The End of Happy Freakin’ Monday?

First I want to start by saying thanks to everyone for watching and supporting me. After 60 episodes of Happy Freakin' Monday I have to put this aside to focus on some other big and exciting projects. I can't tell you what those are right now but If you stay tuned to our social media channels we will be posting some big announcements soon. 

I hope to be back at this very soon but I cannot say how long that will take to get the time to do this again. It's a pretty big commitment to film every week but it has been a blast and I hope you've enjoyed it. I hope you've learned something and been motivated to make some better, more educated marketing decisions for your business. Until next time!

Have A Great Week!

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Happy Freakin’ Monday Ep 59 – Goodbye Google+ RIP

This is not breaking news by any means. I believe Google announced back in December that Google+, their attempt at taking on Facebook, had failed and was shutting down. Unlike other forgotten platforms of yesteryear such as myspace, Google was not going to even pretend that it was still successful. They, like most of us, wanted to just forget that it ever existed, delete everything, and move on. So as of this month, everything is gone for good and the platform is just a memory.

I know what you're thinking, "I never used it so why should I care?". Well here is my public service announcement about why it might be important to you.

If you were like me, you thought "it's Google", I better at least give Google+ a try because it might help my search ranking and SEO. Now I'm not sure if that was absolutely true but I don't think I was the only one with this thought. I know a lot of web developers and digital marketers who, when it first came out, recommended setting up an account and linking to it from your website. We all thought it was important.

My first mistake was linking to a social media platform that I wasn't using. I know I shouldn't do that, but again it was google, which somehow felt different from pretending I use snapchat (which I don't).

But now that it's gone, we can all forget this ever happened. However, in order to do that make sure you delete those links from your website to your (now non existent) Google+ account. Someone else might have set it up for the exact same reason that I did, because it was supposed to be this big important social media platform that would give Facebook a run for their money. But it wasn't and it didn't. So go and double check your website to make sure you don't have a link to Google+. That is my PSA for today. The irony here is that Google definitely does not like broken links on your website, even if those links are to their own failed social media platform.

So goodbye Google+, we won't miss you because we didn't even realize that you were gone, but you are at peace now... with Blockbuster. Farewell.

Have A Great Week!

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Happy Freakin’ Monday Ep 58 – Content Worth Sharing

Last week I asked the question Do you need influencers? This week I want to share some ways to empower your existing audience to be more influential by creating content worth sharing and I’m going to give you some examples.

Not everyone needs or can benefit from influencer marketing but I want to show some strategies that can give your audience something to talk about and share to a wider audience. An influencer is simply access to a wider audience so by doing any of these 3 things, you can push your message and brand out organically.

1. Create Something Unique

OK, that might sound vague but here are 2 examples from a local restaurant and a local bakery. The first is this caesar that I saw several people in my circle sharing and talking about.
 

 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 

 

Caesar Sunday! Try our New Caesar, with a Beef Slider with Wild Boar Bacon, Smoke Wings, Smoked Rib and more!

A post shared by TheSmoke (@thesmokebbq) on


How would you describe this drink? It’s over the top, it’s epic, It’s absurd (in a good way) it just looks crazy good and anyone who orders it is going to want to take a photo of it.

The second one is this pie from Thornbury Bakery that they just shared over the weekend.


It’s called the Mile High Lemon Meringue pie. Again, here is a simple thing that they have done to a normal menu item to make it worth talking about. I don’t just want to talk about it... I want to eat it though. I can see that this photo on their Instagram feed got a lot more likes than most of their other photos and Extra points for getting your brand in the shot. Well done! That way if anyone does share this photo, it is unmistakable where it came from.

2. Create Experiences

This past winter, if you were in the Collingwood area you probably heard about Blumination. That was the light path created at Blue Mountain Village which I’m guessing was a big success. That’s because I saw so many people sharing it and talking about it and I even had to get out to see it myself. It was an experience that was worth taking a photo of. Now obviously that was also a huge expense but what if you could do something similar on a smaller scale. I recently heard about a winery that does grape picking and stomping experiences. Are you kidding? Everyone wants to stomp some grapes. How much fun would that be? And you know you’re going to take a photo of that. It might even be something simple like learn how to make your own pasta or a mural that visitors will want a photo in front of. If you want some inspiration, Google "Nuit Blanche Exhibits" (like this list from Blog TO). That’s the outdoor, all night, art festival in Toronto. I guarantee you will find loads of cool ideas to maybe transform your space or create an experience worth talking about.

3. Name It

Blumination, Mile High Meringue pie, naming your experience or epic creation is an important part of getting people to share it. Instead of having to describe it or trying to name it themselves it provides the social currency needed to latch on and share. Basically it makes it easier. Did you see Blumination? Oh you have to see Blumination. Beats “did you see the path with all the different colored lights at blue mountain? I mean the name just sounds better and for some reason more exciting. Plus it is essential for creating a hashtag that everyone can use if we all know what it's called and this will help you track that sharing. 

 

So get creative and give your audiences something worth sharing. I hope you found this helpful and actionable to take your digital marketing to the next level. 

Have A Great Week!

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Happy Freakin’ Monday Ep 57 – So You Think You Need Social Media Influencers

So you think you need an influencer. Influencers of course are the buzz word of 2019 and it seems like a lot of people think they are the golden ticket of advertising. I’ve heard a lot of big brands and even small businesses talking about social media influencers. They want them, they use them, but do you really need them? 

First of all, what is a social media influencer? We’ll they’re a person of influence of course. You’ve seen them, you probably follow, models, celebrities, or everyday average people on Instagram, Youtube, twitter, Facebook, or a blog. Basically they are someone who has been very successful with content marketing and they have an audience. They might be reviewing products, blogging about a specific topic like food, fitness, travel, or parenting but when we break it down they are simply access to an audience. That’s the most important point, you have to think of influencers like they are a channel.

Influencers have that title because they have been known to influence people's opinions and shopping habits through their content marketing. That is why I think there is this perception that they are the golden ticket. Like if you can get an influencer to blog or post about you, then you will be set for life. Sadly that’s not true.

I’m sorry to keep bringing the reality check but here are 3 reasons why I think influencers are not necessarily the golden ticket, of advertising that you might think they are:

1. Audience and demographics.

This is something I’m constantly preaching about. If you’re spending money on a channel and you don’t know anything about the audience, then you might as well throw your money away. For example, if you operate a local bakery and you want your brand to be featured by influencers, first of all you better make sure they are food bloggers. Second, where is their audience located? Are they also local? Are they global? Are they even real? Unfortunately it is really easy to buy followers on instagram and appear to be a person of influence. My point is that just like any TV, Radio, or Print campaign, there is work to be done on researching choosing the right channels with the right audience.

2. Media coverage

Influencers can be a really good way to target niche audiences. People who have very specific likes and interests. However, influencers should be an add on to your existing campaigns, not your entire budget. That’s because you’re often dealing with smaller segments of the population which can support your mass marketing but should never replace it.

3. Authenticity

YouTube has certainly been cracking down over the years on content creators who post product reviews. If a company provides free products or services for review then it needs to be disclosed because that is considered an advertisement. Audiences are also becoming more savvy and skeptical when it comes to this that blurred line between advertisement and legitimate review or experience. People want authentic and unbiased content that doesn’t always feel like advertising. When it comes to instagram, there is no regulation like on youtube and audiences are becoming more aware of the sponsored content and that might hurt some influencers as consumers try more and more to avoid advertising.

Basically if you work in areas like food, fashion, travel, technology, or most consumer packaged goods, then influencers might be something to explore. But like any campaign, do your homework, and don’t give your money or products to anyone claiming to be an influencer because it might be that the only person they are influencing is you, to give them money.  

Have A Great Week!

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