“Money is Energy and an exchange of services. How much you have depends on what you believe you deserve”. ~ Louise L. Hay View this email in your browser

Wishing you all great success in 2016! May it be your best year. In this issue November is a time to remember! Demystifying Hashtags Web Design Tips November is a time to remember! Remember, that commitment often comes with an opportunity to make a difference for others. Our freedom is thanks to committed individuals who serve our country in the forces. Being committed means following through on objectives regardless of the fears we face. Remember, that the 1st step to facing our fears is acknowledgement. Once we recognize and communicate our fears with others we can find a solution to overcome them together. Remember, that it is united we stand. A community is what gives us strength. There is great power in numbers. More people working together collectively generates great results. Remember, that we were not meant to compete with others but to collaborate. It is by learning from others and their experiences that allows great abundance to follow. REMEMBER, THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS BIGGER THAN "it"! Penny Lee Prevost GradUit Network Chapter Coordinator Ottawa Chapter GradUit Network (613) 296-4078 www.graduitnetwork.com G+   Facebook    Twitter Top   Demystifying Hashtags A Hashtag is a # symbol that is used before a word or phrase, for example #VAWBN. Hashtags are used to group online content for a particular topic. This facilitates online searches for information pertaining to different topics - in the example above, specifically about the VAWBN. Tip: We should be using the #VAWBN Hashtag if we are posting something pertaining to the VAWBN on networks such as facebook, twitter, Instagram, … Hashtags are a powerful tool in our online communication culture. Hashtags originated from the Twitter Channel. Twitter started turning every Hashtag into a hyperlink that displays a list of conversations (tweets) about the hashtagged topic. Facebook started recognizing hashtags in 2014, Instagram is a heavy user (up to 30 tags permitted), Tumblr uses “tag channels” as the hashtag equivalent, Pinterest unofficially recognizes hashtags (included in Google search but not in Pinterest search), and Google+ automatically assigns hashtags based on content topic. It is a growing trend. Proper etiquette is to use one to three Hashtags at the end of posts (more is spammy), so that the content is included in search results. Here’s the awesome part; if you search Google using a hashtagged keyword or phrase, it returns results from all social networks, websites and blogs! Hashtags are used: to make content easy to find in online channels (facebook, twitter…), and via Google to identify trending topics by keyword or phrase (eg: #Motivation, #MotivationIn2016) for events (eg: #GreyCup2015) for feedback (eg: #winwin #awesome, #fail, #epicFail) to raise awareness and funding for causes (eg #CureChildhoodCancer) to help companies brand their messages (eg #CocaCola) for cross-platform messaging (Google indexes all hashtags from main networks) to display content on a specific topic (eg #Entrepreneur, #SocialMedia) to find people with common interests (eg #VisualArts) to let people tell their stories, consolidated content (eg #MoMondays) to go back in time (eg: #ff = Follow Friday on Twitter, #tbt = Throw back Thursday on facebook) to launch contests and run them across networks (eg #WinABoat”) you can create your own hashtag just by inserting “#YourOwnKeywordOrPhrase” at the end of your messages or posts, without spaces in between words, abbreviate long phrases The best hashtags have a #TouchOfHumor , #BeCreative :) Louise Lalonde-Morin Contenta Web Services www.contenta.com Twitter.com/Webzie Facebook.com/ContentaWebServices Top Web Design Tips for 2016 Mandatory Mobile Have a mobile version of your website, one that is easily accessible using smartphones, offers quick & intuitive navigation, minimal file sizes. Content will be properly indexed in Google’s Search Engine. Positive User Experience (UX) Quality Content remains the number one contributor to offering a positive User Experience. Other important website elements include compelling visual design, navigation, usability and accessibility. Ditch Stock Photography Invest in professional photography and video production to optimize your business look and for branding uniqueness. Functionality over Looks Minimal design allows users to quickly find the information they are seeking. Ensure intuitive “call to action”, flawless e-commerce functionality and fast loading content. Keep designs flat, use simple color schemes, no drop shadows & gradients. Integration with Social Media Networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest continue to surge in popularity. Expand our reach by joining a new network. Storytelling Effective storytelling requires that we a strong narrative coupled with visual imagery. A good story is often shared, re-told, and entices interaction. Include short copywriting that convey key messages and emotion. Video Streaming Video is a very compelling medium that attracts site traffic. It is becoming easier to produce and to share video in both websites and on social media networks. Get familiar with video streaming for business and gain a competitive edge. Louise Lalonde-Morin Contenta Web Services www.contenta.com Twitter.com/Webzie Facebook.com/ContentaWebServices Top Please submit articles for the Newsletter, ideally 200 words or less with photos. Short on time? Not a problem. A sentence or two will do. The goal is to get input from most of our members. Recipes, poems, tips & tricks... :)

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