These days developing relationships online is as important to growing your business or reputation as networking in the real world. The Internet is a great way to expand your horizons and get to know new and influential contacts.
1. Don’t try to network in every Internet networking hub out there. Choose those where you get the biggest impact (i.e. those that your existing contacts already use, those that reflect your target audience, or those most applicable to your niche). The most popular are LinkedIn (Professional Network), Facebook (fastest growing), MySpace but there are many networks that are industry or job specific too so take time to check them out.
2. Leverage existing on-line networks to grow new ones. I recently used my MySpace profile to promote my Twitter account and add more contacts in that forum
3. Promote your activity in your chosen forums by including it in business cards, profiles and on your website.
4. Use widgets. Most of the social networks allow you to widgetize a link to your profile. Add this to your site, blog etc and include widgets for other networks in your networking profiles.
5. Always remember to be professional in these forums - ask the Granny question and make sure your content is appropriate to your professional standing.
6. When you meet new contacts in the real world find then on-line and add them to your networks.
7. Trawl the friends of your friends and contacts and add those you know or those gurus in your business.
8. Don’t spread yourself over to many networks or allow them to suck up your time. Schedule it into your day.
9. Join groups. Facebook and LinkedIn both offer groups. Join applicable ones and gain access to more people in your field.
10. Participate in the right forums.
11. Ask questions and use your status to attract news contacts.
Written July 18th, 2008 | Marketing, Networking, Social Computing, Social Media, Social Networking, Web 2.0 | No Comments »
I often get asked my advice on the blog versus newsletter question. That is - should a company have a corporate blog or should they send out a newsletter instead? My answer is always the same: do both!
A blog and a newsletter are two distinct tools with different attributes, each suited to a different audience and useful for building awareness in distinct forums.
A newsletter is best used to keep in touch with those you’re already have an established relationship with such as clients, prospects, partners and so on. Its a great way to keep your company fresh in their mindset and remind them of what you do.
A blog on the other hand is better for getting the word out to an untapped audience. Blogging allows you to introduce your core services or products to a wider audience whilst reaching your customer and contacts if they so choose. A blog has the added bonus of building links and increasing traffic.
There’s another key difference between the two and that is that one is push the other pull. A newsletter pushes out your announcements and news to the audience whether they like it or not (which is why its best for existing relationships otherwise it risks being spammy). A blog on the other hand is a source of information that people choose to go to to read or subscribe. Its less intrusive and has more buy in (and therefore is more likely to be read).
If you are asking this question because of limited funds and have to make a choice, first consider where you’ll get the most bang for your buck. Existing customers are far easier to build business with (assuming you did a good job first time round) than folks you don’t know so if you have a lot of those go the newsletter way. But if you are starting from scratch trying to grow a new business and establish your website a blog is the way to go.
Written July 15th, 2008 | Blogs, Corporate Blogging, Email Campaigns, Marketing | 1 Comment »
A blog is a place on the web where individuals or companies can regularly post information, ideas and commentary. Many people associate blogging with personal web pages or on line journals where people spout about their lives and experiences. It’s true, there’s a personal blog out there on any subject you care to mention but blogging is by no means limited to the narcissists among us. With over 50% of Canadians using blogs regularly, its not surprising that companies are taking note and using this technology to benefit their business.
The way that companies use blogs will vary according to the corporate culture, the market they are in, their intended audience and what they want to achieve. Here are some of the ways companies are taking advantage of blogging:
- Increase Brand Awareness – adding a blog and updating it regularly allows companies to reach a wider audience and extend their brand to markets they might not otherwise reach.
- Establish Expertise - many small to medium sized companies use blogs to prove to interested parties that they are knowledgeable in their area of expertise.
- Enhance Customer Service – a blog is the perfect medium to communicate service or product messages to your customers and partners or to allow customers and users to share tips and advise each other.
- Research - blogs provide an invaluable research tool that enables companies to monitor the buzz in their industry and to gauge what is being said about their products or services.
- Visibility - a blog is a great way to present your company’s unique offering and to spread the word that you’re out there and open for business.
- Open Communication Channels – a blog is dynamic: a 2 way street - it’s the perfect forum to communicate with key players in your industry.
- Enhanced Search Engine Positioning – Internet search engines like web pages that are updated regularly so by adding a blog to your web site and posting often, your page will go up in the rankings and your site will attract more traffic.
- Networking– by publishing a blog you are presenting yourself as an expert in the field you chose to blog on. If your blog is insightful it will help you establish your company within its peer group building trust within the community and in turn bringing trusted contacts that will help you expand your network.
- Lead Generation - both commenting on the blogs of others in your industry and having your own corporate blog can generate leads for your organisation but beware: the hard sell is a taboo in the blogosphere.
Getting up and running with a blog is relatively simple: it doesn’t need to cost that much and anyone can do it (given a little time and effort). With blogging software and a server you can be off to the races in no time at all but before you start, consider what your goals are and what you are trying to achieve in order to be effective.
Written July 10th, 2008 | Blogs, Corporate Blogging, Marketing | No Comments »
If you have listened to our latest podcasts you might have noticed something. We’re getting much better at it! Finally, all of the trial and errors embarking on our podcast adventure are beginning to pay off. Here are some of the podcasting best practises we have learned on our journey so far.
- Get good equipment - make sure its all compatible and easy to use. You’ll need podcast editing software, a recording device and a place to post.
- Record in a quiet place - there’s nothing like a baby crying in the background to put your audience off.
- Be prepared - a podcast should be natural and in the moment but it doesn’t harm to be prepared upfront with a list of topics to discuss.
- Streamline the process as much as possible - avoids having to have too much time editing and manipulating.
- Keep it short - that way you avoid having a colossal file to upload to your server.
- Promote your Pod in all the right places. Do it separately from your blog or site to build links and remember to submit it to iTunes.
- Interview industry experts and vary the topic but try to keep within your chosen theme.
- Don’t get cocky. Don’t assume everything is going to go right just because it did last time. Be prepared for curved balls. Do a sound check to make sure your equipment is recording and the sound is good.
Written July 8th, 2008 | Marketing, Podcasting | 1 Comment »
The evolution of the Internet brings new ways to reach your target audience, build brand awareness and develop business. Here are some simple ways the you can take advantage of Web 2.0 technology to grow your market on line.
1. Add a blog to your site - you can start blogging today using WordPress or Typepad. Blog to establish your expertise and increase traffic. Be sure to include a comments section for readers to give feedback.
2. Use a photo site like Flickr to show case your talents - especially if your focus is visual arts. Link these back to your web site and include in other forums - the more people who see your work the more interest you will get.
3. Add a Skype link so that people can contact you by phone and over the Internet making it easier for them to do business with you.
4. Use widgets to get your audience interacting. Participation increases return visits and makes your site more sticky. Examples include easy to use poll widgets (PollDaddy) and traffic counters (Alexa).
5. Use video clips to enhance customer service and post them via YouTube to reach more people.
6. Consider Podcasting your expertise but read our New Experiences in Podcasting blog posts first to learn from our mistakes.
7. Use wiki technology like PBWiki to facilitate collaboration both within and out with the organisation.
8. Sign up and start using a professional or social network like LinkedIn or Naymz but choose wisely by considering where your prospects are most likely to hang out on-line.
9. Consider using a book marking site like Ma.gnolia to share your web discoveries and favorites, to further establish your niche and to network with like minded counterparts.
10. Provide links to all of the above on your site to make your company even more accessible in these forums.
Written July 3rd, 2008 | Blogs, Bookmarking, Corporate Blogging, Internet Marketing Strategy, Social Media, Social Networking | No Comments »
To celebrate Canada day, here are some of my favorite Canadian social media, marketing and technology related sites and blogs:
Techvibes
Twist Image
My Name is Kate
Get Elastic
One Degree
Canadian Marketing Blog
CBC Technology
Miss604
Written July 1st, 2008 | Blogs, Marketing, Social Media | 2 Comments »
Amid the furore of the CBC loosing the rights to the Hockey Night in Canada theme, its good to see that something is going well for them. I’ve been listening to some of their podcasts for a while now and I highly recommend Search Engine which discusses ways the Internet is changing the world.
Blog Explosion - blasts to numerous blogs at once: a great way to get your blog heard.
I’ve been looking for a contractor for a while now and I think my search is over thanks to MyTradefinder a web 2.0 site that refers and classifies contractors.
I found the last 2 thanks to Fiona at FMWalsh: Salesconx is an online place to buy and sell decision maker introductions. Interesting concept but whether it will be effective remains to be seen. BillingBoss is another online billing system for me to try out in my never ending search for the perfect package.
Written June 30th, 2008 | Marketing, Web 2.0, Whimsy | No Comments »
Written June 27th, 2008 | Micro Blogging | No Comments »
Worried that your good work could be plagiarised or that someone’s going to steal your thunder on the Internet and not reference your writing appropriately? There’s a solution to every problem and this one comes in the form of Creative Commons. An offshoot of a US non profit organisation , Creative Commons was founded in 2003 with the help of the University of Ottawa Law and Technology Program and theCanadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic.
The service allows you to license your work easily and at no cost. With various different license offerings based on how much freedom you want to give people to use your writing and in which forums, Creative Commons steps you through an easy process to find the right license and then you simply download some HTML to your web-site and your covered like so:
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License
People using the works are then morally and legally obliged to use them accordingly (or not at all if you so choose). Whether or not people act appropriately remains to be seen and there’s also the issue of the global reach of the Internet with different laws governing different jurisdictions but if this plagiarism is a concern for you then Creative Commons is definately a step in the right direction to protecting your work.
Written June 24th, 2008 | Blogs, Corporate Blogging | No Comments »
Your corporate blog is up and running. You’re off to the races with lots of witty anecdotes and already traffic to your website has increased. In order to build on this initial success, don’t forget the three C’s of blogging.
Consistency - write consistently. Many bloggers write posts daily. For corporate blogs the recognized minimum is 2 blogs per week so get on with it will you! If you can’t write consistently or if you set up a blog get others involved and you ultimately lose interest then bring it down: there’s nothing more frustrating than finding a blog that hasn’t been updated since 2005 or worse, has three posts and then nothing.
Clarity - it should always be clear to readers what your posts are about. Write short sentences and keep articles brief to maximize effect. Get your message across in the most straight forward way. People don’t have the time to read page upon page of your ruminations.
Collaboration - blogging is all about collaboration so stimulate your audience and encourage them to join in. Ask for questions and opinions in an effort to elicit comments and always remember to follow up with those who comment to encourage them to come back.
Do you have any C’s to add to the list?
Written June 20th, 2008 | Blogs, Corporate Blogging, Marketing | 1 Comment »
