Google Canada tweeted this week that there are 2 million business in Canada and 1 million of those businesses are not currently online. Many of the responses to those tweets resulted in how agencies like ours will be very busy – we all hope for that. But more importantly is providing businesses with an understanding of the power -on how to leverage the online tools that include social media, mobile, email, search, linking, video etc. – while not having to drop their current offline communications marketing practices -that these said business feel are successful. Total communications means using the offline marketing initiatives, print, pop, television, radio etc. as tools to leverage your online communications and vise versa. Bridging that gap because both worlds still matter. Read the rest of this entry »

Since we began this blog we have been writing continuously about brand ambassadors and the power behind the people that love and support your brand. In creating an online community – it can be great to find someone with a following and profile related to your product and service – that you can leverage. Someone that can lend some passion, credibility through their following and knowledge of your products or services – that can share with the community you want to build. Read the rest of this entry »

We are back from taking a break with our posts and look forward to connecting with you again weekly – as we have done over the last few years. It is always interesting to hear how many companies are still fearful – of leveraging social media and use negative responses from customers as a reason to not dive in. As you have seen via many large companies Nestle, Motrin, Boeing to name a few – avoiding those customers who are complaining and or unhappy – can create issues that may become far bigger than they ever began. If you think of how you personally feel – when you are unhappy about something, speak up to that business immediately and they then find a way to fix the situation – you usually walk away not only satisfied – but far more passionate about that business or brand then you were prior to that particular situation. Read the rest of this entry »

In light of the world cup soccer FIFA – taking place as I write this in South Africa – I thought it might be fun to write about sports and social media. As many sports fans know ,there are many sports that have embraced social media from NBA basketball ( which is in the midst of a nail biting finals), hockey congrats to the Chicago Black Hawks who won the Stanley Cup after a record draught of 49 years! WOW that is worth the celebration that took place on the streets of Chicago! Yes my beloved tennis just finished the French Open and all of these sports have embraced social media. Read the rest of this entry »

I read the most wonderful post written by Seth Godin this morning. He called his article Quid Pro Quo (Santa Math) The idea that most people are selling something in the exchange for something. SO you buy a sandwich you pay $3.00 for the sandwich and you get it with no onions. “This for that he says“. He goes on to say “that when you engage online – like I am doing with this blog – he says “I don’t write this blog to get gigs or business, although it may happen” it is not the highest intention. It is more to build a relationship with the people that read it – in the hopes that on this long, fun and interesting journey – I can SHARE with others the knowledge, success and challenges that come – with the integration of social media – as an important marketing channel for your business. Read the rest of this entry »

I did a speaking engagement last week to a group of Sr. Executive women. When asked my advice on what is most important when looking to engage your business with social media -” I said you need to understand who your target market is and then aptly find ways to understand what their social computing behavior is and go from there.” Using the right data and traffic analysis tools – to find out who your most influential followers are and how they utilize social media tools – is the key to connecting with them and all the people that follow them and so on. So many people as I wrote in an early post a few weeks ago – get focused on building thousands of fans and or followers -rather than focusing on who that early adopter and or influencer is – for their community and the best way to communicate with them and their many followers who are part of your target market. Read the rest of this entry »

Today in honor of Earth Day - Starbucks is giving free cups of coffee for those who bring in a reusable container and to those that save their paper container and want a refill! I love it. Happily this morning – I took my reusable container in support of our planet earth. Interestingly my regular Starbucks was busy As usual – but most visitors were using the standard paper cup. Upon my arrival there were at least 6 people in line before me and I noticed one person other than myself who had brought a cup. Read the rest of this entry »

I have written often in this blog about what Ford has done with social media – especially since the government bailouts for the big 4 and Ford choosing not to take the money. With Scott Monty – touted as a social media leader especially via Twitter – Ford Fiesta is getting it right!
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I think for many now jumping on the social media bandwagon, one area of measurement is based on the number of fans that one has. In some cases, it’s great to have hundreds of thousands of fans—IF you can lead them to click throughs on your site or directly track them to retweets of products and services or sharing via Facebook (from all of your friends to their friends and so on…). But many are, as in life, “fair-weather friends”: they come, look around, sign up…but don’t really engage or connect. Especially when you don’t have a strategy that is going to ensure that you connect with them for a direct call to action. Yes. You want a call to action. One that includes a mutual passion for the give and take that is going to be SHARED by your business and the friends/customers you are going to friend and follow.
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I love TED. I have featured many talks on our blog and I will continue to do so, because I believe in the SHARING of information and knowledge in the world of music, arts & culture, education, science, philosophy and so much more. All topics that help weave the fabric that is life.
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