By Alexandra Reid
I sat down with Marc McArthur, manager of the Ottawa Cleantech Initiative at OCRI, to discuss the upcoming Canadian Cleantech Summit and how it will seek to further Canada’s global competitive stance in the cleantech sector.
As the largest event for clean technologies in the country, the Second Annual Canadian Cleantech Summit will offer a diverse program with presenters and attendees representing the scope of Canadian capabilities, expertise and opportunity in cleantech research, venture capital, international market access and policy decision-making. It will bring together leading entrepreneurs, investors, executives, international trade representatives, corporate partners and policy makers who will facilitate discussions to help draw a roadmap that will direct Canada’s future involvement in the space. Whatever role you play in the cleantech sector in Canada, there will be insight, relationships, networks and interesting sessions at the Summit to help you rise to the next level in your industry, says McArthur.
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By Alexandra Reid
We have used the term “champion” many times on this blog to describe those risk-inclined individuals who become the essential drivers of progressive change within the commercialization ecosystem. Champions can wear many hats. We have described them as mentors, investors and, perhaps most importantly, advocates who take that leap of faith and make doors open at that critical juncture to snatch success from the jaws of failure.
In the process of creating and executing a social media marketing strategy to help bring technology to market, champions fall into two distinct categories:
- External champions of your technology who can be found, engaged and developed through social media.
- Internal champions of social media who advocate new tools and embrace enterprising tactics that allow their businesses to successfully compete within the social space.
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By Alexandra Reid
Mark Zuckerberg rocked the Facebook boat again last week when he introduced a handful of new features that received mixed reactions from the site’s 750 million users.
From expressions of excitement to confusion to outright hatred on blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, as well as mainstream media such as the BBC, it’s clear that Facebook users have become increasingly more vocal with their opinions of the free site. This PCWorld article reveals a number of immediate user reactions to Facebook’s new features, from the blunt and judgmental, “Sucks,” to the pessimistically speculative, “Wonder what is going to replace Facebook,” which suggests that these new features may be just the provocation Google Plus needed to transition users to its platform. But then again, who’s to say Google won’t turn the product in radical new directions in another year, as The Guardian’s Dan Gillmor asked in his intriguing post. It isn’t all bad though, as one individual, who was featured on MacWorld, tweeted “It’s the ‘Facebook cycle’ – things change, people complain, they get over it and carry on.”
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By Alexandra Reid
Not a day goes by that I don’t learn something new which furthers my understanding of social media and the role of the community manager. I seek out new information and it finds its way to me. It’s a necessary and unavoidable part of the job description. But I’ve come to learn that success in my field depends on my ability to act on what I learn. Without the empowerment provided by a supportive, progressive and open-minded business environment, my ideas could never come to fruition.
Social media has become a new market point of entry for business, where individuals can reach the appropriate people, have their questions answered, concerns addressed and opinions heard with immediacy. As competition between companies for attention on social platforms becomes fiercer, social consumers have grown more sophisticated and discerning about the people and brands with which they interact, says an eMarketer study. They expect their needs to be met instantly and professionally. As intermediaries, community managers are the primary communicators of a businesses’ social media acumen. Employers must empower them with the opportunity to seek out better ways of engaging target audiences through social media and the support which develops the confidence to speak up and bring forward-thinking ideas to the table.
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By Alexandra Reid
I have discussed thought leadership here before, but never laid out just how important it is and the critical social media steps entrepreneurs can take to establish themselves as, and tap into the minds of, thought leaders in their industries.
In a study conducted for The Society for New Communications Research called New Symbiosis of Professional Networks, 44 percent of respondents said the primary reason they visit online networks and communities is to access thought leadership and information they couldn’t get elsewhere, while 43 percent said the primary reason is to showcase themselves or their companies.
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