A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

social media

Social media blunders: Why open the gates so late?

Social media in 2019 is a powerful tool. 

It can be a lot of fun, it can sometimes be mean, and it can be somewhere in between. It’s also a place for a lot of information, which is great. But, if you are putting out information and something seems a bit off or fishy, then somebody likely will be there to call it out.

That seems especially true on Twitter.

For those who don’t follow minor league baseball teams, there are a lot of teams who embrace social media (especially Twitter) and really have a lot of fun with it. And, at the same time, if they post something not fully right, they will usually man up and take the blame and try and have fun with it. 

Not so, recently, in the case of the Trenton Thunder, the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. 

Now, before I get into the whole situation, let me be clear on one thing – I have no issue in what they did in regard to gates and such. It is their right, and they had reasons. But, the fact that they gave false information, then basically doubled-down on it before giving away their true reason (without admitting the first was false) is where this goes wrong. 

Look, I understand what Minor League Baseball is all about. And I love it. But I don’t like when teams swerve fans, especially when there are facts to back up the fan side of things. 

Trenton is one team that usually has a pretty good grasp on things. I even blogged about it in 2016 (https://hoohaa.com/?p=10103). This time, not so much. 

With that in mind, here’s the story. 

It started with a simple Tweet on July 22 – talking about the game that night being postponed. The kicker is that it was a scheduled bobblehead day. For those not into minor league baseball – bobblehead nights are usually massive draws and most of the time only with a limited amount to give away (usually anywhere from 500-2,000). When some stadiums seat upward of 8,000-10,000 people, it’s often necessary to get in line an hour or two early to have a chance. 

So, Trenton postponed this game. And then posted these two tweets:

And …

Harmless, right? People seemed OK with it, but something stood out.

The gates for season-ticket holders would open at 5:30 p.m. – the same time as the first pitch was scheduled. And if you weren’t a season-ticket holder, then you were stuck waiting for the gates to open at 6 p.m. – 30 minutes after first pitch.

People picked up on this. Check out some of the responses, as well as the replies from the team (these are from each of the original tweets, not just one of them):

I mean, really?

I’ve probably been to a dozen or more Eastern League doubleheaders – single-admission and starting earlier than “normal” and been allowed in at least 30 minutes before the first pitch. This got me really wondering. So I had to ask.

And while asking, I got a more truthful answer.

I responded to that with this, which didn’t receive a reply.

On the other thread, they were questioned, too:

This received the “real” answer as well, along with a funny response from their opponents – Akron.

In searching other social media for this situation, Trenton held the line with the Eastern League rule, but when called out, the team again noted the bobblehead deal.

Those responding didn’t seem thrilled with this. And one idea came out that made sense (and I had wondered why they didn’t do this initially, either) — why not have a different entrance for those wanting to just get into the game and not worry about a bobblehead?

So, let me share some of the Facebook goodness, too.

You have to give the team credit for sticking to their stance — but the rule. This is what really got to me. They said it was a league rule, but haven’t shown anything about it. And, in the end, if you were doing this for the bobblehead (which, to be honest, makes no sense why not to open early… if people want the bobble, they’ll be there. Reality is… the night you were washed out was the bobble night — so all bets are off after that. I guarantee you’d still give away 1,500 bobbles), then say so from the beginning without throwing your league and some “rule” out there.

Especially when not everybody cares about the bobblehead. This, from the night of the doubleheader:

But, being the former newspaper person I am, I was really curious. Could this possibly be a true rule?

I think we all know the answer, but I needed to at least try and find out. So, I tweeted at the Eastern League.

Shockingly enough, I never received a response. I’m guessing it isn’t a rule.

And then …

I’d like to point out that I went to a Binghamton Rumble Ponies doubleheader on July 31. First pitch was scheduled for 5:35 p.m. Sound familiar?

Note when the gates open.

Apparently if it was an Eastern League rule… Binghamton didn’t get the memo. Or maybe it was just for a week or so. And why would I think that?

Well, on August 1, Trenton was again scheduled for a single-admission doubleheader. Note the start time. And note the gate time.

Fireworks and drink special night, but doesn’t appear to be a bobblehead night. Maybe that’s the rule they were referring to … or maybe …

Here’s the kicker to this doubleheader — in the opener, Trenton had a no-hitter. Only the sixth in franchise history — yet the second this season. In the minors, doubleheaders are seven-inning games. That no-hitter took 1 hour, 27 minutes to complete.

Let that sink in for a second — 1 hour, 27 minutes. The Trenton’s Brian Keller needed just 70 pitches for this dandy. IF, this had been a bobblehead day. And IF they had pulled the same bull about when the gates open. And IF you are were toward the back of the line because you got there a little later, there’s a chance you aren’t in the stadium and to your seat until about an hour into the game, give or take.

IF that had happened, the Trenton Thunder would have robbed fans of watching a dandy of a game, seeing history, and seeing something that not everybody gets to see on a regular basis in it entirety. And if you had stopped off to grab a hot dog or something, who knows how much you would have seen.

IF that had been me in that situation, I would have flipped. I love bobbleheads. And I have a lot of them. And I like giveaways like anybody else. But when I go to a baseball game, it’s for the game first — everything else second. Maybe Trenton will realize moving forward that many others think this way as well and not rob a possible amazing experience for a rescheduled giveaway item.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Positive vibes needed on The Book

There really isn’t anything that should shock me in regard to Facebook and what people post anymore.

As social networks continue to grow, people put more and more information freely out there. It might be where you’re eating dinner, or what event you are watching, or photos of friends, animals and others.

There are rants about politics and religion. There’s bigotry, racism, and hate. There’s good news, love, and things to make you smile.

Social media is basically a one-stop shop, so to speak.

One thing I’ve continually noticed, though, is it’s harder and harder to hide from negativity on Facebook. If anyone happens to look at my timeline, there’s nothing Earth shattering. Basically, I post a lot of photos. Sometimes, if I remember, there are links to blog posts. Occasionally, I’ll have a post about something I’ve done or places I’ve been. And though I haven’t put one on Facebook in a while, sometimes you’ll see some food shots. I’ll share things occasionally from other places, but for the most part – it’s just my little world.

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But I keep it positive.

It’s not a recent trend by any stretch, but maybe I’ve noticed it a little more. Over the past few months, I have been in a “blah” place. Whether it be work-related stress, personal things, or whatever else – I just haven’t felt like myself. That’s changed over the past three weeks or so, which is good. But I’ve also opened my eyes to a lot of other things – such as, what I will now refer to as, Facebook Spew.

What is Facebook Spew, you might ask?

Facebook Spew is all the junk that comes from those typing away about anything and everything and having no filter.

Remember – if you put it out there, it can be seen. It doesn’t matter if you are jeering or celebrating our President elect. It doesn’t matter if you are talking about a neighbor or somebody else. Or if you are complaining about weather, the schools, or whatever else one can think of. The reality is people use Facebook as an uncensored place for people to say whatever they want and not think about consequences of their actions or words.

Now, understand this – I firmly believe in freedom of speech. This isn’t a post saying people should stop. Heck, if it’s your thing, keep it up.

It doesn’t, however, mean I have to keep reading. And yes, I know there’s the “unfollow” button that allows people to be friends and not see the other person’s feed, but what’s the point of that? Isn’t the point of social media to want to see other people’s news and updates? That’s how I look at it anyway.

So … sometime before the end of 2016, I’m going to go through my Facebook account and I’m going to look at people’s accounts. Some people I might already not “follow.” Some I might. But I’m going to look and see.

Is there a lot of Spew? If so, I might have to say goodbye. It doesn’t mean I don’t like you anymore. Really, it doesn’t. It just means I don’t want to see Spew.

I’ve noticed recently I’ve lost a few friends (by the number) in the Facebook world. It actually made me smile. I have no idea who the people were, and that’s OK. But why smile? Because that means somebody might not like what I am posting (which, again, is just usually photos) and decided to say … I don’t need to see it anymore.

That’s fine and I respect it.

Facebook is a wonderful platform when used how you see fit – be it a place to complain or give opinions; or a place for sharing good things and such. But Facebook is also a place where people need to have the courage to say … we are friends and will continue to be in the real world, but when it comes to here … I’m saying goodbye.

I might only do it to 2-3 people. Maybe it will be a dozen. Who knows? But as we come into the holiday season, I want to feel positive vibes, not people complaining about this or that.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Still trying to figure out LinkedIn

I’ve posted about this before.

Heck, the odds are I’ve posted about it more than once.

But in this world of social media, I tend to have two ways of looking at things – full privacy, or open like a book.

When it comes to platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, I am pretty open. Remember, though, because I work in public information/relations, I tend to watch what I say or post. I’m conditioned to think about every word I post. Sure, sometimes I might have a little more fun with things, but the idea is to make sure nothing you put in the public eye can come back to haunt you. It’s not worth it.

On the flip side, my Facebook is very private. I try and keep my friend’s list at a certain number and make sure it’s smaller. For me, Facebook is more about connecting with closer friends and family. I still don’t post controversial or stupid things as again, you never know what’s out there. But it’s more personal there.

My blog, as you know, is very public.

There are other social network platforms that I use that aren’t really anything I worry about when it comes to public and private.

But then there’s LinkedIn.

A professional social network, it’s one where people can connect on a different level. There are recruiters and companies posting about opportunities. Your resume is out there for people in your circle, so to speak, to see.

So how public or private should your LinkedIn be?

I’ve recently accepted a few invitations and have a few others. Is it something to allow co-workers in? Is it something to allow strangers (they could be recruiters) in? Do you add others friends and family hoping for connections?

It’s one of those things I continue to ponder with social media. How about those of you who have LinkedIn? Besides telling what you do with requests/adding people, how about explaining how you use the platform? I’d like to utilize it more and get the most out of it, if I am going to have it.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

NEPA BlogCon: The other side of things

One of the early presenters at the NEPA BlogCon asked, for a show of hands, of how many people there were introverts.

I would gather that at least 60 percent of the people — if not more — raised their hands at the question. I actually raised mine about half as I feel I’m about 50-50, so I’m somewhat in the boat.

On one hand, this was a shocking thing — that’s a lot of people who feel that way. An introvert isn’t always somebody who is withdrawn and such, so there are different levels. Some have bigger thresholds when it comes to comfort zones.

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On the flip side, it didn’t shock me so much because that describes society as a whole now. There’s not a lot of face-to-face contact. We do a lot of communicating through computers or tablets or phones, which takes a somewhat personal touch away. Eye contact isn’t always there anymore, either.

This is where our society tends to go with the rapid growth of technology and social media. But is it good? To be blunt — probably not.

I realized going to this conference that there would be quite the mix of people there — from people in the tech world to personal bloggers to professionals to other types of bloggers etc. Everybody was likely looking to get something different out of the event.

When I go to any conference, my goal is to leave with a few things I feel I can use. I left here with a lot of ideas and thoughts. I enjoyed the speakers and presentations, even if some of it doesn’t really go with how I do my blog.

Still, after really thinking about things a bit, I walked away satisfied, but wanting a lot more interaction and such.

For example, I made up business cards for this conference with my social media and blog address etc. I thought that would be good for networking. In the end, I gave away three. I expected to give away a lot more and to have a lot more interaction. Toward the end of the day when I talked to a few people, I didn’t hand a card off to each of them and I should have. That’s my fault, without a doubt. Before that, though, I had hoped to have more opportunities to network, not just hand off a card.

How it worked

Registration went for an hour, with the conference starting at 10 a.m. Presentations followed, running until 12:30 p.m. Then there was an hour break for lunch, though for part of it, people were understandably eating. The second half went from about 1:30-4:30 p.m., give or take. People then cleared out to head home, somewhere else, or to the after party.

Your main options to network were during the registration hour, or during lunch. Though some people drifted outside during the conference and some decided they’d talk during the presentations (and some were not-so-quiet), the opportunities were somewhat limited. When you did have that chance to talk, you might be waiting to chat with somebody or feel rushed etc.

One other thing is this — the conference celebrated its fifth year. There were obvious people who had been to multiple as they kind of went into their groups. Though I don’t mind talking to pretty much anybody, I do have a hard time just walking up to a group and trying to interject myself. It’s awkward, at least to me.

Looking forward

As long as the date works with my calendar next year, I’m hoping to return to this conference. As noted, I took some good ideas away from it and feel I can branch out a little more and kind of get more out of the experience. Sometimes it takes going to something to get a feel for how things work.

That being said, it wouldn’t be me without coming up with ideas that I think could be beneficial for the greater good. Blame that on my journalism and PR background where I don’t necessarily think of things in a normal fashion!

So if this was a “perfect” world, what kind of things would I like to see added to this already excellent conference? I have a few thoughts — though I do realize that not everybody thinks the same way I do, some of these items might not be good financially, and these might be things long considered and not done for reasons unknown to me. This isn’t a slight at the committee or volunteers in any way — it’s just my thoughts on some things I think would be cool to have. There’s a wide range of people and bloggers — from personal to professional — that attend this conference, so these items may work for some and not others.

Ice-breakers

As a geocacher, I’ve dealt with many people who consider themselves introverts. It’s an outdoors game where people can do their own thing and enjoy being outside. Events, though, are spots where people do mingle. With that, we often have games that force people outside of their comfort zones.

Remember the conference has been around for a few years, so some people may have their “group” and others might have a hard time just talking to a full group. Networking is fine, but it’s a little daunting to walk up to a group of 4-6 people who are already in mid-conversation and just try and chat with them — especially if you identify as an introvert. I saw many people by themselves or with one other who kept to themselves for the majority of the conference. Though I talked to several people, there were times I felt like … what should I say?

That’s on me as much as anybody else, that’s for sure.

I would love to see something that forces people outside of their comfort zones. Maybe one of those bingo-style game where you have to try and get people to sign a certain thing (owns a tech blog; has won a NEPA BOTY award etc.) that makes people get out and talk to others. Have people fill out the card, put their name on it and submit it for a prize at the end of the conference (a random draw).

Break it up

Let me say I loved the presentations. I took something from each one, which is awesome. I’ve made some connections via Twitter and Instagram since the conference, which is great, but I also wanted people to maybe check out my blog — not just social media.

I noticed the crowd was smaller in the afternoon. I wonder if registration went an hour earlier and things started earlier if there would be a way to maybe do like three sessions, then take a 30-minute break for people to chat; followed by three more sessions and lunch; followed by three more sessions and a small break … you get the idea.

It’s just a thought to get people out of their seats more and talking and learning about one another as much as they are getting lessons from the presenters.

A directory/program

This could be the financial aspect of things — but what about a printed directory? First, somebody would have to be willing to undertake this (I’ve been known to volunteer my time for projects like this …) and then people would have to register/submit info by a certain date to make the cut (based on who was doing the printing), but how cool would it be to have a program of sorts that listed everybody coming with links to their website and social media?

My thought process is this — if there’s a directory with a story or two in it about the conference/history, as well as showing all the presenters (such as what is on the website), a tentative schedule and then info about attendees — it would be a popular item.

A spot for business cards

OK, so as I noted before — I handed out a whopping three cards. To that point, I almost wonder why I even had them made. So I wonder — could there be a table where people put their cards? Or, maybe if people are willing to send down — when swag bags are being put together, could people submit enough to have them in there? That might be a major pain, though, and it wouldn’t be fair to put more work in the hands of volunteers. So I’m not sure with this, but I know I was hoping to walk away with many cards this day so I could investigate other blogs and social media profiles. Maybe there’s connections via LinkedIn (which, honestly, I forgot and left off my card), or whatever else.

End result

I can’t complain about the experience. I thought it was well worth giving up a Saturday to go to the event and see what there was to offer. I definitely would like to go back again next year and, hopefully, actually attend the after-party at that point. I’m sure there were more chances to network there as well.

The event is extremely well-run and is highly affordable. Though the things mentioned above would possibly enhance certain aspects of the conference, it might not be what everybody is looking for. Hopefully in future years, though, I’ll have to chance to chat with people a tad more.

For those of you who attended NEPA BlogCon, what are your thoughts? And if you haven’t been there, but have attended other blog conferences, how do they run? Let me know as I’m curious and would like to get a feel for this aspect of the blogging/social media world.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

A great experience at my first NEPA BlogCon

There are times in life when you plan on one thing — and get something so much more from it.

That happened this weekend when I attended the NEPA BlogCon for the first time. This is an event I had been wanting to attend for a few years and it never worked out. This year it did. Though it wasn’t everything I had expected, I left after having a tremendous experience.

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Let me get one thing out of the way, though. Though I loved the day and all it had to offer, it still left me feeling slightly short on what I was hoping/expecting when it came to networking/talking to other bloggers. I came with cards and all for my blog and gave away … three. Part of that is on me, for sure … but at the same time, I don’t know, it just felt hard to “network.”

But that’s for another post later in the week. I’ll tackle that with my thoughts on that end of things in a few days. For now, let me talk about the conference as a whole.

With a one-day conference featuring 11 speakers, it’s a lot to absorb. I’m still trying to get everything straight in my mind. Whether it’s something about social media or branding or marketing or video — there’s a lot to think about and wonder how it can work within the confines of my blog.

Remember this — my blog is a personal one. There’s no true niche, so I don’t reach a certain group of people. One day I can write about baseball, the next could be photos, the next could be something in my mind etc. Other people who I spoke with at the conference had that focus — a niche or something along those lines.

That’s fine, too. Not everybody has a focused blog. I’m obviously one of them.

Through the years, I’ve seen people go to other blog conferences and such. They all seem to be different. Some are more based on fun and gathering. Others are more serious. Some are in the middle. While I won’t say the NEPA BlogCon was “serious,” it leaned more toward an educational sort of setting, which was OK.

The topics were excellent. The people who presented were excellent. They had amazing raffle prizes (I won on two of my tickets and each winning ticket had multiple things. In one of those packages, I received a pair of virtual glasses, gaming headphones and a laptop cooling pad … that’s solid), and they offered some amazing bagels for breakfast and lunch was by Panera. The swag bag everybody received had some excellent things, including a custom Rubik’s Cube, which is really cool. 

All for $15 (well, raffle tickets cost you some cash when you got there).

At the NEPA BlogCon!

At the NEPA BlogCon!

Anyway, back to my initial thought about getting a little more from something than planned. Though there were certain things I didn’t get that I was hoping for, I left with a whole heap more than I had planned.

Some of the ideas offered were great in terms of blogging, but they are ones I might never touch because of how I do my blog (such as advertising etc.), but there were things I might look into (more video etc.) and seeing what I can do for engagement.

But there were a lot of things that hit a little harder in that some of the advice went well beyond blogging or my social media or even as things I can use professionally, rather they spoke to life as a whole.

The reality is I saw a lot of people who had goals and knew how to follow through. There were people who were planners and made sure they got things done. There were high-energy people who had thoughts and who built themselves up. Yes, it was a tech-heavy crowd (not shocking), but those who presented gave lessons that can be used in your everyday life, which made things even better for me.

One of the pieces of swag we received.

One of the pieces of swag we received.

I realized through the day that there are changes I can make in my blog process, but also many I can make over the course of my everyday life. I do like my job and I like doing other things, but I need to continue down the path to improve not only my blog, but life as a whole.

The NEPA BlogCon was a great experience for me. I found a lot of people to follow and watch on social media and hopefully I’ll eventually find their blogs and see what they have to offer on that point. Though I didn’t get to experience everything I had hoped for, it worked out well. Later this week, I’ll have another post about looking forward and what I hope to get out of future editions of the NEPA BlogCon as I hope to attend again in the future.

A big thank you to all those who put the conference together and all the volunteers. It was a top-notch event and I’m extremely happy I attended!

For any others who attended and want to connect, feel free to follow me on Twitter (@softball29) and Instagram (@HooHaa29). Also, drop a comment below and let me know your blog address, so I can check it out!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!