Original Post by Trustedsaskatoon.com - click here to read

Exciting week at Trusted HQ

HUGE announcement - the Trusted App created by Saskatoon's College Mobile (Trusted always want to support local) has been approved by Apple - download it on your iPhone and enter the contest to win $1000's of prizes over the next few months ! ( Android app coming soon!) - !!! Download here and enter to win

 The www.trustedsaskatoon.com team had a wonderful time at the Saskatoon Home Builders Association Homestyles Show 2013.

We had $1000's of prizes to give away all donated by Trusted Saskatoon Partners.

• Conexus Insurance - Smoke and carbon monoxide
• Imagery - Studio
• Bridge City Computers -Asus O! Play Live media player
• Frontier Vinyl & Glass - $200 gift certificates
• Wiseguys - 2 x 8 pc bed in the bags plus mattress protectors
• Caliber Air - $100.00 gift certificate
• Sunridge RV - Camp Chair
• Dexteriors - $250 Gift Cert
• Marla Janzen King size duvet + serving bowl and spoon set plus cushions
• Glass Slipper Cleaning Services-  $100 Gift Certificate
• Saskatoon Woodworks $500 Gift Certificate
• Palliser Rooms $300 Gift Certificate
• Hygeia Health Market -  Gift Basket and a $25 Gift Certificate
• Fitness Focus 1 month free membership + 3 personal training sessions

All winners have been drawn and they will be notified this week!

The public feedback was amazing!! People what we are doing in Saskatoon and the service we offer!

The Trusted Saskatoon.com team were really impressed by the Trusted Saskatoon partners booths at the show!

Enjoy the video compilation we put together .     

We are thrilled to be The only local Directories that work for YOU!

Look out for us March 2013 in Regina at the What Women Want Show where we are Platinum Sponsors and at the Regina Home Show.

Videos of these shows will be uploaded too onto our popular Trusted You Tube Channel   

The principals of Trusted are based on integrity, truth and transparency and for a while now I have been thinking about publishing this blog...so hear go's!

I feel bad for small businesses in Saskatchewan and in Canada as a whole - many are being mislead and duped, by companies they put their trust in...and felt I had to speak out.  

The Trusted team has good relationships with the Trusted Saskatchewan businesses and they share with us the communications they get on a daily , weekly, monthly basis from companies trying to solicit their business when it comes to SEO and Social Media. I have to say that i feel that this business is as bad if not worse than the ' stereo typical contractors' when it comes to ripping people off.- a serious lack of good customer service is evident in this industry.

You see, wherever there’s a knowledge gap between the people providing a service and the people buying it, you’ll always find dishonest practices and people taking advantage of their superior understanding. You’ll also find service providers who don’t know what they don’t know, but know more than the client knows and they talk a lot of 'techno speak'  whilst all the while doing nothing and charging for it! 

So what and who can you trust?

The things the 'dishonest companies' charge for is ridiculous- If you see detailed and broken down lists of services these companies charge for in the list below BUYER BEWARE:

• Setting up a business Google places
• Setting up a Google Plus account
• Setting up a Google adwords campaign
• Setting up a Facebook pages
• Setting up Twitter
• Linking Twitter to Facebook
• Managing Twitter account to know who follows and unfollows  

I will tell you the truth ... these things in reality takes 10 minutes maximum!

At Trusted we do this for our clients for FREE .. yet I have seen many other companies charge $100's for each item on the list ( I have seen up to $600 to set up a Google places page and 'manage it'  ..which outrageous!).

Also an issue can be that the companies set up these accounts and have control of them - with their own passwords and emails...therby shutting YOU out of your own online presence...how can this affect you? We have clients at Trusted who realized they were getting hosed by companies that 'set up and managed their Google places' ..when they ended the contract they were barred access to their accounts and were not able to add videos, pictures or even respond to reviews from the public on their own Google page ...because the accounts were not set up under their email and the company has not responded to multiple attempts to get hold of them and rectify the situation..because they don't CARE about the businesses, they care about the money and how long they can get away with taking it ..thats all!    

Check out these 12 Warning signs on SEO companies here for some tips. 

At Trusted we suggest that you deal with these businesses in the same way you should deal with a contractor...

1. Ask for 20 x references ( and call the businesses - do your due dilligence!!!! It could save you $1000's)

2. Ask them what you can do yourself quickly and easily to help your SEO and online presence. If they are unwilling to answer this move on!

The same go's for website companies....I have seen websites that have cost businesses $12-15,000 that are horrible, badly designed templates...I know of companies that charge a fortune for websites and after sales service and ' extras' ..yet they source all of their workers from 3rd World countries where the workers are paid less in a month then they charge the clients an hour! 

If you are a small business that doesn't have / require online purchasing on your website,  then you don't need to have a bespoke fancy website..and if you are paying more than $3000 for it ..you really have to ask why! 

Want examples?

These websites from TRIO web Design  cost less than $3000.....

Decora Homes

Saskatoon Woodworks

3 n 1 Construction 

Trusted is the real deal and we work hard towards achieving an ethical marketplace for all ! 

If you have any questions or comments please do contact us, we are happy to help.  

Being TRUSTED is a unique branding and sales tool for businesses, because the Trusted directories offer quality focused local businesses a unique way to differentiate themselves from their competition, attract new customers, build loyalty with existing customers and also increase their visibility in their home city.

Once we meet with businesses, most agree that its a great concept and a fabulous marketing idea.....but does it ' WORK' ..will it provide a return on their investment?

Sara Wheelwright S & E Trusted online directories founder explains what ' being trusted'  is all about in this video, also you will hear from many of the Trusted Saskatoon.com and Trusted Regina.com directories businesses as they share their real results, 'what else' they get from trusted and how they feel about being TRUSTED!

If you run a locally accountable business and lead the way when it comes to customer service , and want to grow and evolve your business then applying to join Trusted really is the SMART and SIMPLE choice.

Social media is the NOW and it is the future.  

Trusted IS Social- Trusted is LOCAL ..thats what we do and who we are!  

Check out how:

-Trusted Saskatoon.com on FACEBOOK

-Trusted Regina.com on FACEBOOK

-The Trusted Channel on YOU TUBE

-@Trustedcanada on TWITTER

-Trusted on Pinterest

For more details and to see the data for yourself:

Call Sara on (306) 2915303

or email sara@trustedcanada.com

S & E Trusted Online Directories founder shares a business tip with small businesses in Saskatoon and beyond. How to do advertising effectively and why to advertise period!

S & E Trusted Online Directories was a  finalist for Marketing for the prestigious Saskatchewan Chamber of commerce ABEX Awards 2012, and it was their innovative marketing strategies they use to advertise www.trustedsaskatoon.com and www.trustedregina.com  that saw them recognized across the province after less than 18months in business.  

The Trusted group of  local directories www.trustedsaskatoon.com and www.trustedregina.com really are the smart and simple choice.

So what is Sara Wheelwrights, our founders background?

Here she shares some of her story and some big goals!  

" I've been immersed in the wonderful world of marketing, advertising and business since 1992. I persuaded business owners to buy Yellow pages, Internet, Pharmaceuticals and Radio over the years, very succesfully, before I decided to take the leap and start my own marketing/ advertising company. I founded S & E Trusted Online Directories in 2011 after thinking about the idea for years.

At Trusted we ONLY promote and do business with trustworthy locally accountable businesses. I am confident that before I created the Trusted concept, that these wonderful local businesses had no where to turn to in the advertising world that really understood how great they are, and truly valued the really important qualities of honesty amd integrity above the endless quest for MORE SALES and advertising revenue.

My primary goal is to ensure that all the Trusted partners are well represented by my Trusted team, and that the public in the cities we service are informed about and directed to Trusted businesses as the preferred choice! My company communicates daily to the public via many platforms and we help them understand why and how the TRUSTED businesses stand apart from their local competition by being Trusted. We commit to always assisting the public in the cities we serve, by providing quick and easy access to great retail and service providers.

I aim to take Trusted nationwide within 3 years, I never think small it would be a disservice to my 3 children, my supporters, my clients and to the concept of  'being' Trusted  "

Sara Wheelwright

Social media is one of the many ways the Trusted Team communicates the Trusted Directories philosophy to the public in the cities we service. New research proves that social media interaction between a customer and a brand drives both immediate and long-term sales increases. A report from LoyaltyOne, Medill Medill, and the Ivey Business School at Western University establishes the accountability link long sought by brands that have showered dollars on social media marketing while attempting to prove the return on investment to members of the C-suite.

The research findings are based on a two-year analysis of brand-customer social media engagement and transaction data. Researchers were able to show that those engaging customers with social media increased sales by 15% to 30% versus those not using any social media. The good news is this research delivers the evidence that investment in social media has the potential to return benefits in the form of transactions, profits and ROI if done well.

The higher the level of participation in a social media event, the greater the impact on a consumer’s purchasing activity.

As you can see by a recent screen shot of www.trustedsaskatoon.com where 1222 of the 1501 fans are talking about us, we are doing a great job of engaging our fans by providing value with posts, contests & articles that they enjoy. Our aim has always been to create real loyalty...so they spread the positive WOM in their real lives AND in their virtual world.  

Thanks to  http://www.techvibes.com/blog/social-media-sales-2012-10-26 for original source material.