11 Social Media Features We WISH Existed

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As professional social media fanatics, we at Metter Media spend a LOT of time online. Because of that, it should come as no surprise we have plenty of ideas that could make our (and everyone else’s) experiences better on social networking.

Sometimes that article about the new iPhone could really use a Macarena baby GIF — that Facebook won’t allow. Or you get a Twitter notification on your phone that you can’t read because someone sharing the account already opened it and it disappeared before your very eyes. And it’s beyond frustrating.

In the midst of scheduling posts, sharing cat pictures, and lightheartedly making fun of each other, the MM team came up with our top social media gripes that we’d love to see solutions to — soon.

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Responding to Feedback: When Negativity Fails & How To Fix It

Negative Feedback(NSFW language coming up. You’ve been warned!)

You’re a restaurant owner or chef, and a critic or customer totally throws your establishment under the bus. Or an artist, and somebody you’ve never met bashes your work. Or… you get the idea. How do you react?

It reaches you on a personal level, so you feel the urge to fire back. Right?

Just this week, a San Francisco chef did just that via a window sign, saying, “Yes we use MSG, we don’t believe in organic food, and we don’t give a sh*t about gluten-free.”

That’s what you want to do, but definitely not what you should do!

Unfortunately, this type of reaction is not uncommon, and it’s occurring far more often thanks to chefs and restaurant owners venting on very public social media platforms. The outrage gets picked up by news outlets, goes viral, and ends up in articles like this explaining how NOT to handle customer service.

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Famous in 15: 4 Internet Celebs Show How Easy Viral Fame Can Be

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Andy Warhol said, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.”

Warhol didn’t account for the future being so social, though. Nowadays, thanks to the power of social media, everyone can be world-famous IN 15 minutes. Viral fame is a sudden movement on a permanent platform. That kind of infamy lasts a lot longer than a few minutes.

Here are some sudden celebrities and how they reached their fame overnight:

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Big Brands Doing Social Media Right

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It isn’t easy to run a successful social media account for your business (which is why you should hire Metter Media, ahem), but there are a few companies who not only do it well, they’re basically our Social Media Heroes who can teach us quite a bit. Your brand has more in common with national names than you think, and if you look closely at their updates, you’ll begin to see patterns that have helped them get to that special place in our Favorites.

Here are our picks for big brands doing social media right, and what, exactly, we can learn from their bacon tweets and khakis:

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Urbanology 101: An Interview With the Mayor of ‘Boscago’

Max Grinnell, The Urbanologist

Boston may be a small city, but it’s a great one, and no one knows that more than city expert and self-titled “Urbanologist” Max Grinnell. With roots in Seattle and Madison, Wisconsin, Max has dedicated most of his life to studying how cities work and teaching others through his publications, website, and — most importantly — Twitter.

As @theurbanologist, Max explores Boston and Chicago (an area he calls “Boscago”) and highlights the best parts of both in terms of entertainment, growth, sociology, and more.

Max lent us an ear to talk Boston, Twitter, and what it really means to be an urbanologist.

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Student Guide: Who to Follow on Twitter in Boston

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As much as we complain incessantly about #Boston, you’ve picked a good city to call home while you’re in school. And one thing we’re really good at is social media. Our Mayor (@marty_walsh) hosts #TwitterChat(s) regularly, we’ve won various awards for the city’s social media prowess, and here’s a protip: if you know who to follow on Twitter, that’s enough to be “in the know” in this city.

So here’s a good list to get you started (subscribe to it here):

General Boston

@BostonTweet
@OnlyInBOS
@universalhub
@BostInno
@ConciergeBoston
@BostonAttitude
@BostonReview
@morisy
@steveannear
@Fara1
@dbernstein
@HeyRatty
@senatorjohn

Events

@TheBostonCal
@BostonTweetUp
@BriteBoston UPDATE: Inactive since 2015.

City of Boston (important) Accounts

@CityOfBoston
Mayor: @marty_walsh
Food Trucks: @bosfood
Bikes: @bikeboston
@DoITBoston

News

@BostonGlobe
@BostonDotCom
@DigBoston
@MetroBOS
@BetaBoston
@WBUR
@wgbhnews
@BostInno
@BostonMagazine
@TheImproper
@cambridgechron
@7news

Live Updates

@CityOfBoston
@UniversalHub
@MassDOT
@BostonPolice
@BostonFire
@BEMSincidents

Schools

@BU_Tweets
@EmersonCollege
@Northeastern
@BostonCollege
@Suffolk_U
@UMassBoston
@BerkleeCollege
@EmmanuelCollege
@Harvard
@MITstudents
@SimmonsCollege
@MassArt
@TuftsUniversity
@SMFABoston

Neighborhoods

@allstonratcity
@YourAllstonBri
@BrightonMainSts
@SomervilleCity
@MissionHillMass
@JP_02130
@thefenway
@YTfenwaykenmore
@kendall_square
@cambridgeUSA
@WelcomeToDot
@DTownBostonBID
@HelloGreenway
@go_centralsq

Food & Drink

@onthebar
@thedrewstarr
@petemfboyd
@hiddenboston
@mysecretboston
@mcslimjb
@bostonmixdrink
@eaterboston
@blumie
@boloco
@ZagatBoston
@TheWriteStuffSK
@lmennies
@thrillistboston
@RestoWeekBoston
@BostonChefsNews
@BostonChefsJobs

LULZ

@backbaymemoirs UPDATE: Inactive since 2015.
@centralsqpigeon  UPDATE: Inactive since 2016.
@lukeoneil47
@BDPizzaBrighton UPDATE: Inactive since 2015.
@The66bus
@TomBradysEgo
@iamchrisscott
@bostonmo

A&E

@AllstonPudding
@DigBoston
@Vanyaland617
@SoundofBoston
@BDCwire
@Boston_Calling
@together
@boweryboston
@LostinSound_org
@mmmmaven
@MASSEDMC
@lawnond
@GlobeMusic
@mfaboston
@ICAinBoston
@amandapalmer

Venues

@mideastclub
@zuzubar
@TheSinclair
@paradiserockclb
@GreatScottROCK
@Brighton_Music
@middlesexlounge
@The_Wilbur
@hob_boston
@ttthebears UPDATE: TT The Bears has closed as of July 2015.
@goodlifebar

MBTA Accounts

@mbta_alerts
@mbta_bus_alerts
@MBTA_CR
@MBTA
@MBTATransitPD

Other Transportation

@bikeboston
@Hubway
@Uber_BOS
@HailoBoston
@Lyft
@Bridj

The best Twitter accounts in Boston

@mettermedia
@haveyoumetter
@discolyssa
@saraherib
@kciccolini
@jasminejamboree
@angelabray
@heshi393
@sierraunsworth

Who are your essential Boston tweeters? Let us know in the comments!

Metter Media LLC is a Boston-based social media management company that implements community-based, localized social engagement strategies for small businesses and corporations alike. Need help with your social media? Email Lauren today.

The Social Media News Revolution: One-On-One with @universalhub

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It was pouring rain on a Wednesday afternoon when I sat down at Foley’s in the South End with Adam Gaffin, aka @universalhub. We were both dripping wet and armed with all the supplies we needed: laptops and smartphones, and both of us seemed to be running on very little sleep.

The night before was the first night that Twitter blew up with news from #Ferguson, Missouri, and if I didn’t already feel more like my old journalist self again, sitting with Gaffin and talking at warp speed about the way we ingest news nowadays made it so. He needs no introduction: @universalhub, the biggest source of real-time news in Greater Boston, convener of crowdsourced iPhone reports and hero of citizen journalism, especially via social media.

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How Social Media Changed a Boston Bartender’s Career

Tenzin Samdo

Everyone knows Boston loves to drink. From our intense celebrations during St. Patrick’s Day and the Boston Marathon to the notorious “drunk train” that is the B line, to being consistently named America’s drunkest city, we get a reputation for being more than willing to partake.

What is often overlooked, though, is Boston’s appreciation for craft beer, locally made liquor, and remarkable craft cocktails. We have some of the best people in the country behind the stick, and one such barman, Tenzin Samdo, wants to make it known.

As @bostonmixdrink on Instagram and Twitter, Tenzin shares his own specialty cocktails as well as those he experiences throughout the city and on international travels – and he knows his stuff. His accounts are filled with gorgeous shots of unique drinks, beautiful sights, and his adorable son, and his IG has gained over 8,000 followers in less than two years.

With a mocktail of watermelon juice, basil, and cucumber in hand, I sat down with Tenzin at his home turf, Trade, and chatted about social media and the Boston bar scene.

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