Cosmopolitan cupcakes

I found this cosmopolitan cupcake recipe and knew I just had to share!

FOR THE COSMOPOLITAN CUPCAKES
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup apple sauce
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest (lemon is an okay substitution)1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons cranberry juice cocktail
2 tablespoons lime juice2 tablespoons triple sec
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, at room temperature
Food coloring (optional)

FOR THE COSMOPOLITAN FROSTING
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon cranberry juice cocktail
1 tablespoon vodka (optional)
2 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons triple sec
2 tablespoons milk
Food coloring (optional)

Method
To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.



In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the apple sauce then stir in the lime and orange zests. Add the cranberry juice, lime juice, triple sec and vanilla, and stir until combined.



In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over the batter and beat until just combined. Stir in half of the milk, then add the remaining flour, and mix again until just combined. Finally, stir in the remaining milk and beat until thoroughly combined, but don’t over mix.



Place 2 tablespoons of batter in each cupcake liner and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.



To make the frosting: In a large bowl, cream the butter until smooth. Add one cup of sugar and beat until combined. Stir in the cranberry juice until just combined, then add another cup of sugar and mix until combined. Stir in the vodka, if using, and the lime juice until combined. Add another cup of sugar and mix well. Finally stir in the triple sec (or orange juice), then add the remaining cup of sugar and beat until well combined and light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, stir in the milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

Does your company need social media?

We are living in a digital age and social media is a crucial part of any organization's marketing strategy. Because there are so many social media platforms out there, it is important for organisations to choose which one appeals mostly to their target audience.

Let's look at the advantages for social media in an organisation:

• Connecting and engaging with your target audience through social media are the best ways to build a relationships. online business.
• Increased awareness of the organisation
  Increased traffic to website
• Greater favorable perceptions of the brand
• Greater brand recognition. The more impressions the public gets of your business, the more likely they will remember your name in the future.
• Greater customer service and feedback
• Easier platform for reputation management

These are only some of the advantages of using social media, however, social media can be to your disadvantage if not used correctly. A few things that should be kept in mind when opening social media profiles for your organization are:

• Actively engage with your audience and listen to them
• Never ignore negative comments. Respond immediately
• If you are not comfortable with social media, get someone who is, to manage your profiles
• Use your own voice online. Your posts should reflect your company!
• Set time limits for social media - it is easy to get carried away
• Set an expected return on your investment. Review your social media goals

I hope this post carried some value in clarifying that companies do need social media to be effective and to build their brand. So, go on and tweet away!

Hootsuite vs Tweetdeck

When looking for a platform to manage all your social media content, the likelihood of you coming across Hootsuite and Tweetdeck is extremely high. Both tools operate similar in managing social media content - so how exactly do you choose which one is right for you?

I've been using Tweetdeck for quite some time, but since discovering Hootsuite, it was like a new universe opened up to me. Let's go on to exploring the differences between the two:

Let'sss get ready to rummmmmbbbbbble!

Hootsuite:

• You can access and manage various pages of your Facebook account.
• Google+, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Myspace including various other social networks can be set up via Hootsuite.
• Functionality to create teams to work on projects.
• Basic analytics to create custom reports.
• The service is free, however, you are given the option of upgrading to Pro account at a fee.
• Allows for social media scheduling

Tweetdeck:

• ITS FREE :)
• A custom stream to see activity from those you follow or who follow you.
• Because Tweetdeck is a Twitter application, you are not able to access the various social media platforms that Hootsuite allows for.
•  Similar appearance to Twitter’s native interface. Very user friendly and appealing to the eye

Even though Tweetdeck seems much more user-friendly, it might not necessarily be your better option when managing multiple accounts. So, in my opinion, the owl wins the battle and completely knocks the blue birdie out.

All in all, it depends why you need these two tools. If you're a casual twitter and Facebook user, Tweetdeck would be your best option. If you are required to manage various social media platforms and prefer a more intergrated approach, then Hootsuite is definitely the tool for you.

Did you know?
Tweetdeck, originally developed by Iain Dodsworth to manage Twitter and Facebook accounts, was purchased in 2011 for £25million by Twitter.

HootSuite was invented in 2008 by Ryan Holmes in 2008 as Brightkit, to manage multiple social media networks for his digital services agency. Well received by other businesses, it was renamed Hootsuite in 2009.

Content PR: An emerging trend for 2013

What exactly is meant by the term content PR and how does it differ from traditional PR?

Content PR is the extension of content marketing principles – the creation of compelling, relatable content – to the public relations practice to more effectively share an organization’s story, increase awareness and build audience interaction.

For content PR to work effectively there has to be an integration between marketing and PR. Traditionally, campaigns only consisted of a press release being sent out to the media, whereas content PR looks at a more interactive approach by involving key audiences.

Some shifts from traditional PR to content PR include:

From the occasional campaign to an on-going presence

A campaign builds an interest, but does not maintain the interest of the audience. Once the campaign is over, the audience is more than likely to forget about it soon after. It is important to know what interests your audience and to build on that instead of just enforcing messages out onto them.

After implementing campaigns, offer a helpful service to your audience. Show the audience you care by offering advice, answering questions, addressing concerns and clarifying buying decisions.

Engage via compelling content

Don't be shy : add some colourption

As opposed to the generic text release, make use of digital media to evoke interest in your audience. Capture the attention of the audience by being entertaining - make use photos, videos and infographics.

You’ve likely heard the saying, “a picture tells a thousand words”, therefore show instead of tell as about 65% of people are visual learners.

Have an active online presence

The power of social media in today’s world is incredible. Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are only some of the social media platforms that can be used to build your brand’s image when used effectively. 

Being active on social media and engaging with your audience will allow for better relationships between the organization and its public. Furthermore, interacting on a more personal level through social media channels will allow for your brand to reach a greater audience at a minimal cost to your organization. 

Why Journalists Hate PR

I hear it all the time: Journalists hate PR people.

Well, being a PR professional myself, I find this quite offensive even though I know that many journalists would not survive without PR. Countless times have I had journos approaching me for info or simply using my press releases as is.

So, my answer to this is simple, to all the journo folk hating on PR professionals, I got news for you - the feeling is mutual!

Ok, aside with subjective opinions and onto the facts. I strongly believe that journalism and PR works in coherence - the one hand washes the other and without one of them, the other would not be able to function.

I admit I'm not too fond of journalists, yet I know that my job would not be possible without them. I mean, who else is going to publish my press releases as is? :)

And as much as journos try to deny it, they do need PR. Who else is going to supply them with information. I mean, who wouldn't want to have your job done for you? :)

Ok, back to the serious business. Let's look at some of the statements made by journos about PR people:

1. PR people who waste an email asking if they can send a press release. (Just send over the press release, please.)

2. PR people who use software to email press releases that look like they are personalized but aren’t.

3. PR people who send invitations to events in faraway cities.

4. PR people who distribute press releases at a time when the proposed interview subject is not answering their phone or out of the country and unreachable for days. 

I have to admit, I’d get annoyed too if any of the above happened to me, but this is such a generalisation. I surely don’t do any of the above and I sure hope you don’t as well?

But let’s get to the point of this post : We need each other, suck it up and play nice!

Individual Chocolate Truffle Torte Cups

Recently I decided to get all my girls together and have a girls night. This resulted in each of us preparing or assisting with a meal that would be served on the evening of out girls night.

Because I am in love with chocolate, dessert and baking, I decided that it is only fair that I make the most chocolatey dish I could find! Sifting through various recipes, I came across this very easy and delicious one! Please note that this dessert is not for the faint hearted. Do enjoy :)

Decadent chocolate truffle torte

Ingredients

• 250g dark chocolate
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 568ml carton double cream
• 4 tsp instant coffee granules
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• cocoa powder , for dusting 

Method

1. Break the chocolate in small pieces into a large heatproof bowl. Spoon in the syrup and pour in about a quarter of the cream. Stand the bowl over (not i
   n) a pan of hot water over the lowest possible heat and leave until the chocolate has melted, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir to combine. Leave until barely warm.
2. Pour the rest of the cream into a very large bowl and tip in the coffee and cinnamon. Whip with a balloon whisk. When you shake the bowl the cream should wobble like a thick milkshake, and when you dribble some cream from the whisk, the trail it leaves in the cream below should disappear in 1-2 seconds.
3. Fold the two together. Pour the cooled chocolate into the bowl containing the cream. With the largest metal spoon you've got, fold the cream and chocolate together - you will see and feel it thicken as you fold.
4. Set the torte. Pour the chocolatey cream into individual cups Place the cups in the fridge and leave to firm up. This can happen in under an hour, but you may need to leave it longer, depending on the coldness of your fridge. My advice: leave it overnight - the results are amazing!
5. For serving, dust with cocoa powder and place an edible flower on top for extra prettiness. 

Hints:
The dessert is very rich, therefore use small cups - unless you're a chocoholic like I am.

If you'd like, you can make a biscuit base. You could also add nuts to your base or mixture.