Dave Gallant

Personal Branding 101: Branding YOU Online!

2012-02-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

This is a guest post by Daniel G Hebert (@DanielGHebert) What is personal branding anyways? There’s this big ol’ personal branding trend going on right now, and everyone seems to want to get on the train. But what is it really? And what do you need to establish a personal brand? A brand represents the values that a company emits to its consumers. And the branding process comes from the

5 Things People Forget About Viral Marketing

2012-02-17T06:26:00.000-04:00

This is a Guest Post by Josh Ledgard (@evolvingwe), Co -Founder of KickoffLabs and SiftSocial If you sell something your dream is that one day each of your customers will bring you two more referrals. In fact, any number of successful referrals on an average greater than 1 would be defined as "going viral". Some content, like a dad shooting his daughters laptop on youtube, (It's OK, I'll wait

6 Ways to use Pinterest for Your Business

2012-02-14T13:00:00.003-04:00

Pinterest has become one of the newest trends to hit the social media world. With that said, I want to share my perspective on Pinterest and it's advantages. Though Pinterest is the social "new kid on the block", it has already shown that it means business with more than 11 million people visiting the site each week. How it Works: For those of you who may not be familiar with Pinterest, it is

5 Lessons Learned from a "Please Hire Me" Blog Post to Radian6

2012-02-09T07:36:00.000-04:00

Very often in the blogosphere we tend to turn to the A-listers (HubSpot, Chris Brogan, etc) for social media insight. But sometimes the best lessons learned are not from the A-listers, but from those who dare to demonstrate what "being social" means to them. And I happen to be fortunate enough to know one of those individuals. Meet Daniel Hebert (@danielghebert) A Bit of Background First If

7 Lessons I've Learned from a Failed Startup

2012-01-27T02:54:00.001-04:00

This week I had the VERY fortunate opportunity to take part in Propel ICT's Launch36 startup bootcamp. The speaker of the event was Ash Maurya (@ashmaurya), founder of Spark59 and author of the lean startup book called Running Lean. He discussed how to apply lean methodology in startups using his Lean Canvas. I attended this bootcamp as a startup applicant for the launch36 Accelerator program

5 Tools to Get Things Done in a Startup

2012-01-25T00:35:00.000-04:00

This is a guest post by Stefanos Karakasis (@SKarakasis) from rockstart accelerator Why this post? Because I believe startups can benefit greatly when they organize their value creating activities, via online tools, to minimize waste. In a startup, especially one working towards Product/Market-Fit, you are continuously switching between activities. The most effective startups manage this pull

10 Twitter Tools To Improve Your Tweeting Experience

2012-01-23T12:45:00.000-04:00

I will admit, I'm LOVE discovering new tools. And with so many fantastic Twitter tools out there, I thought I'd share 10 new Twitter tools that I've recently spotted. Some of these use on a regular basis, and others are worth exploring and I would like to hear YOUR feedback on them (in the comments below). Also, I am not endorsed by any of these companies in anyway. SocialBro SocialBro

4 LinkedIn Tactics to Increase Blog Traffic

2012-01-19T03:11:00.000-04:00

This is a guest post by Daniel G Hebert (@DanielGHebert) A few months ago, I found myself in a pickle: I was simply not getting enough traffic through my blog. I kept pushing stuff through Facebook and Twitter, and only received a few nibbles. So I started thinking. I mostly blog about marketing and branding, so where could I find followers that would find my posts relevant? This is

20 Awesome Resources to Help You Master Social Media

2012-01-16T11:26:00.000-04:00

These consist of a variety of helpful how-to's, templates, and posts that I've bookmarked to help you master your craft. All of the links below either lead to a downloadable pdf file, scribd, box.net , or the author's website where you can read the post, ebook, or guide. Also, a quick disclaimer: I REALLY encourage you to contribute to the author in some way, whether it following them on

Google, Plus Your World

2012-01-13T19:21:00.000-04:00

This is a guest post by Ray Hiltz (@NewRayCom) On Tuesday, January 10th Google launched it’s latest weapon for world wide web domination, “Search, plus your World”. Apparently this came as a complete surprise resulting in many people getting their “knickers in a knot” over unfair bias and advantage for Google+. Privacy watchdog, EPIC (Electronic Privacy Commission) cited Google's decision to

A Blogging Framework For Success

2012-01-11T08:05:00.000-04:00

Quick note: This is not intended to be a blogging "How-To" post, but a blog scheduling framework. With the holidays now gone, most of us are putting our plans into action. One of my personal resolutions for this year was to create a framework where I can become more diligent with my blog writing and have a consistent rhythm. I've always been passionate about blogging, but I will admit that I

Need Business Clarity? Try Clarity.fm

2011-12-23T10:38:00.000-04:00

This is a guest post by Heather Anne Ritchie. What’s the value of good advice? The only thing to do with good advice is pass it on. It is never any use to oneself. - Oscar Wilde In a world where a staggering percentage of startup companies fail, getting good advice from people who have ‘been there’ and ‘done that’ just seems to make sense, doesn’t it? Business leaders and successful

20 Million Reasons Why To Use SU.PR

2011-12-09T11:27:00.001-04:00

Recently StumbleUpon launched a new interface making it easier for users to navigate. I've always had a StumbleUpon account, but never really took the time to dig deeper into the platform, mainly because of it's user interface. Well the other day I decided to revisit the site to see what's changed, and I stumbled upon SU.PR (no pun intended, I swear). Honestly, I'm really not sure how I could

6 Misconceptions of Social Media

2011-11-26T08:34:00.000-04:00

When first starting off with social media, it's important to know the medium. In order to understand what social media is, you first need to understand what it isn't. If you missed it, here's a quick radio segment with JoyFM on the last three misconceptions of social media. Below are the six misconceptions about social media: It's not a megaphone

7 Steps to Creating A Social Media Strategy For Your Business

2011-11-10T21:14:00.001-04:00

Each week I have the opportunity to briefly discuss social media for business on JoyFm 91.5. In the last two segments, I spoke about the 7 critical questions which first need to be answered before you, or your company, decides to dive into a social media or digital marketing. Keep in mind, these are basic (yet critical) questions to ask yourself if you've decided to

Marketing Blunders - Choosing Tactics Over Strategy

2011-10-14T09:00:00.001-03:00

" The purpose of this post is to spark conversation on the various challenges we as Digital Marketers and Social Media Strategist face. Please feel free to share your experiences and solutions in the comment section."Why is it that so many businesses choose tactics first, before doing any strategic planning? I think one of the culprits is because we live in a world that revolves around instant

A Conversation About Engagement, Triberr, and Canadian Bacon - A #NJAB Podcast

2011-10-11T10:24:00.000-03:00

This is part two of our conversation with Yomar Lopez and James St. John from MarketingAnswerman.com, a podcast about humanizing online business and the digital world (#NJAB - Not Just Another Business Podcast) We discuss topics such as engagement and reciprocation, Triberr, and good ole' Canadian Bacon. Please leave a comment below if you have anything that you

The Heart Of Engagement - A #NJAB Podcast

2011-10-03T13:50:00.000-03:00

Last week I had the fortunate opportunity to have a conversation with Yomar Lopez and James St. John from MarketingAnswerman.com , a podcast about humanizing online business and the digital world (#NJAB - Not Just Another Business Podcast) We discussed topics such as Facebook's recent changes, blogging, Google+, and third party applications such a NorthSocial and Pagemodo.

Facebook, The Real King of Buzz? A Interview with News 91.9

2011-09-23T09:24:00.000-03:00

It seems that Facebook is the really king of "buzz". (I know, I'm so witty..lol :P ). With Google + opening up to the general public (you don't need an invite to join now), it seems Facebook strategically stole Google's thunder by releasing these changes at the same time as Google's announcement, creating quite a frenzy and almost pushing Google's announcement to the wayside.

Facebook: Has The Rolling Snowball Become A Massive Avalanche?

2011-09-19T11:51:00.000-03:00

[View the story "Out With The Old, In With The New." on Storify] All these changes are wonderful for intermediate users. But for the "light" Facebook user or beginner, it almost seems like they are being pushed to the wayside. Many may find this learning curve to be somewhat steep. Facebook has really become the proverbial "snowball effect", having so many iterations that it's become a

Engagement Doesn't Always Need Validation Through Social Interactions

2011-08-30T18:42:00.005-03:00

A heads up, this is a bit of a rant. It's not directed at anyone specific, but it is more the sum of my thoughts and feelings over the past few months. There is no "how to" in here, no reference to data, but rather, my perspective. Engagement doesn't always require some sort of social interaction to be validated. Really? That sounds rather odd, doesn't it. So are you saying that even though

Friday's Finest: 4 Analytics Tools Worth Checking Out

2011-08-12T14:06:00.003-03:00

As a Social Strategist, I always have my eye open for new ways to improve my consultancy processes and systems, so that I can service my clients better. Here are five tools that I've started exploring this week that look promising. Plusya Plusya gives you a short URL for your Google Plus (Google+) profile. It's reminds me a bit of bit.ly, but where bit.ly usernames tend

Are Social Influence Scores Completely Useless?

2011-07-27T09:08:00.000-03:00

This is a guest post by Yomar Lopez. Social influence sites like Klout, PeerIndex, and EmpireAvenue are popping up everywhere and it's no wonder that some people are already tuning them out. Sure, some of them are more "accurate" and they each have a different approach to influence but they all follow the same basic formula: Activity trumps results. Reach trumps conversions. That said

4 Social Ways to Discover Your Target Market Online

2011-07-16T14:49:00.001-03:00

Last week I had the fortunate opportunity to guest blog on SocialMouths.com on how to use curation to increase your influence . It received wonderful feedback with some excellent questions and discussions going on in comment section. There was one particular question that stood out that I've decided to answer in this post. Great question Tom. Let's take this question one step

Why Klout Would Make An Awful Boss

2011-07-10T16:48:00.006-03:00

Vacation time. Doesn't that sound so nice? Well, I desperately needed one, so about a week ago I was fortunate enough to go on a retreat with a few buddies deep into our lovely New Brunswick forest. We only had a fishing cabin, a river, and ourselves. There was no Facebook, no Twitter, no Youtube, and no internet. It was blissfully wonderful to disconnect from the internet, and reconnect with

Branding Is Not Just For Cows

2011-06-22T13:51:00.004-03:00

Milkin' it for all it's worth What is a brand? There are numerous definitions, but the absolute best I've heard is this: "Any brand is a set of perceptions and images that represent a company, product or service. While many people refer to a brand as a logo, tag line or audio jingle, a brand is actually much larger. A brand is the essence or promise of what will be delivered or experienced."

5 Cool Ways To Build Your Twitter Community

2011-06-07T09:47:00.005-03:00

Here are 5 different techniques that I've personally used to build my own community: Join A Tribe On Triberr: Get an invite and join Triberr I recently joined Triberr (two weeks to be exact) and the results have been extraordinary! Since joining, my retweets and reach have tripled, and I have been able to connect with like minded Tweeps who are as passionate about social media as I am. So

Will Your Voice Start A Movement?

2011-06-06T19:03:00.003-03:00

Prior to the rise of social media, it was so easy to believe that we had a small voice in a vast sea of politics and bureaucracy. And rightfully so. Unless it was election time or a referendum, it was much harder for our voices to be heard in unison when it came to the day to day issues. Yes, we did have mainstream media, but the openness, the ability to share

Are You A Social Media Superstar?

2011-05-31T18:57:00.006-03:00

"Sometimes, when I get nervous, I stick my hands on the computer and tweet." I was VERY fortunate to join Mari Smith's Webinar on the "Top 10 Qualities of Social Media Superstars". As always, she offered GREAT value, discussing "what makes certain industry professionals really stand out, get known, get the best deals, and get the big bucks?" Below is a mashup of Mari's suggestions from the

5 Safety Tips To Follow When Choosing a Facebook Application

2011-05-24T10:07:00.002-03:00

Updated: Feb 19th, 2012 When it comes to social media applications, you can't always tell which Facebook/Twitter application will result in spam. For example, after installing the "Smart Tweets" application on my Facebook page, I did a quick test on both my Twitter and Facebook accounts. The results seemed fine. An Oxymoron. No matter how your repackage it, spam is still spam. After a couple

The Danger Of Incentive Based "Likes" On Facebook [Updated]

2011-04-28T13:15:00.013-03:00

Updated Jan 20, 2011 I'm just in it for the candy. What is the value of a "Like"? According to Facebook and Media: "People who click the Facebook Like button are more engaged, active and connected than the average Facebook user. The average “liker” has 2.4x the amount of friends than that of a typical Facebook user. So, this mean we should try to get as many "Likes" on our page as possible,

5 Basic Questions To Ask Before Starting with Social Media

2011-04-21T18:01:00.003-03:00

When incorporating social media into your business, it is critical to have clarity as to what you want to achieve. This quick questionnaire was created to help you extract the important information needed to bring clarity, prior to moving forward with a strategy. View more documents from Dave Gallant.

Three Videos On The New Facebook Studio

2011-04-20T08:13:00.007-03:00

Facebook has recently launched a community for marketers and those involved the creative web industry. It covers many fantastic topics such as building your brand, tips for Facebook ads, and a gallery featuring some of the coolest Facebook pages on the internet. Here a just a few videos included in the studio:On "Word of Mouth" Marketing: On "Building

How To Get Notified When Someone Posts On Other Facebook Pages

2011-04-13T10:49:00.007-03:00

Post Updated Feb 19, 2012 One of the biggest mistakes people make with their Facebook page is the lack of prompt response when is comes to their audience. There is nothing worse than feeling like you are having a one sided conversation. This is why we dislike calling cellphone companies and having to deal with their automated phone "service". It's all one sided. If you want to be successful

How To Change Your Facebook Photo Tagging Privacy

2011-04-12T10:17:00.009-03:00

If you haven't noticed already, photo tagging malware is being spread across Facebook. Unfortunately, where you don't have the ability to remove tagging altogether, you can protect yourself by change your settings so that no one can see the photo's you've been tagged in. Here is a quick tutorial on how it's done:

Stop Mass Inviting! Create Targeted Facebook Lists.

2011-04-08T12:08:00.007-03:00

How many times can you remember receiving invites to a Facebook page, event, or group, that were not relevant to you or your interests? I constantly receive invites to events that are not even in the same country. This can get EXTREMELY irritating, and demonstrates poor online etiquette. When you launch a Facebook page, event or group, PLEASE do not mass invite all your friends. If you do, not

Converting a Facebook Profile to a Facebook Page

2011-04-05T15:04:00.001-03:00

Have you noticed?You are now able to convert your own personal Facebook profile into a Facebook Business Page. Make sure to weigh all the pro's and con's before doing this. Currently, only your profile photo and friends will be migrated over to your new Page. All your other content will not be brought over. Learn more. Thanks to Matt Leblanc Art for the find!

Being "marketed to" on Facebook is a reality.

2011-04-04T15:28:00.003-03:00

I recently asked this question on Facebook. Being "marketed to" on Facebook is a reality. Which of these do you find the "least" intrusive way to be marketed to? 1.Through my news feed2. Facebook Ads3. Receiving an invite to join a page/group/event4. Other (Leave a comment below) Tell me what you think? Link to question on Facebook

6 Steps To Help You Manage Your Daily Social Media Efforts

2011-03-30T01:52:00.004-03:00

Social media is a perfect way to engage an audience, create evangelists, build brand awareness, and allow your consumers to be heard, which directly impacts your business. But it also can be vicious "time vortex" that can affect your overall productivity and bottom line. With so much noise, it's easy to get lost. You need to be aware of how far down the "rabbit hole" you are willing to go.

Facebook Memorable Updates

2011-03-29T23:17:00.002-03:00

Did you notice the new "Memorable Updates" section appearing on Facebook? It first showed up on December 16 for about an hour, then again on January 12 briefly.

Twitter Growth

2011-03-29T22:00:00.005-03:00

Decent growth over the past 8 days on Twitter. Less then 2 weeks ago I was at 1100 followers, now at 2200. No magic formula, just engaging influencers and like minded folks as much as possible. At the end of the day though, quality is better than quantity.

The New Facebook Questions App

2011-03-29T21:52:00.006-03:00

What is the "Facebook Questions" app? Basically is lets you ask any question and get quick answers from your friends and others on Facebook.When creating the question, you are able to invite friends to answer, very much like inviting someone to an event or page. The question is shared in your news feed, and you have the choice to "Follow" that question (a bit Twitter-ish, don't you

RSS Feeds and Social Networks: Should They Go Together?

2011-03-28T14:57:00.005-03:00

We all know that social communication is about having real, authentic conversations with others, giving them a chance to meet the real person behind the business. So does automation really inhibit our ability to connect with others? Do rss feeds and social media mix well? Or are they about as good together as oil and water? Well, there is no substitute for learning through experience, so I

4 Surefire Ways To Tell If You're Online Too Much

2010-12-04T12:15:00.008-04:00

Photo by Michael Balderas When is it ok to disconnect? Well, this morning I had my epiphany. I woke up with a feeling in the pit of my stomach, basically telling me I needed to take a healthy break. Have I been tweeting, posting, stumbling, status updating too much? I mean, I have great traffic and interactions through Facebook, love the conversations I have on Twitter, but does it carry

Did you know, Physics can teach you about Marketing?

2010-08-27T15:20:00.001-03:00

Who would of thought?! Dan Cobley: What physics taught me about marketing | Video on TED.com

How To Crash The Consumer Controlled Party and Not Get Thrown Out...

2010-07-28T07:56:00.000-03:00

This is an absolutely fantastic read by North Venture Partners.The consumer shift have been tremendous, and can't be ignored.. View more documents from North Venture Partners.

Walk on water

2010-05-08T22:27:00.002-03:00

Here is an absolutely fantastic example of viral marketing. Watch the video, and take note of how many times the "hi-tec" logo appears. Then do a search on "Liquid Mountaineering" in Google. This definitely has people talking, which is exactly what it was intended to do.

These Guys Get It....

2010-04-26T09:06:00.000-03:00

As I was reading through some of the discussions on LinkedIn last night, I couldn't help but be BLOWN away by a B2B marketing company called "Marketo". When it comes to adding value, these guys really get it. They've put out a new guide that offers valuable insight from innovative thought leaders and provides best practices for utilizing B2B social media marketing applications effectively. And

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Action

2010-03-28T14:52:00.003-03:00

Wonder why you can have 2 identical companies, with the exact same products and services, and one will succeed while the other fails? Well, check out Simon Sinek's video on Tedx. Simon's a marketing consultant known for developing "The Golden Circle," a model based on human decision-making that guides organizations on how to inspire people to buy or support any product, company or idea.

Live Blogging - Twitter on Steriods?

2010-03-23T12:43:00.000-03:00

Here is a fantastic tool I came across while chatting with a friend of mine (Pierre Martell, check out his site at www.themartellexperience.com ) . I got to see it in action, and it is very impressive. It's called ScribbleLive, and it is the next gen of live blogging. Broadcasters, publishers, educators, corporations, social groups, writers, students, bloggers and individuals are becoming instant

QuickPost: Post To WordPress like Tumblr

2010-03-23T00:40:00.003-03:00

Do you wish your Wordpress theme was as easy to post to as Tumblr? Well here is an interesting WordPress plugin that makes posting to WordPress a little more like Tumblr. The plugin is called QuickPosts and quickly gives you many of the same features you would be used to in a Tumblr site. It was developed by a company called Twelve Horses... Check it out. WordPress › QuickPost « WordPress

The Roles of Social Media...

2010-01-22T20:02:00.001-04:00

Social media is expanding rapidly, and the opportunity for employment has grown. With so many individuals looking for careers in social media, and roles still being defined as we speak, which role is right for them? Here is my definition of the current social media opportunities available in the marketplace: Community Manager: A community manager typically manages a blog/community, a twitter

Social Media Time Management by Radian6

2010-01-14T18:06:00.002-04:00

Whether you've been in the social media business for awhile, are looking to implement a strategy within your organization, or are a consultant wanting to brush up on your skills, I highly recommend you view this SlideShare Presentation by Radian6. Follow them on Twitter @radian6 or @ambercadabra . View more documents from Amber Naslund.

The Future of Magazines?

2010-01-07T05:57:00.002-04:00

Magazines have played a key role in our lives. From Time's Top 100 People, to the infamous Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, magazines have shaped and molded the way we read content.But now with the digital media revolution taking over, print media has slowly been dying, and in order to survive, drastic changes will need to be made. Fortunately, thanks to companies like Apple and Bonnier

A Boy Named Milo - Project Natal

2009-12-28T01:35:00.003-04:00

Last month I posted about Project Natal by Xbox putting the Wii to shame. Here are two more surreal videos of Natal in action. Makes you wonder what's in store for 2010! E3 2009: Project Natal Xbox 360 Announcement

7 Tech Predictions For 2010

2009-12-26T23:16:00.008-04:00