Ho Ho Ho Smojoe in December
Its Christmas time, and Smojoe is busy.
My weekdays have become a parade of sales meetings and training sessions. Evenings and weekends are when I work, completing the orders, writing proposals and reports, and generally keeping my promises.
On Tuesday Dec 15th, Smojoe met Molson Ferg
Ferg Devins is a master storyteller on Twitter; @MolsonFerg is the real time hero of a three adventures a week.
That’s how we happened to come together, again. I was sitting at my desk on a hot afternoon and spotted a tweet from @MolsonFerg in which he described himself ‘enjoying a cold Molson Canadian while watching the air show from a boat in the Toronto harbour’. It sounded divine, and when I messaged him back we chatted about our mutual friend Billie Mintz, and his corporate social responsibility expertise, and then how Smojoe markets Canadian charities, and finally how to promote and reward contributors in user submitted content web marketing.
I really wanted to impart the mechanics of my Lenzr photo contests on him, but there wasn’t enough time and this wasn’t the right conduit. So I sent a power point document later that afternoon. Next week Ferg contacted me and we set a date for a meeting… which I missed. So he set another date and that was Tuesday Dec 15th 2009 at 1pm, at Molson.
Together with Tonia Hammer and Adam Moffit we convened in the Heineken Room and used the overhead projector to look at a dozen different social media properties and blue sky advanced internet marketing tactics for big brands. Then I got specific about life in the trenches.
After some brief introductions, I directed the conversation with a detailed look at the processes by which I propagate brand stories with links. I lectured on exactly how Smojoe distributes sponsored content in articles, blogs and discussion forums. Twenty minutes later, I arrived at Chapter 3, the mechanics of Lenzr. My dissertation included a sneak peek at the link building ritual that perpetuates the contest’s remarkable keyword acquisition abilities.
Then Ferg described his challenges and the concepts they cherish and it was my turn to listen and learn and finally see their approach from the treetops. Above is a snapshot of Ferg encouraging me on at Molson – taken by Tonia Hammer. And here is a picture of the gift I received at the end of our visit. I haven’t cracked this 12 pack or Molson 67 yet because I’m waiting for friends. Christmas is coming.
SE Telecom signs up to sponsor Lenzr photo contest
On Weds October 16th I journeyed north of the City of Toronto with Chris Binet of BCommunications.ca . We zipped up to 231 Amber Street, Markham Ontario, the headquarters of SE Telecommucations and there talked with a smart young CEO named James Stortz. I was impressed with his knowledge. He at once demonstrated the courage and thought power necessary to blog and share valuable insights on business phone systems. I have no doubt he will grow a popular portal and become a trust agent for all manner of mobile technology. I’m going to help him. Its official.
Will Webb of Innate Media Group has also been contracted, and will perform surgery on the website. Improvements will include a white hot Wordpress blog with plenty of well integrated 3rd party widgets to build and harness a telecom savvy community and position SETelecom as market leader with valuable experience and plenty of wisdom to share. Look for much more on this subject, including direct links to the new SE Telecom blog in the days and weeks to follow.
Melani Chong is Soy Based Cosmetics Expert
Melani Chong of Soya Boutique is almost ready to launch her new ecommerce website. She’s still soaking up the last pieces of knowledge she needs to craft a comprehensive strategy that will best disseminate her advanced skincare offering.
Her challenge is to link soy and cosmetics together in everyone’s minds and then dominate that niche on the web with great content. Her ideas have to be catchy and unforgettable, to be super bookmarkable. She can offer local perspective on Chris Binet’s new Health and Beauty Toronto ning community, which is still an infant. Keep an eye on that portal and watch it grow in 2010.
I asked Melani to think up some hooks. Perhaps, how the miracle of soy can be used as an anti aging ingredient? or in anti wrinkle creams? and I discovered she’s a natural. When I asked her if she had an anti aging story, she said ‘how about Ways to get rid of the scrotum under your eyes? Is that catchy enough?’ I laughed and she kept on talking about ball skin, and how to tighten away this testical-like skin .. anyway Smojoe found that hook very compelling. But until she actually launches her soy based cosmetics website and e-store, you should join and follow Melani’s SOYCULT on Facebook
On a sunny Thursday Dec 17th 2009 afternoon
Smojoe had the pleasure of watching Richard Carmichael of FRANK Ideas and Execution meet Dave Dingle of Shrinkray in the wooden environs of Boomboat located at 220 King St West.
Dave is very excited about the recent release of the Shrinkray which allows users to create a mobile browser as easily as they might otherwise draft an email. The system is very straightforward in the manner by which it allows business owners to import elements from their website into a custom field that becomes their new mobile website.
On Friday I trained staff at Wellpath Clinic. My presentation was directed at the new office manager as I outlined the A,B,D’s of marketing an ecommerce business. I also showed Richard Porter and Dr. Kathryn Nobrega Porter how to cultivate link opportunities simply by being experts in one or two (or ten or twenty) facets of natural medicine.
The lesson centered on the proper execution of one story funnel. To make a perfect example, I wrote and published an original article entitled Wildcrafting Medicinal Herbs in Ontario and I showed the team how to do basic article marketing and social bookmarking which is the top of the story funnel. Then I discussed how to blog about this new Wildcrafting article and link up to the featured article, and down to the Wellpath website, creating a story funnel.
I wrapped up the lesson by showing how to write discussion forum posts that link to the article - including my favourite thread on Mulberry Trees in Urban Toronto.ca and if you visit this thread please know I’m quite serious about creating a Toronto Mulberry Forager mobile application for the benefit of all humanity.
Tags: Dave Dingle, dr. kathryn nobrega porter, Ferg Devins, Melani Chong, mobile app developer, Molson, Richard Carmichael, richard porter, Shrinkray, Soycult, Tonia Hammer, Wellpath
