Category Archives: digital media

digital media, social media

Happy Birthday edition of 5 Questions starring Adil from My City Lives

Happy Birthday My City Lives!

Tomorrow, February 24 2011, is the official one year birthday for Toronto-based digital start-up, My City Lives.  In honour of this special day we present to you a 5 Questions feature with co-founder Adil Dhalla.  

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

It’s hard for me to succinctly boil down my answer to a few key things but speaking generally I can say that I feel for My City Lives what a tween feels for Justin Bieber – unyielding love and borderline obsession to the point of hilarity for onlookers.

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

Take everyone’s thoughts for what they are, thoughts particular to an individual’s own experience. There is certainly a lot to learn from others, accomplished or not, but a big trap one can fall into is learning and then attempting to emulate someone else’s path rather than carving out their own. There is not one right path and rarely are there two paths exactly the same. So if you chose to use someone else’s experiences as your own blueprint, you’ll always be more likely to follow than you will be to lead. And to clarify, it’s not about doing something new or being disruptive, it’s about recognizing that no circumstances are the same and that you alone know what you’re capable of accomplishing. Write your own story.

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

Thinking in a local context, we’ve got to feel good about the emergence of the Toronto startup/tech community in the last year. When we (My City Lives) launched a year ago at one of Sprouter’s SproutUps, there were maybe 100 people in attendance. Last week’s SproutUp had 600 by comparison. A relatively similar growth has occurred in a number of other key events in the city. A year ago, we had a small handful of local success stories to talk about. Today we have more than I can count and a bevy of upcoming products such as Urb-Ops, Rocketr and Postage App that will only further establish our city and community as a model for how things get done. A year ago, sub communities like LeanCoffeeTO, FatBeer and The Yorkville Media Centre either didn’t exist or did, but no one knew about them.  Today, the excitement around them is palatable. A year ago, co-working and collaborative spaces were something to aspire for, but today we have Camaraderie, a second CSI and now Foundery (among others) that are not only normalizing the concept, but making it stick.

The point is, I can’t pinpoint one thing that’s changed the game locally, but I think we can all agree that the community of game changers in this city is vibrant and growing at an awesome rate. The end game of this is that we can hopefully stop referring to our city as the x of the north (i.e. “Sillicon Valley of the North”) and rather just as “Toronto” with the conviction that our collective efforts stand for something.

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

The group-buying phenomena is going to start slowing down as consumers get “dealed” out and businesses learn that the long term ROI isn’t there as previously believed. It might not be the most important development, but whether you play in the local space or have concerns about a bubble and skyrocketing valuations, there will be an interesting ripple effect.

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

There are so many to choose from so I’m going to give some love to handful of up and comers including our own Community Manager (and my kid sister) Amira Dhalla (@amirad), Amrita Mathur (@amritamathur) who is behind Techkik, Raymond Kao (@raykao) who is  behind Coworking Toronto and Robleh Jama (@robjama) who is behind the Pocket Zoo success story.

digital media, social media, Toronto, twitter

5 Questions with Meghan Warby

Meghan Warby is the first community manager working within a provincial   government.  In the province of Ontario‘s Cabinet Office she guides Ministries in their digital communications, online outreach and social media strategies.

Previously, Meghan has been an agency-side communications consultant in government relations, corporate communications and digital strategies, at Hill & Knowlton & Argyle Communications.  A social media enthusiast, Meghan spent the winter of 2008 traveling across the United States to interview ‘pioneers’ in eAdvocacy to gauge the significant changes in communications between the 2004 and 2008 American federal elections. Blogging and tweeting as @withoutayard combines her love of music (nurtured at the Austin Music Foundation) & politics (expressed on two Election Predictor Blogs & as Vice Chair of the Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy).

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

I’ve always been passionate about civic engagement and studied political science, public policy, specifically cultural policy, for years. After working in the non-profit sector, Heritage Canada, and the consulting world, I knew that my work needed to include civic-minded values, technology and communications. Acting as Community Manager for the Province is a great balance of these three areas. As naive as it may sound, I strongly believe that citizens will become far more engaged with government if they have clear, updated, easy-to-access information online.

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

Be humble, yet shameless. Take the opportunity of being labelled a ‘student’ to interview people you admire for your final dissertation. Glean invaluable information on their career path, habits, inspiration and experience. Make writing (real-life paper-version) thank-you notes part of your weekly routine.

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

It’s certainly not Quora or Paper.li or any of the other tack-ons to existing systems or sites.  Honestly, I think that the massive political and social chance brought by the media’s use of WikiLeaks over the past year will prove to be the most important.

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

Hopefully in the next 12 months we crack the mobile currency ‘nut’ to develop a comprehensive/centralized network that delivers international aid, encourages donors’ to offer micro-loans & tracks behaviour (health, lifestyle, spending, etc.) in developing countries.

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

Too many to name and the field is growing! Likely the biggest and best tech star of 2011 is plugging away right now in Ryerson’s DMZ lab. If I had to pick one, my Toronto-centric lefty-pinko paradigm would note the creator of Rocket Radar, Adam Schwabe.


digital media, podcast, social media

5 Questions with Nile Livesey

Many of you know Nile as @scolirk on Twitter.  “Scolirk” is the evil genius   behind Perpetual Radio Networks (PRN) and producer of thirdocean’s Social Media Show.  Today, you get to find out a bit more about the man behind the best voice in podcasting.

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

I get excited about new technology, and I love being able to share my excitement with the world. I think I have a unique opportunity to share my thoughts with others on a weekly basis and reach a market that is just as enthusastic about technology as I am.

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

Get out there and do what you love. Don’t let anything stop you from achieving your goals. Anything is possible as long as you are passionate about what you do!

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

Choice. 2010 was the year of Android in Canada, giving consumers a real option when purchasing a new phone, and choice of carriers with all the new providers that launched their businesses. Finally we’ve gotten quality options when buying cellphones and the carriers that support them.

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

Tablets have once again made a splash at CES. Unlike last year, people have gotten used to the idea of a tablet device replacing their laptop or netbook. Now that Google is taking a serious look at tablets with Android 3.0, I suspect we’ll see tremendous growth this year with ultra-portable slates.

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

Michael Geist is a name that many people may not know but should become familiar with. Michael is a privacy advocate here in Canada and has been leading the fight against unfair copyright laws. I think he’s one of the most well informed tech stars I’ve ever followed, and has my support 100%! If you haven’t seen his work, I’d suggest heading over to his blog at www.michaelgeist.ca to learn more about him and his efforts with copyright law here in Canada!

digital media, social media, twitter

i talk too much

I’m sure my teachers, parents, co-workers, friends and family have said as much to me in the past.

And so it continues.  Me talking that is.  In my role as Chief Wave Maker for thirdocean, it is my duty to…umm, “make waves” for the company.  Although many of our services involve the online world, there is still something very powerful about in your face interactions.

I always recommend to clients to include some sort of local meetup in the various cities they operate.

When it comes to the sales strategy of thirdocean, we feel it is also important for us to do the same.  It is why we have our local XConnect events as well as Social Media Show podcast.  And why I’m going on the road over the next few months talking up a storm.

Here’s my next 3 booked speaking gigs.  I hope you can attend all or one of them.  I could use the ego boost…

  • Enterprise Toronto Seminars.  Social Media and Your Business. March 8 2011.  North York Civic Centre, 5100 Yonge Street, Committee Room #3.  10am.

If you would like to book me or my business partner, Carolyn Van, to speak at your business or association, please send us an email to MakingWaves [at] thirdocean [dot] com.

digital media, social media

David Offierski drops in to answer 5 Questions

David Offierski is the founder of Canada’s location based mobile deal network, Clip Mobile.   Early-on, David saw how location features on   Smartphones have the potential to fundamentally alter how consumers find and transact on information. By taking a proximity over quantity approach to building a great mobile experience, David has a unique perspective on how mobile services will evolve in the Canadian marketplace. Clip is his first start up.

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

I think like any other entrepreneur I like building things.  Every new user that downloads Clip, and each time someone uses their phone instead of a web source to find a deal is proving our business hypothesis and introducing a totally new service to Canada.  Like most other startups where resources are limited, you have to do a lot yourself because there just isn’t anyone else to do it for you. If I don’t do it, it is likely not going to get done and that is not going to help get Clip to where it wants to be.

Do you have any success start-up tips for people wanting to create a name for themselves in your industry?

If you build game mechanics into your mobile startup, you’ll probably get funded in about 6-months.  Kidding! Kind of..  I think the biggest factor to creating your own success is surrounding yourself with a super solid team.  If you are not technical yourself, you have to work really hard to find the right people to start your company with.  I think superstar developers are key but you can also not overlook the importance of design/ user experience if you are building mobile & web apps.  I also think that once you have a product, content creation and a strong social media strategy are super important.  For example, I really like what the guys at Flowtown.com are doing with their blog in support of their product.  If you don’t follow, check it out!

In your opinion why is Toronto a hotbed for cool tech start-ups?

I think Toronto is getting to be an exciting place to be building a start-up because the community is bringing together a lot of these necessary company-building elements.  We’ve got development communities, entrepreneurial communities, funding and design events as well as a very multicultural population to test proof of concepts.  The money to fund early stage startups is still a problem in Canada.  It is frustrating when you read about “the scene” in the Valley and there are so many more people with risk capital and great experience wanting to get involved with building companies.  There is also way more competition so it forces the startups to be that much more legit.  My hope is this will start to change with a new generation of incubator funds, strong communities and some recent exits for Canadian companies.

What’s your favourite tech toy and social media site and why?

I am pretty attached to my iPhone for the obvious reasons but I am also pretty excited about the next iteration of the iPad which will likely come sometime after January 2011.  I have a goal to run my entire apartment from an iPad.  All of my entertainment, media, lighting, heat/AC everything will be controlled from the iPad sitting on my coffee table.  I guess that admission officially qualifies me as a tech geek.   Has anyone else tried this?  My favourite social media site would have to be Hootesuite as it has become the core tool we use to monitor and communicate with our community.  It just so happens that they are a great Canadian company that builds a best of breed product!

Who would you say is one of Toronto’s social media/tech stars and why?

I think the team over at Sprouter have done a lot to build the Toronto tech community and Erin Bury, Sprouter’s Community Manager is someone who really gets it.  She is a fantastic organizer, networker and master communicator.  Perhaps most importantly, Erin is totally genuine about the fact that she is loving her job which is so essential to the role.  I think Sarah Prevette, Sprouter’s founder would agree that finding the right people is so essential to building a great company and she hit the jackpot with Erin.
digital media, social media

Another 5 Questions with Mark Reale

I hope you’re not expecting an interview with the 55 year old lead guitarist for Riot.

THIS Mark Reale is one of the co-founders of both BNOTIONS and The Yorkville Media Centre here in Toronto, Canada.  He is best described as a teacher, entrepreneur, actor, technical wizard, digital visionary and a HUGE mark for 1980s wrestling.  

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

The motivation is straightforward:

I’ve recognized how it feels to be in a job that is unfulfilling, stifles creativity, has little prospect for growth, and has disregard for personal development.

The digital media and communications industry is on fire right now. It’s the Wild West out here.

It is thoroughly enjoyable to be facing the challenge of pushing technology forward and encouraging people to get involved in the Digital Media industry on a daily basis.

Ever since we kicked off the Yorkville Media Centre (http://yorkvillemediacentre.com) back in late ’08, we recognized that there is a lot of folks looking to explore this industry, and we love helping positive folks plant their feet in these parts. It’s always the people who look at these technologies with fresh eyes that come with the freshest ideas, and it’s definitely a BNOTIONS thing to help facilitate this process.

We are also big supporters of the Entrepreneurial state of mind – #LeanCoffeeTO is a little something that we sparked off with the help of Satish Kanwar (@skanwar) over at Jet Cooper.  At this point, we are 11 weeks old and gaining momentum. Being surrounded by positive folks looking to grind out their own projects and support the community is a beautiful thing.

8am Thursday mornings is the time. The place: anywhere in downtown TO is candidate. There is no better way to kick off the day.

Do you have any success start-up tips for people wanting to create a name for themselves in your industry?

Yes indeed:

1. work your ass off

2. be memorable

3. each one, teach one

4. be relentlessly honest

In your opinion why is Toronto a hotbed for cool tech start-ups?

To answer this question, we need to take a look at what makes Toronto unique vs. other geographies:

1. Toronto has been known to be the multicultural capital of the world

2. Toronto is repping Canada which has been known as a nation which pushes technology and communication forward

3. Karim Kanji is here.

What’s your favourite tech toy and social media site and why?

My favorite tech toy right now is my HTC Desire running Android. We are fresh off the #AndroidTO conference over here, and now more than ever, there is a real excitement toward what is lurking around the corner.

Having had the opportunity to bang heads with some of the folks involved with Android community – Simon Chang (@changsimon), Matthew Patience (@MatthewPatience) and Greg Carron (@pixeladdikt) from MobiCartel and Puleen Patel (@puleen), it is pretty simple to see how and why Android has been developing such positive momentum.

Who would you say is one of Toronto’s tech stars and why?

I feel blessed to be surrounded by stars.

I look to my left: I see Alkarim Nasser (@alkarim).

I look to my right: there’s Aaron Ritchie (@vsmantis).

I look across from me:  BOOM – there’s Logan Aube (@lowgain), Jeremy Wright (@jeremywright), Jonathan Laba (@J_Lab), Aaron Alfred (@aaronalfred).

On Saturday afternoons, at the YMC we are joined by Julia Stowell (@InteropQueen) from Microsoft who has been helping us get our videos popping for the YMC, and we’ve been relying on the folks from #TheBizMedia who are shooting and editing the footage.

I wanna spread some attention over to one particular individual that I think folks really need to keep an eye on.

James Hughes (@JHUZE) is legendary. He is a superior Web Developer, Project Manager, Videographer, and an individual who is gonna really be shaking things up in years to come. An entertainer by heart, he has the rare diligence to take on monumental tasks and see things through to completion.

James is the technical backbone of our Wednesday evening Harth Nights, and helps everything go smoothly in our daily routine at BNOTIONS.

It is an honor and a privilege to be in the company of these folks.

blog, digital media, podcast, social media, twitter, youtube

top 9 social media tips for real estate – post 23-31 of 31

marketing in a social age is devoting 31 posts this month to social and digital media and the real estate industry.

Who would have thought banging out 31 posts in 31 days devoted specifically to social media and the real estate industry?  I sure didn’t.  And I guess I learned my lesson.  I’ve completed 22 of 31.  And today is the 31st.  That’s 9 short of 31 for those of you who are keeping score.

So, instead of writing out 9 potentially poor blog posts I thought I’d encapsulate my 9 top social media tips for those of you in the real estate industry.

  1. Blog.  If you haven’t figured it out by now, blogging should be an important part of your marketing strategy.  Your blog should be the space online where people can find out how much of an expert you are on  your industry and on your neighbourhood.  The ability of your blog to also help you in your search rankings should also not be ignored.
  2. Podcast.  Although podcasting has been around for a while it is still a tactic that is seldom used.  As with your blog, use the power of the spoken word to help craft your personal brand.
  3. Twitter.  Remember not to use this as just a push marketing medium.  Use Twitter to create a following and embrace the power of conversation.
  4. Video.  The amount of time people spend online watching videos continues to grow.  We watch videos not just on our desktop.  We also use our netbooks, iPads and smartphones to consume video.  Invest a bit into a Flip video camera and open up a YouTube account.  Just like blogging and podcasting, the ability to share your thoughts on video should also not be pushed aside.  Be creative and original and don’t worry about creating something that’s viral. Just be yourself.
  5. Facebook.  Whether its Places, the Marketplace, Fan Pages or Groups.  The person or brand who figures out how to properly use Facebook in the real estate industry will win.  You don’t have to be first.  You just have to try to see what does work.  There are over 500 million users here.  People are using Facebook more and more.  More so than even Google. So take the time and figure this beast out.
  6. Location-based marketing apps.  There’s Foursquare and Gowalla.  And there are others.  I’ve seen many real estate professionals use Foursquare as an online billboard.  Other realtors use Foursquare (my LBMA of choice by the way) to highlight interesting places around their neighbourhood.  I would suggest using it to show you know your neighbourhood and your expertise in real estate.  Just try your best not to be too pushy.
  7. QR codes.  This funny looking cousin of the barcode has been around longer than the term social media.  But many businesses (real estate included) are still not using them.  Here’s the thing:  More and more people are using smartphones.  And these same people also want information as fast as possible.  Here’s a simple idea:  Use a QR code on your business card and for sale signs to drive immediate traffic to your website and listings.  Now your business is truly open 24/7 even if you’re not.
  8. Attend or Organize a MeetUp.  The power of physically meeting potential partners, leads, and clients is powerful.  In my business, lots of relationships have been strengthened as a result of meeting face to face.
  9. Try.  Things in social media and even in real estate have the ability to change at a blink of an eye.  That being said be open to trying new things often.  Try a new app. Try the new social media site.  Try it. You just might like it!

Happy New Year everyone!  All the best in 2011.

digital media, social media

you didn’t know?

“You’re not?”

“You didn’t know? I sent an email out?”

The above was the beginning of a conversation that happened a few times last night during an event that saw some of Toronto’s newest and hottest start-ups gather to celebrate the birthday of one Alkarim Nasser of BNOTIONS fame.  

I honestly thought everyone knew.  Well, at least everyone who ought to know.  Know what?

I’m not with Techvibes anymore.  It has been a few weeks now.  I’m not their Toronto Community Manager and I’m not affiliated with them in any capacity anymore.  The reasons don’t matter.

Here is what does matter:

  1. With your help, we added more than 30,000 unique Toronto-based visitors on a monthly basis to Techvibes.com in just under one year.
  2. My passion for the Toronto tech start-up scene continues.  Which is one of the reasons why I started Social Media Show with Perpetual Radio Networks this past summer.  (There will be a slight re-branding of the show to reflect the next item below!)
  3. Together with Carolyn Van we have launched a new business called thirdocean:  thirdocean is an open & fluid space filled with currents of social interaction, digital communication & data.

That being said, I am very excited by what the New Year will bring.  I hope you will continue to read, follow and interact with me in the digital and protein spaces in 2011.  I plan on “making waves”.  Really big ones!

digital media

ibidbroker.com for real estate – post 22 of 31

marketing in a social age is devoting 31 posts this month to social and digital media and the real estate industry.

iBidBroker.com just might be the website that current and future homeowners use to source out a potential real estate agent.  I would suggest learning as much as you can about their services as possible.

The second thing I would do is, if you’re a Realtor, register on their website. Allow yourself to be searchable on this site.  And allow others to bid on your services.

Here’s a short video explaining a little bit about iBidBroker.com and their founder, Ajay Jain.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5XeOVp7FtI]

blog, digital media, social media, twitter

pulse for real estate – post 21 of 31

marketing in a social age is devoting 31 posts this month to social and digital media and the real estate industry.

Their product used to be called Radar at one point in time.  That was I first met the nice guys from big time design and communication inc.

That was back in the spring of this year.  I went on to write about them in both Techvibes and the RealCashCanada blog.

Now their product is called Pulse.  But it’s still as innovative and useful as it was the day I met them.

So here’s an edited version of what I wrote earlier this year:

As a consumer you’ve been inundated with a barrage of emails from your favourite retailers.  How would you like to pick and choose how and when you receive these messages?

As a Realtor  you’ve been wondering how to use technology to effectively engage with your consumers.

Enter big time design and communication inc. and their product called Pulse.

According to their website, Pulse “improves message effectiveness by adapting content for a customer’s preferred communication method.”

For their clients, “Pulse empowers companies with the ability to segment information, promotions and messaging so that customers can choose what is relevant to them, and only receive that information.”

“Before Pulse, social media marketing was handled much like traditional advertising; getting exposure anywhere and anytime without being concerned with relevance of message or brand.” says Karim Awad, Director at big time.

“Customers were saddled with the burden of seeking out the information that mattered to them in the sea of social media chatter.  Now, they can ask for that information and receive it outside of that chatter.”