Innovation Saskatchewan is responsible for implementing the province’s innovation priorities and helping grow Saskatchewan’s tech sector. Effective April 2022, this includes operation of the Innovation Place technology parks in Saskatoon and Regina.
Tech Tips...with Katrina German
It’s time for another Tech Tips installment! Award-winning entrepreneur and digital marketing specialist Katrina German of KatrinaGerman.com knows how to make good ideas louder. Her book, Action Tracking: Master Your Digital Marketing Strategy in Under 30 Days, has helped numerous companies, like SalonScale, develop effective marketing strategies and increase sales, and her regular appearances on local and national television help people use technology effectively.
We spoke with her about new work strategies as the pandemic continues, common pitfalls of social media and how to correct them, how to start a tech business and a ton more!
“Being conscious of tech fatigue is the biggest thing,” says German. Unfortunately, the working world has seemed to revert to the expectations and pace of a pre-COVID world, except now people are exhausted and living in a harsher reality. “We should be extremely conscious of what we’re asking employees or coworkers to do, the amount of time we’re spending in front of screens and the amount of time we’re wrestling with big questions.”
She recommends we track our time to see where we’re spending it so we can try to be both more effective and better people.
02 - Take it offline“Don’t be afraid to ask to take something on a call, not a video meeting,” says German. Give yourself a break from screens and even your surroundings when you can.
Point of fact: we had this conversation via phone while German was gardening.
03 - Take care of your staff and yourself“How do you have a balance between effectively doing your work and also being a human in this intense time?” asks German.
She suggests having a few minutes to connect with people before diving into work or actually taking time off work, even if it’s not a true vacation. “You can't do your best work when you're exhausted, so it's important to do that self care and make sure your team is doing it too.”
“Getting too excited about too many social media platforms,” says German. The platforms you use should reflect where your clients are, which may be new ones like TikTok or more traditional ones like Facebook. Most importantly, you and your team need to have the bandwidth to manage it.
The best solution is to start with a digital strategy that identifies your audience, what platforms they’re using and what goals you have. “Evaluate it and take some time to think before you act.” (psst. KatrinaGerman.com can help with that!)
“Address your clients’ frequently asked questions on your social media and through the content you’re sharing,” says German. Chances are if one person is asking, ten people have the same question. This way you can be as helpful as possible.
Currently with the pandemic, a lot of people are interested in the best ways to support local businesses. “If you need something from your community, don’t be afraid to ask and be direct about it,” says German.
“Let your community know exactly what’s happening with your business on your website and social media,” says German. There’s a lot of confusion surrounding information generated from Google and Facebook or information that hasn’t been updated because it may be inaccurate.
Updating social media and websites with pickup instructions, new hours or even a “we’re trying” will be extremely helpful to your community and generate more trust and business.
“Be careful with fake news!” says German. “Businesses should make sure to verify sources of all the information they're putting out there.”
“Reach out to the technology community,” says German. “Everybody, especially in Saskatchewan, is open to helping each other.” There are also a lot of programs in place to help new founders and non-technical founders explore ideas and different paths forward. Check out Co.Labs Co.Launch, Cultivator Start Grow Scale and WESK Founders Table to start!
“It’s a lifesaver for us,” says German. She recommends ClickUp or Asana because they help keep track of everything going on and understand what everyone is doing. The most important thing, however, is to find a system that works for you and your team.
02 - Communication ProgramThese programs, like slack or zoom, help keep a team feeling connected, even when people are working remotely. If you use them correctly, they cut down on email back and forth and tasks being lost, which is a huge timesaver.
Continue being gentle with each other, our communities and ourselves going forward. Take care of each other and ourselves and try to help each other and other businesses out.
Want more? KatrinaGerman.com is now accepting new clients! For more information, visit KatrinaGerman.com.
Learn more about KatrinaGerman.com in her Meet the Tenants profile.
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