Is it time to update your business website?
March 3, 2012
By Suzi Dafnis, Australian Businesswomen’s Network
Many businesses still have older-style websites that weren’t designed with social media functionality in mind. If that’s you, it may be time for an update.
The ability for your customer and prospect to be able to share your content and to interact with you has become commonplace and expected. Long-gone are the days of the Contact Us form being the only way for people to reach out to you. At least, those days are long-gone for today’s innovative business.
Our website is built on a non-social platform. But, we have added the ability for people to share our website content through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, and other social media sites simply by adding the Share This application to our website pages. You can add social media plug-ins like this to your existing website.
Add social functions to your site
To add some interactivity and social function, you might also consider adding a blog to your existing static site. Search engines love blogs, so the addition of a blog could send a lot more traffic to your site. Blogs also allow people to comment and share content, which engage others. You have to post regularly for a blog to be an effective social media tool, but the posts don’t have to be long. Just make sure that they’re relevant to your audience.
The ShareThis PlugIn
Upgrade to a social-friendly platform
If you have a relatively simple website, you might want to consider creating a new site with the WordPress blog platform, which has built-in social media functionality. The WordPress platform is sophisticated and sleek, but easy to use and manage and the cost is very low. (I cringe whenever I hear about small businesses paying thousands of dollars for a website! While you’ll want to invest dollars in getting set up properly and having professional design – the ongoing management of your website and content can be free from expensive third-part management with a WordPress or other hosted platform site.)
Integrate social into all your marketing
While you’re updating your website, look at your other marketing materials and see if you can integrate social media into them as well. For example, if you have a newsletter, you can incorporate social media functionality and allow people to share and comment on articles.
The key to having people share your content is to make it easy for them. Your site can work hard for you 24 hours a day. But, first you need to get it set up right both from a structural perspective and from a content perspective. The rewards will be worth the effort.
Here are some links you might find useful for improving your website:
Blog Posts
- Taking Action in 2012: 12 Pointers for Marketing Your Website More Effectively
- 7 Ways To Optimise Your Online Copywriting in 7 Minutes
- How to Create a Social Media Schedule
Events
- Attend the upcoming 9 Simple Steps to an Effective (and Profitable) Website webinar on 17 April
- Effective Website Copy
- The Social Media Essentials Webinar Pack
- Easy Ways to Market Your Business Online
- Leverage Yourself with Online Buzz
Watch more online business webinars on-demand on the ABN website.
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY SUZI DAFNIS
- Is this Social Media Myth Hindering your Business Results?
- Does your website make you look out dated? 5 tell-tale signs.
- The business books that rocked my year, in a good way
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Suzi Dafnis – Australian Businesswomen’s NetworkSuzi Dafnis is the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s Community Director and Chairperson of the Advisory Board. Suzi has been involved with the network since 1995. In 1998, she took over the network from its founder and has since managed and grown the network. She remains its media spokesperson and a champion of women in business. She is also the editor of the ABN’s newsletters, author of the herBusiness blog and presents the In Her Shoes video series and herBusiness podcast.
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The Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid on Your First Website Date
March 1, 2012
By Bianca Board, Web123
Do you always find yourself on bad dates? Do you think you interact appropriately with your customers? Yes, both these things do relate, in some way!
I want to explain how you can avoid some mishaps around your customers that directly relates to dating. Yes, we are solving more than your website problems!
Mistake 1
Asking for too many fields on your first encounter is like asking about your ex-boyfriend in the first 10 minutes of your date! Don’t get form greedy with Opt-ins.
Have you ever gone on a date that felt more like an interview? Was your date peppering you with questions right from the start? It’s intimidating, isn’t it? It makes you feel attacked and it causes you to close up. Consider this with your website opt-ins. Don’t make the mistake of asking your customers and leads too many questions in order for them to sign up or to download something from your website.
Try making your opt-in forms ask as minimal information as possible – this actually encourages the viewer to opt-in. If you have a newsletter sign-up form, consider only asking for their Email Address – after all, that’s all you need to send them an email. If they are downloading an eBook, then you might consider asking for some more details such as phone, address and company. Ask only what you think is really necessary; try not to overdo it as you may just scare that date off!
Mistake 2
Proposing marriage before the first date.
Do you hate the feeling of someone pressuring something on you or expecting something from you? It’s the feeling you get when you’re on a date and there is no chemistry and all your date wants to do is kiss you! If that were me, I’d run a mile immediately!
If you hate this feeling, then why do it to your customers? If you plaster your website with “BUY BUY BUY” everywhere, it’s basically that date leaning in and constantly trying to kiss you while you swerve side-to-side to dodge it!
A pushy sales site might win over one or two dates, but good old-fashioned business courtship is what will score the hearts of the masses. Your visitors may not be ready to buy yet, so let them opt-in other ways, such as a newsletter or an eBook. They’ll buy when they’re ready to, so stop pushing for that kiss!
Mistake 3
Having no Calls to Action is like never asking them out.
You know that guy that told you he was going to call you for a date, but never did? That’s what you are doing to your website visitors if you have no Calls to Actions! You are promising them a romantic night out, but leaving them hanging, wondering what’s next. Be the one to take initiative and organise the date. Let visitors to your website know all the important details of what to expect.
If you aren’t telling visitors to your website where to go or what to do, they will either leave the page or browse aimlessly around your site – neither of these you want! Don’t leave them sitting by the phone wishing you’d call. Ensure your site has clear Calls to Action telling your dates what they should be doing when they visit you!
Mistake 4
It’s not all about you.
Are you that person who loves to talk about yourself? Do you brag about all your achievements and how much your friends love you and how amazing your business is…. etc., etc., etc. You know the type.
Stop being “that guy” and start focusing on the other person. Visitors to your website want to know you are interested in them, not just yourself! Try to understand their problems, help them identify solutions to those problems, understand what they want out of life and what their achievements are. Now, apply this to your website content!
Confused? It’s easy! Stop going on about you and your business on your website, and focus on your target audience. Translate in your content what problems you are solving and how the customer would benefit from it. If your content isn’t converting, it’s not them – it’s you.
Mistake 5
Failing to call after your first kiss.
You’re at the door to your house and you just had an amazing date and the most amazing first kiss, then part ways. But, now what? Who’s meant to call who? Do you actually want to see them again? How do you know they’ll want to see you? Handling the follow-up after the first date can be nerve racking, but take a deep breath and you can move smoothly.
When someone signs up for your newsletter or downloads and eBook from you, it’s the first kiss of business. What do you do? You could jump the shark and bombard the person with constant pestering messages about buying or re-buying, but this is like your date constantly messaging you and becoming attached way too soon!
Before you panic and text your date 100 smiley face messages begging for a next date within the hour, let’s work out a plan. It’s all about nurturing your relationship with this person! Listen to what they’re saying about their needs, and use this information to educate them about the industry.
Provide them with free tools or eBooks (they will greatly appreciate this – it’s like a virtual box of chocolates). If you understand their needs and wants, but they didn’t buy just yet, have your sales person call them out of courtesy and see if you can help them anyway. If you really like this person, you’ll go out of your way to make sure they think well of you. Once you understand their needs and wants, you can treat them in a way that will effectively keep them in your sales pipeline and nicely push them along the buying cycle.
Remember, if you have customers coming to you, don’t push them away! They clearly want something from you, so understand what they want and provide! You will find that if you implement these little steps, you will have a much better long-term relationship with your leads and customers.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY BIANCA BOARD
- How to Create 101 Content Ideas in 60 minutes or less
- 11 Ways to Improve Your Search Engine Rank with Social Media
- Taking Action in 2012: 12 Pointers for Marketing Your Website More Effectively
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Bianca Board – Web123Bianca Board is a self-confessed perfectionist, but that’s a good thing, because as Web123′s chief designer and web strategist, she’s expert at helping small business achieve something that makes money and looks incredible without the designer price tag. With a creative streak that extends to sales, organic gardening, painting, decorating and generally making the world a more beautiful place, Bianca’s the person who will make sure that, along with functioning just as it should, your company’s website will look nothing short of amazing.
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A Facebook Case Study: Craft Makes Me Happy
February 29, 2012
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
At four years old, Lizzie Randerson fondly remembers being “let loose” on the sewing machine for the first time while her mum sipped coffee with friends — “I just whipped up a little creation,” she laughs with wry humour, “And haven’t stopped since!”
Not surprisingly, a quarter of a century later, Lizzie runs Craft Makes Me Happy, a Facebook-based business specialising in vintage and imported embellishments, and her own handcrafted wares, including delightful cloth dolls and boutique pin cushions.
Initially, she aimed to establish a cottage industry as a post-baby alternative to her public service career as a graphic designer. However, in just over six months, Lizzie has gone from whoa to go, amassing over 1,600 fans and achieving a level of fan engagement and sales that simply make my eyes turn green with envy, which is no mean feat, considering Facebook is largely unchartered business territory.
My post last month on Facebook tips generated so much conversation, both on and off the herBusiness Blog, that I’m compelled to do a follow-up, this time a case study straight from the horse’s mouth or, in this case, the seamstress’s needle!
Why did you choose Facebook as a business medium?
Lizzie: I saw Facebook as a free entry into the market — there are no set up fees and the audience is easy to hunt down. There’s also a huge handmade movement on Facebook.
Have you tried other mediums, online or otherwise?
Lizzie: I used to sell on a website that hosts stores for Australian craft suppliers, but the fees were so high, it was getting out of hand. I also discovered that the only people buying from there were my Facebook fans.
Why have you stuck with Facebook?
Lizzie: I like Facebook because it’s personal. It’s an interactive market, so I’ve made a lot of friends. You can ask a seller direct questions about a product, rather than hoping information is written in the description and you get amazing feedback that I don’t think you would get with a straight-up online store.
What other advantages does Facebook have?
Lizzie: So many! The start up cost is only your time… it doesn’t get much better than that! For me, as a mum of young kids, Facebook was a “nothing gained, nothing lost” venture. I was also so glad to have a keyboard to hide behind as I built my confidence because selling is hard, and you sometimes have to shamelessly push your stock!
People are addicted to Facebook and they are voyeurs without knowing it. You can share as little or as much of your personal life on your page as you like, but I have discovered that most of my customers want to know about me. Then, when I have joked around, talked, taken the time to get to know them all, they trust me and my sales go up.
What are the disadvantages of Facebook for sales?
Lizzie: Keeping track of sales is a nightmare when you have as many products as I do. I sell by uploading images of my stock to a photo album and asking people to write, “Sold” in the comment box to buy an item, which is a very common sales method on Facebook. It means, however, that I have to continually check all my photos for comments, make sure I have a buyer’s email address, write invoices and muck around with payment options. This takes hours every day.
The solution to that would be a customised shopping cart tab, which I notice you don’t have, or any other customised tabs, for that matter. Is there a reason for this?
Lizzie: Only because I don’t really know how to! I just don’t think I need anything more confusing for my customers, who seem to just want to look at my pictures and buy. I leave my wall open for comments and that’s probably the best way for them to contact me. I am currently working on a website that will be linked to my Facebook fan page, though, so I’ll be more technical soon!
Is Facebook more suited to certain types of businesses or business owners?
Lizzie: I know it works fantastically well for businesses in the handmade, second hand, book and arts industries. I think you could adapt any business style to work well on Facebook; you just have to tap into the right audience.
What are your secrets to getting and engaging fans?
Lizzie: Facebook businesses work the same as any business does — you need to get
your name out there, and interact and promote as much as you can without being annoying.
In the beginning, I joined many online sewing and craft groups to get to know what customers actually want to buy. I also made friends with a few successful Facebook business owners who sell the same style of products I wanted to sell, although not specifically the same ones. I told these online friends that I was going to open up a business, and built a little hype. When I did open, I literally only had a handful of fans, but they were business owners with huge followings that I aspired to. These people gave me a “shout out” from their pages to announce my opening sale, which helped me gain over 120 fans within my first week.
I have networked my little heart out! I comment on clever work on other pages, give my opinion, join conversations and make suggestions. This gets my name in the loop, which opens an opportunity for me to introduce my business name. I’ve also run competitions and promotions, and recently had an “open wall night” where I invited fans to showcase their own businesses and craft activities. It’s all about interacting and engaging with people, whether a large group or an individual.
And how do you convert all those fans into buyers?
Lizzie: All of the above! Plus good products, good prices, good service, good communication and a trusting audience. It all takes hard work and perseverance.
One of your initial goals was for the business to cover your childcare costs, which you recently met. Have you set new goals?
Lizzie: Yes, I wanted to pay for childcare so I could justify spending more time working on Craft Makes Me Happy. I’ve achieved that, but still have to work hard to meet it each week. The next goal is to steadily increase my income to pay for boring household and living expenses! My immediate plan is to finish my website and then look at expanding my range, perhaps even catering for paper crafters. In the long-term, I have big dreams to open a real bricks and mortar craft shop in my local town and to sell on my website. I would also love to expand my range to cater for more and more craft types, to run workshops and establish a community of people who find happiness in creating.
Have you ever thought, “Ugh! I’m giving up?”
Lizzie: Yes, quite a few times, but I always look back and think how far I have come in such a short time!
What 5 tips would you give someone who is about the start a fan page?
Lizzie: Overall, I’d say have fun and give it a try because you really have nothing to lose. Specifically:
- Watch and learn because every page is different. Follow the fan pages you aspire to be like.
- If you’re ever envious of a page you are following, just stop following them. Only compete with yourself!
- Always be ready to change and adapt to your audience or what Facebook allows you to do.
- Develop personal relationships with your fans. Show an interest in their lives, find free information for them and help them out like a friend. Even if you don’t get a sale, you will get good feedback.
- Update your status at least once a day. Don’t do too many general off-topic posts each day, but always post. The more people interact with your posts or page, the more your post appears in everyone’s news feeds.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY NERIDA GILL
- Conquering the Facebook Frontier for Small Business
- Energise Your Business with Easy New Year’s Resolutions
- Ho Ho Ho, A’ Christmas Networking We Go
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Nerida Gill - Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
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How to Create a Social Media Schedule – Part 2
February 28, 2012
By Michele Connolly, Get Organized Wizard
In How to Create a Social Media Schedule – Part 1, we looked at daily social media content tasks.
This time, let’s turn to weekly, monthly and annual social media posting tasks.
Weekly
Google loves freshly updated content on your website, so from that perspective, the more often you blog, the better.
Of course, you need to balance potential Google juice against your available time, as well as how often your network wants to hear from you.
Ideally, you’ll publish a new blog post at least weekly.
If you’re stuck for blog post ideas, here are few places you can mine:
- Google your area of expertise and look for inspiration in other websites. Of course, make the content yours by applying your own ideas, interpretations and style.
- Keep a notebook where you can jot down blog content inspiration whenever it strikes. Once you start opening yourself to ideas, they will come. Probably more than you can use.
- Brainstorm blog post ideas, perhaps with a colleague or friend. Write down as many ideas as you can and you’ll have a good supply to work off for your weekly posts. You only need about 50 ideas for a whole year’s editorial calendar.
My goal in 2012 is to publish new posts on my blogs, 52WeightLossMissions.com (this one’s new) and GetOrganizedWizard.com, each week. But I must confess that when I’m working on a new product, my posting frequency always goes down, down, down. 
I have a potential solution – see ‘Annually’ for my tip!
Monthly
It’s a good idea to do a monthly review of your social media efforts.
There’s no point endlessly repeating something that doesn’t work. And by weeding out ineffective tasks, you make room to experiment with new ones that might bring great results.
For your blog, review the stats on your Google Analytics.
Consider how you can improve your blogging, for example:
- Which posts were most popular?
- Which ones failed to resonate with your readers?
- What can you try this month to capitalise on what your analytics show?
For your Facebook page, click on Insights to see how your fans responded to your posts over the past month. Again, consider what you can do differently over the coming month.
If you use bitly for your Twitter links, then you can track and analyse how people have clicked and shared your stuff. Then you can then decide whether, and how, you want to vary your tweets next month.
Annually
Lastly, here’s a strategy for people who like to plan.
Create an editorial calendar for the whole year – yep, all 52 weeks of it!
Use a planner diary and map out your blog posts to fit in with seasons, holidays, industry events, or anything important to your readers.
You can simply outline your posts, or draft them, or write them in full. How much you plan and write depends on your motivation, clarity and energy.
This strategy is not for everyone, but it can work well for people who write fast and well once they get ‘on a roll’. But it’s not as flexible as writing on a monthly basis.
So there you have it: your very own social media schedule. Now go post something!
MORE GREAT POSTS BY MICHELE CONNOLLY:
- How to Create a Social Media Schedule – Part 1
- Making A Good Impression: 7 Keys To A More Professional Image
- How To Boost Productivity at Work
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Michele Connolly – Get Organized WizardMichele Connolly helps people move from procrastination to action. She believes you can be happier if you take action on your priorities. Michele’s programs cover business, goals, home, personal organisation, writing and weight-loss, and are used by tens of thousands of people worldwide. Michele is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). She has been interviewed on Sydney radio, spoken at conferences, and won awards for her psychology studies, including original research and a thesis on happiness. Michele is interested in writing, books, simplicity, love, TV, productivity, and staying thin in a world of chocolate.
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Sending and Receiving News Updates via Social Media
February 17, 2012
By Kerry McDuling, McDuling PR
Over the weekend, many would have been shocked and dismayed to discover that songstress, Whitney Houston, had passed away. It has been said that this talented woman inspired a whole generation of artists. One of the most popular ways that this particular piece of news reached Australians would have been via Facebook, and not via the radio or TV, or newspapers, who were yet to run the story when it broke.
Collecting news via Facebook or other forms of social media is actually quite convenient because if you require more specific information, you can simply ask for it via these channels, and it will more often than not be supplied immediately. This eliminates the need to go trawling through news reports on public news outlets for information you are looking for.
Whether social media will replace all or a part of the need for traditional media remains to be seen, especially as it bleeds across into disseminating news in the areas of politics and business too.
You can also use social media to effectively disseminate your news, both to journalists and directly to your audience/customers.
Here are my top tips:
Firstly, make sure you have a presence on the various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+.
- When you have news, post it there. Facebook and Twitter don’t allow room for your entire news broadcast, but they are perfect to provide links back to your blog for the full report, or even brief updates on news you have previously shared.
- Make sure you collect an audience across these channels. There is no point sharing news here unless you have people to consume it. There are plenty of tips to gather your audience specific to each platform, but generally, be active in relevant groups on Facebook and invite relevant people to “add” or “like” you. Hashtag relevant words to your industry in your Twitter updates and follow others so they are more likely to follow you.
- Post regularly and make sure it’s interesting and relevant. Whether your posts are all news oriented or personal as well depend very much on your publicity strategy, the nature of your industry of work, and the posts themselves among other factors. But the golden rules are regularity and relevance to your audience.
- Have an end goal in mind. Always! What are you hoping to achieve? This could be to build your profile as an expert in your industry with the view to gaining a reputation, or to sell a certain product or service. But an end goal will help you develop your news posts accordingly.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY KERRY MCDULING
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Kerry McDuling – McDuling PRKerry McDuling is a publicist and Director of her own public relations and publicity consultancy McDuling PR and exposure speciality business, Stratosphere Me – building brands and developing profitable business opportunities for companies, authors, speakers and entrepreneurs.
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How to Create 101 Content Ideas in 60 minutes or less
February 16, 2012
By Bianca Board, Web123
If you’re in small business, chances are you need to become a publisher to survive online. The way people buy these days has changed dramatically. Your buyers seek out information when they want and how they want, whether you like it or not. 97% of people will research you online before they even call or email you, so it’s vital you provide them with the information they need to make an informed choice.
You no longer have control over the sale. So I say, jump on board and enjoy the ride! Embrace it! Have fun with it. I know I was scared to death at my first blog post years ago but now I love it.
I’m going to show you my proven method for creating great content quickly and I promise, it won’t hurt a bit.
So grab your egg timer, set it for 60 minutes, turn off your phone and let’s go!
Step 1: Open an excel spreadsheet
In the first column, write down the top 10 questions you get asked by your prospects when they’re in the research phase. (5 minutes.)
Step 2: Write down problems
Now, in the next column, write down the top 10 problems your prospects face, which you help them solve. Try to get inside their heads for this one; think emotional benefits, not functional ones. If you come up with more than 10, keep going! Just jot down everything you can think of! (5 minutes.)
Step 3: Brainstorm
Now brainstorm ways to answer your prospects’ questions, concerns and problems in the form of:
- Video
- Cheat Sheets
- Blog Posts
- eBooks
- Articles
- Top Tips
- Press Releases
- Hub Pages / Squidoo Lenses
- Webinars
- Slideshow Presentations
- Podcasts
- Teleseminars
- Case Studies / Success Stories
- Industry Reports
- Surveys
- Tutorials
Think hard. Jot down everything you can think of. (30 minutes.)
What I like to do is break the above up into categories and also sort and list by topic. This way, I can write an eBook, then create a tutorial video from the same content and even also create a top 10 list or use snippets for our social media topic of the month.
The trick is to re-purpose your content. Don’t think you have to create everything from scratch. You could bundle 10 excellent ‘How To’ articles into an eBook and offer it free to newsletter subscribers to increase your opt-in rate.
Step 4: Blog Ideas
Now I want you to look at all your ideas to date and brainstorm 50 blog post ideas/titles. Just go as fast as you can, always thinking about your customers’ problems and how each post can help solve one of them or move them closer to the sale. If you can’t get 50 in 20 minutes then you’re not trying! C’mon, give it a go! (20 minutes.)
Ding, ding, ding, ding!!! Your 60 minutes is up!
Step 5: Plan and prioritise
By now you should have at least 101 great content ideas! Now it’s time to plan and prioritise. On a separate sheet in your Excel file, or just below all your ideas, start mapping out your 12-month content plan.
Think about what you need to do on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-annually and annually basis. e.g., you might manage your social media accounts daily with cut-down snippets of expert tips, blog weekly, publish a cheat-sheet or checklist and send email newsletters monthly, write an eBook or host webinar quarterly and so on.
You’ll be surprised at just how much you can do if you plan and schedule it effectively ahead of time. And by having all these fantastic content ideas at your fingertips, whenever you’re feeling inspired and have a spare 30 minutes, you can quickly sit down and write a blog post in no time at all. I go back to my spreadsheet all the time with new ideas.
Granted, you might spend longer than 60 minutes on this exercise, but if you follow my method and set the timer, you’ll be off to a great start!
Unless you’re a big business, you won’t have a huge marketing department to throw resources at creating a mammoth library of content, so get smart about it! Recycle, re-purpose and plan!
Are you up for the challenge?
Got any other content creation ideas? We’d love to hear them! Tell us how you plan out your content calendar now…
MORE GREAT POSTS BY BIANCA BOARD
- 11 Ways to Improve Your Search Engine Rank with Social Media
- Taking Action in 2012: 12 Pointers for Marketing Your Website More Effectively
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Bianca Board – Web123Bianca Board is a self-confessed perfectionist, but that’s a good thing, because as Web123′s chief designer and web strategist, she’s expert at helping small business achieve something that makes money and looks incredible without the designer price tag. With a creative streak that extends to sales, organic gardening, painting, decorating and generally making the world a more beautiful place, Bianca’s the person who will make sure that, along with functioning just as it should, your company’s website will look nothing short of amazing.
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Crowdsourcing Tips for Small Business Owners
February 9, 2012
By Suzi Dafnis, Australian Businesswomen’s Network
Crowdsourcing, or “sourcing your crowd” for input and solutions, is a great way to engage your audience and invite customers to co-create products and services.
For example, we have a webinar series called BOOKED for Lunch where once a month we interview a best-selling business book author.
When we first had the idea for the series, we put a message out on Twitter and Facebook that said, “We have a new series and we’re looking for a name.”
We explained the new series and asked our audience for input about the name. People sent it about 15 different ideas; then we picked the top seven or eight and created an online survey where people could vote the name they like best. “BOOKED for Lunch” won by a landslide – and it was actually a suggestion made by a member. (So, as a bonus we were able to acknowledge and promote the member for her contribution in creating this new series!)
If you’re on the verge of launching a new product or service, consider crowdsourcing. It’s a great way to get feedback from the people who matter most: your customers! You’ll be surprised how willing and generous people will be if you engage them in what you’re doing.
Crowdsourcing tips
- Asking a question and getting responses is not actually crowdsourcing. When you ask the question, go back and get the votes on the ideas. Now you are really harnessing the power of the crowd.
- While social networks weren’t created for crowdsourcing, they can be a great source of feedback and input. Those that participate in social networks tend to be willing to tell you what they think. Your job is to ask the right questions.
- People will respond to a crowdsourcing request if it’s clear what is in it for them. So, let them know. Is it recognition, a better service for them, monetary exchange? It doesn’t matter which, people appreciate being informed.
One of the best books I’ve read on the subject of crowdsourcing is Aliza Sherman’s The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Crowdsourcing. Aliza was our guest on the BOOKED for Lunch author series and we discussed this book.
Other resources:
- Tips for designing an effective survey (audio interview)
- Tribe Talk – How to conduct effective market research with customers (webinar)
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY SUZI DAFNIS
- Is this Social Media Myth Hindering Your Business Results?
- Does your website make you look out dated? 5 tell-tale signs.
- The business books that rocked my year, in a good way
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Suzi Dafnis – Australian Businesswomen’s NetworkSuzi Dafnis is the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s Community Director and Chairperson of the Advisory Board. Suzi has been involved with the network since 1995. In 1998, she took over the network from its founder and has since managed and grown the network. She remains its media spokesperson and a champion of women in business. She is also the editor of the ABN’s newsletters, author of the herBusiness blog and presents the In Her Shoes video series and herBusiness podcast.
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Conquering the Facebook Frontier for Small Business
February 1, 2012
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
If social networking is the new frontier of small business, then Facebook must surely be the wagon that gets us there. However, showing up and staking a claim isn’t enough; you’ve got to work that claim to unearth any riches.
I’ve been optimising my own Admin Bandit fan page over the last few months and here’s what I’m learning.
Use applications to make your page different
“Customisation” is the Facebook buzz word right now. What it means is that you can modify the look and functionality of your fan page… and you don’t need to be an IT geek to do it. All you need is one of the many templates available online (the basic ones are free, while the more advanced attract a monthly fee) — setting it up is like painting by numbers.
For example, I used Lujure to create my “welcome” tab, which is the first thing non-fans see when they go to my page. I’ve added a banner, photograph, Twitter feed, testimonials and a link to a 55-day free trial of my accounting software.
A friend who runs a small saddlery on Facebook used Pagemodo to create her “welcome” tab. Compare the two to see just how flexible customisation applications are; the same basic technology has created two “welcome” tabs that are chalk and cheese.
Of course, you don’t need to stick to a single application. Horse Feathers Saddlery used Payvment to create a Facebook store, complete with an inventory function and a check-out linked to Paypal.
Just as exciting is how easy customisation applications are to find. The best ways are to check out the fan pages of other businesses in your industry, especially your competitors or do a Google search.
How to attract fans
Ah, this is where the rubber hits the road for fan pages… getting people to “like” you.
Let me say upfront that attracting fans is not a popularity contest — all fans, whether they purchase or not, have the potential to share quality content and boost your social proof; that is, your credibility and influence.
Start with the marketing basics:
- Add your Facebook address to your stationery, including your email signature, blog and website
- Regularly link to your fan page in electronic communications, especially blog posts and e-newsletters
- Give people reasons to “like” you. Make the benefits clear, such as special offers, free resources or sneak previews
- Ask. It sounds too good to be true, but “plugs” and requests through your personal Facebook page really work!
Apart from buying fans (yes, believe it or not, you can!), a competition or giveaway is the best way to get a sudden influx of fans, up to a couple of hundred at a time, especially the more elusive kind that you don’t personally know. However, Facebook has specific guidelines on hosting anything that comes under the “promotion” banner, so make sure you’re familiar with what you can and can’t do, and toe the line because I know people who have been unwittingly caught and temporarily suspended!
Viral marketing requires more work and doesn’t bring the same instant fix, but it does offer a sustained trickle for steady, long-term growth of fans genuinely interested in your business, not just the lure of a freebie.
In case you don’t know, viral marketing is about increasing awareness of your brand using pre-existing social networks. In the case of Facebook, it means regularly and actively participating in other fan pages, where you’ll meet and attract like-minded people. The really cool part is that every time you leave a comment or tag another user in a comment, you appear in at least one person’s news feeds, which puts you in view of that person’s entire network. Now, that offers possibilities!
So, which fan pages do you head to? The easy answer is to start with those related to your industry and expertise. For example, my business is part of the non-profit, accounting and IT industries, so you’ll see a stack of community, non-profit, philanthropy, IT and small business groups and peak bodies in my list of “likes”.
How to engage your fans
Getting conversations started is probably the biggest Facebook struggle for any small business. And it seems no expert or study has a fool-proof solution… yet.
Until anyone knows for sure, here are some ideas to try:
- Be human: share the bad with good, post photos of your office, life and day
- Don’t over-think your posts; say whatever pops into your head (within reason!)
- Ask for opinions and experiences, but make your questions quick and easy to answer
- Appeal to the emotions… people often respond to humour or injustice
- Thank people for simply being your fans
- Mix business and fun: I posted a photo of my dog at Christmas and my team at a convention with a spy theme
- Post regularly, BUT….
- Post quality over quantity: useful links, information, advice, famous quotes
- Tag people when you post about them or respond to comments
- Host Facebook events, such as sales, workshops, Q and A sessions
- Finally, look at super popular fan pages… what do they do?
MORE GREAT POSTS BY NERIDA GILL
- Energise Your Business with Easy New Year’s Resolutions
- Ho Ho Ho, A’ Christmas Networking We Go
- Entrepreneurial Qualities: Lessons from the Life of Steve Jobs
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Nerida Gill - Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
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How to Create a Social Media Schedule – Part 1
January 31, 2012
By Michele Connolly, Get Organized Wizard
Everyone talks about the benefits of social media. You can get Google juice. You can build your reputation. You can position yourself as an expert in your field.
But the prospect of producing all that social media content can be daunting to many of us – especially if we already have busy business lives.
How do we get around to doing all that posting, tweeting and status-updating?
One smart solution is to create a social media schedule. This allows you to turn your social media activities into a habit. You slot the tasks into regular blocks in your business life.
Here’s how you can do it.
How To Create a Social Media Schedule
First, plan your social media output around frequency. There are certain tasks you’ll do daily, others weekly, some monthly, and maybe a few each year.
Daily
It’s very important to respond to people in your online social networks. Before you think about putting stuff out there, be sure to acknowledge anyone who’s taken the time to communicate with you.
So each day:
- Reply to comments on your blog – I have two blogs (52WeightLossMissions.com and GetOrganizedWizard.com), so I allow a little more time here
- Reply to comments on your Facebook page (here I’m talking about your professional page rather than your personal profile)
- Reply to tweets to your Twitter profile
- Thank people who have retweeted you
- Reply to comments on LinkedIn or other social media sites.
Once you’ve listened and responded to other people, you can think about what you want to say.
How prolific you are on social media sites depends on your network.
I tweet anytime I have something interesting to share because Twitter is about real-time communication. I share links, post observations, reply to other people, retweet interesting stuff, link to my own blogs – anything that might interest or amuse my followers can go into my stream.
I post less often on Facebook because it’s less real-time and easier to overwhelm people. I vary the frequency, but typically post three times a week. Aim for a combination of links to your own blog posts, links to other sites that may interest your network, and general comments, ideas or observations.
I’ve linked my LinkedIn account to Twitter, so my tweets automatically show up there. I’ve done this because Linked In has been a lower priority network for me so far. If you’re involved in HR, LinkedIn may be a higher priority for you.
I allow about an hour each day to do these tasks. Some days I get away with less, other days it’s much more.
Next time: How to Create a Social Media Schedule – Part 2
MORE GREAT POSTS BY MICHELE CONNOLLY:
- Making A Good Impression: 7 Keys To A More Professional Image
- How To Boost Productivity at Work
- Get Organised for Better Productivity: Design a Productivity Ritual
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Michele Connolly – Get Organized WizardMichele Connolly helps people move from procrastination to action. She believes you can be happier if you take action on your priorities. Michele’s programs cover business, goals, home, personal organisation, writing and weight-loss, and are used by tens of thousands of people worldwide. Michele is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). She has been interviewed on Sydney radio, spoken at conferences, and won awards for her psychology studies, including original research and a thesis on happiness. Michele is interested in writing, books, simplicity, love, TV, productivity, and staying thin in a world of chocolate.
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Is this Social Media Myth Hindering Your Business Results?
January 13, 2012
By Suzi Dafnis, Australian Businesswomen’s Network
I often speak with small business owners about the value in using social media and some of them respond with social media myths, stories that are just not true. These myths are an unnecessary obstruction that prevents them from implementing the power of social media in their business.
The common myths I hear are that social media is too time-consuming, that it’s just a distraction from doing business.
The myth that I hear most often, and which I want to address today – is that it’s hard to justify the ROI.
How to get a good ROI from your social media activity
Social media use in business should always be tied to specific targets and objectives.
Doing good business means getting a good return on your investment of time and energy.
If you’re spending time on social media sites without a clear goal, then you may very well be wasting time and creating a distraction.
Some people seem to have a hard time justifying the use of social media, just as some people found it difficult to justify having a business website ten years ago.
But you CAN set goals and measure results to justify the ROI.
Let’s start here:
What is your goal? Do you want to increase your number of follows? Increase sales for a particular item? Increase the number of comments left on your blog?
You can measure and quantify how your social media activity impacts those goals.
Put in place some measures, take some action using social media and see what happens. If nothing happens, it’s probably not ‘social media’ at fault. Perhaps there’s more for you to learn about how to use it effectively.
Two more social media myths
Here are two more myths I often hear.
MYTH: Social media is time consuming.
Social media doesn’t have to be time-consuming. It’s wonderful to offer free, valuable content to your audience, but you don’t have to keep reinventing the wheel. You can save time by repurposing your existing content and disseminating it through different channels.
For example, we repost our top newsletter articles on our blog and link to them from social media sites. Our newsletter is like the backbone of our social media activity for the week. Once the newsletter is complete, our blog posts and tweets for the rest of the week are already scheduled.
Because we’re organised and efficient in repurposing content, we don’t have to spend a lot of time creating fresh content for social media.
MYTH: Social media is a distraction from doing real business.
If your social media activity is tied to specific business goals, it makes sense to spend the time required to get the results. You don’t have use every social media tool. You may be able to use just one tool and create all the results you want.
But FIRST you need to know what the tool does so that you know if it will get you the result you need.
If you come to see social media as the way you interface with customers and prospects, you’ll never see it as a distraction – you’ll see it as the never-before-available-and-wonderfully-effective opportunity that it is.
Of course, all of these myths could be true – but not if you’re using social media wisely.
Social media is the way people communicate. If your business is not using social media, then you’re missing out on the conversation, and you’re missing out on multiple opportunities to engage customers.
Are there other myths that you hear about that you think should be debunked? Let us know by adding a comment.
If you’re looking to improve your social media prowess, you may find our Social Media for Small Business podcast series helpful. Each 30-minute episode gives you tips and tricks for using social media. Available on our website and also on iTunes so that you can enjoy it anytime, anywhere.
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY SUZI DAFNIS
- Does your website make you look out dated? 5 tell-tale signs.
- The business books that rocked my year, in a good way
- The three words that will shape my 2012 goals
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Suzi Dafnis – Australian Businesswomen’s NetworkSuzi Dafnis is the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s Community Director and Chairperson of the Advisory Board. Suzi has been involved with the network since 1995. In 1998, she took over the network from its founder and has since managed and grown the network. She remains its media spokesperson and a champion of women in business. She is also the editor of the ABN’s newsletters, author of the herBusiness blog and presents the In Her Shoes video series and herBusiness podcast.
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