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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How to Use Social Media to Create Brand Advocates
January 4, 2012
By Suzi Dafnis, Australian Businesswomen’s Network
A brand advocate is a satisfied customer who promotes your brand for you. Think of brand advocates as unpaid marketing reps. In fact, brand advocates don’t even necessarily have to be customers; they may just be people who share social media content that you’ve created.
Because social media encourages interaction and participation among your customer base, you can use social media to create brand advocates. When people share your content on Facebook, for instance, they’re essentially endorsing your brand.
You can create brand advocates by energising your customer base.
Offer free, useful content to your audience. Provide stellar customer service and take every opportunity to engage your customers. If someone posts on your Facebook page, reply to their message as soon as possible and try to open up the conversation to others. If someone replies to your Tweet, thank them quickly and engage them in a conversation that will grow and vitalise your online community.
It’s easier now than ever before for people to tell us when they love us – and it’s just as easy for people to tell us when they’re not happy with us. Pay attention to both types of messages. Criticism is valuable to your brand because it gives you a chance to interact and put it straight. You can ignore criticism, which is bad PR. Or you could shoot back with a negative attitude, which is bad PR. Or you could take the opportunity to impress people by taking the issue seriously. Some of the most valuable brand advocates are those who see that you’re willing to resolve issues for customers.
Now, there are some people known as “trolls” who have no real criticisms; they only want to attack others online. Just ignore the trolls. They’ll go away when they realise they’re not getting attention.
Focus on energising your brand advocates and they’ll do the work for you.
Do you have tips for creating brand advocates through social media? We’d love to hear from you. Add to comments and let us know.
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY SUZI DAFNIS
- The Business Books That Rocked My Year (in a Good Way)
- How to Use Social Media for Business Research
- How to get Everything Done Before Christmas
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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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Technology for Small Business Owners
December 9, 2011
By Suzi Dafnis, Australian Businesswomen’s Network
If you’ve explored our website or attended any of our events, you might think that the Australian Businesswomen’s Network (ABN) is a large organisation — but we’re not. We’re a small business, a small team of six people on a good day. And the six of us have to cater to clients all over Australia because women in business are in country towns, rural areas, urban areas and overseas. They’re not always available to come to events, so we had to make our education and information available to them.
Because of this need to make our information widely available and easily accessible, we were very early adopters of many different technologies, and now we train our community of businesswomen to use that technology.
We rely on technology because we don’t have a lot of resources.
I’m sure that a lot of you can appreciate that. We have a small team, with one of our staff actually based in the U.S. and an off-site advisory board, so we need to be able to communicate, share files and collaborate efficiently, sometimes in real time.
We rely on technology to manage our inventory. We need to communicate with our clients every week because 16,500 women rely on us to give them new information about education and resources. As a business owner, I use technology to make sure that I’m updating my skills and have the right information to run my business.
I had the pleasure of attending the largest technology conference in the world this year, South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, where 19,000 attendees shared the latest technologies. I came back with so many great ideas about new technologies that can be used in small business. But so many people are not taking advantage of the most helpful technology: the basic website. For most businesses nowadays, if you don’t have an online presence, you do not exist. If I search for and cannot find you using Google or any other search engine, then you don’t exist for me.
The Internet has changed the way we communicate with our clients.
People expect us to be able to comment on what we’re doing, to collaborate with them and to acknowledge their opinions. We can’t just broadcast to them; you have to give them the opportunity to give feedback. In this way, you can co-create your business with your clients.
At the ABN, we use an online editable website to collaborate on projects, so anyone on our staff can edit it and add content on a moment’s notice, from anywhere. We use YouTube to provide training videos on small business subjects, have our own Facebook page where we provide interesting articles and community updates, a Twitter account, as well as two iTunes channels where we publish podcasts: Social Media for Small Business and herBusiness – Insights for Women in Business. We use a lot of different devices and gadgets and we try to integrate them to give our clients multiple paths to the same destination. Technology allows us to connect with clients, educate ourselves and grow our business.
At this point in history, the question is not: “Should I be using these technologies in my business?” but rather: “How quickly can I adapt the most relevant technologies to grow my business?”
Start with a basic website, then use all those other social media tools to drive traffic to your website. From there, you can start to generate new leads and then communicate with those leads.
For new users, technology may be daunting.
I’m not really a tech-savvy person, but my business goals demand that I use new technologies. When I’m confused or overwhelmed, I may outsource a project to meet my goals. So, if you’re not tech-savvy (like me), don’t let that stop you from taking advantage of all the wonderful technologies available to increase your business.
Go to Google, start researching technologies relevant to your business and you’ll eventually come across a community of individuals in a similar position, looking for the same information. That’s how the ABN has developed into what it is today!
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY SUZI DAFNIS
- Business Mentoring for the 21st Century
- What Should I Write about on My Business Blog?
- How Guy Kawasaki Enchanted Me
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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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Transforming Your Business Reputation
November 26, 2011
Carden Calder is the co-founder of Australia’s largest specialist financial services communication and public relations, BlueChip Communications. In this interview we discuss the key element of effective reputation management, regardless of what industry you are in.
As a founding partner Carden grew the business from start up to become Australia’s largest specialist financial services communication and public relations firm within two years. Clients include banking providers, fund managers, government, industry associations, insurers, researchers and consultants to the industry.
In this video interview we discuss:
- The key elements to managing your business reputation
- Warren Buffet’s philosophy on reputation management
- How social media can impact your reputation
- The role that citizenship, governance and leadership play in your brand management
- Why the product your delivery needs to hit the right buttons with your audience
Enjoy this interview with Carden Calder.
Watch this interview on the Australian Businesswomen’s Network website.
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About the In Her Shoes seriesIn Her Shoes is a regular video series presented by the Australian Businesswomen’s Network and BNet.com.au. Each interview features an inspiring businesswoman and her strategies for success. New episodes are released regularly. Become a Community Member for regular updates. StartUp and Growth Members get updates automatically. Become a Community Member with the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. |
Growing a Business with Social Media – Video Interview with Angela Vithoulkas
November 22, 2011
Angela Vithoulkas is the multi-award-winning CEO of VIVO cafe, one of Sydney CBD’s most recognisable cafe brands. She has forged a strong reputation for the cafe through clever marketing techniques and a belief that customer service excellence forms the basis of every successful business. She is passionate about small business, women in business, and social responsibility.
In this video interview we discuss:
- How Angela balances working IN her business (spending hours on the shop floor) and working strategically on business growth
- Why small business is a power behind Australia’s economy
- Why she doesn’t believe in “balance”
- How she has successfully used social media (Four Square specifically) to drive customers to her stores
- Plus, Angela shares your top strategies for making your small business work.
Enjoy this interview with Angela Vithoulkas
Watch this interview on the Australian Businesswomen’s Network website now.
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About the In Her Shoes seriesIn Her Shoes is a regular video series presented by the Australian Businesswomen’s Network and BNet.com.au. Each interview features an inspiring businesswoman and her strategies for success. New episodes are released regularly. Become a Community Member for regular updates. StartUp and Growth Members get updates automatically. Become a Community Member with the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. |
Member Kristy-Lee Johnston says Women Better than Men at Social Media
November 21, 2011
Member Kristy-Lee Johnston of Footprint Recruitment was recently quoted in a story for news.com.au about how female business owners have embraced social media and online retail more than their male counterparts.
Kristy-Lee says:
“It’s really easy to make connections with other people and introduce yourself much more simply. Getting to face-to-face meetings can be more tricky or time consuming.”
Read the full article on the Herald Sun website.
Kristy-Lee is one of our herBusiness bloggers. Read her latest blog posts here.
Can Google+ break through our social media fatigue?
November 10, 2011
This week, Google+ launched its business pages which will compete with Facebook business pages as a way for organisations to manage online communities, to market and to interact with clients.
But is Google+ just one social network too many for us to manage and care about?
Last week, Chris Brogan, author of about-to-be-released book GOOGLE+ for Business: How Google’s Social Network Changes Everything was our guest on BOOKED for Lunch, the Australian Businesswomen’s Networks’ interview series with best-selling business book authors.
During the webinar (for which over 700 people registered), Chris pointed out many reasons why business people absolutely MUST start to use Google+, not the least of which is because Google indexes all public posts (your posts on the other social networks are not), giving you a lot of power behind your posts and the chance to integrate with other Google products.
Plus, Google+ has some fun features (Hangouts where you can video chat in small groups) and a better way to manage your contacts (Circles) than Facebook.
We jumped on the moment Pages launched and grabbed our page. We suggest you do the same. We use our Facebook Page extensively for business and I’m sure we will continue to — BUT that’s no reason for us not to also explore how to best use Google+ for business. (I bet you’re not lamenting that you now have a smart phone and not an old brick of a phone – technology and tools change and evolve and it’s important to keep evolving with them for your business to stay up to date.)
As Chris explained: “Google+ is more ‘open’ than Facebook, more deep than Twitter and more rounded than LinkedIn.”
And the fact that Google+ is tied to the number 1 and number 2 search engines in the world (Google and YouTube respectively) makes it a tool unlike the others.
So, there’s no time for fatigue. Register and grab your page today.
To help you make sense of it we suggest two things:
- Watch the webinar on the Australian Businesswomen’s Network website (duration 1 hour).
- Read this list of Google Pages how to guides compiled by Guy Kawasaki’s Alltop.
Here’s some comments from people who attended the live webinar:
– “I found Chris’s responses insightful and thoroughly convincing.”
– “Great ideas, which I’ll be implementing.”
– ”I enjoyed the targeted information that came out though the interview (which was conducted in real language rather than ‘business speak’”
– ”Practical tips and reconfirmation of the importance of social media.”
About Chris Brogan
President, Human Business Works
Chris Brogan consults and speaks professionally with Fortune 100 and 500 companies. He is a New York Times bestselling co-author of Trust Agents, and a featured monthly columnist at Entrepreneur Magazine. Chris’s blog is in the Top 5 of the Advertising Age Power150. He has over 11 years experience in online community, social media, and related technologies.
About Google+ for Business (the Book)
In Google+ for Business, Chris Brogan guides you through using Google+ for promotion, customer service, community building, referrals, collaboration and a whole lot more. You won’t just master innovative new tools like Circles and Hangouts; You’ll use them to generate more customers and more cash!
OUT SOON: Order your copy today.
Article by Kate Tribe in Dynamic Business Magazine
October 31, 2011
Australian Businesswomen’s Network Member and Owner of Tribe Research, Kate Tribe is featured in the October 2011 issue of Dynamic Business Magazine. She writes an article entitled, The Old Fashioned Things that Make a Big Difference. Kate discusses five things that you can do to help stand out and stay front of mind in your customers’ minds:
- Identify a core market and a unique way for them to remember you
- Slightly change marketing that can be lost in a seasonal flood
- Think laterally about your brand messages and fun ways to communicate them
- Word of mouth isn’t just through your customers
- Supporting businesses that are in your market
Kate Tribe says:
New technology and social media are great but maintaining some old fashioned thoughtful gestures can make a real difference to the way customers view your business and its brand.
Kate Tribe has also been featured in a recent new.com.au article, Business slow on the uptake of mobile web and in Smarter Business Ideas on how to network like a pro.
Make Your Media Release Social
October 19, 2011
By Johanna Baker-Dowdell, Strawberry Communications
You may have heard the term Social Media Release (or Social Media Press Release) and wondered what the difference is between this and the standard media release. Well, social media releases are all about the reader, making the content easier to access and much more useful.
A lot has been covered about writing media releases and why, including by me, but the media release has evolved. Not only has the audience for releases grown from journalists to now include bloggers, podcasters and the consumers themselves, but the way information is presented in release form is different too.
Social media releases include links to websites and supporting material, yes, but they are also optimised for searching with tagged key words, make sharing easier with links to bookmarking networks and social media platforms, plus add the multi-media element through images, video and audio.
Some social media release authors even deconstruct the release into sections, making it easier for journalists, bloggers and podcasters to focus on the point(s) of interest to them. Instead of introducing the topic, giving some background, offering quotes from a spokesperson and then showing where they can find out more, the author might use a slightly different format.
Here is a sample template for a social media release:
- Headline
- Key word rich introduction
- Supporting facts
- Quote(s) from one or more sources
- Embedded video
- Embedded audio
- Embedded images
- Links to supporting articles and references
- RSS for company news and product information
- Option to post/share in social network of choice, such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn and bookmarking networks
- Comments
Once the social media release has been created…
It can be published in a number of different ways. This includes online media outlets, bloggers, traditional web services like PR Web, your own social media, blog and bookmarking sites and article submission directories like Ezine Articles.
Think about how much more “social” this format is than traditional media releases that tell the story, but then encourage the journalist to contact the author for more information. This way, the author is putting everything on the menu, allowing readers to pick how they consume it and encouraging them to share the story. It’s social publishing in action.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY JOHANNA BAKER-DOWDELL
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Johanna Baker-Dowdell - Strawberry CommunicationsJohanna owns and runs writing and public relations service Strawberry Communications. The agency builds relationships with the media and key stakeholders on behalf of its SME clients. This service is provided through careful research and strategic communication, then maintained by telling the business’s story through amazing publicity and expertly crafted words. Strawberry Communications is based in Launceston and was launched in 2007. Johanna has more than 16 years experience in the media industry and is also a freelance journalist and blogger.
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New Social Media for Small Business podcast puts business owners in the social media drivers seat
October 18, 2011
The Australian Businesswomen’s Network (ABN) has just launched a new podcast series – Social Media for Small Business. This fortnightly series features social media tips, news, interviews and provides how-to’s to help small businesses engage in social media.
“Many small-business owners are strapped for time. We’ve made it easy for them to fit in business education (on topics as important and social media) by packing great information and expert guest advice into 30-minute parcels that small-business owners can enjoy any day and any time – on the listening device of their choice,” explained ABN’s Community Director and show co-host, Suzi Dafnis.
All episodes will be available FREE on iTunes, as well as on the Australian Businesswomen’s Network website. Episodes can be downloaded onto MP3 devices or heard inline on any computer, smartphone or tablet device.
The series launched with three episodes:
Doing Business in a Social World
What has been the biggest impact of social media on small business to date? What are the business advantages of ‘being social’. Plus great social media tools for YOUR business. Listen here.
Social Networking – What is it good for?
We know that social networks are good for promoting your business and creating a community (well, that’s a bit of an assumption). But what else is social networking for when it comes to running a small business? Listen here.
and
Twitter for Networking
How can you use Twitter to network? This episode looks at what makes Twitter a great networking tool and how to convert your tweets to business. Plus, news and social media tools to manage your online activity. Listen here.
“I have been raving about the power of social media for small businesses for years… but I know that it can be really confusing, daunting and even overwhelming for business owners who are just starting to use it. Like anything in business, knowledge is power; the trick, however in our information-overloaded world is access to the ‘right knowledge.’ In this series, guests provide practical insights based on their experience on using social media, specifically in the small business context,” explained co-host Cat Matson of Alito.
Social Media for Small Business is part of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network range of educational programs for small business. Learn more at www.abn.org.au.
For more information:
Australian Businesswomen’s Network podcast series
Subscribe on iTunes (new episodes added fortnightly)
About the Australian Businesswomen’s Network
Winners of the 2011 City of Sydney Business Awards – Education Category, the Australian Businesswomen’s Network provides training and mentoring for business owners. The ABN publishes videos, podcasts, web-seminars and newsletters that provide education, inspiration and facilitate networking opportunities for women (and men) in business.
