The easy way to manage your social media efforts

For many business owners, social media can be a stressful endeavor. Between the investment of time, the challenge of measuring returns, plus keeping up with the latest platform, it's no wonder so many entrepreneurs are giving up in frustration. So here's 5 tips to help you manage your social media efforts - and expectations. Set goals. Are you trying to build awareness, increase sales, or become a resource? Understanding the role you want to take will better help you stay focused and motivated. Know your audience. What platform are they using? There's no point in creating a Facebook page for an audience that would much rather read a blog. Pick a platform. With so many social media sites, it can be overwhelming trying to manage them all. Pick one or two that you're comfortable with while still allowing you to reach your audience. Have a strategy. Creating a "destination" for your audience can help you measure success. For example, you can offer a free eBook through your Facebook page that visitors can receive when they give you their email. In this case, getting their email address is your real goal. Manage your time. Instead of running your social media campaign in small increments throughout the day, set aside a block of time and stick to it. Mobile devices also make it easy to manage social sites during down times like standing in line at the bank. _______________________________________________________________________________  ________________________________________________________________________________ About Marc Gordon Marc Gordon is a marketing consultant, professional speaker and author specializing in small business. His articles have appeared in hundreds of publications, journals, and blogs throughout North America. His online show, marctv, has been rated one of the top 25 B2B blogs on the web. Marc Gordon c/o Fourword Marketing Tel: (416) 238-7811 Visit marcgordon.ca or fourword.biz for more information. Watch the newest episode of marctv.

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How to give corporate holiday gifts

How to give corporate holiday gifts  With the holidays just around the corner, now's the time to think about gift giving - to your customers. A holiday gift is your chance to show you appreciate their business and value the relationship you have with them. However deciding what to give can be a challenge. Here are five tips that will make your corporate gift giving plans easier. Group your customers. Not every customer may deserve the same kind of gift. Placing them into groups based on purchases, status or other criteria can make gift buying decisions less stressful and more efficient. Don't forget key staff. Buying for the owner is great, but don't forget the staff - especially those that have a lot of influence in the buying decisions. Forget retail. Look to a promotional products company for unique self-branded merchandise that reflects your style and appeals to your customers. Understand your customer's industry. Some of your customers may be prohibited from accepting gifts - either of a certain value or at all. A charitable donation in their name can be a thoughtful alternative. Avoid giving edibles. With so many people having allergies and dietary restrictions, foods such as wine, nuts and candy may end up getting tossed or given away to other

_______________________________________________________________________________ About Marc Gordon Marc Gordon is a marketing consultant, professional speaker and author specializing in small business. His articles have appeared in hundreds of publications, journals, and blogs throughout North America. His online show, marctv, has been rated one of the top 25 B2B blogs on the web.   Marc Gordon c/o Fourword Marketing Tel: (416) 238-7811 Visit marcgordon.ca or fourword.biz for more information. Watch the newest episode of marctv.

My Journey to meeting Chef John

                                         Jim Pagiamtzis and Chef Anthony at Fish Street


 Recently had the opportunity to meet with Chef John D'Ambrosio who will be opening the Fish Street location in the Yonge and Eglinton in mid-October.

                                           Madlen Satz and Chef Anthony at Fish Street


 Madlen Satz has been a huge fan in sharing and forwarding my messages on Face book and Twitter for the last few years. For that I am very thankfull and appreciative.

 Recently Madlen Satz referred me to Chef Anthony and we sat down to learn more about his new store and vision of his business.

I have brought in Marc Gordon (speaker ,consultant) who owns Fourword Media. He will be assisting in providing online and offline branding for Fish Street



Grand opening date will be announced soon!
Website will be launched soon!

Finding the right clipart

Clipart can be a great way to add visual impact to your printed publication, web site, blog, and marketing materials. But finding clipart that's both right for your project and legally accessible can be a challenge. Here's 5 tips to keep in mind when searching the web for that ideal image: Don't pull photos from other sites or from search engine results. Many of these images are copyright protected. Using them can result in legal action being taken against you. For free images, make sure the site specifies that they are free to use as you wish. A great source is Microsoft Design Gallery (http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/images/) Free clipart photos are usually low resolution (72 dpi), making them ideal for the web, but not for print (300 dpi). Almost all images downloaded will be RGB colour formatted. That means they can be used only on the web or printed on your home printer. For professional printing, you will need images formatted to CMYK. There are web sites that will do this for free, or you can use any popular image editing software. When purchasing stock images from a web site, make sure you purchase the right size for your use. Small images will look grainy when enlarged. _______________________________________________________________________________       Keep applying the sunscreen and look for your next High 5 article in your inbox September fourth. Cheers, Marc Gordon marcgordon.ca

________________________________________________________________________________ About Marc Gordon Marc Gordon is a marketing consultant, professional speaker and author specializing in small business. His articles have appeared in hundreds of publications, journals, and blogs throughout North America. His online show, marctv, has been rated one of the top 25 B2B blogs on the web.   Marc Gordon c/o Fourword Marketing Tel: (416) 238-7811 Visit marcgordon.ca or fourword.biz for more information. Watch the newest episode of marctv.