Suitable Social Media

You want to have a social media presence for your business, but not sure which platform to use…or what is a platform?
How are you going to manage it? How much time will I be behind that computer...again??
How do I know if what I am doing, is working?
What are you going to say?

There are many reasons why we choose to go online, for anything. Generally we go on to research a new idea, the latest deal or promotion at our favourite store, dream about holidays, gift ideas...some even get online to chat to friends from all over the world.
Knowing this, and having a strategic mindset, you will come to understand that by having an online presence, you open your business up to more client channels.

What is your definition of a client?
Cli•ent (kl nt)

1. The party for which professional services are rendered, as by an attorney.
2. A customer or patron: clients of the hotel.
3. A person using the services of a social services agency.
4. One that depends on the protection of another.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

What is your definition of social media?
Social•media is an umbrella term that defines various activities integrating technology, social interaction, and construction of words, pictures, videos and audio.
This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and "building" of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories, and understandings.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

STOP & Breathe…
Just like any plan, your social media strategy is defined by a series of steps. Take your Marketing Strategy and integrate social media with it – this will save you some time.
In your Marketing plan your target audience has been identified (as has your brand/product/service). Apply this to your online social media strategy.
Identify social media suitability
Ask yourself, what type of information do I have right now?
1. Do you write articles?
2. Do submit product reviews?
3. Do you send out client newsletters?
4. Do you request feedback on any form of media?
5. Are any of your materials digital? Can these be stored on the internet?
All of these are pieces of information that can be used in your social media platform(s). You don’t need extra information at all! Maybe an odd quote or question would definitely not go astray (conversation starters!) – But you do need to be able to sustain and maintain your online communication. The online community will come to know your online submission trends, and watch out for your latest information. This is…online rapport building – increasing their confidence in YOU…

Start off slowly, and see what works for you – give it time to grow. Don’t expect enormous changes overnight, or within 7 days, allow at least 6 months!
Depending on your type of business, some platforms are more useful than others.
LinkedIn – for professional audiences
Facebook – Fun, viral, various age groups
Twitter – microblog
Blogger – any form of blog (such as the one you are reading)
YouTube – very useful for instructions, music/dance, health, customer feedback, “reports” – the more You Tube clips you have, the more chance you are found – as long as you always include somewhere there on your contact details (best be your website address)
My recommendation are all of these, or some of. These are the most popular social media applications that are used – and relatively easy to navigate around and use.

On a final note - upload images, links, videos and start talking to those online! Always try to think of the reader when providing information!

A New Year

A new job? A new home..a new hairstyle?

I can help you find ways to promote yourself and find a new job - if that is what you need!

Get yourself aquainted with LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com), fill in your personal details and upload a copy of your recent CV.

Now you have done this, here are some tips and tricks:


1. Groups

Actively participate in a handful of groups related to your professional interests to expand your network. Find "Groups" on the navigation bar. From here you can search for a group to join, manage your groups or start a new one. Groups will keep you updated with industry-related information, plus they function as a forum where you can propose and answer questions, helping you become a recognizable name.

2. Company Buzz

Under "More..." choose "Application Directory". This will bring you to a page with a number of applications that you can add to your homepage and profile. The "Company Buzz" tool aggregates mentions of a company from Twitter, allowing you to discover relevant trends and comments about your company. The tool lets you customize and modify the topics to watch and displays charts to track activity. "A lot of people who use Twitter don't know where they can see what's trending, so this is a great application for that," says Eve Mayer Orsburn, CEO of Social Media Delivered, a social media consultancy.

3. Recommendations

These blurbs from your coworkers make your LinkedIn profile more dynamic and bring more credit and validity to your profile. Career experts recommend that you seek recommendations from your coworkers, former managers, direct reports and even clients. Shorter tends to be better; one or two paragraphs will suffice.

4. Events

"Not enough people use events," Orsburn says. "It's a great way to find and connect with new people." Under "More..." choose "Events". Here you can view events (including webinars) that your connections are attending, search popular events and find ones to attend. Orsburn recommends searching for a person you admire and looking through the events he or she is attending. This will give you a good sense of which conferences or events are worth attending, and will help you build more meaningful connections.

5. Advanced People Search

Try using this search method instead of the basic search when looking for new connections. The "Advanced People Search" allows you to find contacts based on geographic area, company, keyword, industry and more. Advanced People Search also gives you the option to search based on when users joined LinkedIn, which Orsburn says can be especially handy. "One of the best ways to find people who can help you is to help them first," she says. "When you use this function to find someone who's a new member to LinkedIn, you can introduce yourself, mention that you see this person is new and offer to introduce them to some of your contacts." You can find this feature under "More..." in the navigation bar.