Monday 12 December 2011

Guide for Surviving the Office Christmas Party

First of all, we’d like you to remember that whatever you did last night is not your fault. It’s your boss’s fault.

Your boss provided a party. He provided a party with alcohol. It was your job to enjoy said party and consume the alcohol. You were merely fulfilling a job description. Anyone who was sober enough to remember what you were doing and start criticising you for it should be reported immediately to their superiors for not giving the evening their full participation and support. And, for being really, really boring.

Having said that, if you were really badly behaved it’s entirely possible that you might be in for a bit of stick at the office today. Lie still under the duvet for a moment while we guide you through how to deal with everything.


What Happened?

The first thing you must do is assess the damage. Look around.  Can you gauge any clues from your immediate surroundings? Are you in a skip? Are you on an operating table? Do you recognise that ceiling? 

If you’re at home, well done. Look next to you. Is there anyone lying there? Look under the duvet. Is there anyone under there? If there is then maybe they can throw some light on things.

 
What to Worry About

The following are bad things at parties:

•    Inappropriate bodily emissions in an inappropriate place.
•    Indecent exposure. This is also bad (unless you’re exceptionally well-endowed and/or you’ve just invested in major cosmetic surgery).
•    Arson isn’t clever, either.
•    If there is someone under the duvet and they are the boss’s wife/husband that could be an issue too. If the boss is in there with you, however, then happy days. You are in for a pay rise. If you are in bed with your boss and his wife make it a large pay rise.


Physical Damage

Get up and look in the mirror. Is there any physical damage which will need disguising with clever accessories?

Your Return to the Office


Do not pull a sickie. It just delays everything. Your strategy should be to get in early, control the rumours and, if possible, try and find someone who was worse than yourself so you can all start talking about them instead.
Your one white hope is that perhaps everyone else was too drunk to remember it. You will know within three seconds of pushing open the office door whether this is the case.

If you are responsible for any embarrassing stains or spills on other people’s clothes we recommend an immediate and fulsome apology together with an offer to dry-clean. Don’t be offended if they come back with an angry ultimatum that you should also book into a clinic and dry out. 



Move the conversation quickly on to someone else. If you were the worst-behaved person at the party simply make up something about someone who isn’t in the office yet. Suggesting a lesbian liaison is always a good one – pick the two prettiest girls in the office and people will soon forget about what you did.


Checklist
•    Go for sympathy. Mumble the following: ‘I’m so sorry. I was on medication and I shouldn’t have mixed it with alcohol. I tried not to.’
•    Claim you’d had bad news and were self-medicating with alcohol.
•    Nobody will believe you if you say your drink was spiked.
•    Cheer up. At least you’re not pregnant.
•    Might you be? The morning-after pill still works after seventy-two hours.


The main thing about partying mishaps is that everybody goes through them at some point. Forgive yourself. We’ve all been there.


Remember that you’ll only be a figure of fun until it’s the next person’s turn to disgrace themselves. See if anyone in the office is up for a hair of the dog at lunchtime and hopefully you’ll get the office gossip moved on to them instead.

Excerpted from the Little, Brown Book Group website (littlebrown.co.uk)


For some fun visuals, Click here:
http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/75472646?access_key=key-qwpo996h46zs3rw0169

Friday 9 December 2011

8 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR BLOG’S S.E.O.

Blogs are fun to write (I love creating them!!!), informative and a great way to promote & market your brand.  But, the challenge lies in getting them found on that vast information highway we know as the internet.  As enjoyable to write as they are, your blog posts aren’t going to do much good if no one actually gets to read them.  The question is, then:  how do you maximize your blog’s SEO (search engine optimization) and drive traffic to your posts so they can serve their purpose of marketing your business.
If you run a customer-facing business – let’s say you’re a mortgage broker – then your business blog will revolve around offering information and advice on all things mortgage.  When someone in your locale is looking for information on obtaining a mortgage, the first order of business will be to conduct a Google search.  What you want to ideally do is ensure that your blog ranks among the first two or three search results – or at least in the top 5!  If you’re way down at number 610, no one is going to find you.  Over time and with some good old-fashioned work & polish, there’s no reason in the world that you won’t rank in the top 5!! 
Here are a few concepts to keep in mind that will be sure to maximize your blog’s SEO:  
1. Maximize your Links:
One of the most vital elements that you need to be aware of in order to garner that all-important search engine optimization, is “link maximizing”.  In plain English:  it’s imperative that you amplify as much as possible the number of links drifting around out there that direct people to your blog.  There are a few ways in which to accomplish this.  You can add a link to your forum signature or forum block; you can submit links on website directories; you can trade links or you can even purchase links. 
But remember, it’s also crucial that you use the right link name.  If you’re a mortgage broker, examples of links that you should use are:  top-notch mortgage advice” or “hot mortgage tips for first time homebuyers” or “mortgage numbers demystified”.  You get the idea.
2. Keep it Fresh and Engaging:
In order for your blog to be and remain successful, you need to keep it updated on a very regular basis.  If you start to get a following and don’t post anything for over a month, it’s going to get stale; people are going to stop visiting and move on to find their info elsewhere.  Remember:  the more frequently you update, the more easily people will be able to find your blog on search engines, because search engines will more readily recognize your blog.
But, keep in mind that quality counts just as much as quantity.  Keep it interesting and engaging.  Your posts should encompass content that will appeal to your visitors – they’re reading your material for a reason and you want to maintain your audience. 

3. Create a Domain Name of Your Very Own:
Buying your own domain name is a really good idea if you’re serious about your blog and increasing its traffic.  Create a domain name that is easy for people to remember (size does matter – the shorter the better in this case) and that is relevant to your blog posts. 
4. Source Out and Follow other Top Bloggers:
Look for other bloggers in your industry genre and contribute by commenting on their posts.  Ensure that your comments are relevant, informative and that they intelligently enhance the content.  Also ensure that you include a directive link to your own blog, so that they’ll check you out, too!
5. Respond to Comments on Your Blog Posts:
Speaking of commenting on blog posts, when you do start to receive traffic to your blog and people comment, it’s essential that you respond in kind – this will assure your readers that you value their opinions and will establish a sense of loyalty between you and your readers.
6. Include Labels or Tags on Your Posts:
Once you’ve written your content, take the time to add a few labels or tags (these are keywords) to your posts.  Tags are easily recognized by search engines, much like links.  This will be sure to drive additional traffic to your blog as tags are an excellent way of assisting readers in finding your blog when they use search engines.  To that end, ensure also that the tags or keywords are used as plentifully as possible throughout your blog posts as these words must be incorporated within your content for Google to consider recognizing the posts.  For example, if you use the word “finances” a lot throughout your post, ensure that you include that exact word “finances”  and not the words “financial planning” as a tag.  Likewise, if you use the term “retirement planning” plentifully within your post, make sure that you use that term as a tag and not just the word “retire” or even just the word  “retirement”.   And, bear in mind when writing your content, what keywords or terms readers will use to search for an article such as the one you’re writing – then use those words or terms as abundantly as possible and, of course as tags.
7. Syndicate Your Content with an RSS Feed:
It’s a good idea to set up an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed tab on your blog.  Doing so will make it easy to alert readers when you publish fresh content.  (You can use Feedburner or Feedblitz to do this.  Visit their websites for more information on how to share an RSS feed.)
8. Make the Most of Your Other Social Networking Sites:
To really leverage social media as a means of effectively marketing your business, you should (if you don’t already) also be making use of other platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  Each of these networks offers you the opportunity to post content about and promote your blog posts.  And, again – don’t forget to include a link.

Above are just some of the ways you can maximize your blog’s SEO.  For a complete, informative lesson on “all things blog”, why not join one of our Social Media for Business workshops and we’ll help get you on the heavily trafficked road to a successful blog!  For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit:

Wednesday 30 November 2011

MEASURE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESS


If you’re taking advantage of social media with respect to your business, why not measure the success of your programs and campaigns by looking at the numbers.  Here are a few concepts and tips put forth by pioneer social media strategist, J.D. Lasica:       
1. “Customer Engagement” – Number one because it’s  the single most important factor relating to successful social networking – without it, there is no social media campaign!  As social media is extremely interactive, customers are able to participate in conversations about your brand and this allows
you to accordingly improve upon your business, products and level of service. You can easily track customer engagement by studying the following:
·         Number of followers and / or retweets on Twitter
·         Number of friends and /or ‘like’s on Facebook
·         Number of comments as well as comment content on blog posts
·         Reviews and ratings
2. “Sales & Profits” – As important as customer interaction and goodwill are with respect to your social media programs and campaigns, one of your main objectives is invariably generation of sales.  Social media allows you to keep an eye on your ‘bottom line’ by:
·         Tracking sales from Google referrals
·         Tracking sales from paid searches
·         Tracking sales as a result of social network mentions              
3. “Search Marketing & Rankings” – One of the most desired results of your social media efforts is “search engine optimization” and your social media efforts should exponentially increase your brand’s visibility in online search results. You can increase and / or track these results in the following manner:
·         Use targeted keywords strategically on social networks
·         Use links from Twitter or even YouTube to achieve valuable search rankings within your brand search terms
·         Each time someone shares content from your website on a social networking site, you can get a link back along with a submission history
4. “Lead Generation” – Social media is quickly becoming a valuable resource for lead generation.  There are numerous tools that now enable you to track business prospects via “sophisticated filtering mechanisms”.  For example:
·         You can use LinkedIn to connect with potential contacts & existing clients and you can easily track the rate of invitations accepted as well as traffic with respect to follow-up communication that has been acted upon
·         You are provided an opportunity for your internal team to work in unison to optimize the usage of keywords and key phrases.  You know your efforts are successful when prospective clients come to you
It’s imperative in today’s market that your business be ‘social’ – and successfully so.  We can show you how to make to most of your social networking endeavors through our informative Social Networking for Business workshops.  For further information, please visit us at:
http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20 

Thursday 24 November 2011

5-POINT SOCIAL MEDIA TUNE-UP

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that social media have forever changed the way we think, play and conduct business.  From a business standpoint, social media have accomplished a major feat – they’ve added a human, personal dimension to companies that before never really existed.  The cornerstone of any business is its customer service practices.  And, this is where social media have been able to take hold and make a difference.
Forward-thinking businesses have leveraged social networking platforms to engage, elicit customer satisfaction and increase positive brand recognition and reputation.  When used effectively, social media can turn any business into a customer-friendly entity that people want to engage with and be a part of.  Happy, satisfied customers are what will drive a business into the stratosphere of success! 
Here are a few ways to keep your customers happy on your social media platforms:
1. More Visibility – In terms of customer service, it’s good practice to be completely visible and transparent.  You want your customers to be able to see your interactions with and responses to other customers.  It’s likely that more than one of your customers have similar questions or comments, and by making your communication visible, you are helping out a number of customers with one response.  Social media sites cultivate community surrounding your brand. 
2. Turn it Around Quickly – When customers seek support with respect to your services on social media platforms, they expect a quick if not immediate response.  Monitor every day how customers discuss and respond to your products & services and stay a part of the conversation to better understand the community supporting your brand.
3. Keep Responses Consistent – Be consistent on all social media platforms in responding to customer questions and comments.  If, for example, the same question is posted on both Facebook and Twitter, ensure that your response is the same on both sites so as to avoid any confusion.  Remember, brand recognition and accuracy are crucial elements in inspiring assuredness and credibility within your customers and this goes a long way in terms of brand loyalty.
4. Always Stay Organized – While social media are vital in your customer service initiatives, it can be a challenge to keep up with each platform on a daily basis (in order to keep customers happy and engaged, as in point #2).  Allot some time each day to spend on your sites so that customers maintain respect for your brand and view your business as reliable and trustworthy.  If possible, enlist support team members to maintain each site, but ensure that you’re all on the same page in your responses (bear in mind point #3) – be consistent.
5. Maintain Your Human, Personable Side – They are, after all, called “social” media and it’s that social component that engages customers and further promotes brand loyalty.  People always respond positively when they know that their needs are being met by another human being - someone who takes the time to listen and care.  It makes them feel important - that they’re more than just another customer.  When someone posts a question or concern on your business’ Facebook page, that person should feel as comfortable as if he were simply posting on a friend’s wall.  And, that’s the real benefit of social media for your customer service practices.

Remember, social media are about networking.  If you incorporate the above 5 elements into your customer service initiatives and make it a positive experience, people will respond in kind and surely spread the word to all their friends about what wonderful service your business provides.  It’s worth the effort!
For more valuable information on how you can tune up your social media efforts, come join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops.  For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit:

Thursday 17 November 2011

The 30 Things You Should Never Share on Social Media

Some are obvious, some of them a little less so and some are simply laugh out loud funny.  Australian social media expert and blogger, Jeff Bullas, compiled the following list of 30 things that you should never share on social media. Here it is – enjoy:

30 Things You Should Not Share on Social Media 
  1. What chicken you are plucking or cow you’re milking on Farmville on Facebook
  2. How many you have killed on Mafia wars or where they are buried.. again on Facebook
  3. Party photos showing you inebriated or a hand placed where it shouldn’t be
  4. That you are having a party.. you might get more guests than you counted on
  5. Photos  revealing  you flirting with the bosses wife at the annual work Christmas party
  6. That you are having an affair
  7. That you are thinking of having an affair
  8. Complaints about your boss
  9. That you hate your job and want to leave.. you might get your wish.. involuntarily
  10. Don’t share photos or an event that reveals that you were not sick that day at work
  11. That are you are planning to take a sickie
  12. Drama with your friends
  13. Issues with your parents
  14. Passwords.. unless you have more money than brains
  15. Hints about passwords like dogs names
  16. Images and videos of your children
  17. Updates on Facebook after you have escaped from Jail and on the run (don’t laugh it has happened)
  18. Revealing your thoughts about a court case… when on jury duty
  19. Don’t link personal sites to professional business sites like LinkedIn.. don’t mix business with pleasure
  20. Financial information such as how much money you do or don’t have in your bank account
  21. Personal Information – birthdate, mother’s maiden name and other security info
  22. How to get more friends or followers.. it already sounds like a scam
  23. You are leaving on a holiday
  24. The dates you are away on your holiday
  25. Your daily schedule.. burglars have been known to use these little hints to their advantage
  26. Showing you doing something stupid .. not good for personal branding
  27. Your bodily functions
  28. Revealing extreme views on Race, Religion or politics
  29. What you had for breakfast
  30. Finally, if you are not comfortable about your mom seeing it … don’t share it!
That was fun, but take it to heart.  I can cite examples of most of the items on this list.  Some of them have even made newspaper headlines!   Because social networking sites are such new media, most people are unaware of the reach and potential of posts on these sites.
Social networking is one of the most practical and valuable tools at our disposal today and we should all be taking advantage of everything it has to offer.  We should also, however, be in tune with appropriate and safe practices on social media.  We can show you how in one of our Social Networking for Business workshops.  For more information, please visit:

Friday 11 November 2011

3 STRATEGIC SOCIAL MEDIA MOVES TO SUCCESSFULLY MARKET YOUR BUSINESS

Over the past several years, social media marketing has become not only more sophisticated in itself, but integral to the success of the more sophisticated business. More and more businesses are becoming familiar with and are better understanding social media.  They are learning how to best leverage online resources to create networks and recognize that interaction and engagement are key with respect to social media marketing.  But, in order to take it to the next steps, it’s crucial that you implement more advanced social media strategies for your business!
So, you’re already aware of how to create an online presence and you already have an online community in place.  Now what?  Here are a couple of progressive social media marketing strategies shared by technology strategist, Samir Balwani, that will be sure to further enhance your business’s bottom line:
1. Include plenty of Photos & Video in your Message – You’ve heard the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words”?  So true!  People are using the Internet prolifically to garner information on products and services, and that includes your customers and prospects.  They want to read all about what your business has to offer, but they also want to see photographs or videos depicting this information.  People are very visual creatures.  And, nothing completes your social networking profiles more than some visual aids.
2. Adjust Your Message to Fit the Platform – Within your social media campaign, you are no doubt making use of several of the different platforms at your disposal, namely: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Blogging.  It’s important, however, to ensure that, rather than deliver an identical message over the multiple platforms, you try to tailor your communication to each individual site.  Certain information and how it’s presented on your blog might be considered “spammy” on Facebook.  It’s crucial to customize each message to each site to ensure that your messages spread optimally.  And, customizing your messages on each site also saves your network of customers and potential customers from receiving the same communication over and over again.  You can effectively maximize your business’s potential by sending out messages customized to each social media platform.
3. Implement Strategic Sales Tactics – Strategic sales tactics can include offering discounts and conducting contests through your social media platforms.  You can effectively drive business by generating some excitement within your online community and discounts & contests are a great way to do this.  If you conduct a contest, for example, that requires those in your network to share virally with their networks (i.e. whoever garners the most comments or “likes”, etc., wins), your contest is sure to go viral and guess what that means for you and your brand!  And, don’t forget to give out exclusive discount coupons to your community.  In doing so, you’re literally rewarding existing and future customers, not to mention reiterating to them that you are a brand to engage with as well as a brand to buy from or do business with.
To learn more about strategic social media marketing, join one of our Social Media for Business workshops where we’ll teach you everything you need to know to enhance your social networking experience.  For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit: http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20 
See you there!

Thursday 3 November 2011

Fascinating Insights into Social Media


As a business professional, it’s imperative that you gain insight over your competitors with respect to trends and consumer habits & behavior.  If your target demographic is the over 30 set, you need to know where they can be found online.  If you want to reach over 50’s, it’s important that you find out if they’re mostly on Facebook or on Twitter.
A solid understanding of social networking and how it’s being used by consumers is powerful information to have in terms of increasing sales and improving consumer engagement.  As social media blogger, Jeff Bullas puts it:  If social media was a horse race then you might as well put down the glasses as the race has been won. The dominance of Facebook is well known but it is the scale of its growth, market share and time it takes from its users is what is intriguing.”
A May 2011 study conducted by Neilson found several interesting facts – here a few of them –some you would expect and some that might surprise you:
1. Facebook dominates time spent online by a ratio of greater than three to one as compared with Yahoo (Facebook’s closest web brand competitor).
2. People spend a great majority of their time on social networks, including blogs – 22.5% of their time, in fact – twice as much time as they spend on online games (which came second) at 9.8%.
3. Females, ages 18 to 34, are the most frequent visitors to social networking sites, including blogs; however, males are also frequent users of the sites as well as all other age groups.
4. But, males tend to use LinkedIn more frequently than females and Internet users with post-graduate degrees are three times more likely to visit LinkedIn compared with the average user.
5. Facebook, according to Neilson this past May, was the top site visited by unique users at 140,336 million, with Blogger in second place at 50,055 million.  The rest of the list is as follows:
  • Twitter (23.617 million)
  • WordPress (22.417 million)
  • MySpace (19.25 million)
  • LinkedIn (17.786 million)
  • Tumblr (11.87 million)
  • Six Apart Typepad (8.578 million)
  • Yahoo Pulse (8.397 million)
  • Wikia (7.601 million)
6.  Social media is becoming more and more aggressively mobile.  With the advent of smartphones, social media use has become a most used mobile feature, second only to downloading & playing music.
7. With respect to smartphones, social networking apps, growing at 30%, ranked third in terms of most used, with Facebook ranking as the most popular app amongst all mobile operating systems.
8. The most aggressive growth of social media use on smartphones is the over 55s with 109% growth.  The 35-54 age group growth rate holds at 68% year on year and 18-34 year olds are rising in numbers of visits to social media sites on their mobile devices by 61%.

9. Social media networks afford the influential a platform within which to relay their ideas and the influence of peers on these platforms can certainly propel increased sales.  Fifty-three percent of active social media users follow a brand.

10. Tumblr, a social networking site that incorporates elements of both blogging and Twitter, is now the eighth largest social network and tripled its audience in a 12 month period.

By studying trends in social media, you can become so much more in tune with the audience you want to target.  So, get on, get connected and start growing your business with social media.  We can show you how to make the most of your social networking experience through our full-day, hands-on workshop, Social Networking for Business.  For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit:  http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

Monday 24 October 2011

ANOTHER REASON YOU GOTTA’ LOVE FACEBOOK?

I think I can count on one hand the number of people I know who are not ‘on’ Facebook.  My kids love it and I can’t pull them off the computer.  All of my business associates and colleagues have accounts and, of course, Facebook business pages.  And, I, along with most people today, am aware of all of the advantages to Facebook, both personally and professionally.  But, what I didn’t know until just last week (courtesy of an article posted on thestar.com), is that the more Facebook friends you have, the more brain tissue you apparently have! 
A study conducted by British researchers with results published in the journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, has found a correlation between the number of Facebook connections one has and the quantity of brain tissue (that’s responsible for processing signals) that one possesses!
There is clearly plenty of research taking place out there with respect to social networking and the human mind and it all sounds extremely fascinating.  Although Geraint Rees, a senior clinical research fellow at University College London (and the gentlemen who led this particular British study), maintains that they are not yet sure as to whether or not more brain tissue is necessarily a good thing – he does maintain that changes in grey matter is evident in many situations. 
Research along the same lines has been performed at Northeastern University in Boston and it was concluded there that there exists, with respect to adults, a correlation between the size of the amygdala (the portion of the brain that is pertinent to many of our emotions and the processing of these emotions, as well as our memory and motivations) and complexity of social networks.  Very interesting stuff!!!
While I would never be presumptuous enough to draw my own conclusions (especially since there obviously needs to be some more research conducted on this subject), I do wonder if it could be at all possible that there’s a link between our social networking habits and our brain power??  Does beg the question, doesn’t it?   The conclusion to the article cites that the necessity of further research is clear to fully comprehend the relationship between the number of social connections and the amount of grey matter one has.
Can’t wait to learn more – and I’ll be sure to post some follow up material as soon as I become informed!
Want to learn more about how Facebook can benefit your business?  Why not join one of our hands-on workshops and we’ll teach you all you need to know!  For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit:  http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

Thursday 20 October 2011

GET NOTICED WITH A "LIKEABLE" FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE!

The concept is very simple – if you want people to “like” your Facebook business page, it has to be likeable!  It isn’t just enough to set up your page and hope for people to notice it – it does take some time and an ongoing commitment to optimize the page and maintain its optimization.  The beauty of social media, and in particular, Facebook, is that it offers you an opportunity not only to get people interested in your products and services, but also to build consistent relationships with your network – the people who are interested enough to visit your page.
Here are a few tips that are sure to help your business’ page become more likeable:
1. Keep it Cohesive:  Try to keep your Facebook page as organized as possible.  You want it to look clean and be cohesive, so that people are not left wondering what it is you’re offering them.  If it’s disorganized, people will not “Like” it and will not be returning to check it out again.  Spend some time on it and optimize it to its full potential.
2. Keep it Engaging:  Part of keeping your page organized and cohesive, is keeping it up-to-date with fresh, quality content on a regular basis.  Ensure that your content is informative, enlightening and helpful, but also change it up a bit sometimes.  Each and every post does not have to be business related.  Remember, it’s called ‘social’ media for a reason – try to display your human, personable side as well and post some jokes, humorous anecdotes or inspirational quotes.  The idea is to engage your network – consistently engage and entertain – forget the hard sell – no one responds well to that.
3. Offer Deals & Incentives:  Why not offer incentives to your loyal supporters as well as to entice new traffic to your Facebook page.  You could offer special deals or rates to repeat viewers and those who are your constant supporters.  Reward ‘new’ people just for visiting your page and you’ll see how many of them will be clicking that “Like” button!  And, ten to one, they’ll want to share your Facebook page with their network of friends.  Everyone likes to get a great deal!
4. Leverage all of your Social Networking sites:  Make use of your other social networks as a means of promoting and enhancing your Facebook page.  Another wonderful thing about social media is that they are highly interactive.  If you have a Twitter account, for example (and you definitely should!!), use it to the max to promote your Facebook page.  Tweet about those special deals you’re offering and ensure that you include a link to your Facebook page.  If you have a blog (again, you definitely should!!), reiterate what you post on Facebook within your blog posts and vice versa – drive some serious attention to your blog by sharing engaging comments about your blog posts on Facebook.  And, don’t forget to include the links so it’s easy for people to find you!
5. Encourage “Fans” to “Like” & “Share”:  A gentle reminder to the “fans” in your network to click on the “Like” button (or to “share” your info with their friends) never hurts.  Go ahead and post reminders on your status updates – it’s so simple for people to do it and it’s amazing how far-reaching your message can become when your fans click that little “Share” button.  More sharing = more “Likes”!
A likeable Facebook business page that everyone is clamoring to visit is a rewarding accomplishment for you and your business.  It’s also a most attainable objective.  If you can spare minimal time each day or even every couple of days to maintain your page’s optimization, your Facebook page will be your business’ most valuable asset! 
Need help getting started?  Join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops and we’ll teach you all you need to know to create a likeable Facebook business page and get noticed!
For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit:  http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

Thursday 6 October 2011

ARE THE DAYS OF THE BUSINESS CARD OVER?

Doomsday, it seems, is on its way for the business card.  It looks like the day will be arriving when the business card and the rolodex will become completely obsolete.  It’s already starting.  In our office, half of the 20 something’s surveyed do not know what a rolodex is! Will the next generation wonder what the heck those little rectangular pieces of cardboard actually are?
With the world becoming a much greener place and the advent of Smartphones and social networking, there really is no place on earth anymore for the once coveted and much-traded business card.  The more technically savvy of us are already making use of digital solutions, which are emerging more prolifically with each day that passes.
An example of this technology is Bump, the new app-du-jour and an amazing little feature that enables users to share contact information, files and even photos by simply ‘bumping’ their iPhones or Android phones together.
Another buzz-generating app is Hashable, a service that allows users to post, chart and share connections that they make with other people.  This service can furthermore be used to make introductions remotely and can update what is known as a ‘relationship book’ with every new person tagged.
These represent only a glimpse of the solutions currently being initiated – there are and will continue to be numerous others that will perhaps one day render the business card extinct.  And that, in turn, will leave the planet a much greener place!
Social networking is one very effective and easy method of contact management – no business cards required.  Why not join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops and we’ll show you how to efficiently manage your contacts and customers using a platform that is literally at your fingertips.  For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit:
http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

Thursday 29 September 2011

JAW-DROPPING SOCIAL MEDIA STATS

Social media have changed the way we work, play and think.  They have veritably taken over the world!  Below are some astonishing numbers that really do drive the point home.  A recent article published in The Fiscal Times shared the following statistics:
870 million
Number of Facebook users worldwide
200 million
Number of Twitter users worldwide
230 million
Number of tweets sent per day
80 percent
Increase in Tweets since the beginning of 2011
82 percent
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives who have Twitter accounts
1 billion
Number of estimated Facebook users worldwide by 2012, according to a study by the tracking site Social Bakers
$1.6 billion
Facebook’s revenue during first half of 2011, according to Reuters, up from $1.2 for the first nine months of 2010
Nearly 30 million
Estimated number of Google+ users worldwide
85 percent
Internet users who visited a Google site in June 2011, comScore Media Metrix
16
Online games, including Angry Birds and Bejeweled Blitz, being offered by Google to users of its social media service as of last month in an attempt to better compete with Facebook
‘Nuff said – isn’t it time to get connected on Social Media and see what they can do for your business?  Join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops and we’ll show you how: http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

Tuesday 20 September 2011

Businesses Increase Revenue Using Social Media


More and more independent brokers, agents, planners and advisors are adopting Social Media as a means of growing their businesses.  Are you?  Do you know what they know?  If you answered ‘no’ to either of those questions, it’s high time you get in the game and find out just what social media can do for your business! I know you’re pressed for time – time is and will always be the most scarce and precious resource of any business – but, trust me, if you are willing to make an investment of some of your precious time, the pay off will be well worth it! And, guess what else?  Time is virtually the only thing you will have to invest – social media are, for the most part, free of monetary charge.  Now, how’s that for incentive?    
Joe- Average-Consumer -Based -Business -Owner is neither unintelligent, nor unaware of the need to constantly improve customer communication channels and methods.  Most CRM Social Media Experts preach and skim the surface of the problem with no real solution offered.  The message is the same: “you need to communicate”, “you need to improve access”, “you need to review”, “you need to mine” and “you need to post”….  Lots of 'you need to's; very few plans as to exactly how!
At ES Computer Training we work with you and assist you in developing the right plan for you and your business.  And, recognizing that you don’t have time to do everything, we can help you:
1.  Become aware of what’s out there.  We do a great job of addressing this first step in our one-day workshops.  We will help you to truly understand the fundamentals of social networking and the most effective ways to use it.
2.  Identify where your customers are in terms of social media and how they’re using them. 
3.  Discover what you have to offer your customers.  How will they benefit?  If you can     speak to your customers and give them something of value, you have it made.
4.  Provide daily, accessible and very real channels online for your customers to find and speak directly with you. Nothing is more powerful than direct communication.
5.   Acquire the resources to conduct experiments and determine which channels to adopt and how effective they will be.
6.  Discover how your competitors are using this channel and how this will affect your business.
7.  Come up with a viable and effective business strategy.
Going through these steps, we can give you the benefit of our experience with other clients and help you determine the manpower commitment and resources required for any campaign.  We have worked with agents, brokers, advisors and planners, who have invested the time and created their entire businesses through the use of social media.
The PLAN, the resources and of course, the associated time commitment will be laid out for you.  This will allow you to assign much of the effort to support staff, while giving personal attention to the most important parts of your Social Networking Campaign.


For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit: 
http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20