List of No to Low Cost (Free!) 2015 Digital Marketing Events in Toronto

Dear Readers:

Are you interested in the digital marketing space? Many of you have inquired about low to no cost (FREE!) events in the Toronto or Greater Toronto Area (GTA) that focus on digital marketing, marketing, advertising, communications, or public relations.

After doing some research, here is my list of digital marketing events in Toronto for the first half of 2015:

PodCamp Toronto
Ryerson University is hosting Canada’s largest un-conference for digital professionals and innovators that would like to share their experiences and network.

When: Saturday, February 21 to Sunday, February 22, 2015
Where: Rogers Com­mu­ni­ca­tions Cen­tre, Ryer­son Uni­ver­sity, 80 Gould Street, Toronto (between Church and Jarvis/Dundas and Gerrard)
Cost: $0 (Free!)
How to Register: http://2015.podcamptoronto.com/

Dx3 – Digital Marketing, Advertising & Retail Conference
Touted as Canada’s largest conference and trade show for digital marketing, advertising and retail (hence the Dx3), this two-day event is a great opportunity for networking and learning more about trends in this space.

When: Wednesday, March 11 to Thursday, 12, 2015
Where: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building – Level 300, Exhibit Hall A, 255 Front Street West, Toronto
Cost: $0 (Free, if you register before February 22)
How to Register: http://www.dx3canada.com/Content/Tickets

NXNE – Music + Culture + Tech
A smaller version of the SXSW festival in Austen, TX, allows digital professionals to network and gain valuable insight into progressive ideas with workshops, keynote addresses, and more. While not free, this is a much more affordable conference than the SXSW conference by attending the NXNE Interactive sessions.

When: June 17 to 21, 2015
Where: Toronto
Cost: Not yet announced
How to Register: http://nxne.com/interactive/

Additional Events
There are many great events that happen in Toronto or around the GTA that can help you build your networking base and digital marketing skills. A few more to keep in mind include: Startup Weekend ((usually happens a few times a year) and WordCamp (typically happens in November). Also, don’t forget that you can attend smaller events in your local area by visiting Meetup.com.

What Are Your Top 2015 Marketing Events?
Do you have any other events or conferences that you would like to add to this list? Leave your comments below or on any of these channels – YouTube Channel, Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.

How’s the weather, eh?

Dear Readers:

Why are Canadians so obsessed with the weather? Do we have a desire to learn more about the polar vortex, or perhaps we simply can’t think of any other ‘small talk’ to fill our time?  I don’t think so!

Canadians have every right to rant and indulge in exchanges about the weather with our large, diverse country and their varying weather patterns. According to The Weather Network, we are the “‘weather weenies’ of the world” with Canadian media running 229% more weather coverage than anywhere else in the world. So, why do we do it?

Extreme weather
While our friends in Florida enjoy nice sunny skies, most of Canada has cold winter temperatures that can vary from 5 to -30C in most mainstream areas. (This only includes normal winter weather and not more ‘extreme’ conditions that we seem to have faced over the last few years).  Then, there’s the components of cold weather – ice, snow, black ice, slush, and more – than can lead to dangerous conditions. This has led to a habit of scanning the news for weather conditions to stay safe!

Conversation starter
The cold weather is a great conversation starter. Do you find yourself talk about this frosty topic (ok, pun intended here!) with your friends over hot coffee? Or perhaps you are comparing your geographic locations and the varying weather with your colleagues over a conference call? It’s a simple way to connect and create connections without trying too hard.

Love to hate cold weather
Canadians seem to be in their element (excuse the pun!) in cold weather.  It is a part of our identity. We can brag about how cold our winter was, or how many days without power we went due to a recent ice storm, over other Canadian regions. To learn more about the sociology behind this, check out this article.

Stay warm and let’s continue our conversation about…the weather!

Subscribe To Learn More
If you liked this article, you can subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more great content. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

What is the Difference Facebook Pages Versus Facebook Groups?

Dear L Think Crew:

It’s the 3^rd week of January! Where has the time gone? I thought for this post I would focus on the difference between a Facebook Page versus a Facebook Group. Recently, I looked into creating a presence on Facebook for The L Think Crew blog, but could not decide which type of account to setup. Below are my findings.

Facebook Pages
These page are similar to your individual profiles, but allow you to create a more official, public presence for your organization. You follow these pages by becoming a “Fan”, receive updates on your News Feed, and can interact on the Pages’ wall. With a  heavy focus on authenticity, the objective of this page is to have an official representative creating these pages making it easy for users to follow (“Fan”) or unfollow you (“Remove me from fans”). Two great examples are The Hunger Games movie page or The L Think Crew page.

Want to create a Facebook page? Go here.

Facebook Groups
Groups are better if you want to share your interest or communicate with a smaller group of individuals. You can post your comments on the group’s wall, share photos, opinions, and other great stuff. The group can either be open to the public or private (by invitation only). Posts are also placed on the members News Feeds. An example is Social Identities group page.

Want to create a Facebook group? Find out more here.

What do you think about Facebook pages versus groups? Do you have a favorite page or group that can be used as an example by other individuals or organizations looking to leverage Facebook?  Feel free to share your thoughts below.

Subscribe To Learn More
If you liked this article, you can subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more great content. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Benefits & How To Create A Free WordPress Blog

Dear Readers:

Happy New Year
This is the first official blog post for The L Think Crew!  I am excited to be online today and sharing some great information on how to create your own free WordPress blog.  Over the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking about digital marketing and communications and have been curious about learning and sharing more about this space with a wider audience.  So, here we are today!

Benefits of WordPress
WordPress is a great content management system that allows for more flexibility and control over other systems, including:

• Search engine optimization (SEO): You can leverage built-in SEO techniques and add extensions and plug-ins. This will ultimately help with keyword ranking in search engines and help drive traffic to your website.
• Ease to use: You don’t need to rely on a creative team of graphic designers and programmers to setup and program your blog. You can use the in-build tutorials to setup posts, plugins and pick a design theme.
• Plug-ins: You can customize your WordPress site with plugins that tie into social sharing (Twitter, Facebook), track metrics for analytics, or even sell products. Learn more about the best SEO plugins here.

How To Create Your Free WordPress Blog
Now that we’ve convinced you of the benefits of WordPress, here is a quick guide to setting up your free WordPress blog:

• Go to https://wordpress.com/
• Click on ‘Create Website’
• Fill in your profile information: profile name, password, and website URL option
• When selecting your website URL, think of a name that has meaning to you, represents your product or service, and is meaning to potential customers / users. Brainstorm several options on paper and see the alternatives that WordPress lists
• View the various blog options. For the free blog, click on the ‘Create Blog’ option
• You will then move onto another screen where you will be asked to select your WordPress theme. There are thousands of free themes to choose from. It’s easier to browse and select one that suits your needs. You can always change your mind after this has been setup.

Now you are ready to begin creating your content under the WordPress blog posts options. You can customize your profile, dashboard, and content. I highly recommend looking at the WP Beginner Blog with articles and tip to get you started.

Subscribe To Learn More
If you liked this article, you can subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more great content. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.