome Eric Elkins to explain how REALTORS can benefit from Social Media. April 11th (Thursday) 11-12:30 pm in Denver, Colorado Join us at JCC Denver’s Blogger Brunch for blog authors and those interested in starting a blog. Learn about upcoming events while social media expert Eric Elkins teaches techniques to promote your blog. more information: http://www.facebook.com/events/140691589435521/ April 28th (Saturday) 3:15-4:45 pm in Las Vegas, Nevada The Summit is a gathering of leaders and influencers working together to promote change in the story of our generation — sustainability. Eric Elkins will be speaking at the “Building a Social Movement” session, addressing how to craft the environmental JNF message. more information: http://www.jnf.org/thesummit/agenda.html WideFoc.us conducts training sessions and speaking engagements nationwide, on a variety of subjects. Past sessions include “Social Media Basics: Content and Conversation,” “Practical Social Media,” “Creating a Sustainable Social Media Program” and “Corporate & Organizational Social Media Policy.”