Differentiation

In this days Social Media, there are so many different approaches to how we should treat our profiles. In the world of marketing and business, each post/interaction could crucially affect the perception of our business. Most importantly it could also impact the audience that is attracted, causing the attention to increase, or even decrease based on the online presentation. Taking a look at this, I decided to look at Denny's and iHop. Both breakfast restaurants that offer a full menu as well as their breakfast options. Their Twitter accounts both communicate that they want you to have interest in their breakfast menu and specials, however HOW they communicate this is very different. Both attempt to be current and 'hip', however Denny's marketing campaign looks normal and entertaining, while iHop looks slightly forced in my opinion.

Denny's manages to be a little more witty with their audience, and stay up to date with current events. In their posts about current events, they also manage to change certain details to reflect their target market, and breakfast menu. On one of their posts they posted the following about the upcoming Superbowl between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons; "CONGRATS TO THE MILLENNIAL FALCONS AND THE NEW EGGLAND PEANUTS FOR MAKING IT ALL THE WAY TO SOUP BOWL 51 THATS A LOT OF SOUP" (Twitter, 2017). To me this is genius because it shows creativity and personality.

iHop manages to also stay current in terminology, but they don't exactly focus on the current events that are occurring. Many of their posts consist of one sentence and a picture added. One of their posts reads; "show me what you sippin on" (Twitter, 2017) and it has a picture of a cup of hot chocolate. Although it is current in today's slang, the post itself lacks personality and is actually quite boring.

Overall both of them post about once a day on their Twitter feeds; IHop gets about 40-50 retweets and 100+ likes of engagement, while Denny's gets over 1000 retweets, and about 2000 likes for their engagement. I think both of these companies could grow with more engagement, and also I think that what Denny's is doing is very brilliant. As a marketing specialist I would look into how they could directly engage with fans a little more efficiently, but continue on the pace they are and just enhance their current approaches.

Pages referred to:

https://twitter.com/ihop

https://twitter.com/DennysDiner

Is the Net working, helping or hurting your Networking?

Now is the time for cheer,  the time for relationship building, the time to realize all you have access to.  In the world of social media the majority of the limits are placed by you. Limitations online tend to come from our perception of what social media is capable of. In EVERY profession, hobby, or passion there are masters/greats that exist. Now you kind of have access to their world, from the smallest of connections to personal ones. How are you networking? 

Being that the majority of my passion has to do with the entertainment and music world, a lot of times it's easy to assume that the talent / famous people in the music industry are the go-to people for networking. However, it actually seems to be quite the opposite; so many people that exist in network with these individuals are easily accessible online. From managers, assistance, best friend, interns, etc. My point is, they are reachable if done tactfully and also even if you need a mentor and/or want to attend private events. 

One question that you must ask yourself is how much in the loop are you? Social media has became more than just the @ sign or a # sign, so many worlds can be opened up in your immediate Network just by knowing how to teach and use them. No longer are the days where people only recognize you because of your resume, or because of who you know. Now people may be viewing your social media and who you interact with more than you even realize,  and it becomes a huge opportunity for you to grow and become someone in your field just based on your daily interactions and who you are as a social person online. 

How to build strong relationships for example just by being me and talking about music thoroughly that involved some pretty big names in entertainment. Sometimes my amount of knowledge, allowed me to start building relationships so instead of talking about "hey, this artist has this good song I heard on the radio", I might take very good interest in the production of the song, or the actual songwriters on the song. To the average person this doesn't mean much, but two people who are really involved in the music industry it shows that you took notice and that makes the biggest difference.

So how does this apply to you? Ask yourself these three questions:

1. What makes what I love/pursue unique? 

2. How do I communicate that? 

3. Who is someone already established that would understand that lingo, and could possibly help me become more knowledgeable in it? 

Trust me... It may sound and seem so simple. But honestly people take notice. Take the leap of faith and reach out to others to help speed up your road to greatness. 

Let's Go! Oh yea... Happy Holidays :-)

- Diamond aka None illa 

It's your world... No one else's.

I look at social media and playing devil's advocate, I realize that most of the world is under the impression that their complaints are other people's issues. In a world full of millions of custom pages, networks, and different social media platforms it only comes natural to assume that every person is constantly watching every social media feed. What many fail to realize is for every business, personal, professional, or other social media Outlet it is completely customized based on the user's preference. With that being said one person can be completely into what's going on in the life of Kanye West, and be completely lost the what's going on in Baghdad because it's showing on CNN's feed. Although likes,  shares, and retweets have the potential to go viral, that doesn't mean that everything that is shared will be viewed by everyone in the world. So what now? It's Monday 2 p.m., Michael (a professor), Kelly (a student), and Dante (parent) are all sitting at the same table on their Twitter app. Although three different people are in the same environment and can actually physically touch one another, they are in 3 different worlds digitally. This is where we live today; so for instance,  Michael probably has a feed that has to do with a bunch of Educational Tools, new research articles, other professors, and things that will continue to educate him and influence his structure with his teachings. Kelly on the other hand most likely has something that has to do with items that are currently trending, places to go and things to do, the newest updates on pop culture, and things that speak to her adventurous mind. Dante would have a completely different list and people that he also follows that creates his Twitter the most likely show him something that he specifically has interest in. Imagine this on a scale of 300, 3000, or 3 million vs 3 people. Our worlds are so customizable that at this given point how we decide to and/or do the opposite is completely up to us. 

Now you start to understand the power that exists in the marketing world, although there are so many different Avenues to access customers and future customers, it is hard to understand exactly where everyone's feed rests. Most importantly, does this say to the customer? Your world is what you make it,  however your entire thought process is reflective of your belief system when you were raised and the combination of Life Experiences up until this point. So the true objective at this point would be to allow people to express themselves and be creative at the same time. 

Every social media Outlet, has a unique and specific approach. What matters most is, being able to change to what your industry requires of you. Times are gone where we can complain about the shape of the world that's around us  when we have our own world in our hands. It it just so happens that every aspect of our digital world can easily influence the people who live that device.. 

Remember regardless of how you get there whether it's a like follow or a subscription. Every encounter you have a chance to impact lives mainly because you are accessible online worldwide. That's the beauty of technology, and that is what is going to be a major strength in the future. 

What's your Social Media preference?

It used to be simple. MySpace? Cool, add a few friends and maybe get into some coding with some good music... Then Blaow! There you have it...  Then it started graduating to kind of targeted social media sites; Various names and purposes, such as separation by ethnicity, region, musical preference etc. Then you have Facebook which started focusing on College students... 

Stop! Let's fast forward to today... 

What do we have? EVERYTHING... Almost every app is media with social aspects. But where is the focus? What niche sells? 

Often we seem to want fast, short content (as seen with vine, Instagram, snapchat, etc) 

But we also want to know right then and there... (snapchat, Facebook live,  Twitter, etc) 

But have we ever found our purpose? At this very moment we don't even know WHY we're actively involved. I think that's part of the brilliance too, because we don't have to have an explanation. 

From connecting with old friends, to making new career connections, we can do whatever we want. 

However at what cost?  Just think... What would you do without social media? I think we'll touch base on this next week... How the lack of a purpose, also leads to a potential lack of a focus... How technology is so amazing, but the overabundance can also help create a sense of being stagnant if you're misguided. 

Social Media: the New Definition of Mandatory

We look at today's Social Media, and realize it has lost it's sense of being optional. Why? Still thinking about it? Let me explain. In the entertainment industry, it's as much as part of your portfolio and daily life as anything else on the internet, iTunes, etc. It has become a lifeline between the talent/artist and their fans. Every other job, the same but it comes in a different format.

Let's go back basic for a second (we'll bold all the instances); you get up Monday morning, you go to a job interview (that you submitted an application online, possibly even LinkedIn). If the job is technical enough they most likely have an online presence between Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and/or SnapChat. Even if you're not involved or have done research on them, when you get hired you will have to become familiar. No? Let's look at another example. You turn on the news, look on YouTube, or ANY OTHER place of relevance, right next to the name you will most likely see the famous '@' symbol before their social media handle. This is where the world is currently.

Whether following a celeb, or just staying up to date on various platforms with life (natural disasters, city events, etc.). I think when it comes down to it, now you have to be accessible. Social Media plays an integral role in many lives, but most importantly shows the increase in technology. Faster, Better phones, locations (gps), instant worldwide communication, how can we not become addicted?

So much of our world revolves around the here and now, while simultaneously being over there in another part of the world. The world has become completely customizable according to the preferences of the user. So where do we go from here? Any field/life you pursue, at least ONE FORM of social  media is basically required. The only difference is, how you maximize the opportunity in your communication.

Distractions are the new form of OPPORTUNITY, it's up to YOU to capitalize!

Entertainment and the life within

My world is a little different. Not different as in a different planet, but different as in a different reality. Some of the things that seem so farfetched, isn't so farfetched in this world. The world of celebrities, the world of fame, red carpets, television, music, and some of marketing's most interesting subject. So what happens when the cameras are off? Initially when I got involved with the music industry, I noticed one thing. It's definitely not all glitz and glamour. The 24-hour world of entertainment urgency is real, from being in the studio at 2am, to being on the go at 4am and not even blinking an eye or second guessing the time. 2am, and 4am are almost no different than their pm counterparts. What exactly does this entail ?

the occasional radio appearance. (Me at a San Diego Radio Station after an event).

the occasional concert appearance and/or meet and greet (A few members of my team with hip hop artist Joe Budden).

and late night studio sessions, to name a few. (2am Studio session).

Although most of the time the hard work goes unseen, a lot of the time there is so much more work involved. I also freelance in Audio/Visual so I deal with a lot of concerts and/or conference events. It seems that most of the time there is such a wide variety that exists within entertainment. Much of which the regular 'Non-entertainment' world has no idea about. For every show and/or event there are so many different people involved that many never get a chance to see it.

So where did this passion come from? 

The discovery came at a young age, and it never left. The numerous processes taken to make the 'magic' happen are almost too many to count. Nonetheless.. the show must always go on. All of the different efforts used to make the music/entertainment industry great again. Shows just how much it actually is worth!

I hope you get to enjoy it, whatever aspect you love of it.

Diamond aka None illa

What are we REALLY paying attention to?

Soooo to the people speaking out against those who post RIP Robin Williams... You're sick... I posted both... But let me educate you at the SAME time... Yes RIP MIKE BROWN... Yes there should be awareness and EQUAL if not more SUPPORT on the MIKE BROWN situation... But I worked for a Graduate school for 3 years with Psychologists who worked with mentally scarred patients... We worked to prevent Violence, Abuse, and Trauma... If someone (especially someone well off financially) slips into a mentally depressive state... That's what the sympathy is over... Understand how mentally gone you have to be to CONTEMPLATE suicide... Let alone actually FOLLOW THROUGH... It's a sickness...

As far as Mike Brown...  We as a culture need to stand up for the same INNOCENT ONES that get murdered by our OWN Red&Blue bandits as well... We treat ourselves horrible daily... And we post it online from WSHH and share it... And YouTube it and laugh... Shyt... Some of you are part of those same gangs... And have murdered innocent children, mothers, grandparents etc...

We need to stop Police Brutality... Yes... But we also need to realize the TARGET of these senseless murders... Typically the SAME TARGETS our own TARGET...

Meaning...  Our kind don't target the educated people attempting to advance... We target the same ones in our own HOOD.. Our own TERRITORY...

Any loss of human life is a tragedy... Don't be heartless... Because y'all say RIP to FAMOUS rappers who OD on drugs... That's suicide... You say RIP to those who accidentally shoot themselves in the head with a gun... That's SUICIDE...

Stop making this a racial thing... Why? Because around the country there are 50 more Mike Browns dying as we speak... And over HALF OF THEM are being killed by our own... Yall always give it a week or so and then act like it didn't happen and start posting senseless violent videos again for a like or comment....

Make a LIFESTYLE CHANGE... ENCOURAGE YOUR COMMUNITY AND FAMILY... Your protest is IRRELEVANT if it doesn't STAY that way... Period!

L.I.F.E.

Live It Fully Everyday... This simple acronym, allows you to show your appreciation. What have you done to achieve the fullness of your day?

Have you helped someone without expectance? Have you given a good word of advice to someone? Or served somehow?

Living sometimes is being selfless and being an imprint on others who could never repay you. That is what causes life to be full... Because your life is SHOWING and RADIANTLY SPREADING...

Allow your life to enrich other people's lives as well...

If you follow my IG (@None_illa) you will notice I will say let God lead...

- None ill

Are you speeding up or slowing down your life's progress?

What are your daily convos? What do they consist of? Is it something that builds you or someone else up? Is it something that tears you and/or others down? Most of the material we allow to enter our thoughts can be poisonous in the long run... Many of the cancerous ignorance we find 'funny' about today's society truly affects our subconscious thoughts...

Analyze yourself and see how you are gaining or losing progression in your growth... Then... Find a way to improve or change it...

Back at it!

To all of my new friends/followers... Yes I am an artist... Yes I am involved in the music industry... yes I am a firm believer of God's work... and yes I spread positivity... I appreciate you being here to experience it... If ANY OF THIS DOESN'T SIT RIGHT WITH YOU... I can do nothing, but say... --> God's work... Not Mine...

Moment of reality...

It becomes real and very scary when u you realize you're the first person you know to dream so big... to know that someone hasn't done what you strive to do, you begin to get nervous, you begin to think "oh sh*t" this is real... However it's amazing when you break records... I've broken many in my life... I plan on being first to do this... No matter what sacrifices I make.

What's helped with longevity? Envisioning the goal... not overly explaining myself to extremely opinionated pessimists...

Everyday I wake up and put God first..

Do it with Grace...

So many things we do, we direct towards humans. We direct negativity towards others because of something that was done to us... Notice that we tend to be a transfer of energy. When things happen to us good or bad, the next people we interact with receive that same energy.

Be careful and learn to act with Grace... Use God's influence in your life to drive your every action. Just refresh your thoughts and renew the vibes of those around you.

Remember you could be the FIRST or LAST possible person someone interacts with.

Act with Grace! May it be blessed!

- None illa

How to make impossible... possible!

Today has been a blessing... I woke up in Chicago. Had a great convo with the taxi driver. Helped a mother who was inexperienced with traveling get her 2 kids situated for TSA. Heard a 5 year old girl day "I can't wait for Easter, you're the best Dad. I love you!" :-) and to top it off Im blogging on a plane. Although I have just been told to put my phone up. I'll be quick...

Smile more. Cry less... let God encourage your moves. It may be scary but you be worry free..

Impossible is only IM POSSIBLE.. typed by someone who forgot to press the space key...

Be blessed... I gotta go... vrooom!

A look into the Diamond known as None illa.

While relaxing after a long day, workout, and just giving some time to God… He placed upon me that I should share some things about me… If this encourages you great!... if by any way shape, form, or fashion you are affected. Reach out and let me know, please… Life is truly about defining one’s self. It takes us all a minute to realize this, and some of us actually never do.

Take me for example, raised by both sets of grandparents, oldest sibling and not too many in my corner. When you grow up seeing your parents not fully there or strong enough for themselves, it slowly sinks in that they cannot be strong enough for you. As a child we are taught to dream… “You can be whatever you want when you grow up, etc.” As an adult it is constantly reinforced that you need to get a job… need to pay bills… and slowly you realize that being a complete adult we rarely live our dreams…

Many don’t associate creativity with childhood… or with the similarities of a child. Truthfully that’s EXACTLY what it is… But many of us will NEVER chase our dreams. But why? It isn’t because we no longer have them, its not because we are happy with being unsatisfied, most of the time its because of what OTHERS think.

I grew up having fun, grew up around music constantly… Yet I have always thought differently than everyone else, especially when I lost the closest person to me… I made 1 promise… “I will always give it my all in EVERYTHING I do”… The whole way through middle school, I grew apart from people… Mainly because their mindset wasn’t planned on advancement. I have never had an issue with anyone, we just communicated less and less.

I realized no one has EVER had my back on this journey. I have had more “you cant’s”, “you wont’s”, “do it this way”, “ill be here to say I told you so”… and the list goes on. What finally woke me up is that I am aiming to things that NO ONE that I personally know has EVER done. A dog can not take advice from a cat on how to bark… A person without an umbrella can not tell you how to keep dry correct?

Many times in life we get so stuck on other’s opinions that their thoughts actually come true. Im 25 now, and have travelled to many different places, worked with many different people in my industry, made a lot of connections, worked in 3 different CAREER level positions…  and EVERY move I made I let God lead…

There are so many things that I have never had the support for, and I learned it. Ironically now God has led me to share my knowledge with others. Even some of the people who wanted to see me fail, now ask for advice.

All I want to say is this. There are so many people who will unintentionally hold you back. The drive to succeed comes from within… You CAN DO ANYTHING you put your mind to.

I have lost 100 lbs, through various name-calling and doubt. I grabbed my Associates in Music while others said I couldn’t get it.  I am currently pursuing my Bachelor’s in Music Business, when others have already gave up… Anything is possible.

EVERY move starts 1 step at a time… Every CHANGE starts with acceptance of what you NEED to change. Whether its personal relationships, or business ones, put your pride aside and see how YOU can make a situation more valuable. Don’t if you set UNREALISTIC GOALS… the PERFECT way to accomplish it is to Set REALISTIC Milestones…

Never stop… the biggest motivation is to imagine your destination, not the drive… Its not about how many breaths you take, but how many moments that take your breath away.

May you all be blessed!

Diamond aka None illa

If you are blessed with a gift… make sure you bless someone else by sharing it… Gifts are meant to be given, and the truest blessings are ones in which you bless others.

Don't be a rapper... Be a Musician... Don't focus on a JOB... work towards a Career

The moment when you're laying/sitting there.. You're looking at your bank account and its low... You are looking at your generation at work/school... you're realizing NO ONE cares about the tattoos and jordans you bragged about the last few months... No one cares that you are TRYING to live off of saying you're a RAPPER... Your home studio and instrumentals you don't own are becoming dusty... Yes it has happened to a lot of these RAPPERS... and thats because they dont truly appreciate the art and craft of trying to be successful... Go out an get a CAREER... sooner or later it wont be 'cool' anymore... Just food for thought... because explaining to your children that you are a 30-year old, broke rapper with NOTHING to show for it except a few tattoos, and improperly mixed/marketed mixtapes will not INSPIRE them to grow..

If you do not have a SESAC, BMI, or ASCAP... chances are you are not getting your royalties... Not getting radio spins (LEGIT ONES)... and NOT getting paid off of your music...

#TuesdayMotivation #Blessed...

Just trying to help... Improve your life and create something to fallback on.

How Deep is Deep? (Poem)

I have been told I am deep, how deep?Looking into the world of someone who has always shallowly existed, How deep is truly considered depth? I feel I need a few specifics Because deep to a shark, is far beneath the surface but is deeper mentally than that envisioned by a tortoise. our purpose isn't defined, and I think God did that on purpose because our worth is based on time, and at times we feel worthless Revolutionary ideas, is our idea of revolution and being still and saying we evolved, is our idea of evolution so hypothetically speaking, I mean If I was speaking hypothetical Is it a known fault in our ethics, that by default we are unethical? Inhumane and can not pass the torch to most humans and stupidity is circumstantial not just amongst the stupid. So is it I for an I, or eye for an eye? both selfish conflicting moments to despise. The point of natural confusion, is to know when you're confused. but knowing when, the wind, will help you win, or make you lose. Typical… misunderstanding the misunderstood… thats the definition of depth… and the greatness, of what is good.

Diamond aka None illa

Whats Next?

Life in the fast lane and constantly grinding is a blessing from above. Learning an industry you have fallen in love with is remarkable as well, but when you begin to realize that the longevity of the industry is about playing your cards well, and not wanting to be burned out under the spotlight. You just make your moves wise.

The biggest thing to remember about anything in life is to do you, and do you well. In my opinion do it in the favor of God's grace as well...

Blessed...

- None illa

Hip Hop

What defines Music?

Is it the feeling you get while listening? Is it the artist who is delivering the music? or is it the message of the song? For many we get so lost in wanting to conform to a TEAM that we support what is out... or we support ANYTHING certain musicians put out in order to feel like we are a part of something.

For instance, Today's RAP music is not what HIP-HOP was originally known for... in fact many musicians can not differentiate the two...

Hip-Hop originated from the troubled life of the urban communities, and was a form of release. A way to express themselves without causing damage throughout the neighborhood.

The 4 areas of the hip-hop culture were...

Emceeing also said MC'ing

Break Dancing

Graffiti aka Tagging

and DJ'ing

These 4 art forms have their own individual meanings, and they also serve as a friendly battleground for competitors to go against their competitors.

So since we have determined where Hip-Hop originated, where is Hip-Hop today? Life is so fast-paced, and many just want to stake their claims. Brag about how much money they have, or how many cars they own. Have we lost the purpose of enriching the souls of our listeners?

Just food for thought... I breathe music, I live it, I love it! Every aspect of what I do is to build my passion for this.

Reading on 'Johnny Cupcakes' recently I realized he also had the same drive... A nonstop drive to succeed. I have a nonstop drive to enlighten those around me, as well as be successful in anything music related. I am just blessed to notice every step along the way.

#MOK Does your daily ending, complete your beginning?

How many mornings do you wake up and feel as if you have a purpose? And how many of those days do you go to sleep feeling as if you accomplished the purpose of the day? Many times we get so caught up in the past and the future that we ignore the tasks right in front of us. Try not to forget the small things that you feel you MUST do.

Ex: if you have a thought to call a family member or visit an old friend. ACT on it...

sometimes we dont understand that God is speaking to us... He knows a lot of things we dont. Your presence could change someone's entire day...

Remember you're blessed when you are blessing others.

#MOK Life's math... Does yours add up?

In life many people will attempt to ADD their opinions. Many of which truly SUBTRACT your motives/goals, and will discourage your outlook.

Watch out for those who will not help MULTIPLY your success.

But will attempt to DIVIDE your final result...

This EQUALS a headache...

Remember even when you put water and oil in the same cup the oil will ALWAYS separate... Be blessed and continue to strive for the win! With God's Guidance!

- None illa