BlogPosts from May, 2011

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Link in to LinkedIn

It takes a certain amount of nous to compete with Facebook so, if you’re not already looking at LinkedIn to increase your online traffic, then the recent doubling of the social networking site for professionals, the milestone of 100 million users and the release of a smartphone app should persuade you. Here’s how to make LinkedIn work for you, in 11 easy steps.

  1. 1. Create a strong profile. Simple, yet oft neglected. Take your profile seriously -  insert a photo, write compelling copy, and ensure your SEO is high. And avoid overused words such as ‘results-oriented’, ‘innovative’ and ‘team player’ – nearly everyone else on LinkedIn thinks they’re the same, so you won’t stand out.
  2. 2. Connect. Connections mean access, which mean more people viewing your profile. Regularly take actions, update your profile and add new connections to increase traffic.
  3. 3. Don’t default. Default links don’t drive traffic: would you click on a website simply called, ‘My Website’? Didn’t think so. Make sure you customise the links to make them as attractive as possible to the browser.
  4. 4. Be a know it all. Answer queries and questions – you’ll generate interest in your profile, position you as a thought leader and, as people rate your answers, eventually become a ‘featured expert’. (That’s only if your answers are good, by the way – so make sure you only respond to questions you know the answer to!)
  5. 5. Keep it up. Update your LinkedIn status – it’s only 148 characters, so shouldn’t be a tough job! Make sure it says something interesting, and drives traffic to your sites. Your updates will appear on the homepages of your connections, so don’t waste the opportunity.
  6. 6. Make special friends. One of the positives about 100million members is that you can always find niche groups with the same interests as you. Hunt them out and connect – your audience lies within and around them.
  7. 7. Comment is free. New discussion topics crop up in their hundreds in the larger groups, and every new one is sent straight to their members’ homepages. So –start contributing!
  8. 8. RSS it. Add your own website or RSS feed to your group of interest – that way, anything new – a blog, an article – will automatically be updated on the homepages of all the members.
  9. Do it yourself. Create your own group – why not? Your own website, blog, profile and business can take centre stage, with members actively engaging with each other – facilitated by you – and clicking on your links.
  10. App it. Two handy little apps – Blog Link and WordPress – let you preview your most recent handiwork on your profile, tempting users with a ‘sneak peek’ of your compelling copy (see point 1). Consider adding ones such as Tripit, which allows you to share travel schedules; Slideshare to let others view your fantastic presentations; and Reading List, to start a buzz around your choice of books.
  11. Make LinkedIn work for you. LinkedIn Today shows what people in your network and industry are sharing and talking about. Compelling content = getting talked. Similarly, LinkedIn’s own newsletters and emails can help you get ahead.

I would love to hear your success stories, please connect with me on LinkedIn

Monitoring your Social Media mentions – in minutes

Does the thought of spending hours monitoring your social media make you want to revert back to pre-internet days? Have you already decided that you can’t possibly get in on the social networking phenomenon until you can afford to employ at least three dedicated people to keep up with it? This is the article for you. Follow our simple tips and monitor your social media mentions in the time it takes to make a cup of tea!

Get organised. Set up a bookmarks folder (you can call it want you want, but we suggest ‘Monitoring’ unless you want to spend another cup of tea looking for it). You’ll need it for…

…getting all your tools together. Like multi-platform dashboards Addictomatic, Social Mention and SamePoint, which do overlap but have some unique features – browse to see which ones you need. Then there’s Twazzup, a real-time news dashboard for Twitter; BackTweets to find out who has been tweeting your content; Blogpulse – who has been blogging about you?; and Google.

That’s a lot of tools. So we’ll tailor the search parameters to make sure the data is relevant. So, with Addictomatic, you’ll enter your search (remember quotation marks!) and hit create – then save the search in your folder. It’ll automatically be updated. Do the same for all the other tools (but note for BackTweets you’ll be searching the URL, instead of keywords).

Google it. Then run your search on Google and get your results. But don’t stop there – click on ‘more seatch tools’, the ‘past week’, then ‘sort by date’. Then save.

What next? Well, that’s the hard work done. Now, your folder has now handily stored all your searches, so anytime you want to monitor them, it’s as simple as opening it up, clicking on the links – and hey presto!

Kettle’s boiled. It didn’t even take as long as a cup of tea, did it?

Seven crucial questions about social commerce – and the answers your business needs

Caught up in the buzz that is social commerce, but unsure of how it works for you in practical terms? Being bombarded with techno-speak like platforms, plugins and social capital can be daunting, particularly for SMEs. But don’t get discouraged, because social commerce can be a boon for small businesses – a way for your brand to stand side by side with the big brands, in a cost-effective way. Ask yourself these 7 key questions in order to make the phenomenon of social commerce work for you:

Are you user-friendly? Is your online experience the equivalent of a plush boutique, brimming with helpful assistants bringing advice, cups of tea and a comfy sofa for when shopping just gets too tiring? Or is it a packed and bleak generic shop, everything thrown about in no real order and with people only interested in ringing up the cash? The better you design your online experience, the happier your customers will be to return.

Do you take the time to chat? Remember the ‘good old days’ when the local butcher knew who your sister was dating before she did, and the newsagent would remind you to buy a birthday card for your gran? Social commerce is bringing this back. You’re not interacting with people in the clinical white wilderness of a Tesco Extra – you exist with them in one of their most personal spaces. Social networking is about authenticity, not superficial sales. Talk to them in the same way they chat with their friends.

Do you give as well as sell? Just because you’re not face-to-face, doesn’t mean service doesn’t count. Remember you are not only catering to your customer, but to a host of other potential customers in their extended network of friends and contacts. Social commerce is the essence of relationship marketing – use it.

Are you selling strategically? Still trying to sell suncream to Icelanders in November? Or getting 13 year old boys interested in silk floral curtains? You shouldn’t be – a whole host of tools, such as Facebook Insights, allow you to tailor your activity to your target audience, and the power to give them what they want, when they want it, how they want it – and know why they want it.

Are you treating your VIPs well? Of course, every customer should be a VIP, but while you’re encouraging the move to social commerce, it pays to throw in sweeteners for those dipping their toe in. From exclusive discounts and products to ‘group buy’ incentives for their friends, there are many ways to effectively entice your customers inside your virtual store.

Are you embracing technology? We know those Terminators are scary, but time to get over it. With one-stop-shop platform packages like Gloople, which incorporates mobile platforms, group-buy deals and smart phone applications to produce a comprehensive, fully integrated social commerce experience for you and your customers, you can realise the benefits of social commerce at your leisure.

Are your ears burning? Done right, social commerce has just that effect. Customers tell their friends about you, their friends shop with you too, their friends have the same idea…Perhaps the most powerful aspect of social commerce – especially for local businesses – is the way it builds relationships, generating trust through word of mouth. One customer on Facebook is a direct link to, on average, 150 customers, which begs the question: if you’re not on board yet, why?

Harnessing the power of Social Media: The Meaning of (Social Media) Life

Even with 2011 heralded as the ‘year of e-commerce’, some still doubt that social commerce – sales driven through social media – is having much of an impact on the market. Practical Ecommerce’s recent survey indicated only 5% of total sales are made through social media. Researchers Forrester seem to concur – their newest report on the phenomenon indicates it is a non-factor.

But that’s talking sales. What if you look at the wider picture – not the actual purchases made through social media, but those generated by them?

The sheer number of advertising mediums nowadays – the average TV viewer is bombarded by 80 channels – people have become savvy to the wiles of advertising and marketing. It’s more important that ever to cut through the white noise in order to find something of substance.

That’s where social media comes in – giving consumers a voice and enabling them to guide each other through the clamour of advertising. Word of mouth is a most powerful marketing tool – and social media makes it increasingly easy to harness. So, you might not have sold your product through Facebook – but a host of ‘likes’ from happy customers may well have directed your latest batch of customers to your website.

The potential for social media to build brand awareness – cost effectively too – is immense. Facebook in particular facilitates personal engagement and interaction that helps propel your brand to the forefront of your customers’ minds – and their friends’, as they share their experiences with their online social community.

Social media also enables you to create that most elusive, but valuable customer – an advocate. As your customers become more aware of your brand (thanks to social media!), they engage more. That engagement results in increased loyalty, and they encourage the same engagement and loyalty in their online community. Every tweet, post, status update, like, recommend and page view is another brick that builds a solid reputation with your customers!

And finally – it’s not just about customers getting an insight into you. You get an insight into your customers. You know who is saying it, what’s being said and where it is being said. You get an invaluable insight into the uncensored opinions of your customers about your brand. You might need a thick skin sometimes to listen to them, but rewards are worth it!