Tory talks taxes, transit, pedestrian deaths and Black Lives Matter with the Star's editorial board
Miyerkules, Hulyo 6, 2016
Mayor John Tory promises to back new taxes this fall
Tory talks taxes, transit, pedestrian deaths and Black Lives Matter with the Star's editorial board
Velocity Centre Nears Completion
The Woodhouse Group nears completion of the University of Waterloo's “Velocity Centre” located in the Communitech Hub @ 151 Charles St W. Kitchener Ontario.
Windows A/Cs with automatic (not manual) dehumidification?
Does there exist a window or portable A/C that will go into dehumidify while in cooling mode if the compressor is not running? The units I have seen have a separate dehumidify mode which then precludes cooling and vice versa. I want one that will dry the air if the a/c is slightly oversized, which causes the compressor to not run enough to dry the air.
The Power of Emojis in Marketing and How to Use Them Efficiently With These Little-Known Keyboard Shortcuts
Did you know: Over 6 billion emojis are shared every day!
Clearly, using emojis within messages, tweets, and all kinds of communication has become very popular over recent years, particularly on mobile devices where emoji buttons and keyboards have become quite ubiquitous.
But what if you're working from a desktop and hoping to add an emoji or two to a message?
We've got a little-known emoji tip just for you - one that is easy to remember and quick to use. In this post, we'll cover the little-known shortcuts to share emojis from Mac and Windows desktop as well as sharing how to use emojis to boost your social media posts.
Get ready for some fun!
The little-known shortcut for adding emojis on Mac and Windows
How to add emojis on Mac (keyboard shortcut): CTRL + CMD + Space
1. Click on any text field
Position your cursor in any text field where you'd like to add an emoji. For example, you can do this in a Buffer post:
2. Press Command + Control + Space
Press the Command and Control keys on your Mac keyboard and then press Space:
3. Choose your emoji from the list
You'll now see the emoji keyboard palette launch within your screen:
You can scroll through all the available emojis and categories (People, Nature, Food & Drink, Celebration, Activity, Travel & Places, and Objects & Symbols) or search the full list of emoji from the search box at the top of the window.
4. Click to add the emoji to your text
Once you've found the emoji you'd like to add, click on it and it'll appear in your text box to the left of the cursor:
How to add emojis on Windows: Touch keyboard
1. Open the Touch Keyboard
Click on the Touch Keyboard icon in the bottom right corner of your screen:
If you don't see the Touch Keyboard option on your desktop, this guide will help you to enable it.
2. Click on the smiley face emoji icon
One the keyboard window has opened up, click on the smiley face icon next to the Control button.
3. Choose your emoji
Your keyboard will now switch to an emoji keyboard and you can select the emoji you'd like to add to your text field:
How emojis can impact your social media content
Emojis are incredibly fun, and they can also help increase the reach of your social media posts and boost engagement.
For example, internet marketer Larry Kim ran a quick experiment where he split-tested the same promoted post with and without emojis to the same targeting group at the same time. The results of this experiment were pretty impressive. The emoji version had 25.4% higher engagement (11.06 percent vs. 8.82 percent) and a 22.2 percent lower cost per engagement ($0.18 vs. $0.14)
3 simple-yet-effective ways to use emojis in your marketing
1. As a response
Emojis can be a great way to respond to people on social media. Instead of simply 'liking' or 'favoriting' a post, an emoji can convey a specific emotion. For example, if something made you laugh, the :joy: emoji could be a great one to react with 
Martes, Hulyo 5, 2016
Hanging very heavy carriage doors
Hi - I was lucky enough to find a great Amish builder who made me two pairs of solid mahogany carriage doors for my garage. Each opening is 8x7 and my contractor added additional studs for extra support. The builder estimates them at 130lbs each but it took 4 guys to get each door off the truck and I can barely lift a door a few inches.
My GC is a bit nervous about getting the install right since its hung on hinges that are lag bolted to the underlying structure. The frames aren't perfectly square so he will need to do some shimming to get it just right. The issue is that he can't shim the jambs because the lag screws go deep into the supporting frame. So I suggested that he build a temp support to hold the doors in the exact closed position he wants it and then use that to line up the hinges.
Anyone try anything like this before? Given the weight we are worried that they will shift a bit and then will be out of alignment. Or over time they will sag. The lags have a out a 1/32 of an inch of play within the hole of the hinge. Plus the hinges are mounted on the face of the building frame so he can't shim it horizontally.
My GC is a bit nervous about getting the install right since its hung on hinges that are lag bolted to the underlying structure. The frames aren't perfectly square so he will need to do some shimming to get it just right. The issue is that he can't shim the jambs because the lag screws go deep into the supporting frame. So I suggested that he build a temp support to hold the doors in the exact closed position he wants it and then use that to line up the hinges.
Anyone try anything like this before? Given the weight we are worried that they will shift a bit and then will be out of alignment. Or over time they will sag. The lags have a out a 1/32 of an inch of play within the hole of the hinge. Plus the hinges are mounted on the face of the building frame so he can't shim it horizontally.
Lunes, Hulyo 4, 2016
Building inspection process for a deck?
Hello all, I am in the final stages of designing a deck for my house using the IRC 2012 guide (some changes to 2015 IRC), and am about to submit for permits. This is the first time I have had to deal with a building inspector and permitting process so I am unsure how in depth I should be taking this. I have designed it adhering to code thus far, however I am now seeing areas were the code is a inconvenience. My thoughts are that I may be overestimating the level of scrutiny the inspector with apply, and how much leniency they give to slight inconsistencies. I am in New Jersey, and my district has adopted the 2015 IRC code. I feel as if when I am looking through pictures of decks online, I see so many code violations that would make my life so much easier. Such as...
-After looking through many documents, it appears you are quite limited in the amount of step down you can get from the door to the deck. When adhering to the allowable ledger bolt patterns and the band joist bolts, without completely changing the size of your joists, you are stuck with practically no step down. I am using 2x10 joists for the deck, and house band joist is 2x10, which by code would only allow a .75" step. That is not great for snow in New jersey. Check out link to confirm
2015 IRC Deck Ledger Bolt Placement | ProTradeCraft
-Another area where I wish I has some room was the footings 5ft from the foundation rule. Unless you intend on digging your deck footings to the elevation of your house footings (unrealistic), than you have to space the deck off further than 5ft. This confuses me as the none of the maximum allowable joist overhangs in the code can reach span that 5ft distance. In my case this is not critical, as I am right on the edge of 5ft, however if I could cheat a little I would. Do inspections measure from the footer to the house? Pier to the house? Post to the house? Or, are they quite strict about the footer to the house distance?
-Stairs landing on concrete pads. Code says stairs must land on an area with footings of proper size and below frost. I have seen countless pictures of stairs landing right on concrete slabs, sometimes, just concrete blocks. ?
-How does an inspector, inspect your ledger attachments if he/she cannot access your interior band joist? Obviously, an owner w cannot demolish the floor to access the band joist? How does he very you are attaching the ledger to the right spots on the band joist (edge distances, no drill, no pass zones, esc)?
Thank you guys, I really need some advice here
-After looking through many documents, it appears you are quite limited in the amount of step down you can get from the door to the deck. When adhering to the allowable ledger bolt patterns and the band joist bolts, without completely changing the size of your joists, you are stuck with practically no step down. I am using 2x10 joists for the deck, and house band joist is 2x10, which by code would only allow a .75" step. That is not great for snow in New jersey. Check out link to confirm
2015 IRC Deck Ledger Bolt Placement | ProTradeCraft
-Another area where I wish I has some room was the footings 5ft from the foundation rule. Unless you intend on digging your deck footings to the elevation of your house footings (unrealistic), than you have to space the deck off further than 5ft. This confuses me as the none of the maximum allowable joist overhangs in the code can reach span that 5ft distance. In my case this is not critical, as I am right on the edge of 5ft, however if I could cheat a little I would. Do inspections measure from the footer to the house? Pier to the house? Post to the house? Or, are they quite strict about the footer to the house distance?
-Stairs landing on concrete pads. Code says stairs must land on an area with footings of proper size and below frost. I have seen countless pictures of stairs landing right on concrete slabs, sometimes, just concrete blocks. ?
-How does an inspector, inspect your ledger attachments if he/she cannot access your interior band joist? Obviously, an owner w cannot demolish the floor to access the band joist? How does he very you are attaching the ledger to the right spots on the band joist (edge distances, no drill, no pass zones, esc)?
Thank you guys, I really need some advice here
Removing / replacing silicone caulk
We have a stainless steel sink (undermount) attached to a granite countertop. Over the years, the silicone caulk no longer creates a tight seal between the sink and the counter...therefore water is able to run down into the cabinet. The sink doesn't feel loose, but it appears to have 'sagged' over the years. Should I remove the old caulk before applying new? I'm guessing the answer to that is yes, but what is the best method to remove the old caulk??
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Toronto board of health approves supervised injection sites
Final approval left to council after emotional board meeting sees overwhelming support for harm reduction measure
Linggo, Hulyo 3, 2016
My New GFCI wont reset! Please help
Hi, purchased this home bout year ago. It was built in 2005. Have one GFCI in unfinished basement. I tripped outside outlet that seems like connected to this gfci. Went downstairs and replaced gfci with new one as instructed there is two sets of black, white and bare so i tested the line and put set that gets around 120v in Line slot and no voltage reading on load. As soon as i turnes on breaker again i have red light came on solid. Please help!!
Martes, Hunyo 28, 2016
55% of Visitors Read Your Articles For 15 Seconds or Less: Why We Should Focus on Attention Not Clicks
Millions of blog posts are published every day.
A small percentage gain traction and attract readers.
And among those readers, 55% will read the blog post for 15 seconds or less.
(If you're still reading, thanks for sticking with this one!)
The internet is a daily battle for attention. Everywhere you turn, people are trying to share the latest marketing hacks with many of the same points echoed repeatedly.
I'm guilty of it myself, and I completely understand why many of us write articles that are a little similar and repetitive. It's because they work. You could argue that content is becoming less art and more science. There are formulas to it - if you find the best keywords and write the correct content, you can build a high-traffic blog (that's almost a guarantee).
But is traffic the goal of content? Or can there be some new and unusual ways of measuring content success? I have some ideas I'd love to share.
Do the surface metrics really matter?
Why pageviews and sessions might be the wrong numbers to chase
Often (and, I'm guilty of this too) you'll hear someone talk about the success of their content by saying something like: “10,000 people read my post” or “60,000 people saw my video on Facebook.”
But I've started to wonder if this is really an accurate measure of successful content?
Even if someone clicks on your article, the likelihood of them taking it all in is very slim. The internet has changed many of our habits. But one thing that hasn't changed in nearly 20 years is the way we consume content online. Most of us still skim and rarely read a full post.
Many publishers have now started to focus on “attention metrics” alongside more traditional measurements like pageviews. Medium's Ev Williams explains their stance on which numbers are meaningful:
We pay more attention to time spent reading than number of visitors at Medium because, in a world of infinite content - where there are a million shiny attention-grabbing objects a touch away and notifications coming in constantly - it's meaningful when someone is actually spending time.
Maybe we need to stop focusing on how we can hack and grow the number of views our content gets. And instead, focus on how we can make each reader care about what we're saying.
I'd argue that you don't build a successful blog by accumulating a huge number of page views. Rather, you build a successful blog by creating something of value.
The only way content will drive results for any business is if it provides value to someone else. It's not necessarily about how many people you reach; it's how many you connect with. Because when people connect with us, they remember us, come back for more, trust what we have to say, and may eventually buy from us.
When you're creating great content, you don't need to live or die by your analytics. Maybe we should let go of our desire to write for everyone in order to skyrocket our pageviews, and instead hone in on sharing what's unusual, valuable, and unique?
How to measure the value of your content
3 under-used metrics to tell you just how valuable your content is
Value is quite subjective and can be hard to measure. In this section, I'd love to share a few ways we're starting to measure the value of our content here at Buffer.
1. Run an NPS survey
A Net Promoter Score (NPS) is commonly used to measure loyalty between a brand and a consumer. It can also be a great way to measure the value that your blog is delivering to readers.
You calculate NPS by asking a simple question: How likely is it that you would recommend our blog to a friend or colleague? (Using a 0-10 scale to answer.)
Respondents to the question are then grouped as follows:
- Promoters (score 9-10) are loyal enthusiasts who will keep buying and refer others, fueling growth
- Passives (score 7-8) are satisfied but unenthusiastic customers who are vulnerable to competitive offerings.
- Detractors (score 0-6) are unhappy customers who can damage your brand and impede growth through negative word-of-mouth.
Subtracting the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters yields the Net Promoter Score, which can range from a low of -100 (if every customer is a Detractor) to a high of 100 (if every customer is a Promoter).
This handy graphic from the Net Promoter Network highlights the formula:
By running an NPS survey on your blog you can begin to understand how many of your readers truly value the content you're creating and whether they would be happy to share it with their networks.
How to run an NPS Survey
There are plenty of great tools out there to help you run an NPS Survey on your blog and I'd love to share a few below:
- Promotor.io
- SurveyMonkey
- Delighted
- Qualaroo (we use Qualaroo at Buffer)
You can also create your own survey using a tool like Typeform and distribute it to your readers. One thing that feels important to be mindful of is ensuring you reach all kinds of readers with your survey. For example, sending it only to your email subscribers could slightly skew results as they're likely to already be your most engaged readers.
2. Pay attention to the comments
There has been a lot of debate about the state of blog comments. With the rise of social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, readers have a multitude of ways to engage with your content:
- They can share a link to your post on Twitter, Facebook (or any network of their choice)
- They can interact with a post where you've shared a link back to the blog (favoriting a tweet, sending a reply, liking on Facebook)
- They can retweet your tweet sharing the post or share your Facebook post
- And much, much more…
With all these options and ways to interact with content, you could argue that a blog comment is losing its relevancy - or on the contrary, you could see it that the value of a blog comment is rising.
Knowing that people can share and comment on your post anywhere, the fact they're taking the time to respond directly within the post itself could be perceived as the highest form of engagement.
For us, comments are an increasingly important metric and one we're focused on measuring. In Q2 2016, we've had a focus on increasing the average comments on each blog post by 100% from Q1 and here's how we're getting on:
Comments feel like a great measure of the value your content creates. If someone takes the time to spark a discussion on reply to us through a comment then we feel the post must have been useful to them in some way or sparked some curiosity. A great example is our recent social media study post. This one generated over 70 comments with readers sharing their thoughts on the study and also how our findings compare to their own.
3. Monitor mentions and shares
Whenever I publish a post on the Buffer blog, I'll get a few mentions on Twitter or LinkedIn when people share it. As a result of this, I've started to build a slight intuition around how much value each post is generating based on shares and mentions.
When a post really delivers value and goes above and beyond reader expectations, I'll notice a distinct spike in the number of shares it receives and the number of mentions we receive both via the @buffer accounts and my own personal social media accounts.
It's super easy to keep tabs on how many times your content has been shared. Sharing plugins like SumoMe and Social Warfare can provide share counts on your posts and PostReach (full disclosure: this is a tool a few friends and I have built) and Buzzsumo can pull in data about who is sharing each of your posts on Twitter. I also like to pay extra close attention to my mentions on Twitter after a new post goes live so I can gauge how it's doing and see what people are saying.
A quick tip: Promise value in your headline
Headlines are amazingly important to the success of a piece of content. Before we publish a post, we spend a bit of time focusing on how we can craft a headline that gives the content the best chance of being seen. Amazing content behind a weak headline probably won't get seen.
Sometimes we'll create between 20-30 headlines for each post and choose the one that feels best and other times we'll have a quick chat and riff on how we can make the headline stand out. Here are some extracts from a recent conversation between Leo and I:
The original headline we had was:
53 Graphic Design Terms and Definitions for Non-Designers
And the title we decided on when we hit publish is:
Why Every Marketer in 2016 Needs to Be a (Part-Time) Designer: 53 Design Terms and Tips to Level-Up
This post has generated plenty of shares so far and 18 comments (at the time of writing). By focusing on the headline, we were able to promise value: 53 Design Terms and Tips to Level-Up. And also spark a discussion about the role of a marketer: Why Every Marketer in 2016 Needs to Be a (Part-Time) Designer. Without the time spent tweaking this headline, I'm not sure we would have had such success with this post.
What makes an idea worth writing about?
Every blog post begins as an idea, but what makes an idea stand out and how do you know which ideas to act on and publish?
Before choosing a post to write, I tend to ask myself three questions:
- Is this actionable?
- Who will amplify this?
- What makes it unique?
And I'd love to go into detail on each of the three questions below:
1. Is it actionable?
On the Buffer blog, w
We focus on making content actionable because we believe that if someone learns something from one of our posts they're likely to remember us and even share the post with their network as a New York Times study found that content that is practically useful gets shared more than any other content:
2. Who will amplify it?
When creating content, it's important to hone in on your audience and think about who you're writing for. One way I like to frame this is to ask myself “who will amplify this post?” If I can't answer this question then I won't write the post. Normally, this question forces me to focus on a specific area of marketing or a specific role.
(h/t to Rand Fishkin for this one)
3. What makes it unique?
We're surrounded by content nowadays and if you want to stand out, you need to craft content that's unique.
What makes a piece of content unique can vary from post to post. Sometimes it can be timing that makes a post unique, for example, when we published our post on Twitter Polls it was launched shorty after Polls were publicly announced and was one of the first guides on how to use the feature.
Other ways to make your content unique include:
- Sharing your unique perspective: One of the best ways to make a piece of content unique is to create something that only you can by adding in your own perspective and point of view. As Jory McKay explains on the Crew blog: “Everything has been said before, but it's never been said by you.”
- Going deeper on a topic that anyone else: There might be a ton of posts out there about Facebook Ads, for example, but you can create a unique post on this subject by going more in-depth than anyone else has.
Over to you
I believe we can create more value if we pay closer attention to depth than breadth. It's not so much how many people click on our content, it's how many people pay attention to our content. It's how many people we can make an impression on and connect with that really matters.
Measuring the success of blog content is an interesting topic and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject.
Do you feel we put too much focus on the metrics like page views and sessions? How do you measure the quality and value provided by a blog post? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Fixing breaker overload
Hello.
I have a code violation/ breaker overload I would like to fix.
It is a 15amp (120V) breaker, it serves:
half of the basement, and plug inside a kitchen cabinet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1 small living room, 1 fridge (6A), microwave (1200W;10A, located in kitchen cabinet).
What would be the easiest way to fix it to be a little bit more compliant to code?
I have a code violation/ breaker overload I would like to fix.
It is a 15amp (120V) breaker, it serves:
half of the basement, and plug inside a kitchen cabinet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1 small living room, 1 fridge (6A), microwave (1200W;10A, located in kitchen cabinet).
What would be the easiest way to fix it to be a little bit more compliant to code?
Lunes, Hunyo 27, 2016
Tips on how to chisel or notch out a a small section of wood
Hello would anyone tell me how to notch out a small wooden section of about 7/8" x 1" x 1/16" depth ? I'm new to this and could use some points or any how to video for newbies.
Thanks
Thanks
Toronto council's $3 billion choice doesn't inspire trust: James
Reasonable people understand the city may need to raise more revenue. But they're not sure this council will spend their taxes wisely.
Toronto defers debate on pot regulation until the fall
City licensing committee vote to defer discussion of pot regulation to the fall when licensing staff can report on possible regulatory framework, leaving would-be pot deputants fuming.
Linggo, Hunyo 26, 2016
What is the name of the window screen clip and how to make the frame?
Hello all,
I would like to know the name of my window screen clip. Is there a way that I can make this kind of frame myself?
Thank you
I would like to know the name of my window screen clip. Is there a way that I can make this kind of frame myself?
Thank you
Utilitech AC condensate pump not pumping
Hi. I have a Utilitech condensate pump that all of a sudden decided to not pump out the water that collects in the plastic bin underneath. The water overflowed and I'm assuming it's why my downstairs neighbor has water damage on her ceiling. How can I fix this? The white float inside seems to be working because the "run" and "alarm" lights are both coming on when the water reaches a higher level, but I don't see or hear it running and water just sits in the bin. I'm having to manually empty it to run my AC. Any suggestions would be helpful. The image of the pump I have is below. Thanks!
https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=...003010.jpg&f=1
https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=...003010.jpg&f=1
Sabado, Hunyo 25, 2016
Carrier Condenser Fan won't start by itself
Hi all, thanks for checking out my post. I have been having this problem for a week now.
I originally had a service tech out and he let me know the capacitor and fan motor were bad. I opted to replace them both myself. After replacement of both, the condenser fan still won't fire up without a stick push. I have tested the new cap and get the appropriate values (80 & 5, dual run). I've ohm tested the motor and it checks out. I've taken the contactor off and tested the resistance between the low voltages and get 8.1 (normal). What else would prevent my condenser fan from starting up? The only thing I haven't tested is the amp draw. I have tried two brand new motors and caps with the same effect. I have also tested a temp sensor in the unit and get about 1400. Does this sensor have any impact on condenser motormotor start up?
The AC runs fine with condenser fan stick push started, but once target temp is reached, and AC shuts off, the fan won't start again without support.
The motor is a single phase three wire, black is going to line 1, white is going to terminal 2 and brown is going to capacitor.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!
I originally had a service tech out and he let me know the capacitor and fan motor were bad. I opted to replace them both myself. After replacement of both, the condenser fan still won't fire up without a stick push. I have tested the new cap and get the appropriate values (80 & 5, dual run). I've ohm tested the motor and it checks out. I've taken the contactor off and tested the resistance between the low voltages and get 8.1 (normal). What else would prevent my condenser fan from starting up? The only thing I haven't tested is the amp draw. I have tried two brand new motors and caps with the same effect. I have also tested a temp sensor in the unit and get about 1400. Does this sensor have any impact on condenser motormotor start up?
The AC runs fine with condenser fan stick push started, but once target temp is reached, and AC shuts off, the fan won't start again without support.
The motor is a single phase three wire, black is going to line 1, white is going to terminal 2 and brown is going to capacitor.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!
A/C Fan Not Turning On
When turning on my A/C, the furnace activates and the vent extract warm air, but the fan does not turn on at all. After looking at some videos, I've pulled out the fuses (pic shown; is it possible that they are blown?), but there's no indication of a blown fuse.
Some of the online videos referenced the compressor and capacitor; however, most videos only appear to show the capacitor and I'm unclear if they are two different things or the same with different terminology.
I attempted to kick start the fan, which seems to rotate freely without any issues.
Should I attempt to replace the fuses, capacitor or both?
Thanks.
Some of the online videos referenced the compressor and capacitor; however, most videos only appear to show the capacitor and I'm unclear if they are two different things or the same with different terminology.
I attempted to kick start the fan, which seems to rotate freely without any issues.
Should I attempt to replace the fuses, capacitor or both?
Thanks.
Biyernes, Hunyo 24, 2016
Didn't Have The Faith
Motivational speaker Robbins' coal walk burns more than 30 - Houston Chronicle Now what got me was that one report said it happens occasionally but they don't have medical personnel standing by.
Toronto hookah lounge owners fight ban in court
A lawyer for four Toronto hookah lounges told a judge the city's ban would have a “catastrophic effect” on his clients.
No ground wire for new bathroom fan.
Hey guys, my house is an older home.
I removed a bathroom ceiling light and replaced it with a fan/light combo. The old light was only connected by black and white wires, inside a junction box with no ground.
Removed the box, installed the new fan housing to the joist and ran wires into fan housing box.
Now I know to connect the black to black and white to white but where do I run my ground wire to?
Can I self tap it into the fan housing box itself? Or do I even need to ground it to anything since no one will ever touch the fan itself, only the light switch on the wall to control it.
Thanks!
David
I removed a bathroom ceiling light and replaced it with a fan/light combo. The old light was only connected by black and white wires, inside a junction box with no ground.
Removed the box, installed the new fan housing to the joist and ran wires into fan housing box.
Now I know to connect the black to black and white to white but where do I run my ground wire to?
Can I self tap it into the fan housing box itself? Or do I even need to ground it to anything since no one will ever touch the fan itself, only the light switch on the wall to control it.
Thanks!
David
Miyerkules, Hunyo 22, 2016
insulation for concrete basement wall and ceiling
I'm redoing a small reception room that is 50% below grade (it's on a slope outside).
The current insulation was 1 inch Styrofoam but I'm not sure this was enough as the room was always a bit damp and cold.
We were thinking of adding 2 inch Styrofoam but the room is only 50 sq ft of floor space so every inch counts for a bit of extra room.
The walls will have framing/strapping and then paneling on top.
Is there any high density durofoam or something similar that could be put it in to be only 1 to 1.5 inches thick with good insulation?
Don't want it to be too expensive so can't use foam injection or other methods.
The current insulation was 1 inch Styrofoam but I'm not sure this was enough as the room was always a bit damp and cold.
We were thinking of adding 2 inch Styrofoam but the room is only 50 sq ft of floor space so every inch counts for a bit of extra room.
The walls will have framing/strapping and then paneling on top.
Is there any high density durofoam or something similar that could be put it in to be only 1 to 1.5 inches thick with good insulation?
Don't want it to be too expensive so can't use foam injection or other methods.
Torontonians not sold on Expo bid, poll says
Forum poll finds they're somewhat more positive about storefront pot shops and bicycle licensing.
40 Core Philosophies From the Most Famous Marketers in History
I believe you can learn something from everyone-as long as you're listening. We're always building on the legacy and lessons of those who have come before us.
For marketers, this is quite a legacy indeed. Although the discipline of marketing only emerged in the 1900s, it builds on a foundation of sales, advertising, copywriting and relationship-building that is much older.
Some of its wisest teachings are hundreds of years old. Some of its big lessons happened only months ago. And for every brilliant marketer and thinker mentioned here, there are likely 10 more I haven't thought of. (Would love to hear your picks in the comments!)
Nonetheless, I hope there's some wisdom for the ages below. I loved learning about each personality and philosophy, and hope you will too. Here are 40 essential lessons from some of the most famous marketers in history.
1. 'A brand is a contract'
Who: Simon Clift
What: The former Chief Marketing Officer of Unilever likes to say “a brand is the contract between a company and consumers.” The consumer has choices, and can simply choose to enter a contract with another brand if they find a company “in breach” of the contract. Are you holding up your end of the bargain with consumers?
2. 'Always be closing'
Who: Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross
What: This line became famous from Glengarry Glen Ross but is a also well known sales mantra expressing that everything you say and do should ideally be done with only one goal in mind: closing the deal.A more modern, less ruthless take for today's world? The customer is always listening and evaluating. Even if you're not consciously selling, everything you do is part of your marketing.
3. 'Appeal to the reader's self-interest'
Who: John Caples
What: One of the most famous copywriters of all time, Caples hit on a winning formula early with this ad:
The ad works because it doesn't sell piano lessons, it sells self-esteem. (And who doesn't want that?) Caples would repeat this formula again and again, each time appealing to a reader's deepest self-interest. How can you go deeper in your marketing to know your customers' self-interest motivation?
4. 'Become interested'
Who: Dale Carnegie
What: We are pretty big Dale Carnegie fans at Buffer, and his advice to truly be interested in others is no small part of why. One of his famous quotes on the topic: “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
5. 'Break the internet'
Who: The Kardashians
What: Media pundits thought Kim Kardashian would break the internet when she bared all for Paper magazine, but the Kardashians' real power move is to make sure they're offering a multi-platform experience-much more than you see on social media, including custom emoji and a branded content portal. “I see what we do on social media as the appetizer,” Khloe Kardashian told the New York Times. “Not everything we do can be captured in an Instagram shot.”
6. 'Cash from chaos'
Who: Malcolm McLaren
What: The man who largely initiated the punk movement, managing the infamous Sex Pistols, made “cash from chaos” his motto. He bore it out in stunts like getting arrested outside the Houses of Parliament, spreading rumors about the band and intentionally canceling gigs. What can we learn from this bad behavior? Today more than ever, controversy gets people talking (case in point: Kanye West). Hey, no publicity is bad publicity, right?
7. Details matter
Who: Walt Disney
What: At Walt Disney's Disneyland, every detail is thought through-to the point that the Disney team has planted “hidden Mickeys” throughout the park, which dedicated fans spend decades discovering and cataloging. When you pay attention to every detail of an experience, you can make fans for life.
8. 'Eat your own dog food'
Who: Paul Maritz of Microsoft
What: This colorful colloquialism describes the idea that a company should be the biggest user and proponent its own products or services. The first recorded usage was in 1988, when Microsoft executive Paul Maritz e-mailed a colleague, “We are going to have to eat our own dogfood and test the product ourselves.” Are you your product's biggest fan?
9. Educate your audience
Who: John Deere
What: John Deere may be best known for farm equipment, but he also has another distinction: He may very well have created content marketing. In 1895, he launched the magazine The Furrow, providing information to farmers on how to become more profitable. The magazine is still in circulation today, reaching 1.5 million readers in 40 countries in 12 different languages. Helping your audience grow and improve is always in fashion.
10. Find a star slogan
Who: Mary Frances Gerety
What: Charged with kickstarting the sales of diamonds following the Great Depression, copywriter Mary Frances Gerety came up with the timeless gem “A diamond is forever” in the middle of the night. The slogan has since been used in every De Beers ad and in 1999 was named the slogan of the 20th century by Advertising Age. Today, more than 80% of women in the U.S. receive diamond rings when they get engaged. Think her campaign was effective?
Who: Conrad Gessner
What: This botanist “invented” word of mouth marketing in 1559 with his passion for tulips. To familiarize Europeans with the then-foreign flower, he penned an easy-to-repeat poem that eventually spurred “Tulipmania”-some bulbs sold for what would be several million dollars today. What can you do to get people talking and create more demand?
12. 'Give them quality'
Who: Milton Hershey
What: The founder of Hershey's had a simple marketing philosophy: As long as consumers saw the high quality of Hershey's' chocolate, the product would practically sell itself. He's know to have said: “Give them quality. That's the best kind of advertising in the world.”
13. Harness your haters
Who: Beyoncé
What: When the world gives you lemons, just turn to Beyoncé to figure out how to turn them into lemonade. After getting negative feedback for her 2016 Super Bowl performance, including boycott calls, Queen Bey hatched a canny plan to turn the furor into a boon: She sold her own “Boycott Beyoncé” T-shirts on tour.
14. Headlines are everything
Who: Helen Gurley Brown
What: In 1965, Hearst hired Helen Gurley Brown to take over a flagging magazine called Cosmopolitan. Her revamp was heavy on sensational headline and earned millions of devoted readers, kickstarting the sexual revolution in the process. Today you can still get plenty of tips on writing great headlines right from the magazine racks.
15. Influencers make the brand
Who: Estee Lauder
What: The co-founder of Estée Lauder Companies, Lauder was the only woman on Time magazine's 20 most influential business geniuses of the 20th century. Her marketing genius? Lauder gave her famous friends and acquaintances small samples of her products for their handbags; she wanted her brand in the hands of people who were known for having the best.
16. Issue a challenge
Who: Ernest Shackleton
What: Although its veracity isn't certain, it's still one of the most famous ads of all time. Explorer Ernest Shackleton supposedly sought to recruit men for a new expedition with this newspaper ad:
“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.”
Whether or not it's true, can we all agree it's awesome? Don't you wonder how you'd fare on this trip? To me, this taps the same impulse as modern-day hidden bars and speakeasies. We like a challenge, and tend to share it with others when it creates social currency for us.
17. 'The job is not the work'
Who: Seth Godin
What: Marketers get pulled in a lot of directions throughout the course of a day-and a career. When this happens, maybe this philosophy from Seth Godin might help. In Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?, he defines the difference between the job and the work:
“The job is what you do when you are told what to do….Your art is what you do when no one can tell you exactly how to do it. I call the process of doing your art 'the work.' It's possible to have a job and do the work, too. In fact, that's how you become a linchpin….The job is not the work.”
When you're doing the job, remember to do the work, too. You're the only one who can.
18. 'Listeners will end up the smartest'
Who: Charlene Yi and Josh Bernoff
What: In an ever-changing media world, how do you keep up and stay relevant? The answer Yi and Bernoff proposed in their book Groundswell is a simple one: Keep learning, keep listening. “We're all learning here,” they write; “the best listeners will end up the smartest.”
19. 'Make the customer the hero of your story'
Who: Ann Handley
What: Everyone wants to be a hero. That's the central idea of marketer Ann Handley's contribution to our list, “make the customer the hero of your story.” Her suggestions to do this including content curation, user-generated content and using social media to tell bigger stories.
20. 'Markets are conversations'
Who: The Cluetrain Manifesto authors
What: In 2001, social media barely existed. But The Cluetrain Manifesto predicted a future of connectivity that would change the face of business, media, and culture.
“A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter-and getting smarter faster than most companies.”
What we learned then is still relevant today: We want a conversation, not a one-way ad barrage. Meet your audience where they are and get real with them.
21. Market what people want
Who: Creflo Dollar
What: You don't have to believe in televangelist Creflo Dollar's controversial prosperity gospel (I don't) to learn from the astounding growth of his World Changers Church International, which started with 8 people in an elementary school and now has a reported 30,000 members. If you ask me, the not-so-secret to his success is selling something lots of people want: to be wealthy without the guilt. Lesson? Before you start marketing, be sure your product is what people want.
22. 'The medium is the message'
Who: Marshall McLuhan
What: When you communicate with someone, what's more important: what's actually said, or the method in which it's communicated? McLuhan's famous argument is that the medium is the message-that the two are so inextricably combined as to be one and the same. Now social media has proved him more prescient than ever. The reason we know when something is a Tweet vs. a Snap and understand the importance of choosing the right medium for each message? That's McLuhan.
23. 'Most ideas are a bit scary'
What: The healthy fear of hitting the 'publish' button is something that comes up a lot on the blog. Feeling uncomfortable is often a sign you're on to something big, as legendary advertiser and art director Lee Clow puts so beautifully: “Most ideas are a bit scary, and if an idea isn't scary, it's not an idea at all.”
24. Name your audience
Who: Mel Martin
What: Hey, you! Yes, you right there. Media these days is fast-paced and confusing. Does your audience know you're talking to them, specifically? If not, borrow a trick from copywriter Mel Martin and name them right in your message. Martin wrote headlines like “For golfers who are almost (but not quite) satisfied with their game - and can't figure out what they're doing wrong” and the above similar variation (hey, that means it must have worked, right?)
25. 'Never stop testing'
Who: David Ogilvy
What: Considered “The Father of Advertising,” Ogilvy was among the first to perfect the split test for marketing, where two versions of an ad were published at the same time with a unique way for consumers to respond so the winning ad could be identified. One of his most famous quotes: “Never stop testing, and your advertising will never stop improving.”
26. 'On fleek'
Who: Peaches Monroee
What: Never heard of Peaches Monroee? You might know the phrase she coined that's been appropriated by everyone from Ariana Grande to Anderson Cooper to IHOP: “on fleek.” She tossed off the catchphrase in a June 2014 Vine video that now has more than 40 million loops (views, for non-Viners). “I gave the world a word,” she has said. “I can't explain the feeling.” These days, it's not high-paid marketing execs who are creating the taglines of the future. It's more often young people, particularly people of color. Embrace it and learn from it, but don't misappropriate it.
27. Power up your network
Who: Mary Kay Ash
What: Mary Kay cosmetics became a pioneer of multi-level marketing by tapping a great underutilized workforce: housewives. Her marketing innovations included expensive gifts (the famous pink Cadillacs) that extended the brand, offering incentives for recruiting others, and an emphasis on direct sales through friends and family. Learn from her: Your network can be a powerful tool.
28. Quarter-inch holes (vs. quarter-inch drill bits)
Who: Theodore Levitt
What: Why do people buy quarter-inch drill bits? It might not be the reason you think. In The Marketing Imagination, Theodore Levitt says:
“They don't want quarter-inch bits. They want quarter-inch holes.”
The quarter-inch bit is only a means to an end. Marketing the drill bit based on its features (it fits into your drill) wouldn't be as successful in this case as marketing it based on the benefits (you can create a quarter-inch hole). In other words, a feature is what your product does; a benefit is what the customer can do with your product.
29. Reinvent your medium
Who: Lin-Manuel Miranda
What: Chances are, you didn't think much about Broadway until this year. What changed? Lin-Manuel Miranda's smash “Hamilton.” It's the world's first (as far as I know) hip-hop musical, it's about one of the least exciting people imaginable, and it's cast of mostly people of color. It's truly something new, and audiences can't get enough of it. Lesson for marketers? Whatever medium you're working in, stretch it, bend it in new directions and reinvent it. Then you can own it.
30. Sex sells
Who: Helen Lansdowne
What: Could this be the first example of “sex sells” marketing in the Western world?
In 1911, Helen Lansdowne changed the face of advertising forever by being the first to harness sex appeal in an ad. Her Woodbury soap “Skin You Love to Touch” campaign focused not on the product but its effects-“the attention of dashing young gentlemen.” Then as now, a hint of the sensual both scandalized and worked-the campaign increased Woodbury sales by 1,000 percent.
31. Surprise and delight
Who: Taylor Swift
What: There seems to be no consensus as to who came up with the phrase “surprise and delight,” so I'm going to give the title to the modern-day master, Taylor Swift. “Surprise and delight” experiences focus on randomly selecting an individual or group to receive a unique gift or experience, and Swift is the queen. She's popped up at bridal showers and weddings, and her Swiftmas gift-giving is legendary. “Fans are my favorite thing in the world,”she has said. Her fans seem to feel the same about her. Do yours feel that way about you?
32. Tell a (real) story
Who: P.T. Barnum
What: Hmm, this is a tough one. Creator of Barnum & Bailey P.T. Barnum is undoubtedly one of history's greatest marketers, but what can the man of infinite hoaxes teach us today? Maybe that storytelling is powerful, but also that the story has to be authentic and real. Barnum proudly played a bit fast and loose with this, but then Twitter hadn't quite been invented yet to fact check him.
33. 'Think different'
Who: Steve Jobs
What: Why is Steve Jobs an enduring icon? Because he didn't just sell us a phone; he sold us an experience. A way to live. An ideal to aspire to. Through him we learned to think different and to sell the dream as well as the product.
34. 'Tune your message to them'
Who: Nancy Duarte
What: The writer, speaker, and CEO best known for working with Al Gore on An Inconvenient Truth has a simple message for would-be presenters: It's not about you. As she writes in Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences, “The audience does not need to tune themselves to you-you need to tune your message to them. Skilled presenting requires you to understand their hearts and minds and create a message to resonate with what's already there.”
35. Unique selling proposition
Who: Rosser Reeves
What: A “unique selling proposition “is the idea that successful advertising campaigns focus on a single, unique element that can nudge customers to switch brands. And advertising exec Rosser Reeves was the one to usher it into our vocabulary. Reeves' ad is for Anacin, a headache medicine, was considered grating and annoying by many viewers but it also tripled the product's sales. Another great Reeves example? M&M's “melts in your mouth, not in your hand.”
36. Vulnerability connects
Who: Tavi Gevinson
What: How does a teenage girl create a media empire before she's out of high school? For blogger, author and Rookie editor-in-chief Gevinson, the secret is relating deeply through vulnerability. “I think that when you make yourself vulnerable, the thing that you do next is better….The thing that bonds you to a new friend isn't that you went to a fun party; it's 'cause you had a really weird, sad conversation.” Can you dig deeper and be more human with your community?
37. Write for someone specific
Who: Tim Ferriss
What: How did Ferriss' The 4-Hour Work Week become such a huge hit (besides promising copious leisure time)? He focuses on trust, the kind that comes only when you know your audience deeply. It may feel like you have to write for everyone, but Ferriss says the opposite is true. “Write for two of your closest friends who have this problem that you have now solved for yourself.”
38. 'Write something worth reading or do something worth writing'
Who: Benjamin Franklin
What: Instructions for creating a legacy, whether you're a human or a brand: Listen to Benjamin Franklin. His quote is the end-all on the topic of getting attention: “If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do things worth writing.”
39. 10x content
Who: Rand Fishkin
What: Moz's Rand Fishkin coined the term “10x content,” which is content that stands out in our busy streams because it's just 10x times better than anything else out there on that topic.
40. 'Your culture is your brand'
Who: Tony Hsieh
What: “What's a company to do if you can't just buy your way into building the brand you want?,” the Zappos founder wrote in a pivotal blog post. “What's the best way to build a brand for the long term? In a word: culture. We believe that your company's culture and your company's brand are really just two sides of the same coin…Your culture is your brand.”
Over to you!
Whose wisdom is missing here? I can't wait to hear the lessons you've picked up from famous and up-and-coming marketers alike! Share your picks in the comments to add to our list.
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