Random facts about the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada:
The Olympic Torch travelled more than 76,000 kilometers across Canada in over 100 days on it's journey to Vancouver.
There were 1.8 million tickets available for the games.
Prices ranged anywhere from $25 to $1,110 per ticket. Tickets bought at the last minute for some of the key Hockey events were selling for much more.
Estimated revenue from the 2010 Games: $1.3 Billion.
Number of Athletes and Officials: 5000.
Number of Volunteers at the Games: 2500.
The gold and silver medals are made of 92.5 percent pure silver, and the gold medal must be gilded with at least six grams of gold.
Because BC Place stadium is a stadium with a solid roof, it is the first time that the Olympic torch will be lit indoors.
The theme song of the Games, "I Believe" was co-written by Glass Tiger front-man Alan Frew.
Fastest event: Luge and Skeleton racers who travel up to 40 meters per second, or 143 kilometers per hour.
Over 100,000 free condoms will be available for the Olympic and Paralympic athletes and staff. It amounts to about 14 condoms per person.
The granite used for the majority of curling rocks comes from a single island, Ailsa Craig, off the coast of Scotland.
Estimated number of Media who told the stories to the world: over 10,000.
Number of tears shed by you and I when a Canadian stands on the Medal platform: too many to count.
Enjoy the rest of the Games.
-Darren
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Secret Election Weapon: Social Media
President Barack Obama proved the power of social media as a secret weapon during his election campaign. Now everyone wants to follow his lead. Or, do they?
My office is located in Calgary Alberta where long serving Mayor Dave Bronconnier announced this week (February 23, 2010) he would not be running for Calgary's top job for a fourth term.
Photo courtesy CBC Calgary
At his state of the city address on Tuesday, Bronconnier said he wants to give all challengers enough time to mount a proper campaign for the October municipal election.
So let the fun and games begin. The gloves are off and the posturing will begin shortly as individuals begin to declare their candidacy for the Mayor's chair.
Who will be the winner in this race?
The candidate who shakes the most hands and does the most speeches?
The candidate who takes out a full page newspaper advertisement to display his/her resume of good deeds?
The candidate who complains about the short comings of his/her opponent?
NO
As a Media Coach and Consultant at Speak Media Consulting, the winner will be the candidate that displays the most creative and engaging dialogue with his/her candidates primarily through the use of an effective Social Media campaign.
Step One: Create a community of supporters.
Use online programs such as Constant Contact to collect the names and email addresses for everyone who visits your website.
Step Two: Create two way dialogue with your community.
Use your email data base (citizens in your region) to ask specific questions on how THEY would like to see the community grow. Send them information and ask for their response. If they are engaged with your messaging, they will invite other friends to your list and they will be more willing to offer financial support to grow your campaign.
Step Three: Get on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Blogs.
Use Social Media to distribute information to your fans, grow your fan base and most importantly - allow your followers the forum to criticize. Every speech, every event, every ribbon cutting, set up social media appointments in advance of each event, send updates just prior to event and post every picture and video of these events on social media after these events.
Step Four: Get a Website
Be sure your web developers and content providers are on top of their game and are able to update content professionally and quickly. Be sure every stitch of Social Media is linked back to your website and is always being updated.
Step Five: Use Traditional Media to promote Social Media
Make appointments to appear in as many Television, Radio and Newspaper stories and articles as you can. Each time, promote your website or Facebook. With traditional media, you will be given a short 15 to 20 second sound bite (quote). Find creative ways to promote your website or Facebook Fan page.
Step Six: Never Give Up.
From the day you launch your website or social media campaigns do not stop promoting them. They will start to grow as your profile continues to reverberate through the community. Besides, people want to see who you are and get to know that you are looking out for their needs...and not your own.
To the candidates - good luck in October.
With background content from CBC Calgary, CTV Calgary and 660News Calgary.
-Darren
For more helpful tips for effective use of Social Media or Traditional Media, join my FREE email newsletter.
My office is located in Calgary Alberta where long serving Mayor Dave Bronconnier announced this week (February 23, 2010) he would not be running for Calgary's top job for a fourth term.
Photo courtesy CBC Calgary
At his state of the city address on Tuesday, Bronconnier said he wants to give all challengers enough time to mount a proper campaign for the October municipal election.
So let the fun and games begin. The gloves are off and the posturing will begin shortly as individuals begin to declare their candidacy for the Mayor's chair.
Who will be the winner in this race?
The candidate who shakes the most hands and does the most speeches?
The candidate who takes out a full page newspaper advertisement to display his/her resume of good deeds?
The candidate who complains about the short comings of his/her opponent?
NO
As a Media Coach and Consultant at Speak Media Consulting, the winner will be the candidate that displays the most creative and engaging dialogue with his/her candidates primarily through the use of an effective Social Media campaign.
Step One: Create a community of supporters.
Use online programs such as Constant Contact to collect the names and email addresses for everyone who visits your website.
Step Two: Create two way dialogue with your community.
Use your email data base (citizens in your region) to ask specific questions on how THEY would like to see the community grow. Send them information and ask for their response. If they are engaged with your messaging, they will invite other friends to your list and they will be more willing to offer financial support to grow your campaign.
Step Three: Get on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Blogs.
Use Social Media to distribute information to your fans, grow your fan base and most importantly - allow your followers the forum to criticize. Every speech, every event, every ribbon cutting, set up social media appointments in advance of each event, send updates just prior to event and post every picture and video of these events on social media after these events.
Step Four: Get a Website
Be sure your web developers and content providers are on top of their game and are able to update content professionally and quickly. Be sure every stitch of Social Media is linked back to your website and is always being updated.
Step Five: Use Traditional Media to promote Social Media
Make appointments to appear in as many Television, Radio and Newspaper stories and articles as you can. Each time, promote your website or Facebook. With traditional media, you will be given a short 15 to 20 second sound bite (quote). Find creative ways to promote your website or Facebook Fan page.
Step Six: Never Give Up.
From the day you launch your website or social media campaigns do not stop promoting them. They will start to grow as your profile continues to reverberate through the community. Besides, people want to see who you are and get to know that you are looking out for their needs...and not your own.
To the candidates - good luck in October.
With background content from CBC Calgary, CTV Calgary and 660News Calgary.
-Darren
For more helpful tips for effective use of Social Media or Traditional Media, join my FREE email newsletter.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Media Tips for Small Business
When it comes to gaining Media attention for your business there are usually two methods of accomplishing this:
1) Create an environment or community where the Media will want to participate, or
2) Create a disaster.
Option two is the easiest way to gain Media exposure for your business but not what you wanted to hear.
So how can you create a community or environment the Media wants to be part of?
1) Know your target audience.
2) Find the Media outlets that cater to your target audience.
3) Purchase advertising with the Media outlets that reach your target audience.
4) Contact key personnel at these Media outlets and share your success stories.
5) Offer Media outlets your opinions/views/comments within your expertise to big events in the news.
6) Use Social Media to connect with Media outlets and more importantly, connect with your clients, customers and 'fans' who are already following your messaging on Social Media.
Building relationships with those in Traditional Media takes time, just as it does with Social Media. However you will find many more people through Social Media that are more interested in learning about you, your business and what you can offer them.
At Speak Media Consulting, I have been working with many clients to help them bridge the gap between Traditional Media and Social Media.
Another company that offers great resources for Small Business (in Canada) is Biz Launch. You may have read my earlier Blog posting about this company. Andrew Patricio is Co-Founder of Biz Launch and the moderator for several helpful Webinars aimed to help Canadian small businesses with tips for marketing, networking, finances and taxes, and time management just to name a few. Andrew and his team are promoters of using Social Media to gain publicity and promotion for all businesses.
Each week, the Biz Launch team offer many hour-long Webinars aimed to help you - the small business owner understand how you can grow your business and become more profitable. Best of all, these Webinars are free.
Visit their site to learn about their upcoming Webinars.
Thanks for reading.
-Darren.
For more tips on using the Media to your advantage, sign up to receive my FREE newsletter.
1) Create an environment or community where the Media will want to participate, or
2) Create a disaster.
Option two is the easiest way to gain Media exposure for your business but not what you wanted to hear.
So how can you create a community or environment the Media wants to be part of?
1) Know your target audience.
2) Find the Media outlets that cater to your target audience.
3) Purchase advertising with the Media outlets that reach your target audience.
4) Contact key personnel at these Media outlets and share your success stories.
5) Offer Media outlets your opinions/views/comments within your expertise to big events in the news.
6) Use Social Media to connect with Media outlets and more importantly, connect with your clients, customers and 'fans' who are already following your messaging on Social Media.
Building relationships with those in Traditional Media takes time, just as it does with Social Media. However you will find many more people through Social Media that are more interested in learning about you, your business and what you can offer them.
At Speak Media Consulting, I have been working with many clients to help them bridge the gap between Traditional Media and Social Media.
Another company that offers great resources for Small Business (in Canada) is Biz Launch. You may have read my earlier Blog posting about this company. Andrew Patricio is Co-Founder of Biz Launch and the moderator for several helpful Webinars aimed to help Canadian small businesses with tips for marketing, networking, finances and taxes, and time management just to name a few. Andrew and his team are promoters of using Social Media to gain publicity and promotion for all businesses.
Each week, the Biz Launch team offer many hour-long Webinars aimed to help you - the small business owner understand how you can grow your business and become more profitable. Best of all, these Webinars are free.
Visit their site to learn about their upcoming Webinars.
Thanks for reading.
-Darren.
For more tips on using the Media to your advantage, sign up to receive my FREE newsletter.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Tiger Speaks - A Lesson in Crisis Management
Today, February 19, 2010, Tiger Woods - one of the most recognized sports celebrities of the times broke the silence about his affairs with many women and the impact it has had on his personal and professional life.
In his 13 minute Media conference today Tiger appeared composed while reading from his prepared statement. Following his comments he did not take questions from the Media.
As a Media Coach and Consultant that offers training in Crisis Management, Tiger's appearance today was text book. However, about 3 months too late.
In the days that followed the November 27, 2009 incident outside his Florida home; the crashing of his SUV into a fire hydrant around 2:30am and his rush to hospital, Tiger remained silent only releasing short statements through his web site but never talking to the Media who were starved for answers. In the days that followed, the Media were quick to unveil some of the facts surrounding the story. Did the Media have a field day with this? You bet they did! Did Tiger lose credibility in his fans, sponsors and the Golf world? You bet.
The key to understanding how to deal with Crisis is knowing HOW to react and WHEN to react. The more proactive you are the more likely you and your staff will be able to handle the Crisis. It is your opportunity to turn a potential damaging situation into an ability to demonstrate leadership and strength within your organization.
Take care of the victims. No matter the incident, there are victims. Be sure you put their safety, security, well-being ahead of your own.
Admit to the mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. While they might not like what you have to say, the public wants to know that you are human.
Fix the problem. Now that you have admitted there is a problem, what are you doing or what have you done to fix the problem.
Inform stakeholders, employees or key public features. Depending on the magnitude of the crisis, you will want to inform key people within your company before calling the Media and releasing the information.
Respond to Media calls. To ensure you are in control of the story, it is important to return all calls to the Media as quickly as possible. The longer you stall, the longer the Media will continue to 'spin' the story based on the limited information provided and write the story based on their preconceived views.
Ease public fears. People watching or reading information from your Media conference are asking the question "Am I safe?". Be sure to address that and ease the fears.
Do you need to review your Crisis Management Plan for your Company? Contact me at Speak Media Consulting for a free consultation.
-Darren.
For more Media tips and tricks, sign up for my FREE Newsletter.
In his 13 minute Media conference today Tiger appeared composed while reading from his prepared statement. Following his comments he did not take questions from the Media.
As a Media Coach and Consultant that offers training in Crisis Management, Tiger's appearance today was text book. However, about 3 months too late.
In the days that followed the November 27, 2009 incident outside his Florida home; the crashing of his SUV into a fire hydrant around 2:30am and his rush to hospital, Tiger remained silent only releasing short statements through his web site but never talking to the Media who were starved for answers. In the days that followed, the Media were quick to unveil some of the facts surrounding the story. Did the Media have a field day with this? You bet they did! Did Tiger lose credibility in his fans, sponsors and the Golf world? You bet.
The key to understanding how to deal with Crisis is knowing HOW to react and WHEN to react. The more proactive you are the more likely you and your staff will be able to handle the Crisis. It is your opportunity to turn a potential damaging situation into an ability to demonstrate leadership and strength within your organization.
Take care of the victims. No matter the incident, there are victims. Be sure you put their safety, security, well-being ahead of your own.
Admit to the mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. While they might not like what you have to say, the public wants to know that you are human.
Fix the problem. Now that you have admitted there is a problem, what are you doing or what have you done to fix the problem.
Inform stakeholders, employees or key public features. Depending on the magnitude of the crisis, you will want to inform key people within your company before calling the Media and releasing the information.
Respond to Media calls. To ensure you are in control of the story, it is important to return all calls to the Media as quickly as possible. The longer you stall, the longer the Media will continue to 'spin' the story based on the limited information provided and write the story based on their preconceived views.
Ease public fears. People watching or reading information from your Media conference are asking the question "Am I safe?". Be sure to address that and ease the fears.
Do you need to review your Crisis Management Plan for your Company? Contact me at Speak Media Consulting for a free consultation.
-Darren.
For more Media tips and tricks, sign up for my FREE Newsletter.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Social Media Has Not Killed eMail
For the last six months there have been many blogs, articles and ramblings about the 'death' of email due to the popularity of Social Media.
Speak Media Consulting found this study that indicates email usage is still very much alive and well with Social Media's strongest users.
This is great news for the small business owners and large company CEOs alike. As email marketing continues to grow, this indicates the majority of Social Media users are still using email for daily communication with other friends, co-workers and other business and marketing opportunities.
Read the full report from eMarketer.
Thanks for reading.
-Darren
Media Coach and Consultant
Speak Media Consulting, Calgary AB
Sign up to receive more helpful Media tips, tricks and helpful advice.
Speak Media Consulting found this study that indicates email usage is still very much alive and well with Social Media's strongest users.
This is great news for the small business owners and large company CEOs alike. As email marketing continues to grow, this indicates the majority of Social Media users are still using email for daily communication with other friends, co-workers and other business and marketing opportunities.
Read the full report from eMarketer.
Thanks for reading.
-Darren
Media Coach and Consultant
Speak Media Consulting, Calgary AB
Sign up to receive more helpful Media tips, tricks and helpful advice.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Social Media; A Journalists Best Friend
A recurring message to my clients is the importance of using Social Media to connect with new clients and customers. I am not surprised to learn the results of a recent survey conducted by Cision and Don Bates of The George Washington University, found that an overwhelming majority of reporters and editors now depend on social media sources when researching their stories.
Of the Journalists surveyed for the October 2009 report, almost all (89%) reported using Blogs for story research.
When it comes to publishing, promoting and distributing what journalists wrote, almost two thirds (64%) reported using Blogs followed by Facebook, Linked In, Twitter and You Tube.
Journalists also report using Google as the main tool for on-line research, with Wikipedia rating as the next favorite, followed by Firefox and Yahoo.
Sure, Social Media sources might be less reliable for news reporting. It is still one of the best ways to build an on-line profile for your business and build Media Relations with your local media outlets.
So think of this; when you send a media release or are making a big corporate announcement, the majority of Journalists and News reporters will use the Internet and social media to do their research. Perhaps it is time to really take a good look at what your website and social media sites are saying about you.
Contact me directly if you wish to view this full report.
-Darren
For Media tips, tricks and helpful advice, sign up for my free email newsletter.
Of the Journalists surveyed for the October 2009 report, almost all (89%) reported using Blogs for story research.
When it comes to publishing, promoting and distributing what journalists wrote, almost two thirds (64%) reported using Blogs followed by Facebook, Linked In, Twitter and You Tube.
Journalists also report using Google as the main tool for on-line research, with Wikipedia rating as the next favorite, followed by Firefox and Yahoo.
Sure, Social Media sources might be less reliable for news reporting. It is still one of the best ways to build an on-line profile for your business and build Media Relations with your local media outlets.
So think of this; when you send a media release or are making a big corporate announcement, the majority of Journalists and News reporters will use the Internet and social media to do their research. Perhaps it is time to really take a good look at what your website and social media sites are saying about you.
Contact me directly if you wish to view this full report.
-Darren
For Media tips, tricks and helpful advice, sign up for my free email newsletter.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Blogs for Business
I recently participated in an exceptional Webinar hosted by Andrew Patricio of the Toronto company BizLaunch. His session: How to use Social Media to Market your Business.
While much of this content was not new to me, it served as a reminder to the power of Social Media and how some businesses are still missing the opportunity to increase their on-line profile and profits.
Simply put - Social Media will help:
-Grow Traffic to your website
-Increase lead generation
-Increase Sales
-Improve search engine rankings (Google)
-Improve Brand recognition
And what smart business owner does not want those things to happen?
Using a Blog, you can:
1) Share your expertise and communicate daily with your customers.
2) Build a 'buzz' around your business and the media may pick up your stories.
3) Easily update content.
4) Promote your Blog using Facebook, Twitter and regular marketing tools.
5) Get your Webmaster to put your Blog on your Website. Google loves Blogs.
Where do you start?
-Chose a Blog service that suits your needs (Blogger, Wordpress, Blogspot, just to name a few)
-Develop a great name for your Blog
-Develop a Blog strategy and Blog regularly (at least 3 times a week)
-When Blogging, use great headlines and include strong keywords
-Develop tags for your Blog posts
-Allow people to share your Blog posts
Other points of interest that were presented during the BizLaunch Webinar:
Rule of Three:
-Blog 3 times a week
-Stick to 300 words per Blog
-It will take up to 3 years for your Blog to really grow traction.
Are you ready to develop stronger relationships with your customers? Blogging is just one of many great Social Media tools that are available to you right now.
For more assistance setting up or managing your personal or company Blog, please contact me directly.
Additional content previously published by BizLaunch.ca
-Darren
While much of this content was not new to me, it served as a reminder to the power of Social Media and how some businesses are still missing the opportunity to increase their on-line profile and profits.
Simply put - Social Media will help:
-Grow Traffic to your website
-Increase lead generation
-Increase Sales
-Improve search engine rankings (Google)
-Improve Brand recognition
And what smart business owner does not want those things to happen?
Using a Blog, you can:
1) Share your expertise and communicate daily with your customers.
2) Build a 'buzz' around your business and the media may pick up your stories.
3) Easily update content.
4) Promote your Blog using Facebook, Twitter and regular marketing tools.
5) Get your Webmaster to put your Blog on your Website. Google loves Blogs.
Where do you start?
-Chose a Blog service that suits your needs (Blogger, Wordpress, Blogspot, just to name a few)
-Develop a great name for your Blog
-Develop a Blog strategy and Blog regularly (at least 3 times a week)
-When Blogging, use great headlines and include strong keywords
-Develop tags for your Blog posts
-Allow people to share your Blog posts
Other points of interest that were presented during the BizLaunch Webinar:
Rule of Three:
-Blog 3 times a week
-Stick to 300 words per Blog
-It will take up to 3 years for your Blog to really grow traction.
Are you ready to develop stronger relationships with your customers? Blogging is just one of many great Social Media tools that are available to you right now.
For more assistance setting up or managing your personal or company Blog, please contact me directly.
Additional content previously published by BizLaunch.ca
-Darren
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