Dates To Remember

March 5: In honour of “International Women’s Day” the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation presents “How Women Are Using Tech To Change the World” from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Water’s Edge Event Centre, 2879 Riverside Drive East in Windsor. This event is open to the general public with admission set at $40 (dinner included). Register online at: Celebrating-Women-In-Tech.eventbrite.ca. For more event information, email Nicole Anderson: nanderson@windsoressexsmallbusiness.com; refer to: WindsorEssexSmallBusiness.com or dial 255-9200. March 6: “Negotiating with Confidence” presented by the Windsor Essex Economic Development Corporation with Guest Speaker Fotini Iconomopoulos runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Institute for Border Logistics and Security, 3475 Wheelton Drive, Windsor. Earning the nickname “The Negotiator” as a child, the Guest Speaker has spent the last decade helping business executives achieve their business goals, increase profitability and create a competitive advantage. She empowers them, along with her Schulich School of Business MBA students, through her expertise in negotiation, communication and persuasion. Space is limited to allow for maximum learning so brace yourself for some tangible, instant, personal feedback on how to: Negotiate anything; Get power and learn to use it; Communicate confidently to get what you want and Manage difficult people. Admission is $50 and lunch is included. To learn more email: nanderson@windsoressexsmallbusiness.com; go visit the website: WindsorEssexSmallBusiness.com or phone 255-9200. March 6: Come out early before the Windsor Express game for an exclusive concert at 6 p.m. with singer Alexa Carroccia, in the Crown Royal Room of the WFCU Centre, 8787 McHugh Street, Windsor. Tickets are $20 and include entry to the game as well. Get your tickets by emailing: alexacarr55@gmail.com or calling 560-7707. March 6 and 7; 12 to 14; 19 to 21: Ghost Light Players makes their debut at The Shadowbox Theatre (corner of Shepherd and Howard in Windsor, the home of Post Productions) with Yasmina Reza’s scathing social satire “God of Carnage” starring Jeff Bastien, Kristen Dias, Matt Maenpaa and Elinor Price. All performances are at 8 p.m., with doors opening up at 7:30 p.m. Tickets available for $20 in advance on: Eventbrite.com, or $25 at the door. Questions? Check: Facebook.com/pg/GhostlightPlayers or call 817-9176. March 8: Women’s Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor Inc. presents the “International Women’s Day Gala” at 6:30 p.m. at St. Clair College Centre for the Arts, 201 Riverside Drive West in Windsor. Tickets are $90 each and available online at: WestOfWindsor.com. March 8: From 7 to 9 p.m. Lakeland Homes presents a “Spring Strings Community Concert” with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra at The Capitol Theatre, 121 University Avenue West, Windsor. It’s a great concert for a great cause as 100% of ticket proceeds benefit Windsor Life Centre’s addiction treatment Centre and help transform the lives of women from across Canada seeking recovery. Tickets $30 at the door or purchase your tickets online in advance for just $25 at: CapitolTheatreWindsor.ca. For further details email: development@windsorlifecentre.com; view: WindsorLifeCentre.com or call 972-5986. March 13: The Ciociaro Club (3745 North Talbot Road, Oldcastle) observes“International Women’s Day” with its 16th annual celebration in honour of all the amazing women in Windsor and Essex County. The fun kicks off at 6 p.m. and features a wonderful meal, a walkthru fashion show and a chance to shop at some fabulous beauty and accessory vendors. Tickets are $55 with all proceeds to benefit the Windsor Regional Hospital Breast Health Centre. If you would like to attend this event simply contact IldeMariani by phone: 991-2743. March 14 and 15: The 7th annual “Windsor 50+ Lifestyle Show” presented by Vantage Enterprises Inc. takes place at the Caboto Club, 2175 Parent Avenue in Windsor from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days. Admission is $5 at the door. This event features interactive and informative displays, new and innovative products and services, free mini-treatments, health screenings and a wide range of community resources for boomers and seniors. You’ll find plenty of information about retirement, health/wellness, leisure activities, active living and lifestyle options plus fantastic travel deals, great shopping, lots of prizes and giveaways as well as exclusive offers and discounts from exhibitors. For more information email: vantageevents@mnsi.net; refer to: Windsor50PlusShow.com or dial 735-1142. March 17: Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Support a local company in the hospitality industry and stop by an area bar or restaurant for a pint of green beer and a corned beef sandwich. March 21: The 13th anniversary of “Say Yes to the Prom Dress” takes place at New Beginnings, 1015 Highland Avenue in Windsor from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Young women from the community can come out and choose the perfect dress from a huge selection of formal, prom and graduation dresses in sizes 0 to 26. To get more details email Stacey at: syannacopoulos@newbe.ca; see: NewBeginningsWindsor.com or call 971-0973 ext. 102. March 27 to April 5: “Stag and Doe”, a production by the University Players takes place at the Essex Hall Theatre (corner of Wyandotte and Patricia in Windsor) from 8 until 10:30p.m. Two brides, two grooms, a tray of unset Jello shots, a missing wedding cake, and a catering staff that’s been sent to jail — what else can go wrong in this hilarious romp through the kitchen of a local community hall? Bonnie and Brad are having a party to raise money for their upcoming wedding, just at the same moment that Mandy and Rob have lost their venue. They decide to compromise and work together to create an unforgettable evening that will have the audience roaring with laughter! Admission is $8 to $22. For more info email: kristen.siapas@uwindsor.ca; check: UniversityPlayers.com or call 253-3000. March 28: The Amherstburg Freedom Museum in partnership with The Amherstburg Community TO VIEW EVEN MORE EVENTS VISIT: BIZXMAGAZINE.COM AND INPLAYMAGAZINE.COM AND CLICK ON THE “EVENTS” TAB! *UNLESS NOTED 519 IS THE AREA CODE TO USE Please be sure to confirm all events before attending.

Foundation presents “Freedom Achievers” from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at their location, 277 King Street, Amherstburg. Diversity and Inclusion Advocate and author of “Black on Bay Street”, Hadiya Roderique shares career advice, but also how she overcame obstacles in order to achieve success. Seating is limited, so get your tickets early! Cost to attend is $8 for adults by March 14 ($10 after) and for students, tickets are $3 by March 14 ($5 after). Tickets can be purchased on: Freedom-Achievers-Finding-Your-Voice. eventbrite.ca or by calling 736-5433. For more details contact Lorene Bridgen-Lennie, Assistant Curator for the Amherstburg Freedom Museum via email: lorene.bridgen@amherstburgfreedom.org; visiting: AmherstburgFreedom.org or calling 736-5433. March 29: The 38th annual “Easter Seals Telethon (Windsor Essex)” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — presented by The Toldo Foundation — wraps up a month long celebration for Easter Seals Month at the Student Life Centre at St. Clair College, 2000 Talbot Road in Windsor. The telethon is a community tradition and signature event that engages students, donors, media, volunteers, businesses, sponsors and the public throughout the region. Join host Mark McKenzie of 89X and ambassadors Brigid Kidd and Alexander Bondy on this exciting broadcast live on CTV (Bell Media) as the community raises funds to help kids with physical disabilities. Did you know Easter Seals Ontario’s birthplace is Windsor, Ontario? The organization, which was formerly The Ontario Society of Crippled Children was established on November 28, 1922 with thanks to the support of Rotary Club of Windsor 1918. The centennial will be celebrated in 2022! For more information on how your company can get involved in the telethon, email: jrenaud@easterseals.org; log on to: EasterSeals.org or phone 566-1735. April 4: The “Whiskers and Tails Gala” presented by The Windsor/Essex County Humane Society takes place at St. Clair College Centre for the Arts, 201 Riverside Dr West in Windsor from 6 until 11 p.m. Celebrating the event theme — humane heroes — Designs by Diane promises to transform the banquet room into a superhero themed experience you will never forget! For just $125 per person, gather your friends and family for a delicious four course meal and drinks; meet Humane Society alumni animals and learn more about what the Humane Society does for our community. Come dressed in your finest gala attire and use your superpowers on this special night to help save animals in need! Tickets are $125 each with tables of 8, 9, or 10 seats available. For further details email: events@windsorhumane.org; view: WindsorHumane.org or call 966-5751. April 7: The 28th annual St. Clair College “Alumni of Distinction Awards” take place at the Alumni Skyline Room, St. Clair College Centre for the Arts, 201 Riverside Drive West starting with a reception at 6:15 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets $60 each; tables of 8 or 10 available. Learn more about the awards at: StClairAlumni.com or dial 972-2747.

Social Media Marketing 101 For Business COVER STORY By Dave Hall

The explosion of social media platforms in recent years has dramatically transformed the way that businesses and organizations interact with their customers and clients.

In this highly-competitive global marketplace, companies not using social media platforms to reach out to customers and clients are at a distinct disadvantage.

Traditional advertising and marketing media strategies tend to use a broad-based approach in reaching out to potential clients and customers, whereas platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, YouTube and Pinterest can allow business owners to target specific demographic groups, while at the same time providing instant feedback.

While many other platforms are finding their own piece of the social media marketplace, Facebook remains one of the most popular with an estimated 24 million Canadians actively using the platform each month.

And of those, 19 million are using Facebook’s mobile apps. Also, 79% of Facebook users in Canada are connected to a small/medium business, or common Internet file interest, which allows shared access to Internet files on a network, according to Facebook Canada. Social media platforms allow businesses to develop a brand image, curate content from different platforms, manage their marketing and advertising initiatives, and develop original content allied with their products.

Retail businesses can promote sales and display products; restaurants can post menus and photos of their food; and bars can advertise upcoming events and concerts, all while targeting their specific demographic. While it can be time-consuming for many small businesses, it’s imperative they use these platforms, which for the most part are free, to market their businesses in an ever-changing competitive marketplace.

But, before any business owners contemplate a social media campaign, they should develop a plan that includes what they are looking to achieve, who their audience is and what message they are hoping to spread. Social media campaigns (paid sponsor ads can be done as well) and posts, can also drive customers and clients to your website where they can access more information about your business.

In order to help business owners navigate their way through some of the pros and cons, pitfalls and challenges involved with using social media platforms, Biz X magazine reached out to the local business community to interview some of the experts and users across the Windsor Essex area.

Advantages Of Social Media

It’s critically important for any business to have a presence on one or more of the various social media platforms, especially at a time when competition is so fierce across all sectors.

“It’s really important for any business hoping to reach out to customers that they have a consistent and updated presence on social media,” says Nichole Howson, Owner of Aim Social Media Marketing (AimSMmarketing.com). “It is absolutely one of the best ways to get your company’s information out there to a different audience.” One of the main advantages is that by selecting which platform to use whether it be Facebook, TicToc, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram, a business owner can tailor his or her message to the demographic they are trying to reach. Cynthia Ballard of CB Marketing (CBmarketing.solutions) believes that for businesses trying to reach females between the ages of 35 to 45, Facebook is the place to be, while LinkedIn is more for business-tobusiness contacts.

“Instagram has a wide range of followers, both male and female, and it’s a very visual site similar to TicToc, so it’s important you determine who you are trying to reach and focus on that demographic,” says Ballard.

Over 140 million small businesses globally now use Facebook products — the vast majority of them for free. More than threequarters (81%) of Canada’s Internet population is on Facebook and 98% percent of smart phone users in Canada access it every month on their device. It seems quite clear then, if you operate a business or organization, having a business page like the one shown here, is an absolute necessity. Graphic courtesy of Facebook.

Andy Kale, a partner at Red Piston (RedPiston.com), a social media management and web development company, believes every company needs a presence on Facebook because that platform is still where most people go to find information. “But, you also need a presence on one or more of the others depending upon who your target audience is and whether it’s 20 to 30 year olds or 18 to 25 year olds,” says Kale. Scott Briscoe has been an instructor in the advertising program at St. Clair College for 10 years and the explosion of social media platforms and usage has had a huge impact. “In a digital marketing age, social media is fantastic because it’s low-cost, it’s efficient and very effective so long as you know what you are doing, what message you’re sending and what demographic you are hoping to reach,” he points out.

Briscoe adds that, unlike print and broadcast campaigns, it’s easy to fine-tune that message overnight if you realize it is not reaching your target audience.

“The beauty of social media is that collectively it is all things to all people,” he expresses. For Steven Spencler of Spencler Creative (SpenclerCreative.com), the immediacy of responses from clients and

customers sets social media apart from traditional advertising and marketing tools. “Many of the platforms provide analytics, so you can tell at a glance how many hits and how many responses you are generating,” says Spencler. “It helps you determine whether or not what you are doing is working or whether you need to step up your game.”

To Post Or Not To Post — That Is The Question

Posting on social media can be time consuming, especially for small businesses that don’t have a social media department, or even a person whose sole responsibility is to interact with potential customers on a myriad of platforms. Ensure your time is well spent.

Ballard figures it can take between four and six hours a month to stay current and consistent, which is also very important.

“I suggest to clients they plan out in advance what they want to say and what they want to post, so when they sit down, they can be as efficient as possible so it’s not as timeconsuming,” she explains.

Ballard adds that if you commit to a schedule — say three days a week and stick to it — that’s when people will expect to see what you have posted.

“Customers can come to expect what you post and when you post, so it’s important to be consistent,” she says.

Spencler recommends his clients post once a day, providing they can generate enough original content.

“Depending upon the business, finding that content can be pretty easy, but it can be a challenge for others,” admits Spencler. “The key is to be consistent and make sure the branding message remains the same throughout the posts.”

For Howson, posting daily is the best strategy, but certainly she suggests her clients post no less than weekly.

“It’s so easy to post on social media and for small businesses it’s more efficient than trying to update a website, especially if you

Nichole Howson of Aim Social Media Marketing believes there are many steps business owners need to take to reach out to their clients and customers, including regular postings on various social media platforms. Photo courtesy of Heather Brooks Photography.

have to deal with a web developer who set up the site in the first place,” she remarks.

But, Howson adds, make sure you create fresh content and have a consistent presence so customers know when and where to look for information about your business.

“My suggestion to clients is to sit down and create a month’s worth of content at one sitting, which makes posting weekly or daily so much more efficient,” she explains. Arms Bumanlag and his wife Kerri launched littleheart social (LittleHeartSocial.com), a social media management company, last July and ramped up the company’s offerings in September.

He’s a firm believer in posting original content on a daily basis and if that becomes too time-consuming for small business owners, they need to hire someone to handle it.

“You have to make your content relatable to your customers and clients and do it in a warmer, more personal manner,” says Bumanlag, a former broadcast journalist who is now Director of Communications and Public Relations for Erie Shores Healthcare.

“You absolutely need to be on social media today no matter how you manage it,” he stresses.

Red Piston, meanwhile, provides a full array of services, seeking to engage clients and customers on social media.

“We start by determining where they need to be and then we set up an editorial planning calendar on a three month basis, while at the same time keeping in mind there are seasonal posts they need to consider,” notes Kale.

Once that’s done, Red Piston’s creative side kicks in and clients are encouraged to post fresh content consistently while staying true to their brand.

“It’s not so much about frequency as it is about consistency,” says Kale.

Pitfalls And How To Avoid Them

Largely anonymous social media platforms can make it much easier for people to spread negative comments about experiences they’ve had with a business and it’s important for the company to respond — but professionally. Windsor Chef Steve Meehan (Facebook. com/steve.meehan.37) now runs a consulting company that provides chef training and cooking demonstrations. He feels it’s always a bad idea to ignore negative feedback (perhaps about food served or customer service, for example).

“I advise clients to resist being defensive because that can make it worse,” he says. “You should try and engage with the person making the negative comments and try to reach a common ground about what happened and how they feel.”

Reaching out to the unhappy customer is a good way to deal with the bad review.

“Most people just want their issues to be acknowledged and if you do that, they will come away with a greater understanding of what happened,” believes Meehan.

Kale advises Red Piston clients to take a measured approach to posted complaints.

“It’s fine to get out ahead of these issues, but there’s nothing wrong with having a sober second thought and sleeping on it before you respond,” he says.

Bumanlag is another who believes in tackling complaints and negative posts head on. “If you respond in a timely, transparent and authentic manner, your followers will be able to see whether or not the complainant is being unreasonable,” he says. “Even if you have to bend over backwards and perhaps take a loss, people will notice and respect the fact you have responded to the complaint.”

He adds, “In those situations, there’s always an opportunity to put it right and move on.” For Yvonne Pilon, President and Chief Executive Officer of WEtech Alliance (WEtech-Alliance.com), knowledge and information are extremely important.

“If there are people who have had a negative experience with your business, you should want to know about it so it can be corrected,” says Pilon.

She continues by explaining, “You have to stay away from being negative in response so you can turn this negative into a positive. It can be frustrating to read comments you feel are unfair or inaccurate, but your job

In this photo taken for a social media post, Yvonne Pilon and Derek Grayson enjoy a cup of coffee while sporting Southwest Shores’ Windsor Essex sweatshirts, at Happier Camper’s first Canadian showroom and espresso bar. The business is located along the waterfront in historic downtown Amherstburg, at 274 Dalhousie Street and is just one local example of a small business doing it right on social media. Photo courtesy of WEtech Alliance.

then is to deal with them professionally so the person posting the comments remains a customer and a supporter of your business.” WEtech’s role is to build a regional technological community that encourages entrepreneurship, innovation and collaboration through partnerships with small, medium and large businesses, including start-ups and established companies. It also provides advice and help for businesses seeking to access the most effective social media platforms for their particular business.

WEtech is also promoting the use of #YQG, which connects users with all that is local no matter which platform the user is accessing.

Getting back to negative comments about your business, Spencler says it’s virtually impossible to avoid them and the key approach is to deal with them transparently so you can rectify the situation.

“It can get a little tricky, but it’s going to happen and how you deal with it can make a huge difference,” adds Spencler.

Briscoe says the faster you can respond to a complaint, the better.

“It’s been shown that people on Twitter expect a response to a posted complaint within one hour,” reports Briscoe. “So you can go from a company with a great reputation to one with a lesser reputation very, very quickly.”

As a side note, many business owners believe it is always best to keep your reply short and sweet and off social media whenever possible (a phone call to the unhappy customer may help). Arguing back and forth on social media is a bad practice as thousands may see the comments and can also chip in their two cents. Nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand, as fast as possible!

Business Or Pleasure

Anytime people are given a voice, there’s a temptation to mix business with personal issues but, Ballard for one, suggests business owners keep the two separate.

“It depends upon your particular business and it can make sense to cross-over for some sectors, but generally, it’s a very good idea to keep them separate,” Ballard advises.

She adds that customers looking for menus, special event schedules and general business information are not expecting to find political postings. However, Ballard does encourage business owners to post photos of actual customers when they can, rather than stock shots lifted off the Internet. “People love real people and it’s a good tip or trick to use them when you can,” indicates Ballard. “It personalizes your business and makes it more accessible and local.”

Social Media Policies Are Important

Kale says that establishing a social media policy, regardless of the size of your company, is “absolutely smart and proactive before any issues arise.”

“You need to establish who can and who can’t speak for the company,” he explains. “You need to make sure that whoever responds to your clients on social media has the authority to do so.”

Looking to connect with more local content and/or businesses? A simple search of #YQG will connect you with all things local, no matter which platform you’re on. According to Yvonne Pilon of WEtech Alliance, this hashtag is helpful to businesses when recruiting new customers and for keeping up to date on what is happening in the community. Her organization’s “Social Media Superheroes” peer-to-peer group adopted #YQG back in March 2015 as its official regional hashtag.

As for his company’s own social media practices, Kale states: “We encourage our employees to post in order to showcase both our company’s creativity and their own personality, but you have to set boundaries so that everyone is on message.” Over at Motor City Community Credit Union (MCCCU.com), management has established a social media policy that covers both workplace and private postings.

“We have to make sure we protect our company’s integrity and brand; so we have a strict policy that forbids people from posting negative comments about any of our clients, members or partners,” explains Daniel Iannetta, MCCCU’s Risk and Compliance Officer.

MCCCU has a three-person social media department, which coordinates branch and professional postings, while at the same time monitoring personal off-hours postings.

“We have stressed to our staff that any negative or inappropriate posts can reflect negatively on Motor City and we have not had any issues,” Iannetta comments.

MCCCU mostly uses Facebook or Twitter because, as Iannetta explains, its members largely fall into an older demographic.

“It has changed how we reach out to our members and it has been very effective,” he adds. “If we receive complaints we try to act quickly and appropriately.”

Iannetta wraps up this section with something everyone needs to remember when it comes to social media: “There are still people who believe everything they read on the Internet is gospel, but that clearly isn’t the case.”

Easy Access For Small Business According to George Stratis, Owner of On a Roll Sushi and Sliders (63 Pitt Street East, Windsor; On-a-Roll-Sushi.com), reaching out to customers on

Charmaine Gillis, who uses social media platforms to promote her independently-owned business, poses in her Ocean Bottom Soap Company store, surrounded by their products. Photo courtesy of John Liviero from Sooters Photography Studio (Sooters.net).

social media makes his job so much easier. “It’s amazing to be able to target a specific audience and demographic without resorting to a blanket marketing approach,” he says. “My sister Sarah handles our social media presence and it’s been very successful.”

Stratis points out that his sister creates posters for musicians who provide entertainment at his restaurant and it makes a huge difference in how people react to his entertainment line-up.

“We only have to reach 10 people (on social media) and if the musicians reach 10 and if our staff reaches another 10, we’re almost at capacity,” he says. “We don’t need 300 people, we need 40 and social media makes that achievable almost every time. Besides, it’s easy and it’s free.”

Whereas it’s up to every business owner where he/she chooses to use advertising dollars (note posts on a business social media page are not charged, but paid advertising can also be bought) the power of print should never be underestimated.

Studies show that people tend to trust print ads over digital ads and most importantly, they remember what was advertised more in a magazine ad (OutreachMediaGroup.com/ print-advertising).

Print ads also last longer than social media ads as publications have a long shelf life and tend to be in professional offices and waiting areas for thousands to pick up and read over and over. (SmallBusiness.Chron.com/ Importance-Printing-Advertising-33928.html) As well, not everybody is on social media, and when it comes to making sales you want to reach as many people as possible whenever you can.

Of course every little bit helps, so using your social media pages to reach customers is obviously a good idea and a necessity. Another good example is Charmaine Gillis, who owns and operates Ocean Bottom Soap Company (1614 Lesperance Road, Tecumseh; OceanBottomSoap.com). She has one staff member dedicated to handling the company’s social media marketing and advertising.

“We use mostly Facebook and Instagram because they reflect the demographics of our customers and clients,” explains Gillis. “We’re able to post information about our products and the pop-up events we run with partners, such as Anchor Coffee House, Thunder Road-Harley Davidson and Sprucewood Winery.” Gillis says custom orders from clients who want their names placed on the packaging for Ocean Bottom products, are largely as a result of information placed on social media platforms, as well as the company’s website. “Our website has a lot of traffic and when we launch new products, it comes into play along with our social media platforms,” she indicates. © Can Stock Photo/Bloomua

“Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes, Turn And Face The Strange” There you have it, the good, the bad and everything in between. Social media appears to be changing the way some businesses interact and connect with their clients.

Whereas posting and communicating daily on social media is common for many business owners, it may still be a “strange” (as David Bowie sang) way to do business for others.

Yet these days it seems that a presence on social media is needed by all companies in order to connect with past, present and future customers.

Using these various platforms allow business owners (large or small) to seek out their particular demographic and deliver messages and information in a timely and highly efficient way.

Even though there are a variety of social media platforms to get out your company’s message, either for free or for a small fee, using traditional forms of advertising and marketing such as print and broadcast media can still be effective.

Combining traditional media advertising with new social media and digital options can give your marketing campaign an even greater chance for success.

And that’s always good business!