The Boulevard Bulletin: The Power of Storytelling, Unraveling Meta's Threads App, and The End of the Social Web

The Dog Days of Summer Are Upon Us

Hi there,

Summer is in full swing, vacations are in high gear, and it’s too hot to do just about anything outside other than find a Duke’s [Hanover] tomato sandwich (Hot Tomato Summer is in full swing, y’all!) and count down the days until fall. Speaking of vacations, my wife Katie and I took some time to get away to the Outer Banks a couple of weeks back, and after hustling to get my business going, it was nice to refresh, recharge, and unplug. In fact, it may have been the first time in my life I went eight days (!) without checking my email once. It was glorious, at least until I saw my inbox upon returning.

Suffice to say, I hope you and yours get a chance to vacation (or staycation) before the summer’s over if you haven’t already – it’s good for your creativity, your well-being, and your soul.

That said, I’m back in action and would love to schedule coffee, lunch, or a virtual meeting and hear what you’ve been up to, and how I might be able to help. Pound the button below to find some time on my calendar!

Unraveling Threads, Meta’s New Twitter Clone

Twitter is Dead (Long live Twitter) and I have many thoughts on the matter which I won’t get into too deeply in this space. Yes, it’s dead in the sense that Elon Musk has systematically broken it over time, but also in the sense that he decided, in a single tweet last weekend, to rebrand it as simply “X,” the “everything” platform. Twitter was monumentally important to the world at large over the past decade, and it, or specifically Social Media Club RVA (click for some flashback photos from 2008), literally altered the course of my life in my early 20s. But that’s a story for another time. It’s a bittersweet moment and another sign that the social web is slowly coming to an end.

Well, maybe. Enter Threads, Meta’s new Twitter (erm, X) clone. It’s having a bit of a moment after launching July 5th. The app eclipsed ChatGPT to become the fastest-growing platform ever with over 100 million signups in its first week. My thoughts on and issues with Meta and Facebook aside, Threads has a lot better vibe than the Twitter of late (at least for now), and most folks, myself included, have seen pretty good uptake when posting content. If you haven’t started an account for your brand, now’s the time to experiment! It’s a rare moment when a platform is this greenfield – anything’s possible.

Even if you never liked Twitter, you might like Threads more because there may be a greater number of people you know already on the platform. Why? Mainly because Meta made onboarding super easy: you simply import your Instagram profile pic, find and follow your existing Insta friends, and you’re off to the races – it made adoption effortless.

So if you’re looking for a fresh new way to breathe some life into your marketing efforts, that’s my tip for the month. Oh and by the way, follow us on our brand new account while you’re there!

Once Upon a Time in Marketing: The Power of Storytelling in Captivating Your Audience

Once upon a time, in the world of marketing, a powerful tool lay hidden beneath the surface – storytelling. Just like the captivating opening line of a fairy tale, storytelling has the ability to captivate your audience, leaving them spellbound, engaged, and emotionally connected to your brand. Today, we embark on a journey to explore the magic of storytelling in marketing and how it can transform your business.

At its core, storytelling in marketing refers to the art of using narratives, emotions, and relatable experiences to convey brand messages. Instead of simply promoting products or services, good storytelling takes your audience on an immersive journey, making them an integral part of your brand’s narrative.

In a fast-paced digital world, where attention spans are shrinking, capturing and holding the attention of your audience has become an pivotal challenge for many businesses. By tapping into the power of storytelling, you can forge deep emotional connections, which not only captivate but also foster lasting relationships with your customers.

Client Spotlight: LM Restaurant Group

We enjoyed partnering with?LM Restaurants, owners of?Carolina Ale House?and nine other signature hospitality brands to overhaul and update their web presence in collaboration with?MadDope. Digital. Beyond just a visual refresh, the new site is more user-friendly for mobile visitors and streamlines the hiring process across the company's nearly 40 locations in the southeastern U.S.

Coming next month, we’ll explore the elephant in the room, AI, and separate the hype from reality – and feature some useful ChatGPT prompts to boost your productivity, plus we’ll showcase some of the great things our clients are doing in the Richmond community and beyond. Thanks for being here, stay cool, and talk soon!

Until next time,