anthony n. white - portfolio, february 2016

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DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS + SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

Anthony Nathan White

http://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonynwhite


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linkedin.com/in/anthonynwhite @anthonynwhite [email protected] Nathan White

Social Media Strategy

LEADING THE WAYIn early 2010, Vulcan Inc. had virtually no social media presence. Recognizing a need, I took action to move Vulcan into the social sphere. I was promoted to become Vulcan’s first dedicated social media professional by the end of 2010. As the lead on multiple accounts, I implemented a social strategy which saw growth that more than doubled the average following on each account over three years.

FOLLOWERS BY YEAR

2011 2012 2013

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

Vulcan Facebook

Vulcan Twitter

Idea Man Facebook

Living Computer Museum Facebook

The Living Computer Museum Facebook page saw 800% growth in 2013.






CARPE VIDEOIn late 2011, I worked as part of the team announcing a new space initiative from Paul G. Allen, Stratolaunch Systems. We commissioned a video to show how the project works, and I seized the chance to start Vulcan’s YouTube account. When international media showed up to the press conference in December 2011, a link to our YouTube account was included in the digital press kit. As a result, the vast majority of press coverage included the embedded video. It garnered over a million views and drove attention to other Vulcan videos, which I had organized into playlists after performing an asset audit.

The ~1.5 million viewers of the Stratolaunch video also contributed tens of thousands of views to Vulcan’s other videos.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh29Pm1Rrc0&list=PL7AF51D2B8B6AF413&index=2



BUILDING AN EXECUTIVE BRAND ONLINEIn 2011, I was part of the marketing team behind the release of Paul Allen’s memoir Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft. To ensure Mr. Allen’s fans were able to gather and interact with each other online, I launched and managed his first public Facebook page. My content strategy for the page focused on providing rarely or never-before seen items from Mr. Allen’s life and long career in computing, along with frequent updates about his current projects. It remains a busy hub of fan activity to this day. I also began assisting Mr. Allen with his Twitter account, which grew in leaps and bounds over the next three years.








TIMING IS EVERYTHINGIn early 2013, Vulcan’s communications team organized a celebration in honor of the opening of the Living Computer Museum. I saw an opportunity to kickstart the new museum’s social media presence, and worked with museum staff to recreate a classic photograph featuring the cofounders of Microsoft. I tweeted the image from Paul G. Allen’s account, and it was an instant hit with the media. The photograph I took was featured in coverage by Forbes, Gizmodo, Mashable, CBS News, and many others. It was Paul Allen’s most retweeted tweet of 2013, and it prompted explosive growth on the Living Computer Museum’s Facebook page. original photo

MEDIA COVERAGE




https://twitter.com/PaulGAllen/status/319627797209444352/photo/1

http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2013/04/04/bill-gates-and-paul-allen-reunite-and-recreate-classic-1981-microsoft-photo/

http://gizmodo.com/5993569/bill-gates-and-paul-allen-recreate-iconic-1981-microsoft-photo

http://mashable.com/2013/04/04/bill-gates-paul-allen-picture/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/microsoft-founders-bill-gates-and-paul-allen-recreate-1981-photo/



EXPLORING NEW CHANNELS, EXPANDING OLD CHANNELSI began working at Colliers International, one of the world’s top commercial real estate firms, as Global Social Media Manager in 2014. Within six months of my hire, Colliers was leading all of its top three global competitors in growth rates across three out of the four most common social media channels. Using a content strategy that demonstrates Colliers’ global presence, I won Colliers’ new Instagram channel the second-highest following among all commercial real estate Instagram accounts in that time.

COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL 21%

COMPETITOR A 20%

COMPETITOR B 17%

COMPETITOR C 16%

COMPETITOR B 26%

COMPETITOR A 19%

COMPETITOR C 20%


COMPETITOR C 42%


COMPETITOR A 57%

COMPETITOR B 46%

COMPETITOR C 7%


COMPETITOR A 13%

COMPETITOR B 12%

FOLLOWER GROWTH BY NETWORK






EMPOWERING EMPLOYEES TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES—AND THEIR BRANDWhen it comes to social media advocacy on behalf of a brand, employees are overlooked far too often. That’s a shame, because they are every company’s greatest asset. In order to activate the social power of Colliers’ employees—and to empower those employees with assets that engage their own social media networks—I organized and executed an employee advocacy/social engagement program for Colliers in the first half of 2015. The program was aptly named Share It, and it arms Colliers employees with all of the Colliers and commercial real estate news they need to stay relevant and connected with their social media following. In Q4 of 2015, the program was opened to all U.S. employees.

1.3 million social media impressions and rising





Blogging + Copywriting

ENGAGING COPYWhen I started writing for the Vulcan Voice in 2010, it was a seldom-read internal blog underutilized by employees. In 2011, I became the lead writer and editor for the blog, and I soon turned the numbers around. Using the same engagement tactics that I employed in public social media channels, I increased employee readership by over 300% within months. The Vulcan Voice became Vulcan’s primary channel for intracompany news, replacing mass email.

Before I became the lead blog writer and editor, only 20% of employees read the blog daily. Afterwards, 85% of employees visited daily, an increase of over 300%.






MOTIVATE TO PARTICIPATEIn 2012, Vulcan kicked off an employee wellness program. Human Resources came to me for help in making the program a success. I named the program VIBE (an acronym for Vulcan: Involved, Balanced, and Enriched) and as the lead writer and editor of employee news, assumed responsibility for promoting and discussing the program on the company blog. It was a resounding success; HR originally aimed for 50% participation, and at the close of 2012 80% of employees were involved. By the end of October 2013, 95% of the company had joined VIBE, motivated in large part by my efforts.

95% participation in employee wellness program






CONTENT MARKETING FOR COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATEIn October of 2014, I was part of the launch team for Knowledge Leader, the first commercial real estate blog with a content marketing approach by a global CRE firm. Within a year, Colliers’ top two global competitors had launched their own content marketing blogs.

I was originally in charge of the social strategy and a contributing author on the blog. In September of 2015, I took over as managing editor as well. Today, I help a roster of over 50 authors from around the world to develop, craft and distribute their writing.

Almost 300 stories have been published on Knowledge Leader, leading to interviews with media, new business opportunities, and syndication across the Web for the authors.






WRITING SAMPLESAs Vulcan’s constant voice in social media and a daily blogger of company news, I was a natural choice to contribute copy to Vulcan’s website re-launce in late 2013. You can find my writing all over Vulcan.com, but I am particularly proud of how I told the story of Vulcan’s green design principles and the historical view I imparted of Paul Allen’s acquisition of the Seahawks.

As the Managing Editor of Colliers’ Knowledge Leader blog, my primary role is to refine the writing of others. Nevertheless, I still publish under my own name on occasion.

Writing samples from Vulcan.com and the Knowledge Leader blog are included on the following pages.






GREEN DESIGNThoughtful design is the key to building sustainable communities. It’s a simple concept that guides Vulcan’s development in the Pacific Northwest. At Vulcan, we’re building with the future in mind. We know that the next generation will need efficient facilities to conserve precious resources and thoughtful design to enliven their surroundings.

Seattle’s South Lake Union is a prominent example of environmentally-conscious urban real estate development. Since 2002, Vulcan has worked in South Lake Union to redevelop industrial sites, increase residential density, and provide access to jobs and transit. The massive urban revitalization project has integrated sustainably-constructed life science, office, retail, and residential buildings into a walkable urban landscape with access to parks, arts and preserved history. In 2011, South Lake Union was recognized with the first LEED-certified neighborhood plan in Washington State. It’s a world-class community where people live, work and play together in a sustainable urban environment.

Vulcan’s green design standards also extend to the Pacific Northwest’s most prominent sports and entertainment venues: CenturyLink Field, CenturyLink Field Event Center and the WaMu Theater in Seattle and the Moda Center in Portland. The Moda Center, Oregon’s largest entertainment venue and the home of the Portland Trail Blazers, was the first major sports arena to earn LEED Gold Certification. The CenturyLink Field complex, home to the Seattle Seahawks and the Seattle Sounders FC, is also home to Washington State’s largest solar array. 2.5 acres of solar panels soak up the sun’s energy atop the event center, lowering the facility’s energy costs along with its carbon footprint. Both CenturyLink Field and the Moda Center are members of the Green Sports Alliance, holding themselves to the highest possible standards of energy efficiency and waste diversion.




http://www.vulcan.com/areas-of-practice/global-citizenship/key-initiatives/green-design



SAVING THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKSThe Seattle Seahawks have been a rallying point for Seattle’s citizens since 1975. The 12th Man, as Seahawks supporters are known in Seattle, is an enthusiastic bunch known for breaking crowd noise records and shaking the earth with their cheers. But there was a time when Seattle nearly lost its beloved Seahawks. If it wasn’t for Paul Allen, the team might be known as the Los Angeles Seahawks today.

During the mid-90s, Ken Behring, a Californian who had owned the Seahawks since 1988, saw an opportunity to bring the team to Los Angeles. In 1995, the Rams left L.A. for St. Louis. In February 1996, Behring moved the Seahawks headquarters to Anaheim, California. Seattle was outraged. Behring’s explanation for the move—the seismic vulnerability of the crumbling Kingdome—rang hollow with Seattleites. Who moves a team to Southern California to avoid earthquakes? Who would step in to save the team from this rogue owner? These were the questions asked by the public and the press at the time.

In April 1996, Paul Allen answered. He purchased an option to buy the Seahawks from Behring, but there was one condition: The public needed to partner with him to build a new stadium. Behring was right about the Kingdome; it was unsafe for spectators. Falling tiles from the roof of the stadium endangered players and fans. It had to go.

The Washington Public Stadium Authority Bill, also known as Referendum 48, passed after a special election in June 1997. True to his word, Paul Allen took ownership of the team in August 1997, beginning the process of building the team into Super Bowl contenders. In September of 1998, CenturyLink Field began construction, and in 2002 construction it was completed.

The Seattle Seahawks finally had an owner who lived in and loved Seattle. The 12th Man finally had a stadium which could handle a Beast Quake. Thanks to Paul Allen, the Seahawks were ready to take flight.




http://www.vulcan.com/news/articles/2013/11/saving-the-seattle-seahawks


FIVE WAYS SOCIAL MEDIA MAKES YOU BETTER AT COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATEThe Internet is integral to modern life. You’re probably reading this online, so I don’t have to tell you that. But it’s also clear that online social experiences are an essential part of daily life: In 2013, 85 percent of adults in the United States used the Web, and as of Jan. 2014, 74 percent of those adults used social networking sites. It makes sense, after all. We’re all online, anyway. Shouldn’t we be interacting?

Of course we should. And while social media is still in its infancy, it’s already demonstrated the ability to facilitate human interaction on a scale never seen before. That’s why it’s always a shock to me that so many commercial real estate professionals aren’t engaged with social media.

As new social networking sites proliferate across the Web, we have the opportunity to harness this medium into a tool that works for professionals. Here are five ways social media can make you better at the commercial real estate business:

Social media makes you smarter.Experts agree that the Internet enhances intelligence. Want to know what you’ve learned today? Look through your browser history.

In an age where every question is answered with a search on Google or Wikipedia, it pays to be better informed. If you use Twitter and LinkedIn to monitor conversations about commercial real estate, you’ll always have access to the crème de la crème of breaking news, expert opinions and industry trends. And if you have questions, ask your network. Crowdsourcing frequently proves many brains are better than one.

Social media can boost your credibility.Have you been learning anything from your customers and colleagues? Prove it.

By sharing and commenting upon social media posts that are relevant to your business, you can demonstrate your own knowledge and be useful to others. Do it consistently and you might even gain a following of your own. To see an example of a commercial real estate pro who uses social media very, very well, look no further than Colliers International’s Coy Davidson.

Of course, boosting your own image isn’t (or shouldn’t be) the ultimate goal of social media interaction. Which leads us to my next point …

Social media allows people to get to know you.Everyone wants to trust the people with whom they do business. And if you think that your clients and colleagues haven’t entered your name into a search engine, well… Hopefully you won’t be too shocked to learn that your name and online identity are Googled every now and then. And that is OK! It doesn’t hurt a bit.

Your social media presence is a chance to show off not only your knowledge but also your personality and accomplishments. People can learn a lot about you by visiting your LinkedIn profile and reading a few Facebook updates. Every post on social media is a thought frozen in time. Just don’t forget that you’re broadcasting those thoughts to an audience.

Social media is a great way to learn about new people.Online social media is social networking on a gargantuan, global scale. Of course you’re going to run across someone whose commercial real estate acumen is a boon to you. And when you do, you’ll be able watch them interact with others, see the information they share and the commentary they provide. If you’re new to the game, watch for a while before you dive in.

Social media is also a great way to check out potential clients and understand their needs, which brings us to our final item …

Social media is the next level of customer service.

When you think about it, most of the benefits listed above are already traits of successful business people. Research, reputation, due diligence and networking are all common elements of “real-life” interaction. Social media simply scales these traits upward to fit the massive platform of the World Wide Web.

You know what’s (unfortunately) not so common in real-life interaction? Outstanding customer service. Luckily for you, social media makes it easy to provide personalized customer service. Social media interaction makes you more informed, empowers you to trade all types of information with ease and allows you to stay in touch with clients long after any deal is done.

Want to make your customer service memorable? Maybe try a 21st century solution to the age-old problem.






WHY YOU SHOULDN’T DREAD THE ADVANCE OF MILLENNIALS IN THE WORKPLACEBy now, you might have heard that 2015 is the year Millennials take over the workforce. Does the thought fill you with dread? If so, you aren’t the only one. Media coverage of Millennials in recent years has been a parade of hand-wringing and selfie-loathing. They’ve been called a “generation of deluded narcissists” by Fox News, financially illiterate by USA Today and the “least entrepreneurial generation” by Quartz. As Baby Boomers and Gen Xers head towards retirement, are they doomed to work alongside incompetent, self-centered sloths?

Take a deep breath. It’s true that Millennials aren’t perfect, but the good news is this: Millennials bring some unique and positive qualities with them to the workplace.

Millennials are digital natives, which is a good thing. Millennials have taken a lot of criticism for constant engagement with the Internet and technology, but this is only a sign of the times. We live in a fast-paced, technology-driven world. Keeping in touch with the latest tech trends and social media is essential to the modern workforce—and will be for the foreseeable future.

We’ve already discussed how social media can make you better at commercial real estate. Social media is also a great platform for employees to function as brand advocates for their company; a Nielsen study from 2013 concluded that 84% of respondents found word-of-mouth recommendations (also known as earned advertising) to be trustworthy. That makes earned advertising the most trusted form of advertising by a wide margin. Social media is the world’s biggest channel for word-of-mouth

recommendations, and it is growing every day.

We need to stop chastising Millennials for using social media and turn their behavior into a business advantage. The Millennial penchant for learning new digital platforms is actually a huge bonus; the problem, it seems, is motivating them. This brings us to our next point…

Millennials are motivated by company values, not just money. Millennials expect a little more from their employers. They are more likely to seek out flexible working hours, offices with a diverse workforce and a company with which they share values. This desire is driven by the weight Millennials place on their personal relationships and their desire to work toward a greater good.

According to a 2014 survey, a company’s involvement with causes is the third most important factor for a Millennial when deciding to apply for a job. A company’s diversity ranks high on their list too, coming in at fifth most important. This makes sense, given that Millennials are the most racially diverse generation in American history. In short, if you want to attract Millennials to your business, hire a diverse team and give them a cause to rally around.

However, it’s not clear if Millennials are more motivated by values than money. To be frank, most Millennials haven’t had a chance to engage with wealth.

According to this Pew report, 25- to 32-year-olds of every education level faced higher unemployment in 2013 than any comparable age cohort since the Silent Generation. Given the job market during the recent

global recession, it makes sense that Millennials opted to stay in school rather than join the workforce. All those diplomas produced a lot of debt, but they also produced a generation of well-educated people. In fact…

Did you know Millennials are the most educated generation in American history? It’s true. It’s also true that high levels of education (and a willingness to learn more) impact the way Millennials work. According to the 2015 Millennial Majority Workforce Study, 82% of hiring managers agree that Millennials are more technically adept, and 60% agree that Millennials learn new things more quickly.

In our knowledge economy, better-educated workers are better workers. This is a rising tide that will lift all economic boats. Even though Millennials have been suffering under the same wage stagnation as previous generations in recent decades, higher levels of education will help them climb toward the top of the pay scale.

It’s time to welcome Millennials.Have no fear, old-timers. Despite what you might have heard about Millennials in the workplace, the business world will keep turning. You’ll get to engage with social media and tech a little more often, and you’ll be working with well-educated people who care about company values. Doesn’t sound so bad, does it? Let’s roll out the welcome mat.

Maybe the real worry for industry veterans is this: As technological innovations and new demographics roil the waters of commercial real estate, will older generations be able to keep their hands on the rudder until retirement?





Connect with me.

Anthony Nathan White

linkedin.com/in/anthonynwhite

@anthonynwhite

[email protected]

(206) 512 9738





