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Western

Connect Online For A Better Bottom Line

Establishing a presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube is a necessary step in promoting new productions, but it is not enough. Effective social media marketing is complex and posting a few links on Facebook or fun facts on Twitter each week is just the beginning.

Using social media management tools to monitor relevant online chatter and respond to patrons’ feedback is very important. For instance, if there has been more buzz about rude front of house staff than the cast’s acting abilities, but that’s unbeknownst to management, then that’s a serious cause for concern.

To stand out amongst the noise, which characterizes social media, stay up to date about industry-wide best practices and assess competitors’ social media activity. If you want to improve your Facebook page, then find brand pages that frequently share interesting content that has high-quality visual elements and understand the approximate 80/20 split between being conversational and promotional. Viral videos like Will It Blend? demonstrate how easy it is to produce engaging content at minimal cost.

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January 13, 2014 by

This Place Is Like A Zoo

Sign

After having so much FOMO as a Western student, I’m on a mission to explore Toronto like a tourist in my own city. So far, I’ve gone to TIFF, Honest Ed’s, City Hall and The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and I’m just getting started!

One of my favourite tourist destinations is the Toronto Zoo and it’s nice to go back with a digital camera and reminisce about childhood memories. Without the temptation to buy stuffed animals and toys at every gift shop, there’s a lot more time to explore. If you don’t mind braving the cold, add this outing to your to-do list. It’s a beautiful place to see the leaves changing colour!

Elephant

I convinced my friend Sarah to go back with me so we could see the elephants before they were transported to California. Elephants have always been my favourite animal. Now that they’re no longer in Toronto, I want to return to African Lion Safari for another elephant ride!

We spent about six hours at the zoo and it went by fast. It was frustrating to see signs for seasonal attractions that are closed in the fall and winter, but there was still plenty to see. Aside from watching the elephants one last time, another highlight was the panda exhibit, which opened in the spring. The pandas are named Er Shun and Da Mao and they’re quite adorable.

Panda

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November 2, 2013 by

Fashion Blogger By Day, Author At Night

 

Man Repeller final

Hot On The Street & Man Repeller

Leandra Medine and I have a few things in common: we’re both brunettes with blogs who love New York. We also celebrate the same holidays, but that’s an inside joke between us.

On Thursday afternoon, I went downtown for a meeting (read: interview) and then created a workspace at Aroma. Meanwhile, Leandra appeared on The Social and chatted with fashion journalists about her new book, Man Repeller: Seeking Love. Finding Overalls.

Eventually my battery drained and instead of finding a new seat with an outlet, I dashed to Holt Renfrew. As for my outfit of the day, my Michael Kors trenchcoat protected me from the rain and helped me look polished and colourful. Have I mentioned that sometimes you can spot me as the girl in the red trenchcoat?

Anyway, FASHION’s online editor Randi Bergman interviewed Leandra and then the book signing began. I was grateful for a fast moving line that still allowed for ample face time with the author. While she wrote a personalized autograph with a gold Sharpie, we talked about Instagram and The Coveteur. It was just another conversation about social media and style. No big deal.

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October 21, 2013 by

Live From Queen West… It’s The Social!

The Social

Melissa Grelo, Traci Melchor, Sarah Prince, Cynthia Loyst and Elaine Lui

I’ve been eager to attend a live taping of CTV’s The Social since it premiered in September. The Social is like a younger version of The View with a stronger interactive component, as viewers’ social media engagement is integral to the series.

The Social takes the second screen experience to a new level because it’s filmed live and selected Twitter and Facebook posts are displayed onscreen. Offering opinionated viewers an opportunity to gain exposure on national television is definitely a better incentive to follow the show’s social media accounts than simply for the sake of entering contests or seeing behind the scenes photos.

Interestingly, the invitation to live tweet the show is extended to audience members as well, so I think Bell Media should install a mobile charging station in the audience waiting area. That would be a cost-effective way to ensure more fans can post on social media with the show’s hashtag. If iPhone chargers were available, then I would’ve taken more pictures and tweeted more commentary. Nevertheless, I preserved my battery as much as possible and was able to take photos with the hosts after the cameras stopped rolling.

I was so excited to see Wednesday’s special guest Jessica Alba that I didn’t care what brought her to Toronto. The fact that Jessica booked interviews with Canadian media outlets to promote her new line of eco-friendly baby products rather than a new movie didn’t matter. Plus, I’m certainly not complaining about getting a free copy of Jessica’s book, The Honest Life.

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October 10, 2013 by

4 Reasons I Love Twitter

I’m officially a university graduate now and the day after convocation, the celebration continues: today is my fourth anniversary on Twitter.

That means it’s been four years since I first tweeted “Jewellery is not a toy” after a beaded necklace that I made broke. I still have those grey beads in a ziploc bag. Today, the manager who worked at Toronto’s Bead Cafe is engaged to a family friend. As Twitter reminds us every day, it’s a small world!

To celebrate this exciting occasion, I’ve created a list of 4 reasons I love Twitter:

1. Twitter Contests

Twitter is responsible for helping me win many products and experiences. Contest prizes have included touchscreen gloves from Target Canada, an Aroma gift card, and a Rob Thomas concert DVD. More recently, I won a free hour of bowling from The Ballroom, which I have yet to redeem. The most amazing prize, however, came from MuchMusic, who gave me tickets to see Arcade Fire!

Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire

2. Job Opportunities

To apply for my current marketing role, I submitted links to my social media profiles, not a resume. And like the characters of The Internship, they hired me following an interview on Google+ Hangouts. Social media is a crucial part of the hiring process now and I’m curious to see how the relationship between social media and HR continues evolving. Twitter helps you showcase your industry knowledge and personality, so share your commentary and keep it clean!

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June 20, 2013 by