Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 6034 GERMINATION.CA MARCH 2017 KEEPING PEOPLE COMING back to your blog or website is one thing — getting them to subscribe or identify them- selves is a whole other kettle of fish. While in-person events hold the top spot for content marketing effective- ness, to drive lead capture, there are other ways to con- nect with your audience. Here are the three top-ranked content marketing tactics that can help you build your audience/customer base. 1. Webinars Webinars have a high success rate at producing warm, targeted customer leads. Of course, the success of a webinar will depend on whether it offers anything of real value to people. Make sure your topic is relevant to your audience and you have a strong presenter. The last thing you want is your attendees multitasking or taking a break from the session. Also, record your webinar — this is instant video content you can use for people who couldn’t attend. Surveys after the event are also a good way to create collect feedback and build engagement. Ask what they want to hear about next and use this feedback for AGRICULTURE MAY BE Canada’s ticket to success, accord- ing to the recent report from the Advisory Council on Economic Growth titled Unleashing the Growth Potential of Key Sectors. The report highlights a number of condi- tions that position Canada to significantly increase its agricultural exports and grow its economy. The council, chaired by Dominic Barton, sets some lofty targets, such as increasing Canada’s share of global agricultural exports to eight per cent from its current 5.7 per cent, thus making us the second-largest agricultural exporter after the United States. How will we get there? Part of what’s going to drive Canada’s growth and competitiveness in agriculture is con- tinued innovation in plant breeding. However, in order for this to happen, there’s a need for modernization within the regulatory systems both in Canada and around the world. In fact, two of the recommendations in the council’s report spoke directly to making the innovation climate in Canada world-class. Firstly, we must streamline approvals and remove barriers to bringing new products to market. Secondly, the report recommended that the Canadian gov- CONTENT MARKETING CONTENT THAT CAPTURES Lindsay Hoffman Director of Client Services CREATE by Issues Ink @issuesink • lhoffman@issuesink.com • issuesink.com your future content marketing efforts. 2. Case Studies Case studies can tell stories — good stories. It can be a success story of a product or service, or a solution (or solutions) to a particular problem encountered by custom- ers, complete with the steps to fix the issue. Although many marketers have an aversion to case studies, they are invaluable in turning plain readers into buying customers. 3. White Papers and Guides While this format of presenting information has been around since before the content marketing craze, it still works. To create a successful white paper, it’s important to have strong content (not a sales pitch), sound research and sources, relevant and timely information and the added ingredient of your expert point of view. There are many ways to use content to generate leads. Take the time to determine what benchmarks you will use to measure your success, but ultimately what matters most is that your content drives your audience to action. PLANT SCIENCE BREEDING INNOVATIONS CAN UNLEASH SECTOR'S POTENTIAL Stephen Yarrow CropLife Canada Vice-President, Plant Biotechnology yarrows@croplife.ca • croplife.ca ernment find new ways to recognize foreign approvals. Canada has been a global leader in the adoption of plant breeding innovations over the last 20 years with about 100 plants with novel traits passing through the regu- latory system. The vast majority of these plants involved similar technologies in a small number of crops. But times are changing and an increase in the number of new technologies such as CRISPR, new traits, and new crops is reinforcing the council’s call for regulatory modernization. Modernization is an important element in placing the Government of Canada in a strong position to petition export markets to adopt similar approaches, which would ensure these markets remain open. The council’s report creates a tremendous opportunity for industry and government to work together to imple- ment a new model for the oversight of plant breeding innovation, supporting Canada’s push for a greater share of global trade through being a thought leader in this space and allowing the plant science industry to contrib- ute to unleashing the potential of the agrifood sector in Canada.