In his book, he points out some of the biggest marketing mistakes many organizations make… Marketing tactics that may be repelling customers rather than attracting them. Many businesses are still trying to “push” their message onto potential customers, interrupting them with ads, radio and TV spots and other unsolicited, one-way broadcast-style advertising. These traditional methods can still be effective, but businesses need to make sure they are carefully targeting their messages and measuring their results to ensure they aren’t wasting their efforts.

The “new rules” of marketing and PR are based on studies of changing consumer behaviour, showing us that in an online world, your business needs to understand and implement online marketing strategies ...]]> This January, one of the books I’ve been reading is the third edition of “The New Rules of Marketing & PR”, a must-read by David Meerman Scott.

A Review

In his book, he points out some of the biggest marketing mistakes many organizations make… Marketing tactics that may be repelling customers rather than attracting them. Many businesses are still trying to “push” their message onto potential customers, interrupting them with ads, radio and TV spots and other unsolicited, one-way broadcast-style advertising. These traditional methods can still be effective, but businesses need to make sure they are carefully targeting their messages and measuring their results to ensure they aren’t wasting their efforts.

The “new rules” of marketing and PR are based on studies of changing consumer behaviour, showing us that in an online world, your business needs to understand and implement online marketing strategies where the reach is huge, our messages can be more effective, and our efforts are easy to measure and inexpensive compared to traditional ads, TV commercials, etc. The “new rules” of marketing involve “pulling in” customers through inbound marketing practices such as Search Engine Optimization, social media, content strategy and blogging.

One of my biggest aha! moments

One of my biggest aha! moments in the book was when he talked about traditional PR tactics, where the common tactic is usually to send unsolicited story pitches to reporters or journalists who receive and ignore hundreds of these pitches every day. Instead, try following the personal blog or twitter account of the media personalities you would like to get exposure through and listen to what they write about. Try tailoring your pitch to a topic that interests them, and post a thoughtful comment about it in response to an article or tweet they publish. You’ll be much more effective at getting their attention with this strategy than by competing with their overcrowded inbox.

Word-of-Mouth has gone Global

He says in the Foreword, “something has changed in the past 10 years. Well, for one, we have Google now, but that’s only a part of the puzzle. What really has happened is that the word-of-mouth network has gotten more efficient — much, much more efficient.” Engaging with your audience, listening, providing them with a human face, a story and valuable relevant content can connect you with thousands of qualified potential customers if you do it smartly. This kind of activity empowers your customers to find and relate to your business through the principles of charm, social influence and the simple tactic of showing up in the right place at the right time.

Marketing has always been about attracting attention to your business. In this video, he points out the four major ways of getting attention, 3 old and 1 new:

1. You can buy it (with ads, email lists, etc.)
2. You can beg for it (PR pitches, media exposure)
3. You can bug for it (with aggressive sales pitches, unsolicited marketing)
or 4. You can earn it (by publishing fantastic content on the web and attracting a qualified audience)

Watch him speak in this video below and pick up his book on Amazon or the Vancouver Public Library. It’s a fantastic resource for any small business trying to navigate the world of marketing in 2012.

How to generate attention for your business from David Meerman Scott on Vimeo.

About David Meerman Scott

David Meerman Scott is an American online marketing strategist, public speaker and author of several books and a very popular blog. He once worked at Microsoft, was VP of marketing at NewsEdge and now writes for the Huffington Post and is on the board of advisors for Hubspot.

TAKEAWAYS: How are you leveraging the “new rules” of marketing in your business? What challenges are you facing and what successes have you experienced? Leave a comment below!

About Alyssa Burtt

Alyssa Burtt is Creative Director and Co-Founder of ZenHouse Media, a web design and inbound marketing agency servicing the small business and Non-Profit sectors in Metro Vancouver, BC. Her expertise in creative design and usability, Search Engine Optimization and lead conversion makes for a stellar combination of a left and right-brain approach to web development.

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2012 is the year to stop shouting and start engaging; stop surviving and start thriving. Changing consumer behavior indicates that inbound marketing efforts such as Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Blogging and E-mail Marketing make it easier to attract the right customers, measure your results and achieve your business goals.

Start by creating a marketing plan that serves your greater vision as well as the health of your bank account. It’s easier than ever. Inbound ...]]> Deep down, we all nurture a desire to truly thrive.

As a business owner, what does that mean for you?

In pursuit of our entrepreneurial dreams, we have poured our money, time and resources into our businesses, not always with the results we would hope for. Traditional methods of advertising are increasingly becoming less efficient and we often feel like we are shouting over the clamor, barely being heard.

2012 is the year to stop shouting and start engaging; stop surviving and start thriving. Changing consumer behavior indicates that inbound marketing efforts such as Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Blogging and E-mail Marketing make it easier to attract the right customers, measure your results and achieve your business goals.

Start by creating a marketing plan that serves your greater vision as well as the health of your bank account. It’s easier than ever. Inbound marketing allows you to measure every move you make and even accurately predict your potential for success before you lay down a single dime. No more moving blindly in the dark and hoping for the best. Plan to take your business to the next level in 2012. Make this year your game changer.

We’re changing our game in 2012, are you?

We started with building our own brand new mobile-friendly website this past fall and in 2012 we are expanding and supercharging our services to become an ROI-driven inbound marketing agency. Check out our Pay-for-Results Search Engine Optimization and subscribe to our monthly E-Newsletter to stay in touch.

About Alyssa Burtt

Alyssa Burtt is Creative Director and Co-Founder of ZenHouse Media, a web design and inbound marketing agency servicing the small business and Non-Profit sectors in Metro Vancouver, BC. Her expertise in creative design and usability, Search Engine Optimization and lead conversion makes for a stellar combination of a left and right-brain approach to web development.

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Is social media important to my organization?

Social media can be helpful, but only if you’re using it for the right reasons. For non-profits, social media is about building relationships, raising awareness and keeping your ear to the ground. Listen and engage! This may not convert directly to new donations or new volunteers, but it may be hugely valuable to developing your next ad campaign, learning about public opinions and educating people about your cause. Ask yourself exactly what you want to accomplish via your social media channels and develop a strategy before you jump right in.

What is e-governance?

Your Board of Directors is an incredibly important ...]]> We’ve had the pleasure of working with some great non-profit organizations this year. Following are some questions you might want to ask yourself if you are thinking of redeveloping your organization’s website in the coming year.

Is social media important to my organization?

Social media can be helpful, but only if you’re using it for the right reasons. For non-profits, social media is about building relationships, raising awareness and keeping your ear to the ground. Listen and engage! This may not convert directly to new donations or new volunteers, but it may be hugely valuable to developing your next ad campaign, learning about public opinions and educating people about your cause. Ask yourself exactly what you want to accomplish via your social media channels and develop a strategy before you jump right in.

What is e-governance?

Your Board of Directors is an incredibly important asset to your organization, but are they operating efficiently? Board portals allows board members to log in to view meeting agendas and minutes, confirm meeting times, participate in committee workrooms and much more with much less administration than the usual rounds of group emails and hours required to keep everyone up to date and in the loop. There are expensive software solutions to this end or you can start by having a password-protected page where Board members can access information, requiring much less admin time for your staff.

Who will update the new website?

Make sure your new site is built using a content management system! (CMS) This means once the site is built, your developer hands it over and you have the ability to make updates and changes in-house without incurring extra charges. There are many solutions out there, depending on your needs. At ZenHouse Media, our preferred CMS is WordPress, an internationally renowned and sophisticated platform known for its easy-to-use back-end and huge availability of community-developed themes and plug-ins, allowing for rich customization. A system like this allows you or your staff to independently update the content of your site. You just won’t have to pay a developer or company to do things like post pictures from your most recent gala fundraiser or add an FAQ section about volunteering in Bolivia. Unless of course you want to!

Who is my audience?

• • donors
• • alumni
• • members
• • volunteers
• • parents
• • government agencies
• • corporate sponsors
• • grant makers
• • potential volunteers/board members/other stakeholders

Write down all that apply, and all the ones we’ve missed, too. Who do you need to reach out to more than anyone else? Be very clear about your target audience when you start redeveloping your website and bring this list to the table when you meet potential web developers.

What am I trying to accomplish with my website?

Make them FIND you. Consider SEO and online marketing to make sure your beautiful website gets found!

Make them STICK to you. Once a user comes to your website, do you have updated content? Fun stuff like videos? A slideshow? Relevant, current content? If not, those folks are going to leave your site within 30 seconds and they might not come back.

Make them JOIN you! Use call to action buttons that make it easy for viewers to sign up for the e-newsletter, sign up to be a volunteer, or donate through Paypal.

Make them TALK about you. And make it easy for them, too! This means share buttons, Facebook like buttons so that people can spread the word effortlessly. Post interesting information. Become an authority on your cause so that people come to your site to learn.

Web design and user architecture standards will help you navigate this terrain and come out with a website that is working effectively for your organization, whatever its needs. Let’s get started!

About Shireen Nabatian

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Our upcoming workshops are Saturday, Nov 19th & 26th from 10am – 2pm & Saturday, Dec 3rd & 10th from 10am – 2pm.

Find out more and register today.

As you may know, we have worked along with the Granville Island business community in conjunction with the GIBCA since May 2009 to support this wonderful and diverse community in an effort to see it be maintained and grow into the future.

Visit this link to VOTE FOR US: http://bit.ly/gOfcug

Thank you for your support!

From all of us at ZenHouse Media

Alyssa Burtt is Creative Director and Co-Founder of ZenHouse Media, a web design and inbound marketing agency servicing the small business and Non-Profit sectors in Metro Vancouver, BC. Her expertise in creative design and usability, Search Engine Optimization and lead conversion ...]]> ZenHouse Media has entered the Scotiabank Small Business Big Impact Challenge to be recognized for our community-oriented work. In order to win, we need lots of votes and you can vote up to once per hour until April 30th!!

As you may know, we have worked along with the Granville Island business community in conjunction with the GIBCA since May 2009 to support this wonderful and diverse community in an effort to see it be maintained and grow into the future.

Visit this link to VOTE FOR US: http://bit.ly/gOfcug

Thank you for your support!

From all of us at ZenHouse Media

About Alyssa Burtt

Alyssa Burtt is Creative Director and Co-Founder of ZenHouse Media, a web design and inbound marketing agency servicing the small business and Non-Profit sectors in Metro Vancouver, BC. Her expertise in creative design and usability, Search Engine Optimization and lead conversion makes for a stellar combination of a left and right-brain approach to web development.

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This year’s PuSh Festival is a salutation to Vancouver’s 125th birthday celebration, looking at questions of urban experience, the everyday, our history and civic identity. Last night’s gala was a snapshot of what audiences can expect from PuSh this year: diverse, genre-bending, multi-disciplined, startling and original performances from the mysterious ladies in white to flamenco to the charged performance by The Zolas.

We checked out the Vancouver is Awesome installation about Vancouver’s neighbourhoods. Seems like everyone is asking this question these days. What do you love about your ‘hood?

The gala took media one step further with digital and video content lining the walls of Five Sixty, where the event took place. We’re talkin’ walls, photo booths and yes even the bathrooms ...]]> Have You Been PuShed? PuSh Int’l Performing Arts Festival Pushes Vancouver Into its 125th Year With Yesterday Evening’s Opening Gala

This year’s PuSh Festival is a salutation to Vancouver’s 125th birthday celebration, looking at questions of urban experience, the everyday, our history and civic identity. Last night’s gala was a snapshot of what audiences can expect from PuSh this year: diverse, genre-bending, multi-disciplined, startling and original performances from the mysterious ladies in white to flamenco to the charged performance by The Zolas.

We checked out the Vancouver is Awesome installation about Vancouver’s neighbourhoods. Seems like everyone is asking this question these days. What do you love about your ‘hood?

The gala took media one step further with digital and video content lining the walls of Five Sixty, where the event took place. We’re talkin’ walls, photo booths and yes even the bathrooms had video content running next to the mirrors. PuSh is clearly a happenin’ festival that is staying true to its mandate to “engage and enrich audiences with adventurous contemporary works in a spirit of innovation and dialogue.”

We can’t wait to see some of the acts this year with artists from home as well as from Australia, Argentina, France and beyond, from video installations to free dance performances in the street and post-performance talkbacks at Performance Works on Granville Island.

Congratulations to everyone at PuSh from ZenHouse Media, we love what you’re up to. As executive director Norman Armour says, “the arts have always been, and always will be, right here at the centre of civic life. One only needs to look, listen, read.” With the Olympics gone and a significant birthday upon us, Vancouver is craving this stuff and now is the time to remind ourselves what it is at the centre of civic life that makes a city tick. Go get ‘em, PuSh!

For more info, tickets and programming visit http://pushfestival.ca/

About Alyssa Burtt

Alyssa Burtt is Creative Director and Co-Founder of ZenHouse Media, a web design and inbound marketing agency servicing the small business and Non-Profit sectors in Metro Vancouver, BC. Her expertise in creative design and usability, Search Engine Optimization and lead conversion makes for a stellar combination of a left and right-brain approach to web development.

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We enjoyed live music by Shine’ on didgeridoo and other local musicians including Kat Hendrix, Thomas Morgan, Blake Havard, Katrina Mae and a special performance by music legend Jim Byrnes, whom we got the pleasure of meeting and getting our photograph with.

The photobooth was a blast, complete with props and ...]]> A few of us at ZenHouse Media attended the Art to Boot fundraiser last night at Granville Island Brewery to support our friends, Charity and Dianna of I Heart Van Art. It was a total blast with incredibly creative boot designs and the auction raised a good sum of money, which will go straight to I Heart Van Art to support the local arts community. We were happy to see our boot submission, the Fire Flyers go to a good home and thoroughly enjoyed all the other fantastic boot designs too!

We enjoyed live music by Shine’ on didgeridoo and other local musicians including Kat Hendrix, Thomas Morgan, Blake Havard, Katrina Mae and a special performance by music legend Jim Byrnes, whom we got the pleasure of meeting and getting our photograph with.

The photobooth was a blast, complete with props and was a source of endless entertainment! Thanks to Blundstone Boots for putting on such a great event in support of a very worthy cause, to help local Artists to thrive, especially in the face of government funding cuts and keep contributing to the rich cultural fabric of this fine city!

About Alyssa Burtt

Alyssa Burtt is Creative Director and Co-Founder of ZenHouse Media, a web design and inbound marketing agency servicing the small business and Non-Profit sectors in Metro Vancouver, BC. Her expertise in creative design and usability, Search Engine Optimization and lead conversion makes for a stellar combination of a left and right-brain approach to web development.

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Biennial International Miniature Print Exhibition (BIMPE)

Beautiful, varied, inspired art from around the world, wine and cheese, speeches, a raffle, ladies in extravagant hats and men in kilts- what more could you hope for at an art opening? A few of us from ZenHouse attended the opening for the 6th annual BIMPE at the Federation Gallery on Saturday. It was a great success and an impressive show featuring a juried selection of 300 miniature prints selected from over 10,000 entries from all corners of the world. ZenHouse Media helped sponsor the event by designing the catalogue, posters and postcards, as well as selling raffle tickets at the opening!

From traditional techniques of etching to contemporary digital processes, this exhibition is an exciting competition of inspiring printmakers from around the world. BIMPE is held every two years in Vancouver, British ...]]>

Biennial International Miniature Print Exhibition (BIMPE)

Beautiful, varied, inspired art from around the world, wine and cheese, speeches, a raffle, ladies in extravagant hats and men in kilts- what more could you hope for at an art opening? A few of us from ZenHouse attended the opening for the 6^th annual BIMPE at the Federation Gallery on Saturday. It was a great success and an impressive show featuring a juried selection of 300 miniature prints selected from over 10,000 entries from all corners of the world. ZenHouse Media helped sponsor the event by designing the catalogue, posters and postcards, as well as selling raffle tickets at the opening!

From traditional techniques of etching to contemporary digital processes, this exhibition is an exciting competition of inspiring printmakers from around the world. BIMPE is held every two years in Vancouver, British Columbia and receives tons of submissions and juries each print before showcasing it into the collection of only 300 pieces.  If you’re in Vancouver, be sure to check out the exhibition at the Federation Gallery on Granville Island.

This year there are 3 venues:

September 7^th – 26^th, 2010 at Federation of Canadian Artists Gallery on Granville Island

Month of October at Dundarave Print Workshop on Granville Island

Month of November at SNAP in Edmonton, Alberta.

For more information, visit the BIMPE website.

About Alyssa Burtt

Alyssa Burtt is Creative Director and Co-Founder of ZenHouse Media, a web design and inbound marketing agency servicing the small business and Non-Profit sectors in Metro Vancouver, BC. Her expertise in creative design and usability, Search Engine Optimization and lead conversion makes for a stellar combination of a left and right-brain approach to web development.

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OpenRoad Auto Group is welcoming Scion vehicles to Canada in September with the construction of two new dealerships, OpenRoad Scion Richmond and OpenRoad Scion Port Moody. They asked ZenHouse Media to build a site to tell everybody the good news and to feature their modified Scion xB, O-zilla, which will be roaming the streets and various events throughout the summer.

ZenHouse created a video featuring the “Birth of O-zilla”, which demonstrates some of the endless possibilities of how far you can go to customize your own OpenRoad Scion. We had a blast with the editing and custom sound design for the video, which had our audio engineer, Erin Hope-Goldsmith recording a few of us ROARING into a microphone! Can you guess whose ROARS we used?

The site also features custom social media ...]]> ZenHouse Media launches a new website and video for OpenRoad Scion!

OpenRoad Auto Group is welcoming Scion vehicles to Canada in September with the construction of two new dealerships, OpenRoad Scion Richmond and OpenRoad Scion Port Moody. They asked ZenHouse Media to build a site to tell everybody the good news and to feature their modified Scion xB, O-zilla, which will be roaming the streets and various events throughout the summer.

ZenHouse created a video featuring the “Birth of O-zilla”, which demonstrates some of the endless possibilities of how far you can go to customize your own OpenRoad Scion. We had a blast with the editing and custom sound design for the video, which had our audio engineer, Erin Hope-Goldsmith recording a few of us ROARING into a microphone! Can you guess whose ROARS we used?

The site also features custom social media integration with an Events feed that links to RSVP on Facebook. A Facebook “Like Box” encourages fans to join OpenRoad Scion on Facebook, and the contest entry form is powered by Google docs for simple, yet powerful contact management.

Tonight, join the OpenRoad Scion Street Team at the Summer Night Market in Richmond! Come check out O-zilla in person! The pop-up LCD TV’s and rear DJ booth will blow your mind!

About Alyssa Burtt

Alyssa Burtt is Creative Director and Co-Founder of ZenHouse Media, a web design and inbound marketing agency servicing the small business and Non-Profit sectors in Metro Vancouver, BC. Her expertise in creative design and usability, Search Engine Optimization and lead conversion makes for a stellar combination of a left and right-brain approach to web development.

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