Think of a name, but not any name!

I’ve been on twitter for many years now and was the first person in our organisation to use the platform. At the time my username was @MoodDesign.

Now several years later, the company has grown and each individual has their own work related twitter account, except me.

Following an office move, some financial forecasting and review of our plans for growth, we decided that in order for us to grow we needed to look at ways of improving our communications so that we could extend our network further and take a more targeted approach to our sales drive. And part of that process involved looking at how we communicate on our social media platforms. So we took the decision for me to change my twitter name to run in line with my colleagues and establish a new account that was specifically from the company. That account needed to be reflective of our brand and could be used for company relevant information, hints, tips and images, rather than personal opinions and conversations.

I changed my twitter name to @Sharon_Mood and set up the new account without any issues, linking it to a new email address to aid our return on investment. We took the decision for our company twitter address to be @MoodDesign under the headline ‘Social Media Mood’, as we did not want to use an individual’s name or mislead anyone and it is an account which several people will have access to.

The account was set up and we started to follow about 300 people in business, some we knew, some were specialists in areas that interest us. What was really surprising was how quickly we got followed back. Within two days we reached 100 followers, many of which were linked to social media development and services from all around the world. Whilst these followers aren’t necessarily our target audience, they are a source for information and industry news.

So what have we learnt?

What we came to realise was that the headline that you use to link to your twitter address plays a big part in people being able to find you and follow you. Most people use their actual name as their headline for their personal account, but when you are setting up a company twitter account you really need to take some time to consider some key words that will attract the right followers.

The keywords that you use in your biography are also equally important and should really summarise what you do as an organisation, making it clear which demographic area you work in with links to your website. When was the last time you reviewed yours?

You can follow our progress as a company @MoodDesign, or me individually @Sharon_Mood. I look forward to tweeting with you.

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.

Our Top LinkedIn Tips

According to Wikipedia, as of 22 March 2011, LinkedIn reported more than 100 million registered users, spanning more than 200 countries and territories worldwide! Quite staggering really!

So, there are many of us registered as users, but are we really getting the most out of it and using it correctly as a professional networking forum? What is holding us back and how can we develop a campaign to raise our profiles and gain interest in our products / services?

We hope that our top tips will help you to evolve your presence and re-adjust how you use the platform.

Complete your profile – make sure your profile is 100% complete and has an up to date professional photograph of you. LinkedIn guide you through this process and tell you which parts are missing.

Personalise your responses and requests – add some personality in your communication, don’t just rely on the automated ones. It shows you’ve taken the time to think about what you’re saying and gives the recipient a better idea of who you are.

Cross-promote your other social media profiles and website – make the most of the free tools and make sure you cover all bases but ensure you vary content to avoid being repetitive. Some people are more active than others on different platforms. Add a LinkedIn icon to your website – makes it far easier for people to find you.

Don’t refer to people you don’t know as a ‘friend’ – when you want to make a connection with someone you don’t know well, don’t refer to them as a friend – they’re not and they won’t take too kindly to it. Try to make contact with them first and ask them if it would be ok to connect with them. Use ‘other’ as an option, but make sure you have their email address to validate it.

Be active – it may seem obvious but some users have 200 connections but don’t do anything with it. Just because you have a profile and big following doesn’t mean the enquiries are going to flood in! You still have to seek out opportunities, pen yourself as an expert in your field and show people that you really want their business.

Work out a schedule of activity – it’s good to know what you’re going to say and when you’re going to say it. This will help you to monitor effectiveness and regulate your activity.

Groups – join relevant groups and leave ones that aren’t of interest / not very active. Regularly start conversations about topical industry issues rather than sales pitches. Ask for peoples input and always reply to their responses. It’s about developing an online relationship not just about standing on your soap box.

Use an agency to manage your account – if you’re time poor but still want to cover all bases, why not engage a social media agency to manage your accounts and campaign. Content can be agreed and goals and target audience set, enabling you to devote all your time to servicing your clients. Saving you time, saving you money, generating leads and interest – brilliant!

Further tips are provided on our one-to-