Red Brick Brewing

There's not a more perfect afternoon activity than to go drink some good beer at a local brewery. This Saturday, I visited the Red Brick Brewing Company. It's located in the south Buckhead in Atlanta, so its location is prime. I learned of this through some friends, and after viewing the Instagram I was sold. You paid $12 to get 6 half-beers, which was an awesome deal. However, if you tip generously, you usually get served a little more than half which I definitely utilized. The Bearded Envy was by far the most enticing, being a bourbon barrel aged barleywine. I had never had barleywine before, even though barleywine is one of the oldest types of beer in existence. The tour was short and sweet, but it was really neat hearing more about Red Brick and how they brew their beer. They had a ping pong table, huge TVs with football on, and a pretty sweet porch outside. They also had corn hole set up for people to play. It's an awesome company, and I highly recommend everyone try it out. Follow them on Instagram @redbrickbrewing and check out what they have to offer. 

Amazon Prime Now...It's Here

It seems to be a recent trend that consumers want their goods on-demand, now. It is not surprising that the dominator in online delivery, Amazon, has come out with a service that delivers goods right to you, within one or two hours of when you order it. It is only available to Amazon Prime members, but the benefits and the reasonable cost of Amazon Prime make it an easy decision for anyone. When you get the Amazon app, it makes this process that much easier. You are just a few clicks away from having whatever you want at your doorstep. It is only available in the bigger cities right now (hence, this is not available in Athens), but knowing Amazon they will find a way to expand to many more markets. This service will compete with delivery services like Postmates and Go-Butler, but Amazon has the brand loyalty that the others just cannot compete with. People on Twitter have been raving about it, and I have no doubt this new Amazon feature will continue to spread through social media. 

Supernova South

Something I love about social media and digital marketing, is that it can bring people together through a common interest. I attended Supernova South this past Friday in Atlanta, and it was an unforgettable experience. It brought together college students and Atlanta's top experts in digital marketing. Supernova South is the Southeast's largest and longest-running tech conference. I have never been given such an incredible opportunity to listen and talk with Atlanta's finest digital minds. Speakers from the top agencies in Altanta, like Oglivy & Mather, Nebo, Swarm and SapientNitro all came together to give us advice and allow us to start networking. Thanks to Jen Osbon's coordination, this was made possible for over 250 UGA students, including myself. There was also even an opportunity to network over lunch at the historic Fox Theatre. It was truly an incredible experience. The speakers made it seem like the sky was the limit, and I can't help but aspire to be a speaker at the conference one day myself. 

Athens Taco Takedown

Social media is a great way to discover new events happening around you, and this week I stumbled upon just that. While on Facebook, it popped up on my newsfeed that some of my friends were attending the Athens Taco Takedown at Terrapin Brewing Co. this Sunday. Tacos and beer—say no more. Naturally I clicked on the event, and was intrigued immediately. The event features food from the best of Athens restaurants, Terrapin beer (of course), along with a photo booth and prizes. Better yet, all of the proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity. Could we ask for more? I encourage everyone to check this event out, whether for the whole two hours or just a few minutes. I love how we can use social media to come together for a good cause like Habitat for Humanity.  That is what gives social media its power—uniting and bringing together people for a certain commonality. In this case, it’s the love for good food and beer, while also supporting a great cause. So, cheers!

GoButler: Your Personal Concierge

The great thing about social is you can access it anywhere, anytime. I constantly am scrolling through my social channels looking for cool things to spark my attention. The other day I was reading top trends on Twitter, and stumbled upon an account called GoButler. GoButler is a 24-hour delivery service that gives you your own personal concierge. They can do anything and everything for you, whether it be book a restaurant reservation or buying your favorite concert tickets. For the little things we get too busy to do…GoButler is there. GoButler is not an app however; it is a messaging service. You simply text your butler and they do anything you ask them to. If you are feeling generous you can tip, but are by no means required to. They have  a Twitter, Instagram and Facebook page, so are clearly using social media to spread the word about their service. It’s literally your own personal assistant for free…could it get much better than this? The possibilities of how we use social media are absolutely endless, and honestly we have just reached the brim of what is possible through social channels. GoButler started in Germany, and now has caught on in the U.S. People from the U.S. and Germany are re-tweeting each other on their GoButler experiences and the network strength is amazing. GoButler is doing social media the right way…not to mention they’ve got an incredible service that will continue to soar in popularity.

Brunching at Its Finest

My latest discovery using social media was the brunch at Heirloom Café & Fresh Market right here in Athens. Numerous people had told me brunch at Heirloom was delicious, so I recently followed them on Instagram. They use their Instagram to promote not only their menu, but also other local Athens brands. Needless to say, when it came time for game day brunch in Athens, Heirloom soared to the top of my list. Their Instagram really drew me in, and I couldn’t have been happier about my brunch spot choice. I ordered the veggie burger, which consisted of a house-made lentil pecan burger, Tillamook cheddar, tomato shiitake jam, Creature Comforts Athena mustard, shredded iceberg, pickles, and an H&F sesame bun. I also ordered grits on the side, along with two yummy cocktails, named “The Lemonade Stand.” It was wonderful and exceeded any prior expectations I had. By looking through their Instagram, I discovered my new favorite brunch spots in Athens. I will be sure to spread the word about Heirloom, and continue to follow them on social media platforms.

Did Someone Say Gnocchi?

As many Instagram users do, I constantly scroll through my feed looking for yummy new food to try. Whether it be an entire new restaurant, or something I have never tried at one of my favorite spots, I am always enticed by looking at food pictures on Instagram. Last week, I stumbled upon Athens local restaurant, Five and Ten’s, Instagram that featured freshly made ricotta gnocchi. If the description wasn't enticing enough, the picture sold me even more. I made up my mind when I saw the Instagram that I had to go try it, and I assure you I went for dinner a couple days later. The gnocchi exceeded my highest expectations and beyond. Even though I had been to Five and Ten before, I had never been there for dinner, or let alone tried the ricotta gnocchi dish. Five and Ten used their social media on Instagram in hopes of drawing customers in and it certainly worked for me. Social media allows users to discover things they didn't know about completely, or just receive new updates from their favorite spots. Five and Ten does an excellent job of updating their Instagram and keeping their customers excited and wanting more. It was definitely a successful "conversion" for Five and Ten, through the use of Instagram as their social platform. So to Five and Ten, I say, keep up the good work.