The Finalists kicked off week three with a great session from marketing, PR and social media expert Bobbie Carlton. Armed with a website & twitter, in 2009 Bobbie launched Mass Innovation Nights (@MassInno), a monthly launch party/showcase for entrepreneurs around Massachusetts. In the session, she used the foundations of her traditional marketing and PR expertise, experience launching Mass Innovation Nights, and entertaining real world stories to illustrate basic concepts in PR and social media marketing. 

The session received our highest average score from the Finalists yet, 9.5 out of 10. The Finalists are all at varying levels with their social media usage but it’s clear across the board they all benefited from this session. For me, from the perspective of managing the Accelerator and working in the Sandbox, I took a lot of #WordsOfWisdom from @BobbieC too. Here’s some of her anecdotes to share:

• “Social media is about extending your network and talking to people who can extend your message forward.”
• “Social media can be a major time suck, you can pour hours into it with little return. “
• “Social media is “word of mouth” on steroids.”

Thanks tons Bobbie, you are always a star and it’s a blast having you in the Merrimack Valley!

Programmatically, one way we’ve used social media in the Accelerator is to have each Finalist write weekly blogs (an idea we got from Sidd Goyal of Lean StartUp Challenge). Journaling is as old as time! In fact, one of my favorite books, The Pillow Book, is a series of journal entries and lists written by Sei Shonogan in 1002. But what’s so cool about the internet and social media is that it enables journaling to become a tool of collaboration. People can share ideas, offer advice, connect, give shout outs, and so on. And in the Sandbox, it’s really exciting to read the Finalists’ blogs and see how they’re using them. Not to mention, their voices and experiences are captured in writing and become part of the entrepreneurial narrative of the Sandbox. Be sure to check them out!  -Lianna 

Also, follow and like our #SanboxFinalists 

Alphamatician:  @Alphamatician
Balefire Labs: @KarenLMahon
Ellie’s CPR & First Aid Training
FOB Apparel: @fobapparel
Green Bikes of Lowell: @GreenBikesNE 
KEO’s Homemade Ice Cream: @Keoicecream
Lawrence Yoga Collective: @lawrenceyoga
Mill City Grows: @MillCityGrows
Sweat For A Cause: @SweatForACause
ThreadBridge
UTUTC: @UTUTC
Women’s Path to Employment: @WomensPathNews