Despite the modest turnout to our second seminar this year titled 'The Benefits of social networks for business', the event went very well and the feedback from the attendees was very positive. It occurred to me that alot of SME's still not have much of an idea of what social networks are, how to benefit from using social networks or just how it can be applied to their business.
I gave a couple of examples of where companies have successfully used the power of social networks to become experts in their field, increase brand awareness or improved sales. The ideas and examples presented really got people thinking about how it can be applied to their business and I had some good questions from the audience. Below lists some the questions asked;
How easy is it to create a podcast or video for YouTube?
In basic terms, creating your own podcast or video for social networks is very easy. All you need is a piece of recording equipment such as a microphone or hand held video and a PC to edit the content. The real challenge is coming up with something interesting, unique or useful for your audience. The other big challenge is putting it in the right places where people will see it. One of the best places of doing this is to create a profile on a social network (e.g. ecademy if you are a business) and then 'get to know' other people with similar interests to yourself.
How easy is it to create your own social network?
Creating your own social network isn't an easy task, you will need the help of a good web design company to make it happen. Creating your own social network should also only be done as part of a companies online strategy who feel that their audience really needs a social network for their specific needs. Getting people to know about it and partake in it is a very difficult task and one which would require a lot of marketing effort on behalf of the company. However, it is can be made to work then the advertising, branding and research opportunities are potentially endless.
How do I get into a social network?
Getting into social networks is very easy. All you need to do is create an account with any of the social networks you would like to get involved with and you're off and running. As I have said, it is better to do a bit of research before committing to a network. In my opinion it is better to focus on one (possibly two) network so that you are better known in that place, rather than being spread too thin across a variety of places. Once you've built up a reputation in one place, it should be easier to transfer that reputation across with you.
What are the best social networks to be on for business?
I am not an expert on which social network is 'best'. To give the annoying answer, it would depend on your line of business. If you're selling to the over 50's, then maybe SagaZone is best. If you are looking to sell to people aboard, then you would have different options compared to someone focused in the UK.
The general consensus for the best social networks to get involved with for businesses in the UK is either Ecademy or LinkedIn.
Where can I find a list of the best social networks around?
Surprise, surprise, the lovely people of Wikipedia have put together a list of social networks which lists the main players as well as where they are located and who uses them.
How can I stop my photos being used on social networks (what are the copyright issues?)
We didn't cover this in much detail as it is not one of my specific areas of expertise. One of the best places to start when protecting your material online is the Creative Commons license website.
If you have any more questions relating to social networks and how to get the most benefit from them, please feel free to ask a question!
Showing posts with label social networks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social networks. Show all posts
Friday, 28 March 2008
Monday, 24 March 2008
Three talks in a week!
So, the Easter holidays are over for another year and the four days off has certainly helped the batteries recharge a little. Which is very good for me as this week I'll be giving three talks to various businesses in Hampshire and Dorset, spreading my words of wisdom about web design and online marketing.
If anyone is interested in coming along, the three talks are as follows;
Wednesday 26th March - 7am - 10am - Understanding Google Analytics
This will be very much along the lines of the talk which I gave a few weeks ago in Poole, Dorset. I'll be examining how Google Analytics can be used to get better understanding of how your website is working and how best to capitalise on the information.
Book here - http://www.businesslinkhampshireiow.co.uk/events/
results.aspx?keywords=&EventSubjects=412
Thursday 27th March - 5.30pm - 7.30pm - Benefits of social networking sites for businesses
Going on from the presentation I gave last year in Dorset, this talk will be looking further into social networks and getting to grips with how they can be used to benefits businesses looking to target more clients online.
Book here -
http://www.adido-solutions.com/resources/events/dorset-events.aspx
Friday 28th March - 12pm - 2pm - Discover the power of PR and website marketing
I will be presenting with national PR and marketing agency Aylesworth Fleming to talk about how PR, both offline and online, can be used to increase exposure for businesses to help reach new markets.
Book here -
http://www.adido-solutions.com/cms/site/news/
adido_and_aylesworth_fleming_pr_one_off_seminar_.aspx
I always like giving presentations. It helps me to clarify things in my own head sometimes and also allows me to put down how these technologies work in the simplest terms so that anyone can understand them. Standing on stage and talking for 45+ minutes isn't easy and the hardest part I find is actually knowing which level to pitch the talks at. Are the people in the crowd new to this? Have they been doing it for years?
My assumption is always that a certain percentage of people will come along because they may have heard about whatever subject it is, without knowing anything about it, so if I target the talk for them, then at least everyone should be able to understand. (e.g. What does SEO mean? PPC - how does that work?, What on earth are social networks? What's the future of the Internet? I want to know about web design basics etc)
Do I get it right all the time? Probably not, but I've got a lot better and more confident over the years and the feedback seems to be more positive.
I guess getting 'engagement' face-to-face is a lot easier than online!
If anyone is interested in coming along, the three talks are as follows;
Wednesday 26th March - 7am - 10am - Understanding Google Analytics
This will be very much along the lines of the talk which I gave a few weeks ago in Poole, Dorset. I'll be examining how Google Analytics can be used to get better understanding of how your website is working and how best to capitalise on the information.
Book here - http://www.businesslinkhampshireiow.co.uk/events/
results.aspx?keywords=&EventSubjects=412
Thursday 27th March - 5.30pm - 7.30pm - Benefits of social networking sites for businesses
Going on from the presentation I gave last year in Dorset, this talk will be looking further into social networks and getting to grips with how they can be used to benefits businesses looking to target more clients online.
Book here -
http://www.adido-solutions.com/resources/events/dorset-events.aspx
Friday 28th March - 12pm - 2pm - Discover the power of PR and website marketing
I will be presenting with national PR and marketing agency Aylesworth Fleming to talk about how PR, both offline and online, can be used to increase exposure for businesses to help reach new markets.
Book here -
http://www.adido-solutions.com/cms/site/news/
adido_and_aylesworth_fleming_pr_one_off_seminar_.aspx
I always like giving presentations. It helps me to clarify things in my own head sometimes and also allows me to put down how these technologies work in the simplest terms so that anyone can understand them. Standing on stage and talking for 45+ minutes isn't easy and the hardest part I find is actually knowing which level to pitch the talks at. Are the people in the crowd new to this? Have they been doing it for years?
My assumption is always that a certain percentage of people will come along because they may have heard about whatever subject it is, without knowing anything about it, so if I target the talk for them, then at least everyone should be able to understand. (e.g. What does SEO mean? PPC - how does that work?, What on earth are social networks? What's the future of the Internet? I want to know about web design basics etc)
Do I get it right all the time? Probably not, but I've got a lot better and more confident over the years and the feedback seems to be more positive.
I guess getting 'engagement' face-to-face is a lot easier than online!
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
Could social networks replace politicians?
Ok, this blog post is a bit random but it came to me while driving my car earlier today. There was a discussion on the radio relating to members of Parliament (MPs) and what they get paid. During the debate the merits of MPs, what they do and how much they get paid. One caller made the point that MPs have very little impact when it comes to policy making and representing the thoughts of the people/country.
There is an element of truth in this. Of course, our political systems work are based on methods which are now hundreds of years old, which is understandable. But this made me think. In the future, will we need MPs to make decisions on policy for us? Perhaps in the (not to distant?) future, we will all have our own unique and secure online ID's (or maybe ID cards, but I don't think it is a good idea to go there...). Using these approved IDs, we may be able to share thoughts and opinions with central government and perhaps place votes. There are huge issues to be addressed in terms of security, authenticity and privacy amongst others, but with the continued growth of social networking websites, perhaps these issues can be dealt with by the 'big players' which have a trust factor and infrastructure in place.
If we could vote using these platforms, or something similar, the voting population could dramatically increase (it has supposedly been in decline for along time). In addition, users would be able to vote on a wide variety of issues very easily and then this could be collated much faster than is possible now. By giving people access to have more of a say, you would be able to gauge opinion far more effectively than traditional methods and have a much better idea on what policies are/aren't wanted (e.g. Should MP's be forced to publish all of their expenses or not?). It would also allow those who are unable to vote, to share their thoughts much easier and contribute to the overall voting figures.
Politics isn't my strong point, so please don't shoot me down for airing some random thoughts here. Maybe this type of process could never work, but it's worth consideration as there are already trials of e-Voting in operation. Why not take the vote to where the audience is? Maybe the social networks could have a more important role in our future than we think...
There is an element of truth in this. Of course, our political systems work are based on methods which are now hundreds of years old, which is understandable. But this made me think. In the future, will we need MPs to make decisions on policy for us? Perhaps in the (not to distant?) future, we will all have our own unique and secure online ID's (or maybe ID cards, but I don't think it is a good idea to go there...). Using these approved IDs, we may be able to share thoughts and opinions with central government and perhaps place votes. There are huge issues to be addressed in terms of security, authenticity and privacy amongst others, but with the continued growth of social networking websites, perhaps these issues can be dealt with by the 'big players' which have a trust factor and infrastructure in place.
If we could vote using these platforms, or something similar, the voting population could dramatically increase (it has supposedly been in decline for along time). In addition, users would be able to vote on a wide variety of issues very easily and then this could be collated much faster than is possible now. By giving people access to have more of a say, you would be able to gauge opinion far more effectively than traditional methods and have a much better idea on what policies are/aren't wanted (e.g. Should MP's be forced to publish all of their expenses or not?). It would also allow those who are unable to vote, to share their thoughts much easier and contribute to the overall voting figures.
Politics isn't my strong point, so please don't shoot me down for airing some random thoughts here. Maybe this type of process could never work, but it's worth consideration as there are already trials of e-Voting in operation. Why not take the vote to where the audience is? Maybe the social networks could have a more important role in our future than we think...
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