The Ubiquitous Web: Publish yourself
LESSON TWO
So you’re a local business owner. You might have a web site (or at least thought about building one). By now you have a Facebook profile and some of you might even have a Twitter or Linkedin account. But how do you gauge the success of your social media efforts?
The Ubiquitous Web: Feedback+Sharing=ROI
LESSON ONE
I was surfing the web today trying to find information on the municipal elections that are coming up in my local area and I landed at www.durhamregion.com. I came across a story written by a Jillian Follert ‘The Facebook effect: how is social media impacting Durham elections’ and 'Lights, Camera, Action: Oshawa candidates take message to the screen'.
DURHAM PARENT.COM: Officially NOT your source for Parenting???
Durham Parent's self styled “Where Parents Connect” poorly defines its reader base right in the masthead of the newspaper. Publications like Durham Parent aren’t the best source for advice on raising children, health, education, or anything else for that matter. It begins with you! They need to capture stories and pique our interest and inspire our imagination – rather than ad revenue.
Circa Magazine: What DO Women Want?
ONE LAST CHANCE TO FAIL
Well if you’re a woman pursuing someone else’s dream. Circa magazine’s take-me-as-I-am-approach write or wrong hits the nail right on the head. So what DO women want? Circa magazine's second edition hit the streets and it reads like one of those after school specials we've all watched! If this publication doesn’t grow legs it’s doomed. Why can’t Circa find it’s footing in Durham?
CIRCA Magazine: Loyalty at any price
A SECOND GLANCE
Circa’s Premier Edition hit the streets and drop locations around Durham Region this past May. Polling all women: did you read it? What do you think? Does it appeal to the femme fatale, the super-mom, the sex kitten, the driven corporate climber in you? Well, after reading some snippets, I too can say… I’m not afraid of storms, but I certainly am afraid for the future of feminism. Is this journalistic fluff honestly what women want to read? I’ll let you decide for yourselves. Read more
Traditional media reluctance to adopt Social marketing: Explained as one of Aesop’s Fables
By now everyone’s heard the phrases “Friend me on Facebook”, “Follow me on Twitter”, “Link to my blog” or “Join my network on Linkedin? No matter your age, gender, or profession, social media is taking over in a huge way. Some might argue, what’s wrong with the world today? It’s gotten to big to find the heart in anything. We communicate 140 characters at a time. Traditional media reluctance to adopt Social marketing will shed a little light on how the Newspaper industry has embraced social marketing techniques to bolster their online integrity. Newspapers’ have had a tough go! 2010 appears to have spurred the industry to adopt the kind of social media habits that have led so many readers away from the traditional news format. Read more
General interest: I’ve Got No Strings – That’s for damn sure!
I’ve got no strings – that’s for damn sure! I’d like to think that as a designer and as an individual with an opinion my blog would be well received. I am open to criticism, why aren’t others? Read more
General interest: Spring is here and for the majority of us we welcome the warmer weather with open arms
Spring is here and for the majority of us we welcome the warmer weather with open arms. Seasonal workers, local farmer’s and garden centres are gearing up for a busy season. Cities and townships are preparing to maintain our communities in full bloom. I hope you take it all in; from locally grown organic produce, the vast colours and smells of flowers of all shapes and sizes, to a leisurely stroll along our lakefront paths and of course locally sponsored events within our community. Read more
Redesigning newspapers and magazines: Engage and inform today’s hurried readers.
A few weeks back I was sitting in a barber’s chair getting my hair cut at Play Salon in Whitby, when a copy of Durham Business Times was placed in my lap. As I glanced at the cover I thought to myself, what have they done now? But, you know what I actually don’t mind it. As I sat in the chair I shared some story’s about redesigning newspapers and magazines to engage and inform today’s hurried reader.
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Whiteboard: Why is SEO so Important?
Welcome to our Whiteboard session.
Our topic of discussion will be on SEO, and why it is so important to be ranked. Search Engine Optimization is crucial if you want to be found on the internet. How do you do this? You should building a matrix by increasing links, write effective content (keyword density), include META tags (Keywords you want to target) and study your analytics. By doing these things you can increase your website’s ranking in most of the popular search engines. Read more