Justin Trudeau defied the polls when he and his Liberal Party soared to a majority government during the final moments of the 42nd Canadian Election. Although much of Trudeau’s success can be attributed to mistakes made by his rivals, there is no denying that his campaign’s prowess on social media contributed to his last-minute momentum. Trudeau has a formidable presence on social media, which is especially true when compared to his two main rivals Conservative Leader (and Prime Minister) Stephen Harper and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair. As of October 25, 2015, Trudeau had more than double the number of Facebook followers than Harper at 518,455. Pretty good considering that Harper has been Canada’s prime minister for almost 10 years. So what did the Trudeau campaign do on social media to mobilize potential supporters to vote for him on Election Day? To find an answer, I looked at the campaign’s Election Day […]
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Ricky Gervais’ Top 6 Social Advocacy Techniques on Twitter
With its than 300 million active users and mobile-friendly and real-time format, Twitter can be a powerful vehicle for advocating social change. But what does an influential social advocate on Twitter look like? And how can advocates in the non-profit, charitable and political sector use this social media platform to bring about desired change? British comedian Ricky Gervais is a top Twitter advocate with more than 9 million followers. Gervais frequently uses his Twitter account as a megaphone to advocate for animal rights, a cause for which he cares deeply. In a single tweet, Gervais was able to amplify the story of Bryce Casavant, a British Columbia conservation officer who was suspended for refusing to kill two bear cubs. Due to Gervais’ support on Twitter, Casavant’s story quickly became international news. The bear cub story isn’t the first time Gervais has used Twitter to advocate for animal rights. The activist […]
Read moreThe Good, Bad and Ugly of Social Media Crisis Communications
Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter can be a scary place during a crisis. One poorly written comment or response can be devastating, turning public opinion against the perceived offender. However, social media can also be a valuable crisis communications tool and can be utilized to get out your side of the story. To improve our social media crisis communications, we must learn from the successes and failures of others. For this reason, I have listed below what I consider to be the good, the bad and the ugly of using social media during a crisis. The Good: Britt McHenry’s Twitter apology ESPN reporter Britt McHenry upset everyone when she was caught on camera being nasty to a female tow-truck employee, ridiculing the woman’s weight, education and appearance. Anyone who saw the video was left with a terrible impression of McHenry. At first, McHenry was silent about the issue […]
Read moreIs Your Email Marketing CASL-compliant? Avoid Paying Millions in Penalties
On March 5th, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued a $1.1-million penalty to a Canadian company for violating Canada’s anti-spam law (CASL). The reason for the penalty: the company had been sending commercial emails without receiving consent as well as emails in which the unsubscribe mechanisms did not function properly. This represents the largest CASL-related penalty to date. It also serves as a reminder that all of us need to understand CASL to ensure our email marketing campaigns meet the standards. What is CASL? [Disclaimer: I am not a legal expert. Please seek legal advice for more information on CASL.] For those of us who are unfamiliar, CASL saves people like you and I from receiving needless commercial electronic messages (such as emails, SMS text messages and instant messaging) that we do not wish to receive. CASL empowers consumers and promotes confidence in the market. Let’s face it: […]
Read moreBecome a Social Media Superstar with These 5 Steps
In this digital economy, virtually every organization wants to be a social media superstar. And why not? According to the “Norton Online Living Report” back in 2009, 49% of worldwide web users (i.e. customers) had at least one social network profile. But being a social media superstar requires more than a few random tweets here and there. It requires time, commitment and a great content strategy. Read my five steps below to develop a social media strategy that will help you engage your audience and rise above the competition. 1. Know thy goals! What are your goals? Do you want to build your personal brand, raise public awareness about a sensitive issue, or sell more products? Do you have multiple goals? Determine your goals and write them down! 2. Who’s your audience? Knowing your audience is crucial to your social media success. After all, if you don’t understand your audience […]
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