Race Day Prep

Getting ready for a race keeps me up at nights!  Seriously.  I toss and turn going over all the things I have to do the week leading up to a race.  Add in a destination race and it gets even more stressful.
Worry no more, here's a comprehensive guide to preparing for race day:

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

How To Break The Cycle Of Bad Marketing

Bad Marketing is all around us.  Boring, unimaginative, me-too.  Not having a plan leads to chaos and knee-jerk reactions;  Thinking it's all about you and not the customer results in feature-laden communication.  How to break the cycle of bad marketing?  Print this infographic, distribute to sales and marketing, follow diligently:

Chris M Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

@ChrisMoralesTO

647 393 3855

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization

What Inspires You?

What inspires you? For me it's my Boys.  Not a day goes by that I don't give thanks for the fine men they have all grown into.  Oh there were days when it didn't seem as if any of us would get out alive!  Passion on both sides.  Passion that got us through and passion that keeps us together even though we don't see each other as often as I'd like.

Last Saturday while I was at the Reggae Marathon Race Expo representing Reggae Marathon my cell phone rang.  Twice actually...I missed the first ring while talking to a couple interested in my favourite race.  I got the second call and it was Andrew.  He was at the Expo picking up his Race Kit for Sunday's Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (he was running the Half Marathon).  He was checking in to see if his Old Man was at the Expo.  I can't remember if/when I told him I would be there but he did.  That's him above posing...what they'll do to help out their Dad.

Andrew's a pretty good runner.  All the boys are athletic.  From Football, Baseball to Basketball...they all make it look so easy.  It's a pleasure to watch them perform and believe me I've watched enough games! It was a bitch getting into downtown Toronto Sunday morning for the micro-second it took him to cross the finish line.  It was worth it.  Inspirational!

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy

Content Marketing to grow your Business

What is Content Marketing? 

Content Marketing:  "A type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material (such as videos, blogs, and social media posts) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services. Social media is an integral part of content marketing".  "Stimulate interest in a product or service" is the key to understanding the power of Content Marketing:

Chris M Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

@ChrisMoralesTO

647 393 3855

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization

Running Trails

After following Ingrid Wilson of Off The Grid running trails last weekend, I've got the bug!  Enough with the concrete...let me at the dirt!

You know me, I don't wade into anything.  Once I get an idea in my head (Sally says that has become more rare), I grab onto it with gusto.  That attitude may have something with how I learned to swim...told to leap into the deep end of a pool and scramble my way up and to the side.  But I digress...

I've become a bit bored of running the streets around our home recently.  We've got hills and trees so there's variety and there's hardly a straight road...we're not in a grid format.  But after the years of running, I need something to spice it up.  Running trails has grabbed my attention. The challenge now is to find some off-road trails I can run in my neighbourhood.  I'm up for the challenge!

And looking forward...I'm a planner...I see trail running races a big part of 2018.  I have my eye set on a big one in Algonquin Park north of Toronto.  That one will kill two birds:  A trail run and a vacation in Algonquin Park, something Sally has always wanted to do.  Shhh...don't tell her!

If you live in and around the Greater Toronto Area and have a special off-road trail you like to run, please drop me a line:  chris@thatrunninguy.com

Here's just one photo of Ingrid, off the grid.  This looks like just soo much fun!

Thanks Ingrid!  See you on the trails...

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Building Your Marketing Technology Stack

The marketing technology stack of the modern CMO looks something like this:

The key functionality is data interpretation.  With the disparate sources, it challenging to visualize the data across the enterprise especially when there are some many sources.  

Another way to look at the building blocks of the marketing technology stack:

For more on building your marketing technology stack, check out this LinkedIn Course by David Booth:  Building Your Marketing Technology Stack.

Chris M Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

@ChrisMoralesTO

647 393 3855

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization

Running to the Sun

"Runners wake up before the sun".  I like that. It explains why I get up by 4:30 am most mornings...including weekends...to go running.  It's second nature now, I've been doing it so long.  I like the coolness of the early morning, especially in the hot summer months.  In the winter, I love being the first human footprint in freshly fallen snow.  When it's raining...glory!  I get a shower to go with the sweating that I'm going to do anyway.  Yes, real runners wake up before the sun.

The not-so-fun part of running early morning is that I run on an empty stomach.  Actually that's not technically true:  I do have a cup of coffee with Almond Milk first so there is some nutrition, right? OK, really on an empty stomach.  I've tried every form of eating before an early morning run and none have worked for me:  Oatmeal, cereal, gels, toast.  All feel like a solid, undigested lump in my stomach and the gels just made me feel sick.  

The first few minutes of my early morning runs I'm asleep.  I'm awake but it feels like I'm sleeping.  My legs barely turn over, I'm heaving and cursing, "WTF am I doing this hour of the morning?"  The feelings generally pass within a couple of minutes and I pick up my pace by about 1 km.  

One special run recently was a stair drill I did at 5:30 am with the Full Moon almost directly overhead.  Crazy light:  Cool blue hue washed over everything and illuminated the stairs clearly.  Yes the people living in the condo beside this particular park saw a crazy runner running up and down stairs before sunrise...correct that, crazy would be sitting inside their warm condo watching a runner do 'stair repeats' calling him crazy.  Yeah, that's it!

One of the downsides of getting up so early is that bedtime comes early:   9:30 pm, 10 pm latest most nights.  It puts a damper on watching the late night talk shows but I catch up with my favourites on Facebook the next morning.

So...are you an early morning runner?

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Rookie Mistake

Rookie mistake! Yes, even with the years of experience on Social Media, it is possible to crash out. That happened today when I posted iGN!TE as a Current/New Job position on my LinkedIn profile. As it should, my LinkedIn profile lit up! Lots of congratulatory messages on the 'new job'.

I should have known better!

Let me clear up one thing first: No, I do not have a new job since the gig at Budds' ended a few weeks ago. As my LinkedIn Headline states, I am currently available for a full-time or contract position in digital and social media marketing. Yes, I'm actively looking!

What is iGN!TE? As us Marketing types are prone to do when we are 'between assignments, it's the face of my Small Business Freelance/Marketing Consulting. In the past I've referred to it as Morales Marketing Services and Outsourced Marketing. This time my creativity was alive and I came up with iGN!TE and set up a page on my blog, iGN!TE and the page on LinkedIn. My intention was to use LinkedIn to promote digital and social media marketing services. Because of the way I posted it, it triggered the 'New Job' Announcement. Rookie!

So now you know!

Thanks for the somewhat premature best wishes. I really appreciate them and will make sure to post the new gig properly when appropriate.

Chris M Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

@ChrisMoralesTO

647 393 3855

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization

One Runner's Thoughts

I sat staring at the blank screen this morning.  I'd left it too late to write my usual weekly blog post before I went out for my pre-dawn run. I packed it in and went out for a run.  Surely I'll think of something to blog about while running.  And sure enough I did with thoughts going back, back, back...

I thought about running when I was a kid but realized I never walked much less ran.  Only seriously athletes ran. I was far from athletic as a grade schooler at St. Theresa Preparatory.  We didn't have Phys Ed and the only place to 'run' at Recess and Lunch was the Badminton Courts beside the paved parking lot.  With mid-day temps in the low 90's F, we did as little running as possible.

I wasn't athletic in high school either.  I was on the Debating Society and was a photographer for the Yearbook, both activities that involved a lot of sitting. At Clarkson Secondary I had to walk to school:  The grand distance of 500 Metres one-way.  Such hardship!  At Clarkson I had a brief stint running cross-country one fall but it was cold and they wanted me to wear shorts and a T Shirt!  Ugh!  No thank you...back to the Dark Room!

At College and University I wasn't much better although I did take up Squash.  The game was enjoyable but the sauna session after was really what I prefered.  I guess that's why I really enjoy lying on the beach in the hot sun sweating buckets to this day!  Heat! (I can hear a few of you already:  "He prefered sitting with other guys in the Sauna".  Knock yourself out!)

Truth be told, I wasn't interested in Team Sports.  This was likely a result of not having any organized team sports that interested me while growing up in Jamaica.  Once in Canada, the only team sport was hockey.  I like watching and attending the occasional Hockey Game but playing it?  Not for me.  Organized baseball, basketball or soccer was still some time away and by then I was a Senior in High School.

Running was the only option when I decided to do something physical.  No special equipment, training or learning curve.  Running shoes, sweats and outside.  Yes it took some time to catch on but when it did it lit the fire under my competitive spirit.  I enjoyed the training and the competing.  Especially the races!

Stray thought:  Maybe I'm bored with running. Oops...that was supposed to stay in my head!  I don't have the right gear and I've delayed buying new tights and shoes.  Hmmm...I need to spice things up to rekindle my passion for running.

Trails popped into my head!  Now there's an idea.  We live right alongside the Humber River and paved trails snake their way along the river right to the mouth at Lake Ontario.  It's a good start but I'm thinking off-road.  The gnarly stuff.  Dirt, rocks, the occasional stream.  Messy for sure and there are races.  Do I dare to think 'Ultras'?  They've been rattling around in my head for some time now...

All too soon the run was over.  Back home with enough time to take Maggie out for her early morning run!

Ahh...running!  Brings out the best thoughts!

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Social Media Reputation Management for Auto Dealers

Social Media Reputation Management leverages word-of-mouth to 'get found'.  I'm a big believer in Social Media Marketing as an important component of a Digital Marketing Strategy.  In the highly competitive retail automotive space, Reputation is everything!

Dealeradar provides the most advanced Online Presence, Reputation Management & Social Media Marketing solution in the automotive industry. We deploy an intelligent digital engagement platform essential for auto dealers and OEMs that desire measurable increases in Google organic search relevancy, reputation engagement, review solicitation and the ability to communicate through all social channels with a single platform.

Dealeradar provides essential enterprise optics into all online presence, social and review activity for dealer groups rolled up into a single, user -friendly dashboard. This innovative platform also provides critical, real time insight into your competitor's share of voice in your market and competitive social footprint.

Dealeradar provides operational efficiency by monitoring every social media channel and online review site 24/7 providing actionable information along with 'in-market' leads to your dealership. Our revolutionary Social Marketing and Response Solution allows single point online Social Media and Review engagement all from the convenience of a single interface. 

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The above is courtesy of Dealeradar, an innovative Social Media Reputation Management solution focused on Automotive Reputation Management.  

Chris M Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

@ChrisMoralesTO

647 393 3855

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization