21
Apr 2010

Are you helping your customers create more customers?

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A personal little story about customer service…

I’m constantly amazed how many companies are still living in the old world.

A few days ago my HTC S740 phone broke down. Pretty good news, because I wasn’t happy with it at all. The thing is running on Windows Mobile 6 point something, and well… it just ain’t working.

Since I’ve been a client at Vodafone for many years, I called them up to renew my contract and get a new phone. I had my eye on the Google Nexus One with Android operating system. Unfortunately Vodafone couldn’t deliver that phone.

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Categories: Customer Service Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
17
Sep 2009

The pros & cons of social media pilot programs

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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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Categories: Social Media Tags: , , ,
26
Jul 2009

Moving at the speed of culture

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Twitter 101 Guide offers insightful case studies

Twitter is one of today’s most successful social media channels. Having said that, many marketers and companies are skeptical of Twitter. They find it hard to understand how people use Twitter, how active people are and why people use it.

Some useful data on Twitter usage and stats can be found in this report [PDF] from Hubspot.

Still, however skeptical you might be, it is a fact that some companies have successfully used Twitter for their business. Recently the micro blogging platform itself launched Twitter 101, which is a special guide created to explain how companies can use Twitter for their business.

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Categories: Case studies, Twitter Tags: , , , ,
24
Jun 2009

It’s all about them. Not you.

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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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Categories: PR 2.0, Social Media Tags: , , ,
03
Jun 2009

Not convinced about Twitter yet? Why not start by listening?

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New service offers hourly Twitter alerts…

Twitter. Some love it, some hate it. Some say it’s a great platform to share your interests, reach new customers, promote your blog or voice your opinion. Others don’t see the value of telling the world what they’re up to in 140 characters.

But whether you are participating or not, it’s a pretty good bet that valuable conversations are happening on Twitter: conversations about your product, your brand or your competitors.

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Categories: Twitter Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
25
May 2009

Making noise or building relationships?

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The difference between online publicity and online PR…

Once upon a time marketers had two main ways of getting their product or services noticed by consumers: advertising and publicity.

The principle of advertising is based on interruption. In order to get people’s attention you need a large degree of creativity or even humour. This helps people absorb your message and makes it stick.

The principle of publicity is based on getting placement in mass media. To compete in the battle for media inches, your story needs to have good news value.

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Categories: PR 2.0 Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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