Corey Eastman - Organizing My Thoughts

It's a game of inches

2010-09-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

What are you willing to do for that little extra?

E-Mail Strategies for Generating New Biz

2010-08-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

First things first. What is your goal?

1. Open Rate? – Getting the message out

2. Click Through Rate? – Taking action

3. Both?

Essentially these factors depend on what you are selling, the audience you are selling to, size of the sale and the length of the sales cycle for your solution.

Start with a compelling subject line:

For me this is one of the most important aspects of a successful e-mail blast. Main goal here is to evoke curiosity and urgency so that the reader will open the e-mail. Try something that is not boring or comes across as spam but rather something that is creative and stands out from the plethora of e-mails that the recipient would get in a day and GRAB THE RECIPIENTS ATTENTION!

Include the customer’s name:

Pretty much goes without saying. Make it personal.

What is your ‘call to action?”

Consider including a link both at the beginning and end. Frequency of your call to action will help turn around great click through rates. Also try making it as clear as possible what you want to recipient to do.

Make sure you have awesome content:

Credibility – Why should they talk to you?

Provide Value – People don’t just want to hear from you, they want something useful from you. What is your value proposition?
Relevant – Meets their current pain points or needs and is a benefit (solves a biz challenge)

What does your signature line look like?

Very important for:

Your credibility, visibility and company background

Do you want to use a template?

Take caution. This requires testing to ensure the content can actually be displayed and read properly.

Measure and test:

Consider these factors for continuously testing and improving your strategy:

Subject Line

Sender Name

Design and Layout

Content

Long vs. Short

Text vs. Images

Call To Action

You Are Here For a Reason

2010-08-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

Stand for something.
Make a difference.
Don't EVER give up.
Embrace the journey!

Old Spice Responds to Facebook and Twitter Fans

2010-07-14T12:37:00.001-07:00

Listening.....Check.
Responding.....Check.
Caring...............Check.

Well done Old Spice, well done!

A perfect example of Social Media strategy execution by Old Spice.

An interesting article from PCWorld states that Facebook has about 150 million mobile users, up from 100 million the month prior. And Old Spice has jumped all over the opportunity to connect with their fans on this platform as well as Twitter. Not only are they listening to their fans on Facebook and Twitter but they are responding in the form of personal videos posted on YouTube, which are HILARIOUS to say the least. A lesson that other brands can definitely take note of.

Here is one of my personal favourites.

Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

2010-07-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

Seth Godin Worldwide Meetup

2010-05-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

This is the first ever unofficial official Seth Godin Linchpin worldwide Meetup taking place June 14th, 2010.

A completely non-commercial chance to find and connect with other members of Seth's tribe, an opportunity to talk, challenge, and inspire your fellow travelers.

I will be in Myrtle Beach for a golf trip during this time, however I am really looking forward to meeting similar minds while away and would love to hear how other meetups went as well. Especially those in Toronto, ON.

***Please post comments or fire me a message on Twitter (@coreyeastman) and let me know how it went. Maybe we could keep this going on a regular basis?!

IBMers' Blogs

2010-04-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

“As they'll tell you themselves, the opinions and interests expressed on IBMers' blogs are their own and don't necessarily represent this company's positions, strategies or views. But that doesn't mean we don't want you to read them! Because they do represent lots of business and technology expertise you can't get from anyone else.”

When I first started my blog in late 2009, I really just wanted a place to consolidate all of my learning. Aside from my “book of knowledge” which was covert to say the least, I wanted to share my views on several topics and needed a home base online that I could call my own, other than the big three (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn). I took the assumption that this blog would be an island to myself, however with the support of IBM along with Google Analytics I have been proven wrong. With my recent addition to the IBMers’ blogs page I have found myself at a new level of accountability that will continue to drive and push me towards taking my game to the next level!

If you have a topic you would like to see on this blog, please fire me a note and I will do my best to make it happen.

Thanks for your continued support,

Corey

The Artist Farm Blog

2010-04-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard of this blog it is about time you subscribe. Ever since Mr. Godin referenced this blog I have not be disappointed and continue to be enlightened.

Check it out for yourself!

The Artist Farm

It’s a Matter of Degrees

You are on a path. Whether you feel successful or frustrated and stuck – you are exactly where you are, on your path.

If you are successful, you are thinking of where you want to go next. If you are frustrated, you are thinking of where you want to go next. In either case, you’re looking forward and forgetting that this moment is perfect for what it is. You are forgetting that you have achieved some of your goals in getting to this point.

For perspective, let’s look back 2 years. There is no question that you have advanced. In some way you are absolutely more advanced (and thus successful) than you were then.

2 years ago you were on your path. Right now, you are on your path. 2 years in the future you will be on your path. You need this moment to see where to go next. Where you are going next starts in this moment right here.

“Here and now” is only a few degrees of separation from “there and then” and can only be affected right now.

What Players Can Learn from Social Media and Sales

2010-03-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

When I was in University I learned a big lesson about generating business using social media through the art of meeting women. Playing hockey while in University didn’t allow me to be much of a ‘bar star’ however living with 5 guys at one point in University did allow me to discern certain ‘sales techniques’ often used to meet nice ladies on a casual Thursday night at the campus pub. If you are reading this blog for practical advice to help you with the dating scene you might have better luck watching the reality TV comedy show called “Keys to the VIP” (A Professional League for Players) where two self proclaimed players compete against each other to pick up women in an actual bar setting at night. However, what I want to describe in more detail is the two distinct approaches that were being used inadvertently to develop ‘new clients’ by my friends.

The first approach was a cold calling technique where my good friend would play the numbers game and try and talk to as many females (unsolicited) as he could in hopes of getting a phone number and ultimately landing him a better chance at a second date. Although he was effective from time to time (and not to mention the entertainment value he provided us), overtime he started to become very frustrated, burnt out and would often feel like he was defeated and would never find “true love.’ This also didn’t help him over the long term because of a personal brand image he was tarnishing throughout the student community. This brand image of being a “player” he eventually created for himself spread virally throughout the community by the ever trusted word of mouth and he eventually saw his lists of referrals slowly diminish as well. Poor guy.

The second approach that was used by a different friend was a very effective “demand creation” technique that consisted of engaging ‘the market’ and developing relationships with your clients before they are ready to buy. Instead of approaching a large number of females this guy would spend time scanning the venue to see where his ideal candidates were hanging out, took the time to understand and get to know them and focused on the needs of the other party through generous acts such as offering to take them out for a coffee the next day or help them with their next school assignment. By focusing on building a relationship versus instantly selling he has allowed the other person to uncover his strengths and positive attributes that put him in a favorable position for a second meeting. Establishing a strong understanding of his ‘market’ has positioned himself to be the “first call or choice” when the next open night rolls around.

The point I wish to drive home is that negative customer experiences are generated by sales people who push people to buy and continue to persuade passed the point of no return. If done incorrectly cold calling can often create an antagonistic buying experience and turns the customer off which can ultimately tarnish your brand and your personal reputation.

We live in a world today where everyone has a marketing bubble around them. We all have our protective armor on to marketers and sellers in the form caller ID, email filters, On Demand TV etc. The traditional interruptive techniques are no longer effective because there is too much information or noise around and we have too little time to pay attention. Interruptive techniques of selling must now be permissive. And the best way of being permissive is to be visible along the buying path of your targeted consumer. You can now interact with your audience where they live, work and play and here is the kicker, you can do it for FREE (and if you’re going fishing you better go where the fish are). Social tools throughout the internet allow you can connect with people based on common interests and help you build relationships by turning “strangers into friends and friends into customers” as Seth Godin explains in his book Permission Marketing. The foundation of any good relationship is built on common interests (it’s only natural) and by showing admiration and truly caring about the other person you automatically become of interest to the other party. As Dale Carnegie puts it “to be interesting, you must be interested.”

Leveraging social media for sales

In Chris Brogan’s book Trust Agents he explains the Archimedes Effect, which is about leverage: “putting in a certain amount of effort and getting a greater result than our normal human effort would give.” We use leverage because it will often get us results faster or more effectively. We ride a bike instead of walking and we use power tools instead of the old school wrench and screw driver. The new social media platforms provide us with the opportunity to leverage communication from a traditional one-to-one opportunity to a one-to-many opportunity and at the cost of being less interruptive and more permissive. Here are 3 ways sellers can benefit from using social media.

1. LISTEN
Setting up RSS feeds for industry key words is a killer way to gain information on prospects and educating yourself on the needs of your customers.

2. BECOME A HUNTER
Prospects are continuously expressing dissatisfaction and needs through social media tools. Learning how to filter, aggregate and respond to real time requests is a new form of lead generation that is becoming ever more pervasive.

3. CREATE A COMMUNITY
Facilitating a community that helps bring customers together and allows them to network and build mutually beneficial relations is also a tremendous way for the seller to add value, built trust and loyalty.

Etiquette (Taking you from Caveman to Digi-man)
Now that you understand how this platform can generate more biz for your company let’s take a quick look at the etiquette that should be followed.

--->The web has become increasingly humanized and as a result it is essential to remain transparent, authentic and real. People know when your full of B.S.
--->Stay passionate and relevant to the topics you are dealing with. The internet allows for immediate attention to a topic. Stick to the point, add valuable content and act in real time.
--->Share content everywhere. We are living in a gift economy. Know that a gift given will create positive karma and trust on the other end. When a customer is looking for a solution, what better person to call than one who is trusted and well liked?
--->Maintain connections. Your home base is your website. Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and your Blog are your vacation homes. They are great platforms used to meet people and sustain connections however you ultimately want people to check out what you are all about.
--->90/10 rule. Avoid selling through online social media, but rather contribute value, build loyalty and establish trust first. If you wish to pitch you can do this when the time is right which may be 10% of the time you interact.
--->Treat the social media landscape like a cocktail party. Don’t be the networking douchebag walking around with your 30 second elevator pitch. Build social equity first and withdraw later.
--->Build social equity. Social equity is like a bank account. You cannot walk into a bank and withdrawal money from an account that is empty. So why would you try and ask for something on the web without giving something of value first?

What the vook are you talking about?

2010-03-11T19:32:00.000-08:00

The book industry is going through a big shake up. Scarcely unchanged since Gutenberg came onto the scene years ago (see previous post) some publishers are predicting digital sales of anywhere from 25% in 3 years to 80% in the next decade. With Amazon’s Kindle and Kobo emerging onto the playing field as a respectable competitor for ebooks, I was hoping to blend this post in with a personal video at the same time and start a revolutionary new book format. However it appears I am too late. HOW the F*&% have I not heard about vook. Created back in 2008, really?.....well here it is. Pretty innovative and would love to hear if you are a ‘vooker’ or your overall thoughts on the future of the vook.

Did You Know 4.0

2010-02-25T13:27:00.000-08:00

Around the 15th century German inventor Johannes Gutenberg brought us the mechanical printing press which allowed for mass producing movable type. Not only was this a technological revolution, it was a cultural revolution.

The way we use the internet to deliver messages and communicate TODAY is changing our culture. This is BIG. Are you ready for the future?

How Sport Has Shaped My Life

2010-02-15T18:27:00.001-08:00

The question of how sport has impacted or shaped my life is a question I am often asked. This question was most recently posed to me by @SophieBifield who does some amazing digital and some outstanding social media work with Motivate Canada, TD Money Lounge and TalentEgg. Thanks to Sophie and others I thought it would be a great idea to finally put some of these life lessons down on paper and oh ya….it also makes for a great Toastmasters speech while the Olympics are going on. The reason I believe we like the Olympics besides the fact that the event brings countries close together for a few weeks, it’s also because we get to see people who are passionate about what they do while they perform at their highest skill level with the drive and resiliency to inspire us all.

Thanks for your inspiration in helping me write this Sophie and I hope you enjoy!

The Sport Arena is a Microcosm of Life
There are many characteristics in sport that can relate to the world we live in out side of sport. In life as in sport there are a defined set of rules or laws that must be followed, you have a legal system or officiating system to enforce those rules and you have an overall government or board in place to supervise that all goes according to plan. The objective of the game revolves around achieving a goal and for one to excel in sport requires that physical, emotional and mental effort be exerted. Sport offers a very unique arena which kids can successfully build the skills and hone their talents and this can usually be done much quicker in sport than in life.

It is EXTREMELY important to understand that what often makes it difficult for people to play ‘the game’ of life is a lack of focus as a result of no clearly defined goal or direction to follow. Don’t get me wrong, we are living in a society that is extremely volatile and is changing so rapidly it is tough to predict where we will be in 2, 3, 4 years or even a week from now! What I am trying to say is that you need to have a direction in life and make proactive steps towards achieving those goals (make s*#! happen) instead of sitting back and waiting for it to fall into place.

In sport and life there are winners and losers. My old coach use to tell us a story about losers and winners. While losers are making excuses and whining continuously winners are busy taking home the prom queen, (this was the G rated Cole’s Notes version of the story). Whether you win or lose you are always placed in a position where self improvement is essential. When you win you are put in a position to be beaten and the competition only gets tougher. On the other side of the coin we have the losers. Everyone at some point will find themselves here; the important thing however is when you lose not to lose the lesson. The lesson is that you have just gained valuable experience and a strong drive to improve your weaknesses. It was once said that winning is not the end and losing is just the beginning.

It is important to note that sport does not only engage youth physically, it also engages them personally and socially and that is what I would like to discuss.

Physical Benefits

Mastery - While I was watching Alexandre Bilodeau the Canadian freestyle mogul gold medal champion, go to work I was in awe when he was flying off those jumps or kickers. I can only imagine what was going on in his head within those split seconds he was flipping and twisting around in the air. *Look over my shoulder, turn my upper body, grab my ski with my left hand, keep my knees bent, keep my hands in tight to my chest, keep my head tucked into my body, check out my landing spot, land, and quickly turn back into mogul action* This however was probably not the case. Through repetition or training of a skill and receiving visual feedback you begin to train what Malcolm Gladwell refers to as your adaptive unconscious which are ‘mental processes that work rapidly and automatically from relatively little information.’ Through experience, training and instant feedback in sport we can teach this part of our brain to act naturally and make decisions under pressure. This is important in life because we are consistently overloaded with information in our day to day lives and by using limited information along with our natural snap judgments we can eliminate irrelevant and confusing data in order to focus on the most critical information to make a decision. When you are placed in an environment where you can develop certain skill sets or a talent it also makes you feel valued and does wonders for your self-esteem and self respect at the same time.

Additional Comments on Fitness and Stress Relief:
With the continuing rise of obesity it is essential that youth’s take part in physical fitness activities that are fun and enjoyable. This may prove to have a strong effect on establishing habits for good health since the body plays an integral role in personal performance. Understanding the value of one’s body and having the attitude that wants to maintain the body’s ability to perform can also help prevent drug and alcohol abuse. Most people recognize that there is a positive correlation between positive metal attitudes and physical exertion. Sport allows you to sweat out the tension that is built up from the day to day challenges brought on by life. And the harder you play the better you feel because it clears your mind of all things that were once an issue and allows you to concentrate better and crush life.

Personal Benefits

Confidence - Gaining the respect from others (for recognition purposes amongst all other things) is great; however gaining self respect is even greater because it fosters self-confidence or inner competence which is gained through experience. Abraham Maslow illustrates this in his Hierarchy of Needs where there are many dangers associated with self-esteem based on external recognition instead of inner competence. And the famous philosophical author James Allen detailed in his book As A Man Thinketh, “a man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.” Sport has allowed me build the skills to remain confident (not arrogant) in my ability regardless of the circumstance and has taught me this by learning from others and helping others achieve their goals rather than seek my own personal glory.

Deferred Gratification - One of the most important attributes sport has taught me is that of self control. Sacrificing immediate gratification for long term gain or more commonly known as short term pain for long term gain. One example that comes to mind is missing out on a lot of social situations outside of sport because I had to go to practice or play a hockey game on a Friday and Saturday night. It is important to note that I was not isolated from all extracurricular activities however I had to be selective on when I could and couldn’t attend events. Although I was working towards achieving the goal of winning a championship, I was not defined by what I was winning but rather who I was becoming as a person. Building and developing this emotional intelligence trait is essential because it taught me to have stronger sense of will power and self control that may have otherwise been influenced by a lack of impulse control.

Additional Comments on Time Management and Preparation:
When you are involved in sport you need to balance athletics with academics no matter what. This is MASSIVE because it requires you to learn productive time management skills. Here was my daily routine. Go to school. Come home. Do my homework. Eat. Go to hockey. Sleep. Repeat. There was no time for watching TV or loitering outside of the local convenient store. Sport keeps you busy, productive and proactive. While others may be laying on the couch, playing X Box and sitting on their hands, sport puts you in a position to get out there and make something happen.
Learning how to prepare your self for a test in school, a job interview or a playing a sport all have their similarities. However one thing that differs in sport is the increased number of times you get to practice this preparation. Being resilient and continually going to battle and facing adversity has done wonders for my personal attitude towards distinguishing how I feel in my present state of mind. How you prepare your self for the direct or indirect impacts life brings will determine your outcome. Being happy or disappointed is your choice. Practice makes perfect.

Social Benefits

Relationships - Without a doubt sport is a great way to develop relationships with like minded people and start to develop win-win relationships. Athletes are able to do this because they share certain attributes in common such as hardworking, driven and ambitious. Keith Ferrazzi is an expert on relationships and he stresses the importance of building mutually beneficial relationships through his established four mind-sets. The first is being generous and giving before you receive, such as the personal time you give up to participate in sport, which in turn creates a bond that allows you to be vulnerable (second mindset) and creates a certain intimacy that allows for an open relationship with the other person. The third mindset is candor which comes only after the first 2 mind sets are in place and allow you to establish full disclosure that will help us indentify what we need to stop doing and are inevitably the things that are holding us back from moving forward. Such as “Corey stop being soft and get in the corner and hammer that guy into the boards!”And lastly we have accountability which allows us to stay committed so that we can transform our lives from good to great. Aside from having your friends at school you are able to develop the important second set of relationships within your athletic community who can shepherd you in the right direction by holding you accountable through candid feedback.

Additional Comments on Teamwork and Mentors:
Working together to achieve a common goal is the number one priority of any team. When this is present you learn a lot about cooperation and collaboration. Having a curfew and missing out on parties are a lot easier when you know 19 other teammates or friends are doing the same thing. Knowing your role and finding ways to work with people who you don’t necessarily get along with go a long way when you are put into an environment outside of sport.
Being placed in an environment where you are constantly surrounded by adult figures such as coaches and parents you learn to develop respect from the adult support group that is consistently evaluating and praising your skill progression. The attentive behavior, shared knowledge and experience adults give to kids in sport helps you to not only become more confident in your ability but also more comfortable around older figures outside of sport that once may have been feared or approached with a sense of shyness in social situations.

Conclusion
In conclusion, sport is typically designed to make achieving a goal enjoyable and the game of sport along with life is always better played when one enjoys what they are doing. More importantly if we are truly living in a world where unity and the concept of oneness is our ultimate destiny it is imperative to understand that sport has the ability to provide an arena that encourages participants to develop these symbiotic relationships that are essential to move us closer towards this destination. Whether it is life or sport we must never settle for anything less than our very best and we must never give up. As I continue to hustle and work towards achieving my best in life it has never resonated as clearly as it does now when my old man used to tell me to “always keep my head up, skate hard and keep my stick on the ice!”

The New ROI – Return On INFLUENCE

2010-02-05T07:30:00.000-08:00

In my last post I mentioned that ROI was an essential concept for businesses looking to monetize their online content. Just to take this a bit further I have included an AMAZING video by Amy Martin from @DigitalRoyalty plus her ROI equation below.

Essentially we as a community are coming back around full circle. What I mean by this is that back in the day we made decisions based on word of mouth and trust because of limited access to information. Let’s call this the Trust Economy. Then we went through a time period where we were constantly inundated with advertisements which influenced our decision patterns. Let’s call this the Information Economy. We are now at a point in time where trust has been put back into the equation. Through our personal online interactions and engagement we can now build reputations online that have the ability to influence the decision making process. The important point to note is that value and quality must be present for this to exist. An equation for this might be:

Give+Give+Give+Give+Give+Give+Give = Get

CaseCamp.org - This isn’t your typical Boy Scouts Camp

2010-02-04T07:51:00.000-08:00

On February 2nd I had the opportunity to check out CaseCamp in conjunction with Social Media Week Toronto. The event was put together by Eli Singer from Entrinsic and did not disappoint with guests such as Peter Aceto - CEO of ING Direct Canada, Noel Biderman - President of Ashley Madison and Bryan Segal -VP comScore amongst several others.

There was one reoccurring theme to the afternoon -*How can you monetize content online?* The question of ROI is definitely significant and cannot be overlooked. I asked David Garland a marketing guru, from therisetothetop.com this question a few weeks ago and here was his response. (Video)

1. In my opinion I feel that the ROI that is most important for your online content deals with your Return On Influence. What I mean by this is the reputation, credibility and authenticity you are able to create online. By listening and adding value to communities online you will establish trust and build influence that can help you use the ‘multi platform drag’ explain by Alyson Walker from CTV, to monetize your business or brand within other areas of your business.

2. The second lesson to take away from this event was that social media is not a technological phenomenon it’s a cultural phenomenon. People are always talking about how newspaper, TV and radio are dead. This isn’t exactly the case. Newspaper, TV and radio aren’t dying what is happening is that the content is simply changing to a different platform. As Peter Aceto from ING noted we are returning to the time where small communities existed and word of mouth was trusted, businesses listened to theirs customers and the customer had power. Companies need to be more dynamic than ever before in order to keep up with this shift towards a community based world and adapt in order to become harmonized with our ever changing needs and wants.

3. The last point I want to make is based on what I saw from Noel Biderman, the CEO of Ashley Madison. In case you’re not familiar with his company one of his slogans is “Life is Short, Have an Affair’, and they now have over 5.2 million members. Enough said. Watching someone who has clearly traded in his ethics for an extra pair of balls was very intriguing. However he did stress an important point about finding your potential customer. We used to figure out who our customers were based on demographics or segments of the population such as age, sex, geography etc. Then in the mid 90’s we got a bit more sophisticated and started to use psychographics which focused on attributes such as personality, values, interests and lifestyles. Today we can narrow down our segments even more thanks to the people who freely publish their preferences online, the groups they join and the discussions they take part in with social networks. People often refer to this as socialgraphics. A good question to ask Noel aside from when he is going to ask Tiger Woods to endorse his site (insert Tiger Wood’s joke here), is if he has ever thought of creating a community to help re-establish integrity and communication of people engaging in infidelities by applying the socialgraphic analytics gathered from this market segment?

All in all CaseCamp went off without a hitch and I would like to congratulate Eli and the rest of his team for a successful afternoon!

Still Not Convinced?

2010-01-29T14:00:00.000-08:00

Check out this amazing video by @equalman

The Importance of Participating in Social Media‏

2010-01-29T10:21:00.000-08:00

This was a speech I put together about a month ago and I wanted to highlight a few key points based on the feedback I was given from the audience. (Because they have all be anticipating and waiting patiently to read this post, right everyone?!?)

First off, try not to get confused, there is tones of terminology that can be used interchangeably to represent Social Media, such as web 2.0, User Generated Content (UGC) etc. The point here is that social media represents content that is created by the user (including you and me!) which is highly accessible and scalable. Essentially it has turned the bullhorn around on people who have controlled the mediums of delivering messages from a traditional one-to-many towards a many-to-many technique of diffusing a message. And this is MASSIVE for many reasons.

Reason the First:

Word of Mouth
Let’s take this back in time, and I am talking waaaaayyyyy back in the day when people used to engage in a barter system of trading goods and service for other goods and services. Amongst all the benefits brought to us through trading such as comparative advance, output possibilities (PPF), and economies of scale there was one major challenge. That challenge was making your self visible and getting the message out to a greater audience to increase new business. Word of mouth was relied on heavily for any new business in these times. This is still the most influential, supporting and valuable way to receive a message, because it is coming from someone you trust. What social media has allowed us to do today is take the message “Corey has high quality goats to trade” and broadcast it through a very large trustworthy network in real time. *This is like word of mouth on steroids!* - The travel power of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc is insane and this is really what has changed the game, because we are able to break geographical barriers and are NOW connected to more people than ever before. And as long as we have TRUST the message will be justified.

Reason the Second:

Gate Keepers
Remember these guys? You were either too short, too ugly, too unique etc to make the cut and this was based on the opinion of only a few people. Now look at what has happened, we can gate jump by taking advantage of all the tools that are available to us on the web. And here is the best part……THEY ARE FREE! Look at all the web celebs out there, from Perez Hilton to Tila Tequila and Seth Godin to Justin Bieber. Check out the top 25 list put together by Forbes. The point here is that *everyone now has a voice and not just certain people* - Back in the day you needed to be a journalist to write in newspapers or a magazine, you had to have connections within a TV network or a radio station to get your message out and no matter what, at the end of the day someone other than you controlled how the message was presented to the audience. What the internet and the interactive collaboration tools available have allowed us to do is break down these barriers and become our own journalist with written blogs, our own TV network with YouTube or our own radio station with audio Podcasts.

Reason the Third:

Brands Not in Control
I hate being interrupted! And I am sure a lot of you will agree with me. Just take a look around and you will see tones of examples of things we have done to ensure we don’t get bothered. We used to get calls at dinner from telemarketers and now we have caller ID. Remember unwanted emails finding there way into your inbox? Enter anti-spam-filters and the junk folder. Tired of television commercials? Welcome to the world of the digital video recorder (DVR). Rogers On Demand and TiVo if you are American. The important point to note here is *if we create quality content online our message will diffuse through our TRUST networks and we as consumers can now INFLUENCE more people than ever before, which causes some issues for the brands out there* - (Dear Brands, you need to actually LISTEN and GIVE A S*#! about us more than ever right now). Here is an interesting stat. At any one time in the market only 3% of companies are looking to buy while the other 97% are researching and getting educated. And where do most people go to find information when they need it? YOU GOT IT! The internet, where real people are talking and communicating 24/7.

In Closing
Long are the days when there was a symbiotic relationship between consumer demand and growing companies with large TV marketing expenses.

Here was the cycle:
BUY AN AD
GET MORE SALES
MAKE A PROFIT
BUY MORE ADS

If you had capital you were successful.
Here is the problem:
Today we have too many choice and too little time.
All products made to satisfy the mass market (general public) has been created.
Therefore mass marketing is no longer effective and we need to find a new way.
‘The Game’ is changing.

Similar to the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell back in 1875, I am sure there are many people out there who are still having trouble understanding the concept and validity of Social Media. I can see it now. Back in 1875 people were probably saying “Why would I telephone someone when I could ride my pony over to see them? This is insane!” And it wasn’t until the 1890’s or 15 years after that it started to become popular. Social Media was first introduced around the mid 1990’s. Let me leave you with a stunning fact. Facebook is now at 350 million users and that’s nothing to overlook. Canada’s population is approximately 34 million and the USA population 305 million.

What is holding you back from entering the game?

Why Write a Blog?

2010-01-27T08:24:00.001-08:00

They say that if you want something you’ve never had, you must do something you’ve never done. HUGE statement, I know! Cue the music and my entrance into the blogosphere! Ok, well maybe it’s not that dramatic but setting up a blog and putting my words into writing (which is sub par at best), publically, for all to see is definitely a change….in the right direction.

Blogs have become ubiquitous throughout the web with numbers reaching approximately 133 million and counting worldwide. Nevertheless it is about time I jump on the bandwagon and start to generate some sort of Whuffie with everyone out here!

I plan to use this blog for several reasons - however I will spare you the details of my personal life! The BIG #1 purpose of writing this blog is to help organize my thoughts. With all the books, research, webinars, training, events, meetings and public speaking I take part in on the topic of ‘social media’ I believe this will be a great place to share all the things I am learning – and all the things I am passionate about.

My hope is that as you currently read this blog, you’ll discover one important thing: ‘Legacy will always be greater than currency and your social equity is far more important than your financial equity.’ This quote by Gary Vaynerchuk resonates with me every time I make decisions along the journey of life. And I want to assure you that I am NOT using this platform as a medium to scream and shout at the top of my lungs in hopes of accomplishing self interested needs, but rather a place where I can become a person of value and help others reveal their riches, because THAT is what I truly believe will make the biggest difference in our society moving forward. To me, it is the greatest good we can do as (digital) citizens.

Thank you again for taking the time to read my post.

Sincerely,

Corey Eastman

Hi my name is Corey Eastman...

2009-10-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

“From the Locker Room to the Boardroom"

I grew up playing ice hockey and along the way formed many friendships, including some who continue to make a living playing in the National Hockey League. As I rose through minor hockey and onto the Junior level ranks, this eventually led to playing Professionally in the United States. Along this well travelled road I realized I wanted more out of life than just athletic accomplishments. Growing up I was surrounded by many brilliant entrepreneur and business-minded influencers including my grandfather, father and 2 uncles who have all inspired me to kill it in the business world.

As I excelled in business courses throughout high school I then decided to pursue my post secondary degree in Business Administration while concentrating on Marketing and graduated with Honours. During this time I was the founder and owner of Elevation Incentives, a marketing and promotions company with a business model that focused on increasing awareness and recognition for companies within Canada. While emanating a high level of confidence in this field I landed an intern position with the Professional Hockey Player’s Association (PHPA) specializing in marketing and advertising. Generating revenues and increasing brand awareness were my primary roles.

I am currently on a journey to reinvent myself by transferring the skills, dedication, passion and knowledge I have acquired to this point in my life in order to achieve even greater success in business.

I am currently working towards:

Gaining a strong understanding of the creative processes involved in online marketing
A strong knowledge base of advertising and sales trends & emerging technologies
Strategy planning within the Social Media Landscape
Greater knowledge of Interactive Marketing, Social and Digital Media