We’re a small business marketing firm in Toronto, and we’ve been getting some local press attention recently.
First we were on the CBC (radio and TV) talking about our 10% HST sale.
The Toronto Star saw our blog article and called to get more details on how we think the HST is going to benefit companies using our print and digital marketing services.
And finally, John Wilkinson, the Ontario Minister of Revenue, is planning a visit for this Friday to find out more about our business, the challenges we face, and why we are glad about the demise of the outdated and harmful PST.
Of course, it will be an honour to meet a public official, and it is exciting to be in the media. However, as a business, we are very interested in how all this raises our profile and promotes what we offer.
How did all this free publicity come about? Simple – by being social.
This sort of thing is exactly what is behind the excitement of social media marketing.
The interesting thing for us is that it started offline, at a Toronto Board of Trade networking meeting.
The Toronto Board of Trade holds regular networking events, and they are a fantastic way to get business, find good vendors, and increase your knowledge. However, more importantly I found these networking events are a great way to get the conversation started. And that’s what social marketing is all about – the conversation (vs. the sale).
Resulting from my conversations with my relationship manager Marla Tobe at the Toronto Board of Trade, I was introduced to the CBC (TV & radio). From the CBC and our twitter feed we were introduced to the Minister of Revenue’s office. And the Toronto Star found our blog and called for an interview.
So get out there & join the conversation.
If you are a member of the Toronto Board of Trade – speak with your relationship manager. Make sure they know about you, who you are, what your ideal client is, and what you hope to get from TBOT. (And if you aren’t a member – Join!)
Be social, and see where it takes you!
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Updates:
– Article in the June 30th, Toronto Board of Trade Bulletin
– July 2nd: A second mention in The Toronto Star
– News release by the Ministry of Revenue
– And a brief mention on Global TV June 30th (clip not available online)