How GroupMe Made Me A Better Girlfriend

Well, my Iphone fell off the table and shattered last week. I feel like I lost an old friend. Kind of silly, but I really liked my old phone...I had it for a record two years. Previously, I had owned every new phone within a six month trend. And this was my first relationship with the Iphone after I have broken off all connections with my beloved Blackberry. The only thing that lacked in my new relationship was Blackberry Messenger. I really liked the BBM. Up till now, there was no suitable alternative that would push messages to my Iphone. Applications be darned, they had nothing.

Then came along GroupMe.

According to this great review, GroupMe is a free service that facilitates group texting, or SMS, and allows users to maintain relationships in clusters as well as one-to-one communications. Download the app (it's available for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry), join a group of friends or colleagues, and you can easily broadcast text messages to your group. 


I was instantly attracted to the ease of it, you could download the app or use it the more traditional Group Texting ways. It also didn't matter what kind of phone you had, from the newest of Droids to the slowest of Speak and Spells, GroupMe welcomed you. 

My friend's phone 

What was also cool, is that with one touch of a button it initiates a conference call. You also can have some fun with it, you can enter your location and you can easily share pictures.

But, what I find most interesting is how this form of communication can really strengthen the bond between you and your girlfriends. I have four girlfriends that are members of the Junior League with me. These girls and I have always been friendly and have done movie dates and are the best happy hour companion a girl could want. We come from all stages of relationships, two married, one live in boyfriend, one almost engaged and one astonishingly single (as she is the greatest). Our work lives are different and our schedules are different but the five of us have formed a connection started by the Junior League ...but incredibly strengthened by GroupMe. After a little coaxing, I got everyone on board to connect this way...three Iphones, One Blackberry and One Speak and Spell (who just upgraded to an Iphone woohoo!).

Initially, it was to coordinate our first Happy Hour, but it became quick to what girlfriends look for: an outlet of support. I can say that I know these four girls a lot better thanks to our back and forth banter, whether it is to commiserate on an issue or just a shout out from one of us that we need a little extra luck for our day, the application has some surprising benefits.

The application can be downloaded from the Appstore here. Try it, make new connections and let me know what you think! Pin It

Socially Acceptable-Instagram

I had a conversation this weekend with another volunteer as I was complaining that I forgot my new camera at home. I was looking forward to taking pictures at the event we were hosting. It was then I remembered that even though my new camera takes really nice pictures, there are some kick bootie apps out there that take your smart phone camera to the next level. 

This morning, I had camera in one hand and Iphone in the other to try to capture the last launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavor. Um, yeah...have you ever pointed your camera or phone directly at the sun? I think I am still squinting. Like a paparazzi in front of Brangelina....I just prayed and blindly shot upwards. It's safe to say, I will not be joining the troops at TMZ anytime soon! What I took on my phone was fair, if not average. Until I remembered to throw it through the greatest photo app of all time: Instagram. 

Take my original (don't make fun of me) Endeavor Shot

Now we throw it in Instagram for some awesomeness

Nashville

X-Pro II

Toaster

Lord Kelvin

First off, I am obsessed with anything that looks vintage and they really have amazing filters that make your photo look amazing. Instagram also lets you add the location using Foursquare and then share your work of art on your Facebook, Twitter, Email etc. Lots of Options, Lots of Fun!

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The Rules of Engagement

Lately I have been on both ends of practicing what you preach when it comes to listening to what your customers have to say. I am a little obsessed with online reviews, what people are saying about other brands and how they respond to it. Anyone that is under my umbrella, I make sure that I consistently use whatever platform necessary to ensure that if they are being talking about (positively or negatively), we are on it. We address it and thank or we address it and fix. Out of the all the things that I promote, I feel that this step is most important.

People want to feel that they are heard whether they have a praise or a problem. In today's world, it is so easy to find a platform and address your issue positively or negatively. Don't you want to be on top of this if your business is the topic at hand?? I think this makes a huge difference in the way you conduct business. Its thrilling to write about Lush LTD, the Setai in Miami and Patsy's NYC and within hours they are on it, thanking you. It makes me want to tell everyone I know!! Scream it from the rooftops, these people get it! They actually care about the people that engage with their brand!!

Not so thrilling, the THREE companies I contacted (a fitness center, an organic food buying club, and a clothing line) this week looking to be a customer with no response via email. I get that there are companies that actually do not know how to use the Twitter account they set up...but an email from a potential customer looking for more information to buy your product and you aren't gonna respond?? Business is that good??

Maybe its the Italian in me, but these things I don't soon forget. Today, I said no to my poor friend's birthday request because it was a restaurant whose owner screamed at me to get out years ago because I asked to make an appointment with them about advertising. So why would I give them the privilege of being a patron, even after all this time? As one wise woman once told me, at the end of the day even if we don't do business together, I will still be a customer. If you are not a jerkasaurus.

You can have the best product, but if you don't have the service or the engagement to back it up...you will lose.

By the way, this week's big winner? The Philadelphia Beer Man who lets you tweet him from your seat at the ballpark to order your cold beverage.

What do you think?? Pin It