Category Archives: Blog

Channel Surfing 101: Getting Connected

Image Source: Social Media Wheel With Icons by smarnad

I have been basking in the glow of enthusiasm and excitement after having the pleasure of working with Bigger Bubbles Marketing on their new webinar series on Marketing and Public Relations.  Please contact Clare at Bigger Bubbles if you are interested in this 6 week online course.  I highly recommend it to anyone who might be feeling a bit overwhelmed when it comes to thinking about what it takes to plan and implement a PR and Marketing plan for your venture.  I will be sharing more information later on too, so watch this space and or do get in touch if you are interested in being part of the next one.   The course takes places on Friday mornings via Skype for 6 one hour sessions.

Part of my presentation included discussing the merits of bloggers when it comes to social media marketing.   It struck me that bloggers are the gateway to the rest of the social media world.  Especially if you are a brand looking for affordable marketing buzz.    Aside from personal bloggers, there are blogs dedicated to every single niche topic you could possibly imagine.   That means there are bloggers who write about what ever your product or service does.    Not only are these bloggers your target market, their audience is your potential customer base – your leads.   Not only do bloggers blog, but they are deeply integrated into the various social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter with their own audiences.     Bloggers use those channels to promote themselves and their content and hopefully that content includes your brand.

If you are a total novice when it comes to social media and uncomfortable with engagement on the various channels, I think reaching out to bloggers is probably your first step when developing a social media plan.  Of course, you will probably need to master those other social media channels in order to reach those bloggers, but now you have a project or a reason to talk to me.  :)

This leads me to another venture I am currently involved with.   In Vancouver I am putting together a one day conference – now probably in late April – that will be called Connected West.  You can follow me on Twitter at @Connected_West for more information about the plans for this event.

If you are a BC business interested in the hows, whys, and whats about working with bloggers, this could be the one day event for you.  This could be the perfect way for you to connect with bloggers in your niche who could become your online marketing partners.   There are so many ways for bloggers to work with brands, so many ideas that are useful to both sides of the agreement.

If you are a blogger in the Lower Mainland interested in working with brands and not sure how to connect, then this is the event for you.  Here is your chance.

If you want more information about attending Connected West, please do contact me.  More concrete details about the day will be coming up soon, but if you want to make sure you can attend or even better, be a SPONSOR, do get on my email list.

 

 

 

How Google’s Penguin is Changing the Way Your Business Makes Money Online

photo credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If you don’t follow the worlds of SEO (search engine optimization) or content creation then you might not have heard about a change done late last month to Google’s search engine. Since it performs hundreds of tweaks to its algorithm each year, the fact that Google made a change wasn’t important. Instead, it was the sizeable change to how search engines show their results to people that shook things up and is forcing many people to reevaluate what kind of quality the content is on their websites.

Google’s algorithm change was called Penguin and it rolled out in late April. Within a few days site owners and SEOs began to comment on the results that they were seeing in the search results. The Penguin update was meant to lower the rankings for content that seemed “spammy” on websites, that had too many backlinks coming from what looked like poor quality websites, or were stuffed with too many keywords (the words that a business owner wants people to search for to find their website, like the words “buy coffee” or “coffee beans for sale” for a coffee website.

Why this Penguin is Dangerous

Until now it’s been easy for SEOs and content writers to build authority for websites simply by spinning out poor quality content, paying for thousands of backlinks and posting links on forms that point people back to their website. There are hundreds of companies that offer these services at very low prices. The business has been booming for a while now, but Google is finally trying to put a stop to it.

Google has been advocating a quality over quantity approach to your site’s content for years. Paying for quick and fast links, or poor content for your company’s blog or social media updates isn’t going to work anymore. The businesses that treat their content as important and worthy of a reader’s attention are going to see more traffic which does lead to more visitors converting into new customers.

Penguin was the second major update to remove authority from these low quality websites. Last year the first of these major changes, a Google algorithm change codenamed Panda, rolled out at around the same time. Furthermore Google’s SEO spokesperson Matt Cutts has said that people can expect to see more algorithm changes to come.

What Can You Do?

Invest in good quality content and offer value to people that visit your website. Create fresh, original stories that attract interest from your target audience. People will share this information on their social media networks and on their blogs and websites. Google will notice these links and consider them endorsements for your website, and in turn increase the ranking of your website in search results. That will send you more traffic to your website.

Having someone map out a content strategy that aligns with your company’s goals on the Internet has always been important. With the recent Penguin updates and Google’s promise that more is to come, now is the time to get serious about having a content strategy for your business before the problem becomes larger.

next-level-badge

Marketing Workshop Presented by SAHMedia & Women in Biz Network

Last fall I had a wonderful time organizing the Women in Biz Network’s first event in Vancouver.  It was a great success due to our amazing speakers Heather White and Rebecca Bollwitt.  Since then I have been working towards ensuring that we have much more to encourage Vancouverites to join WIBN and provide the type of events that people want.  The next Vancouver event is amazingly sold out already.  On April 12th, we have the pleasure of presenting and evening with author and speaker, Danielle LaPorte at the Opus Hotel.

However, I do have another event coming up on May 5th. This will be a workshop format.   I have had a few people asking me about the ins and outs of YouTube and I was frankly not to sure on the marketing aspect of this, but being that YouTube is HUGE, I knew I had to find people that DID know about it all and could help.  And that I did.

On May 5th between 9 am and noon at the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown we are presenting four amazing speakers who will get you and your business ready for the cyber screen.

Next Level Brand Marketing with Video Internet Radio and YouTube  wants to give you a visual edge over your competitor and  help you engage and speak face to face with your potential customers/clients.  Our speakers will be able to take you through every step to get you ready to shine above your competition.

Christine Till Portraits025FINISHED_PRINTINGChristine Till is with Practical Podcasting. Christine’s goal is to help small business find their unique position in the marketplace through the use of podcasting.  She has 20 + years of marketing experience was a business consultant with the Fraser Valley College and taught marketing and business there. She specializes in podcasting and public speaking. She teaches people how to use podcasting to build relationships with their clients.

 

Mick HeadshotMick Lolekonda is the driving force behind Red Sneakers Mediaworks.  Red Sneakers believes that people have natural gifts that they can leverage to not only lead fulfilling and meaningful lives on their own terms, but to also make a difference in other people’s lives around the world.  They believe that these people and their businesses are worth promoting because the world needs to know they exist.

 

Pamela WisePamela  Wise of Personal Brand Stories.  Pamela Wise is a triple threat expert: marketing people for the screen, lifestyle advertising and the boardroom.  As a talent agent for print and TV, and acting coach specializing in auditioning, she has matched hundreds of people and brands.  In social media our client want to connect with us more then ever thru video and images.  As we emerge from behind our logos, understanding our personal brand and how what we are projecting is paramount to building solid and successful business relationships.

Jaeny Baik says learning how to be great on camera is a crucial life skill that goes beyond video. She’s experienced it herself. As a former CBC TV host and seasoned journalist, Jaeny worked 10 years at the CBC as a host, reporter and producer.  Her first TV program, “Living Winnipeg” won a prestigious Gracie Allen Award from New York City. When she took the hosting helm at “Living Vancouver” viewership shot up by 40%. Jaeny also spent years helping to produce million dollar film shoots for advertising commercials. She knows what to say and how to say it with fun and impact! Jaeny now coaches on-camera performance, creates online video strategy and web videos for businesses through Jaeny Baik Media,http://www.JaenyBaik.com

 

As the Vancouver Director for Women in Biz Network, I want to keep doing more events and workshops.  I urge you to take a look at their membership page and sign up.  Businesses are more successful when we can network and support each other.  WIBN is a great organization for that.   They are also on their second year of their two day conference in Toronto and it would be fabulous to have a similar conference here in Vancouver for us West Coasters.  They key to social media is engagement and that is why I am passionate about organizations like the WIBN and the networking and educational opportunities they allow.

 

 

 

Hand Pushing Like Button by tungphoto

What Does the Facebook Timeline Mean to your Brand?

There was a collective groan from the masses when Facebook announced its changes to the look and usability of their pages.   As of March 30th, TIMELINE will be the standard across the board.  For the individual user, the changes are aesthetic.  For brands however, the change is a game changer on how they used Facebook to connect with their customers and consumers.

The biggest perk to a brand on Facebook was the ability to control and customize landing pages.  Third party app developers have appeared out of the woodwork just to take advantage of this.  For a brand, the landing page and the ability to build big splashy pages was the equivalent to a magazine ad online.  For old school business and old school marketers this was the draw to Facebook. It was something they understood.  Much more than ROI or link backs and all the other countless social media jargon.

For Facebook the changes are geared toward making money, more for them and less for you. The Timeline format allows Facebook to run premium ads throughout a page instead of just the right hand column, and predominantly on mobile feeds.  The new format allows for anything posted on an advertiser’s own page – status updates, photos and videos – to be made into an ad that can pushed out to users’ newsfeeds and mobile feeds.  This kills the need for landing pages and the focus will be to turn content into advertising. Few seem to be taking these changes seriously.  Jim Belosic on Mashable said in his article this rather telling statement.

“Facebook values the level of functionality and engagement that third-party apps offer, including sweepstakes, contests and landing tabs, and all of those features are still going to exist in some form. Let the third-party apps worry about the kinks and the aesthetics and remember that your fans are still visiting your page on a daily basis to get the same engagement and attention they’ve always received from you. With all the rumors we’ve heard, Facebook pages are about to be better than ever.”

I don’t think this is entirely true.  What has happened is that Facebook has streamlined and strengthened the need for brands to advertise on Facebook.  Their advertising structure was their weak link.  Not anymore. Content will be ‘encouraged’ to become advertising. Beth McCabe, in an article yesterday on ADOTA makes this very clear.  For the user, content is king.  The Timeline page offers bigger spaces for visual and content.  But gone is the hidden content.  No more big flashy ‘like’ incentives.   Brands will once again have to focus on paid advertising on Facebook to keep an edge on their competitors.  Content will be the draw.

“Facebook’s best performing ads will now all be linked to the power of good content – stuff that’s engaging, compelling and, to use their nomenclature, helps to tell a brand’s story. That means consistently sourcing great content, such as videos and images, and having community managers who know how to wrap it in compelling calls to action.”

I have to admit, I never thought Facebook would be the force that encouraged good content.  Granted your good content is geared towards making them money.  The key now is how prepared are you for this change?  Now is the time to take a good hard look at what is on your brands Facebook page.  Is your message clear?  Does your Facebook page speak to your customers?  Is it telling the story you want to be told?  If you are unsure on the answers to any of these questions, SAHMedia can help.

 

 

 

hootsuie owl

Hoots or Tweets?

Social media and social networking are all about getting YOU out there. The challenge for many social media users today is how best to juggle the many multiples you’s out there and do it in a coherent manner that makes sense to you and to your network.   Multiple personality disorders of the tech kind are an issue many of us face when dealing with multiple accounts on the various social networks.

Thank goodness for the sharp minds who quickly realized this and for Twitter users, developed Hootsuite and Tweetdeck. Both are free platforms. Both have their fans.  Myself, I prefer Hootsuite over Tweetdeck.  I like the interface better and the layout.  Tweetdeck feels a bit clunky to me when managing multiple accounts or streams.  Not to mention the white writing on black…what the hell people!

Why multiple accounts you ask?  Well for people like me who not only have more than one website that I want to network, I also manage other Twitter and Facebook accounts for individuals and also companies.   Hootsuite and Tweetdeck let me manage them easily on one page…from monitoring to scheduling tweets.

The free versions of both Hootsuite and Tweetdeck have lots of customizable options for you to use when setting things up to suit your needs.  The free Hootsuite allows you to have five social profiles or streams.  I upgraded to the Hootsuite Pro because I thought that being a “professional” social media gal I could use the extra analytics, reports and streams.

For $5.99 a month, I can’t complain too much.  Mind you, I have hardly used their analytical abilities and have instead been playing with sites like Sprout Social which have much to offer when it comes to USEFUL analytics.   That said, I have though run into a bit of an issue with Hootsuite and I can’t seem to get it resolved.   It isn’t a HUGE deal, but is annoying none the less.

One of my clients was already using Hootsuite before I began managing their social media account and already has a team member, thus using up their freebies.  Because of this I cannot access their account.  and thus cannot use Hootsuite to manage their Twitter stream.  Again, this is annoying in a first world problem sort of way, but nevertheless annoying for a professional attempting to manage multiple social media streams.

I have contacted Hootsuite support and been told that either my client or I need to upgrade so that the client can me make a team member.  I don’t think either of us want to pay $15 a month for this.   I have a feeling that their support and I are talking at cross purposes.

Here’s my bigger issue: With Hootsuite Pro you can have one team member assigned who can manage your accounts.  If you require more team members you have to pay $15 a month extra for each subsequent team player.  From where I see things paying two times more to addONEteam member seems a tad excessive to me and too rich for my blood.  Leaping from $6 bucks a month to $20 for one issue is a bit of a leap for me and probably for many people.  Worse still, after their inexpensive pro plan, the leap to the mystical Hootsuite Enterprise Plan is even further away.  Stratospherically far away, to an astonishing $1,499 a month! (Though apparently they give you a degree inHootsuiteUniversityor something.)

Right now I am working around the problem (for free).  I am concerned for the future because as a growing business, I can see this becoming a bigger issue as I manage more and more social media streams.  And, as a growing SMALL business, I don’t have the capital to be chucking a lot of money for too many of these ‘helpful’ social tools.  Like much in the world of social media, I find the need to constantly explore and reexamine the tools available.  This constant research is time consuming. and can put off people who are trying to be a part of and use social media for their own needs.

What I find with so many social media applications is that they are developed by people who are not fully immersed in the real world.   So much software doesn’t get tested out in practical business situations, especially for smaller business purposes, to see just how useful they really are.   Also,  the developers of many ‘free’ applications need to find means to monetize their program without losing followers and often lose sight of the common challenges facing their target audience of users.  We have gotten so used to free software and free applications, that our spoiled selves really do need some good salesmanship to convince us to actually (gasp) pay to use a product.

Still, it doesn’t stop me grumbling about things.

 

First published at Women in Biz Network.

Getting the Most out of Linkedin

I wrote this post for Women in Biz Network.  I have been trying to cover the various platforms and aspects of social media……

When I first signed up with Linkedin, I felt very stupid and very unworthy.   Here am I, a mere blogger with a pathetic resume….a resume that I really did NOT enjoy inputting into my Linkedin profile…put it all out there for people toSEE.  People who I thought I really should be trying to impress.  Needless to say, I did not do much with my Linkedin profile and it took me a while to see the benefits and best uses for the network.

Why the fear?  Linkedin is set up so you really do have to ASK to be connected to someone.  You can’t “connect” with someone you don’t know.  You HAVE to be introduced.  As soon as you click on that ‘I don’t know’ button, you are asked for an email – if you don’t know the person – how do you know their email?  This drives me nuts. For me, and many others, it kills the whole point of the network.  You can ‘INMAIL’ someone to ask to connect, but that service will cost you extra, and when starting out on networks, the majority of us prefer not paying until we know we like a network.  The having to know a person or having to be introduced via someone else you do know on Linkedin can defeat the whole purpose of business focused networking.

Suffice it to say, it takes a bit more finesse in building up your connections on Linkedin.  I used my Facebook and Twitter connections to build out Linkedin.  I focused on mostly local people who were involved in areas that I was interested in career wise.   My ‘in real life’ networking group made this job far easier.  Connecting with someone you have met at an event is like getting that golden ticket for Linkedin connection building.

What I have learned is that business focused networking is different from social networking.  Social networking can be used for business, but Linkedin works best when kept purely as a BUSINESS networking tool, in my opinion anyway.  Thus, I do not have my twitter stream on Linkedin.  This was trial and error for me.  I had to grow into the services available on Linkedin.  The more I was focused on career and networking building the better and more useful I have found it.

I have not been offered my dream job as of yet via Linkedin.  I do love their job boards.  Linkedin has helped me rethink and rejig my resume and reading other profiles gives me a great help in seeing how to market myself, my business and my skills.  My profile is something that I am constantly tweaking.  Getting to see how someone who IS in a position you crave or admire presents themselves online is a great teaching tool.

Another great feature is their groups. There are groups and lively discussions on almost any topic you can think about.  It pays to be a part of these discussions as this is precisely what builds those connections and enables you to find more people.  I have met potential speakers and people willing to share their knowledge on various topics I was interested in.  Networking equals knowledge.  Knowledge equals opportunities.

Their events page came in handy and for me really showed the power of the platform.  That and their ad network, however the ads can be pricey.   I posted the Women in Biz Vancouver event there and I did receive a fair bit of interest.  It definitely helped open up my marketing to a wider audience that was not just my own networking circle.

The more focused you are on your business and business networking, the better a social media tool Linkedin can be.  It is not another Twitter or Facebook.  While potential employers can find you anywhere online, the first thing they probably will look at is your Linked in profile.  Make sure that it projects the right image that you want to project to them.  Think about that when you are posting, think about that when you want to connect your Twitter stream or blog posts.  Do your personal blogs or tweets belong on your professional profile?  Do they match your professional image?  Linkedin takes a bit more care and upkeep than other social platforms.   I find it is best to treat it like business and the rest as fun.  Linkedin is work.  Twitter is afterwork with your coworkers for drinks.

 

 

 

Women in Biz Network

Over the summer, I had the pleasure of striking up a conversation with Leigh Mitchell the founder of the Women in Biz Network.  Women in Biz is a Toronto based network that offers their members various networking and enrichment opportunities both online and off.

I really liked Leigh’s passion for networking and community building and her idea that connecting women and the many women’s networking organizations out there is key to developing a strong basis for entrepreneurship.   When women work together. When we reach out and help another women…..it makes us all stronger and better, no matter our fields of interest.

Our conversation led to her ideas for Vancouver and she asked if I was interested in helping setting up a Women in Biz Network event here.  I said yes.

I am thrilled that I was able to help out with this project.  I will say right away, that I could not have done this without the power of networking. Because of the various organizations like Enterprising Moms Network and Momcafe and tools like Twitter and Facebook, I would never have been able to get such great speakers as we do.

On November 1st at the lovely Opus Hotel in Yaletown, we will have Rebecca Bollwitt of Miss604 fame and the equally amazing Heather White of Ghost CEO and 2020 Communications.   Rebecca is one of the most well known bloggers -about-town in Vancouver.    She has built up her Miss604 brand  and made it work for her and her business.   I follow her on Twitter and have met her at a few events.   In Vancouver, she is a social media mover and shaker.

I first heard Heather White speak at a Ghost CEO seminar.   Boy does she wake you up!  If she could bottle up and market the energy and passion she puts into business ownership, well we would perhaps all be as successful as she is.

For our event, I have asked them to speak about brand building.   Online and off, creating a strong marketable brand is key to building your business.  Social media networks are all about brands…be it your own or your businesses.    Creating an image that works in both mediums is key.    The ladies are going to focus on online brand building.

I do hope you all sign up!

This is an evening event….and we want to have fun.  We will have wine and appetizers and there is a rumor of swag bags too!!

 

Negative Branding

I was skimming through Twitter this am and spotted a little thread that had begun with someone stating their dislike of the term ‘Mompreneur.’ Like the term ‘Mommy Blogger,’ this expression is probably starting to outlive it uses and the positive effect may be getting overshadowed with the negative, which is what happened with the whole mom blogger debacle. Catchy cutesy titles do lose their luster fast.

Which is a shame, because they do start (mostly) with the best of intentions.

In my years of blogging and networking, first to find other moms and potential friends and then for more work related issues, having an identifier is what put in in the club so to speak. You were one of a group. You fit in.

I have found that women in business do things very differently from men. The image of a male entrepreneur is of some sort of pioneer heading valiantly out into unknown territory, unsupported and alone. Women are social creatures. We seek like minded individuals. Which is why organizations like Momcafe and Enterprising Moms are such huge successes.  We build confidence, support and buzz about our ventures with other ‘pioneering’ types.    Women are love networking.  This is also why social media has been the perfect medium for women and moms.

Unfortunately the ‘mom’ tagline has also been frowned upon.  For bloggers it meant you were family obsessed and had no sense of self other than in marketing your children to the world.  Other niche bloggers would turn their backs upon you for your frivolous focus and marketers looked at you as fresh meat.

Now for the mompreneur, while the term has created great opportunities for women to connect and support each other in their ventures, it can be a tad limiting and can (for some) promote a non professional image.

The twitter buzz was about how the women appear to not have a sense of self without the mom tagline.  I don’t think this is true at all.   Moms are moms…no matter what.  Mompreneurs are moms who have stepped slightly out of that role and taken on something new.

Moms who are in business or are creating their own businesses generate a lot of flack for this….why are they neglecting their children over something else?

Being a mom…stay at home, working mom, career track mom or entrepreneurial mom is really a no win situation.  You can’t impress everyone.

Picking the name SAMedia (Stay At Home Media) was probably a HUGE mistake for me.   The implication is that a stay at home mom  would have no other background, education or knowledge beyond mommyhood.  People forget that you were a person before you were a mom.    I worked in various businesses since high school.  I have a university degree.  I have professional interests.  I have knowledge and experience behind my blogging and social media abilities.  Yes, my family does shape those interests.    And that might be the key difference between a ‘mompreneur’ and an entrepreneur.  Many women create their own businesses out of pure necessity because working for someone else is not going to fit their families needs.   Commitment to family, childcare costs, building a better lifestyle are all key to what makes a mere mom take the leap into business ownership.

Mompreneurship can be more complicated then.  We are the ULTIMATE multitaskers.   We juggle many balls at the same time.   It does not make us any less professional, any less capable.

It does not necessarily mean that all we can handle is mom related issues.     The majority of the freelancers I know who are also moms (including myself) can write on any topic we are presented with.   Hence my social media project for a gold mining company.   A project I have enjoyed.

Women who are moms who are also entrepreneurs identify themselves as such because then they are able to networking and communicate with other women who struggle with the same issues.  Who perhaps will be a tad more sympathetic to dealing with the stereotypes and the obstacles in front of them.

Sadly, that identifier seems to be one of the key obstacles now.

Influencing the Infuencers…

With some wine and cheese!

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Christine Pilkington of Vancouvermom.ca with the logistics surrounding her 2nd annual Top 30 Mom Bloggers celebration on May 19th.   I have an event planning background (yes I can help with that too!) and so was ready to jump in and do what I could to help make the evening a success.

And success it was.   We had amazing sponsors and amazing mom bloggers as our guests and the two mixed and laughed and connected.

Social media marketing is all about mixing real life with online life.  It is about community.  It is about a back and forth dialogue, not shouting the virtues of your products or services to the world.

Platforms like Twitter require developing relationships with the followers who, when you are a business, are also your customers.

Thus when sites like Vancouvermom host Top 30 Mom Blogger events it is the savvy sponsors that respond.    The celebratory party on May 19th was filled with the newest Top 30 Mom Bloggers and many from the 2010 list.   The guests loved their door prizes and goody bags and the attending sponsors loved the chance to talk one on one with some of Vancouver’s influencer’s.

The savvy marketers understand that a target blogger isn’t necessarily the BIGGEST blogger with the largest following, page views, etc.  A good target blogger is one who is PART of a greater influential group.  Someone who has built a large social circle around her online life.    A good target blogger is one who understands and enjoys their cyber relationships.

Building a relationship with a connected blogger is more important (in my opinion) than building a relationship with a top tier blogger.

A successful party like the Vancouvermom event proves it.

 

Big Business Sees the Power of the ‘Mom Blogger’

Mom Blogging is the ultimate in networking and community building. Corporations, and PR companies saw this rather quickly and swooped down.  Thus the mom ‘review’ blogger was born.

I am currently working with a PR firm that’s slogan is ‘Influencing the Influencers.’  That is what it is all about.  Mom bloggers and review bloggers have networks and communities of people who trust what they have to say.

Mommy Perks does an amazing job explaining the power of social media based on the these ‘influencers.’  Social Media is about finding your market and becoming PART of it.   Not preaching TO it.  Not SELLING to it…but making people aware enough in a positive way so that your brand name and product or service is what is forefront on their minds.

For example.  The other day my husband was upset that he had lost a coupon for Banana Republic…one of his favorite stores.  I went on Twitter and asked if anyone had any online coupons…and bingo…people on my Twitter Feed came forward with a variety of choices.   Social Networking helping out and making sure Banana Republic didn’t lose a customer and a sale.

Another great example of corporations using Twitter was when I was asking about the quickest place that I could get passport photos for my kids.   London Drugs tweeted me about their hours of service.  That was where I went.

Hallmark Canada is working with Crunchy Carpets at the moment in a purely brand awareness campaign.  I share my thoughts and the kids thoughts on the variety of Hallmark products, share links and the images.

The Disney Store asked some of us local bloggers to a sneak preview of the newly re-launched Disney Store at Metrotown in Burnaby.  I was told by readers of my blog that it was because of my post alone that they decided to go check it out.

Disney Cruise Lines has asked Crunchy Carpets to travel on the Disney Wonder on it’s journey from Vancouver to Alaska in May.   Again, to share my experiences with this incredible brand that from what I have seen is very conscious of building relationships with the influencer’s.

Brand awareness doesn’t have to include giveaways and reviews.  Advertising on blogs costs the fraction of the price it does in main stream media.

Because of the experience that both Crunchy Carpets and A Lot of Loves has with our blogs and social networking, we feel that we can truly help out any business – small or large – to build strong community and relationships online, through blogging, SEO, Twitter, etc.