To buy or not to buy?

Many people new to the field of social media ask this question... should I buy followers or likes?

You can buy followers and likes, and this can help to get you started. Some people are impressed by numbers and this may encourage them to like or follow you.

But you need to remember, these people may not be interested in what you are saying and they probably won’t respond to your posts. You will find a percentage of them will unfollow you fairly quickly and at worst some may even fill your timeline with spam.

 

 

You attract new followers and fans buy engaging with them and by delivering useful, helpful information. New followers or fans will not stay connected to your accounts if you cannot fulfil this criteria. You can find useful sources for your content on the internet, talk about blogs, articles and other useful tips.

I have been part of a long discussion on this topic on LinkedIn and the majority of social media managers and users agree that buying likes is not the done thing or the way to success. One or two have been in favour but they really are the minority.

If you are looking to build a successful social media profile, remember it will take time and engagement.
 

Are you doing your bit?

How many times have you avoided putting money in a charity donation tin, ignored someone in the street trying to get you to sign up to give regular charity donations, not bought a charity pin or raffle ticket, or not contributed to a charity bag collection? I hate to say it, but we've all done it - after all you couldn't possibly give to all requests for donations.

Because of the economic climate, (I know, I'm fed-up of hearing that phrase too!) the pressure has increased massively on charities who have suffered because cut-backs and budget slashing exercises. They are having to work harder than ever to secure vital funds needed to keep their crucial services and life lines alive.

At Mood we've found a way that we can donate to local causes without spending a penny - we donate our skills and services in a way that saves the charity time and money! We have been working with The Joshua Tree for almost 2 years now producing marketing material and providing social media training and advice. We have also attended fundraisers and even ran 5K in their fun run. We also recently helped out a local playgroup by producing literature for their charity ball.

Have a think about how as an individual or business you can help a local charity in your area - you might be strong and able to help move furniture, you may be good at financial planning or general office admin, you may have an hour to spare once a week to help plan an event or serve refreshments at a coffee morning. Whatever you can offer is going to make a difference to someone, and in our experience it can be really rewarding, socially beneficial and something to be proud of.


See a recent press interview we did here www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/9778117.J


To find out more about The Joshua Tree visit www.thejoshuatree.org.uk

Do other people see you as you see yourself?

You will not know the answer to this question unless you ask it!

So earlier this year I did, with some surprising results. I asked two questions to a variety of friends, colleagues and clients to ensure I received a well rounded opinion. My first question was If you read an article in a publication that included me, what would the topic of the article be?

The Article Results:
The most popular first theme was ‘Getting to grips with Social media’ which was followed by a variety of general business topics including ‘Networking for business’ and ‘Marketing’.  Some of the more unusual ones included ‘How to organise yourself’ and ‘Who dares wins’.  The other suggested topics were ‘Innovative individuals’, ‘You can achieve in difficult times’ and ‘Brand identity’.

The second was Can you describe me in 5 words?
Starting with the most popular, the words that people used included ‘Creative’, ‘Reliable’, ‘Honest’, ‘Social’ and ‘Generous’. Now I must admit, I was rather please with the top five especially as being honest and reliable are two of the skills that I look for in others.

These were followed by ‘Fun’, ‘Trustworthy’, ‘Friendly’, ‘Intelligent’, ‘Focused’, ‘Determined’, ‘Organised’ and ‘Positive’.

So what did that reveal to me?
I realised that I am many different things to different people.

Nearly all of the individuals that took part realised that my passion for my work and my determination to get on in life is what motivates me on a daily basis.

Now, I wouldn’t necessarily class myself as organised, but I am more than happy for others to have that impression of me.

Have a go yourself and see if you get an insight and better understanding of how people see you.

In the Mood for Red

In the true spirit of Valentine’s Day we thought it only right to stick on some Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, light some candles, scatter petals on the floor, open a box of Dairy Milk and write a blog post?!!

On a day when many people are in the mood for love, we’re busy thinking about our brand and also about how colour can impact on your emotions. Coupled together it's inspired us to write a post specifically about how the colour red makes you feel and what mood it can put you in.

The tradition of sending flowers on Valentine’s Day, most notably red roses, gained popularity in the 1600s. The red rose as a symbol of love dates back much further and can be attributed to the Romans as it was believed to be the favourite flower of Venus, the Goddess of Love. But why red?

Red is the colour of fire and blood, so it’s associated with energy, anger, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, respect and love. It certainly is a very emotionally intense colour which is why it’s commonly used on Valentine’s cards, confectionery and is the favoured colour of flowers today.

Red brings text and images to the foreground and when used as an accent colour it can stimulate people to make quick decisions, which is why it’s often used in call to action buttons or in discounts and promotions.

It has very high visibility, which is why it is used on items such as signage and emergency equipment. Red is also commonly associated with energy, so you can use it when promoting energy drinks, games, cars, items related to sports and high physical activity.

So if you use the colour red in your logo and/or marketing material, think about the impact it’s having on your prospects and clients – is it making the right one?

Happy Valentine’s Day!

What works for MY business?

At a recent networking meeting the room was met with a thought-provoking question, ‘when promoting your business what do you find works for you?’ It certainly got us all thinking, what do we do that really makes a difference and do we actually measure the return on our investment?

All too often businesses throw their budget at every form of promotion in the hope that the fish will take the bait, so to speak, without taking the time to test, measure and adjust the approach. What a way to pour your budget down the drain!

Having worked for a specialist direct mail agency, I’ve seen first-hand how simply tweaking the copy, changing the layout or adding an incentive can affect the response rates. By taking a small sample of data and testing, you run less of a risk of failure and wasting your prized database that you have worked so hard to establish.

I’m definitely not saying that direct mail is the bee all and end all (although I do predict a growth in its popularity) - there are so many other things you can look at. Start monitoring and looking back at as many stats as possible, web analytics, facebook insights, etc, how do they alter when you’re actively marketing? Just take it step by step, record your findings, adjust your approach depending on your results, until you find the right mix.