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The Social Engagement Operative, Northey Avenue, Red Deer, AB (2026)

11/25/2022

As a leader, if you want things to get done, I believe there are 3 key fundamentals to productivity:

1) Recruit, Hire, Train, Follow-up and measure competency/ability early. You will find those requiring the least oversight the easiest to manage.
2) Answer questions and act as a resource to enable those hires to get the answers they need, should you not be able to provide them.
3) LEAVE. THEM. THE. F**K. ALONE. TO. DO. THEIR. JOB!
4) Read the above ^^^ again and memorize it! Did you save it in your memory bank? If no, repeat steps 3-4 again.

Bad management, which consists almost exclusively of micromanagers are almost, if not exclusively the reason that top-tier talent leaves a company!

05/30/2019

In my days as an upstart marketer when I had stars in my eyes and glory on my mind: my first position that I took mostly for "experience" my new boss told me to never be afraid to give feedback. The next Monday morning in a meeting, I happily shared my viewpoint on a new policy. Thereafter, I noticed my boss's disposition towards me changed. He stopped talking to me. I was shunned. I even felt the effects of this in my monthly performance appraisal, where he noted, I was not supportive of the organization, and I needed to be a better team player. The picture was quite clear - truthful feedback was not appreciated.

A co-worker approached me and said, "You are new, honest feedback is just lip service, don't fall for it." I quickly learned loyalists and sycophants were appreciated, while realists were punished. They built a culture of "yes employees." I knew I had so much to offer, yet I couldn't. Six months later, my boss was fired. He made a mistake on a proposal that cost the company its biggest client. This could have been easily avoided if he had just asked for honest input.

Listening is the most powerful skill a leader can master but it requires humility.
Your employees are your most valuable asset. Don't take your employees for granted or treat them poorly. They use your internal tools and systems and interact with customers. They are your best brand ambassadors. Loyalty is a two-way street. You can't buy loyalty, but you can certainly foster and nurture it. Employees who have been pushed to the point where they no longer care, will not go the extra mile. They will not take the initiative to solve problems. They will end up treating customers the same way you treat them. Employees are the heart beat of the company. And if the heart stops beating...What will happen?

" Leaders who don't listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say." Titans like Blackberry, Kodak and Nokia have paid the price for leaders who refused to listen. Their leaders operated in a bubble and engaged in group think. I've heard managers complain that “my employees won't speak up.” Instead of labeling them as bad or disloyal employees, these same managers should maybe look in the mirror and ask how those people ended up that way.

Research suggests you need to praise at least three times as much as you criticize to keep employees happy. Instead of being quick to criticize, be quick to point out some of the great things you see your employees doing. This will not only reinforce these positive actions with the employees that performed them but also encourage other employees to do the same.

As a leader, your job is to encourage others around you to be open and honest without a negative consequence. When employees offer their ideas and differing opinions - be open-minded. Companies that remain strong in this competitive market, understand the need to embrace change and continuous improvement. More than ever, leaders will need to master the skill of “Lead with Listening.” The success of your business depends on it!

09/26/2017

Marketing advocates have been quick to sound the death knell for traditional SEO in light of recent updates (and full-on algorithm switch-outs) from Google.

Arguably they have good grounds to make such dramatic claims. In its constant battle to have its search bots behave more like humans, the Google has moved away from rewarding those who tick the boxes on technical elements and instead places a growing emphasis on social signals and quality content.

Personally I'm of the opinion that although SEO is here to stay, its evolution will lean toward the more traditional practice of public relations (PR) in the coming years. In this post I'll try to…

1) Back up this claim by looking at industry statistics

2)Put forward a case as to why PR can be highly complementary to SEO

And, 3) above all, offer some suggestions about how marketers can capitalize on this trend

As I noted, Google wants its robots to behave more like a human when displaying search results. The general consensus among the experts is that more em,phasis is being placed on factors such as inbound links and Google +1s. The way that personalized results are being rolled out to users, and the introduction of Authorship, are further indications of that trend.

Similarly, the changes are aptly summed up in the recently revised guidance on how webmasters can improve the ranking of their websites: "In summary, webmasters can improve the rank of their sites by creating high-quality sites that users will want to use and share."

And that's exactly where PR excels. Once you have the technical elements down, the focus switches to consistently producing valuable, shareable content that appeals to your key audiences—a task that traditional Digital PR agencies have a ton of experience in.

Don't only take my word for it. In the UK, marketers are allocating more and more resources into bolstering the online profile of their brands via PR. For example:

The Public Relations Consultants Association found that 72% of PR agencies were offering SEO services in 2013.

The most in-demand digital PR services were content creation, outreaching/engaging with consumers, and social networking strategy.

More than 60% of agencies have increased their digital marketing budgets, with a particular focus on monitoring, SEO, content creation, and PPC/online advertising.

Comparing this with 12 months prior, agency revenues from digital sources have increased significantly.

Businesses everywhere are increasingly devoting resources to social media; though most of them are keeping this activity in-house, a compelling number are splitting responsibility for social media with an agency or are completely outsourcing altogether

There's also growing confidence in the ROI gained from social media, with levels nearly matching those of traditional PR activities.

Why Public Relations?

One oft-quoted anecdote about the difference between marketing and PR goes something like this:

"You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: 'I am very rich. Marry me!' That's direct marketing.

"You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: 'He's very rich. Marry him.' That's advertising.

"You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door (of the car) for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her ride, and then say: 'Will you Marry Me?' That's public relations."

As this clumsy metaphor demonstrates, traditional PR activities are all about emphasizing the interesting aspects of a business and creating a profile that positions it as a trusted authority in its field and provokes both recognition and trust among targeteted audiences.

Unlike an agency or in-house team focused exclusively on search, social, advertising, or marketing, PR can encompass all of those disciplines, taking a holistic view of a brand's profile and crafting a multi channel campaign designed to stimulate positive influence.

Creating content people want to use and share is a given with PR. Activities such as media relations, events, crafting corporate communications, and even drafting press releases with a view to attracting as much media coverage as possible stand as analog versions of modern digital public relations tactics such as blogger outreach, guest posts, and social media networking.

Traditional PR activities map extremely well to digital marketing activities, giving a brand or business something to talk about on the Web and the means to attract coverage in offline as well as online publications.

Google now frowns on aggressive link building or widespread guest posting campaigns that intend to manipulate page rank.Fortunately holistic methods allow companies to earn high-quality coverage from reputable, relevant news sites—many of which happen to have great domain authority and other favorable link building qualities, this enables sites to ethically gain inbound links while simultaneously bolstering their profile.

Now that we've established just what PR can bring to the digital marketing table, what are the best ways for marketers to put the methodology of public relations to use in the online arena?

1. Offline and online activity complement each other

Content creation is one of the key struggles for businesses branching out into the world of digital. However, by ensuring that offline and online activities complement one another brands can ensure they have plenty to talk about via both channels.

Live-tweeting and sharing goings-on from relevant networking events, industry conferences, and speaking opportunities should be your bread and butter approach to raising your profile within your community, as well as helping you look like you've got your finger on the pulse of your sector.

On the flip side, if you've already secured a guest spot in a relevant print, TV, radio editorial, or speaking event—be sure to capitalize on it via your online assets.

2. Bolster your media relations

PR has long been about quality over quantity. Agencies and individuals are often hired and fired based on their reach within relevant press circles. Digital marketers should attempt to emulate PR practices with a view to building long-term relationships with offline and online publications, bloggers, and journalists that can provide valuable sources of coverage time and again.

However, don't succumb to the temptation to revert to the fire-and-forget methods of days gone by... and so abuse these relationships. Get to know the assets in question, what they'll be interested in, and what they avoid like the plague. In short, be useful to them, and they'll reciprocate in spades.

3. Make the most of your content

By using your site as a hub for quality content relevant to your industry and offering insightful comment on pressing issues, you have the potential to attract social shares, online coverage, and guest-posting opportunities on relevant sites (which will generate more of those precious inbound links).

But the fun doesn't stop there. Promoting your quality on-site content can get you noticed by the people who matter, leading to the possibility of print coverage and participation in real-world interviews, editorials, and events—not to mention the prospect of new business from parties you've attracted through blogs, whitepapers, videos, and the like.

PR itself can also have a direct impact on traffic to your site. HubSpot's Lindsey Kirchoff claims that the company always sees a spike in branded traffic following a concerted campaign. So, in addition to promoting your events online, make sure you're trumpeting your online presence when engaging in real-world activities.

4. Join relevant industry communities and discussions

And if they don't exist yet, get them started. Platforms such as LinkedIn and Google+ are among the best tools for finding and developing relevant communities; they also offer you a chance to showcase your expertise to those looking for advice or guidance.

PR is in no way a silver bullet for your SEO woes, or your lack of social media profiles. As with any sustained marketing effort it takes hard work, collaboration, and regular review to realize a successful PR campaign.

However, savvy digital marketers who use the methodologies of public relations in a sustained and strategic manner across the board can reap a potential world of benefits.

02/28/2017

A Level Playing Field

The way communication has changed is another facet of the digital marketing age. Digital marketing channels are now more level than ever before. Due to the way customer behaviors have shifted, it’s now easier than ever to hit your target audience.

In many ways, the value of a big brand name has diminished somewhat. You will not create a sales spike by virtue of being a big company. Smaller companies have just as much power as you do in making themselves into success stories.

Digital marketing channels provide as much coverage to smaller companies as they do to established brands.

In today’s world of big box stores that have millions of dollars in advertising budgets, advertising as a small business may seem overwhelming. Traditional advertising prices have increased considerably and it is difficult to level the playing field.
Except for, of course, on the internet.

In the world of digital marketing you can level the playing field and advertise to your ideal audience, curbing wasted ad spend. You have the capability to be found on the first search page of search engines and found in social media news feeds. Your website can be optimized for all screens so your customers can interact with it on a regular basis from their phone, tablet, or desktop no matter where they are. You can showcase your products and services and use positive reviews to help drive customers into your business. You can even interact one on one with consumers and build a fan-base of loyal customers on social media.

If you don’t have any kind of digital marketing strategy in today’s digital world, you are behind the times. When consumers search for you they may not be able to find you or they may perceive your website as out-dated and therefore your business as out-dated.

You may be wondering, “If I don’t have a digital marketing strategy, how can I fix this?”
When you work with SEO we can help you build a digital marketing strategy that works for your business and products. We offer:

Website Development
Customer eCommerce Website Development
Search Engine Optimization
Social Media Management
Database Marketing
Local Listings
Pay Per Click

If you use all of these you have the capability to be at the top of your industry in your area. You can have a website that is customized to you and your business, driven to the top of Google and Bing searches by SEO and Local Listings, ads seen on Pay Per Click in Google and Bing, emails sent to potential customers, and a loyal fan-base on social media.

Now the playing field is level, and you can grow with your own organic reach instead of having to compete with large corporations!

01/28/2017

The world is changing. Our ideals around how we operate our businesses must also change. My desire to build a business that not only attracts top tier talent, but motivates that talent to perform to their very best operates around these basic principles. Inspire others through action not words. If you are feeling the need to constantly micro manage your business partners it is because they are not in an environment that is stimulating them to succeed. They are punching a clock to get a paycheque. When people invest so much of their personal time into a career it should inspire them to grow and contribute. If you need to crack the whip to get a response the first place you should look is to your hiring practices and your personal management style. Thank you Kirwin Rae for this reminder.

11/28/2016

When you think about YouTube as much as I, you start to notice patterns. The latest pattern is pretty obvious, and you can observe it happening right before your eyes! YouTube as we know it is DYING!

Here's the problem with YouTube, it’s in a downward trend compared to Facebook’s 4+ billion daily video streams; A number that’s only going to continue to grow with time.
Due to its sheer size, there’s a ton of competition among videos on YouTube all fighting to be seen. When you have a platform with over a billion users, all wanting exposure, it’s going to get NOISY. And it’s been figured out. MARKETERS HAVE RUINED IT. Because of that, it’s much harder to pe*****te the noise which makes hosting your content on that platform much less valuable.
Additionally, it doesn’t have the capabilities of other growing video platforms, and so far, they haven’t shown signs of catching up.

“So, what exactly are those capabilities other platforms have?” you might ask.
Well, here’s the big one: data. Data data data. And the leader in that domain is, without a doubt, Facebook. VIDEO ON FACEBOOK IS GOOD AT EVERYTHING!

Facebook video for branding has become the best way to reach fans at scale. Couple that with their new video ad products for sales and direct response and the fact that they’re the greatest data company of all time for marketers and you have some serious reasons to spend some money on video ads and video content for Facebook.

Think about it for a second. If you’re creating video content for YouTube, and not putting those videos onto Facebook as well, your brand or business is losing distribution – not to mention relevancy. No questions asked. And I don’t mean cross channel promoting by pasting a link to YouTube on your page as a status update. I mean uploading the video natively to Facebook, so that it thrives in your page’s video content. Why? Because right now , Facebook’s Newsfeed algorithm is placing an enormous amount of weight on videos, otherwise known as “reach.” When you upload videos natively, instead of linking out, you have a much higher chance of your video being seen by your community and new fans. Google and Facebook are competitors, so if you think Facebook wants to have YouTube links perform well in their Newsfeed algorithm, you better think again.

09/20/2016

You're searching to hire a search engine optimization (SEO) firm to provide digital marketing services for your company. You did a search on Google, Bing, Yahoo for [your geographic location] + seo and got a list of "over 9000" SEO firms. You start contacting the firms starting with the top ranked firm. To all appearances that guy at the top obviously knows what he’s doing. And when you contact the firms they all tell you exactly the same thing, or as a client once told me, “SEO must surely be the greatest con ever. Explain to me how every Internet Marketer on the planet can promise every client to get them onto the first page of a Google organic search?” The answer is that some can follow through and others can’t. But if that’s the case, how do you figure out which SEO firm to hire? [Full Disclosure: I'm the owner of an SEO firm and biased in my opinions of what "the right kind of SEO firm" is.]

Let’s clarify some of your misconceptions about SEO firms. If you find yourself thinking any of these subsequent statements, question your preconceived notions.

“This firm ranks #1 for searches related to SEO in my geographic area, they must know what they’re doing.” I’m going to let you in on some classified information. My adversary showed up first in Google for “red deer seo” for several years, but it’s not because they're the best SEO firm in Red Deer. It’s because they were one of the first SEO firms in Red Deer, they have an old domain that’s been in use since 1996, and because they did a unmistakably decent job on SEO. But nothing more outstanding than 50 other firms targeting the same keywords [Yes, I'm talking about you Yellow Pages]. Fortunately for them, it appears Google put a lot of weight on those first two factors.

“This SEO firm has a nice website, they’d be good to work with.” A nice-looking website does not make a good SEO firm. If you’re looking to hire an SEO firm that can also take care of designing your new website, then yes, you should probably consider how good their own website looks. But if you’re only looking for top-notch SEO, some of the best firms have websites that are downright bloody awful.

“This company has a lot of employees and is making a lot of money, they obviously know what they’re doing.” Admittedly that firm is great at something, but it potentially has very little to do with SEO. They potentially know how to form the right kinds of partnerships, a skill that may not correlate to SEO success for their clients. The best “SEO firm” for you might not be much of a firm. Bigger is not always better. The right SEO firm for you might be a guy working from his basement. Or it might indeed be the international SEO firm with 500 employees. Don’t write either one off automatically.

Would you hire a labourer because he looks good, speaks well, or has worked for a lot of companies? Do these traits have anything to do with the job of being a labourer? Likewise, you need to look beyond the superficial to hire the right SEO firm. Here's how:

Decide what you need. Do you need reputation management, link removal, link building, a one time SEO audit, ongoing SEO, PPC management, retargeting, content marketing, or one of the other services SEO firms frequently offer? If you’re unsure what you need, start by figuring out the job to be done, this will save many hours of wasted time and effort. Are you wanting to grow sales by 15% over the next 12 months, or leads by 60% over the next six months? Is your goal increased search rankings, or do you want to placate the boss by telling him someone is working on SEO and then checking this bothersome item off your to-do list? Make sure to have a goal in mind by which you will benchmark the success of your engagement with your SEO firm, and make that goal the focus of your dialogue with them. If you can’t measure how successful your SEO efforts are, you’re very unlikely to be successful with them.

Once you've hashed out what you want, setup a meeting with an SEO firm, in person or by phone or SKYPE, that seems reasonably qualified and ask them to help you figure out what you need to do. Ordinarily SEO firms will enthusiastically offer a free consultation, because they know they have a chance to impress you and win your business. This time will let you feel out the firm and the people whom you’ll be working with. By the end of the consultation, which theoretically can take a few days if the SEO firm needs to do research on your website and industry, you should receive a proposal with the services you need and pricing for them. Afterwards, unless you’re in a time crunch and love the first firm you’ve met with, go do the same thing with one or two other firms so you have a basis for comparison.

DO NOT advertise this. When you divulge to an SEO firm that you will be "shopping around,” or “talking to other firms,” this doesn’t make them compete harder for your business, it may make them compete less. This is especially true of some of the best SEO firms, where clients are seeking to work with them rather than the SEO firm seeking to work with that client.

Make them tell you stories! A good SEO firm executes tactically. A great SEO firm does that, but is highly creative as well, and creative people tell great stories. Stories also allow you to get a truer vision of what the SEO firm is all about. Case studies and references are like looking up someone’s LinkedIn profile. You should do that before hiring an employee, but you wouldn’t hire someone based exclusively on their LinkedIn profile. You’d also want to hear them tell you stories about their background, experience, and successes. But even more importantly their failures! In my line of work many a mistake has been made but it is a key cost to doing business. Measuring the success of a campaign and adapting it to the constantly changing environment is what defines a successful SEO strategist. Ask the SEO firm how they were founded, what their best client experience was, what their worst client experience was and how they handled it, and how they’ve improved over the years. Despite having made up your mind after following the first three tips, as you listen to stories you may completely change your opinion.

Setting SMART goals, getting competitive bids, examining predictors of the future, and listening to stories–that’s how you ensure you’ll hire the right SEO firm. Are there exceptions? Sure. At my own firm we’re terrible at producing formal case studies. We’re busy doing the work that produces results for our clients, and although we know we should have the case studies, somehow they aren't our highest priority. And I know of some firms that I wouldn’t hire myself nor would I recommend them to anyone else, and yet they have great looking case studies. In both cases listening to stories is the best way to better see the reality behind the company.

08/23/2016

Keywords do not need to be repeated verbatim throughout a piece of content. In a headline, in particular, you want to use a keyword (or keywords) in a way that makes the most sense to your audience. The goal should be to write a stellar headline (somewhere between 4-9 words) that clearly explains what a piece of content is about.

Nothing is more of a buzzkill than having a headline that’s awkwardly framed around one keyword phrase or, worse, that forcibly repeats a keyword phrase.

This rule applies not only to headlines, but also the content on the page: the goal should be to inform the reader, not to inform the search engines.

Don’t waste your time trying to find the perfect couple of keywords to use on your site over and over. First of all, Google hates it when you over-optimize for machines.

Secondly, searches will use a vast mix of words and phrases to find what they’re looking for. The content on your site should be varied enough to meet that search criteria while still sticking to one overarching theme.

08/22/2016

Social media is one of the most volatile tools at a brand's disposal. On one hand it is an open platform allowing for direct engagement the likes of which we have never seen before. However on the flip side of the coin it is an over-saturated platform full of constant noise that can be difficult to infiltrate. The mission is to build a loyal fan base that is part of a circular community within social media. You want to foster a sense of belonging that engages your audience, bringing them back again and again. While direct interaction is one way of doing that, it should be combined with another tactic, namely a content strategy.

The Power Of Content

Whether you like the buzzword or not, content is imperative. It is what you impart to your patrons in return for their support and interest. It is a way to impart information and entertain. But most of all, it is the most consistent and fail-proof method of building a brand, not only in substance, but in authority. Social media content isn't actually a different animal to what you would find elsewhere. It is just another genus of the same species, a form of equally valuable content optimized for social sharing. You can create an unstoppable social media content strategy in five basic steps.

Step 1. Establish your audience.

I don't mean you should set about building your audience, that is what a social media content strategy is for in the first place. I am referring to establishing who the target audience is, and what they desire. How can you create remarkable social content if you don't know your audience? Target audience research is most likely part of your overall digital marketing strategy, so you can get some insights from the website analytics software you are using (Google Analytics is probably the most widespread). Those insights will include basic demographics, acquisition channels, and content preferences. There are also social-media focused tools that will give you more information:

Birdsong Analytics (http://www.birdsonganalytics.com/) provides an in-depth analysis of your competitor's page showing which content has been the most successful for them, which days of the week and time of the day trigger most interactions, which words are the most common in their posts and much more.

Buzz Sumo (http://buzzsumo.com/) lets you compare pages and get insights into how their updates are being received by their fans.

Fanpage Karma (http://www.fanpagekarma.com/) allows you to identify your competitor's most engaged social media followers.

Step 2. Invest in some (social) keyword research.

Keyword research is going to optimize your content. Social keyword research is a more specified form of research that will give you a good foundation for captivating your social followers (or potential followers). I prefer a tool like Hootsuite for this, as it is a quick way to see what is regularly updating, and what is engaging. Of course, you can also just do a search on Twitter, Facebook, or your other chosen network to see which context your core terms usually appear. If you want a cheap alternative that will give you plenty of widgets to play with, including customization features, you can check out Cyfe. They have some great social researching tools to use. For example, you can import, archive and analyze Twitter search results for any keyword or hashtag. Serpstat is another must have tool here. One of its free features allows you to find all various questions your target users tend to search for when it comes to your core term. This is great information giving you tons of content inspiration to address your audiences specific needs.

Step 3. Begin testing networks to focus.

Previously I would recommend people only focus on one or two social networks when they are building a campaign. That isn't really the rule anymore, as most brands have expanded beyond a single platform. For a smaller brand that doesn't have a team at their disposal it is more likely that they will have multiple pages, but only really target one for major social growth. With that in mind, I would like to amend my past advice. Set up several social media profiles, and put equal effort into each one (in the beginning). Define which yield the best results, testing out multiple forms of social content and tactics along the way. This is kind of like an A/B test, but slightly less straightforward. You won't necessarily get rid of the under-performing networks, as you would with a design or feature. You will just discover what form of content and use works for each one, and then use the one that works best. So really, you are setting up several social media content campaigns individualized for the followers on each platform. This has the added benefit of allowing you to use each network for something which it is best-suited.

Step 4. Develop a content calendar.

Once you know what goes on which platform, and who you are writing for, you should have a good idea of what content to plan for. I am an advocate for having an editorial calendar for every piece of work drafted, or that will be drafted in the future. Incorporating a social element into that calendar is a great idea. It will turn an incomplete strategy into one that is completely integrated. Here are some ideas to include in your social media calendar:

Monthly holidays (including personal / unofficial holidays)
Big entertaining or business events (especially those specific to your niche)
Festivals, upcoming big movie releases and concerts (Find memes to cross-relate to your niche and gain attentions for exploiting long-awaited events)
Your company plans and events (birthdays, anniversaries, company trips, etc)

Step 5. Double-check your site performance.

There's nothing worse than spending days planning a social media campaign and then watch your users land on a broken or problematic page. This is what too many viral content campaigns have ended up looking like. The beauty of having a social media calendar is that you can actually anticipate more traffic coming in, so do your due diligence to let your tech team know your plans and make sure they are properly prepared.

The Social Engagement Operative

11/25/2022

05/30/2019

09/26/2017

02/28/2017

01/28/2017

11/28/2016

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