Showing posts with label facebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label facebook. Show all posts
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Social Networking for Estate Agents
There was an article in the Times on Friday 21st January entitled "OMG, it's perfect...I'll tweet you a link."
In this article, the effect that social media is having on the property profession is explored, and some of the findings are not new.
Susan Emmett, the article's author, talks about "research" as opposed to "search" and highlights FindaProperty as a website that features articles on the housing market as well as consumer guides.
Having been an estate agent in a former life, and advised many on the best ways to market their businesses via the internet, this idea of providing information is not a revelation. An estate agent's website is not just about featuring properties for sale and to let. The fundamental purpose is to gain the best property instructions in an area, and to be perceived as the best agent in the locality. By providing insightful information, you will be seen as being an expert, having a thorough knowledge of the specific factors affecting property prices and popularity. This, in turn, instils confidence and trust and any discerning vendor needs to have faith in you as a property professional.
Providing information on schools, shopping and leisure facilities, transport links and the like is the first step towards engaging with potential vendors and property purchasers. As a personal view, it projects the personality of your business and becomes an invaluable resource, enhancing your website and your corporate identity on many levels. Your insights are what makes you unique - a vital ingredient when it comes to standing out from the competition.
So, where does Social Networking fit into this picture?
As Susan Emmett identifies in her article, "Social networking sites allow portals to speak to "friends" directly, but also to advertise effectively and free of charge. Through Twitter, we know that Chantelle Gilbert "requested a house price evaluation on zoopla@6am, 5 estate calls by 10am!".
Emmett goes on to say: "By embracing the latest technology, property sites have permanently altered the rules of engagement between buyers and sellers, estate agents and customers."
This latest technology is the "new" way to extend marketing reach, and extending marketing reach is vital to the successful estate agent. Tepilo.com, Sarah Beeny's online property selling portal, sends out a Tweet as soon as a new property is added. When I was selling my own property, it was heartening to see that one of the first viewers came brandishing particulars printed off the Tepilo website.
Starting, and then maintaining the conversation with your potential clients is now becoming increasingly important, particularly if you want to be seen as the agent that offers something unique.
Argent Ram Media designs and develops website solutions for estate agents that help them explore the potential offered by Social Networking. For details, please call 0845 009 5396 or email lorraine@argentrammedia.com
Saturday, 28 November 2009
What does a Small Business need from their website?
"Business Link has seen a dramatic rise of enquiries and support offered to individuals considering starting a business. 29%* more 'pre-start' individuals have had help from the Service in the South East in the last six months compared with the same time period last year. Over 14,800 individuals have been supported with information and advice since April 2009."
SEEDA
Typically, as individuals face the realities of redundancy brought about by a recession, many turn their thoughts towards setting up their own business.
Many of these new businesses start off in the smallest possible way - a one-man-band offering services, products or expertise in their particular field.
However small your business, there are key considerations that need to be addressed to ensure the success of the business, and these considerations need to include the way in which you market yourself to your future customers.
This article is aimed at giving the new business, no matter how small, some idea of the best ways of marketing themselves on the internet.
WHAT DOES A SMALL BUSINESS NEED FROM THEIR WEBSITE?
Any business looking to increase their customer base and market themselves effectively needs a website. This is not a luxury any more; it is a necessity. Even if you are a one-man-band, you don't need to market yourself as such. Customers have faith in businesses that appear to have credentials, a successful trading history, happy customers and a proven track record. If you look as though you set up your business yesterday with a budget of £5, there is not escaping the fact that you will be perceived as a "here-today, gone-tomorrow" business, no matter how well qualified you are as a supplier.
There is no doubting that some individuals can just about get away with presenting a business card that has clearly been generated by a slot machine, but if you are serious about your business, do you simply want to "get away" with the cheapest possible forms of advertising?
Your website could be the best investment you make, and it really need not cost the earth. However, it is essential that you think carefully about what it is that you want to achieve through your website.
1. What is your business?
2. Who is your target market?
3. What is unique about you, your products or services and therefore..
4. Why would a customer come to you as opposed to one of your competitors?
5. How do you want to be perceived?
6. What do you want your website to do for you? Generate enquiries? Sell something?
Your business plan will provide most of these answers, but if you don't have a business plan, then you really need to make sure you know the answers to the above questions so that you understand fully what it is that you are trying to achieve through your business in the first place.
Having clear objectives, you then need to think about the key ingredients necessary to make a successful website.
The following are our suggestions:
1. Aesthetics.
Please don't go for the cheapest website solution you can find. A poorly designed site can have a seriously detrimental effect on your business. This is your shop front and the first impression that a potential customer could have of you and your company. As it is, on average, 98% of all website visitors will leave your site without bothering to contact you. Don't increase your statistic to 100%! The way in which you want your business to be perceived will have an impact on the way your site should be designed. A professionally designed site will make your job so much easier.
2. Work.
Make your website do some work. At the very least, visitors should be encouraged to contact you, so you can start to collect some data for future marketing. Offer website visitors something in exchange for their email address and name. Have an area on your homepage where you can feature a special offer or a new product - something that will ignite the interest of your customers.
3. Engage.
These days, your website is not enough. Social Media has exploded in recent months, and one of the new key words in internet marketing is "engagement". You need to engage with your customers in every way possible, and social media (sites like Twitter and Facebook) now allows you to do this in ways not previously possible. A blog also allows you to communicate with your customers in a direct, personal and informative way that keeps you uppermost in their minds. You website, then, should encourage potential customers to follow you in the world of social media, so that you can spread your message and engage.
4. Find.
A professional will ensure that your website is built to comply with latest standards. Having a well constructed site is part of the process of ensuring that your website can be found in the major search engines. But that is one part. There are many facets in successful search engine promotion - key words, relevant content, back-links, using social media, accessibility....a potential mine field for the new business. In the near future, both video and audio are going to play in increasingly important role in your successful on-line marketing, so yet another consideration!
5. AIDA
Keep it simple. Stick to the principles of successful marketing and make them work on your website:
A - Attention. Make sure your website grabs the attentions of your customer within 8 seconds.
I - Interest. Focus the landing page (usually your homepage) content so that it creates real interest.
D - Desire. Make the site visitor want to contact you.
A - Action. Always make the Call to Action easy to find. If you want customers to call you, ensure your phone number is very visible. If you want them to email you, have the simplest of forms on every page.
A lot to take in, but it can be achieved.
We, at Argent Ram Media, have developed SESOME - Search Engine and Social Media-ready websites that are ideal for small and start-up businesses. With a limited budget, you need to know that you will have a website that will work for you in the most effective way possible.
Have a look at our Sesome website - http://www.sesome-websites.co.uk/ for details.
If you would like more information on Sesome Websites, please call us - 0845 009 5396. Alternatively, email Ian Rutter ian@argentrammedia.com
Argent Ram Media is a company that specialises in providing a range of marketing solutions for all businesses, from the small one-man-band up to the largest of multi-national companies.
Website Design and Development
Design for Print
Email Design and Campaign Management
Micro-Site Marketing
E-Commerce
Internet Start-Ups
Marketing Consultancy
Search Engine Marketing
PR
Digital Advertising
Digital Screen Marketing
SEEDA
Typically, as individuals face the realities of redundancy brought about by a recession, many turn their thoughts towards setting up their own business.
Many of these new businesses start off in the smallest possible way - a one-man-band offering services, products or expertise in their particular field.
However small your business, there are key considerations that need to be addressed to ensure the success of the business, and these considerations need to include the way in which you market yourself to your future customers.
This article is aimed at giving the new business, no matter how small, some idea of the best ways of marketing themselves on the internet.
WHAT DOES A SMALL BUSINESS NEED FROM THEIR WEBSITE?
Any business looking to increase their customer base and market themselves effectively needs a website. This is not a luxury any more; it is a necessity. Even if you are a one-man-band, you don't need to market yourself as such. Customers have faith in businesses that appear to have credentials, a successful trading history, happy customers and a proven track record. If you look as though you set up your business yesterday with a budget of £5, there is not escaping the fact that you will be perceived as a "here-today, gone-tomorrow" business, no matter how well qualified you are as a supplier.
There is no doubting that some individuals can just about get away with presenting a business card that has clearly been generated by a slot machine, but if you are serious about your business, do you simply want to "get away" with the cheapest possible forms of advertising?
Your website could be the best investment you make, and it really need not cost the earth. However, it is essential that you think carefully about what it is that you want to achieve through your website.
1. What is your business?
2. Who is your target market?
3. What is unique about you, your products or services and therefore..
4. Why would a customer come to you as opposed to one of your competitors?
5. How do you want to be perceived?
6. What do you want your website to do for you? Generate enquiries? Sell something?
Your business plan will provide most of these answers, but if you don't have a business plan, then you really need to make sure you know the answers to the above questions so that you understand fully what it is that you are trying to achieve through your business in the first place.
Having clear objectives, you then need to think about the key ingredients necessary to make a successful website.
The following are our suggestions:
1. Aesthetics.
Please don't go for the cheapest website solution you can find. A poorly designed site can have a seriously detrimental effect on your business. This is your shop front and the first impression that a potential customer could have of you and your company. As it is, on average, 98% of all website visitors will leave your site without bothering to contact you. Don't increase your statistic to 100%! The way in which you want your business to be perceived will have an impact on the way your site should be designed. A professionally designed site will make your job so much easier.
2. Work.
Make your website do some work. At the very least, visitors should be encouraged to contact you, so you can start to collect some data for future marketing. Offer website visitors something in exchange for their email address and name. Have an area on your homepage where you can feature a special offer or a new product - something that will ignite the interest of your customers.
3. Engage.
These days, your website is not enough. Social Media has exploded in recent months, and one of the new key words in internet marketing is "engagement". You need to engage with your customers in every way possible, and social media (sites like Twitter and Facebook) now allows you to do this in ways not previously possible. A blog also allows you to communicate with your customers in a direct, personal and informative way that keeps you uppermost in their minds. You website, then, should encourage potential customers to follow you in the world of social media, so that you can spread your message and engage.
4. Find.
A professional will ensure that your website is built to comply with latest standards. Having a well constructed site is part of the process of ensuring that your website can be found in the major search engines. But that is one part. There are many facets in successful search engine promotion - key words, relevant content, back-links, using social media, accessibility....a potential mine field for the new business. In the near future, both video and audio are going to play in increasingly important role in your successful on-line marketing, so yet another consideration!
5. AIDA
Keep it simple. Stick to the principles of successful marketing and make them work on your website:
A - Attention. Make sure your website grabs the attentions of your customer within 8 seconds.
I - Interest. Focus the landing page (usually your homepage) content so that it creates real interest.
D - Desire. Make the site visitor want to contact you.
A - Action. Always make the Call to Action easy to find. If you want customers to call you, ensure your phone number is very visible. If you want them to email you, have the simplest of forms on every page.
A lot to take in, but it can be achieved.
We, at Argent Ram Media, have developed SESOME - Search Engine and Social Media-ready websites that are ideal for small and start-up businesses. With a limited budget, you need to know that you will have a website that will work for you in the most effective way possible.
Have a look at our Sesome website - http://www.sesome-websites.co.uk/ for details.
If you would like more information on Sesome Websites, please call us - 0845 009 5396. Alternatively, email Ian Rutter ian@argentrammedia.com
Argent Ram Media is a company that specialises in providing a range of marketing solutions for all businesses, from the small one-man-band up to the largest of multi-national companies.
Website Design and Development
Design for Print
Email Design and Campaign Management
Micro-Site Marketing
E-Commerce
Internet Start-Ups
Marketing Consultancy
Search Engine Marketing
PR
Digital Advertising
Digital Screen Marketing
Saturday, 26 September 2009
Get to the Pub this Weekend!
I know I am banging on about Twitter a great deal at the moment, but it is a fairly hot topic:
I went to an event in London last week to join a convivial group of articulate and entertaining people and share stories about the emergence of social media from a research and analysis point of view.
I had a lengthy conversation today with a passionate Kent marketing trainer (amongst her many other talents), and although she is a recent convert to social media, she has already seen the massive potential of this area of marketing.
Even yesterday evening, I saw debates on-line regarding whether or not social media is just the latest buzz that will get hyped up and then deflate like a souffle.
There is no doubt that Twitter and Facebook have certainly got the business world in a whirl, as well as divided over their validity as marketing tools.
In past posts, I have tried to calm the hubbub down and put these social media into perspective. Someone wrote in one of the debates that I have been following, "At the very least, companies should take a passive role of monitoring what is being said about their brand, their competition, and their service or product offerings."
How I have suggested that businesses begin using social media is just to start listening, and see what is being said - I have equated this to eavesdropping at a party, picking up snippets that interest you before you join in.
You will find that results, in some shape or form, will start to follow.
I will give you a very basic example:
For a couple of weeks, I have noticed a pub in the Kent village of Great Chart being very active on Twitter. The tweets are conversational, personable and welcoming. As a result, I chose to "follow" them.
On Twitter, there is a custom every Friday where you can post tweets suggesting people that other people might like to follow. Amongst those I mentioned this week was the Great Chart pub.
As polite people do, he thanked me for the mention and we talked weather and weekend....mundane stuff, BUT..
This registered with me; a simple dialogue, but in the shortest of moments, politeness, etiquette and the giving of time made me determined to give this pub my custom. I have been introduced to the pub's owner and already feel welcome; already feel like a customer.
Now I believe that anything that has that sort of power deserves to be treated as a hot topic. Every business I know is on the hunt for that one extra customer.
My new friend, the marketing trainer (see above!), pointed out today that so many businesses try so hard to find their USP. As she so rightly points out, the one unique thing about your business is you. Unlike any other marketing medium, Twitter and Facebook allow you to project your personality, and get across your uniqueness.
Listen, join in, react, be yourself and you will get social media working for you. The pub in Great Chart got a new customer today; your business could get one tomorrow.
By the way, if you'd like to follow the pub on Twitter, the handle is @HoodenersHorse!
I went to an event in London last week to join a convivial group of articulate and entertaining people and share stories about the emergence of social media from a research and analysis point of view.
I had a lengthy conversation today with a passionate Kent marketing trainer (amongst her many other talents), and although she is a recent convert to social media, she has already seen the massive potential of this area of marketing.
Even yesterday evening, I saw debates on-line regarding whether or not social media is just the latest buzz that will get hyped up and then deflate like a souffle.
There is no doubt that Twitter and Facebook have certainly got the business world in a whirl, as well as divided over their validity as marketing tools.
In past posts, I have tried to calm the hubbub down and put these social media into perspective. Someone wrote in one of the debates that I have been following, "At the very least, companies should take a passive role of monitoring what is being said about their brand, their competition, and their service or product offerings."
How I have suggested that businesses begin using social media is just to start listening, and see what is being said - I have equated this to eavesdropping at a party, picking up snippets that interest you before you join in.
You will find that results, in some shape or form, will start to follow.
I will give you a very basic example:
For a couple of weeks, I have noticed a pub in the Kent village of Great Chart being very active on Twitter. The tweets are conversational, personable and welcoming. As a result, I chose to "follow" them.
On Twitter, there is a custom every Friday where you can post tweets suggesting people that other people might like to follow. Amongst those I mentioned this week was the Great Chart pub.
As polite people do, he thanked me for the mention and we talked weather and weekend....mundane stuff, BUT..
This registered with me; a simple dialogue, but in the shortest of moments, politeness, etiquette and the giving of time made me determined to give this pub my custom. I have been introduced to the pub's owner and already feel welcome; already feel like a customer.
Now I believe that anything that has that sort of power deserves to be treated as a hot topic. Every business I know is on the hunt for that one extra customer.
My new friend, the marketing trainer (see above!), pointed out today that so many businesses try so hard to find their USP. As she so rightly points out, the one unique thing about your business is you. Unlike any other marketing medium, Twitter and Facebook allow you to project your personality, and get across your uniqueness.
Listen, join in, react, be yourself and you will get social media working for you. The pub in Great Chart got a new customer today; your business could get one tomorrow.
By the way, if you'd like to follow the pub on Twitter, the handle is @HoodenersHorse!
Monday, 14 September 2009
The Social Media Revolution
Just seen a really compelling presentation for Social Media. Concise, dynamic, factual and full of mind-boggling statistics.
If this doesn't persuade businesses to start getting involved in Social Media right now, then nothing will!
http://bit.ly/qteSQ
If this doesn't persuade businesses to start getting involved in Social Media right now, then nothing will!
http://bit.ly/qteSQ
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Don't be a wallflower - join the Twitter party
You can debate the whys and wherefores of Twitter, Facebook et al until the cows come home. I am sure there are lots of businesses out there who fail to see any of the benefits of what they consider to be yet another internet "here-today-gone-tomorrow" fad.
Who knows, the same thoughts may have prevailed when Alexander Graham Bell first patented the telephone. And I know I wasn't the only sceptic when the World Wide Web first hit the public consciousness.
As with all new things, there can be a huge amount of over-analysis, and what works for one person doesn't always work for another. Let's just step back a bit and have a look at what Social Media can do for any business - it provides EVERYONE with an opportunity to engage with other people. It is the great big party where you can chat round the room finding people you hit it off with immediately, or who bore you instantly. It allows you to huddle in the kitchen with those people with whom you feel most at ease and share every bit of gossip you need to impart since the last time you met.
But this is not the party with just the people from your immediate vicinity. This a party of potential customers, clients, friends, influencers, celebrities, wannabes etc from all around the world. Some will bore you (no offence!), some will entertain you, some will provide you with information that educates you, some will give feedback to suggestions or ideas you might make. A melting pot with no bottom...
OK, so what?
Yesterday, I just did a quick snapshot of the way in which two companies are engaging with people on Twitter. How many of you have ever bothered to write to the likes of the large multi-nationals just to say that you weren't that keen on a new product? Would you really bother? And if you did, what would you get in return?
Below, I have picked out a couple of sets of Tweets between company and customer:
ASOS
ASOS: How's everyone's afternoon going? Loving the sunshine? x
CUSTOMER: @ASOS the sunshine is lovely, but the fact you wont respond to any of my tweets or my email- not so.
ASOS: @Julzy_Ramone Sorry to hear that! Where do you live? x
CUSTOMER: @ASOS Israel.lately the delivery is over 10gbp for *all* parcels.really expensive+my friend @Shelly_peleg was promised it will be fixed.
ASOS: Would you like us to do FREE Returns? Vote now, by commenting ‘YES’ on this post! http://bit.ly/freereturns xxx
INNOCENT DRINKS
CUSTOMER: @innocentdrinks Innocent smoothies have got worse. Why is this?
INNOCENT DRINKS: @Tim_Haig How have they got worse?
CUSTOMER: @innocentdrinks Well they don't taste as nice anymore and they are more watery with more bits which is the worst of all worlds.
INNOCENT DRINKS: @Tim_Haig Nothing's change in terms of the way we make them. Which recipe isn't working? Let us know and we'll get to the bottom of it
-----------
CUSTOMER: @innocentdrinks Oh. YES. Would you do anything with pears? Or have you already done that?
INNOCENT DRINKS: @cosmicgirlie We're a bit weak in the pear department. Don't really know why. The secret thing that I tasted it didn't have pears in.
CUSTOMER: @innocentdrinks Thank you thank you THANK YOU for the banana free smoothie. Please tell me another is on the way...
INNOCENT DRINKS: @cosmicgirlie Another banana-free smoothie might be on the way - tested one the other day...
To me, this is extremely powerful stuff. A large company, talking about the weather, and sparking off a chat about one customer's dissatisfaction over the cost of delivery. Would this grumble ever have reached ASOS without Twitter?
Gauging the trends, ASOS then asks for its customers to vote on free returns - instant results and feedback that costs nothing and comes direct from their buying customers.
Would Twitterer Tim_Haig really have taken the time to write to Innocent Drinks to complain about the taste of his drink? Maybe, but probably not. He would have been more likely to have thrown the drink away and tried another brand, because that is easier.
How many customers really have the chance to chat to the decision makers in big companies to push for new flavours/styles/designs or air their individual grievances?
Despite Twitter being a technological creation, it is giving a human face to a business. A chatty, approachable human face with ears, as the above snippets demonstrate. These conversations show real engagement.
That is what Twitter is all about, as has been said time and time again. It is about ENGAGEMENT. As a business, you have this fantastic opportunity to engage with potential customers in a way that has never been available before. What you do with it is ultimately down to you. You can either stand in the corner on your own at the party, drink in hand, waiting for someone to take pity on you, or you can circulate the room, turn on the charm and win over a whole new group of friends.
Who knows, the same thoughts may have prevailed when Alexander Graham Bell first patented the telephone. And I know I wasn't the only sceptic when the World Wide Web first hit the public consciousness.
As with all new things, there can be a huge amount of over-analysis, and what works for one person doesn't always work for another. Let's just step back a bit and have a look at what Social Media can do for any business - it provides EVERYONE with an opportunity to engage with other people. It is the great big party where you can chat round the room finding people you hit it off with immediately, or who bore you instantly. It allows you to huddle in the kitchen with those people with whom you feel most at ease and share every bit of gossip you need to impart since the last time you met.
But this is not the party with just the people from your immediate vicinity. This a party of potential customers, clients, friends, influencers, celebrities, wannabes etc from all around the world. Some will bore you (no offence!), some will entertain you, some will provide you with information that educates you, some will give feedback to suggestions or ideas you might make. A melting pot with no bottom...
OK, so what?
Yesterday, I just did a quick snapshot of the way in which two companies are engaging with people on Twitter. How many of you have ever bothered to write to the likes of the large multi-nationals just to say that you weren't that keen on a new product? Would you really bother? And if you did, what would you get in return?
Below, I have picked out a couple of sets of Tweets between company and customer:
ASOS
ASOS: How's everyone's afternoon going? Loving the sunshine? x
CUSTOMER: @ASOS the sunshine is lovely, but the fact you wont respond to any of my tweets or my email- not so.
ASOS: @Julzy_Ramone Sorry to hear that! Where do you live? x
CUSTOMER: @ASOS Israel.lately the delivery is over 10gbp for *all* parcels.really expensive+my friend @Shelly_peleg was promised it will be fixed.
ASOS: Would you like us to do FREE Returns? Vote now, by commenting ‘YES’ on this post! http://bit.ly/freereturns xxx
INNOCENT DRINKS
CUSTOMER: @innocentdrinks Innocent smoothies have got worse. Why is this?
INNOCENT DRINKS: @Tim_Haig How have they got worse?
CUSTOMER: @innocentdrinks Well they don't taste as nice anymore and they are more watery with more bits which is the worst of all worlds.
INNOCENT DRINKS: @Tim_Haig Nothing's change in terms of the way we make them. Which recipe isn't working? Let us know and we'll get to the bottom of it
-----------
CUSTOMER: @innocentdrinks Oh. YES. Would you do anything with pears? Or have you already done that?
INNOCENT DRINKS: @cosmicgirlie We're a bit weak in the pear department. Don't really know why. The secret thing that I tasted it didn't have pears in.
CUSTOMER: @innocentdrinks Thank you thank you THANK YOU for the banana free smoothie. Please tell me another is on the way...
INNOCENT DRINKS: @cosmicgirlie Another banana-free smoothie might be on the way - tested one the other day...
To me, this is extremely powerful stuff. A large company, talking about the weather, and sparking off a chat about one customer's dissatisfaction over the cost of delivery. Would this grumble ever have reached ASOS without Twitter?
Gauging the trends, ASOS then asks for its customers to vote on free returns - instant results and feedback that costs nothing and comes direct from their buying customers.
Would Twitterer Tim_Haig really have taken the time to write to Innocent Drinks to complain about the taste of his drink? Maybe, but probably not. He would have been more likely to have thrown the drink away and tried another brand, because that is easier.
How many customers really have the chance to chat to the decision makers in big companies to push for new flavours/styles/designs or air their individual grievances?
Despite Twitter being a technological creation, it is giving a human face to a business. A chatty, approachable human face with ears, as the above snippets demonstrate. These conversations show real engagement.
That is what Twitter is all about, as has been said time and time again. It is about ENGAGEMENT. As a business, you have this fantastic opportunity to engage with potential customers in a way that has never been available before. What you do with it is ultimately down to you. You can either stand in the corner on your own at the party, drink in hand, waiting for someone to take pity on you, or you can circulate the room, turn on the charm and win over a whole new group of friends.
Sunday, 30 August 2009
Is Twitter worthwhile for Business?
Everywhere I turn these days, there are debates as to the validity of Twitter as a business marketing tool. These debates sit alongside critiques of Facebook and LinkedIn as effective networking environments in which to conduct commerce.
So, the question remains: can Twitter help your business?
Firstly, I would advise any company against believing that joining Twitter and posting a few Tweets to gain a couple of followers will make the difference between the success and failure of your business. It won't. For those of you who do not yet know what Twitter is, let's turn to Wikipedia:
"Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers."
So, how can 140 characters of text help a business?
1. You can easily drive people to your website or a page of your website. Driving people to your website and changing website content will, in turn, help improve your general search engine ranking. Adding fresh content, making the site content relevant and interesting to your prospective customers will help increase your overall internet presence;
2. You can air your views on subjects that are relevant to your business, and, more importantly, relevant to potential customers. Regular "expert" Tweets can establish you as an authority on a subject and garner an increase in the number of followers you attract;
3. There is an argument that "Followers" of your Tweets are very unlikely to become customers of yours overnight, if at all. That is not the point, and if you think Twitter will bring these types of results, then don't bother with it. We all know that there is no magic wand in the world of marketing. But the more followers you have, the greater the audience you have to address;
4. Twitter allows you to engage with other users. "Engagement" is one of the buzz words in marketing at the moment. Being limited to 140 characters is also a great lesson in the practice of being concise. Learn to get across a marketing message in a short, punchy and interesting way that will attract people to notice you, and leave them wanting to know more...;
5. From a business perspective, Twitter makes you think about the other forms of on-line and Social marketing available, and how you can use them to your advantage, bearing in mind that many of these forms of marketing are absolutely FREE.
For instance, use Tweets to point users to a blog you have written, and in which you can expound on the subject you introduced on Twitter. Blogs are widely accepted as being an invaluable part of any on-line marketing strategy, with cross-references to relevant content on your website, for example.
Links to your Twitter page can be inserted in Blogs, your website, articles and other Social Media sites, creating a tight network of information that you are creating. Having views on subjects relevant to your business demonstrates that you can be taken seriously, and will enhance the overall image of your business.
If you write articles or produce documents on products and services you provide, Tweet about them and link through to them. Get people reading about what you do.
I am not going to use examples of the successes or otherwise of large corporations; I am addressing this at the small and medium sized business looking to find their way into the rapidly growing world of Social Networking.
From personal experience, I don't expect to generate a massive influx of income-generating leads simply by tweeting a couple of times a day (although that would be nice!).
I tweet to drive people to my website. I use URL shortening tools, and can see the instant results as click-throughs are logged in real-time; a lot like Google Adwords but without the cost!
I tweet to point people to articles that I have written on subjects relevant to my business, and that I think might be of interest to prospective customers.
I tweet to offer affiliate deals, or highlight other articles that have been written by other people.
I read other tweets posted by experts and learn a great deal from their articles about emerging trends in marketing and consumer behaviour, and on a day to day basis.
I receive tweets from a wide variety of publication on specific topics that are of particular interest to me, cutting to the chase and saving valuable time.
My advice? Use Twitter and see for yourself. It is a great arena in which to experiment with marketing messages; see what attracts attention. Be patient; don't expect to make £millions, but start to use it as a part of your internet marketing strategy, and employ it with other complementary methods. If the only thing you achieve is increased organic search engine placement for your website, then that can't be a bad result.
It has worked for me, and can certainly work for you.
If you would like to discuss including Social Networking within your on-line marketing strategy, please contact us at design@argentrammedia.com. http://www.argentrammedia.com/
So, the question remains: can Twitter help your business?
Firstly, I would advise any company against believing that joining Twitter and posting a few Tweets to gain a couple of followers will make the difference between the success and failure of your business. It won't. For those of you who do not yet know what Twitter is, let's turn to Wikipedia:
"Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers."
So, how can 140 characters of text help a business?
1. You can easily drive people to your website or a page of your website. Driving people to your website and changing website content will, in turn, help improve your general search engine ranking. Adding fresh content, making the site content relevant and interesting to your prospective customers will help increase your overall internet presence;
2. You can air your views on subjects that are relevant to your business, and, more importantly, relevant to potential customers. Regular "expert" Tweets can establish you as an authority on a subject and garner an increase in the number of followers you attract;
3. There is an argument that "Followers" of your Tweets are very unlikely to become customers of yours overnight, if at all. That is not the point, and if you think Twitter will bring these types of results, then don't bother with it. We all know that there is no magic wand in the world of marketing. But the more followers you have, the greater the audience you have to address;
4. Twitter allows you to engage with other users. "Engagement" is one of the buzz words in marketing at the moment. Being limited to 140 characters is also a great lesson in the practice of being concise. Learn to get across a marketing message in a short, punchy and interesting way that will attract people to notice you, and leave them wanting to know more...;
5. From a business perspective, Twitter makes you think about the other forms of on-line and Social marketing available, and how you can use them to your advantage, bearing in mind that many of these forms of marketing are absolutely FREE.
For instance, use Tweets to point users to a blog you have written, and in which you can expound on the subject you introduced on Twitter. Blogs are widely accepted as being an invaluable part of any on-line marketing strategy, with cross-references to relevant content on your website, for example.
Links to your Twitter page can be inserted in Blogs, your website, articles and other Social Media sites, creating a tight network of information that you are creating. Having views on subjects relevant to your business demonstrates that you can be taken seriously, and will enhance the overall image of your business.
If you write articles or produce documents on products and services you provide, Tweet about them and link through to them. Get people reading about what you do.
I am not going to use examples of the successes or otherwise of large corporations; I am addressing this at the small and medium sized business looking to find their way into the rapidly growing world of Social Networking.
From personal experience, I don't expect to generate a massive influx of income-generating leads simply by tweeting a couple of times a day (although that would be nice!).
I tweet to drive people to my website. I use URL shortening tools, and can see the instant results as click-throughs are logged in real-time; a lot like Google Adwords but without the cost!
I tweet to point people to articles that I have written on subjects relevant to my business, and that I think might be of interest to prospective customers.
I tweet to offer affiliate deals, or highlight other articles that have been written by other people.
I read other tweets posted by experts and learn a great deal from their articles about emerging trends in marketing and consumer behaviour, and on a day to day basis.
I receive tweets from a wide variety of publication on specific topics that are of particular interest to me, cutting to the chase and saving valuable time.
My advice? Use Twitter and see for yourself. It is a great arena in which to experiment with marketing messages; see what attracts attention. Be patient; don't expect to make £millions, but start to use it as a part of your internet marketing strategy, and employ it with other complementary methods. If the only thing you achieve is increased organic search engine placement for your website, then that can't be a bad result.
It has worked for me, and can certainly work for you.
If you would like to discuss including Social Networking within your on-line marketing strategy, please contact us at design@argentrammedia.com. http://www.argentrammedia.com/
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Social Media: Mind-Blowing Statistics
If YouTube were a country, it would be the third most-populated place in the world.
20 hours-worth of video is uploaded to YouTube every single minute.
According to their own statictics, Facebook has more than 250m active users globally.
Over the past twelve months, Twitter’s year-on-year growth rate has broken the 1000% barrier.
Since April this year, Twitter has been receiving around 20 million unique visitors to the site each month, according to some analytical sources.
As a business, you would be mad not to try to tap into this massive free marketplace.
If you would like to discuss the ways in which Social Media can benefit your business, please contact us at design@argentrammedia.com. www.argentrammedia.com
These statistics, and more, were provided by EConsultancy http://bit.ly/PMcTz
20 hours-worth of video is uploaded to YouTube every single minute.
According to their own statictics, Facebook has more than 250m active users globally.
Over the past twelve months, Twitter’s year-on-year growth rate has broken the 1000% barrier.
Since April this year, Twitter has been receiving around 20 million unique visitors to the site each month, according to some analytical sources.
As a business, you would be mad not to try to tap into this massive free marketplace.
If you would like to discuss the ways in which Social Media can benefit your business, please contact us at design@argentrammedia.com. www.argentrammedia.com
These statistics, and more, were provided by EConsultancy http://bit.ly/PMcTz
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Social Networking for Business Growth
33% of all internet users share opinions on-line every week.
It wasn't that long ago that the internet was a display cabinet for static websites that did very little apart from look pretty (and many failed at that!).
Now, there are millions of consumers talking about topics that affect them, products they like and dislike and service (good or bad) that they have experienced. The internet is an open forum, a no-holds-barred soap box where views can be aired with approbation.
"Social Media is everywhere. Quite literally...Covering a vast swathe of online activity from blogs to social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace, to the micro-blogging activity on Twitter, social media is growing at an astonishing rate." Morag Cuddeford-Jones, Marketing Week.
So, how can businesses dip their toes into this maelstrom of consumer chat?
Large brands have discovered the power of social media as a way of identifying consumer trends and changes in behaviour. Many of you will have heard the story of Cadbury Wispa. It disappeared from store shelves in 2003, but Cadbury subsequently learnt that there was a growing campaign on Facebook calling for the bar's return. By 2007, there were 93 "Bring Back Wispa" groups with around 14,000 members, all fans of the confection, and the bar was reinstated.
Cadbury responded: "We had noticed the web interest for some time. It reveals a consumer passion which swayed our opinion about relaunching Wispa." Tony Bilsborough, Cadbury Spokesman.
There are some key words in the above statement - "web interest", "consumer passion" and "swayed our opinion".
Cadbury built a relationship with those people discussing Wispa on Facebook; they listened to the consumer and reacted.
This is exactly how every business can benefit from Social Media. Use it to build relationships. Start by simply tapping into these vast networks, and sharing your opinions and ideas, providing useful information or helpful tips and build a fan base; above all, listen to what consumers are discussing.
I will conclude with some advice from Dan Cobley, Google Marketing Director:
"History tells us that economic slowdowns are when winners get ahead. The performance gap between the most successful companies and their competitors becomes greater than during a growth period. The winners continue investing in growth and focus on profitable products and customers, while carefully managing costs.
The slowdown is likely to fuel further adoption of digital technologies and greater use of the web. By understanding today's consumer, companies can take advantage of digital technology and media to be more flexible, effective and targeted in growing their business during the slowdown."
Marketing Week
We have written a paper entitled "Social Media - An Introduction to Facebook and Twitter for Business" and this can be found at http://www.argentrammedia.com/downloads.html, along with several other articles on Internet Marketing and Website Design. If you find these articles useful, please feel free to post a comment on this blog page; we'd be delighted to hear from you.
It wasn't that long ago that the internet was a display cabinet for static websites that did very little apart from look pretty (and many failed at that!).
Now, there are millions of consumers talking about topics that affect them, products they like and dislike and service (good or bad) that they have experienced. The internet is an open forum, a no-holds-barred soap box where views can be aired with approbation.
"Social Media is everywhere. Quite literally...Covering a vast swathe of online activity from blogs to social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace, to the micro-blogging activity on Twitter, social media is growing at an astonishing rate." Morag Cuddeford-Jones, Marketing Week.
So, how can businesses dip their toes into this maelstrom of consumer chat?
Large brands have discovered the power of social media as a way of identifying consumer trends and changes in behaviour. Many of you will have heard the story of Cadbury Wispa. It disappeared from store shelves in 2003, but Cadbury subsequently learnt that there was a growing campaign on Facebook calling for the bar's return. By 2007, there were 93 "Bring Back Wispa" groups with around 14,000 members, all fans of the confection, and the bar was reinstated.
Cadbury responded: "We had noticed the web interest for some time. It reveals a consumer passion which swayed our opinion about relaunching Wispa." Tony Bilsborough, Cadbury Spokesman.
There are some key words in the above statement - "web interest", "consumer passion" and "swayed our opinion".
Cadbury built a relationship with those people discussing Wispa on Facebook; they listened to the consumer and reacted.
This is exactly how every business can benefit from Social Media. Use it to build relationships. Start by simply tapping into these vast networks, and sharing your opinions and ideas, providing useful information or helpful tips and build a fan base; above all, listen to what consumers are discussing.
I will conclude with some advice from Dan Cobley, Google Marketing Director:
"History tells us that economic slowdowns are when winners get ahead. The performance gap between the most successful companies and their competitors becomes greater than during a growth period. The winners continue investing in growth and focus on profitable products and customers, while carefully managing costs.
The slowdown is likely to fuel further adoption of digital technologies and greater use of the web. By understanding today's consumer, companies can take advantage of digital technology and media to be more flexible, effective and targeted in growing their business during the slowdown."
Marketing Week
We have written a paper entitled "Social Media - An Introduction to Facebook and Twitter for Business" and this can be found at http://www.argentrammedia.com/downloads.html, along with several other articles on Internet Marketing and Website Design. If you find these articles useful, please feel free to post a comment on this blog page; we'd be delighted to hear from you.
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