The same can be said for getting people to do what you want online. Knowing how to use online persuasion effectively can really make a difference in your customer relationships – and how you communicate.

Lend a helping hand. Addressing customer concerns on your social media page or passing along information are great ways you can do something nice for someone online. Being helpful to others will ultimately strengthen your relationships, and chances are they’ll be more than willing to return the favour. You’d be surprised at how much of a difference having a good attitude can make.

Simplify and be specific. Having too many choices can overwhelm someone and potentially make them turn a blind eye. Offering a couple, simple options allows people to make a decision quickly and comfortably. Keep this is mind if you’re thinking about doing surveys or forms.

Show your status. Being on a social network is kind of like being in a popularity contest. No one wants to have no “friends” or no “likes” on their social media pages. The more people are interested in what you have to offer, the more buzz it creates. By becoming social and sharing information, you can increase your page’s (and your company’s) popularity. You can have hundreds of “friends” before you know it!

Keep in mind that whatever you’re asking people to do – be honest. The old adage of “treating others how you would want to be treated” still applies. Asking others for help and returning that same level of kindness is what online persuasion is all about.

Have you tried some sort of online persuasion? Share your examples or comments with us!

Many parents who had seen the skit were upset about the outfit that Katy was wearing, deeming it “inappropriate” for children.

The entire time I spent watching this skit, I was prepared to see or hear something that was outwardly unsuitable, scandalous or irresponsible. Turns out that was completely unnecessary. I enjoyed the entire 2: 27 seconds of this video, which includes a cute rendition of Katy Perry’s song “Hot & Cold”. Yes her outfit did show some cleavage, but it wasn’t any different than a female ice-skater’s wardrobe. And, in the beginning of the skit, Katy mentions that she’s there to play “Dress Up” with Elmo, which is probably why she’s dressed like that. Would kids aged 1 to 6 even notice her clothing? I think they would be more interested in the vibrant colours, catchy music and lovable characters.

This weekend we had family over for Thanksgiving, and rather than doing the traditional type of turkey this year, we thought we would change things up a bit. We have a wood smoker from Traeger that we use for ribs and fish, but I wondered if anyone has ever tried smoking a turkey. Sure enough there were several websites and YouTube videos all about the subject. After a few forum posts and videos I was set to start the process.

The first thing I needed was a fresh turkey, so I got one from Fortinos for about $20. Then I needed to soak the turkey for a good 8-10 hours overnight in the fridge in a mixture of salt, garlic powder, pepper and brown sugar. The next morning I set the smoker to about 180 degrees, placed my turkey in for a good 8 hours on the “Smoke” setting and waited.

As the guests arrived I thought it would be fun to carve out some pumpkins, and I found myself going to YouTube once again to look at some great Photoshop videos on how to create pumpkin carving templates from your own photos. It was so easy to do, and we ended up making some really cool Halloween pumpkins. If you want to try this with your kids, be sure to get a cheap pumpkin carving kit. They are normally around $10. The nieces and nephews had a lot of fun and the pumpkins turned out great!

Now back to the bird…

After the “smoke session” it was time to turn up the heat to about 300 degrees for another hour to give it a nice golden colour. Then I removed the turkey and let it sit for a good 30 minutes before carving. It was delicious and very juicy! Want to smoke a turkey yourself? Here’s the information I used.

With over 24 hours of video posted every hour on YouTube, I bet there is a video on every subject (or soon will be). YouTube is an amazing website! Think back to the times of using cookbooks with no pictures. Or colour cookbooks with photos.

If a photo is worth a thousand words…how much do you think a video is worth? Do you think YouTube is valuable? Share your comments with us!

Facebook groups like this one http://www.facebook.com/#!/chileanminers have over 6000 fans and growing to show support for the miners and their families.

Social media is making it easier and faster for all of us to connect with one another. We have the opportunity to engage in issues and topics that are close to our hearts and voice our opinions for the world to see.

Here’s how much information that’s circulating throughout social media networks:

• 1.6 Million blog postings per day (or about 18.6 posts per second) which is about double the volume of information from about a year ago
• Over 50 million tweets per day and growing
• 2 billion videos viewed a day on YouTube
• Hundreds of thousands of videos are uploaded daily. In fact, every minute, 24 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube.

Almost 1 in every 10 people on Earth is on Facebook. Getting information that matters to you has never been easier or more convenient. Smartphones, iPads and other devices make it easy to submit content and read it on the go with 3G and 4G networks popping up everywhere. Web 3.0 will change the web experience even more with content related sites specific to your interests and Facebook profile. Facebook Connect an easy way to sign up or login to major websites and is now used by over 150 million people per month.

With the volume of news the world gets online, calling it an “Information super-highway” is an understatement!

Share your thoughts and comments with us!

In an effort to make this social network even speedier for the average tweeter posting a message, the folks @twitter introduced the “Tweet Button”. Although this button has been around for a little while now, I think it deserves some recognition. The Tweet Button has a lot of great benefits for anyone who’s looking to make their social posts more sharable.

BONUS!! When you set up your Tweet Button you can mention two accounts that you think people should follow.  It’s a great way to give back to those friends and followers of yours.

Want to learn more? You can watch this cute video featuring the Twitter Button here or take a look at Twitter’s Blog Post on the subject.

Try using it and let us know what you think. Do you like the new button? Did it make tweeting easier?  Did you get more followers from it? We want to know! After all, the Tweet Button is all about sharing! Follow us on Twitter too!

So which side are you on?

FOR Zuckerberg

It’s true that Mark Zuckerberg has changed the world. He’s the inventor of Facebook, a social network platform that has transformed the way people interact with each other. More than 600 million people are on Facebook. It’s become that place we go to share our thoughts, interests and lives. One tenth of the entire planet is on Facebook. If it was a country, it would be the 3^rd largest. These are some serious facts – statistics that reinforce Time Magazine’s decision to name Mark Zuckerberg as the Person of the Year for 2010.

AGAINST Zuckerberg

Even though Mark Zuckerberg did invent Facebook, how has he changed the world in 2010? The Facebook website was launched in 2004 – which means it’s been around for 6 years. What makes Mark Zuckerberg remarkable this year? The runner-ups for the 2010 Person of the Year include: The Tea Party, Julian Assange, Hamid Karzia and the Chilean Miners. These four runner-ups probably received more news coverage this year than Mark Zuckerberg did (even with the Social Network movie hitting theatres). All of these runner-ups did impact the world this year AND each sparked universal interest and attention.

You’ve heard the phrase “Out with the Old and In with the New?” Well get ready to explore a new way of doing business. It’s called social media.

I know that many of you already know about social media. Some of you love it, some of you hate it and some of you are even using it for your business. For those of you who aren’t tapping into this new tool – what better time to try it than the start of 2011?

Although more and more people are getting acquainted with this marketing trend, it’s still a very new concept. One that some business owners just aren’t comfortable with. And that’s OK. We know it can seem somewhat scary. But have no fear, QGM Canada is here to help!
Here are 3 ways to dip your toe in the social media water (and how you can dive in a little deeper!)

#1: Make a Facebook Profile Account. Making a Facebook account is easy – all you need to do is go to http://www.facebook.com/ and fill in the fields. Once you’re on Facebook you can find your friends, view photo albums, videos and more. Familiarize yourself with the way people are interacting on a personal level and how you interact with them. Social media is all about personal relationships and getting to know people in your area, your industry and so on. Dive in a little deeper: Make a Facebook Business Page.

#2: Make a Twitter Account. Signing up for Twitter is a snap. This is the social media network where time is of the essence. You can get or send information instantly to people all over the world. But keep your message brief, Twitter only allows 140 characters or less. Dive in a little deeper: Customize your Twitter Background.

#3: Google Yourself. Visit http://www.google.ca/ and type in your name. In seconds you can see what links, articles, networks, etc. are associated with your name. It’s pretty interesting and fun to see what your online presence is like. Dive in a little deeper: Google your company’s name.
If you’re curious about social media, I recommend trying Facebook and Twitter first. Both are FREE, easy to set up and user friendly. Why not let social media be the new thing you do this New Year?
If you want to tailor social media to your business or learn how to achieve better customer relationships online, see how QGM Canada can help you embrace .

Now, I wouldn’t go as far as saying I’m obsessed, but I have to admit that going onto Facebook has become part of my daily routine. I often find myself going on more than once a day. I’m even guilty for being part of one of the statistics in the chart below… (I DO check Facebook right when I wake up!)

Here is the “Obsessed with Facebook” Chart formulated by the good folks at Mashable. See if you’re obsessed with Facebook (or are simply in denial just like me ).

Learn how you can reach more customers in real-time, gain more website traffic and improve your search engine rankings with QGM. Get your FREE Website Audit or contact us for more information.