Dear Sir / Madam,
Gaining publicity through opinion column is a very effective way
to promote your business as many people need more than an simple introduction,
they need more knowledge and expert insight of the service they need.
Brian Bethune said in MACLEANS website his article years back,
“More than 30 per cent of Canadians now say they feel disconnected from their
neighbours, while half of Americans admit they don’t know the names of theirs.”
And Chinese Canadians are more so, I believe. Many Chinese in Toronto do not
know the answers for the questions listed below:
1.
The dismemberment of properties during divorce
2.
The tax and donor
3.
Duty of support
4.
Consumer rights and responsibilities
5.
Account settlement
6. How
to buy auction properties
7.
Insurance and mortgage
8.
Same sex marriage
9.
Obligation to disclose
10. How to
collect and maintain proofs
11. Women and
children’s rights
12. Income tax
13. Banking
14. How to
handle closing in a real estate transaction
15. Internet
infringement
16. Life
insurance after the death of the insured
17. Employment
relationship
18. Traffic
accidents
19. Travel
insurance
20. Working
place injury
21. Parental
leave
22. …
23. …
…
…
…
The list can go on and on. They need help.
It is a hidden market with great potential and worth to make
efforts to explore.
I am planning to write a column in Toronto two largest Chinese
newspaper and seeking for sponsor companies.
If you are interested, please contact me.
Regards,
Oliver Hua
Chinese poet / writor / marketer / registered realtor
We all know the numbers: so many Chinese in Toronto
Based on the newest census in
2016, today’s Canada has reached unprecedented
diversification now. The data shows that 21.9% of the Canadian population is
newly landed immigrants or permeant residents. This ratio is very close to this
number in 1921 of 22.3%, the historic record of this country.
Census shows that the new
immigrants from Asia countries ranked number one in the new immigration
populations (over 60%), in which China is in the third country where those
Asian new immigrants come from, accounts for 10.6% (the first is Philippine
accounts for 15.6%, and the second is India accounts for 12.1%); while Africa
has surpassed Europe become the second place where the new immigrants come from
(accounts for 13.4%).
The cities that the new immigrants
reside still are Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. These three cities have
attracted more than half of the new immigrants in recent years, although more
and more selected Prairie Provinces and Atlantic Provinces.
In the same census of 2016 has
also shown that the immigrants has accounted about 46.1% of Toronto population,
40.8% of Vancouver population and 23.4% of Montreal population. And in the
census, there are a total of 1.77 million Chinese living in Canada, in which
over 700.000 Chinese are living in Toronto.
Yes, if we trace back to the
grandpa generation, the Chinese population whose home country is China has
reached a little bit more than 700,000. And the 2016 census data shows that the
population of Chinese immigrants whose birthplace is China reached 266,840
(include Hong Kong). The Chinese immigrated to Canada reached 49,815 number
between the years 2011 and 2016.
And the language is an important
cultural fact. From the census, we find that in Toronto, there are over half
million people with their mother language of Chinese and most of them use
Chinese languages in their family daily conversation and communication.
According to the Employment Equity Act, there are631, 050 people are defined as
visible minority.
I trust that for those Chinese
immigrants living in Toronto, they are more so disconnected from the rest of
Torontonians. I hope my series of “YOUR CHINESE
NEIGHBOURS” can give you a new prospect to view those
Chinese live in Toronto. We work here, we do business here, and we are
neighbors.
Following is an article on how to “Write an Opinion Column and
Gain Publicity for Your Business” it was written By AllBusiness Editors | In:
Advertising, Marketing & PR:
The opinion and editorial sections of newspapers, better known
as the op-ed pages, remain one of print medium’s most unique and well-read
features. The points of view expressed by guest columnists and letters to the
editor can grab the attention of readers and spread influence in the community.
You can establish yourself as an expert in your field as well as
an engaged member of your community while at the same time providing a powerful
platform for promoting your business by writing a column or letter to the
editor of your local newspaper.
Here’s how to write a persuasive letter or editorial:
Choose a topic: There’s certainly no shortage of news
(international, national and local) to sound off about on any given day, and
that could put you front and center in the community conversation. Topics may
range from large, far-reaching issues such as the current financial crisis and
changing political winds (with you giving a local perspective and sharing your
own unique point of view) to local events a businessperson such as yourself may
be uniquely positioned to shed some light on, for example, a jump in parking
meter rates, a hike in local business taxes, or a proposed noise ordinance.
Start with a bang: State upfront what your opinion is and why
you are positioned to illuminate your neighbors, colleagues, and
customers/clients on the issue. It is important in a sea of information
inundating the public all the time to state your case forcefully and to grab
the attention of readers. If you don’t they may not bother to read on.
Share your experience: Once you’ve expressed what the topic is,
detail point-by-point, by way of your own experience, why you are uniquely
qualified to take a stand. For example, if the topic is a shortage of parking
spaces in your business’s neighborhood and the proposed construction of a
controversial municipal parking garage, explain how the shortage has impacted
your business and others as the neighborhood has grown and why the garage makes
sense for the community (e.g., it will revitalize businesses in the area and
generate more tax revenue).
Take a stand, carefully: You are taking a point of view, which
is the whole point of writing an opinion piece. To sound off on a proposed law
that could impact your business and others and attach your name and that of
your business to that opinion is one thing. But steer away from extremely
polarizing issues (certain political issues, for example) as it could hurt you,
your business, and your relationships in the community.
Make it personal: Remember to stress your connection to the
community even as you share your unique business perspective. If the topic
involves your city’s public schools, be sure to state that you graduated from
this or that high school, or that your children attend such-and-such a grammar
school. Be sure to promote that you are a local business owner for X number of
years, mentioning your business name. (You will also sign the letter or column
with your name, title, and name of your business.)
Forge a relationship: Once you’ve put the finishing touches on
your column or letter and have a trusted second party with strong grammar
skills (e.g., a colleague or spouse) read through it and give you their two
cents’ worth, consult your local paper to find the editor in charge of the
op-ed section. This is as easy as a phone call to the newspaper office or a
look at the paper’s Web site. Editors typically are inundated with phone calls,
so it’s usually best to contact them via e-mail. In that correspondence,
introduce yourself, state briefly why you’re writing the letter or column, and
include the submission in a Microsoft Word attachment. Be sure to include your
contact information in the e-mail, as typically editors will want to confirm
information.
Once your column or letter is published, you could be well on
your way to establishing your voice in the community and generating valuable
publicity for yourself and your business. Furthermore, as you establish
yourself as an “expert” who has been quoted in the local press, you could be
sought out by one of the paper’s reporters for a news story about which you
could share your expertise or even be sought out by other media, including
local television or radio stations.
