Social Media Solutions & Small Business Consultancy | Contact Me: wendy@resolutioncoaching.co.uk

Want To Know More About The Social Media Surgery ?

Lesley Morrissey (Expert in Readability from www.lesleywriter.com) was our guest speaker at last week’s Social Media Surgery .  A very enthusiastic audience were treated to a content rich talk on how to make a website stick – e.g. which is interesting and engaging enough for visitors to stick around and find out more.  A few volunteers submitted their websites for Lesley to evaluate in detail, which produced a lively discussion and lots of ideas.

Here Is A Short Summary

• Make it easy for visitors to navigate around your website.  Whether you use a horizontal or vertical navigation bar -  group your pages under familiar titles, rather than making them wade through a huge list
• Before you write any copy, put yourself in your customers shoes – and find out what their pains, challenges and desires are
• Go for good copy – rather than a huge picture on your home page.  Google likes copy which will make your page more easily searchable.
• Don’t try and be too clever with your copy – i.e. with long sentences full of jargon, technical stuff or long words.  Don’t make visitors think to hard or your will lose them in seconds
• Don’t give your page titles weird names – use familiar terms that people routinely understand (i.e. Home, Contact Us, About Us, Events)
• Frequent use of CAPITAL LETTERS throughout your copy isn’t generally a good idea, as this makes it hard going for people reading it
• Good websites should be viewable in different browsers, smaller screens and even iphones
• Be careful with using the word ‘we’.  As Lesley put’s it “Don’t ‘we’ all over your copy” make liberal use of the word ‘you’ instead.
• If your web designer loves using Flash and has an urge to over design your site - this could turn people off
• For examples of websites that don’t work visit www.webpagesthatsuck.com
• Videos should be in the control of the person watching them and shouldn’t automatically load.  For instance, if you’re viewing a video at work and it automatically loads – it could cause embarrassment and attract unwanted attention.  This won’t make you flavour of the month
• Reassure visitors who provide personal information,  that you take their privacy seriously and aren’t about to randomly spam them at every opportunity.  Include a strong statement to this effect…e.g. “We hate spam as much as you do…”

More information can be found by downloading Lesley’s Comprehensive Report “Website Usability and Readability” Visit her website here www.lesleywriter.com

If you’ve not been to The Social Media Surgery – you are welcome to come along and see for yourself what we get up to!  Its an informal networking event where you get to meet other business owners AND learn something new each month about Social Media and the Technology that goes with it.

And…it’s free! (And we’ve got chocolate biscuits…!). 

Register here

Warmest regards

Wendy

How can you turn yourself from a virtual unknown into a great and powerful presence online? 

In this blog I am going to show you how you can borrow a strategy from horrible history, which will help you if you aspire to lead your own tribe, or followers in your particular industry.

A lot of people are fascinated by the darker side of history.  But although much of it is as far removed from modern life as it’s possible to get, it occurred to me the other day that Ancient Rome can teach us one key ingredient to becoming successful in any arena – particularly running a business, big or small.   

And this one crucial element  is so powerful that, once ignited, almost nothing will stand in its way. We’re talking about…

The power of Influence

When the famous Gladiator Maximus Decimus Meridius, stepped into the arena for the very last time – he had one thing on his side.  On his quest for revenge, ‘The Spaniard’ was very clear on his vision,  and despite having the odds stacked against him he used his contacts and ultimately his influence to achieve iconic status.

Massive crowds would be drawn to the Colosseum to watch the Gladiators clash in a fight to the death.  It was public entertainment on a bloody and visceral scale, and an accepted part of Roman culture.

There was a collective gruesome voyeurism about it (much like public executions in Britain) which temporarily welded people together, in such a way that normal folk forgot their own problems.  Because basically someone else was ‘for the chop’. 

Now, the point to all this is that men are no longer thrown to the lions, however human behaviour is basically pretty much exactly the same as it was back then.  So if you can influence the crowd you have a huge advantage – particularly in the Social Media arena.  

Our Gladiator was given probably the best piece of advice he would ever receive from his mentor…”Win the crowd – and you win your freedom”.  Yes I know it was just a film – but the story holds true…for all of us who yearn for success and the freedom to be their own person, on their own terms.  But few have the courage or the wits to achieve it.

Win the crowd and you win your freedom

Because once the crowd gets to  know you, they started to like you and then  follow you.  Then they will begin talking about you.  If you can create what Seth Godin calls a ‘Tribe’  = when what you say touches and connects with people – you have influence.

There’s nothing more compelling than a crowd of people seeing, hearing and experiencing something powerful together.  Which is the secret ingredient in being successful in most things, including Social Media.   And it’s how you build The Triangle of Trust, which, once formed, is very hard to break. 

So how can you bring a little bit ancient Rome into play here, and influence more people?

How can  you generate the same crowd surge to get people interested in your business for instance? 

• People love to gossip.  People love a spectacle.  This could be for several reasons, e.g. possibly to reassure themselves that it’s not them suffering any pain, or to relieve the tedium of their lives, or to look for inspiration and leadership in others.
• Human Beings are tribal.  Because people like to feel that they belong,they look to each other to see what their peers are doing and what choices they are making before they make their own choices.  With Social Media (with the use of the Facebook Like Button for instance) – it’s easy to see what choices others are making and what decisions they’ve made. 
• The majority of people want to be led and to look up to, and admire, their leaders.  So if you aspire to lead and be known by leveraging Social Media for instance,  start talking with conviction - stand up for what you believe in and bravely share your vision with the world. 
• You don’t have to be the CEO of General Motors to be a great role model.  So even if you come from Devon and make Ice Cream in your kitchen or knit cardigans  – everyone has a unique and compelling story to tell
• Today’s iconic leaders are unique, transparent and talk from a place of authenticity
• Share your story,your opinions and your unique take on the world on Twitter, Facebook and Linked In
• Find the hungry crowd online who wants what you’re promoting – put yourself in the right arena 
• Create a spectacle, an event, a ‘something’ that either makes individuals feel that they are in on something special or part of something innovative and unique.

For example the recent launch of the new iPad and iPhone is a really good example. 

So my question to you is – do you know who your hungry crowd is, where to find them and how you can begin to engage with them?  Tell us what you’re doing by leaving a comment below.

If you’re looking for a new job, have been out of work for a while or have been on dozens of interviews – all to no avail, then here are a few reasons why you might not have been hired.  Granted we are in a recession and there are more candidates applying for the same vacancies, and employers can be a lot more choosey.  However, applying a few ground rules will hopefully stack the odds in your favour next time.  So don’t make these mistakes…

Wearing the wrong outfit

This includes (if you’re a woman), wearing a low cut top, or wearing a skirt that waaaay to short.  Wear clothes that are appropriate for the industry – but don’t go over the top.  Too much perfume can also be off putting.  The interviewer doesn’t want to be distracted by an overpowering aroma, or clothes that are a distraction.

Shabby Shoes

Always ensure that you are wearing shoes that have been cleaned and polished, and don’t need re-heeling.  Obviously wearing flip flops or motorcycle boots aren’t a good idea either, unless you’re going after a job as a life guard or motorcycle despatch rider…

Loud Jewellery

Of course you need to pay attention to what we call grooming, i.e. having accessories that compliment your outfit.  But large chunky rings, big earrings, nose  and lip piercings and cluncky bracelets are a distracting annoyance.  PLUS they could indicate that you aren’t really that serious about actually getting a job.  So tone it down a bit.

Not doing your research

Meaning, have you checked out the company that will be interviewing you?  It should only take a few minutes to find them on the internet and look into what they do and where they are located.  If you’ve demonstrated that you have done a bit of homework, it will impress the interviewer and show that you are interested in them. 

Being late

I remember being 20 minutes late for an interview which was being held in Oxford Street.  I ran into the interview, completely out of breath, and feeling really bad that I’d not timed my journey properly.  I then couldn’t find the offices where I was being interviewed.  Fortunately for me I must have done something right because they hired me on the spot!  However, being late is a really bad sign.  So always time your journey and if you experience any problems do phone the agency who recommended you, or the company where you are being interviewed, to let them know you will be late.

Nobody likes a wet fish! 

If you take nothing else away from this article – go and practice shaking hands.  A firm, genuine grip works best.  AND if you are a man shaking hands with a woman – take it from me – women do not like men who just briefly squeeze our fingers in a kind of half-hearted pathetic attempt at a handshake.  Women do know how to shake hands a well, just don’t be a wimp about it.

The CV From Hell

A badly written, scruffy CV which goes on for ages will never be read, and will never get you an interview.  There are a few simple rules here.  Print it on prestine clean paper, keep it short and to the point.  Add all the relevant information so that an employer knows how to get in touch with you.  Type it on white paper, with a regular font (i.e. Ariel, Verdana or Times New Roman).  Include bullet points to save space.  Include key areas where you have demonstrated expertise or a success.  Try and keep it to under 3 pages. Always  be able to demonstrate your areas of expertise when asked – e.g. some successes, where you’ve excelled and how you achived that. 

A Bad Attitude

I remember years ago I was helping out with some interviews for my then boss.  I offered one candidate a cup of tea and when my boss asked me to bring her into his office for the interviewed she then announced “when I’ve finished my tea”.  Remember to be polite and courteous at all times.  Say hello, smile and take the lead from the interviewer.  If you have to wait, smile and be patient.  When asked about your past experiences or why you left your previous job – don’t go on and on about how bad your last boss was or how badly you were treated.  Nobody likes to hire someone who has a massive chip on their shoulder.  A great attitude will nearly always make up for any shortcomings you may have – just show willing and be an approachable, reasonable person.

Use your common sense

I recall one boss I worked for used to joke about never hiring anyone who didn’t bring a biro with them.  One of my colleagues would ask his candidates to reassemble a set of occasional tables as a way of working their IQ (he did this just for a laugh).   Which means that at least give the impression that you are fairly clued in, so carry a pen, some form of ID and be up for the challenge!

Is that your phone ringing?

I think your worst nightmare is your phone ringing during an interview, worse than that is having a ring tone that sounds like Lady Gaga, but the fatal mistake would be actually answering it, OR carrying on a lengthy conversation.  You might think you’re important, you might think it looks clever, but take it from me.  It doesn’t.  Turn it off.  The only reason you should have your phone with you – is if there’s an emergency and you need to make a call, or you get lost and need directions, or if your car breaks down. 

Check your Social Media Profile

More and more employers these days are checking out potential clients on Social Media – i.e. Facebook and Linked In.  Make sure that all your relevant work experience is on Linked In – if you’re serious about getting THAT job – you MUST have a profile on Linked in and start to network online.  If you’ve got any dodgy photos on Facebook – lose them.  Nothing will destroy your reputation faster is some photo of you in a compromising position at the hen night, stag do or Christmas party.  Be sensible – or don’t share your photos with everyone. 

Looking like your cat just died

One team of executives I worked for used to ask me which candidate they hired after they’d done all the interviews.  9 times out of 10 I always picked the same person they interviewed.  I’m not sure if that says anything about my observation skills, but if you arrive at the interview with a face like thunder or that you’re really not happy then why should anyone give you a job?  Sure, yeah shit happens and we all have to do things under extreme pressure, but get over it and get on with it.  I heard one story about a guy who was homeless and was sleeping on the streets.  He had to change in the public toilets and hide his suitcase in reception when he went for interviews – but because he had the right attitude and was super keen – he got hired! 

Don’t be a smart arse

I remember one of my bosses was interviewing internally for a Project Manager.  One of my colleagues applied for the job – but he was ridiculously over confident.  His body language was so completely over the top it was hilarious.  He spent the whole interview sitting with his hands behind his head, leaning back in the chair as if to say “yeah, I could do this job standing on my head”.  His approach completely back-fired and what should have been a formality turned into a disaster.  Of course you need to look keen, but don’t over do it.  Sit leaning forward, make eye contact, smile, be yourself and look interested. 

Taking rejection really badly

Yes, not getting the job can be a body blow, but hounding your interviewer or demanding to know why you weren’t hired can be counter-productive.  Yes it helps to receive a letter to explain why you haven’t been hired, (or even just to let you know) but sometimes not all organisations are organised enough (or have the time) to tell every single person that they weren’t successful.  Take it on the chin, get over it and move onto the next job application.  It happens to everyone – don’t spend to long agonising over what you did or didn’t do, because the time spent on lamenting your loss is time you should be planning your next move.  Besides the job may have been offered internally, the chemistry was possibly wrong, you didn’t fit the criteria, or they didn’t like your shoes….

Listen Up!  Twitter’s Moved On But if you’ve not locked in your Twitter Strategy and are finding the whole thing perplexing, annoying or frustrating then you must register your place at this forthcoming Teleseminar with the UK’s Leading Twitter Expert

Title: “Why Twitter Isn’t Just About Cheese Sandwiches
Location: Small Business Teleclass – with Mark Shaw
Link out: Click here
Description: Mark Shaw is an award winning ex sales guy that advises and trains businesses, and individuals on how utilise Twitter to gain more business & to be effective with their time. Mark has been ranked as high as Number 3 in the UK &, Number 49 in the World for Twitter Elite & has approx 12,500 followers. He has been on radio, published in the media and given talks all throughout the UK in his capacity as an expert on Twitter.

On the call you will learn:
What is Twitter?

• Why should you bother with Twitter?
• What can you do with Twitter?
• How do you gather Information?
• What are the 4 R’S
• What are the 4 things you need to do to be successful with Twitter?
• What are the 3 things that you need to Tweet about?
• What results can be generated via Twitter?
• How can you increase website traffic with Twitter?
• Where should you spend most of your time on Twitter?

Start Time: 20.00
Date:   29th July 2010
End Time: 21.00

Big changes are on the way for regional development agencies, including Business Link, as detailed in this article.  Whilst I’m not about to devote this entire blog to negative comments about Business Link per se (especially as I value the mentoring and support I’ve received from my own adviser), I have come to the conclusion – along with 57% of people in a recent poll, that the general consensus is that scrapping the regional development agencies, will be, on the whole, beneficial to SME’s. 

Many SME’s have struggled to compete for contracts or have been edged out because they’ve come up against the same response from agencies funded by the government, when trying to promote their services to the public sector….”oh, the Government do a funded version of what you’re doing” or “we’ve got that covered” or “we’re already doing that in our XYZ SuperBloodyCleverBuzzWord Scheme”.

Personally, I spent 8 months collaborating with another small business on a programme, which was either stonewalled, ignored or when we did finally get in front of who we thought was the right person they ‘pointed’ us to yet another vague quango, purporting to provide what we were.  It transpired that their offering was vastly inferior to ours and had little or zero impact.  Of course there is the argument that with the funding being wiped out, it will have a negative impact on small businesses – but for a truly hungry entrepreneur I think it will only serve to make them raise their game.

You could even argue that we’ve been so bogged down by the bureaucratic sludge, that small businesses have forgotten how great they are and are settling for second best.  They could just turn around and say “hey let’s just talk and support EACH OTHER” instead.  For example, I had a very interesting conversation with an Inventor who’d received far more valuable support from his peers than any of the funded support he’d received anyway!

With this layer of funding disappearing, from my point of view this will give the private sector more opportunities, because it will level the playing field.  It could be a real shot in the arm for anyone who can spot an opportunity to introduce themselves and really make a name for themselves.  Unlike before when they couldn’t get their foot in the door.  With the shift away from the state control of more or less everything, we can breath.

My belief is that the business men and women of this country, whilst being in need of good advice and support – must know that there are plenty of extremely competent people available in the private sector with much to offer.  And the reason being is that they are ‘out there’ day in day out, striving for excellence at the cutting edge; not going to endless meetings, or sitting on panels and completely out of touch. 

Entrepreneurs and specialists should be demanding more; they should challenge more and make a lot more noise about what’s good advice and what isn’t.  If you demand excellence and are on a quest for constant improvement then you should demand this in those advising you surely!?  If you expect excellence in yourself and your business then this should be the norm in the support and resources you call on to achieve that.  Otherwise, there’s no point in it is there? 

What do you think?  Will these changes help you?   Will these changes actually make business men and women all over the land scan their own businesses, take stock and instead of settling for mediocrity – wake up tomorrow with an entirely new attitude with …

• The freedom to ask the best of themselves
• Listen to what’s actually going on in the real business world
• Get to grips with technology
• Work with someone who’s actually experienced the challenges that are being thrown you on a daily basis (New Media for starters!). 

My view (and please disagree if you feel like it) – is that to give cutting edge advice you have to BE at the cutting edge.  Thankfully these latest changes indicate that we’re beginning to catch up, but it’s long overdue. 

We need to demand more, challenge and ask questions of the agencies giving us advice – because the danger is that because we’re already out there solving these problems (because we HAVE to, to survive) – that we will in the end become more knowledgeable than government funded agencies put together to help us.  Are they already being left behind…? 

Now you don’t want out-moded, pointless advice that’s not relevant to your business do you?

Were you at the front of the queue when the new iPad came out?  In fact when any new gadget is launched, are you literally straight down the High Street on Saturday morning to get an upgrade?  The recent frenzied clamour of people rushing to grab a new iPad was akin to the seasonal feverish demand for new toys at Christmas.  In fact, it appears these days that a grown adult is more likely to behave like a kid where new technology is concerned, as they join the stampede to get hold of these new toys.  What is it that drives the ambitious businessman and women to literally drop everything to get down to the Apple Store at the earliest opportunity and discard their trusty (new) mobile for another one?  

On the other hand for others technology has absolutely no appeal whatsoever.   What’s your relationship to mobile phones, technology and the new media ‘thang’, and does your personality play a part in that?

In my work as a Coach/Consultant, of course behaviour and attitude is one of my specialties. I’ve given this some deep thought and have come up with 4 New Media stereotypes who I think you will recognise.  I think this slightly irreverent blog accurately illustrates the very stark differences in most people’s attitudes to technology. And it may explain why some of us are either fervent fans whilst others find that gadgets and gizmo’s leave them completely cold. 

I’ve drawn on my work as a DISC Consultant which is a really simple way for individuals to understand themselves and others.  We’re all different and therefore this will reflect in our attitude to technology and New Media. But do you recognise yourself here?

Are you The Plutocrat?

Perhaps you’re an ambitious business owner who HAS to have the very latest mobile phone and wouldn’t be seen dead without one.  To you a mobile is a status symbol.  Do you take great pains to make sure that EVERYONE sees you using it?  It’s all part of the carefully crafted image you have of yourself as you wave your iPhone around at the Networking meeting or in the Boardroom. 

Years ago it was the Rolodex.  Now, you’re nobody unless you have a Blackberry or an iPhone.  Interestingly, although this type likes to have the latest toys, quite often they haven’t a clue how they work, and either get their kids or their PA to show them how to use them.  However, heads will roll if they’ve been supplied with the wrong version, or someone comments on what poor taste they have in phones (or worse, actually comments on their cluelessness in this area).  

Hands-Free was inventied for the Plutocrat as they negotiate their next big deal from their car.  As long as they have the most expensive, limited edition (i.e. a gold plated or studded with diamonds which makes them look powerful or important) they’re happy.

The TechnoKid

Do you readily discard your barely new phone to upgrade it at the first opportunity? Do you literally have a draw full of spare phones at home, some of which are literally only weeks old?  Addicted to Technology? You Bet!  The whole  mobile recycling industry would grind to a halt without you guys.  Does the thought of getting an upgrade or a new app for your phone makes you drool?  Newness and novelty play a big part in your life.

In fact do you get bored with your phone so quickly that you’ve been know to accidentally ‘lose’ your phone in the washing machine or drop it down the toilet just so you can get a brand new one? Yep – deep joy!  The TechnoKid has a charming, childlike attitude to technology. 

They love talking on their phones, and are the ones who take those charming photos of all their friends in the pub when they are off their faces after 20 pints – and post them up on Facebook the next morning.  They send millions of text messages, and are the first to announce what new phone they’ve just acquired.  The mobile phone industry has grown rich on these boys and girls!

What about this…The Technophobe

And Proud!  Have you not upgraded your mobile for at least  5 years?  Does your phone actually never get switched on…?  In fact is it almost impossible for ANYONE to reach you on your mobile phone because you only save it for emergencies (except that nobody can ACTUALLY reach you in an emergency except by writing you a letter or sending a carrier pigeon?). 

All technology makes them so stressed that just walking onto an Apple Store would send them into information overload.  And as for searching for one on the Internet. Forget it! 

Plus because they hardly EVER use their phone, it’s either run out of credits, the battery has died or they can’t even remember their own phone number?  If they actually LOST their mobile phone, they’d frankly not even be that bothered.  These folk are so not interested in technology, and they actually love the fact that nobody calls them.  The Technophobe barely manages to learn how to send a text message either, and when they do, they usually end up sending a message to the wrong person by mistake (e.g. NASA).

Special training should be given to Call Centre staff for Technophobes because the whole thing terrifies them.  They need very careful handling to prevent complete meltdown.

Lastly, The TechnoNerd

These people spend hours researching all the latest products, and are frequently to be found answering all your vexing queries on Forums.  Where would we be without these lovely people? They know how everything works and love showing the Technophobes how to use theirs when they finally cave in to join the technology super highway.  What the rest of us find as boring as watching paint dry, they embrace with relish. 

If you go on a date with a TechnoNerd, be prepared for a lengthy explanation and demonstration of how each of the features on their phone works.  Warning. If your phone is a bit out of date, just lie and say you’ve left it at home. But remember, you’ll be in the presence of an expert so take lots of notes!!

Every Plutocrat has a TechnoNerd on their team somewhere.  They are usually hastily summonsed to give a short tutorial on how to switch on their new phone or to make a call.  (However, the Plutocrat would never admit this shortcoming in a million years, so if you’re a TechnoNerd you’ve got a job for life). 

The TechnoNerd has an encyclopedic knowledge of phones and technology.  In fact they invented all the buzz words and acronyms – they just love ‘em!  In fact they love chatting for days in the pub about phones with other TechnoNerds.  They like nothing more than to spend a few happy hours creating new applications or ‘Apps’ for every conceivable use. 

The trouble with The TechnoNerd is that they are so immersed in the whole subject that nobody else can understand a word they’re saying.  They really can only relate to other TechnoNerds – so think twice about letting them loose on the general public. You’re better off giving them a stiff drink and handing them a very complex problem to solve with your phone to keep them quiet.

I hope you enjoyed this quick tour of the New Media stererotypes.  Do you fit the description?  Do you recognise anyone on the list? Do post a comment and let me know.

I’ve just read what I’d hope was a simple and informative article about measuring the cost of Social Media.  Instead, I’m so incensed by it’s contents that here I am at 10.30 p.m. penning this Blog posting instead of getting to sleep!

Why? 

Well, the article was basically a list of keywords strung together.  There were so many that I completey forgot what the whole article was about!  Look – I understand that almost an entirely new language has sprung up around Social Media.  We talk about ROI, Engagement, Benchmarking, Platforms, blah blah blah.  You’d need a degree in IT to understand half of it. 

But my point is that not everyone who has dipped their toe in Social Media understands all the terminology.  And I actually think that there are a lot more of you out there than would admit it… wouldn’t you agree?  Because I think that many people think that a lot of the termonology  is frankly Bull shit.

I published a book last year (gratifyingly free of buzz words and jargon). Before my publishers would allow the book to go to print I had my work scrutinised to the enth degree first.  Having gone through that particular baptism of fire, I  understand most of the rules for writing articles.  But I confess I’m still learning.  I understand that it’s not necessarily all about me – but I need to be able to write in such a way that gets my message across.

According to The Plain English Society, if you spend more than an hour a day writing, you are to an extent a professional writier.  And if you like writing like I do it’s vital that you get it right.

I’m on a mission lately to help Small Businesses join the Social Media revolution – but a huge proportion of the businesses I speak to really struggle with it, and one of the reasons why is precisely because they don’t understand the lingo!  Much of the language has its roots in the IT and Consulting profession (which invented ‘Blue Sky Thinking’ by the way).  It’s OK if you actually work in the IT  industry and understand the jargon and buzz words, but  for some business men and women it’s  a real turn off.  All it does is create a yawning chasm between the gurus out there and the people who they are keen to educate.

For instance, a friend of mine used to play ’Buzz Word Bingo’ in a previous life in the corporate world. But she admitted that she can’t play that now because she doesn’t understand any Social Media terminology. So  she feels alienated and her enthusiasm for it is almost non-existent.  I think they have a new term for that these days - it’s called ’lack of engagement’.

But let me say here and now that we’re being encouraged to litter our articles with key words and phrases in order to be picked up by Google – but honestly the article I read the other day contained so many of them it competely detracted from their message.  They made no attempt whatsoever to tell a story and grab my attention.  It was frankly, annoying.

So, for those of you who are out there educating us hard working business owners, some of whom have  just arrived at the Social Media Station and are looking for a friendly guide to translate and introduce them to this new territory (without scaring them off) – 3 words of advice. Keep It Simple. It works for me, it works for my clients and possibly 99% of the business community.

It’s tough enough running a business without the added challenge of deciphering something that should be openly accessible to all.

But that’s enough of my rantings…do you agree or am i being overly harsh here?  Do you think I’ve gone off the deep end?  Or would you also like Plain English to play a part in Social (New) Media? 

Should the IT Mavens and Manderines (i.e. bloody clever bastards) come out of their ivory towers, and instead of the rest of us having to pretend that we know what they are on about – why don’t they just tell us what we all want to know, in a straightforward simple way?  Then we’d all be on a level playing field and irradicate the ridiculous elitist attitude which frankly, winds me up! 

Rant over. Peace and Love everyone!  But to prove my point I’m creating 20 Free Videos that explain Social Media in a really simple way. If you want someone to explain it to you in a language that you understand – then I believe you will find this an enjoyable experience where you will actually take away something useful to use, immediately.

They are out very soon, so to get advance notification of these when they are published click here and register. 

Warmest regards

Wendy

Are you an entrepreneur?  Do you believe that Social Media is an exciting new development that you’d like to adopt to help promote your small business?  Have you got all enthusiastic about it, but somehow haven’t quite got to grips with it yet?  And because of that has it become an annoying thorn in your side?  You’ve done a few ‘Tweets’ and dabbled with Facebook, but not much more.  You’re not really in the game?

There could be a very good reason for this as I will explain.  Because if you don’t know how to use the Social Media tools properly - you’re doomed. 

Let’s look to sport for the answer.  When I was a kid my dad bought me and my sisters a tennis racket each.  Now in those days only a select few kids at school were given the privelege of learning to play tennis.  In fact I never did work out what the criteria was for being selected – it was all very cloak and dagger.  So we didn’t get any lessons, and therefore we didn’t have the feintest idea how to play tennis.  We all loved it of course, and during Wimbledon fortnight we’d spend hours glued to the TV. 

But the fact that we didn’t know how to play tennis didn’t deter us at first.  We tried, and we tried.  We went over the park and played and when we visited our grandfather in Cambridge we took over the tennis courts at Jesus Green in front of his flat.  The trouble was that the rackets were made of wood, we were skinny little teenage girls who could barely hold them up, let alone serve the ball!  In fact when we played we spent more time retrieving the ball from outside the court than actually hitting it over the net.   And because we didn’t know how to grip the racket properly we’d regularly either hit ourselves over the head with it, bash our ankles or it would be hurled embarrassingly across the court.  

In the end we gave it up as a dead loss – but not before we found one hilarious and unorthodox use for our rackets.  

My mum had two apple trees in the garden, and every autumn we would be charged with picking up the windfalls; and we’d use the tennis rackets to launch the apples over the roof of the house! And to our joy, sometimes these apples never made it but instead were turned into cubes made possible  by this remarkable, make-shift food processor - a tennis racket. Deep joy! 

Which leads me to my point about Social Media.  What if you’ve stumbled upon this, or been urged by others to give it a go.  What if you’ve found Facebook, Twitter and Linked In and have made a stab at things, but you’ve failed to see ‘the point of it all’, or haven’t really made any real inroads with it and you are investing time doing something that, quite frankly, you don’t understand? 

Is this because you’ve got the tools – the tennis racket – but don’t actually know how to use it properly?  Of course you’re looking around at other businesses who are absolutely exploding with the use of Social media, i.e. blogging, Facebook, Video, Twitter, Linked In.  Some are making eye-popping fortunes online.  And you are left behind thinking “why can’t I do that?”  – “What’s the secret?!”

I believe that like sport, you need a bit of training, to learn from some experts.  You need invest some time, effort and dedication.  Failing that you need to hire someone who will run your Social Media programme for you.  But if you’ve not got the budget for it, what do you do instead?  Because if you’re only dabbling, fooling around with it without any clear direction or instruction – don’t bother because you’ll be wasting your time. 

Well, what’s been your experience?  Do you agree? 

Image Courtesy of Google Images (c)

What marketing strategies REALLY work for small businesses, and what are their feelings about another alternative strategy – Social Media?

Well, it really depends which side of the fence your on doesn’t it?

Meaning that if you’re a small business which is still using traditional methods, i.e. direct sales, telesales, yellow pages, and networking, you could assume that Social Media or using the internet is indeed ‘The Dark Side’.  Phrases such as “trivial” “unethical” “glib” “superficial”"trashy” “just for kids” “unsecure” “childish nonsense” are commenly thrown at it. 

However, if you’ve actually bothered to find out what Social Media REALLY is – i.e. one of the most powerful mass influence strategies ever devised – you may well conclude that those on the ‘Dark Side’ are those businesses who’re still waiting for it to catch on and watching what everyone else is doing as they honestly believe is a passing trend.  Unfortunately ‘everyone else’ are the very individuals who’ve grasped what Social Media is very quickly and are running with it (i.e. using Facebook, Twitter and Linked In) and benefitting from it nicely already thank you.

Is the Dark Side a realm of traditional tried and tested, reliable methods, but which paradoxically for a Small Business are actually expensive, complex and for the inexperienced a complete waste of money?  Things like sending out flyers, writing sales letters (which require endless follow up with more letters and more phone calls) and costly telesales?  Is it something that they would ‘like to have’ – possibly need but can’t actually afford?

Whereas enter Social Media another ‘reality’ where for the uninitiated you’re only going to be wasting your entire day having meaningless conversations with total strangers whose only agenda is to sell someting to you, or waste your time on trivial nonsense?

But wait?

Surely a comparison is in order here – some statistics would help wouldn’t they?  Well no actually, because there are many business owners who’ve already seen these stats and are still saying “well…but why do I want to meet a million people online?  I prefer meeting people in person.”  OK what are you counterparts and competitors doing?  Is Social Media working for them?  Are they in fact galloping away and tripling their revenue? Is there any proof that absolutely convincingly concludes this question once and for all?  Does Social Media actually work?

The anwer lies really in what outcome you’re looking for.   If you want more customers, even some peoople when presented with the overwhelming body of evidence the ‘Habeous Corpus’ – still refuse to accept it.  There are some businesses that have exploded online, but despite this not everyone wants to adopt the methods or even the values associated with these business.  But my argument is – do you want to be successful or not, e.g. earn shed loads of money so that you can do more good in the world?

Is it human nature to wait until the tide comes in before acting?  Are there always going to be individuals who will wait on the beach denying the enevitable, while others (the early adopters) eagerly get their surf boards out to welcome in the tide of change? 

Social Media isn’t necessarily about going over to the Dark Side.  It’s actually tapping into the very thing that prevents many business owners from embracing it entirely – preferring to watch and wait and see ‘what everyone else is doing’.  The paradox is that they are prepared to be influenced by a large proportion of the population before they make their choice. 

But why wait to be influenced when you could begin to be one of those businesses influencing large groups of people using Social Media, therefore being seen and heard.  Get it?

What’s your opinion?  Share it here.

Now, it is a truth universally acknowledged that men think that women talk too much.  Am I right? 

Now, what men DON’T realise is that this talking serves a really useful purpose, in fact several purposes.  Back in the days when men were out hunting Woolley Mammoths and bringing home the bacon, the women were either in the fields bringing in the harvest, or they were looking after the children (or each other’s children), or making clothes and cooking.  The role of women was to build and maintain the community.  They learnt to rely on each other and support and encourage each other.  I mean, let’s face it giving birth with no anaesthetic, in all weathers was probably one of the scariest events of a woman’s life (apart of death of course). So having a supportive tribe of women around you was an absolutely essential.

Bringing up children requires strong communication, listening and empathising skills.  Whereas men are designed and programmed to fix things, take action, hunt wild animals, fend off attacks from other tribes and solve practical problems.  Caring, nurturing and empathising doesn’t come into it. 

Even in studies with new born babies – boy babies respond to mobiles made from  inanimate objects, whereas girls are more responsive to mobiles featuring pictures of human faces.

But what’s this got to do with Social Media?  Well – from where I stand (and feel free to disagree if you wish) – Social Media is where people come together to discuss, evaluate and share their thoughts.  Blogs build your reputation, Facebook create communities, Forums provide a platform for sharing experiences.   These you’d agree are strongly feminine activities.

In research in general, men are better at systematizing (the desire to analyze and explore systems and rules) and that women are better at empathizing (the ability to identify with other people’s feelings).  Which may explain why in the internet age men are busy designing new pieces of kit, software and clever systems to help Social Media join together, whereas women haven’t the slightest interest in the technology, they just want to talk to each other! 

BUT if women realised that the technology was there to help them do this – if they got over their fear of the technology they might begin to enjoy the experience more.  This article on Mashable goes further “Why Social Media Means Big Opportunities for Women”

“Human beings have always gotten together, collaborated through their church groups and PTAs, told stories over coffee or over the backyard fence.  Social media merely allows us to do what we’ve always done faster, better and with scale… From a persuasive standpoint, social media can be used to surface engagement opportunities and increase participation through building new social norms.”

Margarita Quihuis – Stanford University

Women are transferring their natural inclination to listen, discuss, share and empathise onto Social Media – through the technology which is being developed on the most part (dare I sat this at the risk of sounding sexist), by men!  Yes, yes, yes the IT industry is beginning to attract more women,  and paradoxically there are a lot of men out there who are completely flummoxed by technology.  So there are some exceptions to my argument.

But my point is this;  If you’re a woman who likes to meet and connect with new people, would like to become a thought leader, demonstrate your expertise, raise your visibilty in your industry and is keen to belong to a like-minded community.  The tools to connect, discuss, evaluate and share through the medium of Social Media are ready and waiting. 

You can take the conversation off line as well – that’s still part of the process – but don’t ignore the other secondary, virtual world which could give you opportunities previously out of your reach or take you to places you’d never imagined!

Do you agree?  Share your thoughts here…