Karen Purves

Which Social Networking Site is best?

Posted on 9 February 2010 | 3 responses

People ask me this question all the time as if there is a magic bullet that once found, will shower the recipient with riches. And, I will burst that bubble by saying there is no magic bullet.

Really, as with all marketing, which platform is best for what you want to achieve.

There is having connections with people on all the sites and that is great to keep in touch but it may not have anything to do with marketing.

I know alot of professional service firms pooh-pooh Facebook and that leaves a great opportunity for the firms who don’t. Facebook Fan Pages will grow in importance as people learn how they are to use them.

Linkedin is a great site for business to business (but not exclusively so) but it does depend on how you use it. Again, goes back to what your goals are. Setting up groups and participating in groups are great ways of gaining credibility and extending your market. But, you need to have something else to follow on too.

What is at your website to capture interest further?

How are you going to convert interest into a client?

How are you going to do that as well as servicing clients?

Great questions that need answers otherwise your ROI will be poor.

If you are using Linkedin as if you would personal networking, then you may be missing opportunities. I have a guide on how to use linkedin here

The fundamental difference between face to face networking and online networking is the scale. Face to face tends to be 1 to 1 and sometimes 1 to many. While, online networking is many to many… that’s new and it means that if you change your approach, your returns will also increase.

With regards to Twitter, it is an interesting tool. And, I think you have think what you want to achieve. Also, is your market on twitter? With twitter, a tweet life expectancy is around 10 minutes. So, if your market isn’t consuming in real time there is less chance that your efforts will be received. Sure, there are tools that collect tweets from people you are particularly interested in but that won’t be for lots of people.

Again, I think you can use twitter in a tactical way to have lots of comments on an event, topic etc.

On a personal note, I like sites where I am able to explore concepts, engage with others in that exploration and make new connections. Connections aren’t always prospects but they are always interesting. Taking that perspective further, it’s about how to create win:win outcomes…

How do you use the different social networking sites?

All that Twitters is not Gold

Posted on 4 February 2010 | No responses

There’s so much about now on Twitter that it seems to have spawned a whole industry.

How to post advice – There’s tweetiquette, the latest post by Lisa Barone offers a concise list that’s practical and full of common sense.

Business Building Advice -  There are marketing consultants saying that you have to build a huge following to be effective on Twitter.

There are those that say you have to be consistent and tweet so many times a day.

Now, really, twitter is done when you have time to do it. If you are permanently on twitter then perhaps you could do with looking at how you manage your time and whether twitter is bringing in the business.

A Personal View

I’ve been using Twitter since July 2008, and that seems an age in social media terms.

I’ve had business from it.

But, the most important thing is that I have connected with people who I may never of otherwise. I’ve connected with people on Twitter who are also friends on other sites. And, because of that, I don’t forward my twitter stream to other sites, the reason being that people want to know about what I tweet about.

And if it was the same as in Facebook, Linkedin or other forums, they wouldn’t bother.

Twitter is just one aspect of your marketing and just how important it is depends upon whether your market is on twitter and that they buy.

Tell me how you experience Twitter because there are as many ways as there are people!

Is Your Website working for YOU?

Posted on 2 February 2010 | No responses

In the past, we considered opening hours to be the same as office hours. But that was before the internet! Having a website means you can be open for business 24-7. So, are you?

Many websites appealing to other businesses are little more than brochures with the usual “contact us” for more information. And, even if you do fill in the box, how many times do you receive a response? I am always surprised when I take the time to give all the information for the company to contact me so I can become a customer or clients, yet there is no response… what a lost opportunity!

Most people though just click away if they can’t find the information they want… another lost opportunity!

Studies show that people only scan online text.

So, if you have complex topics, an alternative to giving information via the web page is required.  That means considering documents in PDF format, audio and videos or a combination. You aim is to help people with their decision making process in finding the best solution for their problem. You want to build trust that you have the depth, the expertise and can provide solutions to suit the client.

Before your visitors access your material, you can ask for their details. The amount of details depends upon your market and where they are meeting you.

Ask for too much and they will go away or give you incorrect information.  Either way, you lose.

The benefit of having information on your website is so you can follow up with additional information building up that all important trust. By adding details of your report, audio or video with a sign up box, you are now open for business when people stop by.

This also works for pre-paid services. The first time you know someone has visited is when you receive an email informing you that you have new funds. Isn’t that where you want to be?

To find out more about having a website that works for you, register for the F R E E teleseminar on Lead Magnets, 10th February 2010 at 7pm GMT and 2pm EST

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