How to become visible on the social webI ran into a helpful little website called ‘We Are Visible’. It offers a couple of really easy to follow video tutorials, that help you set up a Gmail account, a Twitter account, a Facebook page and a WordPress blog even.

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Social Media & SEOSocial Media & SEO: In the last month or so I have published quite a few posts on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). I talked about the importance of Basic SEO Knowledge, the chances Google offers you as a marketer, Self SEO Diagnostics and Developing a Keyword Strategy.

But this blog is about marketing on the social web. So, what’s with all the SEO?

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Unbounce logo plus header templatesAlthough we do communications is at heart a public relations 2.0 company, which helps it’s customers use social media towards specific business objectives, we also use online marketing tactics to generate traffic, leads and sales.

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You may have been an early adopter of social media. But is it getting you real business results? Here’s a quick overview of where, in my experience, the market is at, and where you need to focus for effective social media marketing.

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Ever wonder what it takes to start a movement? This insightful and entertaining TED Talk from Derek Silvers explains how to start a movement in under 3 minutes. WATCH IT!

What a great explaination of the ‘building-a-movement process’! I think it’s useful to just repeat and sketch out what Derek said here:

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To vaccinate or not to vaccinate?

Way back in early July the Dutch Ministry of Health started their campaign to inform the general public of the vaccination on the Mexican flu. It’s now November and the outbreak is classified as mild. But in the meantime, on the internet, the virus is even more potent than ever.

When the government announced their campaign, they didn’t properly anticipate, or cater for, the amount of questions people would have. And so, as you would expect, with no offical help coming forward, people flocked online to find out whether or not they should get themselves, or their children, vaccinated.

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Getting started in social media…

In an interview with PR Week, John Bell, from Ogilvy’s 360 Digital Influence, notes that more and more clients are asking for pilot programs rather than ‘full scale’ marketing campaigns.

So, is a pilot program a good thing? It’s a valid question. I’m often being asked this as well.

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In his latest blog post my business partner Steve Seager provides a basic four step framework for business leaders to set social media strategy.

Steve had his first taste of strategy when he was rock climbing as a kid with his stepdad. There he learned to think about his finishing point, set direction and plan the moves needed to secure success step by step.

He argues that whether you are talking about rock climbing, traditional marketing or social media, strategy is strategy. The architecture remains the same.

The paper speaks about setting business objectives, setting communication goals and global strategies as well as defining your role in social media as a business leader.

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Getting in a targeted messaging headset…

Many businesses see the biggest advantage of social media as simply reaching more people. Is it true?

Well, yes, you do reach more people, but if you don’t also adapt your messaging for these people, you end up with what Seth Godin calls a ‘meatball sundae’: an unfortunate mixing of two good ideas.

In the days of mass media you would do one television or print ad for everyone. People were considered as mass markets – and your messaging was ‘one size fits all’.

The biggest impact social media has had for businesses, is that it has split mass markets into lots of niches.

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A quick check to see where your company head is at…

Depending on which source you prefer, the average person is exposed to anywhere from 2 to 3,000 advertising messages each day. That’s an awful lot of noise, an awful lot of people shouting about their product.

People are so bombarded by advertising messages that they are becoming immune. It’s not just banners and display ads. Most companies treat their website just like an advertising brochure: a chance to shout about their product.

The challenge is to stand out. People are hardwired to notice things that are different. So instead of talking about ‘you’ – your product features and spec, try talking about ‘them’ – the problems you solve for your prospects and customers.

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