Social Media Marketing and SEO: Putting it into practice

Most of us have probably heard of Facebook, but the concept of social media can be baffling to the less technical among us. We asked Pascal Fintoni of The Centre for eBusiness to enlighten us a little more on the opportunities available online.

Remind me, what is social media marketing?

It’s about finding a way to get your messages? across social media platforms, from networking sites to blogs, chat forums and review websites. The best known social media sites are Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, which each have a different approach and target audiences.

And what about SEO?

Search Engine Optimisation is about driving traffic to your website by maximising your chances of being found on search engines. It’s a mix of creative thinking and technological knowledge that involves writing web content in a certain style, identifying relevant keywords and using other media such as pictures and audio/video.

Sounds interesting, but what’s in it for me?

Businesses can benefit hugely from an online presence, but it needs to be done right. Social media marketing is a targeted method of driving traffic to your website that has a much higher hit rate than traditional advertising, helping you attract new customers and retain existing ones.

Is this relevant for my business?

Nowadays, customers look online to research, shortlist and review their purchasing options, so the simple answer is yes. Businesses know their customers best, so I would strongly encourage them to have in-house Social Media and SEO knowledge. This gives you the opportunity to respond to the online actions of your customers in real time.

So tell me the basics?

Well, firstly you need a good website that you can update yourself with optimised product information, news and updates. Next, you need to know your audience so that you can identify the social networks and websites they will be using.

What do I need?

You need the skills to make social media and SEO work for you and the time to implement an effective strategy. It’s not rocket science and, once you’ve learned the basics, a little effort can go a long way. Most of the tools you need will already be on your computer, you just don’t know it yet.

How will I know I’m doing it right?

In the early stages you need to research all aspects of your clients,’ pastimes, interests, shopping habits and online behaviour. This will help you to shortlist your options for online activity and then seek advice on the best way forward. You can’t expect to become an expert overnight, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. Remember, if you do things right at this stage, the results will show later on.

Is there anything else I should know?

Yes, your marketing will only be as effective as the website it leads to, so you need to ensure that your online presence is attractive, simple and functional, with all of the features people expect, such as product information, online sales and interactive features. If you don’t get this element right, you might as well not bother.

How can you help?

Our Social Media + SEO = Success course covers all of the essential skills outlined above, helping you to grasp online opportunities with both hands. We keep things simple and teach you only what you need to know, there’s no jargon and no techno-babble. Visit www.centreforebusiness.com to find out more.

Commitment to Technology Must Extend Beyond High-Tech Companies

The government’s commitment to high-tech businesses should be welcomed, but we also need to promote technology across all sectors if Britain is to maintain its competitive edge.

David Cameron’s unveiling of a £200 million package for new technology and innovation centres is a welcome boost to research and development, but ministers must not overlook the benefits that technology can offer to small businesses.

While high-tech companies have a big role to play in helping the UK to grow its way out of recession, businesses in all sectors can weather the storm by adopting technology-based solutions that will increase efficiency and productivity. We also need to make sure that employees have the skills and knowledge to make effective use of new technology.

Governments tend to focus on the big headline-grabbing stories, while ignoring the benefits technology can offer to SMEs that employ the majority of Britain’s workforce. Solutions like online sales, automated manufacturing procedures, customer relationship management and effective stock control can positively influence the bottom line.

The solutions are out there and advice is on offer for businesses that need it, but we also must ensure that the right training is available to support the investment. t’s about moving beyond the standard awareness of Windows and Microsoft Office taught by most college courses, embracing the skills required by new information technology, or ‘i-Skills’ as they are becoming known.

New web-based platforms allow businesses to research, manage, create and publish information online. It’s simple to do, but it’s also a new skills-set for many SMEs in this region. If we want to capitalise on these opportunities, we need to persuade businesses to invest in them, and that requires central government support.

Many North East businesses make effective use of the technology available to them, with an ever-increasing number actually trading online, but support is still needed to help senior managers plan effective investment in technology and training, especially as financial assistance is reduced.

It’s all about getting the right balance. Businesses can invest, but if the right support isn’t out there and the government isn’t showing commitment, there’s a risk small businesses could be left behind as technology continues to develop.

Think Facebook Messages Won’t Catch On? Think Again

When Facebook announced its new Facebook Messaging service, which will integrate SMS, email, instant messaging and Facebook messages into a single platform, many commentators dismissed it out of hand. I disagree, I think this product answers a lot of questions that consumers have been asking and digital marketers would be wrong to write it off.

When Gmail was launched as Beta back in 2004, people pretty much said the same thing. They were wrong. Google succeeded by offering a level of storage (1Gb at the time) that simply blew its rivals away. Now Facebook is seeking a step change in the way we interact online.

The truth is that email is a medium that was never intended for non-business communication. It’s fine for companies that need to transfer text and media from one point to another, but it lacks the instant hit that modern consumers demand. Texting, instant messaging and Facebook messages all answer this need in different ways, but this is the first time anyone has attempted to integrate them on a large scale.

If anyone can succeed with integration of these four platforms, it’s Facebook. With more than half a billion members, the site is ideally placed to promote Facebook Messages as a single access point for its users; it’s not hard to see why they’re calling it the “Gmail Killer”.

If Facebook Messages does succeed, it will change the rules for social media marketing professionals around the world, allowing individual users to control access to their various accounts. While this will help eliminate spam and other unwanted messages, it will also make things much harder for legitimate marketing campaigns.

The concept of opting in or out from emails will no longer apply as generic promotional messages in all formats are far less likely to reach their intended recipients. This means that you will actually need to be part of someone’s extended network in order to reach them, making social media marketing more important than ever, but also much harder to pull off.

For those who can find a way in, the rewards will be huge, particularly in the early days until rivals catch on. The concept of a simple email campaign will cease to exist as every single message will need to be tailored to its recipient, and I don’t simply mean the target’s name in the introductory line, but also the content itself.

So long as Facebook remains the platform of choice for the majority of online users, particularly those under 40, it will be harder for marketers to reach their target audiences. Facebook groups and fan pages are all fine if you want to reach out to people who have linked to them, but that usually means you’re preaching to the converted and, unless you can do something really special, they won’t attract new customers.

The recent decision by Myspace to allow cross-access with Facebook clearly demonstrates that the latter is now top of the heap and we ignore it at our peril. Online sites will find their own niche, but FB will remain the hub and companies that adapt to this new reality will be the first to benefit. Most importantly, we need to remember that one size no longer fits all.

Pascal Fintoni is Chief Executive of the Centre for eBusiness (www.centreforebusiness.eu)

Satellite Broadband Boost for Region’s Rural Areas

The recent launch of a new broadband satellite that will serve up to 350,000 thousand users across Europe could offer advantages to businesses and consumers in rural areas of the North East.

The team at The Centre for eBusiness has previously worked with Northumberland Strategic Partnership to boost broadband for users in some of the remotest parts of the county, but there is still much work to be done. Often, contractors will argue that it is too expensive to put in the infrastructure to serve a small potential market.

The Centre for eBusiness welcomes the news that the Avanti’s new Hylas 1 satellite will offer download speeds of up to 10mb, a massive increase on previous satellite broadband offerings, which were limited to 3.6mb. All companies signing up to use the satellite must offer a basic package with a 2mb connection costing no more than £25 per month; expensive compared to land-based products, but within the reach of most potential users.

Satellite broadband is important for the North East because, outside of its urban centres, our region often misses out on infrastructure investment by the larger telecoms providers. A high-speed data link allows companies to locate themselves in rural locations, while also giving people the opportunity to work from home, access new internet technologies via cloud computing, download videos or take part in virtual meetings, all of which require a fast link.

BT became the first major British communications provider to sign up to Avanti with a five year £1.2 million deal to offer connections to users in rural areas and the first customers are expected to come online in March 2011. This mean Hylas is not some far-off aspiration, it’s something that consumers can register their interest in right now.

A key advantage of the new satellites is that they offer two-way communication, so uploads are made via the satellite. This is a big improvement on earlier satellite solutions, which often relied on slow telephone connections to send information from your computer to the net, thereby slowing down the whole process.

Companies like the Fifiefofum Gallery, near Corbridge, have shown that internet-based businesses can prosper in rural areas, but we need to make sure that everyone has the same opportunity to benefit from the internet revolution. Wired broadband is still the best and most cost-effective delivery method, but if you’re in a rural area with no connection or severely limited speeds, this could be just what you’ve been looking for.

Pascal Fintoni is Chief Executive of the Centre for eBusiness (www.centreforebusiness.eu)