We’re gonna’ school you on Twitter

You’ve heard that Twitter is a great marketing tool, but you still don’t get it, right? As Steven Berlin Johnson wrote in his Time Magazine story on Twitter, “The one thing you can say for certain about Twitter is that it makes a terrible first impression. The service allows you to send 140-character updates to your followers,” he writes, “and you think, why does the world need this, exactly?” The goal of this workshop is to demystify Twitter and give you tangible, real life examples that you can use to get on the Twitter bandwagon, beef up your marketing efforts, and ultimately grow your online presence.

You had me at schooled, sign me up!

When: Saturday, August 21, 2010, 8:00am – 12:30pm
Where: ING Direct Café, Boardroom, 466 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC
Light food (such as sandwiches) and refreshments will be provided.

Topics to be covered:

• But, why? Twitter: What is it good for?
• Getting Setup: Creating a compelling profile and generating content.
• Growing Your Following: Building your following and engaging followers.
• Twitter & Marketing: Adding social media to your marketing mix.
• Best Practices: What works? Real life examples, cautions, and what “not to do.”

About the Instructors

Tanya Roberts (aka @bluefinch604)

Tanya Roberts is a BCIT Marketing Communications graduate with solid experience in the Vancouver marketing industry. She has worked alongside the best in the Non-Profit, High Tech and Life Sciences sectors. Her flair for creativity complements her passion and “no fluff” approach. Tanya founded Bluefinch Creative in 2009, a local boutique that helps small businesses grow with winning design and marketing, from web and print design, to branding, social media, and online marketing strategy. Tanya provides her clients with the right message, the right numbers, and the right plan to get them there. Oh yeah, she owns a lot of scarves, loves the outdoors, and drinks a lot of tea.

Monica Hamburg (aka @monicahamburg)

Monica Hamburg has worked as a social media consultant since 2007 and often speaks on social media topics.  She is professional, but also approaches everything with a sense of humor. Response to her work and talks are positive and she has been profiled in a BC Business article on “Vancouver’s Social Media Innovators”.  She is also a contributor to the popular digital marketing magazine “One Degree”.  In her spare time she acts and has a gift for selecting projects that don’t get completed or released. She also write a hilarious blog, Your Dose of Lunacy.

Spaces are limited and on a first come first service basis. Click here to register. If you have any questions about this workshop, please email Monica Hamburg at monica[dot]hamburg[at]usa.net.

What Do You Know About Vancouver’s DTES?
Do you know what it’s like to live on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside? If you live in Vancouver, you’ve likely passed through the area, but very few of us can imagine the struggles that the residents face daily. Did you know that:

• Vancouver’s DTES is the poorest postal code in Canada
• As defined by the city of Vancouver, the DTES was home to 16,590 people in 2001 (I’m sure that number is much bigger, now).
• Children and teenagers make up 7% of the population, compared to 25% for Canada, overall.
• Average income for adults living alone on the DTES is $6,282 per year, and $14,024 after government subsidies.
• 62% of the residents over the age of 15 are not considered participants in the labour force.

Be the Change You Want to See
Those are some staggering statistics. You may find yourself saying “How can I possibly make a difference?” Change has to start somewhere. Mother Teresa said it best: “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” The point is, change starts small and snowballs into something much, much bigger.

With Glowing Hearts
Recently, I spoke with Kemp Edmonds, a local social media educator who informed me of an amazing project called With Glowing Hearts, a documentary about social media for social change. Andrew Lavigne and Jon Ornoy from Animal Mother Films have created a 90 minute documentary film that follows the lives of April Smith from AHA Media, Garvin (a Social Justice Advocate), Dave Olson and Kris Krug from True North Media House, and Irwin from W2, who all either work or live in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Using the 2010 Games as the backdrop, they are documenting and telling these stories. This film demonstrates how social tools are shifting media representation and acting as a beacon for social change within the DTES. You can learn more about the project and people behind With Glowing Hearts at wghthemovie.ca. Follow @wghthemovie on Twitter for the scoop.

How Can I Help?
With Glowing Hearts is 100% volunteer run (i.e. a little low on funds). The shooting of the 90 minute feature film is complete but post-production is very expensive. The organizers have turned the project to the community at-large to support the completion of these amazing stories with the Tweet and Toonie ($2) Torch Relay. They hope to raise $10,000 to share this film with Vancouver and the world. Here’s how you can help:

1. Become a Producer for $2 or More
Starting with a minimum contribution of $2, “producers” can have their name published in a word cloud (like this) that will appear in the film’s credit roll and on the website. Increasing your contribution will increase the size of your name in the cloud. You can make a donation to With Glowing Hearts via PayPal here: http://bit.ly/9vb9ke.

2. Spread the Word – Tweet, Blog and tell the world
You can become a producer by blogging about WGH’s mission or tweeting one of the tweets below:

• I am a proud supporter and hopefully winner of a copy of the film #withglowinghearts and a producer’s credit! http://wghthemovie.ca
• Only $2 makes me a movie producer #withglowinghearts http://wghthemovie.ca
• I am entering to win a film credit and a copy of the film #withglowinghearts http://wghthemovie.ca
• $2 buys you a coffee or it makes you a movie producer #withglowinghearts http://wghthemovie.ca

3. Human Curling
This sounds like loads of fun! Human Curling OH’ CANADA will give participants the chance to BE CURLING. Foam-painted-curling-rock-cut-outs will be worn by participants as they’re “pushed” down to house (rings at each end of the rink/sidewalk in this case.) Other participants will sweep the way with gigantic brooms. At the end of each game, a mock medal ceremony will reward the bronze, silver, and gold winners. All proceeds will go to help raise awareness and funding for the With Glowing Hearts documentary. Here are the event details:

When: Saturday July 31st, 4:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Where: Vancouver Public Library, 350 West Georgia Street, Vancouver
Details & RSVP: You can find the Facebook event invite here: http://kempe.me/bTrsKw

Social Change is Much Sweeter than Starbucks
Yes, change can happen, but it starts small. When disaster struck abroad, everyone  was so quick to chip in. But what about our own backyard, Vancouver? I challenge you to forgo your daily Starbucks once this week and make  a donation to this project. Yes, you can make a difference, no matter how small the contribution may seem.