Category: Blog
McDonald's Launches Social Media Site To Answer Customer's Food Questions
If you’ve ever wanted to ask McDonald’s a question about their food, now is your chance! The fast-food giant has just launched a social media based site that allows people to connect through Facebook or Twitter and post their question publicly on the site. Each question shows details including the person’s photo, their location and once the question has been responded to by McDonald’s, the answer is easily accessible. If the question has yet to be answered, you have the option to “follow” it so you can be notified when the answer is provided.
There have been a lot of questions about the quality and cut of beef they use for their burgers, some questions about their eggs, size portions etc. Some questions are answered with videos or photos and others with just a simple paragraph of text that, fortunately, doesn’t read like an automated bot.
So far we’re really impressed with the speedy response time and the overall look and feel of this new site. Seeing a big brand like McDonald’s integrate social media into a project like this is exciting. It’s always great to see companies using social media to help solve different problems or gaps in their marketing campaign. This is an instance where other mediums simply could not offer what social media brings to the table. Check it out if you get a chance and let us know what you think. Would you like to see more companies using a social media based Q&A service?
Are You A Facebook Power User?
We all like to think that our lives revolve around Facebook. We aren’t afraid to brag about the time we spend each day sending friend requests, uploading photos, tagging friends and updating statuses but can you really consider yourself a Facebook power user?
20-30% of Facebook’s total population of users are considered power users and the infographic below provided by DemandForce provides some insight into what being a power user is all about. Keep in mind that a power user doesn’t necessarily mean you’re good at everything. In fact, only 5% of Facebook users excel in four or more of the core Facebook actions. For this reason, power users tend to be great at a single, basic Facebook activity such as commenting on other’s posts or pressing the like button.
Check out the infographic below to find out if you can call yourself a Facebook power user!
The Startup Windsor Scavenger Hunt Begins
It’s official Windsor-Essex, the Startup Windsor Scavenger Hunt has begun and I don’t think we could have asked for better weather to kick it off! If you’ve already registered you can start playing the game right away. Just visit the Startup Windsor website and log in to view the “Play The Game” page and see all the challenges. If you’ve yet to register, you can still do so here.
With 100 locations across Windsor-Essex, we’ve got a great mix of photo challenges that are sure to get everyone excited about exploring their city. It’s completely free to play and you have a chance to win some great prizes including cash, an Android tablet, local products, gift cards, festival tickets and much more.
We’ve already had a few photo submissions so it looks like the competition is going to be intense! Get out there and start snapping photos and earning points for your chance to win!
Happy Hunting Windsor-Essex!
Are You Ready To Join The Hunt?
This morning the Startup Windsor website was launched and we are proud to announce that we, alongside Accent Media, iDream Interactive and WEtech Alliance, are inviting the community to participate in a city-wide scavenger hunt from May 14th-May20th that will have them snapping and submitting photos for a chance to win one of three top prizes!
If you want to play the game you can register online at www.startupwindsor.ca. It’s completely free and it’s a great way to become more familiar with your city! With over 100 locations across Windsor-Essex, there are a variety of challenges that will have participants using every ounce of creativity they can muster up. Points are awarded based on the difficulty of the challenge and participants have one week to complete as many they can to secure a top spot in the rankings.
Businesses of all kinds stepped up to support our initiative and everyone was so excited to see an activity like this taking shape in our community. Thanks to our generous sponsors we have three grand prizes worth a total of $1400! To see the full breakdown of prizes and sponsors please visit the Prizes page on our website.
So Windsor-Essex, are you ready to join the hunt?
Startup Canada Takes Over Windsor-Essex!
Just a short while ago we were approached by WETech Alliance to participate in an exciting opportunity with Startup Canada, an entrepreneurial-led movement that is taking Canada by storm. Naturally we were excited to volunteer our time and services to a cause so close to home. We’ve always known that Windsor-Essex has some amazing businesses that are locally owned and operated. Some are new and innovative while others have stood the test of time celebrating over 15, 25 or 50 years of service in the area! Regardless of what they do or how long they’ve been doing it for, the fact of the matter is that entrepreneurs have a contagious spirit about them, one that defies convention and pushes the community forward. They challenge themselves on a daily basis and their passion and drive for all they do is unmatched. It’s for this reason that we, as fellow entrepreneurs, are honored to take part in Startup Canada and help Windsor-Essex celebrate something that most of us overlook on a daily basis; the businesses that make our city as unique and amazing as it is.
Regardless of what you do, where you work or where you live, we’re inviting you to celebrate with us this May. Check out the whole list of events below and be sure to clear your schedule, we’d love to see you there! Please visit Startup Canada and click on Windsor for a full list of activities/events.
More details about our secret “hunt” will be coming soon! Stay tuned to our blog, Facebook and Twitter for more information in the coming weeks. Visit Startup Windsor for more information on the hunt and all other Windsor events.
May 14th
Join The Hunt to support your city and win some awesome
prizes! Registration begins May 1st online at Startup Windsor
May 22nd
Startup Canada Windsor Kickoff
8:30am-10:00pm
University Of Windsor
May 22nd
Lunch With A Guru: Saul Colt
12:00pm-2:00pm
Caesars Windsor – The Vu Bar
May 22nd
Windsor Entrepreneur Spotlights
2:00pm-4:00pm (closed event)
May 22nd
Windsor Startup Canada Town Hall
6:00pm-8:30pm
Walkerville Brewery
May 23rd
Startup Canada Breakfast & Town Hall Recap
9:30am-11:00am
The House – Rino’s Kitchen
May 23rd
Entrepreneur Show & Tell
11:00am-12:50pm
The Downtown Windsor Business Accelerator
Top Ten Ways Restaurants Can Leverage Social Media For Success
The restaurant business can be extremely competitive so leveraging social media is imperative to stay one step ahead. When it comes down to it, restaurants using social media are receiving much more than monetary gain. As a restaurant, your business revolves around an extended interaction with customers. You’re providing a service as well as a product and fine-tuning this experience takes more than a dose of “practice makes perfect”. It’s important to remember that although social media takes time to turn non-revenue producing activities into revenue producing activities, it can and does happen!
Consider the following ways in which social media can help you effectively maximize your time, effort and resources:
1. Gain insight and gather feedback on menu items, events and service
2. Promote specials and events
3. Encourage new customers to try your restaurant by offering exclusive discounts or specials
4. Monitor your online reputation and provide complaint resolutions in real time
5. Using employees as brand ambassadors to create awareness
6. Keeping the community and customers informed about new projects (remodels, new locations etc)
7. Finding new employees
8. Having a direct conversation with your current customers and potentially reaching new customers
9. Sharing information such as contests or giveaways to increase foot traffic and generate excitement
10. Using social media to connect with your franchises (if applicable) to create an online support community
People go out to eat and drink at restaurants to interact and be social. Those who enjoy this concept are bound to enjoy the interactivity that social media offers as well. There are many different ways to leverage social media but there is no doubt that overlooking its potential for the restaurant industry is a mistake. It will take time and effort, like most marketing initiatives, but it’s possible and it can be done successfully if the proper steps are taken to strategize.
Open Up Your World With Social Discovery Apps
We are surrounded by people we don’t know on a daily basis, but what if those ‘strangers’ really aren’t as unfamiliar as we thought? A new breed of apps, categorized as “social discovery’ or ‘ambient awareness’ apps, has been generating a lot of interest. These apps enable you to connect with people based on your current location, relationships and/or common interests.
Apps such as Highlight, Sonar, Glancee, Banjo and Kismet work across social networks by combining check-ins and geotracking with social media platforms like Facebook to provide profile information of people within a close proximity. Keeping in mind that all apps work slightly different than one another, their main objective is to connect you with people based on location, relationships and similarities. Depending on the app used, locations are tracked either by the app itself (using gps tracking) or through check-ins and status updates. When a connection and/or friend is close by or within a set perimeter, your app will notify you with a ping or alert. You are then able to view their profile and connect with them through the app.
Let’s say I stop at my local coffee shop and check-in. My app will notify me if a friend, connection or someone with similar interests is at the same coffee shop or within the area. Let’s just say a classmate of mine is at that same coffee shop, my app will ping me with a notification that they are at the same location as me. This information is retrieved based on their check-in (Ex: Foursquare) and their profile relation to me (Ex: Facebook friends). I can then choose to engage in conversation with them via the app or find them and strike up a conversation in person.
What are the benefits for users?
1. Tells you what your relationship is with someone at the same location, event or check-in spot (ex: you follow them on Twitter, you have a mutual Facebook friend, etc)
2. Helps you find like-minded people to connect with at the same location, event or check-in spot (ex: you both like a certain band, or both share the same religious beliefs, etc)
3. It’s a virtual venue to meet and engage with people similar to you
The current debate is whether or not these apps will catch on or become accepted by social media and smart phone users. Some people may not be ready to accept this new form of locating, meeting and engaging with strangers. The other factor to consider is the issue with safety or security. Is an app of this nature safe for people to opt-in to and is it invading your privacy? We assume only time will tell as the app grows in use and popularity. Will you be checking out social discovery apps?
How To Leverage Facebook Timeline For Businesses
When we first caught a glimpse of Facebook’s Timeline layout for business pages, we were immediately excited about the new opportunities this layout would bring for brands and businesses of all sizes. While there are some big changes in terms of functionality, there is no reason to worry. Be one of the first businesses to embrace Timeline by becoming familiar with new features and how best to leverage them for success.
The Cover Photo
Previously, profile photos were a standard 180×540 and while they have now become smaller, they are supported by a much stronger visual area (851×315) designated to the cover photo. The fun part about this new layout is that the images overlap so there’s the possibility to create some seriously fun and creative designs that flow from one photo to the other.
Facebook has made it clear that there are some serious restrictions when it comes to cover photos so be sure you’re not in violation of any terms before you get too attached to a certain concept or idea. Use this space to promote who you are and what you do. Keep in mind this image is public and as a business using Timeline, you no longer have the option to send new visitors to a unique tab to share information. When new users visit your page, this cover photo is the first thing they’ll see so make it count!
Cover photos must be at least 399 pixels wide and may not contain:
-Price or purchase information such as “50% off sale” or “download this on our website”
-Contact information such as web address, email, mailing address or other information that is intended for your page’s about section
-References to user interface elements such as the “Like” button or any other Facebook site feature
-Calls to action such as “tell your friends” or “get this giveaway now”
Views and Apps
All the tabs that once appeared on the left hand side of your brand page under your profile photo now have a new home. Each tab is also accompanied by a featured photo allowing for further customization. This is the area where all your custom tabs have been dropped and before you go live with Timeline, you’ll need to sort through your options and decide which you want to feature and if there are any that need to be added or removed. Is that custom landing page still something you want to have available for visitors to see? What do you want to feature that you can’t include on your cover photo? These are a few of the questions you’ll need to ask yourself before you know how to move forward.
Pinned, Highlighted and Hidden Posts
If you post something important that you want visitors to see first and foremost, you can use the pinned posts function to “pin” this update at the very top of your Timeline for up to seven days. This feature can come in real handy for event listings or time sensitive material!
As a business, you can highlight important stories so they are featured on your Timeline and in the same respect, you can hide less important or less-engaging posts from visitors. Often times dull or stagnant posts can take away from the overall vibe of a page so don’t be afraid to hide certain content to improve the overall feel.
Larger Posts
Gone are the days when all posts look identical. A new feature allows you to make posts on your Timeline look larger than the typical size. Enlarging posts can be very beneficial when bright visuals are involved or when you really want to make something stand out. Keep in mind that it’s important to use this feature wisely! A timeline full of larger posts will be annoying to navigate and unpleasing to view so be sure to choose wisely when it comes to which posts deserve to be made larger.
Milestones
Since Facebook’s new layout is designed to resemble a literal timeline, milestones play an key role in highlighting important events and accomplishments throughout the life cycle of a business. Some businesses that have been around for a long time finally have an ability to boast about their rich history and share it with visitors. Highlighting when your business started, when you got your first office, your first employee, won your first award etc is a great way to show people how far you’ve come. In the same respect, let’s keep in mind that sometimes less is more. Find a balance when it comes to creating milestones and know what is best left as a milestone celebrated in your own mind.
Private Messages
Your visitors may be customers or potential customers so offering them the ability to contact you directly without leaving your business page is essential. This is the first time brands will be able to speak directly and privately to their networks on Facebook and it’s sure to have a positive effect on their customer service. Be sure to keep an eye on your private messages. It may be an excellent new feature but if messages are being ignored, it can just as quickly turn into a burden or a catalyst for negative feedback.
Should Restaurants Be Using Group Buying Sites?
Opinions and perspectives can be mixed, but generally, many restaurants have jumped on the daily deal site bandwagon to provide their current and potential new clientele with meal deals. Deal sites such as Groupon, Living Social, Kijiji Daily Deals and locally based businesses like Swarm Jam and Smart Betty, allow businesses to provide daily offers to the public. These bargains are available to subscribers based on their location and they change on a daily basis. These deals can be anything from 50% off an entire meal purchase to discounted two-can-dine options. These sites operate through the power of group buying. Each daily deal will become active as long as the number of purchases reaches a certain pre-determined quota. Various methods of promotion such as email, website, social media platforms (Facebook & Twitter) and even mobile apps, provide subscribers with daily deal notifications. Each day these sites offer a new featured deal that is purchased online directly through their websites or mobile apps. Once you have purchased the deal, your voucher/coupon can either be printed or presented via your mobile device at the time of use.
These group buying sites are mutually beneficial to all parties involved in the sense that both the business and customer reap the advantages from the daily deal. It’s an especially unique opportunity for new, small or unadvertised businesses because it allows them to promote their restaurants and persuade new clientele to try their offerings by providing them with a deal that’s hard to turn down. Not all businesses are marketing or social media savvy, so these sites are able to do all of the promoting and advertising, as well as create the media ‘buzz’ needed to sell your deals. Additionally, when you decide to work with daily deal sites, you gain access to their mailing list and members in your particular local market that you could not otherwise obtain on your own. Any restaurant knows that they are only as strong as their customer base. Obtaining new patrons, as well as showing appreciation to their existing ones, is extremely vital to their existence.
Considering that working with these sites is commission based, you want to be certain that you make a positive return on your investment. In order to do so, there are some things to be aware of before you decide to pursue. You must be able to:
1. Turn as many new customers into return patrons.
2. Create a positive experience for customers so it can elicit the spread of positive reviews to others (word of mouth).
3. Handle the increased volume of customers while continually providing the same high level of superior service.
4. Continue to provide your regular and loyal customers with the same level of service they are used to.
Keeping in mind the combination of today’s consumer who frequents restaurants and the low recession-induced spending power, these deals meet the needs of the general public. Individuals and families on a budget or those simply looking to save on their frequent dining habits are given an opportunity to save significantly. Deal sites also make committing to trying a new establishment a lot less risky and therefore reduces the amount of post-purchase dissonance. There is no doubt that a demand for these deal site offerings exists so the response and traffic that a restaurant will receive through participating is promising.
Whether you are a new or established business in need of advertising and a new audience, deal sites might be the answer for you as long as you take into consideration the risks involved and be prepared to overcome them.
Blab Social Media Awards 2012
It’s that time of the year again and this weekend Hollywood will be honouring the best of the best at The Oscars. To commemorate this special event Blab Media is celebrating with the second annual Social Media Awards! We’ve put together a list of nominated businesses and startups with the most innovative ideas and the best concepts. We all have love for the film industry, but let’s change it up and celebrate social media and the digital domain!
Most Promising Social Media Startup 2012
Yammer
Just because you’re working doesn’t mean you don’t need to stay connected. Yammer brings the power of social networking inside the enterprise in a private and secure environment. It has the same level of usability as great consumer software like Facebook and Twitter, but its applications have been designed for business collaboration. The social network has been designed to help employees find expertise, answers and information across multiple departments and geographical areas. Yammer encourages the employees of any company to make connections internally. It gives companies the ability to break into team workspaces, create and share content, create networks for partners, integrate key applications, administer things simply and effectively and access everything on the go via mobile devices.
“Best Kept Secret “ Online Network
Skillshare
Satisfy your curiosity with Skillshare and learn anything from anyone, anywhere. Users looking to teach and offer their skills on a global stage can post free classes. Users looking to learn can find classes in cities all across North America and beyond. This unique network of information encourages users of all ages and all walks of life to learn something new and offer their own skills to a world of eager people. It’s definitely a network worth exploring! Who knows, you might learn something!
Best Emerging Mobile Payment Method
Square
Businesses all over the United States are adopting mobile payment methods and reaping the benefits. Square has revolutionized the way businesses process payments and has successfully created a new use for Apple and Android smartphones. If you’re still not convinced, talk to the Girl Guide Scouts of America! They, along with other organizations such as The Salvation Army, use the mobile system to take payments for products (who doesn’t love those cookies?) and charitable donations.
Best Mobile App
Flipboard
Who wouldn’t want access to a pocket sized social magazine? The folks at Flipboard thought the exact same thing and when they combined the beauty and of print with the power of social media, a new app was born. Flipboard is designed to create a magazine out of a user’s social content. There are multiple options for personalization and the app makes the chore of keeping up with news on social media a lot more entertaining and visually appealing!
Best Web App
Desk.com
In September 2011, Salesforce bought a customer service startup called Assistly and has since transformed the web app into Desk.com. Essentially it’s an all-in-one system for delivering awesomely responsive customer support. The web app helps companies collect and organize all of their customer conversations into a prioritized, actionable list and equips support staff with the proper tools to respond to customers. Businesses can filter conversations on sites like Facebook and Twitter, to name a few, and delve through a variety of detailed analytics. Long story short, Desk.com is the premiere, cost-effective customer service alternative for businesses and companies of all sizes.
Best Customer Service Using Social Media
Media Temple
As a web host provider, Media Temple receives thousands of inquiries and support questions every day from people all over the world. Their Twitter page (@mediatemple) has become a hub of information and a place where users can connect with the company to instantly receive feedback and support. Their trained staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Their page even features a breakdown of each employees’ initials so customers are aware of whom they’re talking to at all times.
Best Viral Video
Nyancat
This video became a viral sensation after it was uploaded on Youtube in April 2011. It featured a Japanese pop song with an animated cartoon cat whose body is made of a pop-tart, flying through space, and leaving a rainbow trail behind it. The video ranked at number 5 on the list of most viewed YouTube videos in 2011 but please don’t try and understand why because your brain may melt in the process.