digital media

Growing at GROW

Atlantic Canada Entrepreneurs @ GrowConf
Image by bmann via Flickr

I’m typing this blog post on my Dell Inspiron Mini on a West Jet flight some 40,000+ feet over the Canadian Prairies.

I don’t usually use this space to blog about my professional life. So I hope you don’t mind if I make an exception today.

This week I’m proud to represent thirdocean and XConnect at Canada’s top technology and start-up conference in Vancouver: GROW Conference.  If you’re a regular here you probably already know that I am a co-founder and partner of both thirdocean (which is a social media and community management agency) and XConnect (which we’re building into Canada’s top technology and new media resource).

Both companies are less than one year old. Which makes this trip all the more important from a business perspective.  Not only am I in attending GROW in order to learn from some of the top entrepreneurs and business minds across North America but I’m in Vancouver to network and solidify some professional relationships.  The goal, obviously, is to grow both of our businesses.

So I hope to be able to share some good news with everyone soon after I return from this trip.

For the rest of the week I’ll be blogging over at XConnect.  I’ll be sharing my thoughts on both what I’ve learned and whom I’ve met.  If you’re a fan of our XConnect Show (live every Wednesday at 11am EST) this week we’ll be chatting with Alyssa Richard and Matthew Slutsky.  Both Toronto-based entrepreneurs are disrupting the national real estate industry.  Rachel McConnell (our Community Manager) will be filling in for me as host of the show.  I hope you’re able to watch.

If you want to receive this blog post in your email click on the button on the right hand column that says sign me up under the Email Subscription header.  In the meantime, please feel free to register on our communications system.  You will be able to easily follow my journey here in Vancouver as well as everything else we’re doing at thirdocean and XConnect.

Related articles
digital media, social media, twitter

Google Plus: new kid on the block

1 Comment
Google Plus logo
Image by Bruce Clay, Inc via Flickr

You know I like relevance right? Well, I do. And I’m suggesting you probably like relevance, too.

The Importance of Relevance

We now understand that numbers don’t mean everything.  You might have thousands of followers or likes but how many of these people actually interact with you and your brand? How many people are you interacting with? Who are you interacting with?

Those who continue to re-visit your Facebook page or tweet with you are people who find your content relevant. The goal now is to figure out a way to interact with as many people as possible. Providing relevant content to the right people is the way to get this done.

Google Plus Addresses Relevance: Circles:

More than any other social network, Google Plus addresses relevance like Facebook doesn’t and Twitter can’t.

Now, Google Plus doesn’t yet support brands or businesses but Circles (the Google Plus product) is ingenious.  And if you as an individual consider yourself a brand then you should take advantage of Circles.

Circles allows you to organize the people in your social graph according to how you define each relationship.  Is someone your friend? Family member, co-worker, associate or customer? You get to decide because not everyone is your friend.

Increased Engagement:   

What does this segmentation and relevance lead to for you? Increased engagement.  Why? Because now your messages are going to specific people. For example, a note about Robbie Alomar’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame can be directed to people you know will be interested in this specific piece of news.

As long as you keep the value of the “Circles” sacred, your community will come to know exactly what to expect from you.  Everything individuals receive from you will now be of value to your community.

You can even go one step further and set which circle(s) you want to watch. Unlike Twitter, the issue of relevance is now controlled by both the sender and receiver of information. I can choose who I send information to and who I receive information from.

Why does this lead to increased engagement?  Put yourself in the seat of a consumer.  If you got to choose the type of messaging you would receive from your favourite brands (and you could be specific as you wanted) would you be more likely than not to at least read the message?  Of course you would!

Now put yourself in the brand’s position.  Are you just interested in “likes” or do you want true engagement in these online spaces?  Likes may result in an increased email database but the issue remains the same:  For online and social media communications to truly succeed the magic pill is and always will be relevance.

Google Plus addresses this issue better than any other social tool out there.  And this is why Google Plus will continue to grow and force Facebook and Twitter (and email marketers) to change.

As always your thoughts are appreciated.

If you want to receive my blog in your email (and only if) feel free to click on that “sign me up!” button in the column on the right.

Related articles
digital media, social media

the local public library

O'Fallon Public Library
Image via Wikipedia

This blog post was supposed to be about the loveliness that is Google Plus.  At the same time I’ve been wanting to write about my love affair with my local public library.

So why is this particular blog about the local public library?  Because I live in Toronto.  And Toronto is under attack from the current Mayor, Rob/Doug Ford.

However, this post won’t be about the politics.

I believe that even in today’s hyper-connected, always on, mobile and social society, that the local public library still provides massive value for all of us.

Books:

Seriously.  I still read books.  Old ones and new ones.  Fiction and business-focused books, too.  The great thing about borrowing a book is twofold:  If I don’t like it I don’t feel like I wasted $25 on a purchase.  I just return the book.  Second, the 2-4 week borrowing period allows me to focus on finishing the book before the late fees start accruing.  And please don’t tell me that books are dying and that tablets will rule the world.  That’s another blog post.  By the way, libraries offer more…

Magazines and Newspapers:

Oh yes!  I can browse through the latest (or oldest! Really any edition)  Men’s Health and figure out what exercises I should do to lose weight in 3 simple steps over 14 days.

Audio:

Being able to borrow CDs from classic artists like Neil Young is priceless.  My library also has books on CD.  But wait for this one:  I can also use my computer to download audio files to listen to.  Amazing, I know.

Video:

Videos and DVDs.  I can catch up on all the popular TV shows of today as well as movies I’ve yet to watch or haven’t watched.

For The Kids:

Probably most important for me is what the library offers to me as a dad.  It’s by far and away one of my son’s favourite places to go and visit.  He loves to read and be read to.  And the library is FULL of kids books.  They also offer toys, a kids area and kids programming during the holidays and vacations.

So I like the library and everything that it has to offer.  Even the amazing people who work there.  For me, the local public library is part of my neighbourhood and community.  No matter how connected, social and mobile I am and become, I’ll still go into the library and hope to find my next good book.

blog, digital media, social media, twitter

Why Klout (aka influence) is Important

1 Comment

Like it or not influence matters.  And chances are you’re not sitting on the fence on this one.  Especially when it comes to online influence. You either love Klout or you hate Klout.  

You love Klout because you either understand what they are trying to achieve.  Or if you’ve received a free bag of chips.

You hate Klout because you’ve never “won” anything in your life or your score is lower than 50. Or you don’t believe in what Klout is attempting to build.

But if I asked you if influence matters you would have to agree with me.  Think about it for a moment:

  1. have you “liked” something on Facebook?
  2. ever “retweet” something on Twitter?
  3. have you ever forwarded an email or online article?
  4. do you refer products or services you enjoy to your friends?

You answered yes to at least one question above.  And by doing so you’ve exerted your influence over someone else.  And I believe this is what Klout wants to capture:  The influence you, others and myself have in comparison to others.

Is Klout perfect just yet?  Of course not.  And it may never be.  But here’s the question you should ask yourself:

Will you stop forwarding good content to your sphere of influence?  Of course not.  And that’s why Klout is important.

What say you?

digital media

The Canadian Queen of Apps Answers 5 Questions

Melody Adhami (@MelodyAdhami on Twitter) 
is 
the 
co‐founder
 and 
COO 
of
 Plastic 
Mobile, an 
award‐winning 
mobile
 marketing
 agency.
  Melody co‐founded
 Plastic
 Mobile 
in 
2007 and
 only 
three 
short 
years 
later 
was 
featured 
in 
a 
national
 newspaper,
 The 
Globe
 and 
Mail, 
and 
named the
 Queen 
of 
Apps 
in 
a 
series 
about
Wired
 Women.  Today she has reached the pinnacle of her career by being featured in 5 Questions! 😉  

What motivates you to do what you do on a daily basis?

Innovation is one of the biggest motivating factors for me.  To know that every day I go to work and do things that are at the cutting edge of technology makes every day more exciting than the day before.  I love the fact that what I do surprises and amazes so many people.  Making an impact also motivates me to continue to do what I do. When I know that our initiatives change the way people conduct business or the way consumers conduct their daily lives, any amount of hard work seems entirely worth it.

If you had 30 seconds to impart your wisdom on a classroom of soon-to-be graduates, what would you say?

Do what you love because then it doesn’t feel like work.  If you find yourself in a job you hate, re-evaluate and make a change.  Work hard and play harder.

In your opinion, what has been one of the most important technological developments over the past 12 months?

Tablet technology and their proliferation/mainstream adoption. The tablets are changing the way consumers are digesting content both in the types of content and the location in which they consume.  So what I mean is that people don’t have to be limited to watch YouTube clips or reach the news at their desktops.  They can do it virtually anywhere.

If you had a crystal ball, what would you say will be the most important technological development over the next 12 months?

NFC technology and the effects that can be anticipated in the next 12-24 years.  Ultimately, all payment transactions can take place in one single mobile device.  Your phone will not only be your email client, your internet, but also your wallet.

Who is one of Canada’s tech stars and why?

My personal favourite tech star is Amber Mac. I had the opportunity to meet with her a few months ago and I love her energy, enthusiasm and overall tech knowledge.  She is definitely a great Canadian tech star. 

Related articles
digital media, social media, twitter

Stratford understands the customer and how to use social media

City Hall
Image via Wikipedia

Stratford, Ontario has to be one of the most picturesque cities in the world.  It is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever had the privilege of visiting.  It is also one of the most intelligent communities in the world.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit Stratford for the popular Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

And thus began my experience with Stratford.

It’s OK to say hello to strangers

It’s everywhere in Stratford.  The people are very friendly.  Everywhere you go people are saying hello and good morning.  And I’m not talking about retailers or hosts.  People going for walks along the river or biking on the trails all saying hello to us.

And it translated to the way we were treated online too.  But remember, it’s not about the tools but about the people.  Stratford has just figured out that the tools will allow them to extend their “friendly” brand.

@stratfest

The Stratford Festival can be found on Twitter at @stratfest.  But their customer service and community engagement does not start there.  Nor does it end there.  When I went online to purchase tickets for a show, I was able to talk to someone on the phone to help me find the best seats. And then when I was having trouble finding suitable accommodations for the night, the lady behind @stratfest suggested I call the customer service line first thing in the morning.  Their ticket operator was actually going to help me find and book a place to stay the evening.

And when I called they also asked if I needed to make reservations for dinner! Amazing!

And the entire city seems to be connected.  And not just to the internet.  They are connected to each other.

Almost every retailer and restaurant encourages their patrons to connect to Foursquare for the purpose of discovering deals and specials.

And when it comes to online integration, Stratford is second to none.  All their brochures and marketing material, including their websites, don’t just encourage people to follow and connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.  They actually tell you where to find them on these spaces!

So rather than:  “Follow us on Twitter!” they will say, “Follow us on twitter.com/stratfest”.

Finally, a brand (city) that “get’s it”.

Conclusion

The role of social media needs to be understood on context.  It is not a stand alone tool or solution.  Rather, it needs to be viewed as a partner within a business – or in this case, a city/town.

Stratford uses social media to help all their partners do better.  Social media helps Stratford’s theaters give a better experience to their patrons.  Tools like websites, Twitter, Foursquare and Facebook allow everyone from visitors and residents, to retailers and restaurants stay connected to each other via another platform.

And my IRL experience last weekend was actually enhanced as a result.

Thank you Stratford!

digital media, social media, twitter

5 Questions with Mitch Joel

Marketing Magazine dubbed him the “Rock Star of Digital Marketing” and called him, “one of North America’s leading digital visionaries.” In 2006 he was named one of the most influential authorities on Blog Marketing in the world. In 2008, Mitch was named Canada’s Most Influential Male in Social Media, one of the top 100 online marketers in the world, and was awarded the highly prestigious Canada’s Top 40 Under 40. Most recently, Mitch was named one of iMedia’s 25 Internet Marketing Leaders and Innovators in the world.

Joel is frequently called upon to be a subject matter expert for Huffington Post, BusinessWeek, Fast Company, Marketing Magazine, Profit, Strategy, Money, The Globe & Mail and many other media outlets. His newspaper business column, New Business – Six Pixels of Separation, runs bi-monthly in both The Montreal Gazette and Vancouver Sun. His first book, Six Pixels of Separation (published by Grand Central Publishing – Hachette Book Group), named after his successful Blog and Podcast is a business and marketing bestseller.

You can hear him speak tomorrow in Toronto at the Science and Art of Social Business conference.

What motivates you to do what you do on a daily basis?

A love and a passion for marketing, communications and new media. While others watch dance competitions on TV, I love to read the Blogs, tweet the tweets and fumble around on Facebook. Some call it work… I call it love. I also wake up every morning and I’m thrilled that I’m back

If you had 30 seconds to impart your wisdom on a classroom of soon-to-be graduates, what would you say?

I would tell them to read this:

http://www.twistimage.com/blog/archives/what-advice-would-you-give-yourself-as-an-industry-rookie-given-what-you-know-today/

In your opinion, what has been one of the most important technological developments over the past 12 months?

The growth of tablets and iPad in particular. Now, we just need the usability and new marketing excitement to catch up!

If you had a crystal ball, what would you say will be the most important technological development over the next 12 months?

The continued growth of touch and I’m hopeful we move toward complete connectivity (a hybrid of wi-fi and an even faster LTE network).

Who is one of Canada’s tech stars and why?

I think the folks at Radian6 deserve a big standing ovation.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zQnfnKBZLg]
digital media, social media

5 questions with Aidan Nulman

Aidan Nulman loves the internet. After being denied a marriage license twice, he’s been starting web companies left, right, and centre: Busy Bee (with three amazing partners), Cronyizm, and YouPhonics.

Hopefully, you’ll hear of one of them someday when you’re not reading his bio.

What motivates you to do what you do on a daily basis?

People. A lot of folks like to think about who they’re impacting, how they’re making a difference, whose lives they’re improving… I like to think about who I’m making smile.

If you had 30 seconds to impart your wisdom on a classroom of soon-to-be graduates, what would you say?

If they have their skin in the game, you need to agree. If they don’t, be ready to say yes, but confident to say no.

In your opinion, what has been one of the most important technological developments over the past 12 months?

You probably get this a lot, but location. Since the late ’90s, I’ve considered Google as a perennial cheat sheet. With mobile browsing, that became even more truthful – I didn’t need to be at a computer to access it anymore. And now we’re only just cracking the surface on location; when our apps know where we are, they’ll be able to filter the wheat from the chaff based on the most powerful contextual indicator: our location.

If you had a crystal ball, what would you say will be the most important technological development over the next 12 months?

Karim Kanji. I’m expecting Skynet to finally incorporate, and figure out how to scale your awesomeness so everyone can experience it. Then maybe a few K-1000s will go sour and try to Kariminate the human population. Which is why I’m glad Arnold had to leave office: he’s the only one who can save us. (KK – I swear Aidan wrote this.)

Who is one of Canada’s tech stars and why?

I’m working alongside 39 of them this summer: Krista Caldwell, Mindy Lau, Yilun Zhang (my partners at Busy Bee), and all of the others in The Next 36. I’m inspired and pushed by them every day. And I’m certain that, come August, each and every one will impress the crap out of you.

blog, digital media, social media, twitter

creating community: part 2

Money Mart
Image by Thomas Hawk via Flickr

Just over a month ago I blogged about creating community: part 1.  The beginning of this story was a refresher on my experience with GREENtuity and my first lessons in creating communities online.

The next step of my journey brings us to a company I used to work for called RealCash.

RealCash was a finance company in the residential real estate space.  They factored a portion of an agent’s earned commissions.  In short, RealCash was the Money Mart equivalent for real estate agents.

My role with the company was in marketing.  I put together email campaigns, trade show strategies and even set-up strategic partnerships with major real estate companies across Canada.  After a while, due to market conditions, I was forced to slash our budget and look for creative ways to market for free.

Enter social media.  Here are some lessons I learned:

Blogging:

Almost everyday I blogged.  And the results were phenomenal!  Searching for “commission advance in Canada” on Google resulted in RealCash moving from the 5th page to the 1st page.  Not bad I’d say.  Remember, we had a zero budget for marketing at this stage.

Active Rain:

Active Rain is the social network for professionals involved in the real estate space in North America.  After leaving RealCash more than six months ago I STILL receive calls from people finding the RealCash profile online through searching online.

Facebook:

Would you ever tell your professional friends, family and close friends that you use “Money Mart”?  Neither would I.   Facebook didn’t result in any community traction at all.

Twitter:

A great tool that RealCash used to promote itself as a thought leader in the real estate social space.

Overall, RealCash had success at creating an online community online.  So much so that potential clients called alot.  How much?  Too much. RealCash advanced more financial resources than they had access to.  Now they’re out of business.  Yikes!

What’s the overall lesson:  Don’t make promises (on social media or otherwise) that the company’s bank account can’t cash.

To be continued…

Related articles