It’s official. I’ve been alive for 9,000 days.

That’s 24 birthdays, more than a hundred handshakes, a thousand hugs, a handful of kisses, a few deaths, a couple births, four graduations, friends made and friends lost – decisions made and decisions botched. Simply, the last 9000 days have been a roller coaster of awesome people and awesome memories.

Since day one, a lot of things have changed. Not only have I grown a few whiskers but the world has changed in a remarkable way. 9000 days ago I had four grandparents and I now only have one (Love ya Nanna!). My interest in Dinosaurs and sstronauts has diminished. Some of my favourite musicians and artists are either bankrupt, in jail, a hologram and/or dead. My favourite TV shows are no longer on the air and some of my favourite people are no longer just a call away.

As we go through our lives, change is inevitable. There is nothing we can do to avoid change. People will change, technology will change, our business will change, music will change and we will change. I’ve been met with a lot of change over the last 9000 days. Some caused by me and others by factors beyond my control. With change however, I have continued to adjust my way of thinking and adapt and move forward. I’ve learned a lot and I’m sure that the next 9000 days will teach me just as much and hopefully much more. Ideally, I’ll look back at this post and realize how little I actually knew.

Here is a list of some of the things I’ve learned in the first 9,000 days:

When you’re uncomfortable – magic happens

As a young chap, I was more likely to go with the flow and let things happen as the world saw fit. After university however, I started taking a different approach and began doing things that intentionally made me uncomfortable. Speaking at events before I knew anyone in the Marketing Industry. Going up to bat on ideas that I felt passionate about. Or taking a trip that didn’t make any logical sense. I can recall the concept of pushing myself to be uncomfortable coming to fruition after two summers of working at a Children’s Camp. Ever since, I’ve been pushing myself to get into situations that make me nervous and cause me to lose a little sleep. It seems the more uncomfortable I get, the more people tend to say I’m lucky.

People who talk a lot usually do a little

A lot of people talk about how you can make your business better or do your job better but very little actually take their own advice. Over time I’ve learned to know when to take what someone says for face value and when to add it to the pile of junk that I’ve come across in the past. It’s important to listen to others advice but it’s just as important to follow your gut reaction. Those who talk a lot are also the ones to keep an eye on. People who talk often sometimes know very little.

It’s easier to lose a friend than gain one

I’ve had thousands of acquaintances, colleagues and peers over the last 9,000 days and roughly a hundred people who I would have at one point called a close friend. Over time, many friends have came and many friends have gone. Some have moved away, a core group has stayed close yet for many of these friends we just drifted apart due to a variety of reasons. Whether it was a lack of keeping in touch or a hostile blowup that was never mended. I have realized how much effort goes into making a friendship work but also how quickly one can be destroyed. Friendships are meaningful and should be cherished.

Life is short, so live it

I remember signing year books in High School and writing: “Live life to the fullest – You only live once!” It’s a simple concept but one that still stands the test of time. Every day we are getting closer to our last. We will never be as young as you are right now. This is why I believe it’s important to do something you’re passionate about. For me, It’s much better to live than to simply exist. The fact that I exist is my motivation to get out and live. There have been days that have sucked and I’ve wanted to give up but I understand that suckiness will pass. Everyday is a page in our own biographies – I hope to make my book worth reading.

Like Beauty, Cool is defined by the beholder

Many know me as @TheCoolestCool on Twitter. It was created after listening to a Lupe Fiasco album back in University and it’s stuck. Many link it to an ego, I link it to the fact that @Ross just wasn’t available. To some, I’m not cool, but I’m 100% cool with that. When I was in Jr. High and the first two years of High School, I wasted a lot of energy worrying about being cool. As days have passed, I have realized that it’s way more fun to forget about being cool, and just be yourself. When you do that, you find your passion and you chase it without looking over your shoulder to check your cool-o-meter.

Growing up is a man-made concept

The entire concept of “Professionalism” and “Growing Up” is a concept that society has created. I understand the importance of being a professional and I understand the premise of “Growing Up”. That said, I’m not sold on them being the foundation in which you build your own personal mantra. I’m a big fan of working hard and playing hard. Furthermore, I’m a big fan of playing dodgeball, throwing parties, pranking my colleagues and doing what I love. That’s why I’m creating dreamr – People need to stop getting so caught up in their day to day hustle and bustle and focus more on optimizing their life for happiness.

9000 days went by quick

Time flies. It feels like yesterday I was graduating from University and a few weeks ago I was working at a Summer Camp. Time passes quickly and it seems to only accelerate as we get older. Keeping this in mind, I try to never waste a day doing something that doesn’t make me happy, help me grow or get closer to my dream.

Process driven is better than being goal driven

A lot of people have goals that sound something like this: “I want to have a $100,000 income by the age of 25″. If they don’t reach this goal they become depressed and all the work and effort that went into getting to $95,000 goes out the window. They focus on the fact that they didn’t achieve it instead of looking at everything they did to get there. I’ve become more of a process guy than a goal guy. I know where I want to be in a few years and I know the little steps that are required to get there. As a result, I make goals like “Write 12 blog posts a year” – “Grab a coffee with two people a month” – “Volunteer your time to help a non-profit once every two months” – “Unplug every 3rd weekend” – These kinds of things are all part of the process that will help me be happy. Doing this allows me to not only hold myself accountable but also allows me to quickly make adjustments as I see fit.

Experiences are better than stuff

I’ve made a lot of stupid purchases in my life. Whether we’re talking about an unnecessary Stereo for my car or a gadget that I’ve never used. These items gather dust, get stolen and become sooner or later become obsolete. In reality, I’ve found that building things and experiencing things is much better than simply buying them. The experience of creating a business, planning a trip, launching a product or going on a unplanned trip far surpasses the satisfaction from being rung in at a check-in counter. Consume less – Create and Do More.

Romance is not all sugar plums and lollipops

Movies will make you believe that relationships should be smooth sailing without any speed bumps. They make you believe that arguments in a relationship or disagreements are a bad thing when in my opinion – They make things better. It’s the little disagreements that make you appreciate your partners perspective a little bit more. The arguments provide insights around what you can get away and how you can be a better partner. It’s a process and one that takes a lot of effort but with the right person, it’s worth it.

Self-Education is essential to progress

A lot of people go to school, graduate and then throw up their hands and stop learning. They stop reading, they stop researching their passion and thus stop growing. I’ve learned that the ongoing process of self-education is truly the key to continuous growth. Whether I’m learning about the newest App from a random video on Facebook or researching and writing about Happiness – I strive to learn something new as often as I can.

To all of you who have been a part of the last 9,000 days – I thank you. To my crew, males and females alike – You know who you are. Some of you I’ve known since birth and others just a few months.Here’s to the next 9,000 days… Let’s make them amazing.

If you ask any knowledgeable marketer if they think Facebook should be in the marketing mix, they’ll say yes. If you ask the typical social media specialist, they will also agree that Facebook is a great place to engage with customers and get your message out. If I had a nickel everytime I heard the word “engage” – I’d have a whole lot of nickels. But, as described in Facebooks offical Business Blueprint – The channel isn’t limited to only consumer engagement. Facebook can also act as a rich business and marketing platform. Facebook is a channel that can be used to not only increase the value of your product but also increase and improve your overarching brand.

In a recent study commissioned by Facebook, 71% of marketers surveyed believe that companies can gain a competitive advantage by leveraging social media. At the same time, only 41% of said they have fully integrated social media throughout the company and only 33% said they had a long-term strategy for becoming a social business. There is clearly a disconnect.

I’ve taken some time to review Facebooks guide for Building Brands and gather some key insights and thoughts on their thinking. For the most part, I think the disconnect is directly related to marketers ability to adapt to the new art and science of social media, technology and good old fashion creative. The blending of the two are crucially important for any organization looking to survive in a connected world.

A Connected Brand in a Connected World

In todays connected world, people are using technology like Smartphones, Laptops and Tablets and using them to connect with each other using social media. This intersection of technology and social interaction has created a world where people are more connected than ever before. The impact that this intersection of technology and human behavior has left businesses in a fragmented space.

This new form of interaction has completely disrupted traditional approaches to brand-building and brand development. Brian Solis refers to this time disruption as the Era of Digital Darwinism. That is, we are living in a time where the societies and technology has been evolving faster than some companies’ ability to adapt. This is a challenge not just for marketers but business owners, CEOs, Technology Officers and even you. Yet too many of us are stuck in our ways.

An example of this is found when marketers still bring up the concept of the good ol purchasing funnel. Something that should be retired as it doesn’t truly speak to the new type of consumer. It’s a model that was built in a world less complex and in a world where people were not always connected. In todays world, the entire purchasing process can be touched by a sole individuals network casting from all around world.

Earlier todau, a friend updated her status asking what she should do tonight. One of her friends wrote “Tea. Tea. Tea.” and within an hour later she had posted a picture of herself at a coffee shop with a tea in her hand. The way consumers interact with brands and how they come to their purhcasing decisions is no longer the same. The concept of consumers moving in a linear fashion from Awareness -> Opinion -> Consideration -> Preference -> Purchase is dead.

In todays world, we learn -> investigate -> purchase -> interact and then learn some more. The cycle continues and as it continues we are connecting with our friends, followers and social networks. Facebook shared this “Connected World” model to better demonstrate what I’m talking about.

Here are a few reasons why I’m supporting the death of the Purchase Funnel:

• The traditional funnel doesn’t consider the various touch-points that are presented due to digital disruption
• Advocacy can actually happen before the actual purchase
• The journey to customer loyalty is not linear, but rather is a continuous process of exploration and interaction.
• The journey is not isolated to just one person at a time — the entire connected world influences it.

Purchase Funnel Disruption

As long as we’ve had voices, we have been able to talk about brands and influence the purchasing behavior of those around us. Only recently, in a globally connected world, has the impact of word of mouth traveled as fast as it does today. We are living in a world where word of mouth moves quickly and spreads in a way that is unpredictable. Thus, the concept of having a purchase funnel that works in a linear fashion simply doesn’t work. Beyond the impact of our connection to each other, we have also become more connected to the media and a variety of third party recommendations.

Thus, the disruption of this model leads to the conclusion that consumers now play a larger role in  developing a businesses brand than ever before. It’s no longer about how often you can push your message – It’s now about the different ways consumers pull and distribute your message.

Learning About Brands through Social

The Facebook study I was referencing earlier states that consumers generated more than 500 billion brand impressions through social media last year. This makes sense seeing that more internet users are spending time on social media than any other channel or platform on the internet. The study continues to say that 80% of consumers are more likely to try new things based on friends suggestions on social media. If this doesn’t speak to the importance of inspiring consumers to truly become your brand ambassadors I dont know what will.

Investigating Brands through Social

Consumers today are more skeptical of brands and big businesses than any generation that has come before it. And when I say generation, I’m not talking about Generation Y or Generation X. I’m talking about anyone embracing and consuming content online in the digital age. Whether we’re using TripAdvisor reviews to plan our next trip to Venice or updating our Facebook status looking for suggestions on a type of digital camera you should purchase. The percentage of consumers who use ratings and reviews is increasing at a rapid rate. This study states that the increase went from 12% in 2009 to 57% in 2011.

Using Social Media as they Purchase

Social Media isn’t only used behind a laptop or computer screen. The mobile version of Facebook is used more than any other application in the Apple Store and it’s due our human nature of wanting to be connected. Whether we are checking into a store on Foursquare or we’re using a smart phone to update our status with a picture of us drinking a Davids Tea – Social media is allowing consumers to tell a brands story for them. While social media is still in its early stages of impacting the actual sale – Technology such as NFC and Square makes social-retail a not so far away future.

Interacting with Brands through Social

A few months ago, I purchased an Otter Box for my iPhone after a close scare where it was lying face down and I thought the glass would be shattered. I heard about this product via Twitter and discussed it with friends at a party before coming across this amazing video. From there, I had no choice but to buy an Otter Box for my regular phone and another for the Batphone – Don’t ask. When I came across an article about Apple looking to patent an all glass phone, I immediately thought and tweeted that Otterbox better get ready for an IPO. They responded instantly. And from that tweet on, I was hooked.

This is the impact that a Connected world will have on your brand and your business. It’s up to us to decide whether we’re going to keep doing business as usual or make a move into a realm of creating social businesses. In doing so, we truly are able to become innovators and game-changers. So ask yourself, are you ready to change the game or let the game change you?

After an exciting week of traveling from Presentation to Workshop to Pitch to Workshop to Presentation I’ve finally captured a spare moment to write a recap on Foursquare Day Halifax. If you missed my last post, I had the privilege of hosting Foursquare Day Halifax and was able to enjoy the evening with some of the coolest cats in Halifax. A few of them were lucky enough to even go home with a variety of different prizes donated by some of the sponsors! My favourite give-away was for the final Blackberry 9360 donated by Virgin Mobile. Basically,we asked the crowd who had an old phone (or brick) and took them away to let the the Virgin Mobile reps decide who they thought deserved a better phone. The winner…

Walked away with an upgrade. You would be surprised how many people still walk around with bricks in their pockets.

Anyways, we also gave away bags, swag, giftcards, ipade cases, iphone cases and more. While there were tons of cool things being given away, the coolest thing of all were the people who showed up! I didn’t have the chance to talk with everyone but all of the people I chatted with were awesome. The group was full of energy and was excited to not only be at the event but also about social media!

Here is a shot of me and some of the cool cats at Foursquare Day Halifax!

All in all, I had an awesome time and from the feedback I heard afterwards I think most people did. I mean, can you really have a bad time when there are tons of free give-aways? Buckets of free booze and the delightful sounds from 8Tracks playing in the speakers? Not really.

What’s even more awesome is that we had our own photobooth where people really got wild! Not wild as in Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian… Wild as in. Well. Take a look:

Angela Gzowski (apologies for butchering your last name during the event) did an awesome job with the photobooth! If you can make me look half decent, I’m always impressed!There are more photos to be found over on the Foursquare Day Facebook page.

The place was bumping with around 35-45 people but we still came up short when it came to landing a swarm badge! When they told me I was speaking at this event I immediately thought – “Yes, this is it! This is my chance to get a swarm badge” Unfortunately… I didn’t get a digital Swarm badge but like this guy, I got a whole lot of real life ones:

There’s always next year…

All in all, the event was awesome. Brad (the man behind the curtain) was able to line up some great speakers such as Leah Skerry from Norex, Jeff White from Kula Partners, Fred Connors a 2012 Mayor Candidate and Colin Goodwin from Modern Media. Each of them rocked the mic like a dead rapper in Hologram…

To put it simply – Foursquare Day Halifax rocked and I cant wait to see it become bigger and better next year. Thanks to everyone who came out and had some fun with me and the entire Foursquare Day Halifax team. It was quite the experience and definitely one I hope continues.

Until then… You can be sure to find me enjoying a Halifax Brewery Tour or a random event like Mario-Kart 64 Parties!  If you ever want to connect, give me a shout or keep an eye on the various events coming out of dreamr!

Over and out…

Ever since Foursquare launched in Halifax, I’ve loved it. It’s a brilliant service and it’s quite fun to use. In fact, the crush I had for Foursquare when it first launched is very similar to my new love for Pinterest. That said, sometimes I feel as if I’m alone with my Foursquare obsession as only a few people in my network actively use it.

I blame the businesses.

One of the things many businesses are looking for from social media is an easy way to track and monitor Return on Investment. They often say that the time required to start and continuously manage a blog is not worth it because they cant see the return. The same excuse is made about Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube. When it comes to Foursquare, the excuse holds no validity what-so-ever. The application is used when and only when someone is physically at your business. ROI at its finest.

If you’re unfamiliar with Foursquare, it is a smart phone location based app that allows you to ‘check in’ to businesses and specific locations you’re currently visiting. From there, Foursquare shares your “check in” with your friends and rewards you with points along with special merit badges. In a nutshell, this is a fun social app for your customers and a powerful business tool if you’re looking to improve the customer experience while also growing your brand awareness and profits.

All this said, there are still only a handful of businesses in Nova Scotia utilizing the power of Foursquare. Are you still not a believer that people actually use it? Well here you go. Take a look at this twitter stream of people checking in all around Halifax, RIGHT NOW! And that’s only (1) Halifax and (2) The people who checked off “Share on Twitter”. There are many more out there for you to connect and engage with. Trust me, the geo-location trend is just picking up and you have an opportunity to capitalize on it. Here are a few quick and easy way to get started…

Create Deals for Your Business!

As soon as you sign up and claim your business on foursquare you will have the ability to offer special discounts when someone checks in at your location. Talk about ROI, the process for claiming a business on Foursquare costs nothing but a few minutes of your time. All you need to do is visit the foursquare merchant page and sign up!

People often search for nearby businesses that are offering deals to take advantage of the Foursquare Privilege. Not to mention, if a user is close to your business at a a competitor and checks-in while you’re offering a deal, your deal could be shared with them on their smart phone if it’s compelling enough! Thus, your offer could very well be the difference between a new customer and losing them forever to the competition. I’d recommend not taking this lightly and ensuring that what you’re offering is compelling and enticing! Be creative with your specials and lure these new customers to come in and see what you have to offer!

An Example of a BBQ Special for First time Visitors:

Boneheads BBQ - Newbie Special

What type of offers can you provide your customers?

• Swarm Special – This type of special rewards “swarms” of people who check in to your business at the same time. You can set the number of people required to unlock your swarm special, as well as how many times the special can be unlocked, or redeemed, in one day. For instance, you can offer free beverages when 10 people check in to your restaurant.
• Friends Special – Many things are better with friends, and specials are no different. So why not offer a special for customers who check in together, like a free appetizer for the table or a 15% discount on accessories to facilitate loyalty and word of mouth?
• Flash Special – A Flash special is basically a “door-buster” deal offered to customers who arrive and check in at a certain time. A freebie or discount can help you drive more foot traffic during slower times of the day.  For instance, a mid-afternoon “happy hour” deal is a great way to offer a flash special.
• Newbie Special – If you want to entice new customers to try your business, offer a special just for “newbies” – or customers who check in to your business for the first time.
• Check-in Special – To keep customers coming back for repeat business, try offering a general check-in special that gets unlocked every time someone checks into your business. A small discount might be just the trick to bring a Foursquare customer back again and again, and to tell their friends about your business, too.
• Loyalty Special – This is similar to the check-in special, but rewards customers after a specific number of check-ins. That means customers have to check in at your business a few times before they can unlock your special, so make it good, like a free drink on every 5th check in to your coffee shop.
• Mayor Special – Being the mayor of a business is something to brag about, and should come with perks. So, offer your mayor – the person who has the most check-ins to your business in the past 60 days – something extra-special, like a free dessert with every entrée.

(Types of Specials via GetReachCast)

Encourage & Embrace Free Advertising!

This afternoon I decided that I was going to start up my second year of golfing and see what I could do. When I arrived at the Golf course the first thing I did was pull out my smart phone and check-in using Foursquare. Before I did that however, I took a picture of the green, my golf buddies and uploaded it to Foursquare.

This is a simple reason why businesses should be using Foursquare. By me sharing this “check in” not only on Foursquare but also Facebook and Twitter – More than 100 people saw it. That is, more than 100 people were informed that Golf Season was here and on top of all that, the brand Granite Springs Golf Course was promoted across various channels.

You see, when a user checks in, that check in is shared to all of their friends on foursquare and they have the opportunity to select any other channel they want it to be shared on. Seeing that the majority of these users  link Foursquare directly to Facebook and/or Twitter, this content is instantly shared with all of their friends and followers. Which could mean that hundreds or thousands of people are being exposed to your brand!

These are just two simple ways you can use Foursquare and find great returns. Now, the question is, how do you get people to actually check-in? Well, most users will do it on their own but others will need to be asked and encouraged. You may not realize it but you’d be surprised how easy it is to get a customer to do something that costs them nothing for your business. The most effective way to encourage users to check-in is through signage and by promoting check-in specials or deals. Foursquare offers some swag on their website that you could purchase but I also have some things I’d be happy to give away to any business looking to get involved with Foursquare.

Foursquare Day Halifax!

You see, on April 16th (4^2), I will be hosting Foursquare Day Halifax and have been given some window decals for any business looking to get in on the Foursquare craze! All you need to do is show up on April 16th at The Listening Room/La Trinidade and I’d be happy to hook you up with one of these awesome decals. See you there!

What would you buy if I gave you $200,000 to spend before the end of the week? Would you buy a brand new BMW? Maybe upgrade your living quarters from an apartment to a condo? Would you buy a brand new watch? Or buy a set of tickets for a trip to an exotic country with one of your closest friends? Would all of this make you happy?

If you’re normal. Yes. It would be pretty hard for someone to wipe that smile off your face. But what if I was to tell you that buying a BMW or upgrading your apartment wouldn’t give you the same ROI on Happiness, as a trip to an exotic country?

Would you believe me?

You should.

I recently read the study, If Money Doesn’t Make You Happy Then You Probably Aren’t Spending It Right. The researchers behind this study uncover and identify a shocking disconnect and failure in society. People are making purchasing decisions that dont translate into happiness everyday in its pursuit. From this, I started thinking of the ongoing troubles found within our society where unconscious consumption runs rampant. The issues run deep and are not only related to over consumption but also to life dissatisfaction and overall unhappiness. For example, Young Professionals are feeling overwhelmed and many are struggling to cope with the expectations being placed on them by society and their parents. As a result, young people are committing suicide and young professionals are becoming depressed – It’s what I call, a Happiness Epidemic.

Yesterday, I stumbled across a Facebook update from a friend asking: “Who wants to go to the Mall with me? I need some retail therapy! ASAP!” What’s alarming about this post is that this person honestly believes that a brand new pair of shoes will actually impact their emotions and make them happy. What’s even more alarming is that this is the mindset of people all over the Country and better yet, across the Globe. And people with this mind set are being celebrated through organizations, corporations and the media on a regular basis. This is not an attack on corporations or businesses. As a marketer, I recognize that businesses have a job to do and their job is is to make money. My issue isn’t with corporations trying to increase their bottom line. My issue in this world of over-consumption is the lack of knowledge we (consumers) have in regards to what will actually bring us happiness and what will not.

The study reiterates the notion that money can in fact buy happiness. You read that right. Money can buy happiness. The problem however,  is related to the fact that most people aren’t spending their money on things that actually translate into happiness. People are making empty investments into products and services that have short-term impacts on their emotions rather than long-term impacts on their lives and happiness.

Most people don’t know the basic scientific facts about happiness—about what brings it and what sustains it—and so they don’t know how to use their money to acquire it. It is not surprising when wealthy people who know nothing about wine end up with cellars that aren’t that much better stocked than their neighbors’, and it should not be surprising when wealthy people who know nothing about happiness end up with lives that aren’t that much happier than anyone else’s — If Money Doesn’t Make You Happy You Aren’t Spending It Right

In 2010, the New York Times published an article about consumption and how it relates to happiness. In this article a professor discussed a study that identified the number one category to be positively related to happiness. Surprisingly, the top category wasn’t cars, home improvements or even a shiny new piece necklace from Tiffany’s. The number one category was leisure activities: vacations, entertainment, sports and equipment used to enhance an experience such as golf clubs, yoga mats or a surf board. Thus, buying authentic memorable experiences should be our primary focus when looking to optimize our lives using a pay cheque.

According to Stats Canada, the average household in Canada spends around 6% of their total household income on leisure and entertainment. According to the US Census, my neighbors across the border only spend roughly 4.5% of their total household income on leisure and entertainment. This may also indicate why Canada is ranked as one of the top 10 happiest places to live while our neighbors in the US didn’t make the list.

As I looked deeper into the stats I found something that truly blew my mind. When a consumer is younger than 25 they spend 4.6% of their annual income on entertainment and leisure. After 25, that percentage drops to 4.4% and is consistent for the rest of our lives. The 4.6% spent when we’re under 25 is highest spend in comparison to all other generations. Meaning, as we age and as our incomes become more disposable we are actually spending LESS on leisure and more on our homes, clothes, vehicles and food. That’s right. As we age, we are spending more money on things that don’t translate into happiness with the expectation that happiness will still find us. We buy bigger homes, nicer cars, fancier watches and stand still in regards to experiencing the world around us. And older generations have the audacity to wonder why the good old days are worth reminiscing about…

In the study If Money Doesn’t Make You Happy Then You Probably Aren’t Spending It Right the researchers make eight suggestions. Four of these suggestions directly relate to the idea of purchasing and optimizing our lives for happiness. These four insights should be a used as the foundation of your own search for buying and investing in happiness:

1. Buy more experiences and fewer material goods
2. Use our money to benefit others rather than ourselves
3. Buy many small pleasures rather than fewer large ones
4. Pay close attention to the happiness of others

So what are some innovative and intelligent ways for you to increase and optimize your happiness? Whether you have figured out happiness or not, it’s obvious that our society as a whole needs to reevaluate it’s importance. Depression is on the rise along with suicide and divorce. People are not happy. The idea of buying happiness needs to be a priority on everyone’s list rather than a big home and fancy car. What you believe makes you happy – Probably doesn’t. Here are a few of my own ideas:

1. Increase Happiness Awareness: We have all heard about KONY2012 and the bad things happening in Africa. I’m not writing this to devalue the impact that Invisible Children has had in raising awareness on this horrible story. What I’m proposing is that we also recognize the issues happening in our own back yards. Unhappy marriages, unhappy children and depressed young people are all around us. We need to recognize the importance of Happiness and teach people the most effective ways to reach it. In psychology classrooms around the globe, we study depression but rarely do we study happiness. This needs to change. Happiness should be a priority for everyone.

2. Take Multiple Mini-Vacations: Instead of using your two weeks vacation in one week chunks – Spread it out! Take an extra Friday here and an extra Monday there instead of vacationing for full weeks at a time. Not only will a short trip require less planning (less stress) it will provide you with a great opportunity to do catch up on some rest and relaxation. Looking for an unforgettable experience? Check out Jetsetter for flash sales on luxury experiences.

3. Optimize your life for Memories: Instead of doing things that you’re expected to do – Do things that will result in memories you will never forget. Instead of always saying no when someone asks you to grab a few drinks on a work night, say yes! Instead of spending your weekend at a hotel-chain in Vancouver, find a unique place to stay on Airbnb.com like these beautiful apartments and homes. The reality is, your life is what you make it. You decide how much risk you’re going to take and how often you’re going to zig when everyone else zags.

4. Adopt the Young Forever Philosophy: For some young professionals it’s becoming ever-so difficult to separate the “professional” from the “young”. For many, it’s a huge challenge in being able to enjoy life to the fullest while parents and society places a certain level of emphasis on the concept of growing up. My belief is that we need to encourage spending time living and less time worrying. More time doing things that matter and less time doing things that don’t. Spend our time on creating memories and meeting people instead of spending our time worrying about to-do lists and societal expectations.

5. Work to Live instead of Living to Work: While I believe work should be considered more than just a job – It should not be considered your reason for existence. Your work should open up doors for you to experience the world around you. It should provide you with an increased opportunity to optimize your life for happiness. That’s the key.

So there you have it. Those are some of my thoughts on the Happiness epidemic and some of the ways that we can tackle it. Have your own opinions on over consumption and how it’s impacting society? I’d love to hear them! I leave you with this short video I found during my research for this post over at Brain Picking…

Do you want to develop an awesome following on Twitter?

Without awesome followers you can start to feel as if you’re using twitter to simply chat to yourself. Without a solid group of followers who are engaged, passionate and care about your business – You’re wasting your time. There are three levels of followers, spambots & purchased followers excluded of course we have engaged followers, advocate followers and awesome followers. Here’s a visual I put together to show the different levels:

As you can tell, the most important types of followers are those who are awesome. The ones who love your product, love your tweets and want to tell the story of your brand and business. These are the followers who not only send you new customers but also are willing to stand up and fight your battles when crisis breaks loose.

Here are six strategies that will help you build an awesome list of followers who are not only engaged but also love you.

Strategy #1: Content Curater

Content Curation is the act of discovering, evaluating and sharing relevant content with your network. This approach is a great way to answer the question “What should I tweet about”. This approach allows you to take a position as someone who is passionate about a variety of different types of info and is a great source for excellent links driving to relevant content. The better the content you share, the more connections you’ll make with people all over the world. As you share great content, people will ask you questions and tweet you with comments. From here, it’s important to engage and interact with these people so you can further strengthen an existing online relationship.

There are several great content Curaters on Twitter and many of them have gathered large followings. A few of my favourites include Jesse Newhart, Gary Thomas and Guy Kawasaki. Without question, Guy Kawasaki is one of the most popular Content Curater on the web with a following of more than 500K people. He shares everything from content about businesses and the importance of social media to the Top 100 Quotes from Nicholas Cage. The key is providing content that is compelling, interesting and most importantly, relevant to the audience you’re trying to connect with. Taking this approach you will quickly find people advocating for you and sharing your tweets. The key to success is striking up a few engaging conversations and re-tweeting great content to migrate your advocate followers into awesome ones.

Strategy #2: Niche Area Expert

Miyagi – Wax on… wax off. Wax on… wax off.

This quote has absolutely nothing to do with the idea of being a Niche Area expert. That said, Mr. Miyagi was an expert in Karate and that’s the reason why his photo is here. Anyways, what does it mean to be a niche area expert? Well, a niche expert is someone who understands a specific industry, product, service, business, issue, philosophy or trend better than most people. They are seen as an expert in a specific field and are looked at as an authority figure in every sense of the word. The idea of becoming a niche area expert is a strategy that takes time but always guarantees great success if the subject is relevant and important to a passionate audience.

One of the most popular Niche Area experts on twitter is the  award winning Personal Branding expert, Dan Schawbel. He saw an opportunity to be known as the guy who knows everything there is to know about personal branding and has developed an outstanding career in the process. It’s very rare to find Dan tweeting or even blogging about anything other than Personal Branding and business. This strategy has helped Dan generate a following of over 100,000 people on Twitter and an awesome resume. The key to success using this strategy is consistency and putting in the time. You won’t become an expert over night – It’s going to take late nights and a lot of self-education.

So for example, if you’re running a coffee shop and are looking to develop a great social media strategy this is one that will work. Instead of simply tweeting about what you have to offer everyday, tweet about the health benefits associated with Tea. Tweet about the History behind coffee or the process that is required to find the perfect bean. Whatever fits within your business and will allow you to be seen as an expert is the best approach to take here.

Strategy #3: Social Butterfly

A social butterfly tends to be someone who is a social butterfly in real life. In turn, this is how they come off online striking up conversations with everyone and anyone building authentic relationships with multiple people. With this approach, the majority of your tweets are mentioning someone else rather than sharing things about yourself. This is a strategy all about engagement and interaction. It’s all about promoting others more than you promote yourself and helping others whenever they tweet a question. The social butterfly approach works well for those who are social by nature. The best people who implement this strategy have a general passion for people and their lives.

There are many examples of Social Butterflys on Twitter but one that stands out for me is Scott Stratten. He’s one of the few who are slowly creeping upon the 100,000 tweets sent mark. After following him on Twitter for the past year or so, I’ve realized that he’s all about engagement. The majority of his tweets are in response to other people, the creation of new conversations or middle of a random debate. All in all, he recognizes the importance of building relationships with people and implements this strategy extremely well.

Strategy #4: The Contrarian

There aren’t many people who can pull this strategy off effectively but those who do – Do it very well. Taking this approach you may not win a whole lot of friends but you will certainly increase your profile by going against the norm. The key to finding success when implementing the contrarian approach is to identify a position you’re passionate about. From there, this positioning (against the norm) needs to be the essence of your tweets and interactions on a regular basis. It’s important to build this reputation as a contrarian across different channels as twitter is limited to only 140 characters or less.

Strategy #5: Bring the Funny

Humour is the easiest way to a persons heart. If you can make them laugh, you can make them do anything. This is one of the most difficult approaches to social media because the same way not everyone can be a comedian, not everyone can be a funny tweeter. There are a few people who do this very well but there are more who do this very poorly. If you’re not funny by nature, then you will have a hard time implementing this approach. The key here is to find humour in a specific topic and be able to spread that humour over the course of 365 days. Not easy.

One of my favourite accounts that bring the funny is called MensHumor. Now, I love a few others such as Baron Vaughn, Rainn Wilson and Whitney Cummings but MensHumor is what I’m going to use for an example here. You see they send out tweets like this and this that have two key components to creating a successful funny account; logical yet shocking. If you can bring something to life that is logical but still shocking, you will have a winning combination for funny tweets.

Are there any other strategies out there that will make followers go from Average to Awesome? Let me know if you take an approach I didn’t mention above… If you want to discuss how we can make your following even better – Send me an email!

Do you know what separates the great digital marketers from the rest? Many believe it’s the ability to recognize new trends and identify the next big thing. I think it’s the ability to capitalize on what’s in front of us and generate results from them.

Facebook is one of the most powerful tools an online marketer can have in their tool-kit. The channel is the largest in the world and is quickly becoming the second most popular site for referral traffic for many small businesses and large brands. Yet still, I hear stories of businesses who are unable to capitalize on the growth and popularity of this social network.

So I ask, would you like to know how to build an awesome following without making the common mistakes that can result in “unlikes” and cost you lifetime customers? If so, here are six mistakes that you can avoid to ensure your Facebook following grows – Along with your business.

Mistake #1: Sell, Sell, Sell

It doesn’t matter how great your product is or how awesome your washrooms look if you can’t get anyone to experience it. Most business understand this and try to force it upon their fans through constant status updates about what they have for sale. The downfall here is that customers aren’t on Facebook to be sold to – They are on Facebook to socialize and discover new things. So instead of using Facebook to constantly push your product and make a sale – Use Facebook to connect deeper with your audience than ever before.

If you are familiar with the Movie Glengarry Glen Ross, you will have heard the saying “Always Be Closing” in the past. If it’s new to you, it’s essentially a concept that believes businesses and salesman should always be looking to seal the deal and make a sale. While making the sale is an important part in business, the process of making a sale through Facebook isn’t based on the traditional model. Instead of ABC – Always Be Closing, It’s more like ABC – Always Be Connecting. This connection happens through ongoing engagement with your fans and ensuring that the content you share is relevant and compelling.

Mistake #2: Not Giving Customers What they Want

Giving customers what they want has core of good business since the beginning of time. You want to do well in business? Find something the customer wants and give it to them. It’s really that simple. When it comes to Facebook however, not a lot of businesses are able to put their finger on exactly what it is the consumers want from them. I mean, why would someone like your brand? Why would someone subscribe to receiving ongoing updates from your business on a daily basis? That’s the question and here’s the answer.

HubSpot recently did a survey asking consumers the million dollar question: Why Would you Like a Brand on Facebook? The answers were not overly surprising but give us a better sense of what type of content we need to be putting out there if we want to use this space effectively. Here are the top five responses to this question ranked based on popularity:

1. To recieve promotions & discounts (40%)
2. To show the business support (39%)
3. To stay informed about a brand (34%)
4. To recieve freebies or samples (33%)
5. For updates on sales & discounts (30%)

As you can see, lots of users place emphasis on their opportunity to receive product deals, discounts and giveaways. Yet at the same time, a large percentage is also looking to simply learn more about your brand and show that they support it. These simple insights provide you with a great opportunity to strengthen your connection with your network and furthermore, growing your likes.

An example of a company doing a great job with promotions and discounts on Facebook is Banana Republic. They will upload an image (see above) that highlights all the details for flash sale on their brands and products. For example, they ran the deal above specifically during Superbowl weekend with an emphasis being placed on giving their fans a Quarter off (Punny eh?). Another example of their deals can be found with this 50% off power lunch for three hours only! Apply this simple concept to your business and watch the fans and dollars pour in…

Mistake #3: Keeping Your Facebook Marketing Online

So your title is Digital Strategist. You’re the king of pixels and what your colleagues call a social media guru. You believe in transparent, authentic, dynamic, compelling, lateral, and interactive engagement. Yet, you have no freakin’ clue what it means to make a sale. You have no clue about marketing 101 and how “real-life” marketing can be leveraged to drive immediate sales for a business. This is a mistake.

Do not limit yourself to online Facebook marketing when you can cross promote your efforts. The extent of your promotions and social media activities should not begin and end on the computer screen. They should continue offline to involve and inspire real-life interaction and real-life connectivity. In doing this, you’re able to develop an incomparable relationship with your customers that cannot be taken away. That is, you’re able to create memories and moments that they will cherish forever.

Take for example the KLM Airline Happiness experience. They watched for people to checkin using social media, creeped their profiles and then gave them small items in real life that were relevant based on their listed interests. It’s a simple tactic but one that will leave everlasting memories in the minds of their customers. Imagine checking into a restaurant using Facebook and being thanked by the owner and offered a nice latte. Something as simple as that could make a customer a life-time brand advocate and supporter. Placing simple call-to-actions that say “Check in on Facebook” or “Check out our Facebook page” are easy ways to connect your brand with a larger audience. It’s simple. It’s effective. It works.

Mistake #4: Boring & Expected Content

If you go on a date with someone, how does the conversation tend to flow? They ask you a question, you respond, you ask them a question, they respond. Maybe you talk about a great book you’ve read and that reminds them of a great movie they saw. That’s an ideal date. Conversation flowing back and forth between two individuals sharing their thoughts and giving the other a bit of insight into what they are all about.

Now there are also bad dates. Bad dates involve one party sitting on the other end of the table, talking about how great they are and why they are Gods gift to the planet Earth. This ongoing self-indulgence happens for roughly an hour until the other party goes directly into zombie-mode and is already thinking about the laundry they have to do when they get home. This is something that many brands are falling victim of today.

They simply use Facebook to talk about themselves and nothing more. It’s the Me, Me, Me, Me show. Essentially, nothing but a channel being used for self-promotion and self-stimulation. So what else would you share on Facebook? Everything! Mix it up with photos, YouTube videos, ask questions, blog articles or even news related to your industry or brand. The key is to ensure that the content (while unique/different) is aligned with your brands message and your fans world view. The content you share will have a direct impact on how your brand is perceived.

Mistake #5: Not Investing (Time not Money)

According to studies, 26% of Small Businesses are failing when it comes to Social Media because of the time investment. They are unable to recognize and capitalize on the opportunity that exists when it comes to managing their time and Facebook page effectively. In reality, tools such as Hootsuite and Buffer provide marketers and small business owners a great opportunity to improve their efficiency with social media. For many, the time commitment is scary because they have a hard time identifying the Return on Investment of Social Media.

As cliche as it may sound, Time really does equal money. When it comes to executing a social media strategy, time is without question the most valuable asset you can have. You see, it takes time to write blog posts, it takes time to find compelling content and it takes time to plan a thorough and detailed content strategy. Upon completion of all of this however, that time invested into Facebook will translate into time that resulted in new customers.

Mistake #6: Not Understanding The Channel

Martin Luther King Jr once said, Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. All marketers and businesses have an opportunity to learn and educate themselves on the different opportunities that exist on Facebook. A quick search on Google or YouTube would quickly send some to a wide range of content filled with insights and relevant information. For some reason, people are not willing to investigate or put in the effort to get a better understanding of how Facebook can take their business to another level.

Even after the business portion of Facebook has been around for 4 or 5 years, many businesses still don’t understand how to manage their brand. Once in a while, I still visit a brands Facebook page to be met with them using Applications to do things that can be done directly through the natives apps within Facebook. For example, instead of using “Questions” a handful of brands are installing (maybe even paying for) apps to run surveys throughout their network. It’s not only an ineffective use of the channel, but also demonstrates a lack of knowledge in the space.

Here are a few great posts on some things all businesses should know about Facebook:

• How To Market on Facebook
• Facebook: The Power of “Like” Marketing
• The Business Guide to Facebook Part 1: Your Brand Page for the Social Web
• How Facebook’s ‘Frictionless Sharing’ Can Create Better Ads On Facebook

I can remember visiting my aunt’s or grandmother’s house afterschool to find them watching shows like General Hospital or All My Children. It began with them scheduling the recording through a VHS and at the turn of the century it shifted towards the use of a DVR. Overtime however, I began to see them watching these soap operas less and less. And as they watched their soaps less and less, so did the rest of the world. Something had changed. Yes, more women were leaving home for the workforce, yes, there was this new craze on television called reality TV that also had an impact in the decline of soap operas but these were simply partners in crime to the true killer. The guilty party goes by the name of Facebook.

When Facebook first launched it was positioned as a social network for students. To enforce this, anyone who wanted to use Facebook needed a university email or they could not access the site. This lasted a few years until Facebook went mainstream and opened up to the masses. You see, as the world turns, businesses need to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves and this is exactly what Facebook did. As a result, their decision to open their network to cities and towns around the world changed the way people interacted, young and old alike. This move has been crucial to their success as Facebook is now the largest social network with over 800 million users.

There still tends to be a belief however, that Facebook is a site made up of the young and restless. When in fact, more grandmothers and mothers are adding their children and grandkids to Facebook everyday. Recent studies show that the fastest growing demographic on Facebook is women over the age of 55. That’s right; Facebook is no longer just a site for the kids to talk to one another and plan weekend activities. Supporting this is the fact that Facebook has recently become the number one site for gaming online. To top it all off, studies show that the average user playing Farmville or other games on Facebook are 43-year-old women.

So why are the soaps dying? Well, if the key demographic for soap operas is a woman above the age of 40 these numbers give us a brief insight into where they’ve shifted their attention. They are spending more time on Facebook looking at their friend’s photos and playing games than they are watching soaps. I mean, why would you watch a fake drama on television when you can watch a real one unravel on your computer? It’s kind of like voyeurism to some degree.

For many, Facebook has become the new soap opera. Whether you’re watching old friends live their lives hundreds of miles away or watching your own young ones grow up. The same story lines that you could have found in a soap opera plus interaction can be found in the lives of the people within your network. You’re able to watch people get married, catch up with their lives, and see their children grow up. All of these things that we’re once solely attributed to the likes of General Hospital and All My Children are no more.

At the end of it all, the perception of reality is what made soap operas compelling and successful. They allowed the viewers to connect with their cast on a daily basis and form make-believe relationships and connections. Today however, the soap opera is dying. What was once Bold and Beautiful is now dull and dreary in comparison to true social interaction. After 50 plus years it would be an understatement to say that the soap operas had a good run.

Let’s see if Facebook has the ability to keep on with it’s dominance.

Cultural Tourism isn’t new. Tourism on its own is one of the worlds largest industries. And some studies will even say that it’s in comparison the world’s largest employer. Tourism touches all walks of life – ranging from the wealthiest individuals sitting in a air conditioned bus driving through a safari to the single-mother of four selling wooden crafts at a market. It’s an industry that truly impacts all of us. But what’s special about cultural tourism and what’s exciting about cultural tourism is the connection. The human connection.

It’s why we travel. To feel connected for one moment to something new. To something different – to view a life that’s not so similar to our own. To experience a culture in a way that touches our hearts and our souls. This connection is something that drives us. We all crave it – some more so than others. It’s embedded within our social DNA to crave connection – We’re social by nature. We all want to be connected to something. Whether it’s a connection to the place our ancestors came from or a connection to a place our friends have recommended. These connections are subtle yet powerful enough to influence our travel decisions.  These connections are not limited to travel and can also be attributed to products, service and the businesses offering them.

But how does the web fit into this idea of a cultural tourism connection? How does something online – something so impersonal fit into the mix? Well you see it all ties back to the human connection. Here are two websites that are truly changing the way we travel while also showcasing a shift in human behavior.

The first is Airbnb.com. This site allows people to list their homes, apartments, cottages and spare bedrooms on a site similar to kijiji or craigs list where travelers can purchase a night, weekly or month stay. The guest or traveler then has an opportunity to meet their host and if lucky even receive local expertise, flavor and knowledge along with local insigh. Since it’s inception there have been more than 2 million nights purchased through the Airbnb and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Here’s a nifty little infographic they released after celebrated their 1,000,000th booking.

So what does Airbnb have to do with Cultural Tourism? For me, two things:

1. Disruption is happening in the Tourism Industry.
2. Cultural Tourism is alive and well.

When I speak of disruption – I’m referring to more than just AirBnB and instead referring to an industry wide shift. I’m talking about the evolution and development of websites like like AirBnB, Jetsetter,  Groupon, Foursquare and TripIt – Just to name a few. You see, all of these sites present opportunities along with certain threats to tourism operators and stakeholders. I mean, we look at the Groupon business model and they are often found driving businesses value into the floor by taking scary margins. Often times they are found bringing coupon hunters into the doors of these businesses rather than customers who could potentially become repeat business. While it’s great for the consumer – The economics simply don’t work for most businesses. Yet trust me, some kid is sitting in their basement with a laptop coming up with a way that both sides can win in this market. Disruption is here and it’s going to continue for many years to come.

Just a few months ago I spoke with a hotel operator who told me he didn’t want to deal with the digital world. He wanted to stay loyal to his traditional efforts and focus on just running his hotel. In a more professional way, I told him he had no choice. Whether he ignores digital or embraces it – The world around him and his hotel is indifferent. We are all living in a digital world. And this operator quickly believed me when I showed him some of the reviews on Trip Advisor that were left by his customers. When he saw people saying their hotel had poor service yet beautiful rooms.  He wanted to intervene. He wanted to improve his business and figure out how he could connect with these customers. In that moment, he realized that people were talking about his business and he had no control over it. He realized that he couldn’t control the message but by simply responding he had an opportunity to influence it. The light bulb went off.

The entire concept of AirBnB is built around developing a cultural experience for travelers. In this model you could potentially spend your day with a local – eating local food – enjoying local activities – receiving local advice leading to you drink a local wine before falling asleep in a locals bed. Now sure, with the right moves on the dance floor the last part could happen almost anywhere.But what’s special about all of this is the connection the traveler will have with the destination when they depart.

Now, this may scare a lot of hotels and even tour guides. But recognize that this is the world we live in. A site called crowd surfing has a similar concept except you sleep on a locals couch for free. I mean, if that’s not enjoying a truly cultural experience – I don’t know what is. You’re living right in the heart of the destination with the locals. And these are the cultural experiences that more and more people are craving. The opportunity to tell a local about their grandfather who was brought up just down the street from them or a friend who spent their summers here with her dad.  These cultural experiences are powerful. So powerful that they need to be shared…

And that’s where site #2 comes in….Facebook. Have any of you heard of it? I would assume so.

Clearly Facebook is the king of Social Networks. But lets stop for a second. Let’s break those two words apart. Social – Network. We break that apart and the key here that we need to focus on is social. It’s the key in this topic because as I said earlier, humans are social by nature. We need crave a social connection.

Let’s think about the process for a second. You’re in a country that you’re unfamiliar with but see something spectacular. You enjoy it for a second and then without even realizing the impact of what you are about to do – You snap a picture. Then you share that picture with your 348 friends on Facebook and they too get to experience what you just did. Maybe not in the same way – But they’ve felt it…A connection to you and from you a connection to that place. And that’s the power of Facebook in Cultural Tourism.

A social connection is why conferences, social events and excursions still sell. We attend them to enjoy a social setting that empowers us to find knowledge, insights and a human connection that could forever influence our future. The power of the web really lies in the ability to further promote destinations while also creating a more user friendly experience while there in the flesh. The web gives us an opportunity to travel and never be alone. To always be connected and to always have an opportunity to truly experience the culture of a destination.