My Instagram wish list

 

God knows I love my Instagram! So here’s my Instagram wish list.

 

Now that Facebook has bought Instagram what’s next for our friendly simple filter community?

Here are a few things I would love to see come out of this social collaboration:

 

1. DM capability. Serious, having comment conversations is rough and uncivilized.
2. Deeper integration with Facebook friends.  I would love to see who of my Facebook friends is on instagram and follow them. The wall between the two social networks needs to come down, combine our friendships please.
3. Let’s just get that annoying commenting on the Facebook post / instagram post fixed. Get it together people and fix yo shiz.
4. New capabilities such as video. Social cam and others are getting a good head start on the short sharable and social film trend taking off. Instagram needs to get on that!
5. A brand pages feature! (maybe even with analytics, but one step at a time)
6. And last but not least, a real web interface – like a real website with proper login capabilities.

 

Filed under: Personal, Social, Andrew Fraser Stewart, Andrew Stewart, Andrewfstewart, Digital, Instagram, marketing, PR, Twitter

Keep calm and watch this story

As I wrote about before in a “words that move me” post her is a fantastic little story about the campaign that moved the world. This video illustrates the importance of clean and simple messaging. Check it out and repost!

Filed under: Marketing Mix, Social, Uncategorized, Words to live by, AFS, Andrew Fraser Stewart, Andrew Stewart, Andrewfstewart, marketing, social media, Toronto, Twitter

Speaking: Getting a good Headstart!

Saturday March 10th I will be speaking at the RGD (Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario) Headstart Conference!

 

And my caption / bio reads: 

How do you get noticed in a competitive industry?!?

Being noticed, standing out, being seen and getting hired by your dream agency… These are the objectives of all graduating students. These days letting your work speak for you isn’t enough. You must speak FOR your work and learn to speak loudly. In this session Andrew Fraser Stewart, Digital Account Manager at Edelman Toronto and author of SocialSelf.ca, talks about creating a personal brand, owning your online presence, building an influential network and using social media to get yourself seen, known, admired and hired!

 

Really looking forward to this one See you there designers. For more info: Click Here

Filed under: Edelman, Marketing Mix, Personal, Social, Words to live by, Andrew F Stewart, Andrew Stewart, Andrewfstewart, Digital Marketing, PR, Public Relations, social media, Toronto, Twitter

Podcamp is like band camp but with cooler people

Another year another PodcampTO has come and gone.

Stewart chicken sandwich, with @casiestewart

Out of all the Tweetups, Meetups, Meshes and Mashups we can attend in a year PodcampTO is maybe the only one I really feel the need to attend. That being said, I don’t go for the learnings or presentations – but rather to see the passionate familiar faces in attendance.

Podcamp is a funny and unique event put best by @DoctorJones -

The sessions I attended were:

Community Management: It’s still important

Social Psychology of Social Media

The Future of Social and Talent Attraction

Sincerity is Everything

Social media barometer

Getting the Insiders Onside: Working with Bloggers and Influencers
All but one of these I found very interesting, compelling and useful. The other, was not.

The only little issue I have with Podcamp is the screening process (or lack thereof) – You sponcer yourself, you’re not elected as a thought leader among your peers to share your incites. Some use this as a platform to spread their valuable key learnings from the past year (I’m looking at you @EdenSpodek @martinwaxman @davefleet @cugelman) … And others, use it as a platform to talk about themselves.

Other than the key learngings and reinforcement of best practices, Podcamp is more of a reunion with friends. I go because I get to spend a little time, touche base and catch up with my internet chums. We talk about who’s doing what, where, and how much fun they are having doing it – This is the real spirit of Podcamp.

Well done organizers, I tip my hat to you.

Until next year.

   

Filed under: Events, Personal, Social, #PCTO2012, Andrew F Stewart, Andrewfstewart, Digital Marketing, marketing, Podcamp Toronto, Public Relations, social media, Toronto, Twitter

What it’s like being a Social Media Manager, kinda.

I get asked a lot about what it’s like being a Social Media Manager (Given I am an Account Manager but same ish kinda deal). This is a but a glimpse in to that world. If i were designing this I would input much more client activity – that’s what pays the bills you know!

 

What would you ad?

 

Filed under: Marketing Mix, Personal, Social, AFS, Andrew F Stewart, Andrew Fraser Stewart, Andrew Stewart, Andrewfstewart, Canada, Digital, Digital Marketing, marketing, PR, Public Relations, Scocial media, Toronto, Twitter

If you search “useful” you might find this:

I remember learning a few of these tricks back in my first year of PR school at Humber. I use them daily. Student take note, this is a treasured tool set to have.

Filed under: Social, advertising, AFS, Andrew F Stewart, Andrew Stewart, Andrewfstewart, Digital Marketing, marketing, PR, Public Relations, Search, social media, Toronto, Twitter

November / Movember Update

How time flies! The winter season is coming (and fast), batten down the hatches and prepare the nation for some cozy and comforting hibernation!

About a month ago next week I will have been at my new job at Edelman for a month. I’m settling in very nicely and making some awesome new friends. Ill keep it brief – I’m really enjoying my clients and the new work atmosphere, It’s dramatically different than my last job in many ways – all of them positive. I will update you with a grand tour and and some interesting co-worker cameos shortly but for now on to more updates.

This month is #Movember and I am going sans beard for the month. It pained me to shave off my beloved face fur but I am looking forward to seeing just how well i sport a budding lip sweater! I think its gonna be awful, but heck – its for charity. On that note … Please donate and keep my face warm! mobro.co/AndrewfStewart

 

You know what goes well with a freezing face and budding moustache? Whisky! Last night I went to the Canadian Club Prohibition party hosted my my notorious cyber sister @CasieStewart. The party was well themed and the drinks were delicious. Although the 20′s were not my personal favorite decade, I can appreciate the strong story and ties Canadian Club has with the era.

Did you know While Prohibition banned beverage alcohol in the US, the law was not in effect in Canada.  During the era of speakeasies and flappers, the Canadian Club headquarters in Windsor, Ontario, was a popular destination for folks like Al Capone, the Purple Gang, and Atlantic City Treasurer Enoch “Nucky” Johnson. – Who knew!

All in all, a great evening put on by the good people at Praxis PR. Koodos chums!

Tonight I’m going to the MyCityLives.com party – I love the site / concept and tweeps who run it so it should be a hoot. More updates shortly.

Filed under: Edelman, Personal, Social, Andrew F Stewart, Andrew Stewart, Andrewfstewart, Canada, Digital, Digital Marketing, life, marketing, Movember, PR, social media, Toronto

SO I’m moving on …

As you all know, just over a year ago I had the privilege of joining the wonderful team at one of Canada’s most award winning agencies - Strategic Objectives.  SO prides itself on creating news worthy PR programs that generate awesome results. In my capacity as Community Manager, I had a unique opportunity in helping this team bring the same strategic approach to the digital realm to generate real social buzz and online coverage. Over the past year I have learned a lot about traditional PR, marketing strategy and digital implementation – but mostly, how it all works together. Along with these key learnings I have made some amazing friends that I will be forever in admiration of. It is with mixed emotions that I announce that I will be leaving Strategic Objectives for a new opportunity.

I have accepted a position at Edelman Canada as an Account Manager. This move signifies a big change for me and one I am excited to make. In moving ahead, I am looking forward to new challenges, working with their great team and using all of the wonderful knowledge and skills I’ve acquired to help build and work on some amazing digital and PR strategies and programs. I know some great people who work for Edelman already and I’m very excited to meet many more.

A heart warming Card from @DebWeinstein

To my SO friends: Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am leaving with hugs from both partners, that means a lot to me.

To my new colleagues at Edelman: Hold on, it’s gonna get awesome!

Filed under: Personal, Social, Strategic Objectives, Andrew F Stewart, Andrewfstewart, Digital, Digital Marketing, Edelman, marketing, PR, Public Relations, social media, Strategic Objectives, Toronto

Love the new Facebook timeline!

The new FB profile from Gizmodo.com

I am so excited to see the new Facebook timeline that was announced at this years F8 conference! It echo’s my last post on how images are becoming the new sharable currency. I love the attention to pictures and new photo layout What are you most excited about?

Filed under: Social, Andrew F Stewart, Andrewfstewart, Canada, Digital, Digital Marketing, Facebook, marketing, PR, Public Relations, social media, Toronto

Drive! The Truth About What Motivates Us

At 6 minutes it gets Awesome!

Filed under: Marketing Mix, Personal, Social, advertising, Andrew F Stewart, Andrew Stewart, Andrewfstewart, Digital Marketing, potential, PR, Public Relations, social media, Success, Twitter