Business

Social Media in Bite Sized Chunks

Tips for your top line by marketing consultant Manjeet Sidhu

We all know social media marketing is a cost effective solution for driving more traffic to your company website and raising more awareness about your products and services. But although most business owners I meet are keen to have a Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter account to complement their online profiles, they don’t really know how to use these tools to develop their brands and generate business growth.

So I thought it would be helpful to produce an A-Z of social media for businesses in 138 characters or less, the new text limit set by Twitter to accommodate bitly links. The list below also includes alternative social networks popular in different countries for those companies capitalising on the weak pound and marketing overseas.

And if you’re worried about the legal aspect of your virtual activity, please see a table of social media do’s and don’ts from Oli Worth of Greenwoods Solicitors to ensure you stay compliant.

Avatar

A light hearted 2D or 3D graphical representation of you that can be used for virtual networking instead of a professional photo.

Blog

An online newsletter kept up to date with your news and events to engage your staff, your clients and your future prospects.

Content

Any original copy, images, videos, graphics, sound or animation created to promote your business and published online.

Dashboard

A free report from Google Analytics (GA) to show the impact your social activity on your company website.

Elixio

An exclusive ‘by invitation only’ social network for senior business executives with approximately 80,000 members worldwide.

Followers

People who follow your activity on Twitter. Remember quality not quantity produces better return on engagement (ROE).

Goals

A free tool from Google Analytics (GA) to measure your social marketing return on investment (ROI).

Hashtag

A pre-fixed symbol used to create #keywords so other users can find you, your company and your content more easily.

Impressions

The number of times your content is displayed online for prospective customers to see.

JPEG

Compressed images. Always use Photoshop to make your files stand out and impress.

Klout

A website that rates your social influence as well as the influence of your satisfied and unsatisfied customers.

Like button

A Facebook graphic (also on LinkedIn) that allows you to show approval and get endorsement for content published online.

Mxit

The largest mobile social network in Africa with twice as many users than Facebook in South Africa.

Netiquette

Online business etiquette i.e. using good English, building genuine relationships and avoiding spam.

Orkut

A social network site owned by Google that is a popular alternative to Facebook in India and Brazil.

Plugin

Clever bolt-ons added to your website and social media platforms allowing you to do more with less.

Qzone

A social network site used by 45% of China’s internet users including consumers and business buyers.

Retweet

When your company message is forwarded to reach a wider audience by a Twitter follower.

Webinar

Live virtual presentations or online workshops hosted by your company to engage prospective customers.

XING AG

A social network of German speaking business owners with six million members in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Yelp

A free local business listings site that helps customers find, use and review your services in one location.

Zorpia

Another Chinese social network initiative so popular in Asia including India and China.

Social Media Do’s

  • Do make sure you comply with the Advertising Standards Authority Code, as they consider some social media sites to be within their remit
  • Do remember your posts are considered to be publications, so a ‘harmless’ joke or innuendo about a celebrity or competitor may come back to bite
  • Do protect your brand and search your name to see what’s being said about you; consider setting up a Google Alert to tip you off when your name is mentioned online
  • Do ensure you’re clear with employees about who owns Twitter followers or contacts on LinkedIn when they leave – and get them to agree
  • Do think before you post – and if you’re in any doubt, take advice or err on the side of caution

Social Media Dont’s

  • Don’t get caught unawares by the new press watchdog as this is expected to cover some (although far from all) social media accounts
  • Don’t risk social media mishaps through lack of staff training: be clear about what you want to achieve and feed this into a policy that lets everybody know
  • Don’t give away your company royalties by adding original material to Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc without due consideration
  • Don’t assume you can link to someone else’s article or repost a photo just because it’s available on the internet
  • Don’t be fooled into thinking the internet is a lawless place – in many ways, the law is the same online as it is in ‘real’ life

For more advice about social media compliance please email Oli Worth:

www.poppychi.com

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