In an industry where so much of our interactions take place among a throng of tens of thousands of other engagements, we can sometimes lose track of how we are able to actually work with one another.
Above: Chris interviews Susan Barry, CEO of the Community Foundation of Louisville, on a Facebook Live stream during 'Give For Good Louisville' 2017.
So I'm taking a page out of the book of the brilliant Mark Schaefer and piecing together a list of ways that you and your brand can work with me. Notably, this list isn't exhaustive -- as you'll see, I'm quite flexible when it comes to brand partnerships.
Let's start simple:
1. (FREE) Join my Facebook Group: SocialWithStrub.com
My official Facebook group, located at www.socialwithstrub.com, is a place where 100+ people from around the world come together to learn how to become more comfortable using video on social media. Every Monday, I post a video challenge, where the group is encouraged to respond via video, and engage with one another in the comments. The Social With Strub Facebook group is and always will be free, and selling in the group is generally not allowed, so it's a warm, welcoming and comfortable space.
2. ($19.99 USD) Buy and read '50 States, 100 Days: The Book'
My proudest work is '50 States, 100 Days: The Book,' a 230-or-so-page paperback about my journey in the summer of 2015 to work with youth-related nonprofit organizations in all 50 U.S. states, in 100 days. The book was written in Nov. 2015 and published in print in March 2017. 'The Book' is described as a 'Heartfelt Hug for Humanity,' and as of Oct. 2018, has a clean five-star rating on Amazon.
You can buy '50 States, 100 Days: The Book' on Amazon by clicking here, or if you would prefer a signed copy (USA ONLY), PayPal $25 USD to chrisstrub [at] gmail with your USA emailing address.
3. (FREE) Submit a video review of '50 States, 100 Days: The Book'
Since the publication of '50 States, 100 Days: The Book,' I've worked hard to cultivate a community around the story. More than 30 people have submitted video reviews of 'The Book,' which live on this YouTube playlist, as well as on my Facebook page.
Readers are encouraged to create a video in any format where they are comfortable, whether it's a Facebook Live, a Snapchat story, an Instagram Live or IG Story, an edited YouTube video, or even just setting your phone on the counter and chatting for a couple minutes.
4. ($19.99 USD) Buy and read 'Fight For Good Tour: The Book'
Released quietly earlier this year, 'Fight For Good Tour: The Book' tells the story of my 25-state, 38-day solo road trip in November & December 2017 with The Salvation Army USA. The trip begins with an incredibly emotional day in Houston, a city recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, and ends with a return to my home state of New York, concluding in the Bronx. The 25 stops include major cities like Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, New Orleans, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., and reveal a snapshot of the real people who are fighting for good every day with the Army in their respective communities. 'Fight For Good Tour: The Book' serves as somewhat of a sequel to '50 States, 100 Days: The Book,' with enhanced video content and embedded links in the text, making the reading experience quite interactive.
I'll be doing a broader release of this book soon, but for now:
5. (Various) Take one of my instructional online courses
This summer, I released a set of courses focused on helping people better use social media to establish relationships, both with one another and with customers. Each course focuses on a specific platform, but as I wrote about in this blog post, I strongly recommend an interconnected social strategy, that leverages each of the channels I talk about to succeed. The flagship course, and where I'd recommend you get started, is LearnIGStories.com -- a big-picture look at how to utilize the tools within Instagram Stories to get the most out of that particular platform.
5b. ($497) Take the 'Livestreaming for Nonprofits' course
Another course that I offer is called 'Livestreaming for Nonprofits.' This was my first course, and it is significantly longer and more in-depth than the previous courses. It is almost completely video-based, and will walk you through, from beginning to end, how to establish an effective live-streaming video strategy for your nonprofit. The course includes full sections about content ideas; cost-effective gear; and frequently asked questions. This course is designed for those who are serious about getting moving with live-streaming video, and is perfect for the lead-up to Giving Tuesday.
6. Hire me to speak at your event
Over the last three years, I've traveled around the United States speaking on a variety of topics, including Instagram Stories, live-streaming video, Snapchat and more. I've keynoted both the Business Vlog Summit in Las Vegas, and the second annual Marketed.Live conference in Nottingham, United Kingdom. I love bringing a strong, positive energy to every event I speak at, and I often create a lot of social media content relating to the event in the lead-up to and during the course of the event.
Contact me via email to discuss rates for 2019.
7. Hire me to co-host your Giving Day
Does your community have an annual Giving Day? That is, a 24-hour period of giving, where nonprofits work together to raise as much money as possible from the community. If so, I would absolutely love to be there to support the team and bring massive attention to the participating nonprofits and their causes. I've worked the last two years at Give For Good Louisville, where the community raised $4.6 million-plus (in 2017) and $5.4 million-plus (in 2018). I'll be working the Big Give San Antonio in March 2019, and am actively looking for more giving days around the country to partner with.
Contact me via email to check schedules and let's make it happen.
8. Bring me aboard to execute some customized roadtrip marketing
Want to work with me on an even bigger scale? I am absolutely down. Here are two big, tangible examples of ways I've done this:
In 2016, I was contacted by the team at Humana in Louisville, Ky., and I moved to Kentucky in 2016 to execute on a seven-month assignment. The Bold Goal team dispatched me to work individually with nonprofits in their seven Bold Goal markets around the southeast U.S.: Broward Co. (Fla.); Tampa Bay; New Orleans; Baton Rouge; San Antonio; Knoxville; and Louisville. I consulted directly with dozens of nonprofits in these markets, in addition to creating content for the Humana social team, and participating in online trainings for the Humana corporate team.
In 2017, I was contacted by the team at the Salvation Army USA, and I traveled to Texas to begin a 25-state, 38-day road trip called the 'Fight For Good Tour.' As one of the Salvation Army's four national Red Kettle Ambassadors, I created vlog content for TODAY.com through a national partnership with NBC Universal, supported the Army's national social media efforts with live-streaming videos and Instagram takeovers, and collaborated with each of the local marketing teams in 25 states around the Eastern half of the country -- all in 38 days. Together, we raised more than $6,200 for the Salvation Army, which was more than each of the other national ambassadors -- skating icon Tony Hawk, U.S. Olympian Lolo Jones and frisbee trick-shot artist Brodie Smith.
These adventures, and the '50 States, 100 Days' tour (that case study is also on my blog), have prepared me to work on a big scale with your brand -- and I am extremely open to having conversations with you and your team about the different ways we can push the limits of 'roadtrip marketing' in 2019. I am particularly open to working with a national fitness chain like Planet Fitness; an automobile company like Honda; a national or regional health chain like Smoothie King; or, of course, a national nonprofit, like Big Brothers Big Sisters of America or the Boys and Girls Club of America.
Sound like fun? Contact me via email and let's make some world-changing, award-winning content.
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Chris Strub is the first person to live-stream and Snapchat in all 50 U.S. states. The best way to get his attention is on Twitter: @ChrisStrub.