Alberta Business Marketing

In this alberta@noon column on CBC Radio One with host Donna McElligott I talk about the future of crime fighting. Specifically we discuss the saga of Sean Power and his stolen laptop. He had free tracking software that he used to see what the thief was doing and live-tweeted the entire event. His followers, friends and others solved the crime and even got the laptop back. All from 800 km away. And after the police wouldn’t help. What could this mean for the future of crime fighting? Welcome to the world of personal responsibility.

albertaatnoon May 18 2011

Tags: CBC Radio Column, criminal justice, New York City Police Department, Sean Power, technology, Twitter
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In this alberta@noon column on CBC Radio One with host Donna McElligott I talk about how reports of the internet fueled death of newspapers and magazines are greatly exaggerated. I talk about Avenue Magazine and their editorial panel, the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal’s use of online chats, journalists joining Twitter to create one on one relationships with readers and to report breaking news, Metro and National Post’s use of Foursquare for content delivery, and a few other examples too.

albertaatnoon Feb 9 2011

Tags: Avenue Magazine, Calgary Herald, CBC Radio Column, Edmonton Journal, Metro Calgary, National Post, technology, Twitter
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I received an @message on Twitter today that caused me to pause and say “OMG OMG”.
Take a peak and before reading below: Do you notice anything that is not quite right in the first @message compared to the second? Take a moment to notice the difference and discover an important reminder about how to tweet with @ in Twitter.

Did you notice the “.” in front of the @toddlucier that @kag2u used. Why did she do that?

A note about @messages in Twitter
Messages that start with @ in Twitter are only shared between the sender and recipient and those in the twitter community who follow both of you!  None of your other followers will see the message.

For example, @thecleversheep is my identical twin brother, an educator, and an inspiring blogger and podcaster, tech guru…. I could go on.  The point is, you did not see this tweet in Rodd’s twitter stream (if you follow him) unless you follow me too!  It’s like a conversation happening at a party, and only the folks that are in the room with us can hear our conversation.

Including any content before the @ such as “.@toddlucier”

On the other hand, @kag2u use of the “.” is twitter etiquette brilliance.
These messages go to all of her followers because the @ is not the first character in the tweet!

Why is this a good thing?  Including an @message with one or more characters in front of it introduces your followers to the cool peeps that you are actually having a conversation with!  If your followers get curious because they see an interesting conversation it will likely lead to new followers for the person you are @messaging.

Since twitter is all about relationships, doesn’t it make sense to introduce your friends to one another?

Sometimes, keeping the conversation between those who follow both people makes sense. But most of the time, tweeting with the @message embedded in the content, or better with the almost invisible “.” makes the message avaiable to your audience while clearly addressing a conversation between you and the @message recipient.

So today, I’m toasting @kag2u (Give her a follow would you). Thank you for the reminder of the importance of introducing your peeps to one another.

Tags: @message, best practices, how to tweet with @, Twitter
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In designing marketing materials it’s best to think like the prospect your business wants to be marketing to; anticipate their needs and deliver benefits which match them.

In the case of producing digital marketing materials it’s helpful to know the size and type of screen your content is being viewed on.  It’s equally important to consider where your prospect is when they are accessing your message.  A third consideration is not only knowing how far away the prospect is geographically, but understanding the time frame that exists between the prospect viewing your content and making a purchase.

As little as a few years ago the time span between online inquiry and purchasing a travel experience averaged five weeks and numerous Internet searches.  The time between purchase and actually going on the trip was a few more weeks still.

Today, with the advent of handheld devices and 3G access to the Internet many travelers are waiting until they arrive at their destination before making a commitment with a service provider, shortening both the geographic distance and the time frame between being a prospect and making a purchase.

How does the graphic above change the way you promote and market your business?  As with traditional Web based marketing, focus on the four basics and practice getting your message accross in as few words as possible.

• headline
• great image or short video
• bulleted list of benefits you offer your ideal guest
• call to action

Social Media can provide Local Leads

Finally, be an actively engaged listener, paying attention to what travelers are asking and talking about on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.  For example, listen in on conversations using Twitter Search.  Be ready to engage with the last minute traveler who is walking around your city and you may be able to get them to enjoy your bed, your restaurant, or your travel experience.

How are you adapting to meet last minute, in-market travelers’ needs?

Tags: mobile web, tourism marketing, Twitter
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One of the things I like about Facebook is that the free widget “Facebook Fan Box” that makes it easy to keep your website always fresh.

Yfrog Widget is a Showstopper for Photos and Video

Now Yfrog, the Twitter photo and video sharing platform offers a free customizable widget that will update your Webpage any time you stream video or take photos and sharethem on twitter with YFrog.

The delicious user interface for creating the Yfrog widget allows users to customize the shape of the widget and colour it to seemlessly plug in and match your Web site.

Each video or photo posted to Yfrog shows up in a live stream along with your comment and clicking on the Widget brings you to the full version of the photo or video as hosted at the site.

How to know if YFrog’s Widget is for you:

• looking for an easy way to keep your Website always fresh
• enjoy taking photos and video on a regular basis
• photos and video would help your ideal client appreciate something special about your business.
• You use twitter regularly
• have a mobile device that captures photos and video
• you have a healthy disdain for Facebook and wouldn’t dream of putting a Facebook Widget on your site.

What do you think? Is it important to have an always fresh Website?

Tags: Facebook, multimedia, photos, Twitter, Video, Yfrog
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