The importance of participating in Social Media

Humans are social beings - Business is no different. Is your business participating in Social Media? In today's fast paced environment, social media is an essential component of every companies marketing strategy.

Like it or not - the net is now the "go-to" source for product and company information. If you're not playing in this field, you are being left behind. Research shows that 48% of purchasers who used a search engine to search for products, are then using social media as the next step in the buying process in order validate their decision.

Everyone is looking for new prospects and new customers - social media is an excellent place to bring your message to a legion of consumers and a great vehicle to deliver your message to your ultimate customer - the consumer. Is there any better way to get new business than by having consumers ask for your product by name?

Your customers are on various social media sites - what is your company doing to actively participate in the following applications?

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Your own Company Blog
• Google Plus
• LinkedIn
• You Tube

American Tombow, a Japanese manufacturer of Art and Office Supplies including: writing instruments, correction supplies, adhesive runners, glues, drawing pencils, coloured pencils, dual-brush markers and erasers has a comprehensive approach for all of these social media sites.

On "You Tube" alone, Tombow has uploaded 68 videos - most which assist the consumer in completing various Art projects with the use of Tombow supplies. Their channel has garnered over 87,000 views. Check their channel out at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TombowUSA/featured

   

 

  You need a business development plan that includes social media marketing - and not just broadcasting a "commercial" message - your company needs to join the conversation by adding value for your prospect. Tombow's videos are instructing and assisting their consumer - and thus adding value to their product line.

All of this activity is creating new consumers for Tombow and building trust. What is your company doing to create consumers for your products or dealership?

For more information on Tombow, "Like" them at: https://www.facebook.com/tombowusa?fref=ts

Welcome to the Canadian Office and Art Supply Update

So what is this all about? 
 
The purpose of this blog will be to give pertinent information to Office and Art Supply dealers in Canada. Information will include industry statistics, facts and opinions culled from many sources. Plus, I will try to offer interesting sales and marketing ideas that the dealer community can use to increase their business.
 
The author, John Fullerton, has 25+ years of industry experience. Including a long stint as VP Sales for Ko-Rec-Type Canada. Today, he is an Ontario based sales agent - specializing in unique office and art supplies to a varied dealer customer base. This blog will be updated on a weekly basis, so please subscribe today.
 
Current lines include:

 

• LED Desk Lamps
• Kleen Keys Keyboards
• Unique 8GB USB Drives
• Bamboo Chairmats
• Hardrive Protective Carrying Cases
• ipad and Tablet Cases
• Laptop Stands
• Ladies Tech Handbags



 

• Fuzion Brand Replacement Laser Toner Cartridges
• Fuzion Brand Replacement Inkjet Cartridges
• Fax Supplies
• Katun brand of Photo-Copy Toner supplies
• Printer and Typewriter Ribbons
• Calculator Ribbons and Ink Rollers
• Cash Register Ribbons

 

• Mono Correction Tapes
• ABT Dual Brush Art Markers
• Mono Drawing Pencils
• Irojiten Coloured Pencils
• Art Erasers
• Adhesive Runners
• Glues

 

 

 

The Passing of Steve Chester

As most are now aware, Ko-Rec-Type suffered a blow on October 25th with the death of our President - Steve Chester (pictured on far right). I have been with Steve and Ko-Rec-Type for 18 years, and he has been an integral part of my life over that time span. He will be missed by myself, the KRT staff, this industry and of course by his family. Steve, was to say the least - a character - and a very smart businessman, who first brought the KRT Imaging Supply business to the Canadian Office Supply industry in 1973.

Last Thursday, November the 2nd, Steve was to be presented with a lifetime achievement award from COPA (the Canadian Office Product Association). Steve's wife and business partner, Danielle Chester, accepted this honour posthumously. Steve had prepared an acceptance speech for that event. I delivered this speech and would like to take this opportunity to share it with those who were not in attendance:

"The events of Friday, May 18, 1973 turned out to be the most significant of my life.

A few months earlier, my uncle Vic Barouh, at the recommendation of our VP of Engineering, invested in a small, financially strapped company located in a suburb of Montreal that was trying to produce and sell carbon coated paper for use in business forms. We weren't interested in the carbon paper but in the coating equipment used to produce the carbon paper. We believed the coating equipment could be converted to coat correctable film for the production of correctable film ribbons for IBM Correcting Selectric typewriters.

So my uncle Vic asked me to go Montreal just for the day and check out what was going on. When I arrived I was greeted by a young lady working part time in the office doing just about everything. She impressed me so much that by the end of the day I had decided to marry her.

So I went back to Brooklyn and told my uncle that if he was going to keep that little company in LaSalle and if he needed someone to run it, that I would do it. He thought I was absolutely out of my mind. He said everybody up there was either French or an Eskimo and that it snowed 10 months out of the year. And even if I could find someone who spoke English they would never understand me anyway because even people in New Jersey can't understand people from Brooklyn. But, if I wanted to go, I could go.

So I did.
So I married that girl.
So I'm here.

I leave you with this:

Never be afraid to try something new.

Remember: Amateurs built the Ark.
professionals built the Titanic."


Steve will be missed by all.

John