Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The Connected Farmer


Marketing and Digital Technology Training For Farmers

The Connected Farmer is an interactive, hands-on, computer based training program designed specifically for Prince Edward Island's farmers. In this 12 hour group training program, participants will learn how to optimize their marketing communications by integrating their use of social media and digital technology tools to create market interest in their products. Participants will receive a digital workbook, handouts and copies of the training presentations, and unlimited virtual support through the duration of the program via an online coaching website. On completion of the group training program, eligible participants are entitled to a two-hour one-on-one on site training session, at their farm location.



To register, contact the Agriculture Information Desk

1-866-734-3276 (PEIFARM) / 902-368-4145
Please pre-register as seating is limited.


Program Details   
View full program details here: http://conta.cc/TheConnectedFarmer
 
  • Workshop Dates:
    January 18 & 25, February 1 & 8

  • Time of Day:
    9:30 AM – 12:30 PM Classroom Instruction
    1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Optional Help Session

  • Location:
    Atlantic Police Academy, Holland College, Slemon Park, 66 Argus Street

  • Who Should Attend:
    PEI Farmers

  • Workshop Duration:
    12 hours of group training in a computer lab
    2 hours of optional private training for eligible participants

  • Audience Size:
    Maximum 20 participants 


    Cost: $40 for all 4 workshops, $15 per workshop

NOTE:  
To be eligible for the private one-on-one follow-up session, participants must register for all four workshops


WORKSHOP FACILITATOR

SweetSpot Marketing

Nancy Beth Guptill

NBG_Green
     



You should take this program if you want to:    
  • Learn how to use social media and digital tools to create market interest in your products
  • Have a thriving farm that creates a positive buzz in industry and within consumer markets
  • Increase sales by driving traffic to your website, or foot traffic to your retail operation, farmers market, road side stand, or farm location
  • Move your farm organization towards the new way of doing business in the digital economy




    View full program details here: http://conta.cc/TheConnectedFarmer

  •      


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Posted By: Nancy Beth Guptill
Founder of Sweet Spot Marketing Canada
Marketing AND Social Media Training Consultant
http://www.SweetSpotMarketing.ca
Twitter: @SweetMarketing
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SweetMarketing

About Sweet Spot Marketing: Sweet Spot Marketing is a new media marketing training and education company that lives by the motto "It is better to know than to think you know, there is power in knowledge". We have a host of education programs in the areas of digital technology, new and social media, marketing automation, creativity, commercial innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. To learn how we work with government, business organizations and corporate clients, please book a complimentary assessment appointment: http://sweet-spot-marketing-canada.genbook.com

Thursday, November 10, 2011

The Future of Online Digital Marketing 2012-2015




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Posted By: Nancy Beth Guptill
Founder of Sweet Spot Marketing Canada
Marketing & Social Media Training Consultant
http://www.sweetspotmarketing.ca
http://flavors.me/sweetspotmarketing
Twitter: @SweetMarketing
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SweetMarketing

About Sweet Spot Marketing: Sweet Spot Marketing is a new media marketing training and education company that lives by the motto "It is better to know than to think you know, there is power in knowledge". We have a host of education programs in the areas of digital technology, new and social media, marketing automation, creativity, commercial innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. To learn how we work with government, business organizations and corporate clients, please book a complimentary assessment appointment: http://sweet-spot-marketing-canada.genbook.com

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Top 7 Email Marketing Trends & Tips

Article excerpted from a blog post on Small Business Computing, written by Jennifer Schiff

Despite the rise of social media marketing, email marketing is still alive and well. And, experts say, if you want to truly optimize your small business marketing, you need to use both methods. Indeed, one of the biggest small business marketing trends is the integration of email marketing with social media.

What other email marketing trends and tips are hot? To find the answer, Small Business Computing asked leading email marketers Constant Contact and Campaigner. Here's what they had to say.


The Top 7 Email Marketing Trends and Tips

1. Integrate Your Email Marketing with Your Social Media Campaigns
2010  was definitely the Year of Social Media Marketing. And that trend is not going away anytime soon, said both Eric Groves, senior vice president of global market development at Constant Contact, and Melanie Attia, the product marketing manager at Campaigner. But rather than signaling the death knell for email marketing, both Groves and Attia see social media as a way for small (and midsized) businesses to extend and enhance their email marketing.

I think that we’re definitely going to see a continued symbiosis between social media and email,” said Attia. Both she and Groves see that as a good thing.   We highly recommend that companies always link to their social media properties, such as their Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter pages, as well as blogs, [in their email marketing campaigns],” said Groves. “With social media only growing stronger, we're starting to see more companies using email to drive a conversation within social media."

Groves added that it's important to link to your company’s social media pages. It encourages the conversation, and it gives your customers easy ways to engage with you. "And, even more importantly," said Groves, [they can] share your content with their networks.”

Similarly, you can use social media sites to target and add new subscribers, thereby growing your email marketing lists and reach, said Attia.

2. Make Your Email Marketing Campaigns Mobile
The proliferation of mobile devices should definitely influence your email campaign strategy. “Because so many people now read their email on mobile devices, it’s important to keep in mind their experience when creating your email campaigns,” explained Groves. That means keeping images small and not using too many of them -- and keeping text short and to the point.

Attia also offered the following mobile email marketing tips:
  • Use a single-column layout
  • Put your logo and call to action at the top of your email
  • If you offer subscribers the ability to click through on a link from their mobile device, make sure the page they’re directed to is also mobile-friendly. Many content management systems offer mobile displays that turn on automatically when they detect a smart phone browser
  • Use smart contrasts that read well on small screens. Black fonts on white backgrounds work best
  • Use white space and bullet points to make your emails easy to read
  • Have a text version available
  • Have a link at the very top of your message that allows subscribers to "view online" if their phone doesn’t display your email correctly.
3. Engage Readers (instead of having a one-way conversation)
If you want to get people to read your emails -- and respond to your calls to action -- you need to engage them, right from the subject line. Lure them in with a question, contest or promotion.
"2011 is going to be all about engagement," said Groves. "It’s not enough to push your message out as a one-way conversation anymore. Social media has redefined the way consumers interact with brands, and brands need to respond with two-way communication.”

According to Groves, you can create a two-way dialogue by asking your readers to answer a question or to take part in contests on Facebook -- or on your company website. Also consider offering readers special discounts or trackable coupon codes.

4. Keep Content Brief and Focused
Make sure you provide compelling, concise content. “As I like to say: be brief, be bright, and be gone,” said Groves. Campaigner's Melanie Attia advised “use short, punchy action verbs, like click, call, read and buy.” She also recommended having a single objective or focus as well as a clear call to action, instead of trying to accomplish multiple things within a single email campaign. 

5. Don’t Go Overboard on Images or Design
You want to project your brand, but if you include too many graphics (or audio or video), readers can get overwhelmed and ignore your message, according to Attia. “Simplicity is the key,” she said. Groves added that graphics and video can add to the experience, but they don’t trump well-written content.

That doesn’t mean your email campaigns should not be attractive. Just be judicious in your choice of graphics, making sure they enhance your message instead of detracting from it. And instead of embedding video clips, provide links instead.

6. Plan Ahead for More Effective Email Campaigns
Ideally, your campaigns should correspond to holidays or down times to capture more sales. Before you launch your first campaign, map out your email marketing plan for the whole year, advised Attia. “It doesn’t have to be very formal. Just map out how many emails you plan to send and determine the key moments in your business.”

For example, can you use seasonality to your advantage? “Most retailers make between 30 and 40 percent of their yearly revenues between Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Attia. “And Valentine’s Day is coming up. Is there something you can tie into that? There’s also Easter, and Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. You can tie all of these events into your business.”

Conversely, your business could benefit from a little email marketing during its slow times. You probably know from past years when your busy and quiet seasons are, so plan your email marketing campaigns accordingly.

7. Track Campaigns to Determine What’s Working and What’s Not
Use tracking or analytics software to determine which email campaigns succeeded and which ones failed -- and use that information when crafting your next email campaign.

In addition, “using a combo of link tracking, post-click analytics and coupon codes should continue to be popular,” noted Attia. “Being able to calculate exact ROI is what makes email marketing and direct marketing such valuable ways to advertise. Retailers are the first to appreciate the value of email since it directly translates into sales.”

Jennifer Lonoff Schiff is a regular contributor to SmallBusinessComputing.com and runs a marketing communications firm focused on helping small and mid-sized businesses.



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Posted By: Nancy Beth Guptill
Founder of Sweet Spot Marketing Canada
Marketing & Social Media Training Consultant
Website:  www;SweetSpotMarketing.ca
Twitter: @SweetMarketing
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SweetMarketing


About Sweet Spot Marketing: Sweet Spot Marketing is a new media marketing training and education company that lives by the motto "It is better to know than to think you know, there is power in knowledge". We have a host of education programs in the areas of digital technology, new and social media, marketing automation, creativity, commercial innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. To learn how we work with government, business organizations and corporate clients, please book a complimentary assessment appointment: http://sweet-spot-marketing-canada.genbook.com

Facebook in the Workplace: Boon or Bane?

Published on: 11/04/2011, Author: Michael of HONGKIAT.COM

How many of us had the time when you were covertly playing certain game on your workplace’s desktop, only to reflexively press Alt + Shift button at the first hint of your boss? If you are slower by a second or two, your boss would’ve caught you and gave you a good work ethic lecture.
facebook in the workplace Facebook in the Workplace: Boon or Bane?
(Image Source: Fotolia)
Well, it’s not uncommon for employers to frown upon such distractions, but what aboutFacebook minus the games? Can employees still work productively if they are allowed to use it freely? Also, more than games, the Facebook gives you an outlet to express yourself to others while you are stressed at work. To put simply, can it be a truly effective tool for work-stress management? We’ll discuss about this.

Organizational Culture

In my opinion, whether or not employees are allowed to access Facebook usually depends on the organizational culture. Put simply, organizational culture describes the psychology, attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values of an organization. The amount of freedom and trust given to the employees would probably affect the employer’s decision on whether to restrict or ban certain non-work activities.
workplace freedom Facebook in the Workplace: Boon or Bane?
(Image Source: Fotolia)
Naturally, the more freedom one possesses, the more control he or she will have. Indeed, in the field of industrial-organizational psychology, the amount of control a person can exert over his or her job can reasonably predicts job satisfaction and stress level. In that sense, a restriction of usage of social media like Facebook can decrease employees’ job control, which consequently make them less satisfied and more stressed with their work.
Blocking access to Facebook speaks volume on the lack of trust employers have over their employees. Or for that matter, any attempt to control employees’ activities already reduces the level of trust. What’s more, the attempt may not be successful with the increasing usage of smartphones.

Facebook Addiction

On the other hand, just as it’s possible to get addicted to games, it’s also possible for Facebook too. It’s understandable that employers are concerned over how the habit of checking Facebook every fifteen minutes might spin out of control.
To make things even more complicated, Facebook can be more addictive than games because it gets updated regularly whenever one of your friends post something. It’s not unusual to be distracted and get curious with what your peers are up to when your work gets repetitive and boring.

More Than A Game

This brings up the idea that Facebook is more than games, because it has a heavy social element in it. You can chat with your friends through it, see photos, comments and status updates and post them yourselves for others to see.
Much as many experts have claimed that such platform does not allow for true communication between two parties, it is still undeniable that people have resorted to Facebook to satisfy their social needs. In our increasingly busy societies, would a platform like Facebook improve workplace productivity by satisfying employees’ social needs and rendering them less stressful?
facebook social Facebook in the Workplace: Boon or Bane?
(Image Source: Shutterstock)
One might argue though, that turning to digital communication to fulfill one’s social needs can disrupt the cohesiveness of employees at work. Can face-to-face communication between colleagues get reduced because of a certain dependency on Facebook to socialize? If so, productivity at work might be affected because some amount of attention is devoted to socializing on the networking site, instead of building lasting work relationships with co-workers.

Solution: Setting Ground Rules?

With the above-mentioned issues at stake, would it help if the company set some ground rules? On one hand, the employer has to establish that trust with his or her employees by providing for more job control. A happy employee is a productive employee.
On the other hand, the employer has to ensure that the usage of Facebook would not compromise the work to be done. Facebook can be incredibly addictive, and it has the potential to substitute deep and meaningful face-to-face conversation at the workplace.
setting ground rules Facebook in the Workplace: Boon or Bane?
(Image Source: Fotolia)
As you can tell, there is a need to strike a balance between maintaining employees’ positive mood and their motivation to work. How about setting aside a certain time for employees to engage in such activities as checking their Facebook accounts? For instance, during lunch hours or tea breaks? To this point you might probably ask why not ban their Facebook usage? According to PCWorld, it is not advisable for companies to actually ban Facebook at work.

One ‘But’: The Rise of Smart Phones

Of course, with the prevalence of smartphones like iPhones, Blackberry and such in the market, restricting access to Facebook at work may prove to be redundant. Anyone could access their Facebook, play games, surf pornographic sites, etc with such multipurpose devices.
rise of smartphones Facebook in the Workplace: Boon or Bane?
(Image Source: Fotolia)
Unless a company is authoritative enough to ban the use of such smartphones, there’s pretty much little that employers can do. Essentially speaking, much of the responsibility falls on the employees’ shoulders.

My Two Cents’ Worth: It’s All Boils Down to Work Culture

Given that it’s not wise to place restrictions on Facebook access, and that employees today have a lot more say with what they do at work (with advanced technology like smartphones), is there no way employers can manage the use of Facebook to maintain optimal productivity?
Personally, I think the best way to influence how employees behave in the workplace is via theorganization’s culture. And guess what, the effect is more likely to be more lasting than imposing rules and regulations.
restriction Facebook in the Workplace: Boon or Bane?
(Image Source: Fotolia)
It’s similar to how a country maintains order through laws. If people understand the rationales behind laws, they will be more than happy to follow them and be satisfied with the ruler. If, however, people do not understand why a certain law is passed, they simply follow out of fear of punishment. More people would break the law to challenge it in the latter scenario.

Productivity, The Ultimate Goal

Okay, back to my point, in any organization, the employers have to instil the right working attitude in employees so that they would understand that the ultimate goal is productivity, and also equally important these days, teamwork.
productivity management Facebook in the Workplace: Boon or Bane?
(Image Source: Fotolia)
The message should be that they are free to access Facebook anytime they want, but not at the cost of their own productivity or their relationship with colleagues. With that, employees feel that they can be trusted to make their own judgment and hence stay satisfied with the company. At the same time, they remain motivated to do what they have to do.
Developing a strong work ethic in the workplace can go a long way too. If employees simply don’t care and access Facebook when there’s work to be done, chances are that any newcomer would follow suit as well.
So, behold the power of cultivating a constructive work culture.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nancy Beth Guptill
Founder of Sweet Spot Marketing Canada
Marketing & Social Media Training Consultant
http://flavors.me/sweetspotmarketing
http://about.me/NancyBethGuptill
Twitter: @SweetMarketing
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SweetMarketing

About Sweet Spot Marketing: Sweet Spot Marketing is a new media marketing training and education company that lives by the motto "It is better to know than to think you know, there is power in knowledge". We have a host of education programs in the areas of digital technology, new and social media, marketing automation, creativity, commercial innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. To learn how we work with government, business organizations and corporate clients, please book a complimentary assessment appointment: http://sweet-spot-marketing-canada.genbook.com