We speak too often with questions at the end of our sentences. The declaration and conviction of our opinions and outlooks have somehow become muddled in new speech patterns that don’t convey that we mean what we’re saying. This is precisely what Taylor Mali addresses in his powerful poem that’s been assembled visually while he recites. Definitely take a moment to watch this video (with sound) to hear some valid and interesting commentary on the way we communicate today.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree?

Fast Company (one of the only magazines I still buy a paper copy of) recently asked social industry leaders what they thought were the fundamental rules of social media. I loved how they presented the information found (pictured below), and these 5 really resonated with me:

#5. As monetization attempts to go up, consumer experience goes down. In my experience, it’s really important that social remains social. Not only does turning followers into dollar signs always backfire, but long-term relationships aren’t sustainable if you’re always looking for a buck.

#12. Not everything will work, and that’s fine. Embracing failure is such an important part of social. Be sure to test out your efforts on a small-scale before launching social campaigns – it’s ok to make mistakes if you’re learning what the consumer wants.

#14. EVERYONE’S an influencer. Whether a person has one follower, or one million followers – they’re still influencing someone. Remember that social is a public arena – and everyone can see everything.

#15. If fans distribute your content without permission, offer to help. This should be a no brainer, as a large part of this community is all about sharing content. It’s obviously preferable that your content is the stuff that’s being shared, and that turns into traffic, new fans, and new followers!

#35 Think past vanity metrics like followers. This can not be stressed enough. Quality over quantity – followers can be bought, but smarts and great content are the valuable metrics.

Image Via Fast Company

1.    You look resistant to change.

No one wants to hire someone who isn’t willing to embrace disruption. Adaptability is key in any workforce, and those who aren’t willing to change directions on a dime aren’t seen as assets.

2.    You seem unable to handle new tasks.

Is it really that difficult to use the new timeline? No. Voicing your gripes in an online format implies that you aren’t capable of working with new platforms or programs. Again, pretty undesirable.

3.    If you complain about this, what else are you going to complain about?

Something relatively small like this scenario is hardly a pressing matter. When you outwardly cry about Timeline, your employer will be lead to believe you’re apt to complain publically if something goes wrong at work. Again, the check mark can be ticked in the undesirable category.

4.    It’s just Facebook.

If you don’t like it, get rid of it. No one is making you use it, so fix your problem in one easy click of a button.

Hopefully this post helps you think through those potential posts ridden with complaints. Remember, even with the highest privacy settings – HR departments have ways of accessing your profiles. Be smart about your social.

And for those of you who do end up deleting Facebook because of Timeline: see you in a couple of days.

I  thrive on jumping from task to task and coming back to things throughout the day. The important thing is to always ensure that each project gets completed to the 100% mark. How about you, would you say you’re an expert multitasker?

Check out some other eye-opening facts in this INFOGRAPHIC:

As a public relations professional and writer, I’ve always had a great appreciation for captivating content. I love to talk about my company’s product, including how it helps our users, and why we work the way we do.

In other words, I’m a storyteller.

As organizations are expanding their digital presence, “content” seems to be the hot topic now—specifically, organic and targeted content. I’m not highly educated on pay-per-click, Google rankings, link baiting, and so on; however, what I do know is that if you create relevant and useful content, people will read it.

There are several different ways that companies organize their marketing teams. But rarely is the PR person also the content manager. Working for a small company, I’ve adopted both roles. It’s been an interesting journey. I’ve learned that the skills built within the public relations field apply to the needs of a successful content strategy. So it got me thinking, why don’t all PR folks take charge of general content—or at least have a hand in it?

Here are a few reasons I’d like to share:

1. We’re storytellers.

Have you ever been stuck in conversation with someone who drags on a story, goes in circles, jumps on a tangent, and still hasn’t made a point? As trained PR professionals, we know how to capture an audience, reel them in with good details, and make the freaking point already.

2. We’re more concerned with people than rankings.

Will I be crucified for this? Maybe. But Google rankings are a foreign concept to me. All I know is that popularity votes sucked in high school, and they still do. Stop trying to be so dang popular. Think about it: Why are you writing for Google? They don’t care about you. But you know who does? The person that needs your product and could use some well-versed, straight-forward information about it.

3. We’re reasonable team players.

OK, yes, I know that SEO, or search engine optimization, is important. And that’s why we have an SEO professional. He helps me stay on track with targeted key words and link sharing. However, he doesn’t initiate the content, nor does he go it alone. We’re a team. I create the story, and he makes sure we’re getting it to the right people through the right channels.

Essentially, I’m driving the content vehicle along the road trip of marketing, and he’s making sure I don’t fall asleep at the wheel and go into the ditch where non-optimized content goes to die. (We also like metaphors.)

4. We’re imaginative, yet strategic.

I consider myself a creative type. I love to put myself in the place of our customers and imagine their pains and how we can alleviate them. But my job isn’t to simply daydream about hypotheticals. As a PR professional, it’s my duty to take those ideas and tie specific goals and objectives to them. We need to be creative, but we also need to be productive.

5. We’re good writers. 

Good writing is essential for capturing the attention and respect of your audience. If you’re not striving for clear, informative content, you run the risk of confusing—and potentially misleading—your readers. Google does not like the misleaders. I do know that much.

6. We’re skilled at driving attention.

Hello! Over here! Come look at how awesome we are!

I’d say one of my biggest strengths is that I am a WOO-er (Win Others Over). I know how to grab attention, and I know how to do it with some pizzazz. Whether that’s through social media, email, Web content, or feature stories, PR professionals know what grabs the attention of others.

7. We’re fans of individualization.

Not only is attention something we master, but also so is individualization of audiences. We know that Group A has different pains than Group B. We know that what’s relevant to John may not be relevant to George. You don’t treat your children, your friends, or your coworkers all the same, so why do it to your customers?

Breena Fain is the PR and marketing specialist at Formstack. A version of this story first appeared on the company’s blog. Follow the author on Twitter @beefain.

WHAT TO DO?

Effort is key. Whether you’re looking to make contact/pitch/converse with a new client, prospect or lead: it’s important to build and cultivate relationships. Everyone is saturated with emails/tweets/Facebook messages that lack any form of personality or personalization. It’s become so easy to quickly scan something that comes our way – or even worse, just plain delete the communication because there’s no emotion connection attached to the message.

Let’s all remember that even though we can hide behind the comfort of our screens, there’s more to online communication than simply pushing out messages and content. The way we communicate may have changed, but the way we retain and process information has very much stayed the same.

HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE?

1. Make sure you’re avoiding mass emails at all costs – take the time to personally address your emails, regardless of the content remaining the same. IT MATTERS.

2. Reference a touch point with the person you’re communicating to. A message is always well absorbed when common ground is established first.

3. Be human.  No one likes impersonal emails, messages or content. The computer didn’t generate this, YOU DID – so reflect that in your writing (it will be appreciated).

4. Make sure you’re relevant. Don’t waste people’s time! We’re all busy, so make sure the message is something the reader will be interested in. This will improve your credibility in the long run, making your communications “must-read” material.

5. PROOF READ. You have no excuses for spelling mistakes. On that note, please disregard any spelling errors in this blog. Seriously though: it’s effort, people.

Start to put these tactics into action, and watch your communication skills soar. It may be difficult and a bit taxing at first – but as any good business person knows: ALWAYS GIVE MORE THAN YOU GET.

If you’re familiar with Instagram, you know how exciting it is to change the focus on your photos, and apply a unique filter. Flixel allows you to make your photo come to life with a very fun and user friendly interface that highlights what you want your viewers to see. Check out the quick demo video:

Also check out a couple finished product samples from Flixel’s Press Kit:

At the moment, Flixel is only on iPhone. Find it in the app store and have some fun with it!

Have an app you think I should look at? Want to be reviewed? Leave a comment and let me know!

Check out this inforgraphic that’s meant to guide you through the decision-making process the next time you plan to hit ‘send’.

Do you think we send out too many useless emails? Share in the comments!

Writers note: There are some workplaces and jobs where these may not be viewed as an appropriate format. However, if this is how you’d consider your personal brand to be represented on paper, perhaps the job isn’t for you.

THE RESUMES

Paolo shows amazing visuals to demonstrate his extensive knowledge and expertise. It’s good to have the traditional bits of a resume merged with image. Plus, his website rocks.. click image to visit.

Karina May demonstrates her work as a content editor. She used VISUAL.LY, a free inforgraphic service.

Michelle Magoffin’s resume has a LOT of content, but also a great amount of personality. She also offers the opportunity to scan the QR code on the image to access a traditional CV. Click on the image to see a larger size.

Hopefully these inspire you to shake up your resume a little bit to become a more competitive player in your job hunt. Do you have any other examples of great resumes? Share links in the comments.

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”  - Winston Churchill

“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” - Bill Cosby

“Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.” – Napoleon Hill

“Don’t aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.” – David Frost

“Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown.” – Ross Perot

“It’s not enough to just give it a whirl; you’ve got to give it a whirl with purpose and direction.”  - Eric Ries

“The person who says something is impossible should not interrupt the person who is doing it.” – Unknown

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been” – George Eliot

“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinion drowned your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs

This video inspired over 12,000 people to subscribe to Dollar Shave Club within a 48 hour span. Impressive, right? It begs the question: why were people so on board with forking out cash to this particular subscription service?

First off: the concept is genius. As a guy, it’s definitely an annoyance having to constantly buy new razors at completely unrealistic prices. Really, does anyone know why we have to pay so much for such a simple tool? Men aren’t the only ones suffering from this pricey industry standard, women also have to buy the latest and greatest razors – in hopes that leg maintenance will be that much easier. But let’s be honest, it’s not only the price point that made Dollar Shave Club a success…

“Content is a big part of our strategy, and there will be more coming,” owner Mike Dubin says. “I wanted people to laugh, and people tend to remember something it if it gives them a visceral response.”

In my opinion, there couldn’t be more reason to agree with Dublin’s strategy –  I constantly hear the all important phrase: content is king. The thing is, our society demands more transparency within advertising. Perhaps the more tongue-in-cheek approach can be linked to the more likely people are going to pay attention? Obviously not every product can benefit from this type of strategic angle, but it certainly raises a good point. Why are brands that have the capability to be light-hearted taking themselves so seriously?

What do you think? Would you respond to more candid advertising techniques, or do you prefer companies stick to status quo?

Nowadays, it seems as though public relations professionals are everywhere. From wine tastings to product launches, they are the ones connecting the dots and making sure goals are met on both sides: the business and the consumer. Here’s why it makes sense to hire a PR professional for your business or personal brand…

Connections
Public relations is all about relationships. Seasoned PR professionals know that it has, and always will be, part of their job to network with media and influencers. Journalists and public relations people, especially in the lifestyle realm, enjoy a reciprocal relationship with one another. They each have something the other wants and needs to effectively to their job. The public relations professional or firm wants coverage for its clients and the media outlet’s life is made easier when an interesting product, business venture or other story is provided to them, with all the information neatly outlined in press releases and fact sheets. Most of the time, PR people and journalists are even friends. Either way, PR people provide access to an outlet that you may not have so easily available at your fingertips.

Ability to Cross-Promote
Public relations people are strategic, with an ear to the ground at all times as to what is going on in your city. This means that they are in-the-know when it comes to opportunities for exposure, whether that means the sponsoring of events, presence at (and access to) gifting suits and ability to cross-promote with other clients or initiatives of people and organizations in their network. For example, if your business is a gourmet catering company set to launch in the city, and your PR firm also represents a popular art gallery that is celebrating its one-year anniversary, your catering provided at the event will now be exposed to all of the media and influencers gathered to celebrate the now thriving gallery’s well-attended event. Similarly, a well-known author could hold a book launch at your new clothing store, drawing journalists and influencers to the store and exposing them to the space.

Writing Capabilities
Public relations professionals are good writers – it is a part of the job requirement. Their talent in the art of writing, and subsequent way with words, can make anything (i.e. you, your business or your product) sound like the best thing the world has ever seen. PR people have a knack for marketing as well, and know how to strategically craft a release to capture the attention of journalists, in everything from the email subject line, title and subtitle of the release. Furthermore, journalists (often bombarded with multiple releases per day) have zero patience for poor grammar, spelling errors or amateur writing. In other words, just because you received an “A” in high school English class, doesn’t mean you are the person best suited to craft promotional material.

Makes Your Life Easier
Public relations people save you time in doing things that may take you a while. They can whip together fact sheets (whereas it may take you days), can access journalists with a quick phone call (when you will likely have to plough through red tape), and have relationships with suppliers like printing houses and graphic designers who may offer discounts. In terms of marketing initiatives, where you and your team may waste countless hours in brainstorm sessions, PR people are able to think creatively and “outside the box” when it comes to both long-term strategies and accompanying tactics. PR people have seen it all and, even if you think you have come up with the best idea to market your business, it may in reality be so three years ago in the PR world.

Damage Control
It is the professional job of PR people to manage the reputations of their clients. A seasoned professional knows that his or her job goes beyond promoting their clients; they need to protect their client’s image as well and have been trained in the art of damage control and how to effectively manage any negativity surrounding your brand. A poor restaurant review can be turned on its head by a stellar media event, a lapse in judgment by a public figure can be mitigated by a strategically crafted statement for the media, and an accident or safety concern in your establishment can be addressed through access your PR people have to the media in addressing the public and assuring them that measures are actively underway to correct the problem or concern.

To see the article in it’s original post on Notable.ca, click here. 

Self awareness is one of the most valuable attributes that an individual can ever adapt. Being able to step outside of a situation, and evaluate it from another’s perspective can be a turning point in personal success. Think about it: when someone apologizes or shows a little humility (rather than a rigid backbone and an inability to compromise), we immediately start to respect them a little bit more. After all, it takes a lot more confidence and conviction to admit a misstep, than to be cowardly and hide behind wrong doings.

Because it can be difficult at times to swallow your pride, here are a few tips to help you when you need to hide your tail in-between your hind legs:

• Put yourself in their shoes: Think about it – how would you really feel if the situation were reversed? What would your reaction be, and what would make things better?
• Be understanding: Know that your mistakes often have more impact than you think. There’s usually a chain reaction to things, so owning up early stops a vicious cycle.
• Take responsibility: There’s plenty of times that I’ve screwed up because of things I’ve done, and sometimes at the fault of others. The thing is: it doesn’t matter now – the mistake is made. Own up, and you’ll earn more respect from the recipient of the news.
• Accept your consequences: This can really suck, but consequences don’t last forever. Take the right actions to correct what you can, and practice damage control. Do everything in your power to help diffuse the impact of your actions.  Be prepared to embrace whatever comes your way as a result of the mistakes you’ve made.
• Own the disruption: Taking responsibility means being prepared to fix the problem: which means you need a master plan. Be sure to put some real thought into how you can help mend any of the problems you’ve caused.
• Be sincere: This speaks for itself. Hopefully you can look inside yourself, and rid yourself of any unnecessary bravado. We’re human, we all screw up sometimes.
• Apologize: Really. And don’t half-ass it. Mean it.

The reality is, we all have moments we aren’t proud of – even times of complete stupidity. Be the bigger person, stand up, and move on. The faster you jump to correct mistakes, the better you’ll feel, and the more trust you’ll gain. Humility is not always innate, but it’s a skill everyone should definitely learn.

Image via

I’ve been a PC user my entire life. From the time when the very basic IBM was brought into my home at 7 years old, I’ve always been faithful to my first love. However, the time has come to upgrade and update (this happens every 2-3 years) – and I’ve decided I’m divorcing Windows.

Meet my mistress.

There’s no way of telling if I’ve fallen victim to Apple’s incredible marketing tactics – or if I’m simply rationalizing my purchases with irrational desire. The fact is: I want a pretty macbook pro, and I know that it’s going to make my life beautiful.

In my long periods of comparison, and endless forums – I landed on this little infographic that was compiled from survey data. Have a look and tell me: are you a Mac OR a PC user? Have you ever made the switch?

For those of you who don’t know about Foursquare, it’s a location based mobile application and website that allows people to check in at various venues. A pet food company decided to utilize foursquare in an ingenious way, and made a little video to explain their campaign.

At the moment, there’s plenty of great rewards to be had all over Canada on foursquare – and they’re not just for your pets. Definitely download this application if you haven’t already, and start rewarding yourself on your everyday travels!

Do you use foursquare? Have you ever received something for using it? Let me know in the comments below.

On Wednesday, I’m teaching a seminar on Pinterest for Torstar Digital’s University program. Because of this, I’ve revisited marketing tactics for the innovative, image based social pinboard, and I thought I’d share with you some key ways that you can use Pinterest effectively for your business, your brand, or even yourself!

“Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.” (source: About Pinterest)

A picture represents each unique pin. Popular subjects include recipes, memorable blog posts, craft projects and more. Once a post is pinned, others can see the pin and follow a link to the original source. The ideal scenario is that your pictures (ie. pins) will be re-pinned and shared by others!

First off, a quick video that shows some of the key info about this buzz-worthy network!

Isn’t it crazy that Pinterest generates more referral traffic than Google+, Youtube and LinkedIn combined?! Here’s a few first steps that you can take to get a piece of the Pinterest action:

Make Your Site Image-Friendly

Whether you’re blogging, or just enhancing your current website – make sure to have lots of images that are able to be re-pinned! Why? This will ultimately bring you more referral traffic (not to mention make your site a prettier place to visit) while people are looking through the infinite images on Pinterest. A big shout out to some of you readers who have already started pinning my images – THANK YOU!

Get The Browser Add-On

When using firefox, google chrome, or even explorer – you can download a simple add on that allows you to easily right click on images and share them on your pinterest boards, etc. Find more information on where to download these add-ons here.

Place Your Pins On Your Site!

This one seems like a no-brainer. I’m using pinterest for the business I market for (Shopcatch), and am in the process of building out Embrace Disruption’s pinterest page (stay tuned). There’s plenty of widgets out there that you can place on your sites/blogs/profiles that will help you drive up your follower number, and also your traffic numbers by displaying snapshots of photos you’ve recently pinned.

***UPDATE!! You can now FOLLOW EMBRACE DISRUPTION on PINTEREST by clicking HERE.

Get Your Comment Skills ON

Another really important piece to the Pinterest puzzle is engaging. As with any kind of relationship, it’s a give and take! Make sure to comment on others’ pins – and really do the job of listening and viewing other people’s content. This may take some time, but is a guaranteed way to get people ‘pinterested’ in you!

If you’ve still got questions – don’t fret! After my presentation on Wednesday, I’ll post the slides for you to look through for more info. Also, there’s some real crossover in terms of promotional strategy that you can employ from the Twitter Engagement post yesterday.

I found this little gem today in my travels – it’s probably one of the worst pitches I’ve ever seen done on Dragon’s Den. Have a watch and tell me: do you think this is a good idea? Would you buy it?

Enjoy!

What are your thoughts? Are you shocked by any of this info? Is there anything you didn’t know?

Imagine a system where if a product scans with an incorrect price at the cashier’s till, it becomes FREE! Well, guess what? I’m here to tell you that this imaginary system is actually a reality, and it’s called the “Scanner Price Accuracy Voluntary Code”.

There’s a few minor stipulations:

“If the scanned price of a non-price ticketed item is higher than the shelf price or any other displayed price, the customer is entitled to receive the item free, up to a $10 maximum. When the item has a price tagged, the lowest price applies. When identical items are incorrectly priced, the second one will be sold at the correct price.” (Source: http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca)

Who Participates?

The Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores (CACDS)
Shoppers Drug Mart
The Groupe Jean Coutu (NB and Ont only)
Lawton Drug Stores
London Drugs
Lovell Drugs
Pharma-save (BC and Sask)

The Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors (CCGD)
Canada Safeway Limited
The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company of Canada Limited
Loblaw Companies Limited
Sobeys Inc.
Metro Inc.
Thrifty Foods
Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
Co-op Atlantic
Federated Co-operatives Limited

The Retail Council of Canada (RCC)
Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
The Home Depot Canada
Canadian Tire Corporation Ltd.
Toys r Us
Shoppers Drug Mart
Wal*Mart Canada Corp.
Giant Tiger Stores Ltd.
The North West Company
Best Buy/Future Shop ( in implementation stage)
2 Home Hardware franchisees

The Federation of Independent Grocers (FIC)
Thrifty Foods
Overwaitea Food Group
The Harry Watson Group
Longos Brothers Fruit Markets

As well as over 1000 independent locations

So next time you’re at the cash register, keep your eyes peeled! The sale price that you thought was FANTASTIC could end up being better than you think!

Want more info? Click here.

Have a story about redeeming this policy? Share it in the comments!

Chances are: a curse word followed by a swift move to pick up the umbrella on your way out the door are in your near future. Here’s the thing you may be missing -  40% chance of rain actually means 60% of sunshine. Refreshing, right?

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t be taking your umbrella out with you in the morning – but also, properly look at the information in front of you, and choose your perspective.

We’ve all heard the familiar ‘glass half full’ analogies, and I can honestly admit that I sometimes find them incredibly annoying – particularly when the timing is off. I’ll admit: I spend a majority of my life planning for the worst. I find that there’s great benefits from always expecting the outcome will turn out sour. It prepares your mind in advance of bad news, and if by chance it all goes well – you’re pleasantly surprised.

All of that said, there’s one important concept that can easily be forgotten. You can prepare yourself without allowing negativity or fear to take over. It’s easy to let little things distract you in life, but with a proper perspective – you can be fully prepared to embrace disruption.

When you encounter situations that you find challenging or even a test of your patience, there’s a few questions you can ask yourself to get in the right mindset.

• Can I change the outcome of the situation? If not, accept it and make the best – sweating small stuff isn’t worth the heart attack.

• How can I prepare myself? Think about what you can do to limit the amount of negativity in the situation, and brace yourself for the unexpected.

• Will this matter a year from now? If not, try to figure out how to deal with the situation, and realize that the outcome won’t last forever

• Will it reflect badly on me if I’m resistant to the situation? Chances are, the people who have positive and open mindsets are viewed as more evolved and progressive human beings.

Believe me, I know how tempting it can be to fly off the handle or jump to negative thinking. We’re all guilty of it – we’re human. Hopefully this post can help you work towards seeing the 60% chance of sunshine on the horizon, while still keeping an umbrella in your back pocket (just incase).

I’m here to tell you right now – that a simple cut and paste job into your status will NOT automatically re-instate your rights, or any other objective you have in your head. This paragraph is not legally binding and frankly, the fact that Facebook has gone public is completely unrelated to the privacy of your content.

The fact is: social networks are not made for private storage. What this means for you? That regardless of privacy settings, personal preferences and the like: you should treat every photo, sentence and your shared content as though your grandmother/mother/employer/future employer CAN and WILL see everything.

In light of this, here’s a few things you can do to clean up any questionable stuff you may have lying around in your past:

1. Delete Questionable Photos: If you’re emotionally attached to them, save them somewhere. Regardless of the privacy settings- there are several ways these can be accessed (including by that person who just interviewed you for your dream job).

2. Censor Yourself: Obviously these networks are all made for you to express yourself, but keep in mind that it’s possible that everything you say online can be publicly retrieved. Keep your controversial conversations to ‘in-person’ – it could be the difference between scoring a potential job, client or even a relationship.

3. Download Your Facebook History: This is easy to do by going to your general settings menu (see picture). Sometimes we forget just exactly what we have listed online, and this is a resource to really go back and decipher what should be edited or deleted.

4. Everyone and Everything Is A Brand: Everything you say, everything you do, and everything you endorse is a reflection of yourself online. Put thought into the future when posting in the present – you never know what tomorrow brings.

Do you have additional tips or suggestions to avoid unnecessary disruption? Share them in the comments!

1. Embrace Your Contacts: By now, we’ve all accumulated quite large contact lists from using our Hotmail accounts, Gmail accounts, yahoo accounts, Facebook friends, and twitter followers (you get the idea). Some people forget that all these addresses lay dormant in your hands (both old and current accounts). Take advantage of the resources you have, and compile every and all emails you have together in an excel spreadsheet. Use this list (segment accordingly), and blast out to your contacts. Whether you’re hawking a product, event or yourself – someone’s bound to listen: and what do you have to lose?

2. Embrace Your Shame: BROADCAST yourself in conversations! Alright, it can be hard going up to people and talking about yourself – and many find it to be an impossible task. It’s true, if you enter conversations and simply talk about YOU, the interest will dwindle quickly. The reality is: if you employ strong conversational tactics, and show a genuine interest in who you’re talking to (no matter who they are – aside from sociopaths) – they’ll tend to reciprocate and listen to what you have to say. You never know: your next lead could generate from a bout of mindless chatter.

3. Embrace Your Loved Ones: No one promotes you, or your products better than the people who love you. Generally the rule of ‘ask and you shall receive’ applies with close friends and family. Just be prepared to reciprocate when the time comes.

4. Embrace Facebook Groups: So, if you don’t have access to all your Facebook contact’s emails.. you can create a group! Groups are different from pages, because you select the members yourself. They’re automatically added and receive any messaging you distribute. Writer’s caution: You’re treading a fine line – don’t get annoying on your friends/acquaintances, keep the message short and sweet.

5. Embrace Events: Go out! See and be seen. Often when you live life to the fullest, things start happening. If you’re a homebody, push yourself to make a change – remember that you’re only as strong as your drive. Don’t know where to start? Google events in your area- or pick up local papers and look in the listings (and don’t forget Facebook!). Talk to people, and remember to be an engaging conversationalist. Keep it easy on the cocktails though – nothing good can come out of too many.

And there you have it: 5 easy ways to start spreading the news TODAY! Have you got some other suggestions? Share them in the comments below!

Enter the TWITTER PARTY (Twarty for short). A revolutionary new way to engage with consumers and brand advocates alike, while effectively spreading a message across millions of viewers. I currently handle the marketing efforts for a Toronto start-up called Shopcatch. Shopcatch works with retailers to provide promotional strategies that will enhance consumer experience while driving transactions. Recently I had the pleasure of taking on H&M Canada as a client: they were looking to create some exposure for their amazing CONSCIOUS collection. I thought this would be a great opportunity to provide them with a customized twitter party, and really dive into their massive consumer base. Although this was not my first time hosting a ‘twarty’ – I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with my results.

I’ll let the INFOGRAPHIC do the talking:

As you can see, the potential for exposure is PHENOMENAL. But it doesn’t stop at retail. There’s plenty of brands, events, restaurants, openings, galleries and more that could benefit from the kind of attention a TWARTY can grab them.

If you’re interested in what a TWARTY can do for your business, or would like more info, feel free to reach out! I always love discussing initiatives, and helping brands/companies achieve maximum potential within the socialsphere.

How about you, have you ever participated in a twitter party? Tell me about it in the comments below – and be sure to include your twitter handle so I can follow you!

This brings me to a recent encounter with an acquaintance of mine. She… well,  let’s call her ‘Margarita’ for writing’s sake. Margarita had reached a point in her early twenties where she had just graduated school and had no idea what to do with herself. Parents experience empty nest syndrome after youth leave the home, and it’s my firm belief that youth have a similar sort of symptom soon after graduation. This was certainly the case for good old Marg. You see, Margarita has worked the odd job, and even has some fantastic opportunities on the horizon. Her problem? She wasn’t sure if the path she’d paved so far was one she wanted to continue on.

I think this happens to many of us early on in discovering what the world has in store for us. I jumped from job to job for many years – in fact, I can probably walk the streets of Toronto and recall a place of employment within each kilometre of travel. The truth is, everyone moves at their own pace when trying to get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’. The important thing to remember is: the alphabet has 26 letters, and it’s ok if ‘A to B’ becomes ‘A to Z’.

If there’s any advice I’d be able to give to people in this situation, I think it would be this:

We constantly think that we’re in a race. A race against our peers, our family, and ourselves. We make these master plans that map out exactly how we’re going to accomplish the aspirations we have in life, yet we rarely are actually able to follow these detailed scripts. Take your time, make mistakes, and have some fun – opportunity is always around the corner but don’t just jump into it because you think you HAVE to. It’s ok to take a step back, wait tables, bartend, or work in retail for awhile just until you get things figured out. Sometimes you just have to live life until the right opportunity presents itself.

Please don’t interpret any of this as an encouragement to lose your ambition and drive, because by no means do I think that people should become complacent or simply settle. This is directed at those who know they’re destined for greatness in the world – but have yet to figure out how to unleash their strengths. Have a plan, but don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t materialize in the time period you sought out. Practise and patience mixed with progressive behaviour and positivity will take you to your destination. Many of the most successful people I know have arrived where they are after something that wasn’t in their ‘plan’ somehow bumped them off course. As it turns out, sometimes a detour is the faster way to get to your destination.

As for Margarita? I poured her another cocktail, and told her to follow her gut.

The unfortunate part is: youth in the media are depicted as Jessica Simpson pondering the existence of tuna within a tuna can. Yes, the reference is a little dated, but still – imagine how much the media has distorted youth since 2001. I know it’s extreme to resort to immediate pop culture references when comparing to corporate culture, but you have to wonder – how many top level execs have seen this trashy media and unwillingly let it slip into their subconscious? I’m extremely lucky to work in a progressive environment that thrives on the talent of youth in the workplace, while impressing challenge to accomodate growth. However, not all youth are so lucky.

I was recently reminded of a few key facts that we as youth really need to remember while pursuing our life dreams and desires, and I thought I’d share them with you.

1. You Drive The Car – Every move you make teaches people how to respond to you. Be sure that the image and persona you project is one that you’re proud of. If you’re unsure of what you appear to others as, ask for an opinion from a close friend or co-worker – feedback is IMPORTANT.

2. Work Your Butt Off – If you really want something, it can be yours. All of this comes with a cost of practice and patience – but you need to be driven enough to start from the bottom.

3. Make Sure You’re In The Know – I constantly get feedback from my job, and I’m sure my boss will tell you how often I require it (sometimes to a fault). The fact is, don’t allow yourself to slip – always check in and make sure you’re meeting (or exceeding) requirements. It always feels good to know that you’re on the right track, and I’m sure your boss will appreciate the check in.

and finally:

4. Make Sure You’re Valued – It’s easy to undermine yourself, particularily when you’re early in your career. Make sure that the environment you work in embraces you and allows you to grow. I know we don’t always have the luxury of being selective with our careers – but we can make the choice to do something if we’re unhappy. Believe me: you DO NOT have to be stuck somewhere that you feel badly or unwanted. If you want a change, you have the ability to make it happen.

That’s all for today, and please feel free to sound off with any comments or feedback – I’m anxious to hear your views.

As a young marketer in this space, I feel as though I spend a lot of my time just catching up on the latest buzz words, techy miracles, and filler articles on mashable.com. There’s nothing wrong with this, but I have to say: working in a strictly online world can be a huge mistake. Throughout time, we’ve evolved from the pigeon carrier, to telegrams, to sending letters by post, to email, and finally to tweets. But one detrimental piece is missing: good old fashion mouth to mouth. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met that preface their conversation with “Hi I’m [insert name here], and you can follow me at [insert twitter handle here]“. Immediately, that tells me a few key facts: a) I know your name, b) before we even begin to forge a relationship, you feel it necessary that I follow your minute by minute broadcasts to the world. Don’t get me wrong: twitter is a powerful tool, and don’t get me started on networking. But when did we reach the point that it was no longer acceptable to acknowledge each other, and really learn what the person before us was all about. Granted, I love following people- and I’m all for adding to the daily content I see when logging in for the day – but it’s the person behind the text that I find much more interesting.

Disruption is defined as:

dis·rupt  (ds-rpt)