Why Should Businesses Use Social Media?

Recently, a client asked me  "What benefits do you see for us in using social media?" This is such an excellent question I thought I'd share the answer with everyone.

I'm sure you've heard by now that social media networks (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) is all the rage for companies and you're wondering- but why? Other than the most obvious, over stressed reason of increased awareness,  these are some of the other top benefits:

• Social media is more engaging that standard promotional campaigns. They allow you to interact with customers by holding contests or give-aways, conduct surveys, or just start a conversation.
   
• Social media can make promotional content more attractive (people enjoying using sm platforms) & timely (real time status updates).
   
• Studies have shown that customers are more influenced by recommendations given on social networks, which can lead to closing more deals (in some cases with less selling required!)
   
• Increased search engine optimization from conversations about your company which can potentially driving more traffic to your website.
   
• Gain insight on customer preferences and behaviors. By listening to the uncensored social stream, you can find valuable information that can lead to improvements in your product or service.

When we set up social media accounts for clients it involves determining their social media strategy and aligning it with with your core business and marketing objectives. Should it be a channel for sales, communication, customer support, or promotions? As part of the set up process, we'll help you get started with content. We also offer a package for continuing the production of content for these platforms if you decide you don't want to manage them in house.

Not sure if you want to sign up for all that just yet? We'll help you choose one platform to start with and help track the analytics to ensure you're getting maximum value.

Fill out a form at www.digitalcanvascs.com or give us a call and we'd happy to help you get started with social media.

How To Be An Insanely Great Presenter In Front Of Any Audience

Have you ever been found yourself falling asleep during a presentation? Ever been concerned people are sleeping- or worse- leaving, during your presentation because your slides lack interest? It happens to a lot of people. While we can all recognize an interesting presentation, very few have been able to create one themselves. Either they don't understand what makes a great presentation, or they don't have the time to create it.

Recently, Carmine Gallo, a columnist with Businessweek.com gathered key notes on the presentation skills of world renown Steve Jobs. Even if you only use a few ideas, this guide will help you create better presentations that capture the attention of your audience. (And hopefully improve sales!)

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

View more presentations from Carmine Gallo.

Still need help creating your presentation story? Let Digital Canvas help you develop a compelling and interesting presentation. Even if you already have your story, our award-winning designers can fill in the visual gap that ensures your presentation success. Check out our portfolio at digitalcanvascs.com

Apple Media Control | A PR Case Study

Public relations professionals understand that everything you do has the potential to affect the public’s perception of your business. And the PR team at Apple has seemed to lose track of this concept, resulting in a public bash-fest on the company.

The recent attack on Gizmodo editor Jason Chen, got people wondering if Apple is becoming dangerously obsessive over its products. And the apology issued by Ellen DeGenerous for creating an iPhone parody certainly isn’t helping matters. When the censorship rights of comedies comes into question, people are bound to get angry.

These attacks are just the recent of many uber-sensitive defenses apple has made on those they perceive to be encroaching on it’s brand. In 2008, Apple filed a suit against the City of New York claiming the green apple design was too similar to the trademarked apple logo.  (Article http://bit.ly/cU62dF)

Has Apple gone too far? Surely Steve Jobs will carry a lifetime of paranoia after the infamous betrayal of Bill Gates, but does that justify this sort of behavior? More importantly, will the public perception of the brand be forgiving?

Apple has always been on the fore-front of technology and it’s hard to believe it could loose the #1 spot, but other tech manufacturers really aren’t that far behind. It’s PR belief that if these suppressive maneuvers continue, Apple may suffer huge consequences.

But will they really? Some may argue that while other products are not far off the innovative mark, Apple has a legacy of being ‘the cool guy’. And if he wants to set rules on how to play, chances are the public will follow suit to stay in posse.

What do you think?

Develop an Effective E-Commerce Design

Beyond assessing the aesthetics of an e-commerce website, many designers often forget to test the usability of their sparkling shopping cart.

In an article posted by DesignersCouch, 5 Usability Tips for an Effective eCommerce Design, Damian M. lists 5 important concepts to focus on to ensure maximum usability in combination with customer needs & appearance. He also provides a few examples of well planned shopping carts for inspiration.