Seriously. Open your own website on your smart phone. Right now.

Okay guys. Seriously.

Take out your smart phone and look at your website. Do it right now. Does it load nicely on your phone? Or are all the images cut off and the text wonky? Can you navigate the site easily with your phone? Or is it difficult to find the buttons?

Now. If it's difficult for you, then it's doubly, trebly difficult for your potential clients who have never been on the site before. And when folks have trouble viewing your website with their handheld devices, they bounce. They just leave and go on to the next option on the google search response page. Let's consider that when we think about the following stat: Over 50% of online buying decisions are initially researched using a handheld device. A bit chilling?

Now, think about this: Most buying decisions are made (including cars, etcetera) before the customer walks in the door. Before the customer speaks to a salesperson. Customers are researching your product or service *right now* and making their decisions. Probaby on their smart phone. Want them to choose your product or service?

Now, think about the fact that these stats are already almost a year old and think about the fact that smartphone usage is expected to be well over 70% of the population within the next year or so. Think about how many folks (even crusty old curmudgeons who hate cellphones) got smartphones in the last year. Consumer behaviour is changing drastically. This is a trend that is ongoing. If you don't get involved, at least in a modest way, it will start affecting your business.

Now. I can help. Contact me *this week* for a no nonsense appraisal of your website and quote and you can have my design services at half price - assuming I receive a depost before the end of the month. (August 31, 2014). And even if you've missed this deadline, my prices are very fair. Seriously. Contact me right now.

Are you ready for your close up? Hang on, we're all going video.

The video generation is here and it's all grown up. In its thirties already, it's buying houses and buying cars. It likes to go out for ramen and it likes to go out for latte. But most of all, online research is showing that it likes video. It likes video more than it likes even a little bit of text. It likes pretty pictures and pretty moving pictures. And if you want to get and keep its and the following generations' attention, you'd better understand video. How to shoot it, edit it, where to post it.

 Why? Social networking sites are responding to this research and you'll have to respond, too.

• Facebook is preferencing posts with high quality images and any kind of video
• Twitter is allowing photos and videos of certain sizes to be displayed in the stream, NOT just as a link in a tweet.
• Youtube is poised to be the biggest social network in the near future
• Pinterest, essentially pretty pictures, is in the top ten social networking sites, despite being a relative newcomer
• Vine (micro-movie site) and Tumblr (big on animated gifs) are extremely popular with the younger generation

But, I can hear you think, how the heck am I gonna keep up? I've only got so much time during the day! Well, it's not as hard as it might seem and there is a comfort level for all of us.

Many movies out there are simple slide shows. This might be a great place for you to start. However, if you want to go down the live video route, fear not. 

First you need a lot of raw footage. Video that you can cut and paste to make a nice movie. Remember, much of the world's video content is coming from handheld devices, these days. The video can be basic. Some users even prefer basic video over slick, professionally produced video. But, whatever your concept for your movie, get a lot of video. And don't worry about getting things right in one take. Think more about small, punchy segments and hit those on the head.

Once you have your video, you need to edit it into shape. There are many solutions that are currently absolutely free.

1. Trust Microsoft. Microsoft's Movie Maker
   This sofware can do everything you need including upload raw video into one project, add titles, edit and organize video, add music, add credits, and publish. Professionals mock this software but it will do the job you need it to do.
2. Online Movie Making Sites
   Upload your video, edit, add titles, add music and other sound effects, and publish all with drag and drop menus and gooey interfaces. Try Magisto or Animoto.
3. Open Source Video Editors
   As you get farther down the road of video editing, you might want to consider using an open source editor like VSDC. These take a long longer to learn - VSDC doesn't have manuals! But they are well worth it if you want to start adding more advanced features to your movies. Mac also has free video editing software.

Some editing tips:

• Keep your movies short - under two minutes. This might allow you to use your footage in multiple movies but, also, allows you to keep posting and posting more and more new content. The internet is hungry for content; so multiple posts beats a perfect post every time.
• Don't sweat the small stuff. As you go along the road, you will get better and better and more efficient. Trust in that process and breath. Get the video done and get it out the door.

Now. Where to post?

1. Youtube. This is the most popular video site for videos large and small. If you have a presence, here, make sure you complete your profile in full.
2. Your own Vlog on Blogger (or other blogging site).
3. Your own website (though leveraging blogging and social media sites is preferable)
4. Vine. Only for small, six second looping video. The Twitter of video and acquired by Twitter not long ago.

But on a last word? Once you post it, don't let it sit. Make sure the world knows about it. Blog about it, talk about it, post about it, tweet about it and you will start to win yourself a following. Which is what it's all about, right?

If you need any help with any of this, just click on one of my social media buttons above to contact me. I'd be happy to help. Course, next time, I'm gonna do a video....  :)

One Awesome Way to Lock-in Client Engagement

We love our clients. We really do. And, despite fierce competition, we want them to come back again and again and again. Are you selling coffee along with three other shops pretty much on the same block? Are you competing with four local dance clubs? Are you a dress-maker? Restaurant? Personal trainer? Real estate agent? How can you become your clients' and potenial clients' first go-to? How do you stay just a touch of a button away? The answer is simple:  Publish your own mobile app.

Now, don't run away because it sounds scary-techy. It's actually easy to develop an app. And, if you think that mobile ain't gonna be that important, have a look at this.

Once you have an app ready and are advertising it as part of a healthy marketing plan, clients will download and install your app. That app is on your client's phone. That app will encourage your client to come into your store for specials, help new clients find you, help clients contact you for customer service, keep clients informed about special events. The more engaged and immeresed your clients are in your solutions, products, and services, the more they will buy.

What can help keep clients looking at your app for information, or using your app? Loyalty Cards will definitely encourage them to drink that tenth cup of coffee. Are you a local club? Keep your clients informed with Event Listings or links to bands' playlists. Keep your clients always up to date about specials or promotions with direct access to your Twitter and/or facebook feeds. Offer Coupons incentives only available through your app! And you can actually sell your wares right off of your app with E-Commerce. Seriously.

If you are a little tech-savvy (enough to build your own drag and drop mass email for example), you can develop your own app fairly easily through drag and drop menus on free sites like my.como.com/. If you are daunted by the technology but savvy enough to understand just how important mobile apps can be to your business, hire someone like me to help you develop a small app ($500-750) or you can go big and spend around $3,000-5.000. It's up to you.

But if you get an app and market it well as part of your overall stategy, that app will pay for itself many times over. You will see an increase in repeat customers -- and you might get a few brand advocates out of it, too! People love convenience and connection.

Good luck out there!

5 Steps to a Killer Social Media Strategy

We all know that if we want to be effective, we need to know exactly what we want to do and how we plan to do it. Sound simple? Yes, it is. But most folks don't take stock and plan. Now, I am not saying that these folks aren't effective, I am saying that they aren't being as effective as they could be. Successful people plan. They plan out their day. They plan out their week. They plan out their short and long term goals. And they definitely plan out their Social Media Strategy.

How to develop a Social Media Strategy? Treat it like as the marketing project it is.

1) The 'Whats'
First, you need to know what you want to do. What are your goals with Social Media?

1. Are you looking to connect in a more personal way with your clients?
2. Are you setting up a general inbound marketing plan to attract more clients to you?
3. Are you wanting to establish better customer service online?
4. Are you wanting to up your brand exposure?

Not sure what you want? That's fine, too. Find a consultant who can offer some training and some insight into what is possible and what isn't (we offer a reasonable service, by the way and would be happy to give you a hand). This isn't too expensive, will save you a lot of time researching, and will help you hit on a strategy that will get you started.

2) Who is your client?
Take a good long time to think about who your client is and how that person, likely, uses the Internet. Is that person constantly online, tweeting her whole day? Or is that person logging on once a day to do some light surfing and check to see if more pictures have been posted of his grandchildren? It's very important to think about this because it will shape your strategies. The previous two types of clients, for example, will tell us whether to focus on Facebook or Twitter, whether to concentrate on certain types of posts or content, and even whether to use images or text primarily in our posts.

There is Big Data to help you figure out what your standard client is doing and how s/he responds to different media. You can research online or get some help but your demographic has a profile. Take advantage of that information.

3) Get your tools together. 

1.  Get some posting software.
   If you are planning to post yourself, you need a method by which you can post everything (or a lot of things) when it's convenient and space the posts out during the day. There are various pieces of software out there. I recommend Hootsuite because it's the deck I use. If you find the software confusing, get training. It's worth it because it will save you so much time in the future.
2. Set up tracking mechanisms. 
1. Google Analytics - this great tool allows you to put a widget on your website pages and track visitors to your site and their behaviour on your site. Analytics will also give you insight on demographics. It's a great tool for small business and it's free, right now.
2. Hootsuite and other tweet decks will report on your progress. Set up these reports.

4) Don't forget the power of email.
The opportunity to collect your potential client's email (along with permission to email them) is a critical component of all social media strategies right now. Make sure that you are gathering these email addresses and contacting them frequently (2-3 times a month for a brick and mortar business, 2-3 times a week for online sales). If you are not a writer, don't worry. A photo blog might be a great idea for you!

5) Learn from yourself.
As you work up your killer strategy, check your stats daily. First thing in the morning. If the stats are growing at the rates you set out in Step 1, great. If not, think about how to change what you're doing to up those stats and meet your goals. Consult with a Social Media consultant or just get down and dirty yourself and google it. It's really important, here, to be honest with yourself. Follow what the figures are telling you NOT what your years of marketing gut is saying. Numbers don't lie. Only spend time and money on what actually works.

Hope this helps! Good luck out there!

In the Social Media Gold Rush, We Can Forget The One Thing That Will Guarantee Us Success

Social media marketing is rather like a gold rush, right now. People are coming from the four corners of the earth to try to win some gold. Small and large businesses, alike, are pulling out their pick axes. Some are definitely striking it rich but some are just digging in the dirt, and contradictory advice is coming from all sides.

But that's not necessarily the fault of your local social media expert, because the really fun part of the process is this: the major social media sites keep digging up that gold and moving it. Of course! I would, too, if I were them.Their goal is to make more profit through advertising. Our goal is to get the word out there without spending too, too much money. Hmmmmm....

Folks who enjoyed serious success early on have now found their gold has been moved. For example: SEO providers have been optimizing the heck out of websites over the last few years, carefully sprinkling keywords everywhere, streamlining the look and the feel of the site (many sites look exactly alike these days), and generally doing a great job. So why is Google throttling the traffic to these sites? Well, it's kind of like going into a casino and knowing how to count cards. Eventually, they kick you out.

The game is changing drastically it seems almost minute by minute. Even as a blog get posted, its advice is going stale (I guess including this one!). Business might feel pressured to jump and jump fast to adjust their marketing strategies and through it all forget one important thing.

What's that? Their Customer. The one person who can really tell a business what they should be doing.

In these crazy times, we need more and more to get back to the basics of marketing.

1. Who is our Customer?
2. What does s/he want?
3. What does s/he need?
4. How is s/he finding what s/he needs?
5. Where is s/he looking?

Answering these questions will give you a much clearer idea of how to use social media to market to your Customer. Your approach can be thoughtful. Your website can be designed to appeal to the very folks you are trying to attract.

For example, if you are a personal trainer offering exercise coaching and you determine that over 65% of your potential clients are women 45-55 years old, you might choose Pinterest as a marketing platform because Pinterest is most popular with women. You might soften the lines and the colours of your website. You might promote yourself in terms of the bikini body as opposed the six pack.

Or if you are a clothing manufacturer and you determine that your customers are mostly male, 18-24, you might consider Tumblr, a micro network that attracts teens and youth. You might update your site to be quirky and interesting to young people.

Your Social Media Director or Consultant should be talking, all the time, about your clients and what they're doing online, what sites they're visiting online. Because if your Customer is there, then that's where you want to be too. Avoid turning over too, too much dirt to find the gold. Follow your Customer.

Jacqui Burke is a Social Media Consultant based in Toronto, Canada. http://www.jaybirdsocialmedia.com

You're why we're here. How can we help you?

5 Ways To Get Your Site Ready For Your Mobile Customers

Over half of online customers initiate their purchasing searches on their smartphone and this number is trending up, meaning that more and more customers will be looking for you on their phones over the coming months. We all need to be mobile ready. But what does mobile ready or mobile optimized mean? Here are five things you can do to your website to be most appealing to mobile users:

1) Responsive website or mobile version:
Responsive code or a mobile version of your site are both designed to make it easy on the eyes and the fingertips of mobile users. If your site is not optimized for mobile, you may find that your potential mobile customers bounce right of your site to your competitors'.

2) Basic Information
Mobile users want to know your basic information: 1) where you are - including a map, 2) your phone number, and 3) your business hours. Display these prominently on the front page of your website and your mobile customers will thank you by bringing you more sales.

3) Clickable Phone Numbers
Make sure that all phone numbers on your site are clickable. This means that when a mobile user clicks on a telephone link, the number will automatically load into her phone. All she has to do is press one more button to be connected with you.

4) Increase Media and Reduce Text
Mobile users tend to want simple graphic messages that get straight to the point.

5) Mobile Verbal Search
Many mobile users are using voice search tools to find what they want. That means you need to change your keywords strings to ones that are longer and more closely mimic human speech. For example, if you are a flower shop at Gerrard and Coxwell, you might use the following keyword phrase: "flower shop close to Gerrard and Coxwell" or "flower shop on Gerrard".

Cost of all this? Assuming you will need to get your website redesigned, all these techniques should be included at an approximate rate of $100 per website page. If your site is already generally designed for mobile, then the costs would be minimal.

If you'd like a mobile-readiness assessment absolutely free, go ahead and visit jaybirdsocialmedia.com and fill out the handy form.

Good luck, out there!

Mobile Optimization. You can't afford not to.

This is my second post about going mobile -- or getting your website ready for mobile users.

Your small business simply cannot afford not to go mobile. So many customers are looking for your business right now on their cell. A website designed for easy mobile access, viewing, and click-through will make you more money because such a low percentage of websites are ready. Cellphone users just pass on sites that are difficult or clunky but they'll land on yours.

The cellphone/video generation is coming of age. They are buying houses, cars, and everything else. Be there when they go looking. The fastest growing age segment on cell devices are 50+ and they are cash-rich as they downsize, interested in your product or service, and looking for you with their new gadget. Yours should be the site they find. You don't have to choose my services for your upgrade (though I would love it if you did) but you should be doing this right now.

Contact me for more information. We're actually offering a free assessment this month, a $300 savings in which we will make recommendations and offer solutions that are tailored to your needs.

If you're not already convinced, here are some stats. Happy surfing!

 2013 Cell Phone Statistics
New information has been released about how we used our cell phones, smartphones, and mobile devices in 2013. Some of the stats show a clear move among the average cell user towards it being their primary gaming, internet, and communication device. 

• 97% of adults have a cell phone. (Up 4% from 2012)
• Of these, 56% of those phones are considered "smart phones"
• the average smart phone user looks at her phone 127 times a day
• The cellular phone is the most quickly adopted technology in history. 
• Cell phones are seen as key to actively participating in your community. 
• 29% of users describe their phone as something they can't live without. 
• 9% used their phone to contribute to charity. 

2013 Showed Growth in Mobile Marketing Importance

• 34% of all users are "mobile only", meaning they use only their mobile devices and have no other computer or telephone. (Up 9% from 2012)
• 41% of mobile users browse on their mobile devices for a product after seeing it on an ad on television. 
• 80% of users will participate in e-commerce this year. 
• 36% of smartphone users admit to "shopping around" on their phones while at a retail location, before committing to a purchase. 

The 2 Social Media Platforms Your Business Must Be On

The benefits of social media for business are widely debated -- except that efforts on all platforms definitely help your business' bottom line and every business I know can point to clients they have found online through community building efforts. But social marketing is so new, we are all learning what works and what doesn't and, further, search algorithms change, corporate strategies change. The social media landscape quakes almost every day.

There are, in my mind, two kinds of social media sites: 1) Fuzzy Benefits and 2) Solid Benefits.

Fuzzy benefit social media platforms include Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest. These platforms offer increased reach and possible community building. There is no question that if you can attract a community of folk interested in your product or service on these sites and get them to follow you or sign up for your newsletter, you will increase your sales. None of these sites, however, will increase your SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

Because of recent changes and emerging data Google+ and Linkedin are in the Solid Benefits box. And these are the two site that you need to be on if you want to really capitalize on social media marketing in 2014.

Linkedin is becoming the elite of the social media sites with highest average income per member and hosting the highest percentage of business decision makers of any social media site. Linkedin is also the fastest growing social media site. If you are trying to attract business, this is the site for you, though Linkedin offers no SEO benefit.

Google+, however, is poised to become the king of SEO. Google+ treats all pages and posts on its social platform as if they were a separate websites which means each and every one can be assessed and returned in a pertinent google search for information. And, remember, two thirds of all searches are still done on Google. Most people turn to that engine for answers and that engine is poised to favourite posts on its own social media platform. If you are a business trying to be found, Google+ is a site you need to be on and need to be reasonably active on.

The rules are always changing but these two platforms will, likely, dominate in the coming years. Get your business on them right away.

Facebook Limits Your Audience? Two Ways To Still Be Seen

Facebook has just announced that they are limiting - even more - the amount of business page followers who will naturally see any given post. Why? They want you to spend money to boost the post, of course, and who's to stop them? They're running a business, too, right? Their business is monetizing human interaction. I might do the same thing if I were them.

But for those of you, like me, who are small to micro businesses trying to make it in a very competitive market, Facebook's recent change in operation does not bode well. We're all working hard to build a following and, now, that following -- even though they have opted to see our content -- won't see it unless we pay for it.

Daunting? Yes. It feels like it's going to become a game about who has the most money, again, right? Weeeeell, not exactly. Here are two simple techniques that will help you beat the system - at least for a little while.

1. Like your own posts.

Sounds tacky, right? People who like their own posts seem to be vain and silly. In fact, not very long ago, liking one's own posts was the height of Facebook gauchery.

However, you will notice that some folks are liking their own posts as a matter of course, now. Why? Facebook added a little ticker on the side of the screen that shows folks actions pretty much in real time. A kind of an unfettered feed, this ticker will tell you who's liking or commenting or sharing right now. Now in the most recent incarnation of Facebook, that feed only refreshes if you do, however, it's still there. If you like your own posts, that action comes up on the ticker feed increasing your chance that people online will see it.

Also, Facebook will keep a post alive and show more people the post the more people like and comment on it. So, if a post is interesting to your audience, the platform keeps putting it out there. Posts that are uncommented or unliked (therefore uninteresting) will simply disappear. A post, then, can still go viral -- get seen by a ton of folks -- if people respond to it, like it, comment on it, share it.

So, like your own posts on your business page. Change back to your own self and like that post again. It will help.

2. Form a Marketing Support Circle

Following on this idea, it would be great if a post would get an automatic like or two as it goes up or gets a comment or two early in the process or is guaranteed to get a share or two. It follows, then, that small business can seek out other small businesses and form a marketing support circle. It might only take three or four individuals supporting a few posts a day to make a big difference in how many people actually see the post in their feed.

So, get out there and find three or four others who are trying to do what you are trying to do. Help each other. Like each other's posts. Comment and share each other's content both as a business and as an individual. It will help.

There. Two ways to work around the new Facebook restrictions. At least for now. Until they change it all again. 

Pick up the phone! 4 Critical Website Techniques For Small Business.

Cellphones are becoming a dominant method for folks who need to find a local business right now. Right this minute! People who are looking on their phones are often buying right now.

Imagine. You are on the way to visit a friend at and you don't have a gift. What about flowers? What about a gift basket? You grab your cell phone and find out that there's a gift basket store just a block from their house. And it's open. Easy-peasy.

Imagine. You're working a set of appointments in a new area in the city and you have to, have to get some dry cleaning done. Pick up the phone. There's a handy dry cleaner right there. Easy-peasy.

Imagine. You're on your way to a big presentation and, disaster! You spill that Timmies coffee all over your printed materials. Need a copy shop right away! Pick up the phone. Easy-peasy.

I, honestly, don't know how I functioned without the phone. I may be saving a good hour a day in efficiency and productivity just making use of features like web search, transit schedules. That's a lot of time, either to work or (gasp!) to spend with family and friends. And the whole world is starting to do the same. You want this business. It's the equivalent of having a storefront in the centre of town that gets tons of foot traffic because of location.

How can you maximize your chances of getting this business

1. Search engine optimisation.
There is room, on a small screen,  for about three entries. If the search is 'sports equipment Yonge and Eglinton' and you have a sports store near that location, you want to be one of the three top entries. Through the use of Social Media, keywords, and other techniques, your shop can be there.

2. Have a website designed for easy viewing and navigation on a cellphone.
Many sites require a second, specifically designed mobile site. However, most of my clients are small, local businesses with small websites. For these folk, I recommend a re-design and a switch to Responsive code. Responsive code checks what device is viewing the website and optimises the site for viewing on that device. It's nifty and intelligent -- and you don't have to go to the bother of updating two sites every time you decide to have a promotion!

3. Your phone number should be front and centre and clickable.
Your company's phone number should be at the top of your website. Aaaaand, front and centre on every page. Most websites have stopped even putting the phone number on the front page, let alone at the top, making a cell phone user really dig for a quick way to contact you. Crazy. What are you hiding your number for? And remember to make that number clickable - so that if the cell phone user clicks it, the number is loaded straight into his or her phone. Easy peasy.

4. Put critical details at the top.
If he or she only had a tiny, little screen to look at, what would be the most important thing for a customer to see? What does a person on the run want to know? Is the store open? Where is the store? What specials are on right now? What brands do they carry? Put this information or links to this information right at the top for your cell phone users.

This might require a redesign of your website but it is critical to increased sales figures as the world switches to handheld devices.