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:
have you ever forwarded an email or online article?
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.
Especially in Africa where almost everyone I met last year had at least one cellphone if not two. Serious. So, I was excited when I came across the following infographic:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.)
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.
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.
I always get asked, “How do I get more people to follow me on Twitter?” I figure I get asked this question because these same people have yet to meet folks like @unmarketing, @clickflickca, or @erinbury. All these folks have more “followers” than I will have in several lifetimes.
I also get asked this question because my clients (through thirdocean) and potential clients aren’t heavy personal users of social media tools. They are more interested in how to leverage these tools to grow their already successful businesses. I’m not the biggest dude on Twitter and I don’t pretend to be. However, because I’ve been asked, allow me to share with all of you what I’ve been doing on Twitter.
Follow To Be Followed:
This is the easiest way to gain a following. It’s not based on anything you’ve created or the value that you give to others. It’s only based on you following other people. Follow me and there’s a chance that I might follow back if I like your tweets and content you are creating.
Cater To A Specific Crowd:
There was a time when I was live-tweeting a Toronto Maple Leaf open practice. And guess what happened? My follower count went through the roof over a two-day period of time. Again, I wasn’t trying to gain more followers and those that did follow me have probably left. Why? Because I don’t generally tweet about the Leafs.
Provide Valuable Content:
Content is King. Content leads to conversation. Conversation leads to engagement. Engagement will lead to so much more than followers on Twitter. It can lead to opportunities: both personal and professional. Be human and be valuable. Not all your tweets have to be mind-blasting or inspirational. But please try to provide content that people will want to read and share.
@reply:
If you read a tweet that you like take a moment and share it with your followers.
Don’t Buy Followers:
Yes it is possible to buy followers. Not only does it cost you money. But, long-term, it will cost you credibility.
Well, these are just some of my recommendations. What are some of yours?
In honour of Canada’s Vancouver Canucks making it into the Stanley Cup Finals, I thought we’d take the opportunity to highlight one of Vancouver’s stars: Sonia Ryan. Sonia Ryan is the Troublemaker at A Thinking Ape. Her vision for ATA is to be THE company recognized by developers as the place to work. Often described as the “Social Glue” she is dedicated to creating an inspiring experience through creative and experimental initiatives. Prior to ATA, Sonia worked at Bootup and was responsible for organizing monthly mentor visits and workshop, Demo Days, Democamps and Launch Party for the Vancouver startup scene. Sonia can always be found with her iPhone and a smile that doesn’t quit.
What motivates you to do what you do on a daily basis?
My team. I am working at A Thinking Ape and my teams dedication and drive to complete tasks is impeccable. We are all working together to create a solid technology company here in Vancouver and it’s really exciting.
If you had 30 seconds to impart your wisdom on a classroom of soon-to-be graduates, what would you say?
Work at a startup. If you are intrinsically motivated this experience is invaluable because you have an opportunity to understand all aspects of the business.
In your opinion, what has been one of the most important technological developments over the past 12 months?
The tablet was one of the most anticipated gadgets of the year, whether it be the android tablet or highly covetable iPad. We saw these tablets turn into e-readers for our digital books, newspapers, and magazines, and Web TV. Geolocation was also huge and I’m talking beyond Foursquare and Gowalla. The creation of Geo APIs from companies such as Facebook and Simple Geo changed the game by adding rich layers of geo-related data to all sorts of apps.
If you had a crystal ball, what would you say will be the most important technological development over the next 12 months?
Mobile Social Photo apps continue to increase in popularity and I don’t see this slowing down. We have Path, Instagram, Color, Twitpic and I’m excited to see what other innovations occur in this space over the next year. Also, with Amazon and Google’s recent foray into streaming music it should be interesting to see how Apple and the major record labels will respond.
Who is one of Canada’s tech stars and why?
It’s hard for me to pinpoint one person in particular. Being in Vancouver, I will name a few key people I admire: Maura Rodgers, Danny Robinson, my Founders at A Thinking Ape – Kenshi Arasaki, Wilkins Chung, Eric Diep, Ryan Holmes and Boris Mann. I named these individuals because they have been an integral part of my life after joining a startup. I look to them for mentorship, feedback and know that they will always be there for me.
Yesterday I had the good fortune of being invited by Aditya Shah of Loose Button to their Food For Thought series at the La Maquette Italian restaurant in downtown Toronto.
This particular series featured guests from companies such as Syncapse, AshCity, TIFF, LinkedIn Canada, Guardly, Rogers, and Environics. Representing thirdocean and XConnect at this luncheon with these other companies was exciting and humbling to say the least.
This month’s featured speaker was Javier San Juan, President and CEO of L’Oreal Canada. To give you an idea of how large L’Oreal Canada is, they have sales of over $1 billion in Canada with a market share of over 30% which leads the entire beauty market in Canada.
The talk of the afternoon, however, was not on the state of the beauty and cosmetics industry in Canada. The discussion was on the reason L’Oreal has pursued a digital and social strategy.
Javier discussed 5 points on L’Oreal and social media:
Internal Culture and Communications. Previously, communications was a top-down activity. With the integration of internal social tools, however, employees are now obligated to voice their views. Said Javier, “We listen to our customers and our employees.”
Brand Ownership. “We don’t own our brands anymore. But we can shape the discussion and conversation that is taking place about our brands.”
Relevancy. Unlike traditional push-marketing social media marketing is more about discussion. As a result, messaging has become more relevant and more about conversations.
Content Revolution. Today when you watch or listen to a commercial, or drive by a billboard there is almost zero chance of that content spreading. The very definition of social media includes the ability to share and discuss this content with friends, family and acquaintances.
Connect. L’Oreal decided to become involved in social media not because it was sexy but because it allowed L’Oreal to connect, communicate and share with their employees and consumers.
Why does your company use social media and how does it approach a social strategy?
Conversations with Musicians, Comedians, Creators & Curious Minds
been starting web companies left, right, and centre: 
thought we’d take the opportunity to highlight one of Vancouver’s stars: Sonia Ryan. Sonia Ryan is the Troublemaker at