It’s time to check your Augmented Reality (AR) skills!

Please give us a hand by testing our new Layar augmented reality ad for UWinnipeg PACE on your iPhone/iPad or Android phone.

Using the free AR Layar app, scan the ad image and try out the augmented reality data.

You can visit their websites, facebook, twitter, load and scan for Winnipeg Transit bus stops near you (only available to people in the Winnipeg area), and a few other things.

We are looking for feedback: questions, comments, technical support… put it all in the facebook comments!

We want to get as many people testing this as possible. This will be use in Winnipeg Transit buses starting this month.

Please visit http://www.facebook.com/Lanoie.com to get the details.

Thanks in advance for your testing and help sharing with others 🙂

Facebook is not Direct Marketing

We do a lot of work with small and medium-sized businesses. Questions often come up from our clients on how to be effective on social media, especially facebook, when they are so busy trying to run their business.

Facebook and social media is about communication

Facebook and social media is about communication

They are very fair concerns. I was reading something this morning, and one thing that it mentioned directly addresses a potential client I was speaking with last week: “Understand that Social Media is not Direct Marketing “.

They are using their facebook page like some companies use a mailing list: push, push, push (which, by the way, isn’t the most effective use of a mailing list, anyway).

Social media, especially something like facebook, allows for a conversation. It allows for interaction like polls, quizzed, feedback, and yes, a complaint forum.

Use social media as a ‘soft sell’. Use it to give interesting facts, chat with people, listen (and respond) to complaints, and slip in the occasional product or service announcement. Mix it up. Engage!

Here are the points that were mentioned:

  1. Even if you don’t use the networks, remember to claim your name
  2. Know Your Brand (& Your Goals)
  3. Listen As Much As You Speak
  4. Spreading Your Brand Thin Will Do More Harm Than Good
  5. Be Prepared If Things Go Wrong
  • Bonus. Understand that Social Media is not Direct Marketing

5 Ways Small Businesses Can Maintain a Social Media Presence and Ignore Scaremongering
http://www.stateofsearch.com/ways-small-businesses-maintain-a-social-media-presence-without-the-scaremongering/

Changing Your Twitter Header Image (Part 2)

Now that the technical requirements and design considerations for Twitter header images have been covered in Part 1 of this topic, the next step is putting that knowledge to work in creating and uploading a header image to Twitter.

A downloadable Photoshop header template can help you plan, create, and save your header image. It has “helper” layers to show you where the profile photo is positioned, a diagram of image dimensions, sample text you can use to check for readability, and a semi-transparent black gradient layer to test the effect on your header image before you upload it to Twitter.

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