You can also win 2 pairs of tickets to the One of a Kind Show by following @foodiesonfoot AND @ooak_toronto, then tweeting “@foodiesonfoot let me taste my way through #ooakx12″. Winners will be randomly chosen from all the correct tweets AND once it is verified that you follow BOTH @foodiesonfoot AND @ooak_toronto. The contest will run until November 9, 2012. Winners will be chosen and announced on November 10, 2012.

Details of the One of a Kind Show can be found at: http://www.oneofakindshow.com/toronto/index.php

Foodies on Foot™ is proud to be a committed, full-time, and completely locally based business. Foodies on Foot™ is NOT an outpost of a franchise that has opened a wing in Toronto. This is not just a hobby or a part-time job. Foodies on Foot™ is dedicated to forming relations with the Toronto food industry, full-time, to be able to bring you the best events.

Foodies on Foot™ is also proud to have linked to a fantastic local food related charity (The Children’s Breakfast Club) to whom a portion of proceeds from all of the tours and events will be donated. We look forward to working with the amazing team they have to raise funds for their great charity. They are a privately run charity that provides over 5,000 hot breakfasts weekly, to 20 different communities within the city of Toronto, to children ages 3 and up. We remain community oriented, supporting a local charity that receives no government funding, that gives back and unites communities through food.

Find our more about Foodies on Foot™ by visiting www.foodiesonfoot.ca.

Winning is easy. Foodies on Foot will randomly select a follower from their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/FoodiesonFoot, and, a follower from their mailing list (sign up at www.foodiesonfoot.ca), on April 2nd, and, they will each win 2 tickets to the Toronto Underground Market on April 7th. If you already like their Facebook page and/or signed up for the mailing list, you are automatically entered in the draw.

To double your chances, just like their Facebook page and sign up for their mailing list. All entries must be received by 11:59 PM on Sunday, April 1st, to be eligible to win.

While you are at it, don’t forget to follow them on Twitter as well (@foodiesonfoot), as, they will also be giving away prizes to Twitter followers once they launch.

Before you create your advertisement, you must decide who you are targeting. Facebook is very effective in that it allows you to target your marketing to individuals on Facebook based on their likes, status, gender, location, etc. This targeted advertising is effective to ensure your ad reaches your target demographic. With that being said, you can implement the following tips to your Facebook ad to improve the chances of getting noticed:

1. Use a colored border around your picture to get it to stand out

Anytime you log on to Facebook, you see those advertisements in the right hand column, but, your eye is trained to focus on your timeline and not really wander to the right of the page. Using a technique such as putting a strong red or colored border around your picture will tend to draw the eye to your advertisement and increase the chances of getting noticed and having a new follower click through to your profile.

2. Use a video as your advertisement

Studies have proved that one of the most effective ways to promote a product is through video. A lot of people tend to click through to use videos, so, if you have a video that talks about yours business, use the link to the video as your Facebook advertisement.

3. Have your advertisement run on fan pages of your competitors or complementary businesses

If you have competitors that are running a similar business to yours, what better audience to capture than those followers that you know have a vested interest in your business. Having your advertisement appear on the fan pages of your competitors, or a complementary business, is a great way to drive the right followers to your site.

4. Consider advertising during the evenings

Evenings can be cheaper and more advantageous to advertise due to a few reasons. First, you have less competition as the budgets of many companies gets used up during the day. Second, while a lot of people are checking their Facebook during the daytime from work, they tend to be less focused. During the evening, when at home, relaxed, more people are likely to take their time looking through Facebook and have an increased attention span.

5. Use a QR code instead of a picture as your advertisement

While QR codes have not taken off in the way they were expected to do, using QR codes as your advertisement picture could get you free advertising. If an individual uses their smart phone to scan your code, you do not pay for the click through. This could definitely be a key to stretching your budget.

2. If you find yourself with little time to manage your social media accounts on busy days, yet, have free time on other days, consider scheduling some of your posts through a program like Hootsuite or Yoono. These two programs offer free/low cost solutions to manage all of your social media accounts on one screen, and, allow you to schedule posts for future dates and times.

3. If you have not already done so, verify Your Google and Bing local listings (Bing available only in the U.S. for the time being). Web users are becoming more localized in their searching behaviour, so, it is imperative that your listings be owned by you. In addition, claiming your sites is believed to help with the local algorithm ranking. As you claim these, move forward to other web profiles such as Yelp, Tripadvisor, or any other site which may be beneficial to you, down the road.

4. Have you considered Facebook advertising? This may be one of the most effective ways to target clients, as, there are many opportunities to target specific demographics in your general ads, or, to link your ads to specific pages and have their followers view your ads. Averaging around $1/like (or less), it is a very effective means to develop a following.

5. Ensure that your ads are noticeable by doing things which draw the eye to the ad, such as surrounding your picture with a red box, entering text with a colourful background instead of a picture, or, putting in a very eye catching picture. Getting your ad noticed is critical, so, do whatever it takes to draw eyes to your ad.

2. Studies have shown that around 92% of people turn to an Internet Search as a source for Purchasing Decisions. Around 53% turn to blogs. Ensure your public profile is positive on web-sites that rate your services, and, do not hesitate to put testimonials on your own site, as, they are very effective in influencing purchasing decisions.

3. People do business with brands they know, like, and trust. Those are the 3 pillars to build your social media campaign.

4. Look for niche social media sites (i.e. professional networks that pertain to your line of work) outside of Facebook and Twitter. They may be beneficial for you as they are effective in targeting those that have a direct interest in you.

5. Your clients are your best advocates. Find a way to turn your best customers into brand advocates. Lululemon is a perfect example. They let their customers and ambassadors tell their story, not celebrities.