Hugh Black provides real evidence on how public relations creates international exposure and leads.

1. Is Social Networking
Good for Business?
July 12, 2011
HMB Communications Group

2. Boost Your Networking
• Networking takes time
• Just like it takes time to build your
company, it takes time to build your
network
• Earlier, Chris defined social
networking as creating an organized
connected group where people feel
compelled to stay together because
they see mutual interest and value
• Are there ways to spur on the
process?
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3. Thought of Setting Up an Advisory Board?
• Bring independent thinking,
strategic counsel
• Key established executives,
often from a range of
disciplines, who can add value
and provide advice and counsel
to your business
• Secondarily, they may bring in
their own network of contacts
to help you build your company
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4. Boost Your Networking
• In addition to face-to-face networking,
leverage traditional and social media
together – a co-ordinated effort – to
take out your story
• It can accelerate the building of your
network, help to tell your story, and
attract business
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5. Boost Your Networking
• While it’s great to be telling
your own story, there can be
an incredible sense of
momentum built up if others
start talking about your
company, too
• You don’t need to be a large
multinational to make this
happen ...
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6. Who are the Influencers?
• Who influences your customers and
prospects or who has tremendous
reach to get the word out?
– Celebrities
– Trendsetters
– High profile corporate
leaders/customers in a specific sector
– Your own customer base
– Angel Investors/Venture Capitalists
– Industry analysts
– Financial analysts
– The media
• How can you reach them?
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7. Think About Telling A Story
• Think about what you’re saying
from the listener’s perspective
• Is what you’re saying compelling?
• Stories have a way of capturing
people’s attention
• Can be done at events, digitally
(e.g., through blogs, Twitter,
YouTube), at meetings, through
traditional media
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8. Put The Elements in Place to Tell The Story
Put The Elements in Place to Tell The Story
• What’s your story?
• Do you have a 30-second elevator
ride summary of your business?
• Is it compelling?
• What partners, customers or
advisors do you have who will
reinforce your messages?
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9. Traditional Media – Part of Your Strategy?
• Reach multiple stakeholders to tell your story and
communicate your point of view
• Opportunity to develop reputation as a leader
• Increase awareness and build momentum
• Build your brand
• Build your business – penetrate new markets
• Educate the market
• Drive sales
• Demonstrate customer momentum
• Maximize marketing investments
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10. E=mz2, Building Sales Leaders
• Marguerite Zimmerman, CEO,E=mz2,
an emerging Burlington-based
company that offers game-based
training
• How many times have you heard
“Sales are the lifeblood of a
company”?
• But it’s often very difficult to find
training that teaches and nurtures
sales talent
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11. E=mz2’s Momentium
Game-based Training
• E=mz2 has leveraged the
power, fun and interactivity of
gaming and developed a highly
effective sales and learning
system called Momentium™
• An innovative Software-as-a-
Service (SaaS) with a recurring
revenue model
• Addresses a need in a global
$2 trillion education and
corporate learning market
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HMB Communications Group

12. How Did We Connect? Networking
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13. The Media Pick Up E=mz2’s Story
‘Mr. Malik says the
future of corporate
training is game-based
online training ...’
“Stany Hupperetz, a
Montreal-based sales
representative ... said
learning through a
video game improved
his ability to remember
and apply new skills....
‘my bookings went up
40 per cent as I learned
the program’.”
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14. Story Goes Cross Country/Bloggers Engage
“Virtual training: For many small businesses traditional training models are
ineffective and expensive. Video games could be the answer”
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15. Boost Your Networking
• Each news story generated a number of
key new business leads
• For example, a VC Incubator Group
overseas saw a blog about the National
Post story and contacted E=mz2
• Resulted in a trip and meetings with
more than 20 companies
• Already several MOUs signed and others
expressing interest
• Coverage raised visibility of E=mz2,
expanded its network, and led to
opportunities
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16. Hear More from E=mz2 in August
• Marguerite Zimmerman presenting
at next Silicon Halton meet-up
• Creating High Differentiation
Through Evidence Based Selling
• Tuesday, August 9 at 7:00 pm at Ned
Devine’s in Milton
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