Michelle Tampoya - Mish's Playground

2012 Digital Marketing Trends

2012-01-04T14:34:00.000-05:00

Over the past few weeks, my feeds have been clogged with 2012 resolutions and trends. Instead of reinventing the wheel, below is a list of some of the top articles that I have read I thought worth sharing.

5 Best Practives for Digital Marketers

Predicitions & Priorities for Social Business in 2012

eMarketer Webinar: Key Digital Trends for 2012

How to sell your old baby goods on Craigslist and Kijiji

2011-08-06T13:10:00.000-04:00

Here are some tips and tricks for selling your used baby goods online.

1. Buy top quality, highend or trendy baby products.

For big ticket baby items like a playpen, breast pump or high chair - you are better off buying the top of the line product than something that is cheap. You will have an easier time getting rid of a high end product that people want but don't want to pay full price for. I sold my very expensive playpen for 75% of its retail price within a day, while other playpens sat on the listings for weeks.

2. Ask yourself - is this reusable after wear and tear

If you buy a product that you are going to want to resell after, make sure that it will still be of good quality after it goes through various cycles in the laundry machine. My daughter used cloth diapers everyday until she was 18 months old and they still looked great when she was done with them. I was able to sell them within a week of posting.

3. Do your research before posting.

Before you post your product online, make sure you know the retail price and if others are selling a similar product. This will help you determine the price you should sell it for. Also make sure to use key words that people will search for in your posting. For example, if you are selling a travel crib that can also be used as a playpen, make the title "Travel Crib and Playpen".

4. Tell your friends.

Post your listing on Facebook, Tweet and/or send an email out.

Marketing Tip #10: Don't be afraid to say you don't know

2011-03-13T14:15:00.000-04:00

If you don't know the answer, don't know what something means or aren't sure, don't be afraid to say you 'don't know.'

No one will think any less of you. What they do expect is that you'll go find the answer - and share it.

PodCamp Toronto 2011 - Ideas Heard #pcto2011

2011-02-26T15:16:00.001-05:00

1030 @markus64

- Learn by doing
- What works in one organization is unique to that organization
- Cargo Cult mentality
- Case Study: Fiskars
- Social Media plugs into your organization
- Who you see in the real world is who you will be online
- We get so caught up in the cutting edge stuff that we lose sense of reality / the basics
- Governance - make it an organization wide project
- You cannot ignore mobile no longer
- Bare minimum - skin for mobile
- easy to use, easy to access
- Hallway testing - ask another group to test for you, even if its your colleagues in your organization
- A social media policy is meant to be encouraging to your employees and how to use

1130 @markevans - Why Core Messaging Matters

Core messaging - it's what you sell or your expertise
Whats in in for me?
Why I should care?

145 @cugelman

- The play of reciprocation techniques
- Your memory and attention will affect your behavior
- mediated experience = real life experience
- social actor - ppl interface with technology like people
- web sites can be influential if they mimic influential people
- source interpreter -must have credibility, attractiveness
- if you don't have feedback, you cant tailor the message
- just telling ppl what to do
- ppl are very susceptible to peer pressure
- motivation and goals help influence change

Tools for understanding behavior:
- Fogg behavior model - when someone motivation is high and their ability is high, they need a trigger = change behavior
- Cialdini persuasion - reciprocity, consistency and commitment, social proof, liking, authority, scarcity

Great examples - groupon, avaaz.org, Old Spice FB, Rainbow Warrior

245 @orangesynapse

- wait and watch - don't panic that your competitors have released before you. Just make sure what you do it right for the market and your customers
- understand your industry and the way they play
- build relationships and get influencers on your side before you approach the c-suite
- get people involved early
- use marketing campaigns dollars to help fund a pilot tactic
- build a grassroots innovation team
- socialize your strategy with decision makers and why it would be important to them. What they get in return, help them with their agenda
- get upper middle management excited before you get to the c-suite

I am not Wonder Woman

2011-02-19T15:58:00.002-05:00

A good friend of mine told me that she is not Wonder Woman. She simply cannot do everything. I thought that was very bold of her to say - after all, she is a successful businesswoman, has a wonderful relationship with eve member of her family and was clearly very happy.

She continued to tell me that by understanding her strengths and weaknesses, she was better prepared to take on the world.

She knows when to turn down work because she is just too busy. She knows when to get or ask for help and above all, she knows when to say, 'I don't know how to do that, but, I will learn or find someone to teach me.'

It takes a strong person to do that. With competition amongst companies, colleagues and peers, it may seem too difficult to turn work and people down. But if you try to take on more than you can, you may not be giving your best in return. And if there is one thing my dear friend stands by, it's living up to any promise, deal or agreement she has made.

I couldn't agree with her more. I too will admit, I am not Wonder Woman.

Planning for the worse

2011-02-15T21:33:00.002-05:00

If you work in a large organization like I do, it is easy to get caught up in your own work. After all, timelines are usually tight, you manage more than a handful of projects and of course, there are always emergencies that need to be dealt with right away.

What usually happens is that you lose track of the bigger picture and by the time you realize it, it's too late.

If you are contributing to a larger strategy by planning and executing a particular tactic, it is important to make sure your work is always in line with the end goal - something that may (although shouldn't) change even up to launch. If you don't, this may result in a bad execution, or even worse...a failed tactic.

So, how do you plan for the worse?

1. Have a weekly status with the team to make sure you are still on target with the larger strategy and goal.
2. Make sure your plan or tactic is well rounded. For example, if you are building a website, does the advertising team know it should mention it in their ads. Does your email program direct people to the site. Does the site use the same imagery as the print ads.
3. Make predictions. Based on the larger strategy and other tactics, predict the success or failure of your work. My making a sound prediction, you can raise a red flag if you know your work may result in failure and be able to change the larger strategy to make sure the worse doesn't happen.

Social, Mobile, Web...Oh My!

2011-02-12T16:43:00.001-05:00

My last post was seven months ago.
I have been back to work for eight months now.
Since being back, I have worked on three mobile projects, two social projects and over a handful of web projects.

It has and still is crazy busy. But, you gotta move just as fast as digital does.

The only difference now is that I feel somewhat organized.

So with this newfound sense of time management and inspiration to get back to blogging - here I go again.

@SMW Toronto #bmo

2011-02-08T16:17:00.001-05:00

CASE STUDY: Loblaws Offline Online Disconnect

2010-07-14T13:55:00.000-04:00

I personally like what Loblaws is doing offline. I like the Galen Weston BBQ commercials and their PR must be working with some coverage in the Toronto Star.

But what about online?
- None of their main ads on their homepage connect with their offline push for 'owning BBQ'
- Majority of their online BBQ Insider Report recipes are not BBQ-friendly
- Those great Galen Weston commercials are nowhere to be found - not even on YouTube.

An integrated approach to your marketing strategy will strengthen the message you are trying to deliver. When planning your seasonal or annual strategy, make sure that you:

1. Include the online team when strategizing.
2. Remember that online is another channel. Consider that some people may only connect with your brand online.
3. Try all the angles. Try to go through the different experiences a customer may have connecting with your brand and connect the dots.

Building Your Digital Database

2010-04-11T14:20:00.000-04:00

My good friend Eden, over at Bargainista.ca, was spreading the word on a great contest - $500 towards a day at The Stillwater Spa and $500 for Davids - and also asking, "What does it take to get you to share your email address and phone number with businesses?"

My answer?
I won't provide my phone number but will give you my email address if you give me a discount or something for free. If I am a frequent customer, like my bank or the neighbourhood toy store (which I frequent once a week), then I don't need any incentive but I do need good content.

Here are some great examples:
- Khiel's gives its members a free lipbalm once or twice a year.
- Sporting Life and Pistacio give you a discount off your complete purchase by giving your email address.

The next and I think bigger question is. "What does it take to keep you opt-in to business emails...and possibly a phone call?"

My answer?
The same as above with a few key items.

1. Don't email me too frequently. DON'T spam.
2. The content, freebies and/or discounts should 'matter' to me.
3. You don't share my email address with anyone. That includes your affiliated businesses.

Marketing Tip #9: Samples

2010-03-09T15:01:00.002-05:00

Samples are a great way to get your customers to try your new products.
The bakery near me leaves cookies by the cash so you can have a try
since you can't buy it individually. Purchasing a bag of cookies may
be too much to ask, since they aren't exactly cheap.
If you offer a service, consider providing your new offering for free
to clients. It is a great way to get much needed recommendations and
case studies to build your company.

Marketing Tip #8: Remember what you stand for

2010-02-25T14:51:00.001-05:00

Take the time and revisit your company's mission statement and core
values (you probably wrote it in your business plan if you forgot).
Remembering what you stand for is a great way to make sure you are
doing what you set out to do. It is a great way to reconnect with your
brand.

Marketing Tip #7: Gentle Advice

2010-02-19T16:16:00.002-05:00

My butcher gives me recipe and cooking cards for the various cuts of
meat I buy from them.
One of my favourite clothing stores tell me the different 'looks' I
can get with the belt, shirt or dress I'm buying.
I like to call these examples - gentle advice. Words that help
complete the sale, that make the customer feel you really do care
about them and their purchase.

Marketing Tip #6: SEO is the new black

2010-02-16T15:49:00.002-05:00

If your in the marketing field - branding, sponsorship, digital, etc.
- you can only benefit from learning about search engine optimization
(SEO).
It will tell you how people find you and what they're interested in.
Keep working on it and watch sales, readership and/or viewership
increase.

Why, for me? Incentives that keep the love alive

2010-02-10T15:01:00.002-05:00

Although I'm an avid reader, I have been reluctant to read on my iPod
touch. I have tried before, but I guess I'm a bit old fashion, loving
the smell and feel of the pages of a book.
However, I downloaded and signed up for Indigo's Kobo app for my iPod
touch a few days ago, merely to see how it worked.
Since signing up, I have received a new register discount
(immediately) as well as timely discounts like x% off books turned
movies as it is Oscar season. The incentives are pretty good. Enough
for me to not only open the email but to also highly consider
purchasing my first ebook.
So what makes an incentive good enough to keep me reading, opening and
eventually purchasing?
1. A good deal. Or at least an offer that makes me think I am getting
something great for nothing. Also, occassionally, a wonderful deal or
gift that is forward to a friend worthy. For example, khiel's will
give customers a free lipbalm once in awhile.
2. Great consistent content that makes the sight of your name in the
from field excited...or at least not sent immediately to he trash.
3. Time sensitive. The deal should only be valid for a limited time.

Marketing Tip #5: Always ask for feedback

2010-02-03T17:22:00.002-05:00

Customer feedback is a great way to continuously perfect your product
or service.
Ask for feedback on a receipt, your website, at the end of a blog post
or podcast or the next time a customer comes into your store.
Don't forget to say thanks when someone does take the time to send a
few words your way.

The Take-Away

2010-01-31T16:51:00.002-05:00

When I go to my local fishmonger, he gives me a fresh lemon with my
purchase. Dill too if I'm buying salmon.
The local culinary store always has premium chocolate at the cashier.
Calphalon prints recipes on the back of their receipts. Granmercy
Tavern restaurant in NYC sends guests home with freshly baked muffins
to eat in the morning.
What take-away do you send with your customers?
A take-away is something that will help keep your brand in the mind of
your customer. Small but significant. It's a detail that is noticed
and can put you one notch ahead of your competition.

Marketing Tip #4: Don't Be A Stalker

2010-01-28T22:44:00.002-05:00

Following potential customers around your store, sending multiple
followup emails or calls within a day or writing incessantly on their
facebook wall is staulking and it's creepy.
It's just as bad as not asking someone if they need help or not
contacting a customer should they email of tweet a question to you.

Marketing Tip #3: Get Out and Play

2010-01-27T14:32:00.001-05:00

Don't let work keep you from getting to events, especially ones that
are industry related.
Socializing with your industry leaders and colleagues keeps you on top
of the latest and greatest. It also keeps you top of mind should a new
job or opportunity arise.
Note: Podcamp Toronto is taking place February 20-21 at Ryerson. Sign
up at www.podcamptoronto.ca

Marketing Tip #2: Smile and Say Hello!

2010-01-21T09:22:00.002-05:00

Whether a potential customer is coming in your store or you get a DM
via Twitter or email, be sure to always smile and say hello. Start
off the conversation or potential sale on the right foot.

Marketing Tip #1: Keep your friends close but your enemies closer

2010-01-19T16:32:00.001-05:00

Don't be afraid to sign up for email newsletters, facebook groups or
contests that your competitors are running. It is a great way to keep
track of what they're doing and how their doing it.

Book Review: Sleep is for the Weak

2010-01-14T15:36:00.000-05:00

I went to the library the other day and the shiny paperback, Sleep is for the Weak, sat on the shelf beckoning my name. I grabbed it and quickly checked out.

Although the book came out two years ago, I still think there may be a few readers of this blog who haven't heard of it...and should pick it up. Who and why?

1. PR folks who want to reach out to mommies.
The book contains posts from some of the best mommy bloggers. And in the last little while, I have received queries from a few people about reaching out to mommy bloggers...before you do so, connect with the community and check out some of the funniest and great posts.
2. Soon-to-Be Mommies
"The Things They Never Told Me," by Izzy Dean is exactly what every soon-to-be mommy should read. Like Dean, nobody told me what I was in for...and I felt ripped off.
3. New Mommies

2010 Try-To's

2009-12-28T18:19:00.001-05:00

Online Marketing Try-To's:
1. Blog at least twice a week. (Doesn't seem like a lot, but with a little baby and a new house to maintain...it's a hellava lot).
2. Go through my Google Reader every other day.
3. Keep PUSHing for online marketing campaigns. (Yes, I am still doing this...but it does get easier every year).
4. Work on a few projects on Google Wave.

Personal Try-To's:
1. Try a new recipe once a week.
2. Have two vegetarian days a week
3. Visit with friends and/or family more than in 2009

What are your Try-To's for 2010?

For those of you that are not sure what a 'try-to' is - read more.

The Referral Treatment

2009-12-12T15:49:00.000-05:00

Moving is no fun. To make the process easier on us, we decided to hire a 'first class' moving company that was referred to us by our real estate agent. Although the agency is small, they are a franchise to the larger Royal Le Page organization.

With that said, one would think that we would get fantastic treatment. Afterall, when you refer a company or person - you are also putting your own name and company on the line.

Yet, there was no fantastic treatment. There wasn't even great treatment. In fact, over three weeks have gone by and we only have two of our six complaints resolved. And the two that were resolved, we are not pleased with the result.

So what is the effect?
1. I think less of our agency. I gave them my business and they refer me to an organization that treated me poorly. I would of rather had no referral.
2. ~~I would NEVER refer the moving company~~. I would tell friends and colleagues looking for a mover to NOT hire the moving company we used.

Both companies lose.

If you are going to refer a company or person, make sure they deliver. Make sure they exceed both yours and who you are making the referral to's expectations. If they don't, you lose business too.

Marketing During Construction - Part 2

2009-11-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

Back in September, I wrote a short post on Marketing During Construction with a few examples of what the stores in my neighbourhood are doing to bring in business while the street and sidewalks are demolished and fixed.

Well, it's November now and the construction (most of it) is done. There are now two lanes of traffic, sidewalks to walk on, and places to park your car. So how do you get your customers to come back?

1. Communicate to your database. Make sure the content you send is worthy to forward-to-a-friend, post of facebook or tweet.
2. Have a special 'reopening' sale.
3. Connect with other stores and cross market with flyers and email. If the weather is nice, have a sidewalk sale or host an after hours event.
4. If you have a few marketing dollars, advertise in the local paper or blogs.

Twitter Lists makes it easier to follow

2009-11-16T06:39:00.022-05:00

If you are new to Twitter or have just started using the tool, finding 'friends' or people to follow that have similar interests as you (and give interesting tweets) can be quite overwhelming.

You may have to revert to finding a friend or two and stalking their 'followers' list. I've done it and I have had it done to me. But this is not a good way to make friends. Afterall, the person you 'follow' may wonder how you know them, how you found them and why you are following them. Also, if you decide that you don't like their content and you 'unfollow' them, you can be accused of building your followers list (as many will follow you if you follow them).

So now what?

Still in BETA, Twitter has started a great funtion called lists. It allows you to create or put people into a list which may help group conversations in topical areas.

How does this help the budding twitterer? Instead of stalking 'followers,' take a look at a friend's list. Hopefully they have categorized them by topic or interest. Follow the topic that looks interesting and then 'follow' and DON'T FORGET to join the conversation.

Check out my lists:
@mtampoya/shopping
@mtampoya/friends
@mtampoya/hollywood
@mtampoya/nonprofit
@mtampoya/green
@mtampoya/news
@mtampoya/digerati
@mtampoya/mommies
@mtampoya/foodies

Building Your Retail Customer Database

2009-11-09T15:49:00.001-05:00

Most stores in my neighbourhood collect email addresses. From the large multi-store organizations to the small boutique business - it is clear that many companies still see and are benefiting from acquiring email.

Here are some cases:

Heather Reisman's latest new business venture, Pistacio, an eco-friendly gift shop, will give you $5 off your purchase over $30 when you supply your email address. Already a customer? Don't worry, they will email you a coupon (I got one!)

My favourite lingerie store, Beestung Lingerie, lets clients in their email database know about in-store sales prior to announcing them to the public. I went into the store to see what was on sale the day after I got the email, and it was pretty busy. All women clearly were there for the sale.

As a new mother, I am weary of the toys my little girl plays with. Afterall, I hear about product recalls all the time. Mastermind will inform parents of any products that they have sold that are being recalled and also announce their major sale of the week. I don't think there has been one email that wasn't worth opening.

So, if you are thinking of starting your own retail email database, here are a few tips:

1. Be consistent with the email you send out. If you tell your customer you will be sending them every week, make sure it is every week.
2. Make sure the content is valuable to your customer. If not, they WILL mark it as spam.
3. Make sure to offer the proper opt-in and opt-out functionality.
4. Offer a valuable incentive to customers to aquire their email. Once you have them, reward them. AND make sure that same reward is not offered (or at least offered later) to customers whose addresses you don't have.
5. Don't have a system set up yet but want to start collecting? Go old school and collect them in a notebook for re-entry later. Make sure to do a double-opt in because some people may forget that they gave you their email address a while back.

Have a program already and want to give it a boost, here are some tips:

1. Make it forward-to-a-friend friendly. Test it. Many look awful or lose some of the content when you do this.
2. Collect preference information for more targetted email.
3. Start looking at mobile. Look into one-day sales and only deliver the code via email.

Samples

2009-10-25T16:16:00.000-04:00

One of my first jobs in high school was being a product demonstrator at Costco. Every week the product would change - frozen pizza, cake, granola bars and even a mop. I didn't have to 'push' the product, I just had to cook the food and put it out in small sample cups or just demonstrate how to use the product should someone ask. Occassionally I would ask if someone wanted to have a taste or see how something worked, but very rarely. Here's why:

1. People, LOTS of people love anything that's free. Especially when there is no risk involved or you don't have to provide your name.
2. People get hungry when they are shopping. Have you ever opened a bag of chips or can of pop while shopping and then paid for the product when checking out?
3. Many people don't steer away from brands or products they are familiar with and know how to use or know what it tastes like. But, should they have the opportunity to try something without having to buy it...they'll take it. AND, if they like it more than what they already buy...(don't forget to give a coupon!)
4. People like demonstrations. They need to know how easy it is to cook or use. 'Yes, just pop it in the microwave!'

Farm to Table Marketing

2009-10-20T12:59:00.001-04:00

As the whole 'Eat Local Challenge' and '100 mile diet' grows in popularity, so too are small towns, food organizations and farmers' use of digital marketing.

Why the use of online?
1. Its cheap and/or free
2. You can connect with people from the comfort of your farm
3. There are already communities to tap into

Who/What are some of my favourite organizations making good use of online?

Niagara Culinary Trail
Accommodations, farms, cafes...you name it. This site gives you great information on getting local goods.

Savour Durham
I will be the first to admit that Ajax, Pickering or Uxbridge are not the first towns to come to mind when I think of yummy food. But the Savour Durham program gives local restaurants a chance to connect with farmers and feature local food on their menu's. YUM!

Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance
Want the 411 on whats going on with food in this province. 'Follow' @OntarioCulinary on twitter.

Social Contests

2009-09-22T16:10:00.001-04:00

Are you interested in running a contest for your product on facebook
or Twitter?

Here are a few ideas of what some companies do to get their product
noticed. (As a newbie mommy, I enter quite a few of them)

1. Hook up with a popular site or blog that will run the contest to
their audience. Of course, make sure their audience is your target
audience.
2. Run the contest off your facebook fan page, site and/or blog.
3. Have entrants blog, tweet, video for extra entries. This helps
spread the contest around.

Here is a contest I am hoping to win ;)

Stokke Tripp Trapp giveaway - http://bit.ly/hkljC

CASE: Future Shop gets Beaten By Clock

2009-09-20T15:30:00.002-04:00

Future Shop's Beat the Clock contest suffered a computer glitch resulting in discounts to the XBox 360 lasting longer than the time they allotted.

The result: Angry customers who got a confirmation that their order was received and then emailed later that it was a misprint. Those angry customers went to the store's Facebook page and even their own online forums to complain.

PR disaster? Marketing disaster?

What are the potential effects?
1. Angry customers who will never trust Future Shop contests, promotions etc. again. Heck, they won't even buy from there anymore.
2. Decrease in contest entries for the next promotions.
3. A lot of bad comments on social networks that will affect the company down the line.
4. Nothing. It is a contest afterall.

Marketing During Construction

2009-09-13T21:02:00.001-04:00

Yonge street is a mess. The city tore up the east side of Yonge
street from Eglinton to Lawrence to replace some pipes and redo the
sidewalks. That took a good three months. They are now working on
the west side, and who knows how long that will take. Cars are down
to one lane traffic and pedestrians have to live with dust, gravel and
the never ending sounds of drills, trucks and saws.

With all this construction has in no doubt affected local businesses.
With the struggling economy, times must be tough. But, this is making
things extra worse.

However, there are a few marketing tricks some stores are doing to
help bring in business.

1. Dufflet pastries is providing delivery service for a small charge.
2. The Body Shop & L'Occitane have outdoor sample tables.
3. Lululemon, Khiel's and David's Tea teamed up for a weekend to
promote each others products in their stores. This is great because
they have similar target audiences.
4. Roots opens their doors earlier to catch morning traffic like
mommys on their way to starbucks prior to 10 am.
5. Lolo Restaurant and Alize offer set menu's like summerlicious for
$25.

Book Review: Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel

2009-09-05T18:12:00.000-04:00

Almost everyday I get asked an online marketing question. I am afterall, an online marketer. Most people find me either through this blog, twitter, a simple google search, or via some of the other sites I like to play in, like chowhound.

Some questions are broad, like, 'How can facebook help grow my business?' to asking me to look at their online strategy for further comments or suggestions. I am always happy to do so.

From time to time, I also get asked about other business books I enjoyed or would recommend. I can now happily recommend Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel.

Mitch guides businesses, especially those who are scared to take the plunge, through the world of online connectivity. His reason to dive in? 'In the digital world there are no degrees of separation between you and your customers.'

The book is full of great business examples, lots of questions to help you start building your connectivity and most of all, the online etiquette for safe entry. All stories and guidelines will show you just how close you can be to your customers and most of all, your potential customers.

NOTE: I worked with Mitch Joel and Twist Image, they are one of Scotiabank's digital agencies.

CASE: SIGG CEO Apologises

2009-09-03T21:25:00.001-04:00

A little to late for me.

The Sigg drama is a great example of the need for transparency in this
digital world.

No matter what you are saying, honesty is the best policy and your
community will reward you for it.

via:
http://www.non-toxickids.net/2009/09/finally-apology-from-sigg-ceo-steve.html

Buy Facebook friends

2009-09-03T15:52:00.002-04:00

I just read a very interesting article at the Globeandmail.com called Not enough Facebook friends? Buy them.

Similar to purchasing third party phone, mail and email lists, you can purchase 'friends' on facebook to try to connect with. The service will send a request to friend to the list first, I suspect this is what they consider their opt-in. If the person accepts, great. If not, no harm done...so you think?

What can go wrong?
- spamming. If you do this once, for one of your products, it may work fine. However, if you want to use this more than once, with the same target audience, you will land up spamming the friend request.
- how did they get your name anyway? Transparency is key if you are going to try this method.

CASE: Old SIGG Bottles do leak BPA

2009-09-03T14:36:00.001-04:00

If you have been following my posts on the whole SIGG drama, the story
continues. Turns out, it actually does leak BPA. Sorry Mr. CEO. I
had a hard time believing you before, but now you have no chance.

Via: http://thesoftlandingbaby.com/2009/09/03/fred-vom-saals-test-results-found-bpa-leaching-from-siggs-old-bottles/

CASE: 3 Green Angels Jump on SIGG

2009-09-01T08:10:00.001-04:00

Here is a great case study of a company jumping on the demise of
SIGG's green transparency failure.

3 Green Angels will be hosting a twitter party to talk about the
recent news and what you can do with your old SIGG at http://www.bigbottleswap.com

http://3greenangels.com/the-scoop-on-bpa-and-aluminum-bottles/

CASE: SIGG Brand Damage Control

2009-08-31T15:53:00.004-04:00

I try to stay away from plastics are much as possible. I don't even like to microwave my food in a plastic container. And, ever since the Health Minister declared BPA a toxic substance, I became even more cautious.

With that came my purchase of a SIGG canteen. Something I thought would be a safe bet for lugging around the city. And then the news today...

"SIGG bottles manufactured prior to August 2008 have the former water-based epoxy liner which contains trace amounts of BPA. These bottles have been thoroughly tested and showed 0% leaching of BPA"

After a quick check, of course, mine was made prior to 2008. Ergh. This was a $35 investment. I paid $20 for the bottle and $15 for the cleaning tablets (of which I still have plenty of). More importantly, I highly recommened this for my cousin's children as a great alternative to water bottles - and yes they did purchase it (email already sent).

So now what?

Although the bulletin states that "absolutely no migration or leaching of BPA or any other substance from the protective inner liner" - do I take my chances? They had clearly known about this for a long time.

How would you navigate through this brand crisis?

Some tactical items I would consider:
- Email your customer list right away with this information
- Connect with your community - online and offline
- Offer a discount on a new bottle when you bring in your old bottle
- Make sure that your vendors are well informed and make customers feel that there is no harm

VIA: Sigg Tries to Control Brand Damage After Admitting Its Bottles Contain BPA. http://bit.ly/16a0Uc (via @adage)

Online Deception

2009-08-30T17:50:00.002-04:00

The PRSA's latest stand against unethical editorial content by way of
paid bloggers, tweeters and such should also be adopted my marketing
agencies and departments. Believe it or not, this also applies to
internal communications as well.

I have been in many a meetings where colleagues believe that this is
okay, especially on sites they are advertising on already.

But, your audience isn't stupid. It is clear and many times obvious
when a community member is not authentic. You will lose more than you
gain.

http://media.prsa.org/article_display.cfm?article_id=1370

Via @shel

http://shelholtz.com/prsa-condems-growing-use-of-online-deception

How much is a cup of coffee worth?

2009-08-24T10:41:00.002-04:00

Mark went into the local Starbucks (http://www.starbucks.com) the
other day and was told at the register that it was his lucky day.

No, he didn't get his drink for free, which was what he thought.
Instead, he was given a code to fill out a survey online and upon
completion he would then get his free bevie.

So when he got home, he logged onto the site and started the survey.
Seven questions in, he noticed that the progress bar said 7 percent.
Quickly doing the math, he would have to answer 93 more questions to
obtain the free bevie. He didn't think it was worth it. Do you?

Although surveys are a great way to get customer insight, be
realistic. Starbucks may think that their drinks are worth 100
answers but their patrons might not.

Your hair is your crown

2009-08-17T06:01:00.002-04:00

There are quite a number of hair salons in my neighbourhood...probably about 6 within a kilometer.

The thing about the hair business is that it is built on customer service.

1. People search for a hairstylist for a long time. The stylist must suit different personalities - they will do what the customer wants, offer suggestions or will have built trust so they can do whatever. If a salon's sylist can do all three of these on the fly by knowing their clients, they will be successful.
2. People are more likely to go to the hairstylist who they have built a relationship with - even if it means travelling a distance.
3. People are willing to pay a reasonable to a lot amount of money on their hair.

If the top three points were met, then a salon should be buzzing with clients.

However, in the last few weeks I have noticed that the three points mentioned above are just not enough anymore for salons. Some of the recent services I have seen salons in my 'hood offer are:

1. Longer hours and open on Monday's!
2. Clinics - how to blow dry your hair, how to trim your bangs, etc.
3. Discounts - 10 - 20% off!
4. Use of online tactics and social media to help spread the word.

Nannies4hire.com

2009-08-10T06:49:00.003-04:00

As a new mommy, you quickly learn that taking care of a baby is not easy. Toss in the housework and you can feel the stress pretty quickly.

A second pair of hands, whether it is your mom, sister, friend of neighbour always helps. But, if you are looking for something longer term and regular - a sitter or nanny may be a great option.

I came across nannies4hire.com while going through my feeds and thought this was a brilliant idea. As another friend mentioned, it is basically eHarmony for nannies. You simply put in your postal code and a list of available nannies will show up complete with their bio. You have to sign up to speak with them.

Why does this make perfect sense?
- It doesn't waste your time or the nannies time. Every family has different requirements for the type of care they need. It can be special needs, time of the day etc. This allows you to search the database and find the person who fits the upfront criteria you are looking for.
- For someone who has never had a nanny or knows someone who has one, it offers resources that give you a general idea on pay, how to go about finding a nanny safely etc.

This is another great use of the web. A way to connect people who both have a need.

How to not get new business

2009-08-03T06:16:00.000-04:00

1. Don't return phone calls or emails from prospects and customers - especially those who say they want your product.
2. Don't ask customers if they need any help when they walk in your store.
3. Follow your customers when they are in your store.
4. Make your customers feel bad when they don't buy additional accessories to a product they are purchasing.
5. Don't smile or look your customer in the eye.

Having a Bevie with Don Draper

2009-08-01T15:13:00.004-04:00

I just bought season two and I can barely wait to crack open the shirt box. I was a big fan of season one!

The one thing that has been all the craze over the last few days on facebook and twitter has been the 'Mad Men Yourself.' Lots of my friends and tweeps have been creating their own avatar and changing their profile pic. These snazzy illustrations are quite good.

For AMC, this is a great way to get people informed that season two is out on DVD (although it is hard to miss since it gets great reviews) or just interested in the show.

NPR wrote a great article about this.

Book Review: How We Decide

2009-07-27T07:00:00.002-04:00

Do you find it easier to spend money when you are using a credit card opposed to cash? Do you wonder why you can't make that 2-foot putt, even though you have played on that golf course dozens of times?

How We Decide is a great book by Jonah Lehrer that explores the workings of the brain on how we make everyday decisions in life.

Whether it be how a quarterback knows who to throw the football to in crunch time or how someone makes a decision to buy something.

As a marketer, I was intrigued when I read the first chapter on NYT. Afterall, it would be great to know how and why customers purchase your products and what goes through their minds. Not everyone purchases rationally, in fact, most don't (including me!).

The mind is a wonderful and complex thing - this book looks at how it works and essentially how we make decisions on everday tasks to challenging times.

Search within Google Search

2009-07-20T07:00:00.004-04:00

Okay, maybe this has been around for a long time...but I have never seen it or used it before. It is the ability to search a website, directly from the Google Search results.

I did a quick search on Grand and Toy (yup, I still do this and not in the address bar) - and the #1 listing was the ability to search the site.

Why does this make sense?

1. People don't go to Grand and Toy to window shop. Most people know what they want (I needed envelopes) so the ability to search for it right there without the extra click was great.

2. A store like Grand and Toy has sooo many products. Going right to their search is easier and faster.

3. Their prime audience are small businesses - they do not have the time to search so why not make the process easier.

Email - The Largest Social Network

2009-07-16T06:07:00.002-04:00

I read an interesting post from J. Owyang "Email: The First - and Largest - Social Network" a few days ago and thought to add my two cents.

When I started out in online marketing, email marketing was one of my top job functions. From newsletters to direct offers, I was responsible for campaigns to millions of customers and prospects. After several years deploying email (and campaign sites), the next logical step for me was social media, online communities and/or online networking.

After years working with email, it only made sense to me that those I was connecting with should connect with each other as well. How was this done?

1. Survey your customers and prospects via email. Try to connect those with the same responses, questions and thoughts - to try to work out a solution. Better yet, find someone who has the solution and make the connection. (I did this during my conference days).
2. Within an email newsletter, ask readers for their opinions and have them post it within a branded community.
3. Within a direct email (based on database preferences), inform customers and prospects of live web broadcasting or podcasting where they can ask their questions and share with the community.

I am looking forward to further migration of email and socia media. From a marketing point of view, it will be a great way to spread relevant messages (good offers) and get the word out!

CASE: How can Kodak rely on Future Shop's poor Customer Service?

2009-07-13T06:26:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, I read an article in the G&M about how customer service rules again. With sales still on the decline, stores are relying on good service to keep loyal customers.

A day after reading this article, I got an email from the Kodak Gallery in regards to the pick-up of photo's I ordered online the week prior - stating that my photos would be ready in 2-5 business days. NOTE: Future Shop's sold their photo service to Kodak (however, you can still pick up your photos from Future Shop).

2 business days later, I strolled into Future Shop hoping that my photo's would be ready. The service was slow. When I finally got to a representative, she told me that the email was incorrect and that I needed to wait for a phone call telling my my order was in (BTW, I ordered this online - I DON'T want a phone call).

Does Kodak know that their partner is providing poor customer service? Afterall, this bad service is not only a reflection on Future Shop but on Kodak as well. Do they know that this poor service means I will go and try Black's or even Loblaws?

More than ever, companies need to provide great customer service to keep and attract business. Just because you provide good service, doesn't mean your sellers are. Beware.

Closing Up Shop

2009-07-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

Over the last few months I have seen quite a few stores in my 'hood (Y&E) close up shop (Nike, Ten Thousand Villages, Nine West to name a few).

These brands may have closed their stores in this specific location, but surely, they did not close business completely. In fact, their ecommerce sites are still quite robust and they still have stores in prominent areas like the Eaton Centre.

In all of these instances, there was never any warning to local customers of the store closure. No sign on the window, no announcement online. Just here one day, and gone the next.

As a shopper at these stores - would you be disappointed that you were not informed? Here are some quick and easy ways to keep customers, even if you are on your way out.

1. Put a sign on the window "Thank you for your patronage, please visit us at one of our other locations or online at www."
2. If you have a store locator online - let customers know when it is closing.
3. Have a sale.
4. If you have a good database, send out a direct mail or email announcing the closure and perhaps a small discount at one of the other locations.

Cent, Five Cent...

2009-06-29T06:02:00.000-04:00

Toronto's plastic bag tax came into effect June 1st. Since its institution, I have seen a lot more people carrying around their eco-friendly bags while shopping, whether it is for groceries or clothes.

From a marketing perspective, companies that have been giving these bags out for free months prior are now getting the extra marketing boost - Lululemon is the popular one I see a lot. Those that have been selling them for a decent price are also getting the exposure - like PC and Whole Foods.

One odd customer service blip I have seen since this tax came into effect is cashiers unwillingness to put my purchases in my bag. This happened several times at stores in my neighbourhood. In fact, I have tried this with baby in tow, clearly a difficult task for me to do. Most times, I will tell the cashier that I have a bag and would appreciate it if they put my purchases in the bag. However, should I forget to say this in the frenzie of calming my baby, getting my wallet and signing my credit card statement...my purchase typically will sit on the counter beside my bag as the cashier attends to the next customer.

I don't get this? A small customer service flaw that ruins an otherwise good shopping experience.

Nursing in the Age of Apps

2009-06-23T10:12:00.006-04:00

Breastfeeding can be a very difficult and complicating. You don't know if you are feeding your baby enough, your baby falls asleep when it needs to eat more and of course, you too may fall asleep as you nurse in the wee hours of the night and lose track.

One of the recommendations to ensure you are feeding your baby enough is to track the time you feed as well as bowel and bladder movements. The baby should feed anywhere from 20-30 minutes each session and should have 3-4 bowel movements and 6-8 wet diapers in a 24 hours period.

Seems simple to track? Well, with little to no sleep, it is hard to figure out what time of day it is let alone how long your baby has been nursing.

In the age on apps, you can throw out little pieces of paper or your notebook and even tracking online. Use your iPhone or Touch!

I am using the Baby Tracker:Nursing app. It allows me to keep track of the time, breast and/or bottle feeding. It automatically calculates the total time of the feeding, lets me pause when the baby is taking a break or needs waking and allows me to edit any of the sessions as well.

It lets me do the basics of breastfeeding but with 5 weeks into motherhood - there are a couple of upgrades I would do:

1. Include a place where you can add that you fed your baby medication (if there are any)

2. Include bowel and bladder movements as this is one way to make sure your baby is doing well.

3. Add an alarm function that lets you know when your baby was fed 2, 3, 4 etc hours ago. This is key if your baby needs to put on the pounds and won't wake up.

Here...kinda

2009-06-13T14:30:00.002-04:00

Three weeks yesterday, Mark and I welcomed into this world, our baby girl - Rory Cameron.

Rory is my #1 priority. So with that may come a longer time to answer emails, less blog posts, less tweets and less networking on facebook (btw, my new url is www.facebook.com/mtampoya)... but, I am still here so feel free to email, DM on twitter or write on my wall if you have an online marketing question...or any question you think I can help you with. I will definitely get back to you!

Also, thanks to all of you for answering my new mommy questions via all the social networking tools above. It is VERY much appreciated and more will be coming soon I am sure.

Stay tuned for my next post...sure to be a mommy blogger one!

We still want quality

2009-06-04T07:00:00.003-04:00

I personally don't mind paying a little bit more for a better cup of coffee. I don't mind paying more for a jacket that fits better or a pair of pants made of a better fabric.

And it looks like I am not alone. Young Adults too care about good quality.

So before you spend large amounts of money of branding yourself as cool, funky, in, trendy - make sure that your product delivers what the client wants, particularly when it comes to quality.

Afterall, you can have the most robust, expensive and uber-cool campaign in the market but if your product does not equal the hype - then your strategy will fail.

Stalking @LaurenConrad

2009-06-02T07:00:00.004-04:00

It was a rainy afternoon, Mark was dozing on the couch and I had been surfing the web for over 3 hours.

A tweet to @LaurenConrad came up from one of my friends on Twitter which sparked me to click on her tweets.

Before I go on, here is my fan history of The Hills:
- I watch the show every Monday night, but NOT the aftershow. The aftershow is too much like OK or People magazine. There really is no need to dissect reality tv.
- I do own Season 1 & 2 on DVD (they were presents!)
- I don't follow any of the characters/personalities on twitter, myspace or even the MTV blog.
- I do admit to liking some of her clothing line and have been tempted to purchase at Holts.

After reading a couple of her tweets, including a Twitpic of her and Stephanie Pratt - I felt like a stalker. Afterall, I had been following her drama on the show for years. The quick remarks on twitter just made her seem so close.

This is usually a good thing, social media giving you access to celebrities, politicians and/or like-minded individuals. People you are interested are providing a window into their world. I do follow quite a few people myself on Twitter whose ideas, links and comments I respect enough to comment back or click on.

But for some reason, reading @LaurenConrad felt like stalking. Perhaps it was too much of one person. Gave me the shivers.

CASE: 7Gen Email Newsletter

2009-05-30T07:00:00.002-04:00

I am a sucker for good email programs, partly because they have always been a part of my job.

Believe it or not, they are still hard to come by. Many still spamming their customers and prospects, others not sending often enough or with content that matters.

I signed up for the 7Gen Newsletter from Seventh Generation a few months ago and have to say it is one of the best newsletters out there right now.

Why is this email newsletter a notch above the rest?
1. Content. The email provides a good number of promo paragraphs (8 in the last one) satisfying a broad range of interests. This makes the click-through rate better since there is a little something for everyone.
2. Navigation. They provide the same navigation and/or areas of the site as part of their design. This is good to engage those that find no interest in the content but have a need to go to the site.
3. Sharing capabilities. I really like how the newsletter inserts "email" and "comment" as part of every promo paragraph. These links are typically found on the site, but incorporating it within the email design makes it easier for those that can't be bothered to click-through.

How do you look on a mobile device?

2009-05-28T07:00:00.006-04:00

I never used to visit websites on my blackberry unless I absolutely had to. They look terrible on my bb. With my Touch and Mark's iPhone, I visit only those I really need to...afterall, I am still not accustomed to the small screen.

However, one day, when I was using the TwitterBerry application on my bb, I decided to click on the blog link my friend referred to.

I grew anxious. I could see the loading bar slowly turn blue...and BAM!...a beautiful mobile site showed up. I was excited. Afterall, I use the same blog application as she does. Of course, I tested mine and it looked pretty good.

More than ever, it is important to make sure your site is readable on a mobile device. Why? Because your customers and prospects are:

1. Using their mobile devices to learn more about your products or locate you - at home on the couch, in the car on the way to your store and many times, in your store.

2. Linking to your site (via email, twitter, facebook, etc) and their readers are clicking on those links on their mobile devices.

3. Using their mobile more than their PC to access content.

Part Deux - Online Registry Done Right

2009-05-26T07:00:00.004-04:00

I wrote about online registry back in February but after reading this post on The Bride's guide regarding registry etiquette - I couldn't help but provide an additional two cents.

If you are going to provide an online registry:
1. Thank the registrants for registering with your store. Afterall, they are bringing you business. Offer a discount on items that were not purchased off of the list.
2. Make sure that your inventory is in check and update the registry. I had a few incidents where items that I only wanted one of, I got multiples (no one wants the drama of returning a gift). Other times, people have told me that they didn't have the item in stock.
3. Allow the sender to have the option to have the gift wrapped with a personalized card. Date of delivery would be nice too since some may want to send it earlier than an event.
4. Send a confirmation to the sender that the shipment was received. You can also use this chance to include marketing messages and a discount to them.
5. Send an updated list of items purchased to the person who set up the registry. This may give them another chance to add additional items.

Investing in women and mommies

2009-05-24T07:00:00.005-04:00

I am woman, hear me roar!

While combing through my Twitter (@mtampoya) and RSS feeds, a lot of great articles popped up regarding women.

If you are building an online strategy aimed at women or mothers or looking to build your management team - here are some great articles to browse through.

- RT @CBCNews - More women in senior roles boosts finance performance
- RT @guykawasaki - Working moms use technology.
- Etsy Success During a Recession
- Women Online Twice as Likely to Use Blogs over Social Networking Sites As Trusted Sources of Info.
- Europe Invests in Women Leaders
- Mommy bloggers one of the latest blogging trends.

CASE: Cheap Eats on Twitter

2009-05-22T07:00:00.003-04:00

I love fellow foodies, especially Alexa Clark. She knows her food in my hometown of Toronto and she is a social media guru. What's not to like?

As editor and publisher or Cheap Eats Toronto, she knows how to provide the right content for her readers and above all, how to interact with them on a daily basis.

One of my favourite tactics to keep her audience engaged is the use of Twitter (@ceto) for readership chat. She poses a question like "What is your favourite ice cream flavour" and the community can chime in anytime with their answers. Her audience is so engaged they will even tell you where the ice cream can be found (because one flavour is never the same in another location)

The chat is posted to the Cheap Eats blog where those who don't use Twitter to communicate can read it. If you are really interested (like an ice cream shop), you can subscribe to the chat via RSS and/or look up the Twitter hashtag (#ceto and #icecream).

Garage Sales

2009-05-20T07:00:00.002-04:00

Mark and I stumbled upon a yard sale the other day and couldn't believe the bargains. We got a much needed hand vaccum cleaner for $5 and some PS2 games for $2.

What surprised me the most was how business-savvy the seller was (mind you, she could have been a serious business women) for a yard sale.

#1. She introduced herself to every person that stopped to take a look and asked them for their name.
#2. On all the boxes, they had the original price of the items inside (ie. $1) and then she put a big X over it and put the new price (.50). Just like any sale at a retail store, people are more likely to purchase when they truly know they are getting a deal.
#3. When paying for the items, she gave us discounts for buying multiple things. Again, allowing us to walk away feeling even better about our purchase.
#4. Good and clear signage at the street's main intersection and in front of the house.

Part 2: 10 Rules on Mental Fitness (in business) continued

2009-05-18T07:00:00.002-04:00

6. Embrace your golf personality.
This applies to business as well. Do you like to present or would rather work from your desk and communicate via email? Do you like socializing in a group or would you rather get to know colleagues in a one-on-one situation? Find what works best for you and let your colleagues know that is how you like to interact.

7. Have a routine to lean on.
When things are going off the rails or you just need to get your mind off a project, have a simple cool down routine. Pick up a coffee and go for a walk around the block. Meditate and focus on your breathe. Figure out a 10-15 minute routine that you know will help you collect yourself.

8. Find peace on the course.
Feel panicky going to work in the morning or before a meeting? With the number of hours you spend at work, it should be a place you enjoy going to, whether there is a mess that needs to get cleaned up by you or not.

9. Test yourself in stroke play.
Make sure that every decision you make, counts. By thoroughly considering every angle before you make a decision, you will stay competitive.

10. Find someone who believes in you.
It could be your spouse, colleague, friend or boss. When things are slipping or going downhill, it can be easy to quit. Find a cheerleader to keep you focused and at your best.

Part 1: 10 Rules on Mental Fitness (in business)

2009-05-16T07:00:00.004-04:00

In the June edition of Golf Digest, there is a great article "10 Rules for how to win your major." The focus is definitely golf related, but after reading all 10 - they can definitely be applied to business and leadership.

1. Believe you can win.
You may not always be the best in your field of work and your company may not always be rated one of the best - but believe that it can be. If you work hard enough, you can and will be the best.

2. Don't be seduced by results.
You may have the #1 product this year. But, next year? Who knows. Focus on the now and delivering what you can now. Celebrating the past or overplanning the future can mean never reaching your goals.

3. Sulking won't get you anything.
When things are going well - pouting, complaining or blaming isn't going to do much for you. In fact, acting this way in front of your team will not only spread the feelings but create a terrible working environment.

4. Beat them with patience.
In many work environments, processes can be slow and decisions even slower. Unfortunately, this may be the case and cannot be fixed (at least in your work lifetime). Be patient. The moment you try to rush things or force people to work faster than normal - problems and bugs occur. NOTE: This doesn't mean you should work at a snail's pace either.

5. Ignore unsolicited swing advice.
Okay, for business, it is not your golf swing but sometimes, how you run your business or team. If you have a strong plan or strategy, stick to it or seek advice from mentors or those who advice you trust.

Look for Part 2 in the next few days.

CASE: Apple Cheeks

2009-05-14T06:52:00.001-04:00

I just purchased a set of Apple Cheeks diapers from Baby on the Hip. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't set on buying this brand as I thought it was quite pricey compared to bumgenius, another popular cloth diaper.

But when I found out that all they had was bumgenius in pink, I decided that maybe I should try a couple of Apple Cheeks. Afterall, I don't go to Leslieville often enough and they don't sell them anywhere near me.

So, I asked the sales associate for more information about the diaper and expressed my concern about the pricing. To my surprise, she informed me that there are multiple ways of using the diaper and that I really didn't have to spend as much as I thought. She didn't down play the bumgenius or the other brands that the carry, but she was certainly knowledgeable about the brand, how other mom's use them and above all, what I should realistically purchase.

This certainly does not happen all the time with me. A sales associate knowing a product inside and out and have the ability to convince me to not just purchase one to try but a whole set.

Are your sales associates or your retailers up to speed on your product?

Some other great marketing points:
- Found on twitter (@AppleCheeksDipe) where someone from the brand answers your questions regarding the product or other baby schtuff.
- Found on Facebook with fun contests to win starter kits.
- Oh yes, you know I love a good ol' fashion email program too.

It's My 3rd Birthday!

2009-05-12T07:00:00.006-04:00

Today is Mish's Playground's 3rd Birthday.

I can't believe how much has changed and how much I have had to say in three years about online marketing, business and myself.

Just wanted to say a special thank you to those who continue to read and comment on my posts, those that fill me with ideas, inspiration and guidance. I hope to continue to offer you the content you are looking for.

What continues to drive me to blog?
1. I am passionate about online. Blogging helps me demonstrate my enthusiasm.
2. A channel to showcase my thought leadership and expertise in the area.
3. Drives me to stay current and always thinking about bettering myself (afterall, I need something to blog about).
4. Helps me with my career (yes, I can confidently say that this blog has helped me get gigs)
5. A great way to connect with like-minded people. I have made so many friends through the blog and online marketing.

Cheers.

Coffee Break

2009-05-09T07:00:00.003-04:00

When times are good and business is moving quickly, it is understandably easy to not have the time for lunch and maybe even a coffee with a colleague. Afterall, business is chugging and you don't want to skip a beat.

But, as business slows down and decisions are taking longer than normal to be made, lunch and definitely coffee breaks are easier to have.

Why have them now when things are moving so slow anyway?

1. Because the 'slowness' will not last forever.
2. Because the 'slowness' means more time to work on strategy.
3. Because the 'slowness' means you can talk to other people in the same industry and figure out what other companies have done, are doing and will be doing.
4. Because the 'slowness' lets you reconnect and rethink your processes and operations and fix an holes.
5. Because you can.

PS. Coffee breaks during busy times are always fruitful as well. It never hurts to stay in touch with friends and colleagues to keep you up-to-date with the happenings within your business and industry. Keeps you that one step ahead of the pack.

Be Friendly with the Neighbours

2009-05-07T07:00:00.004-04:00

A lot of the small businesses in my neighbourhood like to chat. It is a good way to get to know their clientele, their needs and wants.

On the flip side of things, many of them have chatted to me about some of the other small businesses in the neighbourhood. Many quick to many recommendations to stores that offer goods that they don't or goods that may compliment what I just bought.

Example #1 - While purchasing a maternity dress at Belly, the store owner recommended me to Beestung (already a favourite) for maternity bras.

Example #2 - The local Starbucks didn't have any more croissants. The young lady behind the counter recommended that I go to Dufflet two doors down and get one there and come back for my cafe mocha.

IMPORTANT: A good impression on your neighbours is just or as important that to your customers. Why?

A) Your neighbours are your customers
B) Your neighbours can make recommendations to NOT go to your store if they experienced bad service themselves.
C) They just won't talk about you.

Social Media Policy

2009-05-05T15:29:00.004-04:00

In the last few months I have been asked to look at and comment on social media tactics from various friends and colleagues.

One of the most overlooked items is your social media policy. This applies to your blog, twitter, facebook, microsite etc...

Why does it matter?
1. Just as you should be transparent to your readers, you should be transparent to your employer
2. Protect both you and your employer.
3. Just like a mission statement, it can keep you focused on what you can/should say (because I bet ya some of your colleagues are reading)

Altimeter Group has a great list of social media policies.

UPDATED May 11, 2009: Check out Dave Fleet's 3-part series on Social Media Policies for your Company. Some great content here.

Acknowledgement

2009-05-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

I know I did a good job, but does everyone else? Make sure to give credit where credit is due. There is nothing worse than someone working their butt off on a project and not getting any recognition. This small business tactic will make your workers work harder, stay loyal and above all, enjoy working for you.

Here are small and simple ways to recogize:

1. Send an email or hand written note to a colleague or worker for a job well done. Include a $5 gift certificate to their favourite coffee joint.
2. Make an announcement to your team when a project has been completed. Make sure to point out the hard workers and how they contributed to a goal.
3. Stop by a colleagues' desk and say "thanks". This one simple word can do a world of wonders to someone's morale.

Making a Decision

2009-04-29T09:26:00.003-04:00

You need a party dress for an upcoming work party. You go into Holts and come across three that you like.

Dress #1 - Plain black tank dress. It can easily be worn for work with a blazer or dressed up with lots of good jewellry. Can definitely get a lot of milage out of this one. $200.

Dress #2 - Trendy black dress. Can probably wear next year but it is an event-only dress. It cannot be dressed down. $150

Dress #3 - Super trendy dress + favourite designer. Definitely a fashion statement and fits like a glove. It is made by a designer you really love and follow. Don't think you can wear it after this season $350.

Other options:

Option #1 - Borrow a dress from a friend. Doesn't quite fit but will try to squeeze into it anyway.

Option #2 - Wear the same dress you wore last year and hope no one notices.

So, what do you do? Your decision will most likely be based on emotion and logic (I hope). I love Dress #3 but do I have the money to spend? I can go for Option #1 but I will be uncomfortable the whole night.

This happens everyday with business as well.

Do I go with a vendor who is very popular amongst my peers and within the industry (but I don't know if the company functions well)? Do I go with a supplier that someone else in the company uses, but not for what I want?

When making a decision, whether it is for that black dress or for work, it is key to analyze what is best for you or your project. What may be good enough for someone may not be good enough for you.

Study your predecessors

2009-04-18T07:00:00.002-04:00

I have to admit, I really like reading Mark's Men's Health magazine. It is just like Cosmo..but for men. It is full of fashion, exercise tips and off course, the oh-too-funny relationship tips.

This month's issue has a great article on Paul Pierce on coaching yourself to a championship. The one thing that really stuck was how he studied his predecessors to "remind him that success isn't bestowed; it's chased and the hungriest catch it."

I like this statement and believe it can go from the hard court to the boardroom. The more you know about the company you are or want to work for, the better you will be at strategy and corporate culture.

Here are some quick ways to get to know more about your leaders and company.

1. Before you apply for a job and definitely before an interview, do some research to learn more about not only the company but who you will be reporting to. I am sure you will meet your boss during a job interview, but do a quick google search, check LinkedIn and, if you have friends at the company, ask them for information. This may helpyou decide (if you get an offer) if the job is right for you.
2. Once you are at the job, look on the corporate intranet to learn more about the goals of the overall company, its board and C-level executives. The faster you comprehend and know where the organization is trying to get to, the better you can align your work.
3. Talk with your collegues and don't be afraid to ask questions. When you get to a meeting with new team members or even your existing team, if you don't know, ask them what they do and what their goals are for that year and perhaps previous years. The more you know what other team members do, the better you will be at figuring out how things work and also, where to go for answers to questions outside of your team.

CASE: Beestung Lingerie

2009-04-16T07:00:00.002-04:00

Beestung Lingerie has to be one of my favourite stores in the city. This intimate boutique offers the all the right ingredients to making a small business work.

So what makes this store extraordinary from the rest of the competition?

1. Bra Fitting. The owner or one of the other nice ladies will come right into the change room and make sure that bra you are trying on fits just right. If you have never had a fitting before, I bet you will be surprised at how long you have been wearing the wrong bra. I was for years! Also, they make sure those thin cotton tshirts you wear are available in the change room so you know exactly how the material falls with the bra you are trying on.
2. Personal Service. After a few stops into the store, the ladies knew my name and my size. Even after not stopping in for a few months, they still knew my name!
3. Connecting with other local businesses. While shopping at a local maternity store, Belly, I had asked them to recommend a nursing bra for me. Without the skip of a beat, the store keeper blurted our Beestung. She actually had such good things to say about the owner and store that I went there right after the purchase.
4. Products. There is a lot of competition for Beestung in the Y&E area. Two which are also small boutiques, another three which are major chains. By talking to customers and really nailing down what they like and don't - the consistently offer products that hit home with their clientele.
5. Being online. It is hard for many small business to manage the store, inventory, service and marketing...let alone online marketing. To make sure customers knew what was happening at the store, they started a monthly email and blog that is simple yet useful. It is a great way to stay in touch and announce any new labels they carry or seasonal merchandise.

Don't be worried if you are not perfect

2009-04-14T07:00:00.004-04:00

Perfection either takes a long long time or in most instances is unreachable. Something I may see flaws in, may be perfect to someone else.

Perfection, or the goal for what someone deems for perfect can be destructive and negatively effect business. It could mean delaying a service or product that was asked for or providing a flawed service or product in the meantime. It could also mean competition beating you to providing the service or product.

So how do you deal with business partners that insist on perfection?

- Outline the pros and cons of what you want to deliver. The pros have to definitely out weigh the cons. Use stats and do a risk analysis.
- Compare what you want to deliver to the services/products you currently provide. Will you be providing a worse or better experience?
- Set a schedule or phase approach to reaching what your business partner deems 'perfection.' So long as you show that you are on the road to providing or fixing the problem, that may be enough (but make sure you follow through).
- Release a BETA version. This not allows you to sort through any last minute kinks, but also let's you get customer feedback and grab attention before your competitors.

When nobody knows your name

2009-04-12T07:00:00.004-04:00

In the last few month's I have seen two Ranger pubs close down in the Y&E/Davisville 'hoods - Mad Monty's and Bow & Arrow. Also gone in the area are restaurants Cyprus (Greek), Vittorio's (Italian) and Chakra (Indian). I have also noticed that the local cheese shop - Alex on Cheese - who is known for carrying not only a great selection of fromage but also great local bread like Rahier, is moving...

There are many more I can list, but it is depressing me.

One similarity to all these stores and other local stores was that they offered great customer service. They know your name, sometimes your children's names, your likes, dislikes etc.

So where does one go to shop/hang locally? The Keg and Loblaws just don't cut it. They just don't offer that one-on-one personal neighbourhood feeling...or can they?

More than ever, companies, particularily the large ones, are taking a cue from what many small businesses are know for - focusing on customer service / customer experience. As most marketers know, it is more expensive to aquire a new customer than to keep an existing one. Strategies around retention and loyalty are more important than ever. Strategies and tactics that bring big brands down to the local, individual level.

This is no easy feat. Big companies, particularily retail, are know for high turnover and large workforces. How can a big company (and small ones too) provide service where...you truly know your customer?

1. Collect information. Whether it is online or at the check out desk - take notes and keep track of what they are buying. This helps any new sales force sell more or just refer goods that the customer is more likely to purchase.
2. Try to get your workforce to work the same days of the week and the same hours if possible. Many people remember the day and time they went into a store and got service. If they know "Jim" could help, they are more likely to come back when they know he is around.
3. Focus on listening. The more you listen and talk with a customer to get to know their needs, you can make a better decision on what product to refer. Heck, there is nothing worse than going into a clothing store looking for an evening dress and all the store does it try to sell you jeans.

CASE: BabyCenter - Branded Content for Preggers

2009-04-10T07:00:00.005-04:00

From the time I learned I was pregnant my focus has been on the birth and development of the baby. I read countless articles, books, 2 weekend workshops and plenty of conversations all around this new experience.

But like most busy parents-to-be's...I would get home and want to turn on the television instead of read a book. Or, I would lose track of how much time has passed and realize that I have lots of reading and questions still unanswered.

To date, there has been one great online program that I would highly recommend - BabyCenter - that has kept me on track.

What makes this one-stop shop so good?
1. Branded content. Articles, forums, pictures and video that are helpful for all parents.
2. Push messaging. By signing up and filling in a quick survey (due date), you get weekly messaging of how your baby is developing.
3. Interactivity. Calculators to track everything from growth to costs all in one area.

The key lesson to take away. RELEVANCY.

The content on the site is extremely relevant to new parents that it becomes a place to come back to for answers and hopefully, to provide answers as well.

PS. Check out Johnson's Baby - another great website for the world after labour.

Project Synergy

2009-04-08T11:12:00.005-04:00

On my way to get a hot chocolate this morning (I have to walk through Chapters), I came across this Stephen Covey quote:

"Many people have not really experienced even a moderate degree of synergy in their family life or in other interactions. They've been trained and scripted into defensive and protective communications or into believing that life and other people can't be trusted. This represents one of the great tragedies and wastes in life, because so much potential remains untapped - completely undeveloped and unused, Ineffective people live day after day with unused potential. They experience synergy only in small, peripheral ways in their lives."

Synergy is the term used to describe a situation where different entities cooperate advantageously for a final outcome. Simply defined, it means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The essence of synergy is to value differences.

If you are developing a strategy, before you finish, ask yourself "Does the right synergy exist between all partners involved?"

It only takes ones person to throw that synergy off balance.

How do you try to make sure synergy is consistent?

1. Kick-Off! Have a good team brief will all members involved with the project.
2. Listen - Ask team members to ask the hard questions, don't be afraid to voice concerns. When they are raised, deal with them effectively before the project starts. Nipping these in the bug early with help resolve any issues down the road.
3. Status - Keep team members aware of what is going on with the project at all times. There is nothing worse than feeling out-of-the-loop on a project you are involved in.
4. Kudos! Give credit where credit is due. Projects are a team effort. Synergy can easily be broken when you don't give acknowledgment.
5. Open Door Policy - Make sure team members can and feel welcome to always speak their mind openly or privately about the project. When team members have pent up feelings, they become uninterested and are not motivated to work to their best potential

Know Thy Audience

2009-04-05T06:30:00.001-04:00

One of my responsibilities at work is to develop social media strategies.

After spending a week @SXSW - one would think this would be very easy. But it isn't. Even for someone who has done this before at previous jobs and has been using and participates in social sites for a few years now.

Why? Because not everyone understands or cares (nor should you expect them to). OR, business partners want to participate but not necessarily in places where their audience is. This is okay. There are ways to handle both.

Where do you start? Know your audience and your business partners' audience. To develop a strong and lasting strategy, you need to make sure that what you are proposing is relevant to who you are marketing to. Afterall, there is no point in being somewhere if your customers are not there. Or, if is really important to be somewhere, if that is where your customers are.

How do you gain a better understanding of your audience?
1. A good start is the Forrester Social Technographics profile tool. (NOTE: If you haven't already - read The Groundswell). It gives you a great starting point for how your audience likes to participate - whether it is simply just reading and watching to actively developing content online.
2. Use resources like eMarketer or other research that tells you by age, region etc. what your audience is doing online. Supporting research always helps sell your strategy.
3. Join and participate where you think or know your audience is. Get a feel for how they are communicating, the rules of the sites, how to be transparent and overall, how to participate by providing value back.

The more you know about your audience, the better targeting and participating you can do.

Your Online Resume

2009-04-03T11:30:00.004-04:00

It is very rare that a day goes by and I don't hear about job cuts or losses. Yesterday, I caught a bit of a story on CNN regarding employment. They stated that it now takes approximately 20 weeks to get a new job, if you can find a new job that is.

More than ever, it is important to make sure you are found online. A future employer may google you to find out more about you. Or, a recruiter or HR representative may be looking for prospects online, through referrals or people they know also in the field (who may know you!)

I am not an employment expert, but here are some ways to go beyond the job fair or job board that has helped me in the past.

1. Make sure you are on LinkedIN. Like the old saying goes, "it's not what you know, it's who you know". This tool is a great way to showcase your work resume but also professional affiliations. It allows you to stay in touch with old colleagues without having to update your address book every time some moves or changes positions. Above all, it connects you to people who may be looking to fill a role in their company and reach out to those they know first. Afterall, people value their friends' opinions and are more likely to hire someone that a friend recommends.

2. Google yourself. Did you come up in the first page of results? If yes, was it your LinkedIN profile, blog or website? Or, was it content that you wouldn't want a future employer to see? Keep promoting your online profile. Try to get organic links pointing to your profile or do some self promotion via forums and comments.

3. Showcase your expertise. Create a personal profile page that displays what you have worked on and what you know by creating a blog or connecting with like minded people on twitter. If you are up for a job against someone else, and your prospective employer googles the both of you - he or she may feel more comfortable about choosing you if your online resume supports what he or she already knew or thought. It certainly doesn't hurt.

SXSW09 - Mobile Ubiquitous Banking and The Future of Money

2009-03-17T18:58:00.002-04:00

Panel:
Razorfish
UNICEF, HSBC
Vodaphone
Devauld
Chris Wireless

Most radical innovation in mobile was the impezza product created by
telecoms. They can store up to $800 and give to family and friends.

3 main themes:
Trust - ppl will transact with those they trust
Innovation - will not come from banks
Trickle Up - help come up to speed with first world countries

Trickle up:
A lot of innovation in mobile banking come from developing countries.
There is ingenuity due to constraints. Most innovation coming from
Africa.

Mobile payments is not the same as mobile banking. Mobile payments is
like a mobile wallet. Used for short term and small balances. Mobile
payments are important because of infrastructure. GSM infrastructure
is more robust than other infrastructures.

How does the mobile payment system work? Need agents to provide the
services.

What can ppl do?
Individuals can transfer money. Consumers can pay merchants.
Entrepreneurs can pay labour.

Trust:
Who are you going to trust in a boom or in a bust?

Who are you going to trust when you are making a transaction?

When there is a bust, fear comes in. We lose our trust in
everything. Everything gets shut down. Banks become government
facilities because of trust.

The economy changes. Trust will be deployed in different ways.

Towns are only going local (transition towns) No more credit, etc.

In developed countries, banks want mobile to be a bank machine. With
that said, why does it have to be a bank like Bank of America and
instead a company I trust.

This is a chance to reinvent the economy.

There are other currencies based on assets.

Innovation:
How can technology open up barrier to money and improve trust? How
can you move your funds from one acct to another?

Some companies are breaking down the barriers:
Twitpay
Smava
Paymo
Zola
Snartfundit

Kashklash.net

SXSW09 - Is Web 2.0 killing the sports industry?

2009-03-17T17:27:00.001-04:00

Panel:
Watercooler
Dallas Cowboys
Clearspring
OpenSports (in beta)

75% traffic from site come from outside the local community.

Watercooler - team by team communities online. Connectingu fans with
one another. Created across multiple platforms, facebook, myspace.

Adding 100k ppl everyday.

It is all social graph growth. No need to do marketing. Die hard
fans help grow the site.

What are the fan hotspots? fans cheer their team and trashtalk other
teams

They make money from advertising model. Merchandising deals based on
geo targetting.

Dallas Cowboys - built content first and then ppl will come. 3.5
million visitors a month. Grow 15-20% every year.

Monetize the site through advertising. Ramped up sales force.
Looking to identify items can sell at a small cost per until to a
large number of ppl.

Launched 'True Blue' fan club - the traction was ability to go into
forums and blogs. Consumers love the up to a second info that is
behind the scenes. Blogs 3rd most visited page on website.

Clearspring - widget distribution. Launchpad is the main product -
works on multiple platform. 'add this' product used 20B times per
month.

Combining launchpad and add this together in an open platform. Work
with espn, NBC, NFL, etc.

Make money by paid installs for widgets and ads on widgets.

OpenSports - Fantasy is a big business. It is easy to sell because it
is so sticky. CBS make 40b in revenue.

SXSW09 - M Ward

2009-03-17T13:51:00.001-04:00

Recording on analog sounds better and truer for him. digital sounds
like a demo.

Love working with voices that are timeless.

Steers clear of reaction so he can focus on the act of creating music.

There is freedom in obscurity. Have never felt the weight of rampant
popularity.

He is most interested in sphere of influence and how it is changing
and growing. Word of mouth.

Best education was learning other peoples songs.

SXSW09 - Punk Marketing in the Real World

2009-03-17T12:53:00.000-04:00

Speaker: Richard Laermer
@laermer

How can the economy help us sell right now?

Marketers have become very complacent?

Punk marketing shakes up the core of what you are doing.

Anyone that engenders trust provides something ppl don't have (due to
recession)

Punk markers shift power from corporations to consumers.

Consumers are no longer passive.

Treating ppl as a mass audience is dumb.

Commerce, content and consumers are converging.

Consumers want tone taken care of.

Tone is more important than ever.

Give ppl something to talk and think about.

Focus groups do not represent your customers.

Comsumers don't necessarily want a conversation but want to participate.

Cut through the white noise. 'me too' products are everywhere.

Remove the mass from the market.

Recognize who you want to reach and go after them. You have to think
of the customer as an individual.

Example: Lynx Air (Australia) - they became the #1 body spray.

You have to think about what your customers are thinking.

Who has back during a recession? Crown Royale - they knew they were
cheaper than other scotches and ppl are more family oriented.

Love the ones who love you.

Be careful how hard you push your research and development. Example:
tropicana new design - they changed it back.

Take advantage of your customers and die.

What do you need to get through a recession?
Reality
Simplicity
Sustainability - it is about assurance
Sanctuary - it makes you feel good, safe

You have to give something ppl haven't seen before.

Rethink who you are. Maybe be somethink else. Understand your
customers.

SXSW09 - Advertising is Entertaining

2009-03-16T17:27:00.002-04:00

What is branded entertainment? Content, advertiser as the character,
content of show driven by product.

How do you maintain authentic content with advertising?

Advertisers don't want to let go of their message.

Good examples: burgerking on YouTube and facebook. Absolut and kanye.

There is a big difference between product placement and branded
entertainment.

What is selling out?

If it matches the audience and the brand is compelling, it isn't
necessarily selling out if the audience doesn't mind or enjoys it.

Is there cultural relevance? Brands are used to buying cultural
relevance offline, but it doesn't work online.

What is the process for agency and client for good branded
entertainment?

Don't take audience out of story. Audience and story line come
first. Product placement was integrated in a casual way.

If it is badly done, ppl care.

Does the brand come first or does the story?

Adding product to a show can sometimes make it feel authentic.

There is an art to product placement. Ppl know when something is
selling out.

Using your audience to build your content.

Example: Footlocker Unlocked, If I made a commercial for Trader Joe's

For UGC - you need a good balance of Eyeballs and submissions.

SXSW09 - Monday Keynote with James Powderly / Virginia Hefferman

2009-03-16T16:04:00.000-04:00

LED throwie
Laser tag setup - done in openframeworks

Why is illuminating graffiti so powerful?

Technology sometimes is magical.

With opensouce, magician reveals their trick and then there are more
magicians. Helps spread.

Transgression only works when there are a few of them so graffiti
should stay illegal.

The more powerful the technology, there is a perception that the more
power you have.

SXSW09 How to protect your brand without being a jerk

2009-03-16T13:12:00.000-04:00

Note: this session was too legal heavy for me so notes may not be as
good. :(

Panel:
EFFS
HIQI media
Funkybrowngirl
VLA
Creative Commons

How do you deal with piracy?

Make sure everything is registered so there is no confusion of owner.
Part of exanding your brand is ppl copying you.

How are you going to police your work? It is important to monitor
your mark.

What do you do if someone is stealing from your site?

If you go after pirates material, ISP or webservices will take it down
immediately.

In clear cut cases, this is not a problem.

How deep does the process go?

There are different ways to group items so you don't have to copyright
everything. You might want to spend more time registering items of
greater importance.

You cannot copyright an idea.

Understand what aspects belong to you and what you don't have to worry
about.

SXSW09 Finance 2.0

2009-03-16T12:04:00.001-04:00

Backchannel hashtag #sxswfinance

Panel:
Mint.com - Patzer
Smartypig - Ferrari
Billeo - Subbarao
Keeping nickels - Stephens

The FI environment does not allow true innovation.

What do you know that banks don't know?

Allow community to talk back and help keep with the changes. Banks
can't engage in an environment where things are fluid.

More ppl need to talk about personal finance on the web. Need to talk
about fees etc.

Young ppl don't know how to budget. List all expenses out. Process
can be tedious. Set budgets in groups 'going out with friends.'.
Complexity is the enemy. Ppl need to be honest with themselves and
what they are spending.

The sooner you can get money from payday to saving accounts, the better.

How do you deal with security?

Banks have a lot of security. They have everything about you and
ability to move your money around. Mint.com is anonymous. They don't
move money around. They send out alerts for suspicious activity.
They have a special area for servers that are tight security.

Smartypig is audited quarterly. They are goverened the same way as a
bank.

Billeo does not keep sensitive data.

Your browser can be compromised.

Why should ppl trust small companies with their finances?

It is anonymous. Seeing account balances is not as scary as leaving
your ATM slip. iPhone connection uses phone database. If it gets
stolen, you go online and wipe it.

To learn about finances?

Since the financial crisis, mint registration tripled.

Ppl are thinking more about their finances. How best to start saving.

What type of functionality do ppl want?

Smarty pig manages goals. Mint is not action oriented enough.

Smarty pig users wanted it integrated into mint. The first step for
ppl is trying to get a feel for it and understand where there money is
going.

Ppl need to look at mint or online account frequently. Help ppl
figure out what money is coming in and what is going out. Ppl need to
stay on top of payment obligations.

If you are doing a good job with your community, then you are doing a
good job.

Incenticise behaviour?

There are opportunities for great innovation here.

The incentive can be environmental or social. Can scam purchases to
track carbon footprint. Mint sees a lot of possibilities.

Gartner did a study and 80-90% did not hear of these online services.
How do you get out?

Smartypig - wanted to ensure sustainability of company without
advertising.

Mint gets a 20% clickthrough rate on targetted ads.

Billeo gets rev from promoting credit card products.

Is there competition outside us?

Mint gets a lot of demand in Canada and the uk. They willbe ecansing
next year.

Smartypig will be expanding in 3-4 international countries next year.

Smartypig already works with a lot of large banks. Mint will not work
with banks.

SXSW09 - Twitter for Marketers

2009-03-15T18:58:00.002-04:00

Presenters:
@mhjohnston (@jetblue)
@ggroovin (@stwitt3rgy)
Dell.com/twitter

Backchannel Hashtag #sxswt4m

Twitter is what happens between blog posts.

Treat twitter how you would at a cocktail party. It's about
establishing those relationships.

Jetblue - asked community what they wanted to hear about? Marketing
is the byproduct of the communication. Drive engagement that drives
advocacy. If you build that community, they will speak for you.

Dell - started as just delivering coupons. A month after launch they
did a survey to see if they new about the dell outlet.

Why not promote rss instead of twitter? Rss usage is low. Following
ok twitter is a lot easier, especially if users are on.

Jetblue - tried the slow growth opposed to trying to pull people from
customers.

How do you monitor so many followers?

Jetblue - get about 180 mentions a day? Playing with cotweet to
measure interactions. Twitter is an information booth not a
billboard. You need to beanle todirect ppl to the right spot.
Infrastructure of business needs to help solve issues.

If you become a resource for your followers, more will follow you.

The biggest use of twitter is observing. If you are there, fb,
whatever - make sure you are doing it right.

Can you be social as a brand?

JetBlue - still needs to be human. But it has to be built so ppl can
go on vacation or if ppl leave, someone else can take it over.

Who does a brand follow others?
Do brands talk to other brands?

Jetblue follows everone that follows them. Dell only follows Dell
accounts.

How many accounts do you have?

Do you use direct messaging?

If you don't follow anyone back, you don't have many dm's.

Jetblue has over 3,000 direct messages. It is where they get to have a
real conversation. You have to be responsive. Will @ replies at
beginning if useful for some. Will move @ reply somewhere in message
if they want everyone to see the message.

Dont get into cycle of apologizing or thanking praise.

The idea is to build a relationship.

Keep an eye on influencers. Watch what ppl in your industry and
competitors are doing. Use search extensively.

SXSW09 Lessons in Community Management

2009-03-15T17:29:00.001-04:00

Panel:
Flickr
Current TV
Etsy
MetaFilter
YouTube

How do you handle censorship?

YouTube is a platform for speech. They try to accommodate as much as
possible. Are things lawful? What is the user experience? You want to
be socially responsible.

Current TV - they don't have an agenda and this is often hard to let
ppl know this. Often, conversations have to happen as to why content
has to be taken down.

Transparency is key. Finding a balance with what ppl can say. Having
community guidelines helps put a voice to it.

How do try to maintain your sanity?

Etsy - need to believe in your community. Dont let haters get you down.

Current TV - weekly town hall chats with community.

YouTube - criticism is good. It is hard when ppl are loud and
persistent. If ppl know why something was removed, it helps decrease
more. Look at the positive as well.

When not to respond?

Flickr - there can be value not responding as well. Others know if
ppl are being crazy.

What advice would you give to start or participating in a community?

Current TV - respond. Allow multiple ways for feedback. You have to
make a promise to the dialogue. You can set some limits but you need
to talk back.

Etsy - focus on internal communications. Make sure teams are talking
to one another. Be ready to hear feedback and give feedback even if
it is not what they want to hear. Ppl will use the site they way they
want to.

YouTube - understand what you want the community is about but know
that the community will change over time. You have to grow with it.
Try to recognize these trends. Realize you will have to adapt your
product, services and policies as the community evolves.

MetaFilter - just don't be a jerk. Be able to explain the rules and
why you think those rules are there. If they get it, they become part
of the solution. Make sure you have public feedback. It can be scary
but ppl will trust you.

How do you get first time visitors to become engaged?

Flickr - you get what you give.

Current TV - try to reach out and help provide pointers

On most sites, you have to log on to rate or provide feedback.

SXSW09 Building your brand with Web 2.0 tools

2009-03-14T18:55:00.003-04:00

Love this session - they are giving away cake! Back channel Hashtag
#cake

Speakers:
The Advance Guard
The Marketing Farm
Freshbooks
Seesmic

Why it's important that you do this?
The way you communicate, ppl will learn more about you.

Your personal and professional online presence must be integrated.

Dont be afraid to ask your followers to help promote you.

Respond to all feedback, good or bad.

You can never have the last word on the Internet.

If a brand is going to be on social networks, it has to be ready to
talk back.

Be helpful. This will help build your brand.

There is a lot of social out there? Where do you focus your efforts?
Try all and figure out which ones were the most successful. Add the
others when you can.

How do you grow when you launch in stealth mode? Launch as soon as you
can. The faster you share, the quicker you would get feedback.

Social media is not one size fits all.

How do you reach out on a local level? Find a way to bring ppl
together in a small event. Cafe type conversations. Facebook fan
page to push out coupons or info. Set up some custom searches.
Facebook advertising by location.

How do you rebrand on social networks? You still have to worry about
your product. If it is not good, stay away from the power of
communication. If you admit mistakes, it will make a big difference.

What can nonprofits do?
Chipin.com
Contact @iamdave, @bethcantor

Read 'tactical transparency'

Is it important to let ppl know who is tweeting for your brand? It is
very important. People want to deal with ppl. Allow ppl inthecompany
to tweet on brand account.

What if someone leaves? Use brand but remind ppl who is
communicating. Develop a deep bench.

SXSW09 The Future of Social Networks

2009-03-14T17:11:00.001-04:00

Speaker: Charlene Li, Altimeter

More places are becoming social.
In the future, Social networks will be like air.

Reviews from ppl you know.
Advice from ppl you trust

Ecommerce sites don't want to create a social site, but users allows
the sie to know your friends and those you trust.

Mobile apps become social too. Even tv is becoming social.

The challenge is seeing the ppl you are interested in hearing from.

Integra5 - invite your friends to chat on tv.

Networks move into the enterprise. Salesforce.com pulls facebook
profiles into crm tool. Linkedin plug in for lotus notes.

What needs to happen?

1. Identity - who are you
2. Contacts - Who do you know. What is the depth of the relationship
and in what context do they exist
3. Activities - what do I do.

It is still early.

Two sets of rules / standards that exist:
- facebook connect
- the new 'open stack'

Managing identities:
- your email or openid will allow you to control what identity to use.

Friend management is tough today.
Facebook now allows you to group ppl making news and feeds more
manageable.

Another challenge is relationships are changing. Being able to tap
into your social stream.

Google portals provide social data.

We have to put our trust with somebody to manage our identity as users
and as businesses.

A social algorithm will make privacy and permission easier to manage.
- context makes content privacy easier

What will get everyone to open and play nicely? They will do it to
make money.

Most digital content resides outside of social sites.

Facebook connect taps into offsite activities.

Transactions can become social data.

Most social ads require explicit action. Why don't they work? They
expect us to do something. They may imply endorsement.

The rise of the personal CPM.

How can you prepare?

1.Evaluate where social makes sense.
Leverage existing identity and social graphs where your audience is
ready. Relook at your privacy and permission policies.

2.Get your backend data in order

3. Prepare to integrate social networks into organization.

Presentation will be at www.Slideshare.net/charleneeli

SXSW09 Profit by Mobilizing your Online Community

2009-03-14T15:46:00.000-04:00

Speakers:
-Unwired nation
-Uship.com - eBay for shipping
-Tatango.com - mass SMS or VM to a group
-centsports.com - free sports bets (450k users)

How do you look at what you do and decide to part should be monetized?

With the recession, ad spending will decrease revenue so need to find
other revenue channels.

Need to connect the offline world. It may have to drive to the real
world.

Types of monetization models:
Transactional
Usage
Advertising

Some ppl don't know what features can help them. Measure your
features, get feedback to make sure you are getting the most use of
them.
Overtime, add more features as you get feedback.

Mobile is still expensive. You can do VM or SMS but it costs money.
you can build an iPhone app but you are not reaching a large portion
of your audience.

Why is the shift away from advertising important?

You have to have a product ppl will pay for. As your user group
grows, so does your revenue. Ppl will pay for something if it helps
them solve a problem.

Sit down with your clients to see if they can make revenue from it as
well.

SXSW09 Emerging Trends of Mobile Technology

2009-03-14T13:23:00.001-04:00

A lot has been accomplished in 10 years in mobile technology.

There is mobile everywhere. In Japan, mobile is core piece of
technology.

80% of iPhone users access the web everyday.

As more devices like the iphone are released in the market, the way we
use or access the web will change. As flash and chat become available
on mobile, more and more will access web online.

We will no longer need two seperate sites. It will be shared.

Predictions are there will be more flash enabled phones by end of 2010.

In Japan, they already have flash enabled phones.

Apps

20k apps cuurently.
500m iPhone app downloads
$1b sales
93% iPhones with apps installed
$25b global mobile content sales

Blackberry needs to do something different.

The fact that it is so cheap is attractive.

We got used to everything being free. However, we will and don't
expect apps to be free.

There is a huge opprtunity to monetize mobile.

Augmented Reality - what's new is the ability to do it on the web.
(cellagames.com). There are more compaines doing this. Jaguar, bmw
are doing this with magazines.

Merging digital world with physical world. Photo recognition that
coordinates with web. Mobile allows this.

GPS allows location based merging with the web.

A lot of this isn't new but how it is leveraged.

Example - fanta interactive - ping pong game.

Using iPhone for navigation with image recognition.

G1 travel guide mashup with wikipedia with photo recognition.

What will really sell is the users experience.

Logo recognition - snap a photo of logo and it connects you to
information. (getfugu.com)

Allows us to consume info everywhere and the way we want to.

Voice recognition - embed barcodes in audio stream. If it picks up
audio code we can embed info.

Example - ralph lauren. Take a photo of ad and it takes you to
ecommerce page. Amazon.com app allows you to take photo and it will
point you to where to purchase on the web.

Mobile Advertising - really good for market. Most recall seeing ad on
mobile and don't mind it, for now.

New devices:
LGs new watch

Twitter for home automation.

Note: panel very good and spoke quickly so notes may be off.

SXSW09 Interactive Beyond the Screen

2009-03-14T11:49:00.001-04:00

Speaker: Jamie Monberg

We keep evolving our tools.
Successful brands thrive interactively.

Xerox vs Apple

1977 - xerox hasn't figured out how important PCs would be.

Xerox didn't know how to get it into the market. Apple did.

Your brand today is about how you interact, not your logo.

People expect a dialogue or to be involved with your brand. People
need to be able to talk back.

MySpace - interactIvity Is how to grew.

Facebook - facilitating interaction is their offering.

It is all about the next generation web.

How do we create tools that are more human centric?

The logo and where it is placed is not the issue. Brands don't think
about how people interact when doing a media plan.

Examples:
Gibson and guitar hero
McDonalds drivethru

Branding used to be about only visual but should be about the 5 senses.

Technology should have a low cogntive load.

Brands start with perception. Our initial result is skepticism. If
we have positive interaction, we have positive perception.

We have a sense of entitlement and want transparancy.

How do you be transparant?

CEO blogs used to try to be authentic and connect. It is a step in the
right direction.

Puts a human face on the brand.

Good example is Zappos.

All generations have expectations on how they use technology. We need
to consider the audience.

Facebook is not treating their users in a more thoughtful way. The
terms have pushed a lot of people out the door. Although they changed
it, still not fulfilled.

Just because you put it on the website does it mean you are being
transparent?

It is more important than ever to connect. We have to help clients be
more interactive with us.

Dialogue
Interactivity
Authenticity

1. Do no harm then do some good. (you may need to reduce functionality)
2. Interactive not always digital
3. Brand yourself interactively
4. Old in the new 'new'
5. Understand and practice virtues of transparency.
6. Embrace users with transparency.

How do you start with brands that are weighed down?

A-create communities where others can talk sincethey are talking anyway.

SXSW09 Social Engineering

2009-03-13T18:36:00.001-04:00

Presenter: http://www.shwood.com

Use psychological tricks to get people to do what you want.

How can you get reliable or fixed action patterns?

1. Liking - hard to say no to people we like. (how to win friends and
influence people)

- if you can get them to laugh, you win
- you want to break their patten.
- become their friend

2. Reciprocation

- feeling of obligation
- make clear it is a gift

Opener - don't care if they are paying attention or not.

Tweeners - interactive. Requires focus and attention. Builds rapport.

Payoffs - challenges or unbeatable puzzle.

3. Authority

Hard to resist requests from people.

Symbols of confidence and authority. The person who asks the
questions own the conversation.

Situational awareness
- you need to know people

SXSW09 The ecosystem of news

2009-03-13T17:27:00.000-04:00

Speaker: http://www.stevenberlinjohnson.com

Old growth media.

To understand the future of news, you need to know What life before
the web was like.

We went from publishing monthly to seconds.

Todays media is more like an ecosystem opposed to like an assembly line.

More volume, density and depth.

What is the future of news itself?

Investigative blogging still in its infancy. This is also changing.
Coverage just isn't distributed yet.

Ecosystem of political news is now delivered on blogs, shows online,
politicians themselves. However, traditional news stillhad an
important impact in 2008. Has had a decade to mature. All the
staples of old media is growing.

Jeff jarvis - do what you do best and link to the rest.

Can we expect the general public to navigate with through all info
online?

Let's say we can't. Newsrooms have the experience, tools and
reputation to do this.

They should spend the money on news people cannot cover.

News - Commentary - Curation - Distribution

This model will be better than the paradigm we live in today.

Q-how do we inspire people? Or getting this ecosystem done effectively?

A-this process needs time even though it doesn't have the time. There
is going to be an ecosystem of online advertising as well.

Q-what is traditional media on top of distribution model?

Q-does writing style need to change if all online?

A-content can actually get longer. It is short form writing but it
points to longer or ongoing content.

Q-how do journalists make a living as this new ecosystem changes?

A-involves sites that using free content to start to pay for regular
contributors.

SXSW09 UGC State of the Union

2009-03-13T15:50:00.001-04:00

> Who is doing the best job?
>
> YouTube
> Twitter
Digg
Ebay
LinkedIN
Threadless

Monetization
-many different models
-should users be rewarded?
-there are many ways to reward beyond money
-depends what you are doing with the content.
-is content saleable vs pageviews?
-good to look at monetize model once you have a lot of ugc.

How to deal with the different types of participation?
-the mob has a general self interest for making it work.
-setting the tone that you desire from the site at the beginning
-create a system where the people around you can use
-your community will tell you what is wrong.

How to make your site successful?
-allow people to self promote

SXSW - The killing moon will come too soon

2009-03-09T09:41:00.003-04:00

I am off to sunny Austin on Thursday for SXSW.

Pregnant at one of the world's largest interactive, music and film conferences may not be a smart idea for some...but damn am I excited.

Top 5 sessions I am most excited about:

1. Emerging trends of mobile technology
2. How to protect your brand without being a jerk
3. M. Ward
4. Behind the Scenes with Mad Men on Twitter
5. Mobile Ubiquitous Banking and the Future of Money

Since the Austin Convention Centre is fully wifi capabable, I will be on Twitter and Blogging from the conference so follow me as I will try to post key learnings right away.

Touch, Feel...then buy online

2009-03-04T09:00:00.004-05:00

There are just some things you need to test before you purchase.

A car, stroller, stereo speakers and for many...shoes and clothes.

So how do you make sure you get to test drive and in the end pay the best price?

1. Go to a store and test it out. Mark and I did this when we purchased our UppaBaby. We did our research first, tested it at a store that carried it (which didn't have the best pricing) and then called around and searched online to see who had the best pricing.

NOTE: We did ask the store where we tested if they did price matching...and they didn't so we did purchase it elsewhere.

2. Look to your friends and community, online and offline to see if you can test theirs. If you are on Twitter or Facebook - tweet or post an update to see who has it and if you can swing by and test it out.

3. Purchase used goods. If you can't find a product in a store (because it is an older version or they don't sell in your country), look to kijiji, eBay or craigslist for the goods in your area then connect with the seller and see if you can test it out before you purchase. If it isn't a hot commodity, chances are good they will let you try it out.

4. Read return policy. If the above three fail and you really want the product online - make sure to read the return policy as well as any extra shipping charges. Sometimes you will have no choice but to purchase it online and see it if it works or not - you will feel better doing it knowing that you can return it and get your money back. If not, there is always eBay.

Online Registry Done Right

2009-02-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

My very excited, "first-time soon to be auntie" sister is throwing me a baby shower in a couple of weeks. She is adamant that I register somewhere.

So after careful online product research and no energy to go into stores and go through the rigmarole I went through with my bridal registry, I decided to only do registry at stores that met my criteria.

1. Must be available in Canada
2. Must be able to register, add and delete items online. (This took out 80% of stores including Pottery Barn and The Bay)
3. People must be able to purchase online.
4. I have to be able to see what was purchased.

I landed up registering at BabiesRus and Baby on the Hip.

Besides providing the above, this is what these two (1 very large and 1 small business) did above and beyond which helped make this process easy for me.

1. Provided a realistic laundry list of items I will need. Baby on the Hip did a great job of even providing a newborn list for newborns vs. 12 months.
2. A lot of items can be sold out in various colours and sizes. Their online system tells you upfront. (Heck, there is nothing more annoying than an e-commerce site not being up-to-date with real inventory)

One last item worth mentioning. Baby on the Hip sent me a Thank You card for registering at their store and offered me a 10% discount off my next in-store purchase. This was not only a great relationship builder but is a great way to drive people into the store.

Tweet Tweet Tweetin' through Twitter

2009-02-23T10:57:00.005-05:00

Over the past few weeks, a larger than normal amount of friends have asked me "what exactly is twitter?"

My first explanation: Live updates. For example, similar to you keeping your facebook status up-to-date but on your own page.

Google it - some great 101 and basics come up to bring you up to speed. @mocost tweeted this morning on The Psychology of Twitter which provides a great 101 of twitter and the pros and cons.

Recently, I have been using twitter a lot to connect with other mothers. Whether it is a pregnancy question or learning more about child development, tweets from other mothers is helping me learn about the latest and greatest, while making strong relationships. Learn more about other mommies @Twittermoms

On a professional level, I stay connected to a lot of marketers on twitter, again to learn and connect. This is great when they are at a conference you are unable to attend. Many will tweet about case studies they are learning about.

If you are a business (small or big) looking to get into twitter, check out this great article on the NYTimes. Here is a site that shows you how to convert tweets to moola. For some examples, @edlee tweeted this morning about hotels using twitter and a few days ago, finding companies on twitter. Impressive.

Like any new application, it can be scary to get into it (heck, it may have taken 10 facebook requests before you joined). Here are some ways to start:

1. Sign up and look for people you A) know are on twitter B) use the 'find people' feature which can search people from your email (like gmail) and follow.
2. Follow a few people and see how they are using it.
3. Tweet what you feel comfortable with (maybe stick with what you update in facebook) to get your feet wet.

PS. My favourite tweets are the Mad Men characters. Too good.
PSS. You can follow me @mtampoya

Are you speaking to me?

2009-02-19T17:58:00.005-05:00

Blogging, tweeting, commenting, im'ing, facebook'in'...I am a creator, participator and also a viewer of many things online.

With so many avenues of communication and so many ways of connecting the dots, it is becoming increasingly difficult to remember or speak to one audience or group of interest at one particular time.

You see, I have friends that I met through my blog and twitter on facebook, I have people who I IM, that read my blog and I have people whose blog I frequently comment on that read my tweets.

...and so the circle goes.

The result is, a mix and mash of content.

As you may be aware, this blog is focused on online marketing in particular with frequent strayings of my personal life, my tweets, just recently are focused on pregnancy and motherhood and my facebook status updates, are, well, fleeting ideas and comments.

So how do I deal with this? How do I not annoy you and have you communicate with me through the vehicle you are most happy with?

1. All the things I post, no matter where, is/are me. I am a soon-to-be-mommy, online marketer with crazy everyday musings. Unlike many others, I choose to not only cover one area of 'expertise' but several. Some just may not be of interest to you. I hope what is of interest is enough to keep you reading.
2. Let me know your thoughts. Should I cross all areas I write about between all vehicles more than less, or less than more?
3. Should I stick with one area? Online marketing or being a mother?