Kelly Farrell | | Canadian Small Business Women

Jan 21 2017

Do’s and Don’t’s of Successful Event Promotion on Social Media

Gettings bums in seats at your next event can be a challenge and social media is a sure way to help get your message out there. Here are some important Dos and Donts when promoting your event on social media.

DO create a website for your event with pertinent information and registration instructions. While sites like Eventbrite are fantastic tools for creating online event registration portals, you should still have a dedicated website where all of your event details will be accessible for interested attendees.

DONT create a Facebook Event instead of a website. Rather, create a Facebook event that links to your website for more information.

DO write a press release and share it as a blog post. This should contain all of the relevant information about your event including a history of the event and details on the desired outcomes for attendees.

DONT expect people to look for information on your website. Use social media to share the press release and website link often.

DO use your social media sites to promote details about sponsors, vendors, presenters and more. In your posts, be sure to tag others and encourage them to like and share it to their own audience.

DONT ignore the importance of using paid advertising in addition to regular social media posting to draw attention to your event and your website. Make use of the power of custom audiences in Facebook Ads to target the right demographic for your event.

DO make use of your email list to send regular reminders about your event to both your regular mailing list as well as those who have registered. Keeping your event top-of-mind is a sure way to fill those seats.

DONT rely solely on social media. While you can implement many of the strategies listed in this blog, don’t neglect traditional forms of media or promotion. It’s important to create a press release and to list your event in as many online or print event listings as possible.

To learn more about how to maximise the effectiveness of your Facebook marketing efforts, schedule a complimentary consultation with Teach Me Social. Teach Me Social owner Kelly Farrell has been helping empower Canadian Small Businesses through social media since 2012. Teach Me Social offers effective social media services which include training sessions and consulting as well as full-service social media account management.

Dec 21 2016

Is your business ready for 2017? 5 Social Media Predictions for the New Year

Wow! 2016 has flown past, and the changes in Social Media have been absolutely mind-blowing! Live video streaming has completely exploded, new apps have come and gone while Facebook has grown to over 1.7 Billion users worldwide and is now thinking far beyond the “like” with multiple “reactions” available now to respond to posts on your newsfeed.

Keeping an eye on the trends can really help us pinpoint where the world of social media marketing is headed as we get ready for 2017. Below are my top 5 things to keep in mind as you are planning out your social media strategy and budget for the next year.

1. Video

Don’t ignore the rise of video as the world continues to get smaller, information is being consumed faster and in visual formats. Find new ways to engage your followers with exciting videos featuring behind-the scenes interviews or previews. Most video is watched without sound, so take the time to add captions to your videos (either yourself pre-upload, or using the built-in caption tools from Facebook or YouTube.

2. Private Messaging

Consumers want direct access to brands and they want it now! Keep an eye on evolving options on private messaging apps to help you business connect directly with your followers. Facebook Messenger is becoming increasingly popular with both customers and brands for on-demand customer services. Twitter and Instagram also have direct messaging features that allow followers to ask questions. Keep in mind that social media users expect a reply in less than an hour – so make sure you have someone on-call to answer those inquiries when they come in!

3. Mobile First

With over 76% of Canadians owning a smartphone and over 50% of Google searches happening on these devices, make sure your website and social media are mobile friendly! If you aren’t sure if your website is mobile-ready, you can run a quick check at https://search.google.com/search-console/mobile-friendly . For social media, you will want to make sure your links and images show up nicely on mobile phones. On mobile, videos are usually viewed without sound, so be sure to add captions!

4. Pay-to-Play

Advertising space online is limited, and organic reach on all social media platforms is decreasing daily. Be prepared to spend more $$ to get your products and services in front of the right audiences. Social networks are meant to be social, so it makes sense that promotional content needs to be paid for, just as it is on any media publication. Small businesses can still afford to pay-to-play on social though, providing enough time is spent to set up proper targeting and content for social ads.

5. Focus & Plan

Don’t try to do everything. Focus on where your target market is most likely to consume your content and engage with your brand. Spend your time developing content that reflects your brand message and adds value to the social network where you spend your time. If social media plays a large role in your marketing plans, it may make sense to outsource the community management or advertising on social to an expert that can achieve higher results in less time, thus leaving you with more time to do what you love!

To learn more about how to maximize the effectiveness of your Facebook marketing efforts, schedule a complimentary consultation with Teach Me Social. Teach Me Social owner Kelly Farrell has been helping empower Canadian Small Businesses through social media since 2012. Teach Me Social offers effective social media services which include training sessions and consulting as well as full-service social media account management.

Aug 21 2016

When to follow technology trends in social media

There is a big difference between jumping on the bandwagon just because “everyone else is doing it” and adding a new tech trend as part of your overall digital marketing strategy. The rate of change in the world of technology, especially for business, is extremely fast-paced and keeping up with the new apps, website trends and social media features can be a very daunting task. Despite the challenges that come with keeping up, it can be very beneficial to be an early adopter of new technologies and digital shifts.

First come, first serve

The first users on many new platforms, websites or apps are usually privy to special offers and features. On social media, the early arrivals are almost always the first to develop a large following of other early arrivals, who also tend to be more engaged and loyal than new followers later on.

Work out the kinks

Getting on board with a new feature or platform also give you ample time to work out the kinks, a time when making mistakes are part of the game and adds authenticity to your brand. Part of social media is the allure of being able to see behind the curtain of a logo and glimpse the authentic personality driving the message. Working out the kinks and figuring out a new platform with other early adopters also sets you up as a leader and expert when the rest of the crowd follows you.

Staying Current

If your brand stands for ingenuity, creativity or innovation in any way, then getting on board and being part of the initial phase could play a huge role in setting your brand up as a leader in forward thinking. When your brand shares their enthusiasm by joining in on trending topics on social media, it shows your followers that you are current, relevant and engaged.

Beware of shiny things

All that being said, the biggest danger with new technologies is the “shiny things syndrome”! It’s happened to the best of us – like children, we are easily attracted to new things and can get sucked into spending hours playing with new features and testing out new toys.

To avoid getting sucked into new technologies that are not going to see an overall benefit for your small business, you can ask yourself these questions:

Will using this tool attract new customers to my business?
Is my target demographic already using this tool?
Will my business benefit from being part of a trending conversation online?
How much time can I afford to spend daily using a new technology tool?

If you weigh the pros and cons of each new tool, it becomes easier to identify trends that will have a positive impact on your business and ones that may not be worth your time investment. In most cases, it is always a good idea to get advice from an expert or other small business owners. Attending networking events and joining online communities (like Canadian Small Business Women) are great ways to know what other entrepreneurs are doing online and where they are focusing their energy.

Teach Me Social owner Kelly Farrell has been helping empower Canadian Small Business owners through social media for over four years. Teach Me Social now offers services ranging from training sessions for small business owners and their teams to full-service social media account management. Visit teachmesocial.ca to learn more about our service offerings or to book a no obligation consultation, including an audit of your existing social media channels.

Jul 21 2016

10 Reasons to Tweet Today

When I talk about Twitter to small business owners, I am usually greeted by a look of trepidation before being asked, “Do I really need to be on Twitter?” Twitter has evolved from a simple social network since the first Tweet was sent in March 2006 to the global news source and intricate social sharing environment it is today. Recently, Twitter has even taken leaps into the future of live broadcasting by signing deals with large networks to provide live content via the platform.

With 310 million monthly active users, it is hard to ignore the power of Twitter for small businesses to reach an engaged audience. But, if you need more convincing, here are 10 reasons to start tweeting today!

1.FREE: Twitter is free to use – The only cost is time and effort to send unlimited Tweets. Of course, like all social platforms, there is also the option to ‘promote’ your tweets with PPC advertising which has grown 208% year-on-year in 2016.

2.CURRENT: Your presence on social media platforms such as Twitter shows that your business is keeping up ‘with the times’! Did you know that 1.3billion Twitter accounts have been created and over 500 million tweets are sent daily?

3.INDUSTRY NEWS: Using Twitter can help you keep up with what is going on in your industry. You can keep tabs on your competition and get the latest news by following relevant hashtags. (ie. #CSBWBiz)

4.QUICK: Twitter is a fast way to get a message out, especially about upcoming events or sales. Printing, distributing and even website and email marketing take time and planning. Keep in mind that tweets with pictures get 150% more retweets!

5.NETWORKING: Using Twitter gives you the chance to meet and talk with tons of new people, influencers in your industry, and the opportunity to discover leads you might not otherwise have made.

6.REACH: Twitter can expand your market reach through followers, re-tweets, and #hashtags. People may stumble across your profile and tweets by chance and 55% of Twitter users admit they have taken action based on a tweet from a brand. (ie. clicked on a link)

7.COMPETITION: Your competition is quite likely already on Twitter and tweeting away. 70 percent of small businesses are on Twitter and the average Twitter user will follow at least 5 businesses.

8.FEEDBACK: The conversations, re-tweets, and favorites you receive in Twitter can act as great feedback as to what is popular and what is not in terms of your online brand, not to mention that 77% of users said they felt more positive towards a brand that replied to their tweet!

9.ENGAGEMENT: 80% of Twitter users have mentioned a brand in a tweet, and Twitter allows you to maintain customer relationships both before, during, and after a purchase and act as a constant reminder that you exist.

10.SHORT: With only 140 characters each tweet is short and sweet that allows you to share tidbits and updates without having to write an entire blog post.

Jun 21 2016

Dealing with Negative Comments on Social Media

It’s happened to all of us. We work hard to publish an article or a social media post only to have someone come along and respond with a negative or defamatory comment. It’s disheartening, frustrating, upsetting and even angering and it takes every ounce of patience to not want to write back an equally negative and snarky reply. I’ve been there, and I’ve felt the same way. But I can honestly tell you that the best way to respond to negativity on social media is with positivity.

Sir Isaac Newton described his 3rd Law of Motion by explaining that “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” In elementary Mathematics, we are taught that a negative and positive number of the same absolute value cancel each other out in an equation (ie. -4 + 4 = 0) What does this have to do with social media? Well, the same notion of countering forces can be applied to all positive and negative forces, energy and comments.

As a rule of thumb in customer service, it is always best to respond to customer complaints in a calm, professional manner. As business owners, we need to recognize that the customer just wants to feel validated for their complaint. This can be handled in a number of ways, but it is always best to acknowledge their negative experience and try to offer a solution. There may not always be a mutually agreeable solution, but remember that an angry customer has more potential to do damage to your business’ reputation than a happy one.

Here are some important Do’s and Don’t’s when considering how to respond to customer complaints, reviews or feedback on Social Media….

What not to do –

Don’t ignore it. It might be tempting to try to delete the comment, or hope it quickly fades down in people’s newsfeeds, but there is never any guarantee. It is always better to respond and address the problem than ignore it and hope it goes away.
Don’t respond back with negativity. In the world of debates, two negatives never equal a positive! Responding with anger or offence is just going to add fuel to the fire. It’s upsetting for everyone involved and surrounds your business with negative energy.
Don’t get into a battle. There is nothing to be gained from trying to have the final say. Anyone following the discussion on your social network will be able to “see” the entire battle unfolding and each of your followers has an easy click to unfollow you and refuse to see any future posts from your business.

What to do instead –

DO take time to formulate an appropriate response before typing any reply to the comment. If possible, ask a colleague or trusted friend to read your reply first before you publish it online. Taking time not only allows you to respond with a clear head, but it also has likely given your disgruntled customer a chance to cool off too.
DO respond with professionalism and offer to address the complainant’s concerns offline, perhaps via email address or over the phone. Offer a solution to the problem right up front so that the next step is in their hands to either take you up on the offer, or to walk away.
DO end the discussion quickly, after a single, well composed reply. There is nothing to be gained by carrying on the discussion if you first response did everything to address the complaint, offer a solution and provide a non-social media form of communication to use to continue the conversation.

Teach Me Social owner Kelly Farrell has been helping empower Canadian Small Business owners through social media for over for years. Teach Me Social now offers services ranging from training sessions for small business owners and their teams, to full-service social media account management. Visit teachmesocial.ca to learn more about our service offerings or to contact us today for a no obligation consultation, including an audit of your existing social media channels.

May 21 2016

Facebook News Feed: How does it work?

Have you ever wondered how Facebook’s news feed work? Or how Facebook decides what content to show in your news feed? In this blog we are going to tell you how the news feed works and how you can create more visibility for your brand

Facebook decides what to show you in your news feed based on other similar content that you browse.

For example if you spend most of your day reading articles about animals, watching videos about animals, then you will see more content about pets and animals on your news feed.

How do you get your content to show on your fans news feeds? You need to create content that engages your users, and keeps them around. The longer users spend on your content, the more likely they are to see your updates in their feed.

There are a few ways to do this. Don’t use deceptive headlines, this won’t win you any points with Facebook’s algorithm. Make sure you have great content. You want a catchy headline that will make people click on your link, video or instant article.

How much content is enough? Don’t make content for web and mobile too long. The majority of people have a very short attention span when interacting with online content, especially articles and videos. While the algorithm measures time on content, there is a maximum threshold.

Content Diversity

Due to feedback from users, Facebook plans to implement some diversity in it’s news feeds. Users have complained about seeing the same content, back to back, from the same publisher, pages or sources. Facebook learned that users want to see wide-ranging content from different publishers.

Diversity can be harder nut to crack, but there is a very simple way. Make sure you post your blog on multiple site, get friends pages to share it, if you have partners, ask them to share your info. The more places that your content lives, the more likely it will appear in people’s news feeds. I do however want to suggest caution, as having your content on too many sites can damage your google search rating. It’s all about finding the right balance.

The other thing you can do is to re-purpose old content, and share that to your page via other links like from your blog, your LinkedIn page, employees pages. You have more content to draw from and share than you realize.

Facebook wants to show you the stories that it thinks will matter most to you

This is an easy on to achieve, create stories that matter to your audience. Are you involved in the community? write a blog about it. Do you help out with charity drives? write a blog about it. Did an employee of yours win an award? write a blog about it. Creating stories is easy because there are so many around you if you just take the time to really connect with your customers and employees.

Shows you content based on the friends you have and pages you follow

I’m sure you’ve seen this in action. You follow a new business page, and BAM, their content starts to show up in your news feed. Pretty convenient right?

Well, here’s how you can start to take advantage of that for your business. You have all these fans, maybe thousands, that like your page and have shown interest in what you do or what you offer. Encourage your fans to share your content. The more that they share, the more your content will appear on their friends news feeds. Identify who your regulars are. Who is always commenting, sharing and engaged with your content? Give them a shout out, recommend that other people follow them.

You can also start following other businesses, recommend other businesses who you have had successful partnerships with in the past. All of this not only helps you gain more exposure to followers of these groups, but also helps to build your brand awareness and recognition.

Types of content users interact with

This one is pretty straight forward, if users tend to watch more videos on Facebook, then their feed will tend to include more video content. Same goes for text, photos and links.

To overcome this obstacle, be sure to have a wide variety of mediums for your content. Have a good mix of text, video, pictures and links.

Engagement can beat Recency

Lets talk about engagement first. If a post has a lot of engagement with your audience, it will be more likely to show up compared to something posted recently. For example, if someone posted content yesterday that got a lot of engagement and you decided to share that same content today, Facebook would prioritize the post with the highest engagement to show up on the news feed.

For recency, be sure you post everyday. If you take a few days off from posting anything, then you will be less likely to show up in news feeds because your audience also follows pages who may post more often and therefore will have a higher chance of showing up.

So make sure that you post often and that you are getting engagement on the content you are posting.

Users can control their news feed

While this is an option for all users, most people are unaware of this option. Users can hide posts from friends and pages, while still remaining friends and fans of those same pages. Users can also tell Facebook which pages they would like to see first in their news feed.

Make the assumption that most users don’t know about this option, then tell them how they can be sure to see your content first in their news feed. Take a screen shot of your page with the instructions of “how to see us first” Then pin it to the top of your page or make it a part of your cover photo.

Companies like Facebook and Google are constantly changing how their algorithms work, so it can be a full time job staying on top of the changes and understanding what they mean for your business. Keep up with the changes and adapt your content to meet those changes and you will see better results.

Teach Me Social owner Kelly Farrell has been helping empower Canadian Small Business owners through social media for over three years. Her team now offers services ranging from training sessions for small business owners and their teams, to full-service social media account management. Visit teachmesocial.ca to learn more about our service offerings or to contact us today for a no obligation consultation, including an audit of your existing social media channels.

Apr 20 2016

Make a meaningful relationship with your customers online.

Your main goal for Social Media Marketing isn’t really about sales, it’s about relationship building with your customers and target audience. Building this relationship will then drive sales and growth.

A major advantage that small business’ have over larger ones, is that you are able to give your brand a personality that should fit the community you work in. You have the ability to talk about topics that are important to your community.

Social Media has changed the way that business MUST operate, it has given your consumers more of a voice in your brand and what you do. One doesn’t need to look hard online to see this in action, one example that comes to mind is Doritos and their rainbow coloured chips that they made to support the LGBT, there were a lot of people who supported the move, and those that didn’t. The ones that don’t support something you are doing will tend to be more verbal on your pages about it, but the beautiful part about this is that your community will generally come to defend you, and that only happens if you can create a meaningful relationship with them.

Now, you are probably asking, how do I start that meaningful relationship? There are a few ways to go about this. Twitter and Facebook have great tools to use to find out what people are interested in in your community, apart from reading a local paper (which is a great way to stay informed about your community) you can try surveying your current followers and get their opinions on issues and your industry. If you start to talk about their interests, they will be more likely to like, comment and share your content which will lead to more followers.

Another way is to build your email marketing list. Use social posts to ask people to sign up to it, and let them know what kind of content will be in your emails. Also ask them to sign up when they buy something from you. It’s important to not make your emails too salesy, instead, again, cover topics that affect your community AND your industry. When you provide content that solves a problem of your customers, you are more likely to have repeat customers and build a better relationship with them.

Digital Customer Service is becoming huge. Most customers that now have a problem with your service or product won’t tend to phone you, they will come and talk to you online though a post to your page or directly chat with you. The quicker you respond and address their issue, the stronger relationship you build. Make sure you have some sort of policy in place for acceptable response time, most businesses a generally within 24 hours, and yes, even on weekends. So whether you do your social media yourself or have a vendor that does it for you, make sure that your expectations are communicated to them.

The last thing you can do to build the relationship is have some sort of rewards program that offers some benefit to your repeat customers, because the worst thing you can do as a business, is not appreciate loyalty, just look at the big phone companies like Rogers and Bell, do you feel that you are being rewarded for being a customer for years?

As more and more networks pop up, catching your customers attention and building a trusting relationship is going to become harder and harder, be sure to stay adaptive to your business and customer needs and think outside the box, bland doesn’t sell.

Teach Me Social owner Kelly Farrell has been helping empower Canadian Small Business owners through social media for over three years. Her team now offers services ranging from training sessions for small business owners and their teams, to full-service social media account management. Visit teachmesocial.ca to learn more about our service offerings or to contact us today for a no obligation consultation, including an audit of your existing social media channels.

Apr 07 2016

Creating “C.O.R.I.” Content

Much has been written (by me, for CSBW, never mind from all those other experts!) about creating great website content and how to blog for business. Today, I would like to add to the narrative by sharing my short and simple acronym for creating meaningful content that works. It’s “C.O.R.I.” When writing about your business in any capacity and particularly when creating content for your website, make sure that it’s Current, Original, Relevant and Interesting.

Social Media encourages, to some degree, a tendency to “over share.” I attended a networking event recently where a person told me they shared to Facebook 7 or 8 times per day!!! I am not sure when they were getting any work done but unless you are actually in the business of Social Media, providing this as a service to clients as part of their business strategy, this is probably a little too often. It also begs the question are you sharing relevant information or just re-posting randomly? So unless you’ve hired an expert like my good friend Kelly Farrell at Teach Me Social, stick to the C.O.R.I. principle.

Your website content should always be current. Create a schedule where you build time into your business to regularly refresh and update. There is nothing worse than searching for something on the web and coming across a Christmas special at Easter. Your product or service may not necessarily change but you can tweak the wording, offer a seasonal special or post a blog all of which could help your rankings if a search engine like Google thinks you are posting new content.

Make sure your content is original. First and foremost if it isn’t that’s plagiarism and we all remember the consequences of that from school. Secondly, if you are posting and sharing excessively, from other sites, again your rankings could be affected because Google sees it as duplicated content. Besides, your website is about you, your product and/or your service so it SHOULD be original.

Relevancy is a big one for me. This is not so much about your website content because it is assumed if you are describing your service, the content is relevant to your business! However, when sharing information across your other social media platforms it is imperative that you share content that is related to your business. Sharing stories about cute kittens or babies sucking on a lemon is not only irrelevant but frankly, might just annoy your potential clients and see you placed on their “blocked senders” list.

Finally, when it comes to content, do your best to make sure that it is also interesting. Provide tips and tools that your potential clients can actually use. Share a news story that is current, interesting and related to your industry. Perhaps, offer a little known “fun fact” about your product that people might not already know. Post something regularly that engages your audience without inundating them.

By creating content that is current, original, relevant and interesting you will create an audience that comes looking for you rather than you having to seek them out! Be an original. Share responsibly, not randomly.

As Owner and Principal partner of “Writing Right For You” Sheralyn is a Communications Strategist – working together with entrepreneurs to maximize profit through effective use of the written word. Looking for web content that works, blog articles that engage or communications strategies that help you get noticed? Contact Sheralyn today. Sheralyn is also the mother of two children now entering the “terrible and terrific teens” and spends her free time volunteering for several non-profit organizations.

Sheralyn Roman B.A., B.Ed.

Writing Right For You

Communications Strategies that help you GET TO THE POINT!

416-420-9415 Cell/Business

writingrightforyou@gmail.com

Nov 01 2015

Toronto Panel of Experts: Canadian Small Business Women of the Month of October 2015

Kelly Farrell, Arti Sharma, Dwainia Grey, Cheryl Rankin and Catherine McGillivray are five dynamic women who will round up our Panel of Experts this year at our Toronto

Expo. These women are experts in their own right and have made themselves available to support aspiring entrepreneurs. The topic of this year’s panel is Women in Business and Technology. The Panel of Experts discussion will take place at The Atantis Pavilion on November 8th, 2015 from 12:30pm to 2pm. Admission is absolutely free. Find out about our ladies below and for how you can meet them and ask your questions, go to www.immigrantsmallbizexpo.ca

Oct 01 2015

Ottawa Panel of Experts: Canadian Small Business Woman of the Month of September 2015

Rima Aristocrat, Kelly Farrell, Catherine McGillivray, Praveeni Perera, Arti Sharma and Elcho Stewart are six dynamic women who will round up our Panel of Experts this year at our Ottawa Expo. These women are experts in their own right and have made themselves available to support aspiring entrepreneurs. The topic of this year’s panel is Women in Business, Technology and Healthcare. The Panel of Experts discussion will take place at The Westin Ottawa on October 4th, 2015 from noon until 2pm. Admission is absolutely free. Find out about our ladies below and for how you can meet them and ask your questions, go to www.immigrantsmallbizexpo.ca

Mar 01 2015

Kelly Farrell: Canadian Small Business Woman of the Month of February

Kelly Farrell is the Founder and Chief Facilitator of Teach Me Social, a visionary company that has a mission to empower small business entrepreneurs to take control of their own online presence and manage it in-house to maintain an authentic voice for their brand. Teach Me Social has been providing valuable Social Media and online marketing support to small business owners for 3 years now, while Kelly’s personal experience in the marketing and Social Media realm extends over 15 years.

Kelly has been teaching elementary school professionally for over 10 years, 7 of those have been teaching Middle School at Star Academy in Mississauga where she also manages the school’s online and community presence. Before teaching in Ontario, Kelly taught Grade One for 2 years at an International school in Colombia, South America, gaining an international perspective on curriculum, child development and early engagement in internet communication to keep in touch with family and friends back home!

A well-travelled and well-read individual, Kelly is also an independent mother of an ambitious eight-year old daughter. As such, Kelly has a unique perspective to offer her clients, gaining participation and attention in her sessions by energizing participants and inspiring them to dive into the Social Media world while providing valuable skills, tips and strategies they can use to construct their online presence at their own pace.

Teach Me Social was launched in 2012, providing 1:1 tutorials and advice to small business owners to manage their social media on their own. The need for Kelly’s unique approach to teaching the ins and outs of Social Media was quickly evident and she began facilitating group workshops and seminars to a wide range of audiences. Teach Me Social continues to grow, offering small business owners a chance to understand and take ownership of their social media strategies, adding authenticity to their online presence.

Our Q & A with Kelly Farrell

*What inspires you?

I am inspired by the achievements of others. I love sharing in the success of others and revelling in the joy that achievement brings. I have always fed off the energy of others, and having a business where I constantly can help bring about growth and success for my clients energizes me to continue to do what I do.

*As a small business owner, what achievements make you most proud?

I am incredibly proud that my business has reached its 3 year anniversary! What began as a friendly endeavour to help fellow Mompreneurs gain control of their Social Media has bloomed into a unique approach to Social Media learning that has become sought after. Presenting at the Canadian Small Business Immigrant Women’s Expo was a huge milestone for me, as it was a diverse audience, full of new faces eager to learn and listen to what I had to say. I was humbled by the support and encouragement from the room full of passionate, driven business owners.

*What advice would you give to other aspiring small business owners?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help! It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a similar village to run your own business! I would never be where I am today without the valuable support and guidance from friends and family. Attending networking events has provided incalculable support and advice for growing my business and staying on track in a realistic, yet motivated way.

*What new things can we look forward to from your business in the upcoming year?

Teach Me Social will continue to bring cutting edge support and advice on Online Marketing and Social Media to small business owners in the form on group workshops, seminars and large group presentations. Stay tuned for announcements on a special “Boot Camp” style series of workshops coming in Spring 2015, with the possibility of online accessible workshops coming in the summer!

Connect with Kelly via Facebook, Twitter, Website, Instagram, Linkedin

info@teachmesocial.ca or via phone at 647-894-3511

Aug 11 2014

Twitter Tips for Small Business

It’s one thing to have a Twitter account, it’s another thing to ‘Tweet’. The world of networking on Twitter can seem like a new way of thinking about marketing your business and connecting with clients and colleagues in addition to learning a new language. As such, it’s important to take your time to get to know Twitter before taking the plunge into the world of Tweeting.

Maximize your profile

Use a profile picture and header picture consistent with your branding across other platforms, including your website, business cards, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. Choose a generic background that enhances your header, or design your own background for your Twitter homepage.

Your bio line on Twitter also needs to comply with the 140 character rule, so choose your words carefully! Use keywords that make it easier for people to find you and include a link to your website.

Micro-Blogging at its best

Twitter is part of an emerging type of media called Micro-Blogging, and it’s important to keep your Tweets short and sweet! But, remember you can say a lot in 140 characters and a picture is worth a thousand words! Use link-shortening tools like bit.ly and HootSuite to save space in your tweets when you want to link to content outside of Twitter. Use #Hashtags like keywords to link to trending content on Twitter, or to #KeepItShortAndSweet.

Tweet with Karma

Nobody wants to be sold to online. We live in a world where creative marketing can take you further than direct advertising. Share content rather than soliciting business – if people like what they share, they will come back for more; use Twitter to build brand loyalty. Twitter is a great way to connect with your clients and other members of your industry. Build networks of like-minded Tweeters and remember the Karma of Twitter – retweet to be retweeted! Share others’ links and photos as much as you share your own. Twitter is an active network, and you won’t gain the business you’re looking for if your activity on Twitter is one-sided.

Twitter can be a lot of fun, and is an excellent way to get your message out there quickly and effectively. It is the fastest growing social network, so it pays to have a presence there. For more tips and Twitter advice, check out Teach Me Social individual tutorials and group workshops and connect with @TeachMeSocial on Twitter!

Kelly Farrell is the Founder and Chief Facilitator of Teach Me Social, a visionary company that has a mission to empower small business entrepreneurs to take control of their own online presence and manage it in-house to maintain an authentic voice for their brand. Teach Me Social has been providing valuable Social Media and online marketing support to small business owners for 2 years, while Kelly’s personal experience in the marketing and Social Media realm extends over 15 years. Connect with Kelly via her WEBSITE,TWITTER, or FACEBOOK page. You can also email her at info@teachmesocial.ca

Jul 09 2014

Three C’s of Social Media for #SmallBiz

It’s great when someone tells a new business owner that they “have” to be on Social Media. But, what does that look like? Where do you start? What can I spend the least amount of time on? What’s essential?

Entrepreneurship in the 21st century demands a knowledge of so much more than just what your specialty is. A business owner today needs to be adept at all facets of business, or at least how to navigate through all the outsourcing options to find the best resource at the most cost-effective rate. Social Media is no different. There are numerous companies who will manage your online presence, but like other outsourcing options, it is up to the business owner to dictate how and what that presence will look like. That demands an understanding of the unique realm of Social Networking.

To help you get started, here are three essential C’s for every small business social media marketing plan.

Be Consistent – Accounts on all major networks with the same username so customers/clients can follow you. The top 10 networks (at the time of writing) include: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, Vine, Tumblr, Flikr. While choosing which platform best suits your demographic, companies should have a consistent presence across all social media platforms, whether or not the profiles are equally active.

Be Cohesive – Cohesive branding across all accounts is the key to gaining brand recognition. Your logo and/or profile pictures on all your social networking accounts should represent your brand. Colours used in posts and in your email signature should also be representative of your brand. Take the time to ensure that you have the required sizes of your logo for all the different platforms (no, it’s not as simple as having one image file for your logo!) and that they are formatted and centered correctly.

Be Connected – To grow your followings on your social networks, make it easy for your clients and contacts to find you! Include your Social Network links in your email signature, on every page of your website or blog. Then, link back to your website from your social media profiles. Making navigation easy for your followers will build brand loyalty and consequently increase your network.

Kelly Farrell is the Founder and Chief Facilitator of Teach Me Social, a visionary company that has a mission to empower small business entrepreneurs to take control of their own online presence and manage it in-house to maintain an authentic voice for their brand. Teach Me Social has been providing valuable Social Media and online marketing support to small business owners for 2 years, while Kelly’s personal experience in the marketing and Social Media realm extends over 15 years. Connect with Kelly via her WEBSITE, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK page. You can also email her at info@teachmesocial.ca

Jun 30 2014

Vendor Events

Can you believe that half the year is over? I personally can’t. Time goes by really quickly when you are busy planning for all your events. In your planning, please keep the events below in mind. We have featured events from us at Canadian Small Business Women, as well as events from some of our supporters. We look forward to seeing you soon.

SMALL BUSINESS SEMINAR – AUGUST 2014

Join us for our 3^rd Small Business Seminar on August 9th , 2014 from 9am – 4pm at Sheraton Parkway North Toronto(Hwy 404 and 407). We are very excited to be hosting our Seminar on the Northeast end of the GTA. This gives us a chance to expand our network and showcase what our business has to offer. We are currently seeking 30 vendors/exhibitors for this show as well as a few workshop hosts. You can fill out our Vendor Agreement Form by clicking HERE. Advance tickets are now available for only $20 (a 33% discount) by clicking HERE.

PERKS: As an exhibitor, you will receive a 6ft table with table cloth, access to our workshops (please do not leave your table unattended), lunch, and 5 complimentary tickets! There will be great opportunities to not only sell your product, but to also network with fellow entrepreneurs. There is no limit to the great connections that will be made at this event.

Our Workshops

Secrets to Starting and Building Your Network Marketing Business with Susan Kirschling

Online Marketing Tips and Tricks for Small Business with Dwainia Grey

Your Fastest Path to Cash: What every business needs to know to make money now! With Susanne Hemmet

Social Media: Beyond The Basics with Kelly Farrell

5 Keys To Making Your Goals A Reality with Sandra Dawes

Free Online Tools to Get More Leads and Make More Money with Hanna Guerra

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FOOTBALL AND NETWORKING WITH THE TORONTO ARGOS

Last year, we were honored to host our first networking event with the Toronto Argos. It was a huge success!! We had a chance to not only listen to two fantastic speakers, but also enjoy the festivities that came with watching the Argos play and support such a needy cause. We also had the chance to network with The Argos front office and view their Grey Cup rings. Join us this year, as we host another spectacular event, brought to you in part by us at Canadian Small Business Women.

Networking and Football – in support of CFL’s Pink Day to raise Cancer Awareness

This will be an afternoon of networking, speakers, prizes and football.

We welcome you to take advantage of our special rate for this event.

This event will include:
*A guest speaker
*Networking Opportunities
*On Field Tour before the game
*Meet and greet with the Argos Cheerleaders
*Prizes
*Networking with the Argos players after the game at Shoeless Joe’s (King Street location)

**Pre-game networking will be held o the 200 level patio (or the Bacardi Lounge weather depending).

Ticket prices: $35 + HST for Bronze Level Tickets
Get your tickets HERE
YOUR ADMISSION TICKET WILL BE EMAILED TO YOU ONE MONTH BEFORE THE EVENT ONCE PURCHASE IS MADE VIA THE EVENTBRITE SITE

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IMMIGRANT WOMEN’S SMALL BUSINESS EXPO

This year, we are hosting two large feature events that are FREE of cost to our guests. We will be hosting our Immigrant Women’s Small Business Expo in Ottawa and in Toronto. Our Ottawa event will be held at the elegant Canadian Museum of Nature on October 4^th, 2014 from 9am -5pm. This event will feature businesses from around the Ottawa area that offer services or business opportunities for our guests. We are expecting over 1000 guests to attend this one of a kind event. We will be inviting members of the Canadian Government, speakers from across Ontario and prominent members of the Ottawa Immigrant Community. We are currently seeking Exhibitors from business sectors such as education, legal, consulting, Immigrant Services, Real Estate, and more. Please view our event WEBSITE for further details. To redeem your FREE ticket to our event, click on the following LINK.

Our Toronto Edition of the Immigrant Women’s Small Business Expo will be held at the iconicToronto Metro Hall on November 9^th, 2014. This event will be the premiere Immigrant Small Business event of the GTA. Our guest list will be similar to that of our Ottawa event. To redeem yourFREE tickets for this event, click the following LINK.

We are also seeking volunteers for both events. Our volunteer hours are split in two shifts: 6am – 12pm and 12pm to 6pm. We require volunteers in the areas of check-in, set-up, greeting, workshop organization and tear down. If interested, please email us at info@canadiansmallbusinesswomen.caor canadiansmallbusinesswomen@gmail.com and provide us with your name, age, event of interest, volunteer experience, contact information (including phone number) and hours of availability.

We are also seeking VOLUNTEERS for both our events. We are seeking 50 volunteers for each of our Expos. We welcome students, community groups and corporate groups as well. Volunteer areas available are: Exhibitor Check-In, Guest Entrance, Guest Check-In, Media Check-In/Escort, Direction Assistant, Workshop Assistant, Dignitary Check-In/Escort, and Event Check-Out. Please view our Website for our Volunteer application.

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MONARCH GIRLS EVENT

All proceeds from the event will go to funding our after-school high school empowerment program starting in the fall. “Authentic Me” is a 32-week program for girls grades 9-12. It will cover empowerment workshops, career counseling, leadership training, financial education and more.

Mission: To empower young women through self-discovery, self-healing, self-respect and self-development.

Event: The Monarch Girls Day objective is to develop community awareness, raise funds to support our Empowerment Program while providing a networking opportunity.

For more information: Contact Dwainia Grey at 647-799-1090 or at dgrey@awesomebizonline.com or visit their Facebook page HERE

May 25 2014

VENDOR EVENTS

Last year has been quite a ride for us here at Canadian Small Business Women. With one year under our belt, we have made some important connections in the business world to help us host valuable events for our business community. We invite you to be a guest, exhibitor or a partner at some of our upcoming events. I hope to meet you all very soon.

IMMIGRANT WOMEN’S SMALL BUSINESS EXPO

SMALL BUSINESS SEMINAR – AUGUST 2014

Join us for our 3^rd Small Business Seminar on August 9th , 2014 from 9am – 4pm at Sheraton Parkway North Toronto(Hwy 404 and 407). We are very excited to be hosting our Seminar on the Northeast end of the GTA. This gives us a chance to expand our network and showcase what our business has to offer. We are currently seeking 30 vendors/exhibitors for this show as well as a few workshop hosts. You can fill out our Vendor Agreement Form by clicking HERE. Early bird tickets are now available for only $10 (a 66% discount) by clicking HERE.

Social Media Marketing: Beyond the Essentials

June 25, 2014. Microsoft Store, Square One

Our guest speaker for this heavily sought after topic is Kelly Farrell from Teach Me Social. Kelly Farrell has been a teacher for more than 10 years and has experience teaching children and adults of all ages. Her experience with Social Media dates back to the days when call waiting first appeared! She has always been a bit of a techy and early adopter of new and exciting technologies and networks.

Social Media can help you expand your business reach, draw traffic back to your website and grow your brand online. It goes beyond having a Facebook page. Using Social Media effectively as part of your marketing strategy includes expanding your reach to all of the most popular sites, including Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram and Google+, thus reaching a far wider audience of potential customers. Through this workshop, Teach Me Social can show you how to manage your time to gain the most benefit from having a presence across all Social Media platforms.

Early bird tickets are now available for only $10 (a 50% discount) by clicking HERE. No tickets will be sold at the door for this event. Event seating is limited.

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