22 May, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The A-Z of Social Media Best Practice

 
SocialMediaAZ

A successful social media campaign is made up of a fair number of attributes, habits and qualities. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that you learned about them all at an early age.

Let me take you right back ….

Attitude – there’s a great reason this should be at the top of the list; if yours isn’t up to scratch (attitude, that is) then go away and come back when you’re ‘on form’.
Brevity – Be succinct wherever possible. Less is more in this game. [tweet this!]
Consistency – There are so many C’s I could have chosen from (really!) … Connect, communicate, collaborate … But consistency tops my list. Keep on doing what you do, and then show up and do it tomorrow, and the next day …
Dependability – Your audience needs to know you’re there for the duration. No flakiness, please!
Empathy – walk a mile in the shoes of your audience. Make the effort to understand and then shape your offering around it.
Follow – Extend the hand of friendship. If you’re too selective about who and why you’re following people then you run the risk of appearing elitist.
Gratitude – Make the act of thanking people a habit that happens without you even having to think about it.
Helpfulness – We all know we should help whenever we can. What we possibly don’t know is that the core of social media success depends on it. Do the H word.
Inspiration – Your audience needs this more than you know. The power of what can be achieved when someone has been truly inspired is unsurpassed. It’s possibly the most empowering favour you can do for someone.
Justness – Be fair and balanced at all times. Social networks are not the place for wild erratic claims or behaviour if you’re wanting to make a positive and sustained impact.
Kindness – Successful types know the power of a kind word, and why paying it forward is such a critical element in social marketing [tweet this!] The impact can ricochet indefinitely.
Levity – A day without humour would be unthinkable for me. Granted, not every situation can be whittled down to a witticism, but you’d be surprised how many can.
Magnanimous – Learn to be generous and forgiving. If it doesn’t come easy, practice until it is. Share, assist and support …
Noble – In terms of social media, this has nothing to do with ‘class’. It’s about being someone who understands the importance of good character and integrity. Let this shine through.
Over-deliver – Tell me what you’re going to do for me and then don’t just go the extra mile, go ten. Heck, go fifty!
Positivity – Nobody really wants to hear that you’re in a bad mood. Really they don’t. Be the optimistic smile on the face of social media; it will get you so much further, trust me.
Quit – As in “know when to …” We’ve all had people try and provoke us by being deliberately offensive or rude, right? I had a superb piece of advice some years ago on how to handle this … Walk away. Without giving it a second thought. In this instance and this instance only, I refer you to the Q word.
Responsiveness – Don’t wait an age before responding to people. It’s not always possible to reply within minutes, but stay on top of things. Two hours is acceptable, two days isn’t …
Selflessness – No matter how talented and entertaining you may be, your spell in the limelight will have a clear date-stamp on it if you make this all about what’s good for you.
Thoughtful – Leading on from the point above. Remembering tiny details and referring back to them tells your audience that you listen (yes … I could have used that as my ‘L’ too …)
Unflappable – When all about you are losing their heads … You know how this goes. Be calm in the face of adversity. Be the steady hand that steers the ship through stormy waters.
Volunteer – Never be too big to give back. Nobody is that huge. [tweet this!]
Warmhearted – Coldness is so pre-social media!
X – Really? You expected a word beginning with x? …. X-traordinary ….
You – Never hide behind the wall of business on any social media network … Show me the person behind all the amazing stuff you do. I prefer people to slick robots; we all do.
Zeal – Energy is infectious. But if like me you need downtime occasionally, then take it. Genuine pep is so much more effective than forced enthusiasm.

It’s not rocket science, is it?

But these habits will propel you into the social media stratosphere if you embrace and adopt them

 
HootSuite Pro - Social Media Management System
 
photo credit:
flickingerbrad via photopin cc

Filed Under: Slider, Social Media Snippets Tagged With:
17 May, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Social media: are you unfollowing for the wrong reasons?

 
Unfollowing

So, you’ve set your up social networks in the hope that by regularly posting and interacting you’ll attract more opportunities for you and your business …

Most of us started out in social media with these intentions. But somehow, something happens to many of us once we’ve spent a bit of time finding our way around:

We sit back and wait to be entertained.

Somehow we lose the ability to see social media in a business capacity; in other words we look to the people we follow to make the grade instead of deciding that not only are we going to make the grade, we’re going to determine what that grade is.

Recently I asked a few people what their main reasons were for unfollowing people on Twitter, and I got a variety of answers back. But there were a few constants, such as:

“Boring tweets” … “Self-obssessed” … “Not relevant” … “People who don’t contribute”

Now, don’t get me wrong; I understand. Really I do. But here’s a fact I’d really like you to consider:

People may be getting it wrong because they haven’t grasped how this all works yet.

Is that a good reason to unfollow them?

If you’re unfollowing simply because you find someone ‘boring’ then you’re not seeing them as a potential business connection, a customer or an advocate

Do you think if you struck up a dialogue and maybe helped them that they may then become a fan of yours, willing to support you whenever they could?

People can make some huge mistakes when they start out on social media. I know I did. And some will take longer than others to realise that the angle of their posts is not cutting it.

When you unfollow someone there is every chance they will unfollow you back. It’s kind of like a cyber-snub, is it not? “I don’t want to listen to what you have to say” … Get my drift?

Too many of us are hanging around in the Twittersphere waiting for someone to do us a favour, be interested in our business or to tell us they want to buy from us. And while we’re doing that, we’ll sit and wait to be entertained.

This approach will get you nowhere fast. Trust me.

This is ‘social’ media. If you’re a business then your first priority is your audience, not being entertained. [Tweet this!]

And didn’t somebody once say that if you look after your customers well enough then your business goals will look after themselves? If they didn’t, they should have …

If you’re here to further your business activities then that is what you need to be doing. Sitting and getting sniffy about the social media marketing activities of your audience will not advance your cause.

So lead by example.

Show your audience how it’s done. Give them regular, quality content, Interact. Share the good stuff. Be helpful.

On that note, let me sign off by saying I will always unfollow people who are abusive, offensive or aggressive. There’s really no room for that in business, online or off.

So … in conclusion:

Stay connected. Stay communicative. Stay consistent. But above all .. stay social. [Tweet this!]

Filed Under: Slider, Social Media Snippets
14 May, 2013 By 1 Comment

Social media: are you in the audience or on the stage?

 
social media audience

Although accessible to everyone with an internet connection, it’s safe to say that most are still unsure of the true power of social media and what it could mean for their business.

We’ve created our Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram accounts.

We’ve got our profiles looking the part. Nice photo. Relevant information.

We’re posting, tweeting and updating.

We’re connecting and chatting with people.

We’re sharing information.

We are doing everything we’ve been told to do. This is ‘social’ media and, boy, are we being social.

And now we’re all waiting for it to happen.

I wonder what, exactly? What is the ‘it’ we’re all waiting for?

An influx of followers, sales enquiries or invitations to connect?

There must be a reason we’re doing this, otherwise why bother at all?

How many of us actually determined what we were looking to achieve when we set out our stall on various social networks? I will willingly hold my hands up and admit that I had no idea what I was doing nor why I was doing it when I first joined Twitter, some four years ago this month.

Social media is now a very noisy place to be indeed. It’s akin to that huge conference room full of people where everyone is chatting at the same time. No one voice is distinguishable from the next. There may be the odd shriek or bellow, but really it’s just an indiscernible hum.

Until there is a few taps on a glass, and someone takes to the stage.

They start to speak, and the room listens. Intently.

The sign went out, and there was silence. The noise stopped, and the message of just one person began.

If when you talk, your fans immediately listen then you have learned how to tap on that glass.

Are you happy to be one of the social media crowd? Or do you want to be up on the stage? Tweet this!

It’s still social media, it’s still ultimately about a two-way conversation and yet your message is being heard by many. Hundreds, thousands, possibly even tens of thousands are listening in. Yes, it’s a broadcast, but it’s one that everyone has chosen to tune into.

Chose to stay seated with the audience and your voice will be unheard by the majority.

The social media stage is where the serious players are.

photo credit: jurvetson via photopin cc

Filed Under: Slider, Social Media Snippets Tagged With:
10 May, 2013 By Leave a Comment

How to use to Twitter to connect with journalists

 
TwitterJournalist

I’m thrilled that my good friend Rachael Phillips has penned this useful post. Read it and inwardly digest …

“Most companies public relations campaigns revolve around the press release. But let me tell you, the press release is dying.

As a journalist I receive a LOT of emails per day, the majority of these are press releases.

Now, I don’t want to lie to you, I delete around 98% of these releases – without even looking at them.

It’s not that I’m being rude, I possibly could be very interested in your company but if I were to spend my day reading every single release that appears in my inbox then there would be no time for actual work.

As an ex public relations professional turned journalist I know what a long, hard struggle it is getting your company in front of an editor.

Journalists can be a prickly bunch, on the whole we don’t really like to be disturbed so phone calls are a definite no-no and emails are often dismissed.

But one tool you do have at your disposal is Twitter.

Almost all journalists now have a twitter account, whether it’s to find case studies for their latest feature or to keep an eye on breaking news, Twitter is fast becoming an essential tool.

So why not harness that information and use twitter to connect with journalists and increase your chance of gaining great publicity?

Great idea, right?

Well before you rush off to send your favourite journalist a tweet telling them how amazing your product or service is, check out my top 10 tips on using twitter to connect with journalists.

1. Make sure your profile is in tiptop condition. You need to make sure you’ve a profile image (that suits the company, you in Marbella downing a beer bong won’t send out the right message) and an accurate description. It’s also ESSENTIAL that you include your location and website.

2. Journalists get a lot of pitches so don’t just pitch out of the blue. Take the time to build a relationship first, it can be as simple as just responding to one or two of their tweets.

3. Don’t copy and paste your tweet to several journalists. Seriously, this is not cool. Don’t think that once you pitch a journo that they won’t click on your profile to see what else you’re tweeting. If they see you’ve already tweeted other journalists with the same story then they will instantly switch off.

4. Keep to standard practices such as know what the journalist you’re tweeting writes about. There’s no point tweeting a tech journalist information about a new range of beauty products.

5. Check the journalist is active on Twitter. Why waste your time tweeting a defunct account?

6. DM is ALWAYS better than a public @, so if you can, take your pitch out of the public domain. However, don’t beg to be followed – you don’t want to appear needy.

7. Make sure that you contact the journalist not the publication. There’s no sense in pitching to @guardian because that account is an automatic stream and your message will be ignored. Do your research.

8. Keep an eye on the hashtag #journorequest – a lot of journalists will tweet information about stories they are working on and in particular if they need someone to comment.  You could be that person.

9. Use your lists. Create lists that include relevant journalists. You can use it to keep an eye on what the journalists are working on.

10. Never be pushy. Journalists (much like you) are really busy, if they don’t have time to respond or don’t reply straight away then that’s fine, don’t feel the need to tweet them the same thing again.

An extra TOP tip: Try keep your pitch to one tweet (two max.) If it can’t be said in 140 characters then it’s over complicated.

Overall, connecting with journalists on twitter is the easy part. Building a respectful and productive relationship is what you want to achieve, it takes time but it can garner great results.”

You can catch more of Rachael’s great content here: Rachael Phillips • Lifestyle Design • live, work & play better



 
photo credit: paurian via photopin cc

Filed Under: Slider, Social Media Snippets, Working Girl
8 May, 2013 By 1 Comment

Social Media And Retail : Why It’s A Match Made In Heaven

 
RetailSocialMedia

It won’t come as a huge surprise to anyone when I say that I believe that any and every type of business can capitalise on all that social media has to offer.

Typically I’ve always thought the great benefit that high street shops have over online retailers is that they can maximise the potential of the buying experience. Through excellent interpersonal skills, superb service and pleasant surroundings, retailers have an enormous advantage over their internet counterparts.

But doesn’t that all come to a grinding halt when retailers come face to face with social media?

How do you demonstrate all those ‘real life’ customer benefits when you’re faced with a myriad of impersonal technology?

Isn’t it all lost? No, my friends.

If you are a High Street retailer, now is your time

Let me explain:

A few weeks ago I wandered into a local boutique. It’s what I would call ‘high end’; the clothes are not cheap but they are very beautiful and of fabulous quality.

The premises are nicely decorated, airy and bright. The displays are well thought-out and attractive, and the assistants are all very pretty and well groomed.

It’s an aspirational store.

Aspiration. It’s so powerful when it comes to the sales process. If I look at something and think “I want to be exactly like that” I will immediately start to work out ways that I can get it. I may need to trim a bit off one budget to add to another but if I want it badly enough, I’ll do it.

And that is precisely what got me thinking “how would you replicate this online?” How do you capture that ‘I-want-a-piece-of-this!’ appeal?

Here’s what I came up with:

Get snapping! If you’re a retailer and you aren’t in the habit of regularly posting photos then you really need to start. Get yourself a smartphone with a decent camera (or an iPod), keep your hand steady (blurry photos are really not great …) and go for it. Show me the shopfloor (not just new arrivals), changing areas (minus customers!) and window displays. Show me what makes you a far preferable alternative to shopping online.

Organise a social media event – Do you have special evenings when you launch new ranges or promotions? Organise a special social media event for all Facebook page fans, Twitter followers, etc. Encourage people to ‘live tweet’ (with photos, naturally!) Offer a prize to the best ‘customer tweet/post of the night’.

Video testimonials – If as a retailer you’re doing an excellent job looking after your clients, then there will be plenty who will be willing to go on camera and sing your praises. Ask the more outgoing types if they’d mind leaving a little 20 second message when they make their purchases. The best part about this is they will almost certainly retweet it to all their followers too. Make use of that new smartphone!

Do your customers follow you? Are you asking people if they know that you’re on social networks? Ask them for their usernames so that you can follow them; don’t wait for them to do it first.

It’s all about the blog – Do you have a blog? Start one! I must advise people to do this at least once a day during my strategy sessions. It isn’t just for professional bloggers anymore; if you have a business of any description you have to start blogging. It’s the best way to draw people in and convert them into customers. Don’t be too ‘sales-y’ though … Offer advice and information on trends. Be a fountain of knowledge!

How do I get to you? Make sure you regularly tweet about the most convenient local parking and public transport links. Make it easier for me to make the effort of getting to you.

When it comes to shopping, I can see the benefits of both online and High Street retail stores. Like many, I shop at both because I have the choice. And there’s the crux of it – choice.

If you make the perceived buying experience and resulting benefits of visiting your store so overpoweringly attractive, you’ll have a huge advantage. And if you are an independent retailer, then your unique positioning could be the game-changer you’ve been looking for.

So get social and claim that advantage!

I offer a monthly social media advisory service to businesses; email me here to find out more.

SocialSalesMasterclass

photo credit: saigneurdeguerre via photopin cc

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