Marketing Archives - Page 3 of 18

May 25, 2018 by sherrilynne 2 Comments

GDPR: Does it impact your Canadian business?

Today, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into full effect. It could impact Canadian businesses. Luckily the Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) has published the Guide to the European Union (EU)’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ePrivacy Regulation to provide support for compliance.

This guide provides an overview on general requirements, as well as insight on Canadian implications. Here’s a summary of what Canadian organizations need to think about:

The right to be informed. Companies must include some form of privacy notice indicating how they use the personal data of their customers.
The right of access. This continues the right of data subjects to access the personal data that organizations hold about them without incurring fees.
The right to rectification. Customers are entitled to have incorrect information rectified. Third parties must also be notified if this data has been disclosed to them.
The right to erasure. People can request the removal of personal data if there is no reason for its continued processing.
The right to restrict processing. Customers will have the right to ‘block’ personal data processing. Companies can still store the data, but not process it.
The right to data portability. This allows customers to transfer and use personal data across different services.
The right to object. Customers can object to their data being processed.
Automated decision making & profiling rights. This includes safeguards against the risk that a potentially damaging decision is taken without human intervention.

A GDPR Guide for Canadians

The GDPR’s expanded reach means that marketers must consider how the full scope of the regulations could apply to Canadian organizations. The GDPR will apply to any organization, wherever located, that uses the personal information of EU residents for marketing.

For more detail check out the CMA’s guide by clicking here.

May 22, 2018 by sherrilynne Leave a Comment

How to make gorgeous ebooks

Recently, I’ve published two ebooks. One goes into a lot of detail about the skills required to be at the top of your game in PR, marketing and communications. The second one looks at the kind of work and activities that a marcoms professional takes on in today’s world. (I’m currently working on a third ebook. This one will focus on the tools that a PR pro uses to get the job done.)

I’m no graphic designer, and I don’t have the budget to hire one for my self-published ebooks. I use some great software that makes it easy to design gorgeous looking documents. I love Designrr. If I get stuck on something, there’s a comprehensive help and how-to content including video tutorials.

eBooks for Content Marketing

These ebooks are doing a great job in building my marketing list for me. I get two or three downloads of each daily. Designrr doesn’t cost the earth either so I’m pleased with the ROI. Click here to find out about the free trial period.

In the video below, Designrr creator Paul Clifford explains how to use an ebook as a lead magnet. It’s a good, quick overview of how content marketing works and is full of practical tips. He explains the concept of content upgrade. He shows you how Designrr works. Have a look.

After buying it and publishing two ebooks with it, I’m convinced of its usefulness and value. I’ve signed up as an affiliate. If you decide to use Designrr, click here to get it. I’ll receive a small commission. If you’d like to chat to me about my experience with Designrr feel free to ping me to set up a call.

May 14, 2018 by sherrilynne Leave a Comment

Influencer relations: how to build trust

Yes, PR has changed drastically since social and digital media disrupted the publishing industry. One of the biggest changes is the rise of ‘Influencer Relations”. We used to focus on media professionals as the core influencer group and we still do. But now infuencers include a much broader range of people. Facebookers, bloggers, Instagrammers, YouTube Creators, Podcasters, among others, are all people with whom brands and businesses seek to build relationships. However, the basic principles of PR still apply. Here’s six rules for good influencer relations.

1. Deal honestly. Not only is honesty the best policy in most things in life, in PR it’s just common sense. No tricks, evasion or hiding the facts; with a lot of influencer groups that’s just like waving a red flag to a bull. Be accurate, helpful and have integrity in all your dealings.

2. Work for the influencer. Remember that, in a way, influencers are your most important bosses or clients. Serve them well by providing interesting, timely content that their audiences want. Meet their deadlines. Know their interests. Help them out; even if there’s nothing in it for you. Your reputation as a friend and supporter can be a valuable asset.

3. Don’t nag or plead. If the idea is weak or ill-targeted or you have no budget, no amount of pleading will work. And, if you get a mention and it isn’t what you had hoped for (not long enough, wrong angle) don’t whine. It’s ok to point out factual inaccuracies, but respect the influencer’s treatment. He or she knows the followers best.

4. Don’t kill. Trying to kill a story is a fool’s errand. If you want influencers to cover your brand or business, you’ll have to accept that they’ll cover your bad news too. Asking them to take something down will only damage relationships, and that’s never a good thing.

5. Never spray & pray. Use only well-targeted pitches. Angle stories to suit the needs of each influencer. If someone is constantly getting irrelevant information from you, you’ll end up getting blocked all together. Think before you send.

6. Be respectful. For many influencers their online profile is a business. If they ask for payment you have to respect that. Don’t expect freebies, but if you get one, be appreciative. Say thank you. Share their content in your own channels. Find other ways to provide recripricol value (see number 2, above).

Building positive relationships with influencers if an important part of every communications initiative. Let’s set up a call to discuss how this strategy can work for you.

May 1, 2018 by sherrilynne Leave a Comment

Why Hootsuite Social Marketing Certification?

Anyone can claim to be a social media expert, but it’s difficult to tell who’s the real deal and who are the fakers. Start by looking for a professional with Hootsuite Social Marketing Certification.

Hootsuite Social Marketing Certification is industry-recognized and showcases the digital expertise and credentials a marketing communications professional has across all online channels. To get the online certificate, it takes passing a 60-question online exam testing knowledge of the core principles of social media marketing.

I’ve partnered with TRUEdotACADEMY to provide training to support people taking the exam.

The TRUEdotACADEMY Social Media Foundations course covers all aspects of the Hootsuite Social Marketing Certification exam. Participants learn everything from how to optimize profiles on various social channels and engage with audiences, to developing content strategy and effective use of advertising.

The course provides indepth discussion of social media strategy and concepts and case study examples based on my own experience in providing social media consulting and services. This provides context and the opportunity to go deep into the details…something that online video courses just don’t provide. This is a live, supportive learning experience. The concentrated focus means participants are fully prepared to take the exam in just two days. And after the exam, The TRUEdot team and I will continue to support participants as they implement the learning at their workplaces with coaching and mentoring.

Industry certification separates the wheat from the chaff in social marketing expertise. Look for certification when recruiting team members or contracting a consultant or agency to get the best, most-knowledgeable talent.

Set your team up for success by supporting them through certification with this intensive, effective training.

Click here to enroll or find out more.

April 24, 2018 by sherrilynne Leave a Comment

JD Wetherspoon quits social media: a bad workman blames his tools

British pub chain JD Wetherspoon, quit social media last week calling it a waste of time.

Tim Martin, Wetherspoon CEO is quoted as saying, “I am worried about our business getting bogged down in social media, when being front of house in pubs is what it’s all about.”

If this is the case, he does indeed have a problem, and quitting social media is not the solution. Instead he should be looking at his organization’s own lack of strategy and disorganized approach as the culprits.

Quite possibly, Wetherspoon employees are wonderful at providing an excellent customer service and are great at running a pub profitably. This is their job, and these are their core skills. However, it’s unlikely that each of the chain’s 900 pubs employs someone who has the social media skills and knowledge necessary for marketing success.

While some pub managers, chefs and servers might like to use social media to keep connected with their own friends and family, few, if any, have the knowledge and skills of a social media marketing professional. It’s just not fair to expect them to do a job for which they are unqualified.

Social Media Marketing Expertise

Social media marketing is a specialty profession. These digital experts usually possess a marketing or communications degree or diploma. Often they have additional qualifications, certifications or designations from professional groups and associations such as the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) or the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

On top of this, they have deep knowledge of, and extensive experience in, using social media for business marketing and communications. They continuously track innovation and trends to keep at the cutting edge in an environment of constant change. The better ones have certifications from industry players to demonstrate their proficiency in using social media technologies. Hootsuite Social Media Marketing Certification, Facebook BluePrint Certification and Twitter Flight School Certification are just some examples.

Social media success requires strategy and planning. Activities must align with corporate business goals and objectives. Stories and content must be aligned with customer interests and needs. They should closely follow media format trends if they are to be compelling enough to deliver return on investment. Creating this takes special knowledge and talents.

Social media channels need to be constantly monitored and measured. All this takes time, budget and resources, but it’s worth it. According to a British Post Office survey, almost half of Britons make purchases on social media. A quarter tend to base buying decisions on something they’ve seen on social media.

Yes, pub staff should be front of house, not ‘bogged down’ in social media, but by quitting, JD Wetherspoon is leaving money on the table. Instead, the pub chain needs a smart strategy along with a crack social media team to deliver it.

A GDPR Guide for Canadians

eBooks for Content Marketing

Social Media Marketing Expertise

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