First things first, please relax! We’re all going to be ok, so there’s no need to worry! Even as someone who dressed as a Mayan for Halloween 2012 (yes, I really did!), I’m happy to report that the world isn’t coming to an end on December 21, 2012. But, if my words aren’t enough to convince you, I’d like to bring in a trusted source I’m sure you’re all familiar with: NASA.

According to NASA, you don’t have anything to worry about on December 21. Of course you’re going to believe what you’re going to believe, but I encourage you to check out all of the great information NASA has shared with the public to understand the facts before you give in to the idea that doomsday is fast approaching. It’s using a pretty great multi-channel online approach to inform you, and ease your fear.

Informative FAQs Content Clears Up Phony Forecasts

Second order of business, you’re going to want to check out NASA’s “Beyond 2012: Why the World Won’t End” Frequently Asked Questions and Answers list. In this list, the fantastic scientists at NASA cover the following topics to explain why the world will not be ending on the 21^st (Pressed for time? Look at the handy dandy info in parentheses for a takeaway of what you’d read at each topic link):

• End of the World (I repeat—“The world WILL NOT end in 2012.”)
• “Prediction” Origins (NASA is now accepting submissions for the next date to be dubbed “Doomsday” when Dec. 21 is a bust. Basically, predictions of the worlds demise are cyclical, with doomsdays moved forward when predictions fail.)
• Mayan Calendar (Let your kitchen calendar be a friendly reminder—just as the calendar you know and love keeps on after Dec. 31^st [its end date] each year, so will the Mayan calendar keep on after Dec. 21, 2012 [the end date of the Mayan long-count period].)
• Total Blackout (Look towards the light—A blackout is not being predicted by any scientific organization in existence, including NASA.)
• Planetary Alignment (Get ready for the show…in 2040—There aren’t any scheduled planetary alignments for the next few decades. But, even when the next one scheduled for Sept. 8, 2040 occurs at 7:30 p.m., when Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the crescent Moon align, it will be an event of no consequence, just an incredible sight!)
• Nibiru/Planet X/Eris (So, as I’m sure you’re aware, it’s December and last time I checked there aren’t any large planets looming in the sky—if any of these “planets” were a threat, they’d be visible to the naked eye by now. Think about that!)
• Polar Shift (Very simply—it’s impossible!)
• Meteor Strike (Stop watching Armageddon—big hits are very rare, like that which killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, and yup, you guessed it, there are no threatening meteors gunning for us. New discoveries are posted openly and daily here.)
• NASA Science (And the verdict is—there is no scientific evidence that supports an unusual event taking place in December 2012!)
• Solar Storms (Everything appears to be normal on this front as well!)

Still worried? Keep reading!

NASA’s Social Media Strategy to Stop Soothsaying

As you may imagine, NASA has been receiving countless letters of worry asking about the so-called apocalypse scheduled to occur on December 21. In an effort to ease the minds of those who cannot seem to look past 12/21/12, NASA hosted a Google+ Hangout for social media users on Wednesday, November 28, 2012 to discuss the rumors propagated across the Internet featuring a panel of experts. If you missed the “Beyond 2012: Google+ Hangout with NASA,” you can view it via the video below:

Beyond 2012: Google+ Hangout with NASA

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Integrated End of the World Marketing Tactics

Now that you’re mind is eased as far as the end of the world happening in 2012 is concerned, let’s take a moment to reflect on the multi-channel online marketing strategy NASA carried out to inform the public.

From its website to its social media front, NASA implemented a few tactics that any company can start to put into practice today, tactics that will be beneficial even as Dec. 21, 2012 comes and goes. Here are two social SEO tactics that you can start executing now:

1. Create informative, easy-to-share website content. Take a lesson from NASA and the FAQs page it created. The webpage was easy to read, easy to navigate and easy to share. Take a look at the image below, you’ll notice there are social media share buttons present at the top (check out those share counts!), a bulleted index for the content on the page (great for people to get right to the info they want to read), and a link to the Google+ Hangout that NASA hosted.

2. Host a Google+ Hangout to inform your customers and fans en masse. Just as NASA used a Google+ Hangout to get the facts out about how the world will not be ending on Dec. 21, so too can any company creatively use a Google+ Hangout to provide its customers with valuable information. For example, companies can use a Google+ Hangout to host:

• a customer service session on a common problem or FAQs.
• an online rally to gain supporters for a cause/initiative.
• a customer loyalty/customer appreciation event.
• an event where a big announcement from the CEO is communicated.
• training sessions on how to use a new product, interface, etc.

If you have any questions about the above tactics inspired by NASA’s end of the world integrated marketing strategy or need assistance getting started, please do not hesitate to leave us a comment below. Additionally, if you appreciated the information in this post, please take a moment to share this post with your friends via our convenient social media share buttons below!

One last thing before you go: Do you think the world will end on December 21, 2012? Leave us a comment to state your stance!

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