I just spent the last two days at a tech conference here in Saskatoon.

I want to say I thought the folks with SaskInteractive did an amazing job. I have to say I went not really expecting a lot, but my expectations were exceeded by a mile.

I will post more later about all of the details, but one application I thought was quite interesting was twitter.

A good place to start when building/re-building a website is to focus on understanding what task/s your audience want to complete while visiting your site. Once you figure that out, you are 90% finished. Simply make it easier (instantaneous) for them to complete the task. Repeat as desired.

A well-defined target audience (knowing who to include) is important for creating a successful media plan. However, remember, it’s just as important to know who to exclude.

Many people start their media plans focused on mass-media. They think the most popular radio station or newspaper has to be their best bet. However, if their target audience is only a small subset of the total audience then they are paying to reach somebody they don’t wish to talk to. This is quite inefficient.

Instead try narrowcasting. Seek out your target audience’s media appetite (or even just understand their daily lives) and look to put your message directly in front of them. For example, if you know your audience reads an obscure newsletter – seek to put your message in the newsletter. Not only will you present your message to a more captive audience, but you will save oodles of money in the process.