Cory Stewart Claims ‘I Shoulda Known Better’ with Biting and Bold New Pop Single

TORONTO, ON (May 22 2024) - On May 31, 2024, Canadian pop artist Cory Stewart is set to release his bold and brassy new dance-pop single “I Shoulda Known Better”.  The new track is a followup to the first single ‘One More Day With You’ off his highly anticipated upcoming sophomore album.

“I Shoulda Known Better” is a sassy and infectious anthem that delves into the complexities of a friendship gone sour. Delivering signature witty lyrics with a wink, the new track explores Stewart’s experience of deeply trusting a friend, despite the constant display of red flags and deceptive behaviour. Boasting sultry saxophone accents and a fresh modern melody, ‘I Shoulda Known Better’ examines the themes of self discovery and identity.

Produced by longtime collaborator and JUNO winner Gavin Bradley, “I Shoulda Known Better” showcases Stewart’s ongoing artist evolution, while further demonstrating the development of his signature unique sound. Speaking about the inspiration behind “I Shoulda Known Better”, Cory shares, “This song is about learning from your mistakes and trusting your instincts. Nothing stings more than experiencing betrayal or being deceived by someone you care for. I know people can relate to that. Ultimately, this track serves as a reminder to cherish the genuine connections in our life and to let go of those who don’t have our best interests at heart.”

Accompanying the release of “I Shoulda Known Better” is a brazen and eye-catching music video, produced, edited, shot, and directed by Stewart. Filmed in Canada’s beautiful cottage country, the video is set against several unique backdrops including an abandoned trailer and the famous Screaming Heads of Midlothian. Through the unforgettable visuals and spicy storytelling, Stewart’s music comes to life, offering viewers a glimpse into the struggle of his recent and very relatable life experience.

“I Shoulda Known Better” will be available on all streaming platforms on May 31, 2024, and supporters can pre-save today by visiting https://lnk.to/coryiskb.

About Cory Stewart:

Cory Stewart (The Orchard) has been described as a wickedly witty pop artist with a “smooth voice” (Billboard, 2020) who creates “fearless, unapologetic and relentlessly catchy” music (Canadian Beats, 2018). Cory has been a supporting act for several legendary artists including Boy George and Crystal Waters. Stewart’s debut album ‘TOV’ was released in January 2021, hitting #9 on the iTunes Pop Charts and receiving overwhelming praise from critics.

A Royal Conservatory of Music vocal program graduate, Stewart has been a songwriter and student of music since the age of seven, receiving accolades from numerous music festivals across Canada. Cory has also toured and performed in several countries around the world including Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria.

Cory recently completed The QUEERANTINE North American tour for which he was recognized with an award from the 2022 Wavy Awards for his work in the Queer music community.

Website: http://www.coryjstewart.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/coryjstewart

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6chEgA34uO3ZPksMEbnaZf?si=y5GHbQgCS9afRLSw8Ummyw

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CoryJStewart

QUEER MUSIC SOCIAL hosts its inaugural event in downtown Toronto with some the city’s top Queer artists, including JUNO nominated Tafari Anthony, Michelle Mondesir, IAMREBELWILL and Cory Stewart

TORONTO, ON (January 5, 2023) – Toronto’s music scene is gaining a new outlet for Queer musicians come January 26, 2023 with the inaugural QUEER MUSIC SOCIAL presented by pop musician Cory Stewart. Featuring a lineup of some of the city’s top Queer talent including Michelle Mondesir, IAMREBELWILL, Tafari Anthony and Stewart, QUEER MUSIC SOCIAL will provide a platform outside of Pride celebrations for Queer musicians to be seen, heard and celebrated.

With 92% of LGBT consumers considering themselves passionate music fans (GLAAD, 2016), QUEER MUSIC SOCIAL fills a big void in the Toronto Queer music community. Taking place in the Queer owned and operated new west end hot spot Boombox Toronto (647 College Street), the evening promises to be a community-building extravaganza for both performers and attendees alike.

QUEER MUSIC SOCIAL initially began in 2020 as an online artist community, in which Cory Stewart hosted special guests such as music PR expert Eric Alper and 604 Records (Marianas Trench, Carly Rae Jepsen) President Jonathan Simkin for Q&A style sessions. The monthly event provided an opportunity for 2SLGBTQIA+ indie artists to get a peek behind the curtain of the music industry through an intimate and informal chat with numerous industry experts.

“Both being Queer and trying to navigate the music industry can make a person feel very isolated. The vision with QUEER MUSIC SOCIAL is to provide a safe space for 2SLGBTQIA+ artists and music fans to connect and feel a sense of community – all while enjoying some of the best artistry our city has to offer,” says Cory Stewart. “As wonderful as Pride celebrations are, there are few platforms servicing the needs of our community the other 11 months of the year and my hope is that this may provide a solution to that problem.”

Tickets for QUEER MUSIC SOCIAL ($15 advance, $20 door) are now on sale at www.queermusicsocial.com.

About Cory Stewart:

Cory Stewart (AWAL/Kobalt) has been described as a wickedly witty pop artist with “smooth voice” (Billboard, 2020) that creates “fearless, unapologetic and relentlessly catchy” music (Canadian Beats, 2018). Cory has been a supporting act for a number of legendary artists including Boy George and Crystal Waters. Stewart’s debut album ‘TOV’ was released in January 2021, hitting #9 on the iTunes Pop Charts and receiving overwhelming praise from critics.

Stewart recently completed the seven-city QUEERANTINE Tour across the United States, for which he received a 2022 Wavy Award. He is about to release a new EP entitled “SH/EETS” which will hit all streaming platforms on January 27, 2023.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/coryjstewart

Instagram: www.instagram.com/coryjstewart

Website: www.coryjstewart.com

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Tafari Anthony

Tafari (pronounced Ta-far-eye) Anthony is a JUNO nominated artist whose music blends pop, soul and alternative. Known for his sleek vocal tones, sultry melodies and music which oozes with personality, Tafari leaves listeners in awe – somewhat apt considering his name means “He who inspires awe”.

Tafari has spent much of his career working behind the scenes with various artists. He has written and vocal produced for Juno nominated artists (Tanika Charles, Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar), and Drag Race royalty (Priyanka, Katya) among others. His authentically humble but powerful performance style has kept him as an in-demand vocalist throughout the country, allowing him to have toured through Europe, Canada, the United States, and even a stint in South Korea.

Tafari has seen success with his music garnering acclaim from the likes of PAPER Magazine, Billboard, Gay Times, Earmilk and MTV to name a few. His latest EP “The Way You See Me” was released to critical acclaim from PAPER Magazine & Billboard in November 2020 & nominated for a 2022 JUNO Award for Adult Contemporary Album of The Year.

Michelle Mondesir

Michelle Mondesir has always had a passion for music. She is a singer, songwriter, pianist and producer but also the CEO of the recording studio Poetic Groove Productions.

Her accomplishments over the past 10 years is quite impressive as she’s been nominated and won a number of awards.

Though currently fronting the indie alt-rock band Madame Psychosis which has produced two successful albums, she also released 17 solo R&B songs in 2019.

Michelle released “Give Me All Your Lovin’” on Nov 1st, which BuzzMusic refers to as “a few minutes of musical bliss and delicacy” and EARMILK says that “(Michelle) has a natural talent for crafting soul- gripping musical arrangements”. More recently, Michelle released “Sunday Sun” on Dec 9th, which BuzzMusic calls “a song of hope and love” and says “the vocal performance is absolutely flawless.” Furthermore Reignland says, “The song consists of soulful vocals over a hip hop undertone and beautiful harmonies that add fire to the already outstanding song.”

2020 proved to be a difficult and frustrating year but also inspired Michelle to write “Crazy World” released on June 25th, which She Makes Music describes as “honest and inspirational”. Later Michelle featured Toronto-based artist pHoenix Pagliacci of TRP.P on her single “Look What You Started.”

Most recently Michelle teamed up with Cory Stewart on his debut album “TOV” (released Jan 22 2021) for the uptempo pop track “End of Me” which Metro Weekly refers to as “a showstopper of a dance track” and UK-based Culture Fix calls “a dreamy and intoxicating number that ponders how a relationship can deteriorate…[that is] ethereal and emotive”.

Michelle looks forward to working with Madame Psychosis on their third studio album as well as continued R&B work.

IAMREBELWILL

Born and raised in bilingual Montreal, Toronto-based pop entertainer, IAMREBELWILL is influenced by the showmanship of Janet Jackson, the eclectic artistry of Andre 3000 and the vibes and feels of Kaytranada.

His EP RebelFuturism, the artist is using his voice to challenge the stereotypical perspective in mainstream pop music and help empower the underrepresented LGTBQ+ and POC community to be fearlessly themselves. RebelFuturism, is seductive, contemporary pop, soaked in the neon bleached nightclub vibes of house bass-lines, infused with irresistible pop hooks and melodies. “It’s a soundtrack for modernity, addressing sexuality, sexual fluidity, identity and equality,” says Rebel. “As a proud queer black man I wanted to create something that gave a voice to my experience and a voice to folks whose stories the majority of time are not told.”

For more information, photo and interview requests, please contact: 

Danielle Watson, EDPR, danielle@embracedisruption.com

TORONTO (June 23, 2015) - With summer well underway, the leading online platform for professional household cleaners, Helpling.com, is encouraging its customers to get outside and #SeizeSummer! During the months of July and August 2015, Helpling will be rewarding participating followers weekly with six hours of free home cleaning through a Twitter and Instagram hosted #SeizeSummer photo challenge. Helpling’s ultimate goal is to encourage Greater Toronto Area social media users to get out and enjoy their summer, rather than spending precious down time trapped inside cleaning.

Tweet to win six hours of free cleaning!

Helpling is asking both Twitter and Instagram users to snap a photo of themselves participating in an activity outside of their homes, making sure to tag @HelplingCA while including the hashtag #SeizeSummer. Each week for the months of July and August, Helpling will randomly select one winner on each social network to receive six hours of free home cleaning, providing the gift of more free time to continue enjoying the summer weather!

“As we finally enter the warm months of summer, we wanted to do something special for Torontonians that allowed them to take advantage of their recreational time over the season,” says Helpling managing director Blake Connoy. “After being forced to spend a majority of the winter trapped indoors, we feel the last thing Canadians should have to do is spend their summer free time worrying about monotonous chores like cleaning.”

Since launching in Toronto in December 2014, Helpling.com has served over X satisfied customers in the Greater Toronto Area, providing users with the easiest online solution to conquering their home cleaning. With a 4.7 star (out of 5) rating from their loyal customer base, the $25/hour service connects people with Helpling registered cleaners in their area. Often referred to as the “Uber of household cleaning”, Helpling’s extensive registration process, which includes a cleaning test, background check and personal interview, finding a qualified cleaner has never been easier.

In addition to launching an online platform, Helpling has also made themselves available in app form, which connects with calendar apps, allows for single or recurring bookings, shows when a preferred cleaner is available and features payment via credit card and direct debit. Users can download the Helpling app for iOS by clicking here, or for Android, by clicking here.

For more information, photos or interview requests, please contact:

Cory Stewart | Embrace Disruption PR

o: 416.963.9857 e: cory@embracedisruption.com

About Helpling:

Helpling is the leading global online platform for professional home cleaners. On the website or the mobile app customers can book a vetted and insured service provider within a couple of click. The innovative online service gives people more time to enjoy the nice things in life: family, friends and leisure activities.

​Helpling was founded by Benedikt Franke, Philip Huffman and Rocket Internet in January 2014. The company now has more than 250 employees and offers its service in more than 200 cities in Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. This makes Helpling the most widely available online marketplace for household services in the world.

Website: http://www.helpling.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/helplingca

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/helpling

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/helplingca

TORONTO: Helpling, the online platform for booking home cleaning, has just announced the release of its mobile app for iOS and Android. The app, currently available to customers across the Greater Toronto Area, is geared to make booking residential cleaning easier for clients who are booking on the go. Helpling.com launched in Toronto in December 2014.

The Helpling app lets users book a home cleaner securely and conveniently. It offers fast one-touch booking, allowing customers who have set up an account to re-book with one tap. Finding a residential cleaner used to require customers to consult yellow pages, seek out  personal recommendations and research meticulously online. With Helpling’s extensive registration process, which includes a cleaning test, background check and personal interview, finding a qualified cleaner has never been easier. Now users of the Helpling app can simply enter an address, the amount of cleaning required and a desired date for their booking. Helpling’s intuitive algorithm then recommends the best cleaner for the selected. Right after booking, clients can save the date directly to their smartphone calendar or forward the details via email or SMS.

“Canadians across the country are using their smartphones on a daily basis to order services like food delivery and taxi rides,” says Helpling Canada managing director Blake Connoy. “We’re confident that the Helpling app will provide another solution to making everyday life easier and more efficient for customers across the GTA.”

App Advantages and Features

The Helpling app makes booking a cleaner easier than ever before. It connects with calendar apps, allows for single or recurring bookings, shows when a preferred cleaner is available and features payment via credit card and direct debit. The advantages of using the Helpling app include:

• Forward booking details directly via email or SMS to notify a partner or housemate that they can look forward to a clean home.
• Store bookings directly to phone calendars and set alerts for when a cleaner will need access to your home.
• Makes repeating a booking easy – after launching the app, customers can use their last selection to re-book with one touch.
• Free to download.

How it works

• Users can download the free app in the iOS or Android stores.
• Upon launching the app, customers are prompted to enter their cleaning requirements, along with indicating additional service requests, such as cleaning inside the oven, closets, refrigerator and window interiors.
• Customers may then select the desired frequency of the $25/hour service — once, weekly, or biweekly.
• After entering in location and contact information, users are paired (through a location-based algorithm) with a nearby Helpling cleaner.
• Users then pay using credit card or debit with a touch of the screen, and enjoy the easiest way to clean their home.

For more information, photos or interview requests, please contact:

Cory Stewart | Embrace Disruption PR

o: 416.963.9857 e: cory@embracedisruption.com

About Helpling:

Helpling is the leading global online platform for professional home cleaners. On the website or the mobile app customers can book a vetted and insured service provider within a couple of click. The innovative online service gives people more time to enjoy the nice things in life: family, friends and leisure activities.

​Helpling was founded by Benedikt Franke, Philip Huffman and Rocket Internet in January 2014. The company now has more than 250 employees and offers its service in more than 200 cities in Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. This makes Helpling the most widely available online marketplace for household services in the world.

Website: http://www.helpling.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/helplingca

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/helpling

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/helplingca

To protect your content, consider these practices:

1. Include a copyright notice

A simple notice at the end of your blog stating that what’s written is your property, while giving instructions on how to properly quote or use any of the content will deter people from plagiarizing.

2. Google Alerts & Google Reporting

Submit your content to Google Alerts, this service will notify you if the same content is published elsewhere. We all have better things to do than troll the internet for thieves, making this a useful tool. If you happen to get a report or discover your content elsewhere there is a way to report it to Google. Google will then contact the server/author and have the content revisited or removed.

3. Watermark your multimedia

If you are publishing original photos, videos or any other multimedia try including a watermark to make sure you’re recognized for your creative content. Here is a tutorial on adding a watermark to your photography through photoshop. Remember, this is for the media you create: when using other people’s images be sure to include sources to recognize the original author.

4. Be Organized

• Create a folder including everything you write, post and create, including multi-media.
• If you receive sponsorship be sure to keep track of contacts, receipts, payments and notes on all interactions.
• Back it up! Back it up! Back it up!

5. Know the Law

• While plagiarism isn’t considered a legal offence (it is a moral and ethical offence), copyright infringement is a serious infraction as defined below:

“Copyright provides protection for literary, artistic, dramatic or musical works (Including computer programs) and other subject-matter known as performer’s performances, sound recordings and communication signals.” – “A Guide to Copyright.” Government of Canada, Industry Canada, Office of the Deputy Minister, Canadian Intellectual Property Office. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.

• “Fair dealing” under the Copyright Act of Canada is the understanding that it is ok for people to use copyrighted works in certain contexts, such as journalism, commentary, private study, criticism or satire. What this means is one can take someone else’s writing and include it in a post with links and sources to the original creator. 
• Photography is automatically copyrighted as it is an artistic work. If the artist is concerned about reproduction, they can submit it to the Canadian Copyright Office. Another form of protection is a copyright symbol or watermark to deter unlawful reproduction.

Since there are a few grey areas in the world of blogging, err on the side of caution when creating posts: always cite written and multi-media content, consult local laws concerning copyright or talk to a lawyer.

Have more tips to keep yourself protected? Leave them in the comments below!

What does this mean for you and your business? It means that now more than ever, YOU have the ability to control your communications by developing content that will attract your desired demographic – ultimately driving sales, conversions and brand loyalty.

The below infographic from WebBizIdeas outlines 17 of the top content suggestions to help escalate your traffic, and build more meaningful content for your audience. Take a look:

Are there any other types of content that you think should be included in this list? Share them below in the comments!

Posting quality content frequently and consistently is one of the biggest challenges of maintaining a good blog. Keeping an editorial calendar can greatly increase your blog’s chances for success by enabling you to plan and track your content strategically. Here are some tips to keep in mind in order to effectively manage and organize your editorial calendar.

1. Access to calendar: If you’re working with more than one person on a blog, have the editorial calendar uploaded on one central location, such as a Google Calendar or Drive. This enables other users that have access to the file to edit it and add new ideas at a moment’s notice. If it’s just you working on the blog, it’s still great to have a copy of the editorial calendar living online so it’s always readily available.
2. Sync to mobile calendar: If you aren’t checking your calendar frequently, you could be missing important information or deadlines that are coming up. If you sync the calendar to your phone, you can set alerts or reminders so you never miss a beat.
3. Deadlines: If you plan to publish a certain number of posts per week, an editorial calendar will help you keep publishing dates consistent. For example, if Tuesdays and Thursdays will be your main posting dates, put those two days down in your calendar as deadlines.  If necessary, make the deadlines red so they stand out. It’s easier to keep track of publishing your content when you see it highlighted in front of you on a calendar.
4. Content: This seems like a no-brainer, but if you don’t have ideas for future posts clearly written out, then it might become difficult to keep up with the main theme or idea of your blog. The content of your blog is the structure of your blog. If you have inconsistent content, your blog will be a random, jumbled mess of posts. Jot down notes for what you plan to write about at least a month in advance.
5. Purpose: Always keep a solid reminder as to why you’re writing about that particular subject and the audience for which you’re writing. For every post you plan on publishing, make a note for yourself below it that tells you the audience and purpose of that particular post. This helps you decide whether the content is suitable for the overall theme of your blog.
6. Keep notes when on-the-go: If you’re old school, carrying around a small notebook and a pen is great for those spontaneous bursts of inspiration. When you’re on the go and don’t have your computer near you, make sure to write it down in the notebook and later add it to your calendar. Alternatively, if you’ve synced your editorial calendar to your smart phone, you can input notes on the calendar right from your phone. Whichever way you do it, just make sure you always have an accessible place to write down those ideas! There’s nothing worse than getting a great idea and forgetting it five minutes later.
7. Social media: If you’re going to be promoting your blog on social media sites, be sure to include a separate category on your editorial calendar for tweets, status updates, etc. For example, you can include a light blue category as a reminder to post on Twitter that day, or a dark blue category to post on Facebook. Include what you’ll be posting so its available when you need it.
8. Images: Gather photos in advance for every blog post you plan on publishing. This eliminates having to search last-minute for the right photo to go along with the blog post, which can be stressful when the deadline is an hour away. Don’t forget to include any links to the original source of the photo, unless its your own.
9. Tags/SEO: This can easily be overlooked when planning content for a blog post. Make sure  you list all the tags or SEO keywords you plan to use, that way you can save time by having them available on the calendar and transferring them directly into your blog post.

Although we do admit that it’s a bit time consuming in the beginning, creating an editorial calendar will help keep you and your blog on track. Once you already have a calendar established, you will find it much easier to keep all of your content organized.

Sources:

http://properpropaganda.net/2013/08/13-tips-to-create-a-killer-editorial-calendar-for-your-company-blog/
http://blog.journalistics.com/2013/how-to-create-an-editorial-calendar/

When it comes to brand awareness and fundraising, charities and non-profits are faced with a daunting task these days. We’re seeing a shift in the demographic of donors, making it extremely important to target new audiences in order to expose them to organizations they may not be aware of.

In today’s congested world of advertising, it’s hard to make noise among a sea of ads and direct mail campaigns: geared to draw interest and new supporters. Younger generations aren’t taking the time to read through the extensive materials an organization puts together, and they’re certainly not consuming content in traditional ways. It’s important to embrace the disruption happening within this market, and one way to do so is with effective public relations.

PR is often considered an add-on to non-profit campaigns, as many organizations have not had a chance to see its true effectiveness. Having worked recently with organizations like The Starlight Children’s Foundation and Pants Off For Prostate Cancer (click to see image galleries of events EDPR assisted with), we at Embrace Disruption PR have a firm grasp on how to execute a strong non-profit PR campaign.

Here are a few of the PR tactics we use to build awareness for non-profits in order attract a new wave of donors and supporters:

Publicity

Perhaps the most traditional of tactics, publicity can help get your organization in top tier news outlets. Whether it’s to publicize an upcoming event, or shed light on a touching story – PR firms and agencies can assist in getting you on your market’s top television shows, newspapers and magazines. It’s important to note: publicity doesn’t end with securing stories in traditional outlets, it should be inclusive of blogs and other content sources. In today’s landscape, fewer and fewer people are consuming content in it’s physical format – they’re looking online. Think about your research habits – you’re more likely to examine topics that matter to you through online tactics like search engines, blogs/websites and social media, right? That brings us to our next approach.

Social Media

Building meaningful relationships with like-minded influencers and supporters online can prove to be invaluable. It’s probable that many of your supporters are already actively online, talking about your brand or cause. You should be part of the conversation too – always go where your audience is. PR firms can use their established relationships with influential people online, and also build new relevant relationships to help promote and publicize your organization in one of the world’s most digestible content formats. Remembering that the exposure rate for social networking can be endless, having a strong social strategy and presence can be detrimental to building your organization’s awareness.

Blog

If your organization (or PR firm) isn’t blogging regularly, they should be. What better way to control your messaging and communicate to audiences beyond your traditional reach. Showing up in search engines more prominently with quality content can make the difference between a new donation, ticket purchase or even volunteer (elements non-profits can’t ever have enough of).

Sponsorship & Partners

Oftentimes, PR agencies and firms represent or know a variety of businesses that are actively looking for ways to align themselves with charities or non-profits that are meaningful to their organization. Finding opportunities to create special benefits, in-kind donations, sponsorships, conferences, races, galas, and contesting are definitely within the realm of a PR firm’s abilities.

Ambassador Campaigns

Another fantastic addition to your public relations efforts includes securing notable individuals and celebrities to act as spokespeople for your non-profit organization. Most PR firms have strong relationships with talent and talent management, which allows them to identify perfect matches for your publicity engagements or public service announcements. PR pros will often find opportunities to place these spokespeople within media (both traditional and non), as well as in speaking engagements and at events.

With millions of impressions garnered through traditional and non-traditional PR tactics, we’ve managed to build out incredible campaigns for our non-profit clients. If you’d like to chat more about what we can do for your organization, please don’t hesitate to send us an email or call us at (416) 963.9857 – we are based out of Toronto and our reach is nationwide.

Founded in October 2010, Instagram was exclusively available for Apple products (iPhones, iPads & iPods) until April 2012 when it was made available for Android platforms as well. April 2012 also marked the month that Facebook made a $1 Billion bid for the 13-person company. Approved in September 2012, Instagram is now an independently run department under the Facebook umbrella.  Before the expansion onto the Android platform, Instagram already had 30 million registered accounts but in the 6 months that followed that number more than tripled to 100 million active users by September 2012.

Instagram has come under fire recently because of their proposed changes to their terms of service but the terms were revoked almost as quickly as they were announced in favour of a re-write. Nevertheless,

Yesterday (December 26^th) the Instagram Community Team released their “Year in Review.” The team as compiled some of this past year’s most publicized and photographed about events throughout the world for everyone to look at. Click through some of the links below to marvel in what can be captured on your phone’s camera.

-       Pamploma, Spain’s Running of the Bulls

-       Olympic Opening Ceremonies, London

-       Space Shuttle Endeavor, From Texas to California

And if you just can’t get enough, go check out the Instagram Blog.

DEVELOP YOUR SOCIAL PROFILES

Yes, we all know it’s important to have a Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ profile (maybe even Pinterest and Instagram)– but the real important part is updating them regularly! This is a non-negotiable. If you want to expose your business to mass audiences – tweeting, making facebook posts, and contributing to Google+ regularly will help with both your SEO (search engine optimization) and with humanizing your brand. Don’t wait on this – start TODAY!

RELEASE A RELEASE

Get a press release formulated and distributed that features your business. The trick with this is really making sure you have a good story. If you can afford a small amount of money to set aside for this, it’s worth it. Get a PR firm to put together the release, and distribute it to media. PR pros have established relationships with media, and can help you get in the limelight. As a side note, Embrace Disruption PR offers these services at really reasonable rates, contact us for more info.

COLLABORATE

Work with other businesses in your industry– offer your assistance/services/products to help them out. This is a great way to network, and also help out your fellow peers. You’ll be surprised how many people will be open to partnering up and in turn, providing some fantastic advice.

GIVE THE MILK FOR FREE (ONCE)

Ok, ok, we’ve all heard the expression: “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?” This is true, but it’s important to offer up some free services/product in the beginning stages. Don’t kill yourself by offering up a lot, but definitely give a little. If you do an outstanding job, or have a great product (which you SHOULD, if you really want to succeed in this venture) – these freebies can easily turn into advocates, consumers and clients. Start hawking yourself today.

GET ON THE STREET

This is a no-brainer, but just incase you forgot: NETWORK. You should be going to every single relevant event in your industry. Get some swanky business cards made (don’t spend a fortune on printing – but definitely get them designed), and start making new friends. The more people you meet, the more potential for sales. It’s a numbers game – if you know you can meet 5 people and convert 1 into a buyer or consumer, then you know how many people you need to meet next time to get a new client.

These 5 tips are a great starting point for promotion. Remember that the beginning is all about the hustle. The more you put in now, the bigger the pay off in the future!

1. 3.9 million women with children write blogs in the US. By 2014, that number will jump to 4.4 million.  (eMarketer)

2. 55% of active (daily) social media moms said they made their purchase because of a recommendation from a personal review blog. (NPD Group, Inc. via Technorati)

3. 18.3 million internet users who are moms read blogs at least once a month. (eMarketer)

4. One in four of moms have purchased a children’s product because of a recommendation from a social networking site or blog. Half of all moms use social media while watching TV. (NPD Group, Inc. via SFGate)

5. 90% of moms are online vs. just 76% of women in general. (eMarketer)

None of these stats are extremely surprising, but it does bring to attention that Moms make up a large part of the Internet. Because of their huge presence, along with the amount they’re sharing, commenting, and recommending – it’s important that brands take note. The truth is, when a Mom recommends something to another Mom – the credibility is significantly higher than a broadcasted message from a brand. Imagine what social media and blogging has done to make this ‘word of mouth’ recommendation system insanely scalable! Food for thought – and as it turns out, Mom IS always right.

1. Search Their Username: Generally speaking, a truly engaged twitter user will have many mentions and retweets throughout the day. A simple and easy way to see if people are talking with them is to either search up their username in twitter’s search field – or use a simple tool like Twinitor. Remember, it’s not always the number of followers a person has, it’s WHO and HOW they’re engaging with them.

2. Look At Their Follower Count Ratio: This can be a very telling sign that someone is using a ‘bot’ to gain followers. If someone has 12,000 followers and they’re following 13,000: you can easily deduct that they simply followed a ton of tweeps to gain the ever-so-precious follow back.

3. Klout or Kred: These 2 sites are built to assist in measuring people’s online influence. Although they’re not the be-all end-all in scoring, they can (along with these other tips) gain you a more well-rounded perspective.

4. Look At Their Followers: Don’t be lazy. If you spend a few minutes going through the follower list of the person in question, you’ll get a pretty good idea as to what kind of influence they have (and what kind of people they’re influencing)

5. Fully Connect: When involving influencers and bloggers, it should be more than a couple of minutes of decision-making. In essence, these people will end up being extensions of yourself or your brand. One wrong selection could have a rather nasty effect – so make sure you’re googling, reading past blog posts, and even connecting with them personally before the moment of involvement.

Have some other tips, or want to recommend some fab bloggers or influencers? Sign off in the comments!