Posts about Marketing

Influence

Why Influence Still Matters

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

When you are about to make a purchase, what do you do? If you are like me and most people, we do some research and then based on what we find, we…wait for it…we ask our friends, colleagues and family what product or service they use. This my friends is influence at its best. In fact, it is the precursor to social proof.  We feel better knowing that the people we trust and respect would: 1) share their experience with us and 2) recommend a product/service or, conversely send us running for cover because of their experience.  And, this is why influence still matters.  

For brands then, this really is at the heart of the matter. More specifically, it is at the heart of the people who manage the brands and plan, plot and strategize how to influence buyer behaviour. Ultimately these same people want to understand how to influence others. Influence is not new. Dale Carnagie knew this back in the 1930s. In fact, his book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” was published in 1936.  Still a good read by the way!

While wanting to influence is not new, what has changed is primarily how we go about influencing. There is now more of a focus on influencing influencers. This area of marketing is of particular interest to me, and many quite frankly, because of the potential for significant changes to consumer behaviour.  But the question remains: how do you influence and influencer? Here are six key principles of influence according to Dr. Robert Cialdini to consider:

  • Reciprocity
  • Commitment and Consistency
  • Social Proof
  • Authority
  • Liking
  • Scarcity

When it comes down to it, these six principles really make sense.  The only thing that I would add to this mix is patience. When building an influencer program or relationships, it is key to remember that Rome was not built in a day.  After all, working with influencers is about relationships and it makes complete sense that there is some give and take (reciprocity), commitment to the relationship and consistency.  After all, how do you feel when your “friend” only reaches out when he or she wants something?  We already know that social proof is very positive based on our insistence of asking people we know about products/service. We also like to know that people we trust, people who have authority, will guide us in the right direction. Additionally, we are influenced by the mere fact that “others” like something. You know the feeling..everyone is getting the new iPhone so you kinda feel like you should too. And, finally scarcity is very important in influencing someone. Again, relating back to the iPhone, think about how it feels to be on the pre-order list. Specifically think about how you feel when you have that new iPhone way before your friends. You know that feeling. You feel really special and important. That of course is the ultimate in influence!

Next time I will explore the six principles in more detail looking at specific examples and delve into the question of whether to pay or not pay influencers. 

Feel free to follow me on Twitter!

NOTE: this post previously appeared on InNetwork’s Blog.

3 Social Media Mistakes You are Making & How to Fix Them Immediately

/1 Comment/in , , , /by

While social media is not the new kid on the block anymore, we are as a population still learning how to effectively leverage social media for business. For this reason alone, those of us who are PR/Marketing/Communications practitioners cringe when we hear people profess to be social media experts. Even after using the tools for more than a decade we are all still learning how to adjust to the changing world that we operate within. We know that there are no real experts. There are people with experience using social media.  Some of us even have thousands of hours using social media. In fact, there are many people with 10 years of social media under their belts.  Remember that Malcolm Gladwell claims that to be a master in something you need at least 10,000 hours. Combine that experience with PR/Marketing/Communications experience and these are the people who can help businesses better use the tools to effectively meet business objectives.

So, just what are the social media mistakes that I see most often? And, better yet, how do you fix them?

1. Failing to Know/Understand Your Audience

Far to0 often I see people using social media channels or tools in the same way that they use social for their personal communications. How you use social in your personal life is NOT how you should use it for your professional/business needs.  It is essential to know and understand your audience(s).

The Fix:  Here are some quick and easy questions to think about and answer:

  • Who are you trying to reach?
  • What channels do they use?
  • How are they using the channels?
  • And, do they expect a business connecting/engaging with them through the channels?

These are just some questions that you should be able to answer. There are more of course and they depend on a number of strategies/tactics.  However, starting with these questions should lead you in the right direction. If in doubt, find a qualified professional to help you. This is an investment that will definitely have a quick ROI.

2. Thinking that Social Media is a Stand Alone Tactic or Strategy

It is not really surprising that 10 years into social media we are still doing this. After all there are more consultants selling social media as a stand alone option than not. I would caution managers however, to really pause and reflect about this. For example, if you are a sales manager, do you approach your sales plan in one of’s? Or, do you have an overall strategy for your product/services based on a number of variables that all fold up into one plan? It is the latter of course. Your sales plan is all about meeting corporate sales objectives. The same goes for your social media. It is NOT a stand alone.  Repeat after me: social media is not a stand alone tactic, tool or strategy. It is a part of the overall strategy and is but one tool or tactic to be used strategically to meet an overall objective or objectives. These objectives should be measured too, but that is another blog post.

The Fix: Don’t be fooled by wrong information:

If someone suggests that social media doesn’t link to the rest of your business: run! Run fast and run far. Gone are the days of silos. To effectively leverage social you need and integrated strategy. And, if someone tells you that can’t be done, well, you have the wrong person helping you. It really is that straight forward. When you hire a marketing strategist or a social media consultant, be sure that he or she is well rounded in terms of experience. Because someone has a Twitter account and a LinkedIn profile does not make them the right resource. What is their exact experience? Do they have PR, marketing, communication, business development and customer services experience? Has the person worked in social media in a number of capacities including but not limited to: community management, engagement, listening, playbook development, ads, analysis, research, etc. If the person can demonstrate that he or she has this experience, hire him or her immediately.

3.  Not Having a Social Media Playbook

A social media playbook can be a lifesaver. Imagine you and your company are going along your merry way sharing information on social when all of a sudden someone makes a very disparaging remark about your products, services or your company in general. The first comment is made on your Facebook page and you or your employee removes the comment. Good idea? Likely not. What could happen is the person who made the comment will repost and/or make it known that you delete unfavourable comments. This could very well result in a number of people calling your openness and transparency into question and filling your feed with unflattering comments. What then? What about if they are Tweeting about you? You can’t delete their Tweets? What if it is a blog post? What then?

The Fix: Have a Living Playbook:

Playbooks will vary according to your business and the level of listening and engagement that you do. At the very least you should have a plan about what you do and do not respond to, what you escalate and to whom. Having an up-to-date playbook can save you and your team a lot time and anguish. It sets the stage for how you operate. It gives everyone the same guidelines. It is your brand and you need consistency. For a sample of how to get started, here is an ebook that I wrote while I worked for Radian6 (a.k.a salesforce.com). This is just a starter to wet your appetite. I have worked with playbooks that have been five pages. I have worked with playbooks that have been 150 pages. It all depends on your business and how you use social. In any event, you need to be prepared!

If you have any questions on your social media plan and your overall integrated strategy, I would love to help. Feel free to follow me on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest marketing and communications best practices, news and insights.

content marketing

Busted: I Haven’t Practiced What I Preach

/0 Comments/in , /by

I admit it. I have not been practicing what I preach. For those who follow me, either through blogging or speaking engagements, I often talk about content marketing and how to do it well. One of the things I “preach” about, is frequency. WELL…the last time I posted on this blog was about a month and a half a go. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it is not that I haven’t been writing and blogging. I have. But, just not for my own blog. I feel a bit like the carpenter – you know the one who is always working for others, but not finishing the work he or she has at home. So, while no one has called me out, I am calling me out. I am busted: I haven’t practiced what I preach! The question is: what will I do about it?

content marketing

Image courtesy of www.keepcalmandposters.com

I do have a plan however! Ya, I am one of them. I make plans and lists and even pros and cons lists! Ironically I haven’t made a pros and cons list for awhile, but after a Friday conversation with my 212 degrees buddy, I realized how much I miss the value that they bring to the equation. So, I made one last night for a specific issue. It helped significantly..but I digress….back to content marketing and my plan.

1.  Dust off my editorial calendar

I also admit that writing as much as I have for others, including some really, really fantastic industry blogs I have let my own editorial calendar kinda get dusty. So, I have spent some time thinking about my own calendar and doing some planning. While it took a few hours, it was well worth it.

2.  Setting Realistic expectations

While I do believe I should be blogging at least five times a week for my blog, that might not be realistic right now. In total I am writing for more than seven different sources at the moment. And, while I love it, I have obligations and commitments to develop content for others that I have to put first. I want to give them the best content I can so they can achieve the goals that they have for lead generation and reputation/thought-leadership.  This is important to me. So, I will strive to blog three times a week for my own blog.

3. Finish the Eight Drafts

Again, no excuse for not creating my own content. I actually have eight blog posts in draft format.  Something was holding me back from publishing them. Some little piece of the content was not quite right. After reading them, I know what I need to do to make them “right”. All I really needed to do was pause and reflect. Look at them critically and view them as my audience would. Sometimes absence is a good thing.

4. Make a Commitment to Myself

In the journey to financial independence, advisors tell us to pay ourselves first. I guess the same can be said about writing your own blog. Write for yourself first. While it is extremely important for me to meet my commitments to others for content, I can’t forget how important it is for my own audience. I do have people who read my content and often send me wonderful feedback, comments and questions. So, for them and myself, I need to make a commitment. Will I fall off the wagon again? It’s possible. I am, after all, only human. So, if I do, prod me..poke me and call me out. It’s o.k.

5.  Have Fun

I love writing. Somewhere along the way though I was making it a bit too formulaic though. I am not sure why. Maybe I was trying to emulate some of the serious stuff I see out there. While business is all about return on investment and turning a profit, there is (and should be) a human element. People do like to have fun, and I need to be me and not someone else! So, I will commit to being me.

There. That is my plan. Simple and uncomplicated.

Like what you read here? Be sure to follow me on Twitter and/or follow my blog!

3 Essential Tips to Start an Influencer Relations Program

/0 Comments/in , /by

Whether you have a small business or a well-established business, influencers can be a very important part of your marketing efforts.I am often asked how to go about setting up a program so I thought I would share these three quick hits to start an Influencer Relations Program. Once you have followed these steps, you will want to consider next steps as outlined in a previous post. Screen Shot 2014-02-14 at 6.01.14 PM

1. Define What an Influencer is!

There are many definitions for what an influencer is. It is important that you and your organization come to an agreement on who you consider an influencer. Keep in mind that some influencers will be easier to engage than others. 

For example let’s say that you produce sunglasses and you want celebrities to take notice and talk about your product. That would be an awesome accomplishment, but depending on a number of variables, reaching that demographic and impressing them might be a hard sell.

Instead you might pursue another route, the one I typically recommend. Look instead to those individuals who are industry experts and well respected in your specific sector, business or industry.

2.  Remember You Need to Build Relationships

You know the saying: Rome was not built in a day. The same can be said for nurturing relationships with Influencers. After all, they are people with the same basic needs and wants that you have. They want to be respected. They want to treated well. Most of the time, people want relationships. So take your time and get to know people. 

Reaching out to people that you don’t know and asking for something rarely works…unless of course you are offering something that they want and need in return. 

3.  Determine What Type of Program that You Want and Need

Keep in mind that some Influencers will want to help you for the sake of helping you out, once you have established a relationship.  Others will want compensation for helping you out.  There is nothing wrong with that. It is their business model.  You really need to know and understand this in order to make the right decisions. This will help you decide what type of program you want and need. 

If you do choose the later, be sure to be transparent about paying your influencers.  Being up front about the relationship will benefit you greatly and save you from potential embarrassment.

For more information on starting your program click here. If you like this post, feel free to follow me on Twitter and be sure to tell me a bit about who you are!

5 Ways Your Start-up Can Really Leverage Growth Hacking

/4 Comments/in /by

As a start-up, money and resources are tight.  If you are lucky, you are at the point where people want to fund your venture. Either way, marketing can be expensive. But there is hope! Here are 5 ways that start-ups can really leverage growth hacking.

Growth hacking, heatherannemaclean.wordpress.com, taylormade solutions

Image courtesy of www.gogrow.it

1.  Get a Hired Gun

Sure, you want the expertise of the big guys, but you are either not quite there yet or can’t afford the spend required to hire that expertise. That shouldn’t stop you though. There are a number of great consultants that actually understand the start-up environment, and specifically the need for growth, that will work with you on an as needed basis. They can develop quick hit strategies for you, execute tactics or even provide ad hoc advice.  Professional marketing practitioners, with this particular expertise, can guide you in ways that less experienced people cannot. While avoiding more overhead, they will save you money over the long run.  Some will even work with you for equity and/or lump sum or hourly fees.

2. Act Today Not Tomorrow

There is something to be said about not putting off until tomorrow what can be done today and this couldn’t be more true for your goals as a start-up.  After all, it is all about growth. If you see an opportunity, your marketing seize that moment in time.

3.  Don’t Be Afraid to Be Different

I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid and wanted to do “something”, I would often say so and so is doing it.  My parents response?  Well, if so and so jumped off the wharf, would you?  In other words, just because everyone else is doing something doesn’t mean that you should want to.  Want to really be effective at growth hacking?  Dare to be different.  Be unconventional. Stand out and be different.

4.  Be Agile

Often times the big guys have very well planned campaigns that are big and bulky.  They often also have several layers of approvals.  As a start-up you have the power to be agile.  That is huge.  If you see something is working you can enhance it.  If you see something is not working you can stop it immediately. If you see an opportunity to newsjack or leverage social proof, jump on it.

 5.  Don’t Rely on Mainstream Social Media

As a PR and marketing practitioner, I use mainstream social media like Twitter and Facebook a lot.  In fact, a new study that analyzes nine years of social media use by PR people, shows that Twitter is the most used channel.  While this is a good tool, don’t forget about being different.  Think about Reddit, Pinterest and other channels and how you can use them to your advantage.

While there is no set formula for growth hacking, and there shouldn’t be, these are five things to get you thinking and going!

Like this post?  Follow me on Twitter at:  @MacLeanHeather and @TaylorMadeWorks

 

The Sunday Brief (July 20, 2014)

/0 Comments/in , /by

Well, we are back. I admit it. We missed a couple of weeks. Tropical Storm Arthur cause great havoc for TaylorMade Solutions, our families, friends, local clients and neighbours. Two weeks ago we were into day two of now power, and day one of no phone service. I had no power for 5.5 days and other team members were without power for longer. There was a lot of yard clean up. I lost a few trees that were completely uprooted. Thankfully no one was hurt.  So, finally everything is back to normal.

The clean-up of a home in my community. They lost close to a dozen large mature trees. I was driving by when one fell on the power lines just above me.

The clean-up of a home in my community. They lost close to a dozen large mature trees. I was driving by when one fell on the power lines just above me.

So this week I thought I would look at videos that caught my attention.

Heineken’s new add for it’s award winning Light Beer is by far my fav of the week.  First it features Neil Patrick Harris, whom I love.  He is funny.  He is likeable.  He is Doogie, but all grown up.

What works about this ad?  Well, it is very different from the beer ads that I am used to.  Beer ads are typically showing a group of friends or party-goers having a great time usually at a cottage or some outdoor retreat.  Not this ad though.  It is clean, simple and straightforward. It also has humour

 

Like a Girl is a great ad campaign.  It is definitely one of my all-time favourites.  There is a great underlying message that all girls, women, boys and men should watch and understand.  “Like a Girl” IS a good thing.  Good on Always for taking on that message.

Well, these were two of my favourite ad campaigns this week. Two very different feelings.  Two different objectives.  What do you thin?

Like this post?  Feel free to follow me on Twitter:  MacLeanHeather

How to Avoid the Reputation Mistakes of Lululemon

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Once the darling of women across Canada and the United States for great yoga and leisure clothes, Lululemon seems to have lost its way.  First came the less than stellar quality pants, then the comments that essentially only certain women can wear their pants without issues arising, and now marketing promotions that counter concerns about skin cancer.  Lululemon is not unlike any other brand in that reputation issues do arise. The difference however, could be in how a brand responds.  So, let’ take a look at how to avoid the reputation mistakes of Lululemon.heatherannemaclean.wordpress.com, taylormadecanada.com

1.  The Argument FOR Listening to Brand Conversations

When the story first broke that Lululemon’s pants were of poor quality and actually see-through, Lululemon’s response, or lack of response was odd. At first they completely ignored their customers’ complaints and continued to promote other product in their social channels.

This only fuelled the fire and angered customers. As more people became aware of the issue, the story also grew. Playing the role of the Ostrich and burying your head in the sand does not work.

Key Take-Away:  It is hard to imagine that this commentary still needs to be shared but, apparently it does. Brands can no longer “push” their communications on customers.  Communication is a two-way street.  Therefore choosing to “not” listen is no longer acceptable business practice.  In the case of Lululemon they could have addressed the issue immediately and demonstrated to their customers that their opinion was valued. Instead it escalated out of control, the brand took a hit, as did their stock.  In the end, they were forced to respond.  Once news hits mainstream media and you are forced to respond, you have damaged your reputation.

2.  Act on Your Own.  Don’t be Forced

As someone who provides guidance to companies on PR and reputation issues, I always tell people to come forward first.  Don’t wait to be outed by the media or some other source.  If you did something wrong, admit it and have a plan to fix it.

“Key Take-Away:  Lululemon is certainly not alone in waiting to respond. I can’t put them in that category alone. There are many companies that have also done so. Most airlines, including Air Canada have had to respond to outrage as a result of actions incurred and not addressed properly.  It really comes down to doing the right thing. If you did something wrong, like United Airlines when they broke Canadian musician Dave Carroll’s guitar and then do nothing about, even with video proof, you are headed for a PR nightmare. Over and above that you have a bigger issue though. You have a cultural issue. People working for you just don’t care. You cannot fix a reputation issue without first fixing your cultural issue. This is a big take-away and one that should be looked at seriously.

3.  Test Your Messages

Sometimes we blame agencies for providing marketing materials, campaigns, etc. that result in PR nightmares.  While that does happen on occasion, as brand managers, we must take some responsibility for our brand and what we choose to do.  There is a reason that both agencies and many brands test messaging before going to market. For me personally, if I have this “I don’t know feeling” and can’t really articulate it, I know I need to test it.  Nine times out of 10 the testing comes back with results that send us back to the drawing board.

Key Take-Away:  Don’t let nagging feelings of doubt just fade away with the hopes that it will be o.k.  And, more importantly test your message. Sometimes brands are too close to the message or storyline and can miss subtle nuances that an unbiased audience will pick up immediately. Getting this information before going to market can save you time, money and embarrassment.  Lululemon might want to think about this as a go forward plan.

Now, like all Canadians, I like to see my Canadian companies succeed. I am hoping that these few missteps are just that and things will evolve and change for our much loved Lululemon!

Like this post?  Follow me on Twitter:  @MacLeanHeather.  Feel free to leave a comment, add your input or disagree with me.

 

 

 

 

 

Canadian Anti-spam Law: What You Don’t Know May Hurt You

/0 Comments/in /by

Well, we are now more than a week into the new Canadian Anti-spam Law (CASL) and many people remained as confused, or maybe more so, than before it came into effect.  So, let’s take a high-level look at the What You Don’t Know (or may not know):

CASL: What you don't know can hurt you, heatherannemaclean.wordpress.com

Image courtesy of www.hrlegalist.com

1.  CASL does not apply to personal or familial relationships.

2.  If you have a legal contract with the other party, you are exempt.

3.  Just because a person downloads a document from your website, does not mean that you have express consent to send email.

4.  Implied consent expires in six months if a prospect doesn’t become a client; and in two years if an existing client doesn’t buy something new or doesn’t renew their subscription, loan, account or contract. (source:  Deloitte)

5.  If recipients voluntarily disclose their email address, and don’t state that they don’t want to be emailed, you have consent.

6.  This law applies to companies outside of Canada.  If you are in the United States, the United Kingdom, or elsewhere, technically you are supposed to adhere to the new law. No one is quite sure how this will be enforced, but it is the law.

7. Think it only applies to email?  Think again.  Any electronic message with the purpose of performing a commercial function is subject to CASL. Of course there are exceptions, like BBM messaging and InMail.

8.  You can send email or other commercial electronic messages outside the country, but you are supposed to ensure that you comply with that countries laws.

9.  Even if you have express consent, you still need to add your mailing address, contact information and an unsubscribe in all email.  As soon as someone unsubscribes, you have lost express consent.  There are exceptions of course.  For example if you have a legal agreement, you can still communicate.

So, these are just nine things that some people don’t know about CASL.  We will continue to watch as CASL unfolds and people begin to challenge the process. We will keep you updated as we learn more.

Like this post?  Feel free to follow me on Twitter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GOODBYE, FACEBOOK. HELLO, FACEBOOK.

/0 Comments/in , , /by

What do you picture when you think of Facebook? The first thing that comes to mind? Birthday greetings, vacation photos, or proud parents celebrating their kids? Grumpy cats or goofy dogs or motivational posters brimming with typos? I am sure most of us have logged on to Facebook at times, scanned our newsfeed and thought, “What the heck am I doing?”Heatherannemaclean.wordpress.com, taylormade solutions canada, marketing, social media

I’m still not sure what tipped me over the edge. One too many memes, maybe. But that day, at that moment, I thought I would try it: I would leave FB. There was just too much clutter and not enough substance. So I disabled my account. What happened next surprised me.

First, I will admit that it was a knee jerk reaction and hardly thought out, but it made sense at the time. I also don’t mind saying it was a failed experiment. Much like giving up potato chips or coffee, it’s next to impossible. And yes, I’m back on the bandwagon. But over the first couple of days of being “off,” I was receiving texts and emails from people asking if I was okay. As if being “off Facebook” meant I was somehow suffering or experiencing some form of personal distress.

I assured them all that I was fine. No need for an intervention. These were my closest friends, after all, and we had ways to communicate besides status updates. Business as usual. But it wasn’t long before I noticed a difference. 

Like many of my generation, I don’t subscribe to or read the local paper; I get all my news online on lunch breaks or in between household duties. But how much of the Huffington Post or CBC is about my hometown? About my province? Precious little. So suddenly the lunch room, water cooler, or get togethers became me repeatedly saying, “Oh, really? I hadn’t heard that.” About concerts, shows, restaurants, local current events. I felt like the last to know on almost every subject, especially from what is happening in the city. Sure, there are plenty of places to find said information if you really wanted to look, but it was becoming obvious that I hadn’t just disconnected from the “What would your Pirate name be?” posts; I’d unplugged from my community.

And that’s what Facebook has become in a lot of ways. For better or worse, however you want to view it, whatever your opinion is, social media is a town square. A means of connection and communication. Sometimes across a country or over continents. A way to be informed about the people you care about, and topics you care about. We can bemoan over sharing or narcissism, but really, who hasn’t run into a friend on the street and said, “Hey, I saw your pictures. Looks like you had a great trip.” Or “I can’t believe how big your kids are.” In reflection, it’s a foot in the door for a conversation, a dialogue that starts at seeing your friends’ joys or perhaps seeing their hardship, their grief. In a lot of ways, people are more connected than if we wait for chance encounters at the city market.

Lastly, I am also in a band, Sleepy Driver. And you can laugh at how ill-conceived or ill-timed my leap from Facebook was—we were just about to release a new album—I underestimated what it meant to be off Facebook, not using it to promote, market, or interact with fans and friends. Much like I didn’t hear of fellow musicians’ shows, people were less aware of our upcoming release. FB is local paper; it’s a form of advertising; it’s a major means of connection with our audience, local and otherwise. It’s hard to ignore its power.  

So, I’m back on. And happy for it. To learn, to see, to share, to connect. No, it doesn’t replace face-to-face, voice-to-voice “real” relationships, but it sure plays a part. I guess at the heart of it, like with any social media: know what you want it for. Tailor it to that. It takes some time to set filters, to sieve out the games and memes (unless that’s what you want—no judgment ;), but FB has the tools to do so. And ultimately I found that Facebook gives more than it takes.

I’m glad to be back.

About:  Peter Hicks is a project manager, father, and musician from Fredericton, NB. www.facebook.com/sleepydriver 

Canada’s Anti-spam Law (CASL) Just Made Inbound Marketing More Important

/0 Comments/in /by

It’s official.  As of yesterday Canada’s new Anti-spam Law affectionately known as CASL came into effect. While many of us have been following, reading and sharing what we can about this new and somewhat ridiculous law, there is still a significant amount of confusion around it all.  Not only do people still not understand what constitutes a commercial electronic message (CEM), but also people are debating what they have to actually do around existing business relationships.

heatherannemaclean.wordpress.com, taylormade solutions

Image courtesy of listorres.com

As Canadian business owners this new law is really complicating things for us.  I now have to have permission from a person in advance to send an email.  Of course there are qualifications to this. For example, if someone reaches out to my business via email, I can respond. If they send me a compliant via email, I can respond. If their contact information is somewhere on the web and they haven’t deemed that they don’t want email sent to them, I can send an email. If I go to a conference and/or networking event and someone hands me her business card, then I can also send an email to that person; but and there is a but…I now need to keep said business card of every person I meet. I also need to write on the business card when and where I met said person AND just to be prudent, I should send an email asking if if is ok to send email.  Kinda silly right?  Right! Oh, of course I can’t add them to a mailing list for my company newsletter. This is not something I do anyway without consent, but thought I would mention it.

Oh, and I should note that just because you live in the United States or Great Britain, you should know that this law also applies to YOU.  Indeed.  Anyone sending a commercial electronic message that could be read IN Canada is covered by CASL.  I along with thousands and thousands of Canadians are wondering how this will be enforced outside of Canada.  For legitimate companies, they will comply and try to ensure that they get us to “opt-in” and offer an opt-out option, but it is not really those companies that are the issue.  No, of course not.  There are people from other areas, which shall not be named herein, that use masking services and send unsolicited email all of the time.  This law will not mean a thing to them AND they will continue to send their email, unscathed and untouched.

So, it has become ever so more important for companies to employ inbound marketing as a normal course of business. If you haven’t established inbound marketing techniques you definitely need to.  While there are many great advantages to having an inbound strategy, one of them is having people opt-in every time they download your great content.  For those in Canada who don’t want to run the risk of millions of dollars in fines, you will want to learn about this ASAP.  (Oh, and I can help, but I digress).

I really can’t wait to see how this all unfolds over the next 36 months, which is our grace period to get consent. I know that I will have a lot of great blog content come out of it.   However, as a business owner, and a small business at that, I can say that while I truly value the effort being made to curb spam – the intent and spirit is truly admirable for Government to take on this role – it might make it a little more challenging to do business.

Love to hear your thoughts on CASL.  Will it make your life easier? Or more difficult.