Our Networking Ninja will be at the 140 Characters Conference in Seattle this Monday, an event where business people, developers and enthusiasts converge to find innovative ways to tap into twitter and the real-time web.

The first #140conf in New York City brought together people with many diverse backgrounds, and the one thing which everyone had in common was twitter. The schedule for 140conf events is unique and fast paced. It was the organizers’ intention to provide a platform for as many people as possible to share their thoughts and engage in conversation with the attending delegates. Attendees can participate in individual talks of 10 minutes, and join as well “featured talks” and various panel discussions.

Since the launch of the #140conf events, conferences have taken place in New York City, Los Angeles, London and Tel Aviv. During the course of 2009, the #140tc explored the effects of twitter on a wide range of topics including celebrity, media, advertising, politics, music, education, public safety and public diplomacy. Check out this video to get a better idea of what the #140conf is all about.

When and where:
Monday, March 8
From 8am onwards
Bell Harbor Conference Center
2211 Alaskan Way
Seattle, WA

The takeaways from this event will provide the attending delegates knowledge, perspectives and insights on the next wave of effects twitter and the real-time internet will have on business. Register here.

About The 140 Characters Conference:
The #140conf events provide a platform for the worldwide twitter community to listen, connect, share and engage with each other, while collectively exploring the effects of the emerging real-time internet on business.

Recommended reading:
How to avoid social media pitfalls, ninja-style!
3 tips for social media networking
What is the future of social media?

Social media marketing is one of our top services at Kiwano Marketing. Individuals, companies, and the media are all abuzz about this phenomenon and what it means for doing business. What’s the big deal? And how can you use it effectively for your small business?

A good social media campaign is one of the most effective marketing programs for a small business on a tight budget. Why? Social media enables companies of every size engage in open and honest conversations with their customers, leading to a better understanding of their consumer needs. Companies that share stories of their ups and downs and humanize their employees become more credible in the eyes of the consumer, making it easier to relate to a business – and, in the end, leading to more sales and online visibility.

As with any service, I believe that in order to effectively get the word out, small businesses need to diversify how they do marketing. Social media is a powerful tool, but it cannot be the only way that your business engages with your audience. Used in conjunction with an overall marketing strategy and other marketing tools, however, we’ve found no better all-in-one toolkit for creating publicity, buzz, and enhancing your network with meaningful connections that will help your business grow.

And here’s where we need to put the brakes on slightly. It’s so easy to get excited about social media, and it’s definitely something that we’re passionate about. However, there are a few flags that we’d like to get out of the way sooner rather than later:

• Go Big or Go Home: Are there any ’secrets’ behind social media? If there’s one lesson that companies should learn early on, it’s that an authentic presence is key for social media success. The ‘halfway’ attempts we’ve seen on social media can actually be more damaging than helpful to a company’s online reputation.
• Sleepless Nights: Social media is, at least at first, a time sink. Having an agency’s expertise on board will ensure that time spent on education is as streamlined as possible. There may, however, be a considerable learning curve and time investment.
• Where Are My Sales?!: Powerful communication and marketing tool? Check. Clients instantly lining up at your door the day after you get on twitter? Probably not (but we’ll gladly take all some of the credit if that does happen!). Building awareness and a presence on social media takes time, and this period varies from company to company and user to user.
• What The Hell Am I Doing?: We’re glad you asked, and that’s exactly why we’re here! Before every campaign we launch, Kiwano needs to make sure that this specific program is going to make practical business sense and provide you the desired ROI. Get a company that will sit down with you, do some goal-setting and set up measurable benchmarks for success. Based on those goals, you’ll be able to determine exactly what type of content you should put out, how you should be engaging your audience, and how frequently you should be doing so. And of course, for goodness sake, track what you’re doing on social media! (more to come on this overlooked topic…)

Got more to say? Drop me a line or a comment below.

Check out these resources:
3 Tips For Social Media Networking
Kiwano’s Networking Ninja Attends CBC’s Open House and Food Bank Day
Social Media for Small Businesses

The Networking Ninja will be contributing to the Metro Blenz News Squad during the 2010 Winter Olympics. This innovative way of centralizing the efforts of local bloggers here in Vancouver is spearheaded by independent chain Blenz Coffee and Metro Vancouver News. Updates on twitter will be under #MBNS, so please follow @CeciliaLu and @Kiwano for all the latest happenings. Highlights from our posts will also be displayed on the Metro Vancouver Newspaper’s online website and in their daily print edition.

Here’s Cecilia’s specific ‘mission statement’: “As a Networking Ninja, I will sneak around focusing on sustainability initiatives and the effects of the Olympics on small businesses.” Care to help a Ninja out? Get in touch on twitter or leave a comment below!

About The Metro Blenz News Squad:
The Metro Blenz News Squad (MBNS) is a made up of a group of people from all walks of life and backgrounds that want to share their experiences using various forms of digital media. Some will blog, other will take photos and still other will shoot some video and post it all to one site. Any time the content is used on any platform, the authors will be acknowledged (in the papers and online, or in store in the case of Blenz Coffee).

Metro Newspaper Vancouver:
Metro will then take the various forms of digital content and post it to their website. Also, selective content may find its way into their daily print edition.

Blenz Coffee:
Blenz will be the home to the News Squad during the project. And, like Metro, Blenz will keep their customers current by posting updated in real time on their in-store Digital Network. Check out the Blenz Network at http://bit.ly/aJJVgZ

Social Media Co-Operation:
Many of the companies and individuals involved will also be connecting with their readers and followers providing updates about other members of the team. This cross-promotion program will provide additional reach for all participating members of the Squad.

The Networking Ninja of Kiwano Marketing will be live-tweeting at the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs Gala on Monday, January 18, 2010. This anticipated and well-attended event celebrates the FWE’s mission of mentoring and educating women entrepreneurs. Can’t make it to the event? Not to worry, I’ll be sharing all of the night’s key happenings and takeaways using hashtag #fwegala.

FWE’s 2010 sold-out Gala focuses on celebrating and recognizing the people who invest in entrepreneurs.

The keynote speaker panel includes high profile investors and entrepreneurs from the popular shows Dragons’ Den and Fortune Hunters:

• Arlene Dickinson, CEO of Venture Communications and Star of CBC’s Dragons’ Den
• Dianne Buckner, Host of Dragons’ Den and Former Host of Venture, on CBC Television
• Michael Hyatt, CEO and Co-Founder of BlueCat Networks

It’s great to see local non-profits taking brave new steps and effectively getting their message out with the help of social media. As Kiwano is made up of two women entrepreneurs, we are proud to support the FWE in their first foray into the exciting world of live-tweeting!

Feel free to join in on the conversation tomorrow night by tweeting using #fwegala or by following @FWEBC on twitter.

How To Effectively Promote Your Company’s Green Practices

Many companies are already doing their debut with green business strategies, but only a small percentage is communicating their sustainable efforts. From the ones that are doing so, few are actually doing it right. Why do consumers frown to green communications?

I strongly believe it has to do with two key aspects: the message tone and the medium used.

Think of the latest ad you saw, promoting the green initiatives of a popular corporation. Nine times out of ten, the tone is either compassionate, congratulatory or apologetic. These campaigns are focused inwardly (on the company) and fail to communicate the benefits for its customers. Yes, it’s grand to be environmentally sustainable – everyone should aim towards this goal – but it cannot be the sole focus of a communications strategy. This internal focus green communications tend to adopt render the campaign biased, making it less pertinent to viewers.

The second issue with most green communications is related to the medium used. A good number of campaigns go for traditional mass media such as TV, radio or even outdoors. Why doesn’t this work? Mainly because TV and radio are not the type of media that allows a two-way communication. The message sent out is meticulously crafted and tested, and puts viewers on a passive standpoint. Mass media doesn’t give incentives for customers to be heard, and this can be interpreted as if the company consciously chose that platform so campaign viewers cannot easily express their opinion. Because customers feel they’re being told to (instead of creating an atmosphere where they have a say on the matter), green mass media campaigns are likely to sound untrustworthy. The rationale in the viewer’s mind is “Companies can say what they feel like because they’re paying for this time share, and they can do whatever they choose to with it.”

So, how do you, a business owner who is implementing green business strategies, can effectively communicate your sustainable efforts?

I always feel inspired by Patagonia and how this company was able to position itself as the green business mogul of the last decades. They did it by investing considerable time in public relations. Patagonia always ensures their claims are backed by irrefutable facts and that their communications strategy goes hand-in-hand with the company’s values. Patagonia invests in marketing tactics that empower word-of-mouth, giving customers the tools to promote their products and the company. Word-of-mouth is the most powerful and credible source of information customers can have, and an organization that makes this as the main focus of its marketing strategy will be successful.

What media empowers word-of-mouth and better generates buzz around a product? Social media. Social media is the ultimate buzz-generator when used accordingly. Social media platforms promote dialogue; most often than not, customers are already talking about your brand. Social media enables you to know what they’re saying about your company, making it possible for you to look inside and tweak what needs tweaking in your marketing strategy. What better way to communicate your green business practices? By using social media and traditional public relations practices, you’re starting a conversation about your sustainable efforts. Because these are two-way communication platforms, customers feel they can talk to you, make inquiries and see for themselves that you’re doing what you claim to do. Suddenly, your green efforts are pertinent and relevant, because your customers have a say on it.

Social media about openness, making your company open as well. You’re giving customers the option to talk with you, and they know they will hear back from you (side note: you should talk to them – if you don’t, there’s no goal in using social media to begin with). With openness you generate trust, rendering your communications (and your tone) more honest, more truthful – which is exactly what you need to be able to effectively communicate your company’s green initiatives.

For further reading, we recommend:
Building Trusting Relationships Through Social Media
5 Musts Of A Green Marketing Campaign
5 Tips On How To Successfully Market Your Green Business

Need some good tools to spruce up your social media usage? I’ve tried many different programs in my forays as the Networking Ninja for Kiwano Marketing, so here are some quick picks to maximize your time and efficiency on social media.

A few days before I came out with The Benefits of Third-Party Twitter Clients (and totally unknown to me at the time), Nick of Marketing Shindig was busy evaluating three of the biggest twitter clients out there. I highly recommend reading his post, as it’s the most concise comparison of Tweetdeck, Seesmic, and Hootsuite I’ve seen so far. If you want to know specific functions of these powerful clients without testing them out for yourself, then Nick’s post will definitely save you some time.

This Ninja’s Social Media Secrets

Do you find yourself duplicating content on more than one platform? If so, get on ping.fm – now! This is a huge time-saver for me, as I sometimes want to publish the same content across more than one network. Ping goes far beyond the social media Big 3 (twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn). In fact, it’s a great way to organize all the different networks you will sign up for at one stage or another and then forget about. Sure, some of them are obsolete (AIM status?) but overall, Ping is unbeatable in the sheer number of social media networks on offer. It’s easy to integrate, too; Hootsuite has it built right in, and there are a variety of mobile apps that support Ping – heck, they even came out with a Ping-specific device. The native website is uncluttered and easy to navigate – give it a try today!

Are you staying up to all hours of the night to tweet? Guilty. And there are ways to keep you from being tied 24/7 to your computer or mobile device (unless, of course, you choose to be). Tweetlater, currently reincarnated as SocialOomph (and no, I really don’t see the logic in the name change), is a good standalone tweet scheduler. Want to catch that overseas audience while you sleep? Simply queue them up with a time and it’ll all get published without you being there. Tweetlater isn’t pretty, but it does get the job done. Thus, it’s a good alternative for those who don’t use the Hootsuite client – as delayed tweeting is built right in to this web-based, third-party client.

Do you want to start tracking social media but aren’t sure of where to start? Try bit.ly. There’s a new URL shortener popping up every day, but bit.ly has been around long enough to have taken on some sweet features. Simple and built into some twitter platforms already, bit.ly’s most useful option is tracking click-through rates. Sign up for a free account, shorten your link through its webpage or over a host of third-party clients, and bit.ly will continue to monitor some basic statistics: how many people clicked on your links, how many referrals (or RTs) you received, and even the physical location of those clicks.

What are your favourite tools when it comes to social media? Please get in touch or drop me a comment. Finally, check out some of these related resources below:

Social Media for Small Businesses
Tips for Successful Social Media Time Management
Essential Twitter Applications Part 1 – Twitter Client Reviews and Recommendations

Why should you consider switching over from using twitter’s original webpage to a third-party client? There are many benefits of using an outside application, with reasons across the board from functionality, navigation, and maximizing the time you spend on social media. This post will be especially beneficial for small businesses and entrepreneurs who have recently started using twitter, but haven’t explored their options outside of twitter’s native homepage.

The Limits of Twitter

The twitter homepage is where most of us start, after signing up for an account and fiddling with our profile options. It’s no surprise that a majority of tweets are still sent through twitter.com. When I first started my tweeting ‘career,’ the homepage was my only stop to checking out new followers and posting updates.

For me, however, twitter quickly became all about interactions and relationship-building. As my followers grew, it became increasingly difficult to monitor followers and keep up to date with the sheer amount of information being sent my way. Here, I think, is the biggest limitation of twitter.com’s interface – it’s a single column which quickly fills up with feeds from every single one of your followers. While the @replies and Direct Message filters were initially useful, in my case, it wasn’t an effective way of maximizing the time I was spending on social media.

I see twitter.com as a great way of tweeting on the go when you don’t have access to your client of choice. The new introduction of twitter lists can help in organization; as an added plus, it’s a great way of permanently recommending quality followers for others to see.

Third-Party Twitter Clients: Organization, Tracking & Search

Even with twitter’s new site enhancements, there are still important reasons as to why small businesses should consider a third-party twitter client.

Personable Organization – Many clients offer a way to group your followers into separate categories. While this may be daunting to initially set up, it’s time well spent. Instead of viewing an overwhelming amount of unfiltered tweets, you can create custom groups of any category imaginable. You may want to group your tweets on location, interests, coworkers, leads… the possibilities of how you want to organize your followers are truly endless. There will be a single constant to all of this madness: in creating categories, your ‘dashboard’ will always be personal, neat, and relatively easier to read. The more followers you get, the more important your predetermined categories will be.

Improved Tracking – Small businesses are on twitter for a reason, whether it’s brand recognition, customer service, or lead generation. Frequently, it’s a combination of all three. Engaging your followers also means that you need to keep on top of connections that you’re making on behalf of your business. Similar to networking in person, there’s an element of followup which is crucial to maintaining good rapport with your customers, partners, and potential future business. A third-party client may have notifications whenever anyone replies to you (which can also be counterproductive!). Some of the more advanced platforms, such as Hootsuite, boast simplified statistics that will help you exhibit your social media ROI to your partners and board. Most third-party clients, at the very minimum, will have a URL shortening device built in. Some of the most popular shortening websites, such as bit.ly or digg, will have their own tracking metrics for when anyone clicks on links that you shortened using their service.

Search Functionality – Closely tied to Tracking, what social media users are saying about your company online is of paramount importance to your brand and reputation. The mark of a stellar third-party client is their improved search options. Instead of searching once for your company’s name or product line, make this a permanent fixture of your display. On a similar vein, if your company provides a solution to a specific problem, then it’s a great idea to create searches for these terms and engage new customers – ones that will be sure to appreciate your company’s level of service.

Above are just some ideas to get you started on searching for the right third-party client for your business. This post is intended to apply across all the various platforms and services but it may be slightly skewed to the functions of the clients that I’m familiar with. For desktop clients, I use the PC versions of Hootsuite and Tweetdeck; on a mobile platform, it’s Tweetdeck for the iPhone and Tweetie. My main premise here wasn’t to compare and contrast third-party clients, but to provide reasons as to why businesses should strongly consider using one. There are many articles written on analyzing different twitter clients – the list on twitter.com is a great starting point.

Do you have a Mac? A Blackberry or Android? I’d be curious to see what third-party clients on other platforms look like. Please Get in touch or drop me a comment. Finally, if you’re new to social media, check out some of these great resources below:

Building Trusting Relationships Through Social Media
Social Media for Small Businesses
Tips for Successful Social Media Time Management

Coming off of Kiwano’s recent partnerships with Bridge to a Cool Planet and the Stanley Park Ecology Society, I thought it was high time to comment on the merits of social media specifically for non-profits and charities. It’s great to see so many of these organizations beginning to explore an increasingly powerful base of online supporters and fundraising opportunities. And all in good time, too – as societies become increasingly flooded with different grabs for our attention, so must conscious organizations evolve in order to thrive.

Social media is a wonderful way to tap into a powerful, two-way marketing and outreach program. It’s a versatile tool that hits all of a non-profit’s basic premises: awareness, outreach and, of course, fundraising. Getting social media added as a part of your non-profit’s traditional marketing program, however, may be a challenge. We’ve all heard the buzz, but why should non-profits especially benefit from using social media? Perhaps some of the reasons below will help convince your most stringent board members and advisors.

Why should non-profits use social media?

With both Bridge to a Cool Planet and the Stanley Park Ecology Society, social media has been in the forefront of Kiwano’s marketing strategy. We’ve had great success in very little time in areas such as promotion, awareness, and community involvement. Need to get your new marketing strategy approved by a board of directors? Here are some crucial reasons for making the case for social media:

It’s cheap/free: social media is cost-efficient, and this is important for all organizations, whether profit and non-profit. Most of the tools and platforms you’ll encounter are free to sign up and use. Adding on to this point, be especially wary of any websites that demand money.

Utilize skills of existing resources/personnel: The actual ‘cost’ of social media falls into your time commitment. As Mitch Joel states in Six Pixels of Separation, it’s no longer how much money you invest, but how much time you spend making connections using the web’s powerful new online tools. As with any new emerging technology, the learning curve can be steep and daunting. Instead, it’s time to look within (or without, if your organization lacks the workforce or expertise). Perhaps the newbie who just started out is a secret twitter addict. Or maybe your receptionist is on Facebook all the time. It’s time to break the “don’t ask don’t tell” mentality surrounding the use of social media in workplaces. If you have the expertise on board already, make it a positive. Your ‘expert’ will most likely be glad (and flattered) to be a part of helping you implement and maintain your organization’s social media platforms.

Don’t have the personnel or knowledge within your organization? Consider partnering with a local marketing firm – one that falls in line with your non-profit’s goals and ethics. Kiwano chose to sign an exclusive, long-term partnership with the Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPES) because we wanted to help conserve and raise awareness of the natural park right in the middle of downtown Vancouver. Find marketers that share your non-profit’s passion and goals, and you’ll have a great chance for a mutually beneficial alliance.

Local or far-reaching: One of the biggest dilemmas faced by non-profit organizations is reach. Instead of expensive international advertising campaigns, social media levels the playing field as it has no restrictions on where and how you market. SPES’ social media marketing focuses on building connections within the local Vancouver community. A more nationally focused non-profit, on the other hand, can easily expand their efforts to include all of Canada – all without the costly budget of more traditional marketing techniques.

Social media is predominately a casual forum of communication, and thus is a great and low-risk way of combining marketing, networking and outreach all at once. Want to obtain more information about how your non-profit can benefit from using social media? Get in touch or check out some of these great resources below:
Building Trusting Relationships Through Social Media
Social Media for Small Businesses
Tips for Successful Social Media Time Management

It’s that time of the month again – time for Net Tuesday! Come out and join us today for one of Vancouver’s best networking events.

The CBC Broadcast Centre
775 Cambie St.
Tuesday, October 6
5:30pm – 7:30pm

What is Net Tuesday?
Net Tuesday is a global movement coordinated by Net Squared. Every month, the Net Squared community comes together offline at Net Tuesday events to mix, swap stories and ideas, build new relationships, and collaborate. These gatherings provide a chance to connect for all those interested in the intersection of social technologies and social change, whether you’re part of a non-profit organization or a for-profit organization, a funder or a consultant, a developer or an entrepreneur.

So you’ve created a profile on twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn (or all three), and started generating interest online for your brand or service. You send out a few tweets while having your morning coffee. Your LinkedIn profile is near completion and you’re finally satisfied with the profile picture. Some days, you even have difficulty managing your time because you’ve gotten so engrossed with this new Internet tool of the future. But after a few weeks of this, you start to wonder, is social media all that it’s cracked up to be? Where are the leads? Where are the sales? What, in short, is the real ROI when it comes to Social Media for Small Businesses?

Kiwano Tip #3: Networking with Social Media

Social media is indeed a powerful tool, but it can’t be the only one at your company’s disposal. With any effective small business strategy, social media needs to work together with all the other pieces of your marketing plan. Using it can be as limited as securing a mouthpiece for your company’s announcements. However, the real value of social media comes from taking full advantage of the networking and relationship-building opportunities. Individuals and companies that you would otherwise have trouble accessing are on your virtual doorstep. Social media networks are the best kind of unobtrusive advertising – unlike business cards, which can be easily discarded or forgotten, your quality interactions remind your audience of who you are and what you do.

Here are three suggestions to help you take social media to the next level; ones we’ve used to great success here at Kiwano Marketing. Use these and other strategies to help draw in those who can help your small business grow and prosper.

Go to a Tweetup

A #tweetup is an event which is usually arranged or advertised through twitter or other social media platforms. I’ve been to many tweetups over the past year, and it’s been great to see how quickly people, venues, and causes can be mobilized online. Some of the biggest tweetups I’ve been to were ticketed events consisting of several hundred people. The most unique to date – hanging out at a Japanese hot-dog stand with a few local twitter contacts.

Anything and everything goes, and it’s up to you to take advantage of meeting people offline and solidifying your business relationship. Don’t see a tweetup you like? Take the initiative and suggest an informal gathering – a coffee break or lunch hour works perfectly – with some of your most active followers. Want to go big? Start with Mashable’s list of do’s and don’ts for organizing large-scale tweetups.

Get Involved with LinkedIn Groups

You know those groups you joined on LinkedIn way back – the ones that keep on sending you daily updates that you never read anymore? Sometimes, a little interaction and interest in these groups goes a long way. Sure, some groups may be littered with job seeking ads and business pitches, but beyond the surface level are discussions which have great potential for turning both leads and ideas. Try skimming a few groups for engaging topics and make sure to follow any discussions you take part in (LinkedIn has an option to send you an email whenever someone posts anything new). If you maintain a blog, try sharing some of your articles in the News section of related groups.

Share Content on Facebook

Your Facebook’s company page is a great place to let loose and show a less corporate side of your business. Viewers want to know they’re following and supporting a genuine group of people with interests outside of pure business. Try sharing interesting articles that are still related to your industry, but offer practical takeaways for consumers.

If you’ve got the time (and trust me, it takes very little time), consider sharing some content on YouTube and linking it back to your Facebook page. In the world of viral marketing, homemade videos are best – interesting content and ideas are prized above professional camera work. Try it as a part of disseminating your next big announcement. Or, turn the camera inward – perhaps you want to highlight a successful business practice or a fun corporate culture.

Want more suggestions of social media networking, or have some of your own to share? Let me know at cecilia@kiwano.ca or leave a comment below, and I’ll be happy to take your suggestions and feedback to create more social media tips from Kiwano Marketing.