How One Businesswoman Embraced Social Media Management

Posted on January 14, 2013 Leave a comment

Mashable.com is currently running a great story about Julie Smolyansky, who inherited the position of CEO at the company her parents started in 2002, and was responsible for deciding the company’s direction at the tender age of 27. Since then, annual sales have increased from $12 million to $80 million and Lifeway Foods’ product has never been more popular. Smolyansky attributes much of this success to her early adoption of social media management. So what is the trendy product that has been embraced by internet users? Kefir, an ancient fermented milk drink. Not exactly the stereotypical subject of online popularity.

The product is made by introducing special ‘Kefir grains’, which are really a mixture of yeast and live bacteria, into milk and allowing the liquid to ferment for 24 hours. The resulting drink is rich in protein and in bacteria, leading some to praise its probiotic effects on the digestive system. Kefir has been around for some 2000 years, and Smolyansky credits its popularity explosion to her adoption of MySpace, Twitter and Facebook at a time when businesses did not commonly use social media services: ‘Everything that we do, we make sure that it’s sharable. We become a friend and a trusted source of information’.

At first, the young CEO attempted to manage the accounts herself alongside her other duties at Lifeway. Having realised that she just did not have the time to effectively engage with potential customers online, she hired a social media management expert in 2009. Nowadays, Lifeway employs 5 social media managers, and Smolyansky seems to suggest that she wishes to expand this even further: ‘We want to do more and more of it. You have to be everywhere’.

Lifeway’s story is an extreme one – few businesses can realistically hope to turn over $80 million each year. This case study does, though, illustrate the potential power of active social media management. If you want to explore the possibilities that social media could hold for your business, give us a call.

Why BJ Mendelson is Wrong About Social Media Management

Posted on January 4, 2013 1 Comment

As is my wont, I picked up a copy of the Metro yesterday during my commute in order to entertain myself during my lunch break. Can you imagine my horror when I read that social media management for businesses is ‘myth and hype… perpetuated by marketers all over the world’? U.S. comedian BJ Mendelson, who himself has over 760,000 Twitter followers, was loaned a two-page spread to inform readers of the great social media swindle. He would have us believe that any business investing in a social media campaign is throwing their money away. I might be biased, but I beg to differ – and I think that most will agree with me.

Social Media Management Isn’t Magic

It’s true that businesses can’t just set up a Facebook page, post a couple of boring company updates, sit back and watch the cash flow into their coffers. It doesn’t work like that. But, contrary to what Mr. Mendelson says, social media profiles are viable business tools. Instead of thinking of them as a way to plaster your slogan and product across a million screens, it’s better to see them as they were designed: as communication platforms.

The fact of the matter is that almost everybody spends a great deal of time online these days, and that for better or worse, social media has replaced more traditional forms of communication. It’s good to have a Facebook page because the majority of your customers probably use Facebook. You’re talking to them on their terms, through a platform that they have chosen. Twitter is excellent for keeping customers up to date with relevant news and for lending your company a distinct personality, due to its informal ‘pub conversation’ nature. From a more individual perspective, it’s hard to deny that Linkedin is a great way to find and engage with others in your industry – there’s a reason that even the least ‘trendy’ of professionals have a profile there.

Our Expertise Brings Real Results

Effective social media management won’t guarantee that your business will go viral and become an internet sensation. That isn’t to say, however, that your page or profile is an exercise in futility. It is possible to engage with existing and potential customers, stimulating sales or increasing brand loyalty – providing that you put out an appropriate message and respect the etiquette of that particular site. That’s where we come in. Our social media management services can provide your business with expertly crafted profiles, including professional graphic design, and the interaction that your customers will respond to. If you don’t believe us, ask our clients – why would they keep using our services, month after month, if they weren’t seeing a return on their investment?

2012: Mixed Fortunes for Facebook

Posted on November 7, 2012 Leave a comment

We thought we would let the newest member of the team, Tom, loose on the blog this week. Here’s his take on Facebook in 2012:

Facebook is the symbol of social media. Its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has firmly entered the public consciousness following the success of 2010’s quasi-biographical film, The Social Network. Much is made of the company’s meteoric rise, which has made the lack of a Facebook profile a cultural taboo and earned Zuckerberg a place as the youngest billionaire in the world. Following the company’s disastrous IPO, observers have noted that its development is being used as a barometer by investors seeking to judge the continued viability of social media companies.

Facebook has taken the initiative, though. Aware that the pathetic demand for its stock was driven by a lack of faith in its ability to attract advertising and other commercial revenues as more and more users turn to mobile devices, the company quickly sought to refine its platform to allow for easier commercial usage. For starters, American users logging in from their phone will now see an opportunity to send friends gifts as Facebook integrates its birthday reminder feature with an e-commerce element. The site is also now offering businesses the opportunity to sponsor search results, allowing them to boost their app or page above their competitors’. The most important innovation, though, is the new dedicated mobile advertising network. This major development means that mobile ads will now be targeted to users in the same way as the regular Facebook ad service is – that is, by using information drawn from the user’s profile, including their bio, ‘likes’ and chosen apps. Though in its infancy, this change is already making its presence felt, as the company’s third quarter earnings revealed a 32% growth in revenue compared to the same period last year. This is extremely impressive, especially given that the new ad network has only just been rolled out and so we cannot expect to see the full results until the end of the next quarter. The market was obviously pleased; Facebook’s shares shot up by 10% following the earnings report.

Social Media Heading into 2013

Assuming that these measures are a success in the long term, and investors begin to see greater and more stable returns, we can expect to see more excitement around social media platforms in general as commercial entities. The exposure of Facebook to the forces of the market was a risk, and one which some people thought had been miscalculated. If those people are proven wrong, it could be that others in the sector also open their companies up with a public offering. This change would fundamentally alter the course of the web’s development, as social media sites would become accountable to shareholders as well as users. The potential of the internet as a catalyst of economic growth is just beginning to be realised. Interested parties would do well to keep tabs on the market leader’s progress.

Social Media Management

If you’re not on Facebook yet, what are you waiting for? With hundreds of millions of users, it’s a great way to get into contact with potential customers. We can help you manage your social media to make sure that you see the biggest increase in customer engagement, website traffic and sales. Just give us a call or pop us an email – we don’t bite!

Facebook To Introduce a Want Button

Posted on October 10, 2012 Leave a comment

Facebook are looking to introduce a ‘Want’ button.

Though you wouldn’t be able to do this on a site other than on Facebook itself, in the same way that you might be able to ‘like’ an article you’ve just read, it is a rather interesting development as to the direction where Facebook is heading in. Let’s look at the possibilities:

Advertising

It’s not been a great year for Facebook, with a huge chunk being knocked off the value of the company since their IPO. Facebook as a means of advertising is now being seen in a different light since the revelation that a large number of their profiles are in fact fake or inactive. Introducing a Want button would encourage the posting and sharing of content that would be related to products you can buy, adding a new appeal to Facebook as a place to share what you really want.

We do love Pinterest at our office; both to view pictures of funky interior designs, and to benefit clients and their products and business. The Want button would be a move towards making Facebook less focused on user-to-user interaction, but instead as a place to simply hang out (if I can steal a phrase from Google’s lexicon) and consume content. Pinterest for example, is not so focused on our followers but about the content which pops up on your feed. More people are realising just how much time can be spent on a site like Pinterest (which has potential for advertising revenue) which doesn’t rely on chatting to friends or relationships.

Amazon Wish List

For those who don’t know what an Amazon Wish List is, it’s basically a publicly-viewable list of things you would like people to buy for you, which people can, if they like you, take you up on. A lot of minor celebrities or self-sufficient, fledgling figures who aren’t on massive salaries sign up to this, so enthusiastic fans can show their adoration for them. With Christmas approaching, and things like birthdays, you can get an idea of what a family member or friend might like to receive as a gift with the Want button.

Why an Active Social Media Presence is Important For Businesses

Posted on September 12, 2012 Leave a comment

We’ve already discussed on our site the benefits of social media as well as the services we can provide, but the question came up several times recently. Last Friday, Katie and I attended a networking event in Lewes with the First Friday Network to meet local business owners in the East Sussex area and see if anyone was in need of our wonderful services. As usual, though fortunately for us, there were several people who owned their own businesses and yet were not on Facebook and Twitter; or what we like to call, the social biggies.

Most squeezed their shoulders in, cringing as if they were thinking of a big spider crawling onto them while they were asleep. ‘Oh I stay away from that’, or ‘my kids have it, but I just don’t have the time’, were two popular responses when we asked them why they didn’t have an active social media presence. It is perfectly understandable for many traditional individuals, but being surrounded by these networks every day, it still comes as a surprise when we encounter an outsider who consciously avoids Facebook and Twitter to expand their reach. We spoke to Leon Banks of Elbee Services, who informed us many of those he worked with found a majority of their clients through their Facebook, rather than their site.

How Customers Can Find You On Twitter

The other reasons for discounting social media that come up is that they don’t see how their business can be benefited by Facebook, or simply they aren’t good with computers and technology (someone else does that for them). In the case of the former, we explained that with the two biggies, it’s simply about going to where people are, and where they can be exposed to what you offer. For example, if someone posts a rant on Twitter about struggling to find a trustworthy estate agent, we would likely come across that when searching for “#EstateAgents” as part of our daily tasks, and get in contact with them to refer them to our client’s site.

Becoming an Authoritative Source

When people come across your website out of hundreds in the same field, they need some indicator that you know what you’re talking about. Testimonials can work well but if everyone has them, then what’s the point? People will be much more likely to take you up on your services if it’s clear that you’re passionate about your area or niche; that you spend extra hours working or reading about the latest changes and news in that area. If you can prove yourself as to be an authoritative source, people will care about your opinion and that is when you can offer your services. As part of our social media and copy-writing services particularly, we can regularly update both your site and social media accounts so you’re involved in the kinds of conversations where the most eyes are and demonstrate your knowledge and dedication to what you do. Through info-graphics and videos, you can quickly educate amateurs to your field who have no knowledge about your kind of work. If you have especially creative, funny or moving content that appeals to a wider audience, then it can even go viral and spread quickly through forwarding in emails or sharing through social media; and when people view it, they’ll see your logo and how to contact you.

How Social Media Is Good For Your Brand

Having active social media accounts, whether just Facebook or Twitter, or more cutting-edge platforms such as Pinterest, allows you to show the world that you’re anything but archaic and old-hat. In fact, social media usage can demonstrate that you’re relevant to the changing needs of today’s customers. Sometimes you can just pop in to make a comment about a recent world or sporting event, and to let people know you exist. In this way, social media should not be seen as a fad but a useful device to carry out PR. We can’t comment on where these specific social media platforms will be in 10 years time, but we can say that we’ll be there with the expertise to keep you in the game, whatever that game will be.

We are currently offering a Free Twitter For Business – Beginners Course for anyone who wants to learn how to use Twitter themselves, beginning with the basics, and moving up to more advanced options. This session would be of huge benefit to those who want to take the reins for the social media for their business or organisation themselves and learn from a real person who deals with the accounts for various clients from different fields. Hugely beneficial for your business and a good opportunity to network with others in the area. Plus, it’s completely free!