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.

Blogging - who, what, why and when?

We are often asked for advice by people wanting to start a blog, and these are the usual questions.

Who? - Who are your articles aimed at and where can you find them, this varies for nearly everyone I know.

What? – What are you going to blog about? Make it interesting and informative, this way people will return to read every post you write.

Why? – Why do people blog? People usually write to get known in their field of expertise. They share their knowledge and help others.

When? – When you have the time but people like regular posts, so we recommend every 2 to 4 weeks as a good starting point.

Our top blogging tips

• Your title should always be a question – this will encourage others to read your post.

• Posts should be between 200-300 words – any more and people will get bored and not read the whole article. Break longer articles into part 1 and part 2.

• Always use at least 1 image per article – the web is very visual, the more visual your post the more it will appeal to readers.

• Always finish with a question – this encourages responses to your post.

• Post every 2 – 4 weeks and monitor. Too regular or too few posts may encounter unsubscribers.

• Publicise your blog - every post needs promoting, use as many online platforms as possible.

• Ask for feedback – this way you know if your articles are relevant.

• Register with bloggers forums, this is a great way to get people engaged.

• Make every post informative and useful.

Have you been inspired to starting blogging?
 

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.

What’s in a bio?

This small piece of information (160 characters on twitter) about you or your company can make a big difference to your profile and the number of your followers.

If you are looking to increase your followers they need to know who you are and what your tweets will be about. If your bio is not descriptive it will put people off following you. Focus on the key words relating to your industry and incorporate these into your bio, this will also help with the SEO angle of your profile.

Personally I want to know what you do, your area of expertise and where you are based. Make sure that you have your web address on there too, as many people using twitter are looking for a service and the more information that is available at their finger tips, the better your chances are at securing a new client.

Why not test this theory and let me know how you get on, there are many statistics out there that demonstrate that having a complete bio will help to increase your following.

Where’s the map?

Would you set out on a new journey without checking the map?

How would you know where you are going?

If you want to establish yourself in the world of social media you really need to have a plan.

Who are your target market? Will you find them on social media? Do you need to use LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube? What do you want to say to them? How often do you plan to post?

So many questions, you really need a plan. A simple document, outlining a few details will help you stay on track and raise your profile.

Monday – Look for new people to follow. Comment on posts and respond.

Tuesday – Upload an image/video linking to business activity. Comment on posts and respond.

Wednesday – Look for questions to answer. Comment on posts.

Thursday – Comment on posts. Link to topical articles on the web.

Friday – #FF one or two trusted connections. Comment on posts. Close the week with a link to a blog post or to your website, this way if anyone looks you up over the weekend they are directed back to your own material for more information.

It really can be that simple. Give it a try you might just find you are much more productive once you have a plan to stick to.

Let us know how you get on and if you don't have the time then contact us and we can do it for you. @mooddesign

Are you an egg?

Do I really want to work with people who can’t be bothered to represent themselves properly?

Would you go to a networking event and wear a paper bag on your head?

Why do so many twitter users still use an egg as their avatar?

Your logo is slightly better but really I want to see who I’m talking to, this way when I get to meet you I have some idea of who I am talking to.

A photograph makes people more willing to communicate with you and it makes your communication more personal. Give it a go, you will find it easier to get more followers and to get others to join in your conversations.

It can also be an ice-breaker at networking events when you meet a follower or connection in person.

We look forward to seeing you.

Do you automate?

The thing about social media is that it is social. It’s about people communicating with other people, and for that reason alone you should not automate your communications.

I understand that you may want to thank people for following you and not have the time due to quantities, and in this instance it can be acceptable. However, if you schedule all of your updates, and then you are not online to respond to feedback, people will stop responding.

If I post a question I usually need an answer, those who respond in a timely manner with correct information are valuable connections to have, and those who don’t become less valuable to my network.

I always thank people who respond to my requests, an acknowledgement can go a long way, a timely acknowledgement goes a bit further.

It is impossible to automate your accounts completely, if you don’t have time to manage them then you need to employ a social media account manager, otherwise you may find that you are doing more damage than good to your online reputation.

For more information on social media account management call one of our team on 01925 752500.

Do you really want your post to be retweeted...

To ensure that others can retweet your post easily it needs to be a maximum of 110 characters. This allows others to acknowledge you as the originator.

Any tweets that are longer than this will be cut short in your followers timelines and they will need to click through to read the complete message.

Sometimes less is really more!

If you would like to follow my tweets you can @mooddesign.

So what is there to unlike?

Unlike or unfollow, what does it mean?

It usually means that you are doing something wrong. It may not be your content, it could be frequency (too little as well as too much). Each of your followers will have different reasons for following you and it’s hard to keep them all happy.

It is OK to unfollow people. Those who list all of the accounts that unfollow them will soon find that they have very few followers left, this is a bit like shouting at someone in the street - rude and unnecessary.

My main reasons for unfollowing accounts are – too many posts that are irrelevant to my interests, too much shouting about a product or service and not joining in the conversation.  Only 30% of your tweets should be sales related, the remaining should be conversational or informative

Twitter is about building a network, I follow clients, peers, competitors, experts etc. I like to see how people respond to my posts and I try and respond to everyone who communicates with me. I thank those who retweet my messages, I reply to those who ask me questions, I give my opinions when I feel  they are relevant.

I do not try and sell my services in a direct manner, I will talk about work related skills in blog posts (just like this one) but what I am doing is trying to share some of my knowledge to help others gain some trust in my skills. At some point in the future if they need some social media training or a design campaign running then hopefully they will remember the pearls of wisdom that I have shared and pick up the phone and call me.

What type of social networker are you?

Social networking should be all about building relationships (I wish everyone understood that) with the commerce coming second. To be successful you cannot just shout about what you have to offer, you need to share knowledge and build trust - something that will not happen overnight.  It’s about people and the purpose, not just the tools.

You must be prepared to accept criticism in a positive way, ask how things can be improved, if you can’t do this then maybe social media is not for you.

Social media users come in a variety of forms, some are observers (about 90%) while others are activators. Which social media species are you and which do you want to attract?

Social sloth: Have nothing to do with social networking.

Media meerkat: Will read blogs, watch video, read reviews but not contribute.

Anxious antelope: Will join and maintain a profile of social networking sites. They will network with people that they know and have established relationships with offline.

Wallowing warthog: Will shout about themselves and not listen or engage in conversation with others. Have hit a brick wall and will struggle to progress without new strategies.

Participating parrot: Post ratings and reviews, and will comment on blogs and other peoples posts.

Busy bee: Will actively update their profiles and look for opportunities. They may need to be cautious not to update too regularly as this can discourage communications.

Engaging eagle: Will publish a blog, have a website, create video, write articles and looks to develop a wider network. They will look for people that they can help.

Regardless of which category you fall into, there is still a place in social media for you. You get out what you put in and you can always evolve for the better.

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-

Would you like a unique URL for your Facebook page

First of all you need to set up your facebook page, this can be personal or business. Then you will need to have at least 25 followers. BREAKING NEWS - you no longer require 25 likes to be able to set this up.

All you need to do is go to www.facebook.com/username

Here you have the option to choose one of the suggested names or type in the name that you would like, as long as the name in not already in use you will be able to change the setting. I have changed my business page to https://www.facebook.com/MoodDesignSolutions

We have further customised our page by adding an image with our logo, telephone number, email address, twitter address and a QR code which links to my LinkedIn profile. As long as your image is 180px wide, you can add depth to 540 pixels.

Need some guidance on twitter etiquette?

We have some great hints and tips on twitter etiquette to share with you. Twitter, for us, is all about sharing your knowledge. It may lead to people asking you to do work for them, it may not, it will depend on how you use it.

Do's

Complete your profile and your bio, people like to know who they are following, so add a picture and state what your interests are.

Talk to people, answer questions and share your knowledge – this is the best way to get followers.

Be polite and respectful, you don’t know who will read your tweets.

Target the people you follow – by industry, by location, by recommendation, whatever suits you and your business.

Retweeting – if you see a tweet that is interesting and you think your followers would like to see it then why not retweet it. But do make sure to credit the original tweeter and not claim it as your own.

It's polite to say thank you to those who retweet your messages. When people retweet your messages  they are recommending you as a source of quality information. Thank them as you would if someone recommended you in person.

Use hastags (#), this will highlight keywords in your tweet for indexing to help you to attract the right people.

It is OK to follow people you don’t know and it is also OK to unfollow people too – it does not mean that you don’t like them, they may be inactive or over active.

Don’ts

Do not list those who unfollow you, this is very rude and will not get you any additional followers, it may even make a few of your current ones leave.

Why not contact them and ask them why they unfollowed you.  Is there anything  you could do to encourage them to refollow you? This way you get some quality feedback about your tweets, you may find they are too general or too technical or too often or too few, whatever the feedback, it shows you are listening and want to improve.

If all you want to do is promote the services that your company offers, then this is not the right platform, people will not follow you. To us, tweeting in this way is like receiving cold call after cold call from a telesales person.

Automated tweets have their place, just make sure you don’t overdo them, generally people don’t like them.

Don’t expect everyone to follow you back.

You can follow our tweets @mooddesign and let us know if you would like to add anything to the list and we will update it as the suggestions come in.

It happens every Tuesday, yet how many of us really know what it is for?

#charitytuesday was the idea of Lovebox (http://www.lovebox.org.uk) who describe themselves as ‘your digital wristband to help raise money and awareness for charities around the world via the web’. They saw an opportunity for twitter to help good causes and so #charitytuesday was born – but what is it?

Twitter uses hashtags (#) to index content and this one is for the charity sector, #charitytuesday. It is a great way for both charities and their supporters to promote their causes. For a charity, it is an ideal way to launch a campaign and get people talking about their work. For supporters, it’s a great way to get others interested and help to raise the profile of your chosen charity. Encouraging conversations will increase the chance of new people becoming supporters.

#charitytuesday now trends on twitter (popular topics being talked about). To trend on twitter you need people to tweet using your hashtag. The more people the better it works, it will not work so well if you have less people tweeting more often.

What not to do – according to twitter doing one or more of the following can land you in trouble and even get your account suspended.

• Adding one or more topic/hashtag to an unrelated Tweet in an attempt to gain attention in search.
• Repeatedly tweeting the same topic/hashtag without adding value to the conversation in an attempt to get the topic trending/trending higher.
• Tweeting about each trending topic in turn in order to drive traffic to your profile, especially when mixed with advertising.
• Listing the trending topics in combination with a request to be followed.
• Tweeting about a trending topic and posting a misleading link to something unrelated.­­

Now you have some guidelines for the use of #charitytuesday. Will you be using twitter to help a good cause?

Do you get the most out of #FollowFriday?

I attended a networking meeting this week where we were all talking about social media and how we use it for our businesses. This is a matter very close to my heart, I use it, I love it and I get work from it.

One of the things that my table started to discuss was #FollowFriday, and this is where my rant starts. It's a fantastic idea, recommend people and companies who have helped you over the past week. So why do so many people just list a whole load of other people/businesses? One of the reasons was - that's the way that everyone else does it, is there another way to do this? Often the people who list a whole load of companies one after the other are just listing their twitter friends, wanting to promote them. We as the viewer have no idea why they are being recommended or if it worth us following them.

The best way of promoting a friend or company that you have received a great service from is to tell all your twitter followers why they should follow them too.

The advice I gave to my table was, if you are going to #ff a company, do it one company at a time and make sure that you give a reason on why you are recommending them, this way others reading your tweet can make an informed decision about wether they should follow them or not.

Personally, I always skim over the lists of #ff as they are informative and hold no value to me - do you feel the same?

The importance of social media and small businesses

Tweet

The importance of social media

Many business owners are unsure of social media, the big boys have enough money to throw at it and the small fry have enough time to make sure they get in right – what about everyone else?

Social media is a fantastic way to interact with your customers and listen to what is being said about your company, services and products.

Ultimately this ensures that you can react, amend or update what you are offering to keep your customers totally satisfied.

Still not convinced? Look at the stats in the following video. Maybe they will help you to decide that your business needs to be involved at some level in social media.

There are many different platforms/programmes you could choose, not all will be relevant to your business. The main business ones are LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Unsure of what to do? YouTube has millions of tutorials, many covering all aspects of social media. Take a look – see how you can boost your publicity, sales and profit.

Good luck!