Corporate Eye

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Bridget Wright

Bridget Wright

The Social Media Master: How Your Company Can Excel at Networking

I am a big fan of Facebook and Twitter and count them as the number one effective ways that I market and network with peers in my field. The networks have proven undoubtedly that they are quite successful in connecting with and finding resources for whatever your company’s field of expertise may be.

Although the concept is viral, there are still many companies, large and small, who do not take advantage of the multiple benefits of utilizing a social networking campaign within their media campaigns. There are numerous articles and blogs online that cite the wonderful advantages of using social networking, but until a company actually implements some of these tools and tips, they are simply “ideas” that are waiting to be found.

If your company has the resources, consider delegating the campaign solely to an individual or set of individuals who can concentrate 100% on building a social networking presence online.

They could be responsible for posting blog entries, interacting with others in the industry, answering questions that readers may have or simply researching and finding industry-related news that you can use in your marketing strategy.

Sometimes, it is just as effective to make 1-2 blog posts per week and Tweeting them as opposed to nothing at all. However, building up a viable presence on the social sites will require more than a Twitter post.

I personally have found that companies who interact from a genuine standpoint are usually more successful than those who are not. By that I mean companies who take the time to explain a concept, answer questions directly, respond to comments expeditiously and participate in discussions are more likely to get the attention of their readers than those companies who may make a few random comments on occasion. Readers and social networkers who frequent online networks can quickly tell the difference in the two. Help your company stand out by taking the time to invest in building up a solid networking campaign that readers will come to know and trust.

Once you’ve invested the tools, resources and time in building a social networking presence, be sure to keep it stoked by staying abreast on news and developments that relate to your industry. It’s important for readers to see that your interests and commitment align with theirs and they will eventually come to trust you as a viable source of solid information and knowledge. Your mastery in the social media world is not one that has to be elusive or overwhelming. It’s all a matter of placing yourself in key positions and on important sites to get you and your business noticed. While I cited Facebook and Twitter as two of my favorites, what are your favorites? Do you find that any particular social networking site is more receptive of your business or service than any other?

What Social Market Are You Appealing To?

Baby boomers may prefer the landscape over at Facebook, while the high school demographics prefer MySpace more. It could be a toss-up between the movers and shakers and the well-to-do when it comes to who may prefer Twitter more. This interesting article recently reported by CNN may in fact arm your company with the necessary information that you need to make an impact in the social networking  community when it comes to statistics and where your marketing dollars may be better spent.

Online marketing is leaning heavily these days towards social community portals. Companies are finding that their target demographic markets are online and centered mainly in the three most popular portals; MySpace, Twitter and Facebook. This is not to say that other social outlets aren’t used, but just that these three seem to be the leading ones. Depending on your product and/or service, you may decide to concentrate on a particular source, or you may even use all three. But which is right for you?

Deciding on the “right” social portal to use is a relative decision. What are your goals? To whom do you want to appeal? Is your product tangible (a widget) or intangible (a service)? What delivery method(s) will you use to satisfy the customer? All of these factors go into deciding what is the best use of your marketing dollars and how it may be best spent.  To help you decide, consider these suggestions:

1.) Participate on the social networking sites. Set up accounts on each on and begin interacting. Look at what people are talking about and the questions they’re asking. Are they relevant to your product or service? Can you perhaps answer a need that they may have voiced?

2.) Be consistent. When you begin participating, be consistent with your posts and your updates. People like to see that you’re active and not just a dropper-by only when you have great, new information to share. Which leads to…

3.) Be genuine. Talk from a real world perspective. Share business stories, tips and advice that you have experienced yourself. This helps your audience to identify better with your message and to feel more a part of what you’re offering.

In your approaches, you may find that you appeal to perhaps one or many sites where there is an interest in your services. Carefully market and strategically place yourself in those areas where you think you may be able to make the most impact.


Can Your Company Benefit from Social Networking?

Should your company use Facebook, Twitter or Linked in for reaching out to other companies or buyers online? Could using these venues really be a way for a company to effectively reach out and market their product or service and make a name for themselves?

Social networking is without a doubt a very valuable tool that brings the right people, to the right places at the right times. You never know who you’re going to meet on different social platforms that could be a boost to your business, or an invaluable resource in your marketing efforts.

I love the analogy that Chip Hanna over at Business Press gave about how integrated Twitter is in our daily lives, both personally and professionally. It is true that these social networking sites are an integral part of connecting and finding connections, but is there a real benefit to it?

Without rehashing content already on the web, Mari Smith over at WhyFacebook.com lists 10 good reasons why a company or business individual could use Facebook. Do you see yourself in any of those scenarios? And so as not to alienate Twitter, Chris Brogan wrote a very meaty article on 50 Business Ideas on Using Twitter.

Social networking is a very viable part of any business, large  or small. It is almost required that an online business have some type of connection  in the social realm and make it work for them. It by far is one of the few, almost guaranteed methods to grow and maintain a successful business online. What do you think?


Tracking Your Site’s Visitors

Managing your corporate website or blog online of course does have its benefits and perks. You get to enjoy the traffic that views your products or services daily. You get to enjoy the comments that well-wishers leave on your site. You even get to enjoy the link-love that other sites and journalists share as they cross paths with you on the vast internet commerce exchange known as the World Wide Web. But, do those things translate into anything tangible for you? Does it help you to see the innate value that your corporate business has and how it makes an effect on your business?

For instance, I am often amazed when I see people on social networking sites who have hundreds if not thousands of friends, followers or visitors. I wonder if these followers are not reciprocating the favor, or if the company is really creating value and piquing the interest of the follower.

Then there are the dozens of press releases that are published making announcements about the company’s developments or personnel changes. Again I wonder if these developments are really news-worthy or if they will amount to the boy who cried wolf…and no one listened when it really mattered.

What should be the goal then for websites or corporate blogs who actively track, count and pursue visitors? Should there be a mechanism in place to capitalize on the traffic’s activity? Or, should the site simply be content that there are visitors who simply want to share in the site’s content, images and presence?

Tracking visitors is very good, but should also add value to those that visit. Give them something that is of high “take away” value. Share advice, suggestions or tips. Allow a guest executive to blog or address your audience. Give your visitor a discount on any sales and services that your company provides. In a customer service fashion, give your customers a reason to come back.

If you Twitter, or are actively involved in any other social networking activities, what is your motivation for attracting visitors? What do you use as a gauge for “enough” visitors or “not enough” traffic? Do share!

Is China’s Tuangou or “Team Buying” Concept the New Social Networking Hub?

So… you see a new car that you want, but it’s a little out of your price range. Of course, you’d be willing to negotiate if you knew the dealer would give you a fair but reasonable price. Do you go for it, haggling him down to a number that you can comfortably afford? If you decide to pursue it, you might well get it – – and a few hundred of your friends might decide to join you.

Some of  China’s consumers actively participate in huge team buying clubs called “tuangou’s” where they negotiate, haggle and convince retailers to lower their merchandise to a more affordable price. In the process, the consumer’s success means success for the entire group. The team buying concept that they practice demands that the retailer honors ALL participants of the group by giving them all the same fair price. For example, that means if you negotiate a couch from $1500.00 down to $500.00, the retailer will sell the couch to all members of the team for $500.00. It’s a win-win situation for both parties and a huge boost in confidence for the consumer!

China’s bartering teams or “tuangou” emerged in force over five years ago. The concept has taken off well, becoming quite popular and more preferred by Chinese consumers than going it alone with retailers. Also growing are the numbers of forums and web sites where these consumers meet, talk and strategize about their next planned purchase and buying power, where they also select a leader and determine what amount they are willing to pay – or not pay – for the item they all want.

Retailers closely monitor sites like Qeeka.com, and other consumer forums and chat rooms to see what people are buzzing about. They plan their own sales and marketing strategies based on the information they get from these sites. They prepare to do negotiation battles with the tuangou.

Social networks are quickly cropping up on Facebook with friends clusters who are banding together with their efforts. The largest Facebook friends network, Twangu, currently has over 1,000 users in its network. Almost in an eBay fashion, the portal is set up so that retailers have the opportunity to find customers and vice-versa.

(From Twangu’s Facebook page:)

Get volume discounts for the stuff you want by shopping as a team! Build your shopping team and watch thousands of vendors bid on our team’s business.

How does it work?

1. User A sets up a group buy and the terms of the buy

2. User B-Z joins the team

3. Twangu makes the team official and sends it out to vendors

4. Thousands of vendors freak out and bid on the business

5. Low vendor bid wins!

The bigger the shopping teams, the bigger the savings. Forget the other auction sites, and start Twangu’ing!

The potential for the group to grow is exponential on a social networking site like Facebook, but add to that the inviting addenda of bargain hunting, saving money and deal finding and the potential becomes even greater. The power of social networking with this type of audience can be quite influential. What retailer would NOT want to be invited in or pitched against in pursuit of the best (or fairest) price?

Do you think the social networking platform in this concept is going to only be successful in China? Do you think it could thrive and do well in any other country?

Several companies have tried to start group buying sites in America and Europe yet most of them failed due to a sheer lack of interest from consumers. The owner of StoreMob.com didn’t think so, after the idea didn’t go over well with the Americans or the Europeans.

“I had read about it in China and thought maybe it would work over here, but it didn’t work out too well,” said Eliot Sykes, founder of UK-based StoreMob.com, which is now inactive. “I am not sure people’s attitudes over here are right for it.” (CNN news article)

Why is that, do you think? A lack of interest? Too much (or not enough) competition? Perhaps not enough social media exposure?

I think that social media and social networking is the perfect platform to bring attention to a concept that sounds phenomenal. After all, social networking is based on the premise of establishing relationships, sharing information, giving advice, learning from mistakes, celebrating, sharing and creating. That’s what we all do on Facebook and Twitter, isn’t it? Share information, give warnings, advice, etc. Wouldn’t it then be befitting that a place where social networkers join forces and participate in an action that benefits them all, that it would almost guarantee success?

What do you think? Can it, would it actually work?

Posts, Links and Photos: What Your Social Networks Say About YOU!

Right now, think:  What’s your latest Twitter entry? What was the last photo you uploaded on your Facebook page? Can you remember or do you have to go and check really quick? Are you nervous or confident about the things you said there?

Social networking is wonderful (in my opinion), but I also notice that it is not without its set of problems in misconceptions. For instance, a lot of people think that social networking platforms are a free-for-all. They think that they can write anything, post anything and even link to anything, even inappropriate or offensive material. Now while there are certain circles that have their own culture and personalities, what should you as a corporation or a business owner do to ensure that your platforms are professional but approachable?

What’s the Purpose?

I personally tend to use the Facebook platform as a socially-connected forum to keep up with the latest events in my locale, upload photos and keep tabs on my tween-ager! That’s about 30% of what I use it for. The remaining percentage, I use for networking with other writing professionals on leads and talking with my editors and contacts that are my other writing/consulting clients.

I use Twitter for the full 140-character networking that it was intended for, but not as much as I do Facebook. I love to read my following/followers links and find information on business topics of interest and more leads. For both platforms though, I’m careful about what I post, when I post it, what I say on the post and consider who’s reading the post. No, I won’t post details about my children, i.e., what schools they attend, their birth dates, ages, etc., nor would I post details about my married life or my husband. Who really wants to know about those things anyway?

But, do all users give the same consideration to this?

Game Rules

There are some ground rules to practicing etiquette in social networking that are both spoken and non-spoken, but many businesses and individuals often do not practice these rules when they are on these social sites. Not only can this be embarrassing and damaging to your online image, but could also be a deterrent in your business goals, or any potential business and any future business dealings with other company’s and clients.

If your corporation wants to utilize and maximize the use of social networking, they should carefully choose the representative who will speak on their site, their blogs and any social networking platforms where they may be. And, not only the company’s representatives, but also employees and freelancers that are associated with the company. In other words, be careful of the way your corporation is portrayed on the social platforms.

Your Company’s Image

What people do on their personal time is definitely their business, without a doubt. Where they go, who they’re with and what they do is their business. But it becomes a company’s business when that individual/employee/representative affect the company’s reputation by posting innappropriate posts, uploading compromising photos or even linking to questionable or irrelevant sites. What does that say about your company?

The point of social networking for businesses is to drive traffic, make connections and gain a following for your company. Social networking is driven by the individuals who are a part of the company and who represent the company online. Make sure that your followers are getting quality and appropriate material.

What can you do to ensure that your company is represented accurately in the social circles?