Social Media Marketing

I went to a very interesting and informative training workshop run by Business Link who are very supportive of the business community.

The workshop was presented by Eskimo Soup, a web development agency on the range of possibilities available to businesses in social media marketing.  It primarily focussed on Facebook but also highlighted You Tube, LinkedIn, Discussion Forums and other relevant media networks.

One of the fascinating aspects of marketing through this media is of the low cost and the loyal base of customers you can build up and market to.  It does however require labour time and patience to start and maintain.  However some big businesses have benefitted greatly such as Pepsi Cola and Dell through their increase in sales.

One example I liked was that of a community pub which has ventured into holding Weightwatchers meetings in their function room.  The pub landlord then developed their food menu to include some calorie conscious meals, started a Facebook page for the pub and invited customers to visit and connect with the pub’s group on Facebook.  They then collected by permission from the customers their email addresses and every time they have a special event or offer at the pub they email all these customers.  It was highlighted they have collected 800 addresses and out of this they would generate around 5% of those customers taking up the offer and visiting the pub.  Not bad for marketing which is free?

Here is the link to view the slides from the training session:

http://issuu.com/eskimosoup/docs/online_social_networks_the_future_of_marketingfina

Putting Pen To Paper

When was the last time you sat down and wrote a personal note to someone?  In this digital age have we lost the art of letter writing?  Do we think perhaps more of our own convenience and not enough of our recipient?

I mention this because it is becoming increasingly common to receive invitations to events, whether for business or personal, by email which I find a shame.  There is a wide range of stationery available in shops some of which can be personalised and there is nothing better to receive through your letterbox or on your work desk something which is more personal.  Increasingly as well with spam filters your email, if you put any images in, can be less likely to get through and also I think people tend to “skim read” emails and take less notice of the full content in them.

And conversely when was the last time you sent a hand written thank you note?  An email thank you pinned up on a board does not have the same visual impact as a card or letter.  Additionally a hand written note somehow gives an impression of more thought on the part of the sender.

Be different – invite, accept and thank with style!

The Recruitment Process

So this week has been interesting - we had a client who rang for some help with a powerpoint presentation for an interview and and separately we had an enquiry from a company to help with their admin in relation to CV’s, candidates and letters.

We helped the client previously with their CV and he rang to say he had secured an interview and would like some help with a 10 minute presentation he had been asked to prepare.  One of the interesting things about the whole recruitment process is that it is not only the candidate that has to impress to secure that job but as the enquiry from the company showed it is also about the company wanting to put their business forward in the best light in order to attract and secure good candidates.

The new Asda store in Keighley attracted 3000 applicants for 300 jobs – some of those applicants will be customers or potential customers and how they are treated in the recruitment process can help or hinder business for that store and the company.

If you feel you would like some help preparing for an interview and require some extra polish with your work or you are a business that would like help with your recruitment admin to add some professional sparkle to the process then please contact me.

How Sassy Is Your Communication Style With Your Customers?

Do you regularly communicate with your customers?  And what form does it take?  With new technology platforms now available there are many different ways.  But which is the best way?  Some of the methods we have found successful for clients are: -

Postal Communication

Newsletters.  By post it generally has a warm response and gives you the opportunity to add colour and photos.  Great if you can send out regularly and you can build a loyal audience.  In most cases it will get to the named person.  But it can be expensive and there are time delays. 

Face to Face

Meetings and Public Events.  Great for interacting directly with your customers and very personal.  You can gain valuable feedback with your customers and build relationships.  But it can be costly and time consuming.

Internet

Email Newsletters have an instant delivery and you can add colour and images to lift the text.  Cost effective and you can track links and clicks.  But people sometimes think “oh another spam” and a high number do not even get through mailing systems.

Social Networking Sites, Blogs and Twitter.  Great for building awareness particularly across the web and can stimulate interesting debates!  Cost effective and good for spreading the word (the Cadbury Wispa bar was launched on the back of a Facebook group).  You can post instant updates but it can be time consuming and sometimes the comments aren’t always postive!

Video Films through your website.  An alternative to face to face meetings but it can still be personal and you can lift the film with music.  

These are just some examples.  Whatever your business be your own style icon and don’t just follow the trend.  Think about your audience, budget and resource and tailor your message accordingly.

As ever if we can be of help with any of them let me know.