We have found in some categories content can really help to inform the purchasing decision. So what you’ll see on Gilt is content that allows the customers to better understand the product we are selling and inspires them to think about different ways to either wear a garment or ideas on how to style a bookshelf or how to incorporate an exotic meat we are selling on Gilt Taste into a delicious recipe.

We started with providing our members a terrific selection of curated products everyday. Over time we’ve built trust with our members and as such we’ve been able to increase the amount of categories we are in (women’s, men’s and kids apparel and accessories; gourmet food; home decor and furnishings; travel experience, local experiences in 10 US cities). They trust the quality of the selection of products and services we put in front of them everyday and because of that they now trust the content that goes along with that. We have also hired some of the best editors in their respective categories.

First and foremost we recommend products because we love them. That’s where it all starts. We stand behind our daily selection. We are not an advertising model. We don’t carry products we don’t think are the best.

You’ve created a new online experience for editorial content. Do you see other media entities (such as film, television and radio) being presented with similar opportunities to incorporate e-commerce into their business model successfully?

Those companies are all ad model businesses. That’s very different from a pure ecommerce business.

I wouldn’t say its new new frontier of online advertising. We have zero advertising on our site. Gilt is a new way to shop. We’ve created appointment shopping and we’ve put the fun and excitement back into ecommerce. eCommerce is no longer about the web site being open 24 hours a day. We’ve given consumers a reason to come back to our site everyday.

Social media is communication 2.0. Leverage your consumer base so that customers become your personal sales team — nothing sells more or increases customer loyalty and engagement better than the voice of other customers. Social media takes word of mouth marketing  into the digital sphere as customers peruse the Internet for twitpics of the best pulled pork sandwich or the latest blog post about an Italian restaurant from a favourite foodie.

If you’re thinking of taking that dive into the social media deep end, here are some reasons you should incorporate social media into your small business strategy.

Customers can be your friends
For years consumers have been fighting a battle against advertisers – we were sick of being sold to from a faceless corporation and want to be treated like humans. Social media allows businesses to do that. Like the corner store your grandpa visited as a little boy or the butcher who knows you by first name, social media allows businesses to invoke a sense of community. Engage your customers in a conversation. Let them see the human side of the business. Leverage the community to gauge interest about new products, keep them up-to-date about events and let them know about specials before the regular public. Talk with, not at.

It’s cheap
Forget about buying that ad space in the newspaper or sending your intern out on the street with a sandwich board. Social media allows businesses to gain exposure for little or no money at all. Create a Facebook page, sign up for a Twitter account, establish a WordPress blog – all free. The only real investment is time. Interacting with your customers on these platforms can put them to work for you. They can spread the word about your great product or service by engaging their own social networks through yours. Ultimately, they help you expand your reach far beyond what you could have done with traditional advertising.

Responsiveness
Take off those rose-coloured glasses. Not everything that your customers say will be positive. It’s up to you as the business owner to respond to everything, even the bad stuff. Be ready to deal constructively with any negative exposure. The key to this is to be participating in and guiding a two-way conversation. Hootsuite is a great way to easily monitor several accounts, as well as understand perceptions and sentiments about your organization or service. Customers appreciate accessibility, transparency, and openness.

Stake out the competition
Staying competitive is the key to success in any industry. Social media can help you improve your knowledge base about your industry and interact with other movers and shakers in your industry. Network with those on the cutting edge and stay ahead of trends by tracking all the buzz within the industry. Stalk Twitter feeds, blogs and Facebook pages. Compile a list of important Twitter users and bloggers in your industry or come up with a list of keywords to track in Google alerts and bring the info to you.

Expound your unique product
While some of us may employ an army of clones, not everyone has the time  to  speak to each and every individual customer that walks in through the door. If you have a unique product that you are passionate about, social media allows you to extend your voice across time and space. Share pictures, videos or behind-the-scene looks that regular consumers would not be able to access anywhere else. Allow your social media platforms to be that unique place to share exclusive content and encourage others to share their own.

Here’s some to consider:

What: Interlink Conference
Where: Vancouver
When: June 2-4, 2011
Why: Any conference that ties in a dodgeball ice-breaker event and movie night is good in my books. The Interlink Conference is a small and carefully crafted three day web event for all web professionals. This international web design conference has put together a stellar list of industry veteran speakers and workshops ranging from topics about tapping into your on-demand creative inspiration to more hands-on work dealing with the latest and greatest from CSS, as well as the history of font usage online.
Follow the Interlink Conference on Twitter @interlinkconf

What: Internet Week
Where: New York
When: June 6-13, 2011
Why: Go big or go home. That is NYC’s motto. One conference wasn’t good enough. No. They had to do an entire week. Internet Week is a festival celebrating NYC’s thriving Internet industry and community. The festival incorporates various events held in different locations across the city. The result is a critical mass of web-focused events that raises the profile of NYC’s proliferating internet and digital media community. Some of these events include Story Worldwide’s Digital Archaeology, Interactive Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) The Future of Display, and Flavorpill’s Culture Hunt (think: scavenger hunt 2.0).
Follow Internet Week on Twitter @internetweek and don’t forget to hashtag #iwny

What: Conversational Marketing Summit
Where: New York
When: June 7-8, 2011
Why: Groupon? Twitter? Facebook? Foursquare? Where do you begin? Digital platforms present massive opportunities, but one significant challenge: finding the signal in an increasingly noisy ecosystem of sites, apps, and services. All this data is extremely overwhelming, especially for consumers. Consider Conversational Marketing Summit to be the philosophical compass in the burgeoning digital environment. The conference is two days of case studies and insightful conversations that will help marketers push aside the clutter for consumers. Federated Media, the organizer of the conference, caught our attention by bringing together Adam Bain, president of Global Revenue for Twitter, with Food Network personality Rachael Ray and music producer will.i.am in one event. You’ll have to see it to believe it.
Follow Federated Media on Twitter @federated_media

What: The Art of Marketing
Where: Vancouver
When: June 9, 2011
Why:  If you ever needed a crystal ball to answer all your marketing questions, The Art of Marketing would be it. Building on the success of the sold out 2010 Canadian national tour, the one day conference brings together five internationally renowned bestselling authors and leaders who will offer up their experience and knowledge on the most critical marketing issues we face today. Some of the speakers in this stellar lineup include Guy Kawasaki, who will be heading up a talk on creativity and innovation, and Mitch Joel, who will be discussing digital marketing and social media.
Follow The Art Of on Twitter @theartof and don’t forget to hashtag #TAOM

What: ReadWriteWeb 2WAY Summit
Where: Columbia University, New York
When: June 13-14, 2011
Why: One-way communication. One-way roads. Who ever liked those? Everything is better if it’s 2WAY. ReadWriteWeb is a summit gathering of the best tech, people and ideas the Web has to offer in two (not one) unique and fun ways. Day one features talks from some of the smartest folks in technology and media. The speakers include Baratunde Thurston from The Onion and Danah Boyd of Microsoft Research. Topics range from the creative exploitation of social media to teen sexting and its impact on tech companies. The highlight of day one is The Gentleman’s Throwdown between Jason Calacanis of Mahalo and Nick Denton of Gawker. Day two is all about learning and interaction through a variety of breakout talks. The topics covered include social gaming, community building, NFC (near field communication) technology, and a great debate over web apps vs. native apps. The highlight of day two is Speed Geeking!: think high-energy, short presentations from start-ups and established tech companies.
Follow ReadWriteWeb on Twitter @rww and don’t forget to hashtag #rww2way

What: The 140 Characters Conference
Where: New York
When: June 15-16, 2011
Why: Experiencing the state of now. Wise words to live by and the theme of this year’s 140 Characters Conference. This event from Jeff Pulver is expected to be the largest worldwide gathering of people interested in the effects of the real-time Internet on both business and “we” the people. This conference exposes the power the Internet has to disrupt businesses, change lives and create serendipity. The schedule is unique and fast paced with the intention of providing a platform for as many people as possible to share thoughts and engage in conversation with the delegates. The themes are global in scope and include topics such as the Use of Social Media to Overturn Entrenched Political Powers Around the World, Medicine and Social Media, and Online Philanthropy and Large Scale Social Change.
They don’t have a Twitter handle, but be sure to hashtag #140conf

Invoke is proud to announce the launch of the Hemispheres Wine Guild site. Our amazing design and development team has crafted an appealing, user-friendly site to attract new business and provide a value-added wine exploration experience for existing members.

Hemispheres Wine Guild members receive top quality wine not available anywhere else, hand-picked by a wine expert, and delivered to their door.

Our team worked with Rob Leadley, one of Hemispheres’ founders, to build an attractive site full of stunning imagery and rich textures. We added in special members-only features like an interactive map, a newspaper-style periodical, and multiple easy-to-navigate pages to lead visitors on a journey through the world of wine. The result is a slick, authentic-feeling site that transports members to the regions and vineyards where the wine is sourced.

www.hemisphereswine.ca

PS Hemispheres looks so tantalizing that several of us in the office are contemplating becoming members.

* This blog post is part of Invoke’s participation in the 2008 Vancouver Blogathon for Charity

Invoke is preparing to launch a new online ordering software specifically designed for catering businesses and restaurants. Through EATS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Invoke, Invoke is preparing for the launch of the new version of the EATS software. Eats is a web based ecommerce solution for the easy meal prep industry with an integrated Point of Sale system.

The upcoming version of the software that is set to launch, will build upon the comprehensive framework that has been developed for the Easy Meal Prep industry and expand to include additional functionality designed specifically to service the catering and restaurant industries.

EATS is the industry leading Online POS system designed for the easy meal prep industry. EATS has been in the space for over 2 years now and is now the #1 software provider for the industry. Please contact sales@eatsolution.com for more information on EATS and the upcoming changes.