Your Guide To Making The Metrolink Prom Social

A lot of people talk about social media. Most of them don't really know what it is but see it as this deus ex machina to help connect them with young adults, or just marketing in general.

Read on for a specific list of how these mystical technologies should be employed tonight to make sure the Metrolink prom gets maximum exposure

Ok, Let me break it down. Social media is about sharing your experience with their friends, in a way that makes them want to share it with their friends which allows things to be spread by networks. The first issue is that your content, that is, what you are actually sharing, has to be interesting enough to that people who don't know you (or feel like they owe you anything) will also want to view and pass along the content.

I think that in Metrolink prom, we have such an event. The juxtaposition of public transportation and words like 'hip' 'formal wear' and 'fun' is unique enough that it should present some pretty interesting outcomes.

Ok.. so now we have our content, how are we going to share it?

For starters, let's look at facebook, the world's largest social network. Metrolink prom is listed as an event and, at time of posting, has 200 confirmed participants.

How about while we partake in the event itself? How can our experience be communicated in real time?

Let's start with the newest entrant into this field: Foursquare.

Foursquare is a location/status update service that allows you to tell your friends where you are and what is interesting about that place. You can do this through a basic mobile browser, an app (for iPhone or Android), or text message. You can have the update simultaneously sent to Twitter too.

So, here's how to use it: After you have signed up and figured out the service, send an update when you get to the Forest Park Metrolink Station, and send the update to Twitter.

Take pictures over the course of the night and post them to Twitter or facebook and let people know what a Metrolink prom looks like.

If enough people are putting it up, the laws of social networks dictate that it will pick up traction, and hit mainstream media's consciousness and blow up from there.

Let's make it happen.
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NOLA Service Project

In New Orleans, this weekend, hundreds of Jewish young adults are showing up to connect, and engage in some tikkun olam, in the form of manual labor in St. Bernard's Parish.

This project represents a new movement or perhaps an experiment towards one in the mission to engage Jewish young adults, and to do community service work.

As we have written about before, the model has shifted from an emphasis on cerebral, religious Judaism, to more active, engaging, and cultural Judaism. . . mirroring in someways the movement of Zionism.

The hope is that Jewish young adults will pay for the privilege to hang out with each other and make a difference. And pay we are... 350$ for the conference, plus travel and lodging....yikes.

The event's power, I believe, comes from the connections that will be made and the energy and ideas that will be shared.

The St. Lou Jew will be in full effect in NOLA, representing among the young Yid leaders in attendance.

For live updates, check us out at www.twitter.com/thestloujew or follow @thestloujew.
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St. Louis, Where's Our Twestival?!

Today, on February 12, 2009, cities around the world are hosting Twestivals. For those who doubt the power of twitter, please read on to learn more about how this 21st-century marketing-tool-meets-what-are-you-doing-now is strengthening communities and raising awareness about needy causes.

Twitter + Festival = Twestival. Clever, no? The event is described as "an evening of fun" that brings together Twitter communities while raising money and awareness for charity:water.

From the Web site:

The Twestival is organized 100% by volunteers in cities around the world and 100% of the money raised from these events will go directly to support charity: water projects.


charity: water promo featuring "Time Bomb" by Beck from charity: water on Vimeo.

I personally think this is very cool and I like twitter. Other people do not believe in it so much (back off, haters!). Twitter allows friends to figure out what they're doing at that exact moment; it provides insight into corporate and organizational initiatives; it's your get out of jail free card; it's a source for the most up-to-date and agenda-free news; and it's a great way to learn when The St. Lou Jew publishes a new post or attends an event.

Even Congress is on Twitter. Even my mom is on Twitter.

Maybe next year bloggers from The St. Lou Jew will be volunteering for another good cause at a local Twestival... Let's get the community together for a good cause and a good time. For now, you can follow us on Twitter - codename: thestloujew.

Are you on Twitter? Hit us up with your username so we can fill you in on what's shaking in STL.

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Jews and Money: Pay Up!

Just how Jewish is our friend Y? Well, if you blog with us, you owe him $3 and he'll remind you!!

Today, Y proved another stereotype about Jews. We spent the afternoon hanging out, talking about the direction of the blog... we got a lot done. At last, we have a domain name reserved (thestloujew.com --- it redirects here until we go pro) and you can follow us on twitter.

Y and I had some questions for our fellow Jew Crew bloggers... he wrapped up a phone call with Zuz like this...
Y: Oh yeah, we registered our domain name today- it's a done deal.
Zuz: Cool, I didn't know we were doing that.
Y: Yeah, we'll talk about it at our meeting tomorrow.
[insert thirty seconds of random catch-up talk here...boys are weird]
Y: By the way, you owe me $3.
Zuz: What?
Y: for the domain name, everybody owes me $3.
[Y looks at me like "yeah, chick, you gotta pay too!"]
LC: Geez, Y, you're such a Jew!
Zuz: No kidding.
Y: You're right- someone should blog about this!

Mo' money, mo' problems... such is the life of the Jewish Young Adult. I can't blame Y, I'd want my $3, too. The St. Lou Jew runs a tight ship!

On that note, we'll be bringing in a feed of our "tweets" soon so we can let you know where we'll be and what we'll be doing if you dutiful readers would like to join. The more the merrier.
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