I will be honest, when Jersey Enterprise said they wanted to put on an event with only one week notice to local businesses,  I didn’t think we could fill the room.  However I will put my hand up… I couldn’t have been more wrong!

The email announcing the Masterclass and line up went out at 4pm and by 11am the next morning it was sold out!!  On the back of the success we decided to run another class on the same day, which also sold out within hours.  They say actions speak louder than words and there was a definite desire on the island to learn about more social media!

#socialjersey

The event took place on Thursday 29th April, with yours truly up first to the podium for a 20 minute slot, introducing social media and the benefits and advantages it can bring to a business.

I used an online presenting tool called prezi.com which certainly captured the attention of the audience.

I have had many requests for the presenation since, so I thought I would put it in a blog post  for you to read at your own pace.

Mathew Robins from Webreality went on to discuss the necessity of a strategy and Katherine Salt from Plums Lingerie as well as Simon Le Huray from Jersey Tourism talked about their experiences using social media.

The feedback on the event has been fantastic! Presenting to 320 people in a day was most definitely a first for me but the email responses have been overwhelming – thank you for your kind words! It’s great to see so many islanders on board with social media and I look forward to hearing your success stories.

I also loved the enthusiasm in the room – keep it up

The sections are broken down into customer communication, brand exposure, traffic to your site and SEO. These are social media objectives. Choose one or two that you would like to focus on, then study the grid to identify which tools will assist your business most.

You can download and print the Social Media Landscape PDF here.

Did you find this useful?

1. Set your Objectives

2. Choose Social Media Icons

3. Change Your Signature

The Creative Business Card

The New Essentials on a Business Card

1. Include a photo

This was my first business card…

2. Include Social Networking Sites

3. Set Objectives

Social Media Marketing for Small Business

Today I Googled myself, as you do, to see how I had been indexed. I then spent the following 20 minutes laughing hilariously at what I had found.

It’s a great example of:

1) Watch what you say online

2) You never know who is listening

3) The media can say anything

Back in January 2010 the great Machu Picchu suffered torrential rain, resulting in thousands of people being stranded at the top of one of the worlds most beautiful and important archaeological sites. The story was of interest to me because I had been in Machu Picchu only a few months before on a backpacking adventure around the world. It was a standard joke that something ridiculous would happen to us in pretty much every country we visited, such as the airline losing our luggage before the wedding, breaking down in the isolated freezing Bolivian desert, getting caught in a wind storm in New Zealand..the list is endless!

Of course these are what make the stories… Anyway after reading the article I simply commented to my friends on Twitter that this is something that would have happened to us ‘Calamity Jane’s.

So you can imagine my surprise when I Googled my name and found out that, according to the Daily Mail, I was one of the 2000 stranded people at Machu Picchu!!

And here’s little old me supposedly stranded…

It did rain the throughout the whole trek and it only ceased when we reached to top.  What a beautiful photo in my not one, but two hooded tops and rain mac…I know how to backpack in style!

Sadly I wasn’t airlifted from Machu Picchu …however the story has amused me no end and even though Im not backpacking things Im still managing to get myself in mischief

Anyone out there got any funny stories?

Here is my top 6…

1.  Coca- Cola

Objective: Customer engagement

Coca-cola is one of the leaders in SMM – they make social media work!

Deciding that customer engagement was their main objective, Coke created a ‘fans first’ approach in social communities. Their social media marketing strategy was developed to engage their customers via social networks, photo sharing and video sharing. Not only a great strategy but they even share it! Its worth a couple of minutes to read it on Simply Zest.

2.  Dominos

Objective: Customer Feedback

A fantastic example of listening to customers and reacting to what is being said.

Dominos position in the market place had been declining for a while, one of the reasons cited was that it had the same pizza recipe since they launched 50 years ago!  In an attempt to regain market share as well as hoping to reinvent its brand and change its reputation for taste, Dominos decided to completely change its pizza recipe.  Instead of leaving the decision making to the management team they put it instead to the customers and asked for feedback on their pizzas.  A compelling video on BlogSpot shows the whole Dominos process.  Its worth the few minutes to get a better understanding on the positive impact social media can have on a business.

3.  Dell

Objective: Crowd sourcing

Dell know that social media in business is becoming more and more important.  To address this issue they created a Social Media for Small Business Facebook fan page.  Here they offer free downloads and giveaways on how to implement social media.

However this particular strategy is about crowd sourcing. Dell decided to create a community called The Ideas Storm, where people could come and share their ideas on how to improve Dell products.  They know that the people who understand the products the greatest are their customers.  By improving models and reacting to customers ideas they can create products people actually want to buy and there is a demand for.

4.  Starbucks

Objective: Crowd sourcing

Another social media success story comes from Starbucks.  They have several elements to their Starbucks strategy which are outlined in a great articles by The Next Web and Directory Journal.

They too wanted to use crowd sourcing as a way of improving their products, shops and service so they created a social network site, My Starbucks, for people to congregate and share their “Starbucks experience”

The site gives users the ability to see what others are suggesting, vote on ideas and check out the results. This site is a brilliant and important aspect of Starbucks social media strategy. Users who are part of this network feel that they have some role in the decision making process of the company and it makes them feel a part of it.

Starbucks successfully managed to create a community that people actually wanted to hang out in, just like their shops.

5.  Ikea

Objective: Viral marketing

Definitely one of my favourites, just for its sheer simplicity.  A blog post by Ikea Fans shows how a Facebook profile was created for IKEA Malmo store manager Gordon Gustavsson. Over the course of 2 weeks, 12 pictures of IKEA showrooms were uploaded to his profile. Facebook friends of Gustavsson could ‘tag’ the items in the photos with their name and then win the product.  As you can imagine the campaign went viral!! A genius idea yet oh so simple!

6.  Ford Fiesta

Objective: Generating Buzz

Ford held a competition called the Fiesta Movement where 4,000 people applied with a video to win the chance to drive a Fiesta for six months. The winners then created content around their experience with the car.  Not sounding too strategic is it?  Well what if the winners where are social media personalities in the making? The reach was phenomenal in just six months..

- 4.3 million YouTube views
– 500,000+ Flickr views
– 3 million+ Twitter impression
– 50,000 interested potential customers, 97% of which don’t own a Ford currently

Supercollider and Mashable deliver great detailed breakdown on the Ford Fiesta Movement.

Summary

I hope these case studies help you understand the true value of social media.  Many of you want to know immediately how social media will impact your bottom line, but this is no longer the big sales push via traditional marketing and PR.  It is about companies recognising: that the power now lies with the consumer; and we fortunately have the ability and resources to tap into this wealth of knowledge.

Everyone likes to feel valued!  Involving your customer so they feel like their opinion counts can go a long way in building customer loyalty and repeat business, not to mention positive word of mouth.  It’s time to see the bigger picture!

This is only a list according to little oul me! If you have any other social media examples that you think should be in here then please leave a comment below…

Im sure you recognise this invitation in which you select the category about how you ‘know’ someone.

LinkedIn make it clear that they don’t like you to invite people you don’t know, however they don’t make it clear LinkedIn’s punishment.

Even when you click on the Find Out Why link it says:

This part is completely understated.  In fact if five people say they don’t know you, you get blacklisted, and you can no longer invite people by name you have to know their email address.

In fact they hide it so deep in their FAQ’s it is unlikely you are ever going to stumble upon it.

Why Would Someone Press I Don’t Know (IDK)?

If you send an invitation to someone on LinkedIn, they have the option to Accept, Archive, or say “I don’t know this user”.   So why would they choose the later?  Perhaps they don’t recognise you from an event as they met so many people, or they don’t remember you from school or perhaps you have a new surname.  Whatever the reason, once someone IDK’s you, you are stuck with a red card.

Find Out Who IDK’d You

Follow these easy steps to find out…

•    Go to your LinkedIn home page
•    Go to your Inbox
•    Click Sent
•    Click on Status – this puts it in alphabetical order.
•    At the bottom of your page it will be numbered 1,2,3 etc. Click through these until you find the status ‘Doesn’t know you’
•    Now you know the culprits

How to Fix It

Supposedly, if you get them to invite you, it eliminates the IDK, but this is only hearsay.  The  best way to get off the blacklist is  to  put your tail between your legs and send an apology to LinkedIn’s customer service at cs@linkedin.com and they will let you off with your offence once and your IDK’s will be reset.

Finally…Be Mindful

Before you click the IDK button, think carefully.  You can always click archive so that

• You don’t wreck someone’s credibility
• You can think about who the person is and come back to it at a later date.

Moral of the story? Be careful who you ask to connect with and also who you IDK!

If you havent already connected with me on LinkedIn click here - I promise I won’t IDK you :- )

What are your thoughts?

Channel Islands Training & Development in partnership with Cambridge Professional Academy are running this new digital course for marketeers on the 16th & 17th June 2010.  The qualification provides an overview of the principles and elements of digital marketing, and covers the planning stages and factors in implementing, measuring and evaluating digital campaigns.

Who Is It For?

Ideal for anyone who has no prior experience and is not responsible for implementing digital marketing and would like to gain an overview of what it entails.

Entry Requirements

You will need to meet at least one of these criteria:
>> suitable competence in a marketing or marketing communications related role
>> any recognised UK degree or equivalent level 5 qualification
>> relevant level 3 or above qualification.

If English is not your first language, evidence of at least IELTS level 6.5 or Trinity ISE III/IV will also be required.

How Long Will it Take?

There are two hand-in/exam dates a year and you can begin your studies at any time.  The four modules, studied with our two dayworkshops and guided home study will typically take around one year to complete although you can choose to study at a faster or slower pace to suit your requirements.  We commit ourselves to support all our students for up to a maximum of two years.

For more information about workshop date e-mail Stephanie at mail@citd.co.uk and quote “BRIGHT”

Also Download the Professional Qualifications Prospectus PDF here.

Lo and behold two weeks later I got a lovely apologetic email from Smirnoff.  Now the cynic in me thinks “well they know I work in social media and will therefore write this great piece about them” but then the other optimistic part of me is ecstatic to see social media working in full flow.

Social Media Monitoring

So for those who don’t know how the system works Smirnoff will be paying someone in-house or an agency to monitor their brand.  These monitoring tools such as Radian6 and Meltwater Buzz track all Smirnoff’s mentions in blog posts, forums, networks and so on.  They are also clever enough to pick up if the blogs (and sentiments) are negative or positive.  Positive will be used as a pat on the back, testimonials etc and the negatives are sent to customer service/PR department to deal with.  They now have the opportunity to turn this negative comment into a positive.

Smirnoff are implementing the social media model effectively. Interacting with the conversation, listening to what is being said and reacting accordingly.

Smirnoff’s Response

Hi Katrina,

I hope you are well? I am contacting you on behalf of Smirnoff regarding your article on the recent advert and the direction message to Facebook.
It’s really important to us that we work with our consumers on matters like this, so we have looked into your problem, and the reason you have been unable to access the page is as follows:

The SmirnoffGB Facebook page has until now been set so that it is only available to UK IP addresses. This was originally put in place because our competitions are only open to a GB audience. Unfortunately Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man were not included under ‘GB’ in this restriction. Based on this and your feedback we have lifted this restriction and the page is now open to all markets. Competitions will still only be open to GB residents however, but you will now be able to see all our content and find out about all our events.

We apologise for this oversight and hope that you’ll still be happy to engage with us and get involved in some of our activities and content. It is never our intention to annoy any of our consumers, which is why we looked into this and have made the correction.

We’d really like to make sure you remain happy with Smirnoff and keep following the brand, so if you’d like to send me your address we will send you some product by way of apology.

Cynic or Optimistic?

I’ll go with the optimistic!  It’s great to see companies using social media proactively.  The fact that a small blog can impact on a top brands campaign is fantastic. Over 200,000 extra people can now access the Smirnoff fan page that were previously excluded…just a shame we cant enter, even though we are part of GB!

Naturally a free product by way of apology is also a bonus…although Im thinking I should’ve started with Chanel or Versace

What’s your take on Smirnoff’s response or do you know of any other good case studies you would like to share?

The CITD are offering readers of Bright Social Media a 10% discount on their upcoming training events.

Between the 25th March and 29th April four courses will be delivered by international trainers at the Grand Hotel, who teach similar courses at CIM Moor Hall. Each half day is £175 or full day £315.

For more information email Stephanie at CITD and quote “BRIGHT” for your 10% discount.

How to attract more clients!

Discover how to get clients to come to you, during this fast paced half day workshop.
Why do clients flock to some organisations and not others? Find out the answers at this CITD event.
Our presenter, Nigel Temple, will discuss a series of 21st century free / low cost client attraction techniques, drawing on elements of psychology, copywriting and the promotional mix. Not to be missed!

* Why you should go ‘mackerel fishing’ in order to catch more ‘prospect fish’
* How to get decision makers to reveal who they are
* Understanding the power of ‘reciprocity marketing’
* How to get more enquiries, conversations and meetings

“I have just won £37,000 worth of business from three new clients. I haven’t even met one of them! Your marketing advice has helped me to attract these new projects, generate a higher profile and build a better reputation. So a big thanks!” Karen Kimberley, Karen Kimberley Ltd

“Nigel Temple has made a big difference to our marketing. He combines strategic vision, in-depth knowledge and an eye for detail. We experienced a dramatic increase in response rates – as soon as we implemented his ideas. Highly recommended!” Jack Black, MindStore

How to produce effective brochures, leaflets and newsletters

During this intensive half day workshop, you will discover how to produce interesting, compelling and effective marketing collateral. We will discuss marketing, design and copywriting ideas – which you can put to use straight away. By all means bring some of your own examples – for feedback and discussion!

Our presenter, Nigel Temple, has been writing marketing words since 1983. He is an engaging and knowledgeable speaker, who always packs a great deal into his presentations. Not to be missed!

* How to get buyers to read your marketing words
* The key elements of the written piece
* How to write better and faster
* Copywriting systems, tips, ideas and secrets

“Nigel has developed a reputation as one of our leading speakers. His sessions are well known to be of the highest standard. Year on year, he gets some of our best scores.” Geoff Reason, The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Thames Valley

“Just a note to say a big ‘thank you’ for your stimulating talk today. I never thought that anyone would be able to turn marketing into such an exciting subject! You have certainly given us all some valuable ideas.” David Jacobs, Credit Protection Association plc

Developing Your Telesales Experience

Half Day Workshop FOR: All people who work on the telephone to sell products and services or arrange meetings with potential customers. This practical workshop will help you overcome voicemail and gatekeepers and provide all the essential techniques for successful telephone selling and appointment making.

OBJECTIVES: By the end of the day, delegates will:• Understand the discipline needed for success • Be able to gain interest within the first fifteen seconds of a call
• Handle the gatekeeper • Understand the importance of key ratios • Learn how to handle common objections • Listen for and act upon buying signals

METHOD: The day is highly participative and practical with group discussion and activities. Emphasis is on interaction between delegates and the workshop director.

WORKSHOP CONTENT: • Reducing the rejection factor • Call structure • The qualified appointment • Handling the gatekeeper • Gaining interest • The voicemail pitch • Effective questioning techniques • How to interest customers who have preferred suppliers • Handling telesales objections • Closing the appointment or sale

ACTION PLAN Develop a personal action plan that identifies personal and business goals.

Developing Your Sales Experience

Half Day Workshop – face to face sales FOR: New, prospective and existing salespeople. Delegates will be provided with an understanding of why people buy. They will develop a tailored selling structure covering the selling process from initial prospecting to the final close.

OBJECTIVES: By the end of the day, delegates will: • Understand how to uncover the clients needs • Learn how to present appropriate benefits • Recognise signals of interest • Know when to close the sale

METHOD: The day is highly participative and practical with group discussion and activities. Emphasis is on interaction between delegates and the workshop director.

WORKSHOP CONTENT: • The seven stages of the sale • The importance of the first impression • Opening the sales meeting and building rapport • Open questions and the funnel questioning technique • Uncover explicit customer needs • Check your understanding • Present your benefits to suit the prospects explicit needs • The V.C.R. objection handling technique • Recognising buying signals • Closing the sale

ACTION PLAN: Develop a personal action plan that identifies personal and business goals.

For more information email Stephanie at CITD and quote “BRIGHT” for your 10% discount.