If anyone questions the worth of social networking media, there's a prime example of how it can be used with the ongoing earthquake relief effort in Haiti.

After news of the earthquake hit the global news media, it was noticed that communications with survivors was next to nil. This led to news media outlets being inundated with calls from ex-patriots, family and friends searching for details on the wellbeing of loved ones on the stricken island. Those who could get a message out resorted to getting the attention of as many people as possible via social networking tools like Twitter and FaceBook, Haitians are asking for help.

In one day a fundraising campaign done using text messages and social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook raised more than $5 million for Red Cross relief. Celebrities caught on using their Twitter feeds to "Help Haiti". Facebook groups started to appear, one of which gained over 100,000 members – many of whom changed their status updates to announce their donations to the Red Cross – which in turn, encouraged their Facebook friends to do the same. Text and social media donations grew rapidly, with another $10 million coming from other sources, which provided a never-seen-before phenomenon. Texters were donating small amounts like $10 each, spontaneously deciding that it was a manageable figure. The fundraising efforts have more than doubled and totally surpassed any previous fundraising efforts by the Red Cross.

Twitter users, know that Trending Topics are the attention-getters and what most users are reading. Using keywords and key phrases helps to drive users to the information you want read. Likewise do Facebook Groups. With Facebook, you motivate your Friends with your Status Update. If compelling enough it will create a viral message that they will also use.

54% of Fortune 100 companies use Twitter. The primary use is for increasing brand recognition with news updates and product announcements, plus as a part of recruitment efforts, ultimately driving traffic to blogs and websites. Company blogs are the main focal point of social media, as the end result is a means to create two-way conversation with the user via commenting. 32% of Fortune 100 companies have a corporate blog. Blogs typically rank higher in search engines because of regular updating, and in a lot of cases are more credible because of the human factor. 29% have a Facebook fan page.

According to a recent Forrester report U.S. companies are projected to spend more Interactive Marketing dollars in Mobile Marketing and Social Media than traditional Display Advertising.

So whether you want to announce the latest jam spread on your morning toast, or to make the world a better place by announcing your intentions, social networking media is a valuable communications tool.

If you would like to donate to relief efforts on behalf of Haiti, here are some useful links:
Canadian Red Cross - http://www.redcross.ca
Plan Canada - http://plancanada.ca
WorldVision Canada - http://www.worldvision.ca
Care Canada - http://care.ca
Salvation Army in Canada - http://www.salvationarmy.ca

Frank Beecham
Webguy
Mystique Creative

With a new year comes a time to reflect. Did I meet my business goals from last year? What do I want to accomplish in the next twelve months? How will I get there?

Use the following seven steps to assist you in creating your written guide to follow throughout the year.

1. Write down your vision.

Revisit your business plan. What is your dream? Has your dream changed? Clarify your thoughts and write your vision in one or two sentences. This is the first tangible step to making your dreams a reality. Simply put – If you don't know where you're going - how will you ever know when you arrive?

2. Define your core business.

What's your mission? What will you do to achieve the dream? Write it down and refine it until you're left with one succinct sentence. Use this mission as the basis for your Unique Selling Proposition.

3. Set ambitious goals.

Using your vision and mission as the foundation, set your goals. Be ambitious. By setting and achieving ambitious goals, we reveal our capacities, realize our potential, and take one step closer to living the life of our dreams. Start with long term goals and then break them down into annual, quarterly and monthly goals. Focus on these smaller manageable goals and you'll accomplish your ambitious goal.

4. Develop a strategy.

Review last year's operating information. What needs to be done to achieve your goals this year? How can you best use your resources? What else do you need?

5. Plan.

What specific actions or tasks will you help carry out your strategy (or strategies)? What will it cost? Do you need to cut costs? What sales do you need to have to cover the costs? How will you generate new sales? Do you need new staff? Using your quarterly and monthly goals as a guide, create a sequence of actions and corresponding time frame.

6. Implement your plan.

This is key. Break down your monthly plan by the week and add the specific action steps to your weekly calendar. Make sure you schedule the time to do what's necessary. And when planning the following week – bring forward anything that didn't get finished. Don't be afraid to use external support to accomplish your goals. Remember – no one ever makes it alone. Reach out if you don't have the necessary resources needed to implement your plan.

7. Revisit and revise.

Create procedures that will allow you to revise your operating information on a monthly basis. Make note of what's working and what isn't. It's okay to modify your strategy and plan based on your information as long as they support what you set out to do.


2010 is poised to be a great year for growing your small/medium business. Stay focused. As you achieve your goals be sure to take time to celebrate every success, big and small. With each celebration your confidence and commitment will grow making it easier to reach your ambitious goals.


Paul Bies

President,
Mystique Creative

Hidden text and links

A search engine trick by some seos is to manipulate the search bots by loading the page with keywords and phrases — but then hiding them from the viewer because they're not relevant to the visitor. For example: using white text on a white background, or using text behind an image, or setting the font size to 0.

If your site is perceived to contain hidden links or text, it can be removed from Google's index, and won't show up in any search pages. Google evaluates web sites to see if they include hidden text or links, and look for any content not viewable by your visitors.

If your site does have hidden text or links, either remove them or, if they are relevant for your visitors, make them viewable.

Frank Beecham
Webguy
Mystique Creative

Mystique Creative is proud to introduce and welcome our latest staff member, graphic designer Rene Tan, to the company and our clients. Rene graduated from Ontario College of Art and Design.

Rene brings a fresh and energetic approach to his work and has already contributed to a variety of brand development projects that include logo design, corporate collateral (stationary, business cards etc), print advertisements and online newsletters.

Rene adds significantly to Mystique's creative abilities, both in online and offline design.


Rene Tan

Position: Graphic Designer
Born: Manila
Education: Ontario College of Art and Design
Likes: basketball, tennis, video games, art, design, photography, film
Dislikes: comic sans, movie musicals (yet I'm currently a fan of the show Glee) and when bread gets stuck to the roof of my mouth
Inspirations: Lewis Nicholson (my college professor), Milton Glaser, Stefan Sagmeister, Paul Rand, Demetri Martin


Please stop in and get acquainted with Rene or send him a note at rene@mystique.ca.

Paul Bies

President,
Mystique Creative

21.8 million Canadians access the Internet each month, that’s almost 70% of the population. For any given month Canadians conduct, on average, 55 searches. And it appears that the majority of us are searching in the same place. Google reigns with an overwhelming market share in Canada with over 81%. MSN and Yahoo combined account for approximately 16%.

What's interesting is that paid Search Engine advertising is down. Hitwise US Claims that compared to May '08 - Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising in May '09 declined by a whopping 26%. However, according to the announcement, while paid search's share dropped, search traffic is on the rise.

It's not hard to figure out why. During these tough times we've witnessed many of our own clients spending less on marketing - both online and offline. Whether this is wise, or not, is up for debate but one thing is becoming very clear - Search Engine Optimization (SEO) needs to take a more prominent role in your marketing strategy.

Another factor may also be contributing to this downward trend in PPC— organic listings carry more credibility and trust with searchers than their paid listing counterparts.

In the past few years, fast results with PPC advertising spurred a rapid increase in marketshare in the pay for performance model. Note – PPC can't be overlooked as it still has the power to drive sizeable traffic referrals to your site. But hard times, combined with the change in search bahaviour, underline the need for a well planned mix of both SEO and PPC.



Paul Bies

President,
Mystique Creative