Would you like to build your brand, be identified as a thought leader in your field, provide valuable content to new visitors and increase quality inbound links to your website?

By creating compelling content and developing genuine relationships, Social Media Optimization (SMO) is a powerful strategy for building brand recognition and increasing your brand’s visibility on social networks.

SMO Books are pocket-sized guide books to help you plan, post, and measure your social media success. They help you get organized and stay focused on your social communication goals with an outline of activities and resources, while measuring results.

Order your copy or two at SMObooks.com

Instant Contribution

We donate a minimum of 5% of our service fees to charitable organizations of the client’s choice. Simply let us know which charity speaks to your heart and we will contact the organization and send them the donation in your honor.

Service Rewards Program

One of our strong desires at [B]cause Media is to ensure that our business model reflects our personal beliefs — giving back to our community to make it a better place. We do that by volunteering and donating to causes and organizations that speak close to our hearts.  Rarely, a weekend goes by without us doing some type of volunteer work — online or offline.

In the spirit volunteering and engaging our clients to give back to their community, we have come up with a service rewards price plan. Every hour you or your company (a team) volunteers in the community, we will donate $10 (every volunteer hour) of your [B]cause Media service fees to the cause or charity of your choice. For example, if your company volunteers at the local community garden or food bank for 10 hours, you get to donate $100 of your [B]cause Media service fees to any nonprofit or cause. Sweet, right?

There are rules:

* The volunteer hours must be done within the service contract period with [B]cause Media | Social Media Communications
* Community service must be approved by a staff prior to participating in the [B]cause Media Service Rewards Program
* We have the right to approve or disapprove the community service (i.e., walking your neighbor’s dog is not an approved community service project, but participating in Meals-on-Wheels and transporting hot food to those in need is an approved community service project).
* Maximum of 20 volunteer hours allowed to earn [B]cause Media Service Rewards. However, that shouldn’t stop you from continuing to volunteer

Here are some of the charities [B]cause Media supports:

Heifer International www.heifer.org

Heifer International Portland portland.heiferblog.org

Share www.sharevancouver.org

Mercy Corps www,mercycorps.org

American Red Cross (Oregon Trail Chapter) www.redcross-pdx.org

Sisters of the Road www.sistersoftheroad.org

Spirit Jump spiritjump.org

Street Roots www.streetroots.org

However, the choice is yours to decide which nonprofit organization receives your contribution. Choose the charity that speaks to your heart. Visit Idealist.org, Charity Navigator or GuideStar for information about nonprofit organizations and where your donations goes.

Give what you can regularly to the charities that make a difference to your local and national community. The pleasant feeling of connectedness and the satisfaction of at least trying to make the world a better place will warm your heart as well as others in your community.

Innovators of Vancouver was started by Chris Martin of Chris Martin Studios as a way to tell compelling stories of people doing interesting things in Vancouver, WA by combining a love of documentary video with the immediacy of online video distribution.

Whether serving local communities in Southwest Washington, or running global corporations or non-profit organizations, the Innovators of Vancouver are using their creativity, energy and ambition to make the world a better place.

Episodes range from 5-10 minutes and be delivered exclusively in an online format.  One video per month is currently in the works, but as the project grows there may be the possibility for more.

Innovators of Vancouver Episode #3 features Noland Hoshino, a believer in the value of social media. He runs [B]cause Media, a local cause marketing company that utilizes free social media platforms to bring awareness to various causes.

Watch Innovators of Vancouver episode #3 featuring Noland Hoshino of [B]cause Media here

Visit Chris Martin Studios www.chrismartinstudios.com and Innovators of Vancouver www.innovatorsofvancouver.com

Slideshare presentationRead The Columbian newspaper story “Foursquare keeps friends on same path”

Slideshare presentation “Location-based Services for Nonprofit organizations”

> Build loyalty & increased engagement through ongoing conversation and brand experience

The 12 Major Benefits Of Social Media

1.  Increased awareness of the organization

2.  Increased traffic to website

3.  Greater favorable perceptions of the brand

4.  Able to monitor conversations about the organization

5.  Able to develop targeted marketing activities

6.  Better understanding of customers perceptions of their brand

7.  Improved insights about their target markets

8.  Identification of positive and negative comments

9.  Increase in new business

10.  Identification of new product or service opportunities

11.  Ability to measure the frequency of the discussion about the brand

12.  Early warning of potential product or service issues

Slideshare presentation

I wrote an article in the Vancouver Business Journal – The Key to Southwest Washington Business this year, “Plan to Scan”

How to engage your market with QR codes

Social media, smartphone technology and user-generated content are a few things that are changing the landscape in marketing, creating new patterns of influence in consumer behavior, for businesses and organizations.

One emerging trend are strange pixilated boxes appearing on magazine advertisements, pamphlets, in-store promotion signs, merchandise, business cards, and a ton of other things. If you haven’t seen these strange matrix doo-hickeys, you soon will because they’re going to be a hot marketing tool for advertisers and businesses in 2011 (mark my words) and the opportunities are endless.

Photo: Chris Martin Studios

What is it? They‘re called Quick Response codes or “QR codes” – barcodes on steroids, if you will. They are very similar to the standard UPC code you see on the back of almost every retail item on the shelves, but can store up to 7,000 digits of website, text or phone numbers in a two-dimensional space. Nifty, huh?

QR codes originated overseas and were first used to track auto parts, but have since been incorporated in many innovative and imaginative ways. They have been extremely popular in Japan and Europe for a few years, and have finally arrived onto our shores.

How do you create a QR code? Simple. There are several online sources that produce QR codes by typing in a web URL, text, phone number, or email address in the QR code generator box. The two that I use are Kaywa QR Code (qrcode.kaywa.com) and delivr (delivr.com/qr-code-generator).

How does it work? Download a free barcode reader onto your smartphone – Tag Reader or NeoReader (iPhone), QuickMark or  Barcode Scanner  (Android), QR Code Scanner Pro or ScanLife (Blackberry) .  Scan the QR code stored information. It will instantly link you to a business’ website, a customer service phone number, a special YouTube video of the product, text that can be forwarded to your friends or whatever the QR code creator wants you to see on your smartphone. There are countless ways you can use QR codes to expand your business’ or product’s information.

Here are a few examples how Vancouver businesses can use QR codes:

•  Car ads.Dick Hannah Auto Mall places an ad in the newspaper of their 2011 inventory sale. Next to the picture of the featured automobile is a QR code. Scan it with your smartphone and it links to a YouTube video of the vehicle’s features.

•  Product information. Local sports apparel company, KGS Custom Shirt Company, adds QR codes to their shirts hang tags that direct consumers to their website and learn about the product and proper care.

•  Libraries.The Vancouver libraries can attach QR codes to the back of book. After scanning it, audio of the author or librarian reads a synopsis of the book. Finding a particular book can be used at the library by placing a QR code on index cards (do they still use those?) or computer screen. Scan it and a map of the library appears on your smartphone with directions.

•  Art walk. Galleries should place QR codes next to art pieces during Vancouver’s Downtown Association First Friday Art Walk. Uploading an audio or video link of the artist describing the inspiration behind the art piece – making the connection more personable and charming.

•  Selling a home. Realtors and sale-by-owners can take advantage of this new technology by posting a QR code on the “for sale” sign or flyer. Potential buyers can scan the code and it will upload a virtual tour of the house onto their phone

•  Fundraising. Nonprofit organizations, like SHARE of Vancouver, can add QR codes onto their mailers or newsletters that link to their donation or volunteer page.

You see, QR codes are fun!

As the smartphone market skyrockets, so will the use of QR Codes to convert users from a printed medium and/or traditional advertising to the interactive world of online media in new and engaging ways.

So the next time you see a QR code, scan it and see what lies ahead. You’ll be surprised.

View Slideshare presentation “Put a QR Code on it! How Non Profits Can Use QR Codes”

Need to develop an effective social communications strategy but don’t know where to begin?

We offer a variety of high quality services to help you accomplish your objectives.

Social media is a communications tool that is quickly becoming prominent in the modern business world, and it can be an extremely effective way to promote products and services to a targeted audience. Websites function as a static billboard to promote your products, services,or ideas, but social media opens up dynamic dialogue with your customers, allowing for interaction and personal connection.

Unfortunately, many companies and organizations jump into social media networks without knowing how to use it properly. Common mistakes include using Twitter solely to push products or services, providing inaccurate or uninteresting content, scraping content from other sites, and failing to engage in honest dialogue with their customers.

Getting started on the right foot is essential in executing a successful social media communications strategy, and that is where [B]cause Media can help. We ensure that you get the best possible results for your business and your customers by setting up social networking profiles, optimizing your current sites for social media interaction, and training you on how to successfully utilize these platforms.

Photo: TisBest Philanthropy Charity Gift Cards. Award winning Charity Gift Card, for over 300 premier charities. A customized donation gift that makes the world better.

After all the hard work — we are honored to be recognized.

For more details http://www.someawards.com/

We are a giving company. We donate a portion of our service fees to our client’s favorite charity. We  include the donation receipt in a card and thank them for their business. But, we will change the way we process the donation with a TisBest Charity Gift Card.

A couple of years ago some friends gave us a TisBest Charity Gift Card during the holidays. This was the first time we’ve seen or heard of the alternative gift card and we’re intrigued about how it worked.

When we got the TisBest Charity Gift Card, we went to their website www.tisbest.org to research the company and how to use the gift card. We entered our TisBest code from the gift card, chose our charity, and confirmed our donation. Simple. Quick. Felt good to give.

What took the longest in the process was picking the right organization to donate to. There are over 250 charities listed on the site. Researching the organizations to see what they were all about and what they advocated for was an educational experience — even for cause evangelists who are familiar with a lot of nonprofit organizations.

TisBest Philanthropy created this fantastic donation gift card for friends, family members, sweethearts, customers and everyone else truly important. The recipient spends their TisBest Charity Gift Card by donating to a charity they believe in. – TisBest

After speaking with Erik Marks, Founder of TisBest Charity Gift Cards, he said “the gift cards evolved into something that wasn’t originally planned.” It’s developed into a tool that teaches young children, young adults, and parents the meaning of giving.

When a recipient receives a TisBest gift card they have to choose a charity to donate to (over 250 charities). They’ll pick a charity that speaks to their heart and not predetermined by the sender. If your friends are like us, we don’t donate to charities haphazardly. We research the organization’s cause and background before we decide to support their efforts – the same actions your gift card recipient will probably follow. Once the charity has been selected and they have made their donation, it’s done. At the end of the day your recipient will learn about different causes and nonprofit organizations available, and they will have a feeling of gratitude because they gave to a charity that they believed in (ownership in the process). Win-win-win.

There a several books about the philosophy of giving and why certain people feel compelled to give back. We know. We own some of those books. However, we found out that the easiest way to teach people the value of giving and have that “light bulb” moment is to let go and let the giver give at their free will. Non-givers must have a reason to give (a compelling story) and see value of it before crossing that bridge. The TisBest gift card is the vehicle for that journey.

In a time when tragedy and disasters are in the news almost daily, and charities plead for donations to help with relief efforts. Giving and helping those in need is ever so important. Let’s teach this generation about giving back and the needs of others by empowering them with a TisBest Charity Gift Card.  It will change their life.

What tools do you use to teach the value of giving?

Thanks Joe Waters, author of the “Selfish Giving” blog, for reminding us about the TisBest Charity Gift Cards.

In the spirit volunteering and engaging our clients to give back to their community, we have come up with a service rewards price plan. Every hour you or your company (a team) volunteers in the community, we will donate $10 (every volunteer hour) of your [B]cause Media service fees to the cause or charity of your choice. For example, if your company volunteers at the local community garden or food bank for 10 hours, you get to donate $100 of your [B]cause Media service fees to any nonprofit or cause. Sweet, right?

There are rules:

> The volunteer hours must be done within the service contract period with [B]cause Media | Social Media Communications
> Community service must be approved by a staff prior to participating in the [B]cause Media Service Rewards Program
> We have the right to approve or disapprove the community service (i.e., walking your neighbor’s dog is not an approved community service project, but participating in Meals-on-Wheels and transporting hot food to those in need is an approved community service project).
> Maximum of 20 volunteer hours allowed to earn [B]cause Media Service Rewards. However, that shouldn’t stop you from continuing to volunteer

Here are some volunteering ideas:

Habitat for Humanity - This organization builds homes in poverty-stricken areas for those in need and you may even make a new friend while you’re at it! Go to www.habitat.org and click on the “Get Involved” tab in the upper left hand corner, or click on “Volunteer Locally” on the home page.

American Red Cross - These are the people at the heart of our disaster situations. You can even volunteer your time by donating blood, which is so important for those who depend on it! At the home page, on www.redcross.org, click on “Giving and Getting Involved”, and select “Volunteer.”

United Way - This organization is good for people that like variety or that can’t find a volunteer opportunity that they’re crazy about- they can connect you with everything from seniors living at home to children that need help with schoolwork. Visit the site at www.liveunited.org, and click on “Volunteer” under “Education.”

Big Brother/Big Sister - If you enjoy working with children and would like to meet someone with the same interests as you, this is the one! Big Brother/Big Sister programs pair you with a boy or girl, based on your interests, and you are their mentor. Have fun going on a walk together and grabbing an ice cream cone in the middle of July, or sit outside and do Algebra homework together! Many people stick with this for long periods of time because of the friendships that are made, and this helps the children have someone stable in their lives. Check out www.bbbs.org and click on “Volunteering” on the left hand side.

Meals on Wheels – This organization provides meals for seniors that live at home independently. Another wonderful way to meet some new friends! Click on the link: www.mowaa.org and go to “Take Action” near the bottom of the pages.

If you are interested in participating in the [B]cause Media Service Rewards Program or have any questions about social media communications, feel free to contact us.

When was the last time you gave back to your community?