By : Alice Lawson

Business cards are incredibly important for yourself or your company’s success; they help promote you as a person but also your brand or services. We are a growing country which relies on business expertise and professionalism, however how are you going to get your business expertise noticed if you don’t market yourself appropriately?

The business card is one of the most powerful tools to attract attention, and is ideal if you have yet to make a name of yourself. As a recent graduate I understand the importance of making a name for yourself in the business world, and one way in which I progressed within my career was to create my own business cards.

If you struggle to understand what to put on your business card, take a look at others in the same industry as you, what have they got on the front of their cards?  What I would suggest is to research into the most common information which should be put on your business card which I know to be:  your name, your occupation, the company or business you work with, your phone number and most importantly your photograph.

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By including a professional image on your business card you will more likely be remembered, as it is a known fact that more often than not people are remembered through face value rather than through words.

When creating your cards be sure not to include too much clutter on the face of the card, it is easy to forget that too much will result in the card being thrown away rather than read.

Business cards enable you to promote yourself in a way which is easy, convenient and won’t cost you a fortune. There are many business card templates  which you could use in order to create your high quality designs for your cards, be creative, be interesting and more importantly be yourself.   

By: Justin McGill 

Do one SEO tactic incorrectly, or too frequently, and you could be facing Google punishments that remove your website from their search results. This is not a gamble that most businesses can afford, as most consumers initially find a business online.

In fact, Inc.com ran a survey and found that 7 out of 10 consumers said they are more likely to use a local business if they have a social media presence and another 78% said ratings and reviews are important when deciding what to buy.

Google has made some significant changes in the last couple of years when it comes to ranking your website in search results. Google Panda and Google Penguin are the two major updates you may have heard about, and many more are coming.

Here are some of the major abuse tactics that were employed by SEO’s and some workarounds that you should be implementing in their place.

1. Lots of Advertising

Websites that existed primarily to sell advertising were a prime target of this update. Google wants to return relevant results to its users and having ad-heavy websites populate at the top of their search results were not what users wanted.

Solution: Limit your advertising and focus on the content. Content is going to be the theme of this post and for good reason; it is the theme of Google’s recent updates.

2. Duplicate or Unoriginal Content

Shortly after the Panda update that targeted web spammers, site owners were complaining that their original content was being outranked by duplicate/spam websites. They asked webmasters to help them better identify websites that scraped the original content.

Solution: It is still of utmost importance to provide original content that users find useful. Not just original in wording by saying the same thing thousands of others have stated, but by truly being useful to the audience.

3. Link Building Networks

Google ranks websites largely based on how important and relevant they deem a website to be. This is based on how many links are pointing to a website. So, naturally, SEO’s went to whatever was easiest to build links. This typically included link networks, low quality directory sites, and a host of others. Google Penguin rolled out and crushed these methods of acquiring links.

Solution: Do something or offer something meaningful to your customers or users. Build real relationships with real people offline and online to help spread the word. This is where social media can really play an important role. You want links from a variety of sources.

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4. Over-optimization

In the older days of SEO, you could find a high search volume keyword and then build all your links using that keyword and put the keyword all over your website and you would be found on page 1 of search results. This technique no longer works and has been punished. In fact, if the majority of your links use the same keywords over and over, and your website has the same keywords everywhere, you probably noticed that your website completely disappeared in Google’s search results.

Solution: Build links with your company name linked instead of keywords. Sometimes don’t even actually link, as a “co-citation” is valuable as well. Use things like “Click here” when linking also. Basically, your links should be completely natural.

SEO Isn’t Just SEO Anymore

Nowadays, Google is looking at much more than on-page copy and off page links to determine their rankings. You need to have a well-rounded content marketing strategy in place (start blogging!), you need to be active and get people engaged on social media, and you probably need an updated website. Your website should be easy to use, quick to load, be responsive so it loads nicely on mobile and tablet devices, and have original website content.

Justin McGill is the CEO and Founder of SEORCHERS, a local marketing and lead generation company. Connect with him on LinkedIn or find him on Google+.

By: Tina Samuels

Canada has been a leader in social media adoption since 2001 when more than 40% off the nation's population had plugged in to Facebook or Twitter. By 2012 almost half of the population had joined and by 2014 it is estimated at current growth fully 53% of Canadians will be on social media.

With all of the people in Canada that have joined the social media frenzy, you'd assume that most businesses have, too. Well, that assumption would be incorrect.

Sure, many businesses have websites. However more people check businesses and their ratings through social networking than through static webpages. A website is still a great idea, people can find out all of the business or product information on a static website.

But social media allows businesses to interact with customers in a more personal way.

Let's look at who is doing it right in Canada.

Toronto Transit Commission

That's right, the Toronto Transit Commission or TTC is making use of social media. They're also doing it better than most.

Their regular website is social and encourages people to like or follow them on other networks. When there are delays or other transit information the TTC posts or tweets the information. Not only can commuters find out through social networks, the TTC offers SMS messaging. While waiting for a train commuters can text their destination to the TTC and receive a reply on when their next train will arrive.

Porter Airlines

This airline uses social networking to engage potential customers, communicate delays, and showcase discounts. Porter Airlines began in 2006 as an affordable airline and alternative to the bigger, well-known companies. The airline uses Twitter more than Facebook in order to put fast-paced information out for customers on the go.

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Smoke's Pountinerie

Do you love poutine? Maybe you've never heard of the Canadian comfort food.

Poutine is a very Canadian fare made up of french fries and cheese curds smothered in gravy. The dish is so popular that there are restaurants devoted to just poutine- Smoke's is one of them.

Unlike many Canadian businesses, Ryan Smolkin, the founder of Smoke's, decided to use social networking to its fullest. He has accounts across all social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.

Smoke's is well known for sharing discount menu items, events, and more on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. There's an annual poutine eating contest which is advertised on their Facebook landing page. People visiting the page can receive a free ticket and even free poutine for a 'like'.

More businesses have been encouraged by Canadian citizens that wonder why there isn't a move toward more social businesses.

Social media makes it easier for customers to interact with a company. Answers to questions, customer service in general is easier in real time. Not only that, social networking can be a very economical way to generate word of mouth advertising.

So, is your business getting it right when it comes to social media?

About the Author: Tina Samuels writes on billfloat, social media, and small business.

Virtually all businesses these days need to advertise online.

Driving people to your website through well placed advertisements is necessary to promote your business. Luckily, if you’re on a budget, you don’t need to spend tens of thousands of dollars to get the benefits of online advertising.

While the initial temptation will be to place ads on the most traveled websites related to your business, these sites will cost you an arm and a leg - often for the same results you could likely get from a combination of a few smaller sites, for a fraction of the price.

Here are five tips for saving on advertising online for your business.

1. Write Clear Copy

While on the surface copy might not seem like a big priority, “saying what you mean” isn’t always so easy. Each word is very important. To put this in perspective, a good copywriter will sometimes write pages just to get one great word or two.

Your advertisements needs to be so good that in the second or two it takes for them to scan a page, your little advertisement not only stands out, but drives them to click. Impressions are all well and good, but you are after clicks. Your copy should be concise, specific and compelling.

Really take the time to make a quality, clickable advertisement.

2. Cross Promotions

Cross promotion is a cheap (and often free) way to attract more customers. When you partner with other credible businesses and organizations that attract a similar target market, you can reach customers more efficiently and directly with the right messaging and promotions.

Partnering with major nonprofits is a good start. Offer small donations for cause marketing to the organization and boost your visibility. With cross promotions, you’re essentially using each others customer bases to grow your own. It’s a really smart, and mutually beneficial tactic to help organizations build a following or customer base.

Some things you can do with a partner: Joint promotional messages on social media or in print, signs promoting one another, pooled mailing lists, joint interviews with media, and reduced prices on each other’s products or services or to your partners and customers.

3. Create a Company Blog

Creating a quality blog, utilizing relevant search words is essentially free advertising.

Ultimately you want to drive more people to your website, as it increases the likelihood of acquiring new customers.

A blog also will affect your businesses search rankings positively, as each new post is a separate page that can be picked up by search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. Make sure to blog regularly using words that search well, are relevant to your brand and will ultimately increase your SEO ranking.

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4. Outsource Online Advertising Management to a Pay-Per-Click Expert

Trying to make successful ads is difficult, and take a lot of trial and error. Trial and error, while a great learning experience, can be expensive when you’re trying to run a business.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) experts are great copywriters, understand SEO very well, and know how to use search words and place advertisements in a way that most laymen do not. Writing and placing ads successfully is an art that takes time, skill and of course money to fully grasp.

Find an expert to help you place ads, and compensate them based on their success.

5. Use Reporting Tools

If an ad is doing well, you want to know soon so you can place this, or similar ads on more websites. Likewise, if an ad is failing, you also want to know quickly so you can get rid of it and try something new.

This is often something that an SEO expert will already utilize, so if you’re going at this alone, it’s definitely smart to use something like ShufflePoint, Analytics Canvas and LinkDex just to name a few.

If you take each of these steps, you’ll be well on your way to advertising in a cost effective and successful way.

Unless you have an SEO or advertising expert on your team, it’s likely that you don’t have the time or necessary skills to advertise most effectively.

Seeking outside help, whether through an agency or working with a pay-per-click expert is going to be your best bet, cost permitting.

About the Author: Peter Walters is a freelance blogger for various sites, and covers topics such as reputation, social enterprise and problems with ripoff report. He is the Director of Business Development for Two Degrees Food and lives in San Francisco.

There are some people that with think with the advent of the internet there is no reason to attend trade shows. This couldn't be further from the truth.

Trade shows are just as relevant as they ever were, perhaps more so. Social networking is just as important in a face to face setting.

Let's look at five reasons your small business needs to make an appearance at trade shows.

Networking:

As stated above, networking at a trade show is the number one reason for going to a trade show.

Every person at the show is likely to be interested in your business, surely more there than anywhere else at any time. Not only will the attendees be interested, but often the people working the show. Others that are set up may wish to learn more, you could even forge partnerships!

Making new partners will help you expand your business. You may not join forces with another company in your niche, but you could meet another small business that offers a service or a product that will enhance your own.

Education:

Face it, though you may know everything there is to know about your particular product or service, you can learn more about anything.

You can find out more about sales avenues, service issuance, and customer service by talking with others at trade shows. You can learn from professionals and experts that speak at trade shows. By paying attention to what the experts tell you or by learning about new strides in your business niche, you might just find yourself ahead of your competitors.

You can always learn something new and even if the new stride isn't in your niche it may be on a new technology that you can integrate into your product or service, making you the first in your field to do so.

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Word of Mouth:

Word of mouth advertising is the pinnacle of advertising. What every company aims for is for people to tell others about them, have one of those people buy or use their product, and then tell more people.

The chain of advertising when spread by word of mouth is unending. Most people that visit a trade show will tell others about the product or service that caught their attention – often to six people or more according to one study. The Center for Exhibition Industry Research offers much information on how trade shows can impact your word of mouth advertising.http://www.ceir.org/

Personality:

When your small business attends a trade show you are not just networking, you're putting a face and name to the product or service you're promoting.

Billy Mays was a household name – he was the reason OxyClean made such a memorable product. Billy Mays and others like him were present at trade shows. When we think of products like ShamWow or OxyClean we see the people selling them to us. These personalities are first seen at trade shows, then television.

Your product or service might just end up as memorable thanks to putting a personality to the product.

About the Author: Tina Samuels writes on small business management 101 and other topics.

Image Credit

Was Leonard Lavin really that smart?

Let’s look back on a quick watershed moment in my advertising career. Leonard Lavin founded Helene Curtis, a Chicago-based health and beauty company that produced about a billion products. A few of those products were handled by Lee King and Partners, the last of the last-great-Chicago creative boutiques of the 80s, spawning no lesser talent than David Kennedy, of Weiden & Kennedy, and me, to name two. But let’s get back to Leonard.

In the early 1980s, Leonard Lavin was at the forefront of a new media buy: the 15-second spot. Leonard believed that he could pack as much punch in a 15-second commercial as a 0:30, all while paying half the price for media.

The 0:15 spot might have made sense to Leonard, but we creative types considered it a death knell. We were still reeling from the slow, tortured demise of the 0:60. We bid so long to the storyline. How were we going to get all the pertinent info, plus a memorable little tug at the heartstrings or a belly-busting laugh, all squished into 15 seconds?

We quickly learned that an effective 15-second spot was really a long 0:10 instead of a short 0:30. Today it seems like some creatives need to relearn that little tidbit.  Then again, maybe they’ve never been taught.

Fifteen-second spots are quite normal now. And according to Nielsen, they’re 94% as effective as their bloated 30-second cousins. Actually, the bulk of 30s out there seem to go on forever, totally overlooking the consumers’ ability to “get it.”  Talk about TMI. 

Movies have also gone into the “Too Much Info” mode. Did we really need the Lincoln assassination in Spielberg’s Lincoln? Wasn’t the sight of Lincoln doffing his top hat as he walked through his hall and out into the night, the perfect ending? And how many guys did Django need to kill at the end? We got it. Django’s angry. Django Unchained drudgingly morphed into Django Unending.

Sure Budweiser’s Super Bowl winning USA Today Ad Meter spot was a 0:60. But as strong as it was, you could see the ending coming a mile away. Maybe a 0:30 would have left more of us smiling instead of looking for snacks in the last 30 seconds and then smugly nodding when we got to the big reunion.

In reality, most brands try to stuff too many “reasons why” into commercials. Too much of what you might think is a good thing can actually turn into too much of a bad thing.

Twitter, the guardian of brevity, recently released their Vine app which loops easily shared six-second videos. In the right hands, you never know.  

I don’t know who said it first, but I’ve been saying it for years, “The more you say the less people hear.” Bill Bernbach said, “You can’t sell a man who isn’t listening.” And that, in a nutshell, is the point.

Maybe if I had mentioned that point 300 words or so earlier, you’d have been just as smart then as you are now. You would have just been smarter more quickly. And the day of smarter-quicker has long since arrived, right Leonard? 

Visual Branding: Pinterest is about the visual aspects of your company. It is a visual representation of the personality, mission, and point of your business. Your pins are supposed to entice ‘pinners’ to re-pin, like, comment and ultimately follow your business on the visual-centric social media site. Make sure your social media manager is rooted in the mission of your company and has the prowess to grow the personality of the company through the visual space.

Research: It is important to remember that it is okay to research what your competitors are pinning. What’s working for them? Figure it out and recreate the strategy for your business. Don’t duplicate, imitate. Figure out what will work for your company and run with it.

Hashtags and keywords:  Pinterest has a search bar that allows user search pins, boards and people that include the keyword being searched. Optimizing your descriptions and also your “About” section make you easier and more likely to be found. Also, adding your website URL in the description of relevant pins will bring you more site traffic when your pins are re-pinned by awesome pinners. 

Add a “Pin It” button to your content on your website:  The easier it is for people to share your content, the more they will share it. Pinterest is growing at a rapid rate, and people are pinning at a ridiculous pace – by making it easy for pinners to share content you are able to take advantage of the free marketing Pinterest offers. It’s a no-brainer.

It’s a surprise to most marketers that print maintains its stance as a powerful component of an overall marketing plan.

Print campaigns are tangible. Print is forever while digital campaigns are gone in the blink of an eye. Magazines and newspapers stick around for months, even years.  Because print campaigns are becoming a rare form of marketing, they lend credibility to your business. With an abundance of popup's and banners ads, coupled with the threat of clicking on spam or a virus that prevent people from clicking, a print campaign does not inspire fear to the consumer.

Branding with a print campaign is an excellent way to solidify your brand identity because they are around forever. You can identify brands from your childhood just based on their logo colors, which is the power of branding through print marketing. You are able to better reach your target audience with print marketing by placing ads in publications that you know your target audience is reading. It’s more difficult to reach your intended audience online.

Forbes says, “Consumers are more engaged when reading printed material, unlike websites, which are often skimmed in as little as a 15 second visit. A study shows that people read digital screen text 20% – 30% slower than printed paper. (Alshaali & Varshney, 2005)”

With more businesses relying solely on the internet for  marketing there are less print ads circulating making it easier to compete for space with lower ad costs and more exclusivity in the market.

For a well rounded marketing campaign we recommend using several form of marketing both print, if it’s in your budget, and digital marketing. 

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According to a Social Media Benchmarking Report done by B2B Marketing, 85 per cent of marketers surveyed chose Twitter as the number one social platform. LinkenIn was not far behind with 82 per cent of the vote, followed by YouTube at 77 per cent and Facebook at 71 per cent. They didn’t get forget about Google+, 36 per cent of marketers surveyed they choose Google+ as their number one social media marketing platform. 

Marketers suspect that Google+ will be the new Twitter a year from now. Check out this comprehensive infographic from B2B Marketing’s 2013 Social Media Benchmarking Report and keep an eye out for a post about preparing your company for Google+. 

There’s no denying that social media has taken the world by storm. Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter boast millions of users. Social media is a huge engagement, staffing, retention, and increasingly, branding tool. It’s at the foundation of what I call tri-branding. Tri-branding is when companies use social media to link both product and employment brand, and to get their customers to sing their praises or live their brand.

The Good
Companies need to proactively leverage social media to drive their tri-branding efforts. Companies should be leveraging social media to boost brand via tweeting, posting, and blogging.   Posting recent wins, new products or services, job openings, key promotions and hires, and press releases are all opportunities to brand who you are.

Tri-branding occurs when your customers promote you on your behalf. When keynoting, I often show a YouTube video of a Southwest airlines flight attendant singing a country song as part of her opening comments to fellow passengers to ‘buckle up.’ This YouTube Video has now been seen by millions of viewers. Think of the marketing and benefits of this example for Southwest Airlines. A customer on their own, branded Southwest’s product in a positive way, with Southwest being the beneficiary of millions of views. How much would it cost Southwest to proactively seek similar brand and the culture exposure? Another example of “The Good” within the airline industry is Cebu Pacific, an Asian airlines. Google them, and you’ll quickly see that they are also beneficiaries of Tri-branding, with their customer base uploading You Tube videos on their behalf, resulting in millions of views. Tri-branding is all about your customer base branding - and in fact, funding - your message. But think of the cost to Southwest or Cebu Pacific if they had negative cultures, or if a customer had a negative experience.  

The Bad
Many companies are afraid of the realistic downside of social media (employees saying the wrong thing, badmouthing the employer, inadvertently sharing information publicly that should only be shared privately, customers saying negative things about their establishment, etc.). And their concern is often legitimate as employees and customers, along with other stakeholders, often say negative things about a brand – especially if they had a negative brand experience or if the brand has a toxic culture. Unless you take control of social media, you risk social media taking control of you.

To keep our case study examples within the airline industry, there is a well known customer service case study known simply as “United Breaks Guitars,” featuring Canadian musician Dave Carroll. While flying on United Airlines, a fellow passenger steers out the window after landing, and announces to those around him, including David, “look at those baggage handlers throwing that poor passengers’ guitar…” Sure enough, David’s guitar was broken. Attempting to seek reimbursement from United, he faced a mountain of bureaucracy and denials and, ultimately, a rejection. So he decided to take matters into his own hands by writing a song simply titled,  “United Breaks Guitars” and proceeded to upload the video on You Tube. At last count, “United Breaks Guitars” has close to 13 million views. Opportunistic Mr. Carroll has even appeared on most of the national media outlets, released follow up videos, saw an increase in his recording business, and even published his first book! And oh, United ultimately offered an apology, reimbursement, and now includes “United Breaks Guitars” as a customer service training video.

The Ugly
Subway customer Matt Corby from Australia was innocently eating the fast food chain’s signature “Foot Long” sub, when he noticed that the sandwich appeared smaller than advertised.  He simply measured the sandwich, and discovered it was 11 inches long. So he decided to post a photo of his discovery on Subway’s Facebook page, positioning his sub next to a tape measure along with the message “subway pls respond.” Mr. Corby’s photo was seen by thousands of Subway customers, and even resulted in copycat photos all over the social networking site, including one featuring a sandwich compared to a human foot in a sock. Subway had a PR nightmare on it’s hands, and had to respond accordingly. Remarkably, some disgruntled Subway customers even filed lawsuits against the fast food chain, claiming false advertising.

That is where we are with social media today – it’s not going away. When I address audiences, I remind them that once upon a time, we would lock our rotary telephones so employees wouldn’t  ‘steal’ company resources by calling their relatives or friends with the 800 telephone line. I also recall the head of legal storming into my office exclaiming, “You’re not really going to allow our employees to have access to email, are you? They’ll steal our intellectual property.” As we reflect back today, it is rather ridiculous to think about these former ‘concerns.’

If you’re not embracing and leveraging social media, chances are the external world already is.  Your social media stakeholders include former employees, applicants, customers and clients, vendors, the media, and even the government. Sites such as Glassdoor.com are increasingly becoming popular with departing employees who feel their companies did not treat them fairly. One of the fastest growing sites Klout.com, for example, provides individuals with their social media ‘ranking.’ In the future, instead of asking employees what their credit ranking is, they might ask for their Klout ranking.

Social media is the world where Gen Y lives, and if companies want to engage and communicate with this generation, they MUST embrace social media. How? By creating their own You Tube channels where Gen Y employees and customers can learn of the firm’s values and culture. Employers should ask their employees to join LinkedIn groups to share job opportunities. Firms should identify their most ‘connected’ employees and ask if they would be interested in being brand ambassadors, and tweet new products and or services, advertise new developments, post new positions, etc. Employers will increasingly want to hire employees who are connected as branding increasingly will be an opportunity to involve your most socially connected employees – while engaging them at the same time.

Social media should be used to further leverage one’s employer value proposition (EVP). When I work with new clients, the first thing I do is to help them define who they are. Why do people stay with their company? Why do people want to work for their company? Who are their stars and what are the common behaviors and traits their stars possess? To reinforce this concept of tri-branding, I often ask them a simple question: What do BMW, Apple, and Southwest Airlines have in common? They all are exceptional at linking employment and product brand. Apple hires the most creative people to make the most creative products. BMW hires people who are driving enthusiasts to build the ultimate driving machine. Southwest Airlines hires people who have “fun” in their DNA. In fact, these three companies also excel at tri- branding. In addtition to linking both product and employment brand, they also amazingly get their customers to sing their praises or live their brand. For instance, I’m a Droid user, and I continue to be amazed at the number of iPhone friends who take delight at “trumping” my Droid apps with their own Apple apps. They’re actually living the Apple brand. Tri-branding is an amazing opportunity to leverage social media as your brand accelerator.

Bob Kelleher is a noted speaker, thought leader, and author of Creativeship: A Novel for Evolving Leaders. His first book, LOUDER THAN WORDS: 10 Practical Employee Engagement Steps That Drive Results, has been one of the nation’s top selling employee engagement books since its release in 2010. Kelleher is also the founder and CEO of The Employee Engagement Group (www.EmployeeEngagment.com) and consultant on the subjects of employee engagement, workforce trends, and leadership. For more information, please visit www.bobkelleher.com.

Hudson’s Bay (HBC) announced today the rebranding of the company’s logo to celebrate its past, present and future. Launching a new, streamlined logo, Hudson’s Bay believes this rebrand will highlight a modernized brand for the Canadian retail marketplace  while reflecting the company’s history which spans more than a century.

This logo rebrand is the first for Hudson’s Bay since 1965. The logo features the company’s classic full name in its word mark that will be highlighted on all marketing and media materials, online and in-store displays. Hudson’s Bay is also introducing a full-dress logo which celebrates the company’s heritage with the coat of arms that will be used exclusively for packaging and select materials. The full-dress logo is a combination of crest illustration by Mark Summers and sleek design by Lipman.

"We're very proud to say that Hudson's Bay is continuing to advance in 2013, not only with our new business ventures, but with our updated look," says Tony Smith, Creative Director, HBC. "We've taken what is a very meaningful two-pronged approach to the redesign: maintaining our heritage while modernizing the new Hudson's Bay Company. It's a throwback to our remarkable history and an image for the direction we're heading in."

HBC believes the logo will represent the pride the company has in its “true Canadian accomplishment.” Hudson’s Bay expects this rebrand to stand as a testament for the company’s longevity as well as promising future success. 

Thinking outside of the box on traditional advertising, downtown Toronto residents got a “whiff” of spring this morning on their commute thanks to The Weather Network.  

The billboard, located on the corner of Front St. W. and Simcoe St., featured 10,000 tulips and commuters were encouraged to grab some for themselves to “take a piece of spring with them.”

“We know that spring is one of the most anticipated seasons in Canada; it’s the light at the end of the long, dark winter tunnel,” said Amanda Ploughman, Chief Marketing Officer at The Weather Network. “The motivation for our flower billboard is not only to bring awareness of our Spring Outlook broadcast, but also to help put Torontonians in the spring frame-of-mind a bit earlier this year.”

Advertising its Spring Outlook, which starts tonight at 9 pm, the billboard is a good example of a unique way to reach residents through interactivity and the promotion of eye-catching awareness.

Despite The Weather Network’s reports of a lingering winter in many parts of Canada that has kept a stronger hold on the nation than in comparison to last year, the network will report on weather to come in its Spring Outlook, “a look-ahead put together by its team of seasons meteorologists.”

“Available on TV, our website and all mobile platforms, the Spring Outlook will be your guide to what the sweetest season has to offer -- when it finally gets going,” said the Weather Network.

Photo Source: Randy Matheson/ The Weather Network anchor Kevin Yarde via: @Kevintwn

Today's small businesses face more challenges than ever before. There was a time when a plumber, contractor or auto mechanic would be the go-to resource for nearly everyone in the community. With a handful of local businesses offering similar services, there was limited competition for attention in the yellow pages.

The Internet has created an entirely new competitive world for small businesses. Customers now go online to find services for just about everything, so having a web presence is a must for businesses, big and small. Without the skills or the time to build websites or run an online marketing campaign, small, community-focused business owners can be ambivalent about getting online.

Fortunately, it's easier than ever for small businesses to create a simple, easy-to-maintain online presence. Here are some practical, simple tips to help small business owners get online:

Start a Blog

While a blog might seem like a large undertaking, it can be an easy and affordable place to build an online presence. Sites like Wordpress and Tumblr are free, so there's no cost associated with basic accounts. For time-pressed small business owners, there isn't even any need to maintain a blog with lots of written content. Instead of writing traditional blog articles, try creating short, simple posts about upcoming discounts and deals, or upload pictures of ongoing projects and work well done.

Create a Facebook Page

This page is free, easy to set-up, and a great way to interact with customers. Unlike a blog that needs updating, a Facebook page can easily serve as a small business' only web presence, complete with company address, contact details and service information. Importantly, it can also serve as a basic customer service platform, where customers can ask questions and receive answers. And don't forget, with one billion people on Facebook, people in every community—regardless of size—around the globe are already on the site.

Take Advantage of Online Classifieds

Online classifieds are a great way to connect with customers. Sites like Kijiji.ca host free local ads, so skilled tradespeople and business owners can offer services in nearby communities. With community listings in more than 100 cities and towns across Canada, more and more businesses are turning to Kijiji's Services section to advertise online.

Scott Neil is the head of vertical business at Kijiji Canada. He is responsible for the strategy, operations and development of vertical businesses at the company, including Kijiji Autos.

News Canada

Microsoft today revealed its new logo, updating its look for the first time in 25 years. Launched at a time in which Microsoft claims is the “perfect time for a change” the logo will featured on all upcoming new Microsoft products including Windows 8.

“You will see a common look and feel across these products providing a familiar and seamless experience on PCs, phones, tablets and TVs. This wave of new releases is not only a reimagining of our most popular products, but also represents a new era for Microsoft, so our logo should evolve to visually accentuate this new beginning,” said Jeff Hansen, General Manager, Brand Strategy, in an official statement.

As Microsoft is a brand that interacts a billion plus people daily through PC, gaming and other tech products, the company believes users' interaction constitute very important “brand impressions.” Thus the new logo was developed through inspiration from product design while utilizing the company’s heritage of brand values, fonts and colors.

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“The logo has two components: the logotype and the symbol. For the logotype, we are using the Segoe font which is the same font we use in our products as well as our marketing communications. The symbol is important in a world of digital motion. The symbol’s squares of color are intended to express the company’s diverse portfolio of products,” said Hansen.

Microsoft will start using the logo immediately, already prominently displayed on Microsoft.com. Hansen explained that the company is excited about the new logo, but more importantly, that it was excited about its new era, ensuring the company’s focus on reimagining new products and how they help people and businesses globally. 

What do you think of the new logo? Share your thoughts with me on Twitter @BizReviewCANADA

Written by: Tami Jones

Canadians and Social Networking sites have been carrying on a torrid love affair for years, and the passion doesn’t appear to be waning.  Gone are the days when social media was designed to befittingly lure in the spring chickens of the younger years, Canadians spanning all generations are now using social media as a marketing accoutrement, a source of immeasurable entertainment, and as a mainstay of advanced communication. 

Social media trends are virtually the pulse of the Internet. The face of communication has been drastically altered in the last decade and it has provided Canadians the ability to connect with networks and communities in an instant.  As people increasingly work and live online, and as long as technology continues to make our lives easier and more productive, social media will continue to dominate the information superhighway.

Though nothing has the impact of a face to face meeting, social media has a reach that allows Canadians to expand their relationships outside of their geographic area.  It enables us to keep in constant touch with our audience and it turns a one way conversation into an interactive dialogue.

Did You Know…

• At Facebook’s current growth rate, it will succeed the world’s population by 2014?
• The vast majority of Canadians have a social networking profile and the usage of social networking sites is dramatically increasing?
• There are currently more Canadians using Facebook than there are people living in New Zealand, Ireland, and Norway?
• YouTube is watched by more Canadians than anyone else in the world?
• Canadians out-tweet and visit Facebook more often than Americans?

So what does this all mean, and why do you care?  It means that Canadians are leading the way with their on-line prowess and that they’re expertly keeping up with the latest technologies and social media outlets.

Social media has arguably been the biggest shift since the industrial revolution.  Whether Canadians are using it for business or personal reasons, it’s important because it’s living and breathing.  It touches every facet of life from business, to politics, to art and activism.

Let’s face it: the social media craze in Canada is here to stay.  This doesn’t mean that we’re swapping out our real lives enjoying our friends, family, and the incomparable beauty offered by this great country to spend more time indoors watching videos or tweeting about the colour of the four walls surrounding us.  It just means that we’re managing our time more efficiently, so that we can take  more time to appreciate it, while building relationships that was never possible before.

Featured in Business Review Canada’s July issue, SapientNitro’s Toronto office divulged incredible insight into the digital advertising world. But where is advertising headed? With trends toward mobile and digital, SapientNitro is ahead of the game. Speaking with them at SXSW 2012, Business Review Canada was able to see their insight into emerging advertising trends in 2012, how the digital advertising world is evolving and upcoming advice for Canadian retail in 2013.

Emerging Advertising Trends for 2012

When it comes to emerging advertising trends, there isn’t just one. Nonetheless, SapientNitro’s Toronto office has noticed a major advertising trend of emphasis on mobile. But, this emphasis comes at a price where SapientNitro believes marketers will have to change their attitude about approaching consumers.

The beauty of mobile in a way for consumers is it’s really easy to shut out the advertising. On the web it’s kind of hard and on TV—I don’t care what they say about DVRS—with that kind of model it’s hard to shut people out. I think that is where marketers are going to have to change how they approach it. There’s this new kind of respect and a new utility and value that you need to provide,” said Elliot Smith, Creative Director, SapientNitro Toronto.

With that respect, marketers will gain entrance into a new world of brand promotion and potential brand loyalty. Mobile devices are leading advertising into a new frontier that features an extreme emphasis on digital.

“It’s how people do business now. It’s not advertising anymore, it’s how consumers interact with the company—how they buy and sell and utilize the services. I wouldn’t give it up now, we’re too far now,” said Steven Koch, Associate Creative Director, SapientNitro Toronto.

What comes with the digital territory is the fact that marketers no longer know when or where consumers will see their message. A brand’s message needs to be relevant in any situation.

“There needs to be this kind of fluidity to your content, in terms of how you start thinking about your content. ‘What is that extra value?’ is what we talk about providing. How do we always be additive to people’s lives, where advertising is traditionally subtractive? It’s been this ‘put up with this sponsored moment’ to get whatever you want, and I think that’s changing now… You have to actually give value,” said Smith.

Measurable Reach

Digital advertising provides something to advertisers and businesses that traditional advertising never has: measurable reach. There are benefits to this measurability in the way that, if a business is nervous about a campaign, the advertiser can make two different versions and measure which one is more successful.

“The paradox is that it’s less risky now because you can measure it. We have weekly meetings. We talk about what’s happening, where people are coming and going. If we’re not getting enough people we can say ‘Let’s change this or let’s fix this.’ There’s more value created because we can monitor all the time. We’re always on top of it,” said Koch.

Instead of creating campaigns based off of a gut feeling or a brand’s legacy like with traditional advertising, digital advertising can show a campaign’s worth. As creatives in the advertising field, SapientNitro has recognized the need for change.

“This is definitely where, as creatives, you have to evolve. One of the reasons I joined SapientNitro is because they don’t understand a world that’s not changing. They are very, very uncomfortable with the status quo,” said Smith.

Canadian Retail 2013

With the entrance of US companies into the Canadian retail market in 2013, such as Target, it’s clear Canadian companies will have to step up their game to compete with the successful retail behemoths. Koch warns Canadian retailers that the relationship between client and customer has changed. Customers have more control over brand interaction and are able not only to be heard, but can share their opinions with others. The advertising relationship has become a dialog and thus, customers can influence whether brands succeed or fail.

As 2013 looms closer, Canadian retailers, says Smith, will need to redefine their brands in the wake of a highly competitive market. “I think the Canadian brands have gotten away with being fuzzy for a long time in terms of what they do best and what they represent to Canadians, and that’s because there hasn’t been a lot of competition… The broad shallow play just isnt going to work anymore.”

To get ahead of the game, SapientNitro recommends putting more emphasis on digital.

“It becomes an uncomfortable question: Where are my customers seeing the value and how can we leverage it in a meaningful way? I think mobile is gonna be huge for retail again contextually. The beauty of mobile is that retailers can understand where you are and again if they can understand the context, they can deliver content that is meaningful to you. Mobile devices are so personal. The way they use them and what they put on them—you just want be a part of that mix. Otherwise you’re not being carried around. If you’re not in the aisle with them, you’re cut out of a key moment of the customer’s mindset,”  Smith concluded. 

Previously HootSuite had a limited number of accounts under its official launch partner trial that it gave to Enterprise clients but increasing demand and popularity led the company to ask for greater access from Google.

According to the press release, now all users will have access to “Google+’s page functionality with HootSuite’s advanced collaboration, measurement, engagement and security tool-set. [This] integration…allows brands to use HootSuite's business-focused functionality for circle management and publishing targeted messaging to circles.”

In order to add Google+ Pages to an account, log into HootSuite, access your profile from the side menu, then select + Add a Social Network under My Social Networks.

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Read the latest issue of Business Review Canada!

Here are the capabilities offered by a Google+ Page:

Management Abilities

·         Circle management in-dash allows the creation, editing, and removal of circles

·         Add and remove people from circles

·         See comments on posts and save to a stream

·         Search public posts and save to a stream

Greater Engagement and Collaboration

·         Post updates to public or select circles

·         See public user activity

·         Share saved search and comment streams with team members

·         Assign messages to team members for follow-up

Security and Measurability

·         Privacy features allows selection of posting publicly or to specific circles

·         View users who +1, share, and comment

·         Measure results with five Google+ analytic modules in-dash

·         View growth—people who add you to circles

·         View posts/day

·         View aggregated comments/day

·         View aggregated +1s/day

·         View aggregated reshares/day

Conflict can erupt anytime, anywhere for just about any reason. Whether you are in line at the grocery store, at a sporting event or out on the town, conflict is unpredictable and sometimes unavoidable. With the ever-growing popularity of online networks and platforms, more and more people are logging on to interact with friends and sometimes even strangers. As millions of people converge online, we are seeing a new arena for confrontations: social media pages.

Although most users want to avoid these situations at all cost, opting to ignore a complaint, offensive topic or aggressive message, it is important to address the situation before it catches the eye of other customers, employees, stakeholders and partners.

“You have to be very cautious when addressing conflict on social media sites,” said Jennifer Vickery, CEO/President of National Strategies Public Relations. “While it is important not to upset your target market as they are the key to the success of your company, it is also imperative that you acknowledge and resolve the situation.”

When responding to a complaint, critique or accusatory remark on a social media site, Vickery recommends following these three steps:

1. Don’t take it personally – When a fight breaks out on your social media page due to something you or your company has written, it is most likely not an attack on you. Understand that people have many different views and that these pages serve as open forums on which they can express their thoughts; even if they don’t agree with what you have written.

“It unfortunately is so much easier for a person to critique or criticize over the internet where they can be virtually anonymous than to do so in person,” says Vickery. “Know this is usually a person’s way of having a voice, venting or expressing areas where they are otherwise unhappy with their lives, and not so much to do with you personally.”

2. Process before responding – It’s important to take time to process your response before sending it out. Writing a response that criticizes or may upset someone may do further damage to your company’s reputation and image. Use this time to really listen to your audience and understand where the person is coming from. It will allow you to create a response that will not escalate the situation.

“A good rule of thumb is to walk away for a bit and return with a response when you know you are level-headed. Before responding, ask yourself if you are feeling any anger. Be honest. If the answer is yes, take more time.”

3. Find something to agree on – Finding something that you and the other person can agree on will help to resolve the situation. That person felt comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings with you, and, by engaging in a two-way conversation, you will show them that you appreciate and respect their opinion.

“Try thanking them for their feedback and providing you with additional insight. Sometimes, that in itself is the most appropriate response and often immediately diffuses the situation.”

The key to social media is to reach out to your customers, consistently, both when they are praising your business or product and in times of conflict. The most loyal customers just want to be shown that you are listening to and willing to take their feedback.

About Jennifer Vickery: Jennifer Vickery is CEO/President of National Strategies Public Relations and is considered a PR Social Media Coach and Expert. She advises organizations and professional individuals on public relations efforts and campaigns with an emphasis on the growing trend of social media. 

Digital is the new frontier for the advertising industry, and SapientNitro’s Toronto office is taking its clients to new heights. A part of an independently owned agency that’s based out of the US, SapientNitro’s Toronto office has seen success in how the agency runs its operations, specifically in the way the company doesn’t adhere to typical agency rules. Taking care of globally known companies, such as Jeep.com’s entire digital presence, SapientNitro’s Toronto office has become one of Toronto’s best kept advertising secrets.

A digital agency that has learned to evolve within the industry, SapientNtiro thinks differently than most traditional agencies. Instead of creating a campaign that’s based on tradition with digital on the side, SapientNitro’s Toronto office collaborates with all of its employees at the beginning of the creative process.

“I think the Sapient model is a good example of a convergence model. As opposed to having the idea upfront and then tacking on all the different ways to apply it, we get all the right people into the room before coming up with the idea. This leads to the convergence of the various disciplines and the various channels before we come to the idea. That’s where I think the model has been really, really successful for us. There isn’t that kind of division of labour or this sort of assembly line methodology of old school traditional advertising,” says Elliott Smith, Creative Director, SapientNitro’s Toronto office.

This model is backed by SapientNitro’s overall operations. The company does not see its Canadian office as a satellite office, but in reality SapientNitro has created  fluidity within its company that prevents the separation of offices into different entities.

“Typically with ad agencies there’s a lead office, the New York office, and sister satellite offices. Normally, there’s friction between those offices because the big one gets to call the shots. There’s more friction that way. But because SapientNitro is so equal and we have our own assignments to run, there’s a lot more collaboration then you’d expect,” said Steven Koch, Associate Creative Director, SapientNitro’s Toronto office.

Whether from a US influence, or just created as an overall part of SapientNitro’s identity, the company employs a work culture that equals bold ambition paired with kindness. This attribute has led to company success despite a slow economy. 

“There are lots of ambitious companies where everyone’s mean and they have the rock star culture while there are the companies that are very nice, but they usually go out of business because they’re just not hungry enough. Sapient is this lovely combination where we’re super ambitious, we just want to grow and we want to win everything. We’re hyper-competitive, but we know it has to be done with kindness,” said Smith.

SapientNitro’s Toronto office reflects that ambitious/kindness culture in the way they’ve handled their Jeep.com account. A truly global program, SapientNitro took a different approach from the norm and created a program for Jeep to follow toward digital success.

“Typically, SapientNitro has been building microsites for Jeep, but they came to us explaining ‘We don’t need that, we can do our own. Give us a program that we can follow.’ This meant building something that will continue despite participation—if one region wants to opt out, the whole thing doesn’t collapse. I think we’ve done that. It’ll be socially interactive, there will be contests, it’ll be tactile and we tried to design it for mobile pieces,” said Koch.

Another example of success with Jeep was their Name My Ride program. Advertising a limited edition vehicle that was so far unnamed, SapientNitro created a “Name My Ride” contest that allowed fans to submit vehicle name suggestions. Near completion, the contest narrowed down suggestions to the top three in which fans could vote upon. The winning entry would not only become the name of the vehicle but also, the person who submitted the winning entry would win the Jeep.

“The client was delighted. They were thrilled because I think this was new to them, to have such direct involvement. Jeep is such a great brand, because when you talk about social—people talk about their vehicles anyway. What we have to do is not screw it up. People love their vehicles. We evolve the conversation, listen to people talk about their vehicles and just try and get it right while not being the awkward marketer in the room. We listen to how they talk about their vehicles and their experiences and learn from our customers so we can propose ideas to the client with that in mind,” said Koch.

SapientNitro’s Toronto office offers a truly credible advertising solution to its clients. Understanding the need to evolve within the industry to survive, it’s clear SapientNitro will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

Those who picked up a hard copy of Fast Forward Weekly today may have seen a controversial ad by the Vancouver Humane Society comparing the Calgary Stampede’s calf roping competition to abusing a three month old child.

Placed to call attention to what Vancouver Humane Society claims is animal abuse of the sport, the ad features a calf next to a human baby with the words “Just 3 months old – Would you abuse a baby to entertain a crowd?” See the ad below:

Will this ad make the Calgary Stampede and its operators change their tune? Meant to be “thought provoking,” the Vancouver Humane Society definitely got its point across, but what will the consequences be as a result?

On the Vancouver Humane Society website, “Diane from Calgary” left a comment stating her opinion about the ad. “I think people in Vancouver have way more problems themselves & should look in their own backyards before coming to Calgary,” said Diane. The comment continued by calling into question Dr. Peter John Soja, a Professor from Vancouver, who Diane claims is experimenting on cats. “Since I am a cat lover I’d like some explanation as to why these animals have to suffer so some guy can get his PHD?”

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Diane does bring an important fact to light: Why was it the Vancouver Humane Society placing an ad? Will the Calgary Humane Society respond in favour or against the ad? Either way, the ad makes it clear how the Vancouver Humane Society views calf roping.

What do you think about the advertisement? Connect and discuss with Business Review Canada on our official Twitter page @BizReviewCanada.