Lick Gold Star. Apply To Forehead.

It’s pretty frickin’ fantastic when you find out that people are writing nice things about you and your work. More so when you weren’t even aware that they watching you in the first place. It’s kinda like finding out you’re being stalked in a good way.

This week, we stumbled on 3 websites that showed VO some love regarding our use of social media.

“I was surprised and very pleased to read the front page of the business section of todays Times Colonist newspaper based out of Victoria British Columbia. The title “Social networking boosts bottom line” brought a smile to my face. The subtitle “Blogs pay off by enhancing websites and communicating with customers” just made me more excited. It’s great to know that old media is recognizing the upside to new media. More and more these days the two are coming together and people are embracing the web and all it has to offer. The days of segregated media companies are over.

Victoria Times Colonist columnist Cara Wilson follows Ling Chan who is running the Vancouver opera’s social networking campaign. Chan recently presented at Social Media Marketing in Action: Using Social Media to Build a Brand and Generate Leads here in Victoria BC.”
Stikky Media

“I was reading an article in the Edmonton Journal yesterday and I couldn’t help but smile. The story was about how the Vancouver Opera is using its blog to make the opera “more accessible to people, educate them, increase awareness and make connections“. Wow! If the opera, renown for their tradition and history can turn to social media to spread the word, what’s stopping other industries? I know… that may be a bit too trivial, but you really have to hand it to the Vancouver Opera for enhancing their traditional marketing and communications vehicles with social media.

The Vancouver Opera also uses Twitter to pass along exclusive offers to their followers; another great idea. Kudos to Ling Chan, the individual at the Opera that is responsible for these initiatives; she deserves much credit for her outside-of-the-box thinking. The Vancouver Opera also deserves a tremendous amount of credit for trying something new and, some may say, risky. This case is yet another example of how social media is helping build strong brands and create dialogue with new and existing audiences.”
Communications Reloaded

“Many of the big performing arts groups in town are making good use of Twitter, including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and The Arts Club. But the leader of the pack may be Ling Chan at Vancouver Opera, who has been doing a bang-up job of extending the opera company’s reach beyond the usual classical-music suspects. The opera’s Twitter feed features fun & interesting opera news, as well as exclusive offers for Vancouver Opera fans. In related social media news, the organization has been reaching out to bloggers as well, through their innovative Blogger Night at the Opera.”
Raised Eyebrow

Going into this, I never expected to pop up on anyone’s radar. I do what I do because I love it. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that this professional validation from outside the company doesn’t make me walk just a little bit taller.

Photo courtesy of  Tris Hussey