Saucy Twitter Tips – What are the downsides (and the upsides) of Twitter?

People will tell you that Twitter takes up time…. that it takes you away from other more important work you could be doing.

They’d be right in the in the first instance.

It’s easy to see the effort required to use Twitter well as a downside. Although it’s a free platform, it requires time and intelligence, as well as a plan, to make something happen.

But you won’t find me agreeing that there are more important things than finding new business and new prospects. That’s the lifeblood of every business.

So, what is it about Twitter that those who don’t use it well, don’t like?

As Chris Brogan says in his article on using Twitter for business , “Without a strategy, it’s just typing.”

Soooo, it follows that what might be missing for those who aren’t getting results is a Social Media Strategy.

Other things that people will say about Twitter :

Twitter doesn’t replace customer service.

It doesn’t – it becomes a key part of it if your customers are online. Do you know what they’re saying about your business? Or are you blissfully unaware of both the good and bad comments being made on the social media channels?

Twitter is just for technonerds.

Pah – who do you know who is on Twitter? Odds on they’re not all techno or  nerds. Twitter appeals to an educated group of business people who want to know what’s being said and want to be heard by their peers. Clearly the numbers (3.8 million unique visitors over 30 days according to web marketing group) suggest that there’s a wide variety of people on Twitter. By using Advanced Search and other forms of monitoring and alerts, the game is to find those who are interested in what you do in your business. And they will be there…

Twitter’s only a few million people. (only)

Twitter doesn’t replace direct email marketing.

Twitter opens the company up to more criticism and griping.

All of those are true – but none are reasons not to use it (quite the opposite) – and we work with clients who see real benefits from adding Twitter to the digital marketing mix alongside offline marketing such as direct mail, as well as online direct email marketing. It’s possible to make that all the better by using intelligence gleaned from the social platforms by the way…

And as for opening you up to more criticism – don’t labour under the illusion that just because you don’t know about it, it isn’t happening! When’s the last time you checked what’s being said about your company or your sector on the social platforms?

Again, courtesy of Chris Brogan’s blog, here are some positive to throw back in Twitter’s favour…

“Twitter works swell as an opinion poll. Twitter can help direct people’s attention to good things. Twitter at events helps people build an instant “backchannel.” Twitter breaks news faster than other sources, often (especially if the news impacts online denizens). Twitter gives businesses a glimpse at what status messaging can do for an organization. Remember presence in the 1990s? Twitter brings great minds together, and gives you daily opportunities to learn (if you look for it, and/or if you follow the right people). Twitter gives your critics a forum, but that means you can study them. Twitter helps with business development, if your prospects are online (mine are). Twitter can augment customer service. ”

And most importantly, focused and incisive strategy coupled with time & effort results in recommendations, referrals, and new business.

That’s why we spend our time on Twitter for our own business and for our clients.

Are you breaking Facebook Rules? What you can use in your cover image - The Big Picture!

Facebook Rules for Cover Photos

 

I love Facebook. Do what you want, say what you want, post whatever pictures you want as long as you don't offend anybody. Right? Nope.  Nothing is ever that easy... There are a few rules that you have to follow to make sure that your company Facebook page (and all those lovely followers that you worked hard to attract, engage with and keep) doesn't disappear, hauled from the web by Facebook for breaking its terms and conditions. First up, that huge attractive space at the top of your company Facebook page that is just begging to have an advertising picture on it?  Don't even think about it.  You might think that you can get around the rules, but Facebook is sitting there thinking, "You might think I won't notice, but I will" and you will get caught eventually!

What is banned from Facebook Cover Photo?

Do not

• Put any contact info on the picture. At all. Put it all in the sections of your Facebook page that they are meant to be in. The "About" section is the first place to start
• No ad copy AT ALL. No special offers, no sales incentives, no "buy now" text. No calls to action.
• No big arrows pointing to the Like button, or saying Click here.

So, what can you use? Treat your Facebook picture like you treat a blog post. Provide something interesting and beautiful to attract attention and stand out from the crowd.  Use it to make a statement about the kind of company that you are.

What Pictures for Facebook Cover Photo?

Use it as an opportunity to stamp your identity on your Facebook page and make people think, "I want to stay around here and see more from this company".  If you try to break the rules with your image , your page will be shut down and people will be thinking, "I wonder where so and so's Facebook page went? I enjoyed reading that!"

Stay on the right side of Facebook's guidelines and enjoy picking your picture identity!

Video for your website X Factor Stylee - from only £199 including Voice Over Man!

Insanely Good Video

We work with some fabulous clients - we're video producers across all types of business sectors - and across all sorts of budgets. For those who want the full creative video treatment with fresh and very innovative ideas (don't expect anything ordinary) from our brilliant team of writers and directors, we are happy to pull out all the stops. We produce full broadcast quality videos and company promos which bring to bear our broadcast backgrounds making the TV programmes, commercials and idents that you've all seen on the BBC, Sky, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Discovery. MTV, VH1 and any other channels you may choose to quote. And we want to bring our craft to those who want to dip their toes in the water and see what a difference video makes to their online marketing efforts... so we've created an option that means you can do just that from only £199... We are only making one of these videos for each business sector, so once it's been booked by your competitors, it's gone! By the same token, if you buy one of these for your business, no one else in the same business as you can have one. Contact us for this amazing deal!

Video Production For Websites - Showcase your product & Stand Out From the Crowd!

Video Production for Business

 You may think that your product doesn't lend itself to video, but you'd be wrong!  Hazel and the crew at The Container Team wanted to have a bit of fun with their video while showcasing their product at the same time, and this is the result.
 
 It's a feel good video that is embedded on The Container Team's website. So not only does it showcase the company and the product, it is improving SEO at the same time. Win all round! (and I defy you not to singing "yes we do, do doodoodoodoo" for the rest of the day)

Make a "How to" video like this for your website, sit back, and wait for the bookings!

Establish yourself as an expert in your field with a series of videos that show your customers how to do things properly. You'll build your credibility and you'll stamp your personality on your business - just like Darryl's done here. We call it the video halo effect... You can check out Darryl's business here http://bertelectrics.co.uk/testimonials - and note how's he used video on his website to give his prospects the testimonials they need to help them make a quick and easy decision to call him. You can follow Darryl on Twitter - @DarrylBertie . He's got his bases covered when it comes to building his online visibility with both video and social media - a marriage made in Saucy Horse Heaven ;-0 Easy peasy! Can we help you use this approach to your online and digital marketing?

Social Media for Business - Three ways to use Social Media to increase your bottom line.

Social Media & your bottom line

 Do you love Social Media? Do you love the chat, the sharing, the ability to talk directly to customers, future customers and peers?  There's no filter and that can give you unbridled access to people who you might not otherwise be able to communicate with. If you don't love Social Media, you think it's a waste of time and don't understand how chatting about everything but your business can help your business, then that's a point of view shared by a number of businesses. Both viewpoints are out there - and the question at the end of the day for most businesses should be - How does it help my bottom line?

What are your customers saying about you?

If two people are chatting in a cafe, or a networking event and mention your company, you will never know about it.  With Social Media searches you can see when potential customers are discussing your company, or potential purchases of your products or similar products. You can give those interested advice and recommendations and share special offers with them, which may sway their decision to purchase.

Know what your customers are looking for.

Think creatively with your searches to find customers who might not even know that they need you.  If you are a taxi company, search for "missed the last train home"; whatever company you work for set up a "can anyone recommend a..." search for your product or service. You'll be amazed at the new customers you find that way.

Mobilise your website

You can engage customers who are actually at the point of purchase or needing your service by making sure that your website has been adequately set up to be viewed on mobile devices. If you are a restaurant, tweet a discount code or QR code pic on a quiet night for immediate use, with a link to your restaurant menu.  You could also tie it in with existing deals in your area - for example, "Going to the cinema on #OrangeWednesday? Pop in to us for a pre-film meal". Are you interested in finding out what conversations are taking place around your business and your sector?

Video For Websites - Getting Your Video on the Big Screen

Get Video online

So, you understand the amazing boost video SEO can give your website and you've made the first step of filming your video - you're ready to broadcast it to the wide world. Just one problem - your video is sitting on your camera and you can't get it onto your computer. Mocking you, it refuses to upload onto your computer so that you can edit it. Although your first reaction is to launch either your camera or your computer (or both - Oh yes we've been there -  out of the nearest window, here's a quick checklist to run through.

Check your video equipment.

• Look at your cables. Are the ends blackened (which could suggest a shorting in the port)? Are all the connectors clear, clean and visible? Is there a break in the cable? Keep a selection of cables handy for just this problem. I've often had to replace cables that have been chewed by the dog!
• Check your ports. Do they look dirty or are there pins bent?
• Check your software. Is it up to date with no conflicts?
• Does your camera save your work in a file version that your software accepts? Always check this when shooting with a new camera for the first time. This problem is pretty rare these days as most digital cameras will download the software to your computer as soon as you connect it up. However, it's good practice to ensure it's going into a specific video folder where you can access it - that doesn't always happen automatically depending on which camera you're  using so worth checking during the upload process.

Video still refuses to upload

If you are still having problems after this checklist, you may have to consider using a "bridge". Upload your video to a hard drive or memory storage device and then from there upload it on to your computer. It may be a "faff" but it's usually the way to get it sorted. It's also good practice if you don't want to overload your computer with files you won't  need. If you firstly upload to a drive you can select the shots you need and then drag and drop into the editing software you are using.

Happy Film Making!

How you can use video to humanise your business and your brand : Be the expert in your field

How does video improve the perception of your business?

 

Have a look at Johnson & Johnson on Youtube for a lesson in how to use video to boost your visibility, raise your credibility and connect with your customers in a way that will ensure they will come to you.

 

It's a simple concept - they produce videos to promote a better understanding of health. The issues they talk about are ones for which they sell products, but the key approach here is to set themselves up as the "go - to" in their field of expertise... the experts. When your customers perceive you as experts in what you do, they are more likely to buy from you when the time is right, especially if they have sourced vital information on their problems and issues through useful and relevant information you have provided.

 

Reasons why videos like this work...

• They engage your viewing audience
• They help you connect with people who need what you have
• They humanize your brand
• Engagement is one of the most important aspects of social media marketing - video is the number one tool for engagement.

Connect with Johnson & Johnson on Twitter here and you can also check out their videos on YouTube here.

Are you breaking Facebook Rules? What you can use in your cover image - The Big Picture!

Facebook Rules for Cover Photos

 
 
I love Facebook. Do what you want, say what you want, post whatever pictures you want as long as you don't offend anybody. Right? Nope.  Nothing is ever that easy... There are a few rules that you have to follow to make sure that your company Facebook page (and all those lovely followers that you worked hard to attract, engage with and keep) doesn't disappear, hauled from the web by Facebook for breaking its terms and conditions. First up, that huge attractive space at the top of your company Facebook page that is just begging to have an advertising picture on it?  Don't even think about it.  You might think that you can get around the rules, but Facebook is sitting there thinking, "You might think I won't notice, but I will" and you will get caught eventually!

What is banned from Facebook Cover Photo?

Do not

• Put any contact info on the picture. At all. Put it all in the sections of your Facebook page that they are meant to be in. The "About" section is the first place to start
• No ad copy AT ALL. No special offers, no sales incentives, no "buy now" text. No calls to action.
• No big arrows pointing to the Like button, or saying Click here.

So, what can you use? Treat your Facebook picture like you treat a blog post. Provide something interesting and beautiful to attract attention and stand out from the crowd.  Use it to make a statement about the kind of company that you are.

What Pictures for Facebook Cover Photo?

Use it as an opportunity to stamp your identity on your Facebook page and make people think, "I want to stay around here and see more from this company".  If you try to break the rules with your image , your page will be shut down and people will be thinking, "I wonder where so and so's Facebook page went? I enjoyed reading that!"

Stay on the right side of Facebook's guidelines and enjoy picking your picture identity!

One button, five ways - Five Twitter tips to increase your attraction on Twitter!

Getting the most from your Twitter account.

 
If you want to get the most out of Twitter, you need to get the most from the @ reply button. Here’s five ways the @ button makes your Twitter account really sing.

Potential Twitter Followers

When you follow someone new on Twitter, you may be bringing your account to their attention for the first time. If they have a look at your account and just see a page of transmissions with no engagement, it looks flat and one dimensional. An account with a timeline split between helpful content and conversations shows potential followers you are a helpful, chatty company – and not a dreaded spambot!

Say hello on Twitter

When you follow someone new, say hi. Have a look at their timeline for a tweet that grabs your attention and comment on it or ask a question. You don’t present your business card to new contacts and then walk away with no conversation in the real world, so don’t do the same on twitter.

Follow up on company searches on twitter

If you see someone talking about your company, products or industry on one of your Twitter searches, say hello. Answer their question, say thanks for the mention, or follow up with a question of your own. Encouraging the conversation and engagement shows the human face behind your company.

React to your Twitter timeline.

You put a lot of effort into your tweets and other people are the same. When you see an interesting tweet, or a tweet that makes you want to know more or even one that just makes you smile, reply with a comment or question of your own. Twitter is all about the communication, so foster and encourage it!

Reply to your own mentions

The @connect page on Twitter makes it easy to keep in contact. Reply to all your mentions, thank and start conversations with new followers and chat to people who have re-tweeted you. Everything is on one page and so easy to track. Use of the @ button can transform your account – how often do you chat on twitter?

Social Media for B2B business to business - do you have a social media marketing expert on board?

Great article over on Social Media Examiner, one of our favourite sources of social media opinion and expertise,  by Phil Mershon - all about the relevance of social media to the B2B sector - is that your sector? Do you primarily market to other businesses? Does that mean that you've discounted social media marketing as having any relevance to how you can grow your business because you see it as part of the mix only for those businesses that market to the consumer? In the 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report,Mike Stelzner asked marketers in the US how they’re using social media. The key points to note: Over 93% use social media to market their businesses - there’s been a significant increase since the 2010 survey when the figure was only 88%. This is a US survey but the pattern is clear - social media marketing is established as part of the essential mix when it comes to finding and cultivating customers. Benefits of social media marketing - B2B marketers noted the following:

• Over 56% of B2B marketers acquired new business partnerships through social media (compared to 45% of B2C marketers)
• Nearly 60% of B2B marketers saw improved search rankings from their social efforts (compared to 50% of B2C marketers)
• B2B marketers are more able to gather marketplace insights from their social efforts (nearly 69% vs. 60% of B2C marketers)
• The one area where B2B marketers significantly lag behind their B2C counterparts is in developing a loyal fan base. 63% of B2C marketers found social media helped them develop loyal fans, compared to only 53% of B2B marketers.

Observation: That last point is interesting - even though the percentage of B2B marketers that cultivated a loyal following on social platforms is less than B2C marketers, it's still 53%. That's over half who believed they had created longer term value from their social relationships in terms of loyalty. When you look at that in conjunction with the real, measurable effects of their social media activities - increase in organic SEO, better rankings on search engines, and worthwhile business partnerships, the question has to be, if 50% - 60% of businesses are seeing these benefits, why aren't the others? In my opinion, it's simple - it's all about how you are approaching your social media. When you choose who you work with as social media marketing partners, you need to know they have experience of the sorts of campaigns that have created the positive effects and results we talk about above. Ask for testimonials and social media case studies when you talk to social media marketing managers and agencies and ensure that what you see confirms they can achieve real and meaningful results for your business.  

Social Media Marketing - Where is your content? Part One

Content for Social Media?

 
If you are sitting with a blank Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Wordpress, Tumblr or Pinterest account, you need content - after all, content is what Social Media is all about.  If you have a massive Social Media Marketing content block, we can help with these tips that will soon have your accounts flying - and by that we mean, interesting & engaging to your followers.

Blog Content

Review Something

Whether it's a book reviewed online,or a film, television show or product, if it's of interest to your readers or customers then talk about it.

Tell A Story

Share your story of how a product or service came into being with your blog readers and customers. Add in anecdotes of problems that you overcame in perfecting your product or service.

Share Tips

Give your customers a shortcut by sharing your experiences with tips and tricks that you have learnt. You'll become known as an expert in your field if you get this right.

Comment on News

Is there a news story that relates to your industry or customers? Write a quick and interesting blog post giving your take on it - very shareable content!

Twitter

Share your blog

With the above tips, you'll have a great blog. Talk about it on Twitter and share it out!

Answer others' questions

Seen a question on Twitter? Answer it, with the @mention in the middle of the answer instead of a direct reply, and share your knowledge!

Comment on your Retweets

If you see a great tweet that you want to retweet, then comment on it too. If there is room then comment on the original tweet; if not then mention the original tweeter in your comment

Ask a question on Twitter

Something bothering you or are you looking for information? Put out a question on Twitter, including a relevant term with a hashtag - that way your question will be picked up by non-followers who may be monitoring the hashtag

Still To Come in Part Two of Social Media - Where is your content?

We have more tips on LinkedIn, Facebook, Tumblr and Pinterest still to come!  If you have any great tips, let us know in the comments.

Fed up of playing Hide and Seek on Social Media - Where are your customers?

Finding Your Customers On Social Media

In last year's The Apprentice the two teams were sent to Paris, and were asked to sell the Best Of British.  Both teams were offered products to sell, and had to pick the products that would sell the most and make the most profit. One of the items was a backpack which turned into a child’s booster car seat. Both team-captains wanted this item, and sent members of their team out to do research on whether there was a market for the backpack.  One team set up base in a train station, and were met with ambivalence from the public on the backpack car seat, so didn’t choose it. The team that chose the backpack went on to storm the task, winning by an amazing 20.9:1 margin. The big mistake - the losing team weren’t hanging out where their prospective customers did. If they had been at a motorway service station, or an airport, or a large toy store, people would have been biting their hands off to get at this product.  Train travellers don’t need car seats – any person who has grappled a plastic booster seat through airports or rental car book-ins while juggling kids, cases and bags would immediately see the benefits of a booster seat that a child could carry themselves on their back.

Find Your Customers on Social Media

The same principle applies to Social Media.  You could be putting out fantastic content on Twitter, but if your customers are hanging out on Facebook or Linked In then they won’t see it.  Spread your content out across all the platforms, and see where you get the most engagement. Cross promote your Linked In account on Facebook, Your Google + account on Twitter, Your Linked In account on Tumblr.

Your Social Media Message

Make sure that each platform has fresh content that isn’t seen on your other Social Media platforms and you are increasing the visibility of your message.  Every account has a different feel (try posting 12 times a day on Facebook and see how many people unlike your account; post the same amount of times on Twitter and no-one will blink an eye) and you can tailor your content to fit in with that. Put the Social into Social Media, and make sure that you know where your customers and potential customers are!

Pinterest – The new "Pringles" of Social Media... once you pop you can’t stop!

The Latest Craze in Social Media 

For those of you who haven’t yet been sucked in, Pinterest is an online pin board for people to share their photos, ideas and findings on the web and its popularity is spreading like wild fire! It was launched 2 years ago however it has only just recently come into the limelight in a big way. It has been reported that is it now the 3^rd most popular social website after Facebook and Twitter.  The latest craze seems to have the "once you pop you can't stop" factor!     So what does this mean for your business? It means it’s time to get on it and jump on the Pinterest bandwagon!  Although it won’t be suitable for every company, as it may be difficult to put something like financial software management into pictures on a pinboard, Pinterest covers a wide range of topics such as home décor, hair and beauty, fashion, food, art, architecture and anything that has a visual element. It's your chance to be creative! For our customers in the wedding, beauty, property and venue space for instance, it's ideal. We're also using it for Tech clients - great boards of Top 10 geeky gadgets for instance. Mostly used by women ranging from 24-44 years of age the site is a very female dominated environment, so if this is your target market its especially time to get involved!  However it is beginning to become increasingly popular with men too. So if you’re a restaurant perhaps you want to show off your latest recipes? Or maybe you’re an estate agent with some great property pictures? Or a fleet management company and you want to post pictures of your favourite cars? Or a travel agent who needs to boast about their latest hotspots? You might think why? How will this benefit me and my company? Social Media is all about reeling people in and forming relationships. What better way than to link up over shared interests, and by providing great images that your prospective customers will love to look at, and ultimately share on social media sites, increasing your online visibility and reach as they do so? So now Pinterest is up there with Twitter and Facebook marketing, why miss out on this great opportunity to drive more traffic to your site, your online blogs, and to you! How could you use Pinterest? If you'd like some ideas, give us a ring!

Blogging - Count To 5! Spice up your blogs with these 5 tips on snappy readable blogs

Writing Blogs that get read...

  You have a blog and you have content that you want to write about. If you are struggling to bring the two together, then struggle no more. Here are five tips that will have sizzling SEO-friendly blog posts up and attracting readers in no time!

Ideas for Blogs - Outbound Links

When you are writing your blog, think of where you could link it to. Don't think of the search engines, that'll come automatically. Think of great articles that your readers might find interesting, different, helpful or thought provoking.  If you provide that your readers will keep returning to you.

Blogging Helpful Content

Is there an issue that affects your industry or customers?  Write about it, offering solutions or guidance or your opinion on the matter. It's a great way to stimulate comments and discussion too!

Sharing Others' Content

If you find a blog on a subject and think, "Wow, I couldn't put it any better myself" then don't try - share it around! Link to the other blog and say why you found it so interesting and helpful.  Highlight the key points that your readers may find relevant. Directing your traffic to the original writer's blog site is good karma too!

Keeping Your Blog Fresh

You'll be able to see from your site analytics which blog posts are the most popular, but that doesn't mean that you should just stick to these subjects.  Introduce new topics and link to them in your most popular blog posts to encourage traffic.

Use Your Blog Categories

If your readers have liked what you have said on a certain topic then they may want to read more.  Make sure that you file all your blog posts with relevant tags and categories so that your readers can surf around and see what else you have to say. Do you think that these tips will help you? Do you have any other tips that you'd like to add? (ps. I found Harry The Hermit Crab interesting, different, helpful and thought provoking. Hope that you did too!)

Making a video about your business - Why stop at one? Company Video & video production

Let your clients know that you're on it! Making a video for your website is a great marketing tool for your company. But why stop at one? If you are in an industry where you can keep the content flowing on a regular basis then why limit yourself. We're not saying every video needs to be a Steven Spielberg production.  We’ve put together a simple but snappy video for this Estate Agent in Maidstone to showcase all of their latest properties! It’s simple and time effective and gives your viewers and clients the impression that you're on it - in the moment! By creating more than one video you will then find yourself with an archive. And what can you do with this archive? Create yourself a library for your company’s videos on YouTube. With YouTube having over 4 billion views a day I think you will agree it’s definitely the place to be! So why not start your archive today?

Blog like a what?! A Pole Dancer? What do you mean?! Blog Headlines

Blog headlines that stand out and really ZING!

 

  So, there I was, idly minding my own business, glancing down my RSS feed, seeing what I should catch up and what I should skim. Facebook is the new yada yada Twitter can rock your blah blah blah The Pole Dancer’s Guide to Being a Better Blogger When Was The Last Ti- .......errr, whose guide to the what now? Now, you know that I'm nearly going to break my finger clicking on that - for many reasons. Pole dancers and how in the name of the wee man can you shoehorn Pole Dancers and Blogging?  Has Bendy Kate from Got To Dance started blogging? That punchy headline guarantees that I want to read more, so I did. And there's a lot we can learn from the article about how to craft a blog. Not only from the great content, but from the style.

If someone said to you that you should blog like a pole dancer to grow your blog, would you be curious and say, “Okay, I’m listening, but no touching!” or would you say, “Are you out of your mind, man? What the heck has pole dancing got to do with blogging?” Well, if you were swaying toward the first answer – cool, this post is for you. If you were of the second opinion – well, I have no clever answer to persuade you to stick around and check out why. Except maybe… stick around and check out why. So – pole dancing and blogging. Let’s get started...

First of all, take an interesting and unusual subject - pole dancers - and write out some of the attributes connected with this subject. Then weave your article around these. This can work for a lot of attention grabbing headlines for your blog. "The Ferrari Owners Guide To Buying A Wallet". "What Downton Abbey Can Teach Us About Retirement".  With a bit of craft and polish the attributes won't come across as shoehorned in, but thought about and relevant. You can even use this with people "What Jeremy Clarkson and Your Subject have in common". " What Whatever You Want To Talk About can learn from Lana Del Ray". Bump up your blog activity by doing something unexpected. Go pole-dancing. Make sure that you read the whole article from Danny Brown about Pole Dancing And Blogging