Social Media

Why should I be on Twitter? (The Student Perspective series)

September 27, 2010 3 Comments

This guest post from Lauren Gray is part of The Student Perspective series – a set of posts contributed by future stars of the comms industry.

A few college students and professionals, or at least ones I’ve talked to, have been asking the question:

“Why should I be on Twitter?”

Twitter is an excellent resource for many things. For example: I’ve often asked questions on Twitter about which phone to get, how to get in touch with an organization, what non-profit organizations students have interned with, and many more topics. Twitter is a social network of millions of people and they are here and willing to help you.

Reasons you NEED to be on Twitter:

Networking with professionals: Thousands of professionals in your field of study are on Twitter. They can help you with resumes, cover letters, asking general questions about the field, etc.
Networking with students: Thousands of students in the same field of study and students that are taking the same classes as you are on Twitter. Other presidents or organizations are on Twitter. You can talk to other students and bounce ideas off each other for your classes, homework, organizations, etc.
Research: You can create polls via websites, like WordPress, and broadcast them across Twitter to get information about a subject you are researching or just ideas about a topic you are researching.
Twitter chats: Twitter chats are the best way to get involved on Twitter. You talk to other professionals, students, etc. via a chat, like #PRstudchat, for about an hour, answer questions and discuss topics you are interested in.
Personal branding: Once you start getting involved on Twitter, you create a following of people who know you and know what you are interested in. People begin to rely on you for information and for discussion.
Talking to businesses: I recently had a bad experience at FYE and tweeted about it, the next thing I knew @FYEguy was sending me a $20 gift card in the mail. Brands/businesses want to hear about good and bad experiences. You can always tweet with them.

Make sure you are taking advantage of every opportunity available on Twitter. Be involved and start engaging! Convince your friends to as well!

Changing your Twitter handle: choosing “Brand You”

September 23, 2010 1 Comment

This is a guest post from Heather Townsend, business consultant and founder of The Efficiency Coach.

On Twitter, Heather holds considerable sway among UK SMEs, so when she announced she was changing her handle on the site, I asked her to write a few words to explain her decision, and how it fits into her plans for her personal / business brand.

Why have I taken the drastic step of changing my Twitter name?

I’ve spent the last eighteen months building up the brand, The Efficiency Coach on social media. This week I took the risky step of changing my name on Twitter to @HeatherTowns rather than @EfficiencyCoach. Like many people you may be thinking, “Why…? Is she throwing the baby away with the bath water? Is everything OK…?”

The Efficiency Coach is going from strength to strength and has been bigger than just me for the last eight months. In fact if I am going to grow the business to its full potential, I need to remove myself from ‘being’ The Efficiency Coach. I’m still the same old me, but my five year vision and plan needed me to have a strong personal brand as ‘The Professional Expert your firm needs to talk to’, rather than piggy-backing on The Efficiency Coach brand. I need to build up a personal brand as writer, speaker, coach and consultant – who happens to run both ‘The Efficiency Coach’ and ‘the executive village’, rather than ‘The Efficiency Coach who is writing a book and co-founded ‘the executive village’. Does that make sense?

I was finding that everyone was introducing me as ‘The Efficiency Coach’, whereas, if I am going to fulfil my personal vision, I needed to brand myself for the job I want, rather than I have. Still being openly referred to as ‘The Efficiency Coach’ is going to scupper my attempts to build up the brand as the professional services expert.

You look at any of the experts with a household name, such as Ivan Misner, Dan Schawbel, Chris Brogan, Guy Clapperton, Andy Lopata, Brad Burton, they all have a strong personal brand rather than hiding behind their business’s brand. (It is not a co-incidence that I have spoken to all but one of these people in the last three months, to interview them for ‘The Financial Times Guide To Business Networking’)

Phew, announcement over. I can now blossom fully as myself again and come out from the shadow of ‘The Efficiency Coach’.

Is your personal brand constraining you?

Heather Townsend.

Filed Under: Guest posts, Marketing, Social Media Tagged With: brand, brand you, Marketing, Social Media, twitter

Let’s not forget the importance of honesty in social media

September 16, 2010 2 Comments

This is a guest post by Mazher Abidi, a marketer and blogger based in Manchester, UK.

Social media (and social networking in the broad sense) could prove to become one of the greatest applications of Internet technology bar none.

As with any community, there are unwritten rules by which its members live by. For example, there are etiquettes related to tweeting and retweeting, recommendations when it comes to selling vs. conversing, conflicting schools of thought when it comes auto vs. personal posting…all of this before anyone has even touched on the thorny subject of sharing Farmville and Mafia Wars stories.

Yet the one common view that appears to transcend all debates is that social media users MUST be honest. This was plainly revealed on August 9^th by all the participants in the weekly #commschat on twitter (every Monday 7pm GMT, 8pm BST hosted by @EmilyCagle and @AdamVincenzini from @CommsChat), where the subject under discussion was comms confessions.

Social media users and communicators, both personal and business, appear to need to live by this mantra online or risk being marked out as social media outcasts by their peers, seeing their flaws globally retweeted or (in the ultimate symbol of social media displeasure) being unfollowed and unfriended.

From the discussion, here follows a list of the top 5 reasons why you NEED to be honest on social media:

1. We can see through it

A community of highly intelligent and communications savvy users has formed on social networks, whether as a function of the presence of the tech aware innovators and early adopters or mass uptake. But whoever they are, they all have an opinion; and there are some serious social media influencers out there that have the kind of credibility some offline influencers can only dream of.

They cannot be fooled, nor can they be placated when they feel wronged. There are genuine multi way conversations taking place on social media and ideas are being shared every second.

Spin now has no place in social media and modern communications. Should your message be uncovered as somehow dishonest, a mistruth or a blatant lie, these people will know about it, and the message will spread due to the lack of…

2. Control

The Internet in general and social media especially has spread at a rate that even the word exponential doesn’t quite cover. 24 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute and in just over 5 years the twitterati have racked up 20 billion tweets.

It stands to reason therefore that once your message is out there in the socialsphere, it ceases to become solely your message. For this reason, it needs to be pitch and content perfect, or you run the risk of serious damage to your…

3. Reputation

Increasingly, social media is being seen by organisations as a key part of their PR strategy. It makes sense considering it is a direct route to consumers, key decision makers and influencers within B2C and B2B markets.

PR, as defined by the Charetered Institute of PR, is “the establishment and maintenance of goodwill between an organisation and its publics”. Such goodwill cannot be maintained without the truth.

Reputations can be shattered through social media; witness the way Apple (for example) was forced to take notice and react to antenna-gate on the iPhone4 thanks to the huge swell of opinion against it on social media.

The best way to avoid this? Be honest.

Of course this does not only count for reputation in the here and now. It is also a concern for…

4. The future

The amount of information held on the web does not even bear an attempt to quantify. The consequence of this is that messages, files, images…anything that appears on the Internet – stays on the Internet. Forever.

Companies AND individuals cannot afford for anything they perceive as negative to be on there, even on page 4 of a Google search. For if it’s out there to be found then it can and will be found, more often than not at the least opportune moment.

The picture from the stag do 4 years ago could resurface in a job interview. The accidentally posted press release that was only online for a day could be found on an archived version of a website.

Making sure what goes online is an honest reflection of you or our business will safeguard you for the future.

5. Why not?

Finally, if there’s nothing to hide, there should be no need to hide it!

Filed Under: Featured, Guest posts, Marketing, Social Media Tagged With: honesty, Marketing, pr, Social Media, twitter

Follow the General Election live with Marketing Donut

May 6, 2010 2 Comments

The Donuts – a group of websites offering free advice and resources for businesses – are embarking on a twenty-four hour ‘Twitterblogathon’ that will cover all the drama of election night as it happens.

Starting at 3pm, the Marketing Donut team will bring you the very latest action and reaction, supported by several ‘expert contributors’, including the team here at Emily Cagle Communications.

The event will also raise funds for The Children’s Trust. If you’d like to make a donation, visit Marketing Donut’s JustGiving page.

To follow the event, simply point your browser at The Marketing Donut. Or, if you want to follow the coverage through Twitter, use the #donut24 hashtag.

Filed Under: Events, Featured, News, Social Media Tagged With: charity, emily cagle communications, general election, law donut, marketing donut, start up donut, the children's trust, twitter, twitterblogathon

The launch of #CommsChat on Twitter – fancy it?

May 3, 2010 Leave a Comment

#CommsChat, a weekly Twitter-based chat about anything and everything to do with communications, is inspired by chats like #JournChat, #PRstudchat and #BlogChat, which focus on specific subjects / participants.

These chats are typically based / moderated out of the USA, which means that the times are often challenging for people based in Europe.

#CommsChat has been developed with these things in mind, and will hopefully be shaped even more by you after reading this post.

The top line framework of #CommsChat

A weekly chat on Monday nights at 8pm UK time (1 hour duration)
Wide-ranging topics connected to communications, including: traditional and social media, PR, blogging, marketing, journalism and lots more
Special guests will be invited to take part most weeks based on the subject matter

Help shape #CommsChat

The rest of #CommsChat and its make-up will be determined by you over the next few weeks.

What would you like to see?
Any thoughts on subjects / topics?
Is there a format from another chat you’ve taken part in that you really like?

All this feedback will help us collectively create an engaged community and host sessions that add value to everyone taking part.

Put a date in your diary

The first #CommsChat is scheduled for 24 May 2010 at 8pm (UK time).

Although based out of the UK, it is open to anyone from everywhere – comms professionals, bloggers, journalists, students – basically anyone with an interest in / passion for communications.

Over the next few weeks we’ll provide you with more information about how it will work.

But the primary objective is simple: encourage like-minded people to get together for an hour each week to share their tips, hints and lessons relating to the world of communications.

It should be a lot of fun…and we look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Thanks

Adam Vincenzini and Emily Cagle

Staying connected / useful links:

Filed Under: Featured, Public Relations, Social Media Tagged With: blogging, comms, Communication, communications, journalism, media, pr, Public Relations, Social Media

How would you handle Gordon Brown’s PR right now?

April 28, 2010 7 Comments

So, election fever has driven Gordon to call people bigots in public. Ok, not quite the real story, but a PR nightmare nonetheless. Here, for your reading pleasure, is our very own Account Exec and Politics grad, Eamonn Moore, with his thoughts on how to handle the whole affair.

“That was a disaster – they should have never put me with that woman. Whose idea was that? It’s just ridiculous… She’s just a sort of bigoted woman that said she used to be Labour.”

Gordon Brown made the above comments earlier today about Gillian Duffy, an ordinary member of the public from Rochdale who had been speaking to him in front of the press and media about several political issues, not realising that his microphone was still broadcasting.

His remarks may have been made in private, but right now they are being broadcast and discussed everywhere, from news channels to Twitter (indeed, #BigotGate was trending within the hour).

So in the wake of the crisis, how could Labour handle Gordon Brown’s PR?

Here are five actions that could be taken to try to minimise the impact of his comments, and salvage the rest of the election campaign.

1. Issue a public apology

Whilst Gordon has now apologised both publically and privately to Gillian Duffy, his public apology (as featured in a radio interview with Jeremy Vine this afternoon) did not go far enough, I feel. He apologised “if” he had caused offence, when it is quite clear that there is no “if” about it.

At this point, I’m disregarding the issue of whether Gillian is actually a bigot or not because it would be unwise for Labour to attack her for being so in an attempt to salvage Gordon’s reputation – the press & public would likely be unimpressed by a sustained attack on ‘a defenceless pensioner’. Furthermore, she’s actually a Labour voter (or was until today!), so to attack her could be seen as further attacking Labour voters.

Instead, it’s time for Gordon to be human. He could apologise unreservedly for his comments and the offence caused both to Gillian and Labour voters (five minutes is a very short amount of time to make your mind up that someone is a ‘bigot’ after all). We now understand he’s visited Gillian in person, so perhaps he’s done just that.

2. Talk about the pressures of an election campaign

Whilst Gordon should offer no excuses for what he said, the situation does present him with an ideal opportunity to talk about the pressure of an election campaign and getting caught in ‘the heat of the moment’. This may lead to some sympathy being generated for him – a man who has struggled to perceived as genuine at times.

3. Fight fire with fire

It wouldn’t be an election campaign without some good old-fashioned points scoring between the parties, would it? The Tories are likely to lambast Gordon for his comments, but Gordon could fight fire with fire and attack the comments made by Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling regarding the rights of gays and lesbians, broadening the debate to one of ill-advised comments in general.

4. Tackle the issue of immigration head on

The news channels are reporting that Gordon’s “bigot” comment came after speaking to Gillian about Eastern European immigration. Whilst today’s incident looks bad right now, it could provide the ideal catalyst for Gordon to tackle the issue of immigration head on, by talking about how he recognises that immigration is a major issue and what he plans to do about it.

5. Implement checklists for all media events

Leaving your microphone on really is a school-boy error, especially when you’re so used to appearing in the press and media. Gordon’s PR team now need to sit down and draw up checklists for all media occasions to ensure that no further mistakes are made. Sounds simple, but obviously no one said, “Hey, Gordon. Have you taken your microphone off?” at the crucial moment.

Those are my five suggestions, and I don’t claim that they’d get Gordon out of the pickle he’s in, just help address the issue.

How would you handle Gordon’s PR right now?

(Hat tip to @MarketingDonut for posing the original question).

Filed Under: Public Relations, Social Media Tagged With: election, gaffe, general election, Gillian Duffy, gordon brown, labour, Public Relations

Making working from home work for you

April 26, 2010 1 Comment

Judy Heminsley, author of Work From Home, and blogger of Work From Home Wisdom, provides this guest blog highlighting the benefits of working from home, and offering some pointers to make it work for you.

A survey carried out by Australian magazine Home Beautifula few years ago found that readers were afraid that if they worked from home they would become ‘fat, depressed and lazy’! Many office-bound people I talk to have the same fears.

But actually research has shown that people working from home are more productive – BT came up with a figure of 20% more. And all the home workers I talk to say they are much more effective and see this as one of the greatest benefits of working from home.

Build a structure

Perhaps the biggest change when you start to work from home is realising that you are now responsible for every decision about your working day – when to start, where to work, how often to take breaks, how to schedule your work, what time to stop etc.

Being in charge gives you freedom to design your working life to fit your own needs and habits and you will get the best results if you build it round a solid structure.

How to get started

The morning commute moves people into work psychologically and emotionally as well as physically. You may need more than just the stroll into your home office, so devise a routine that signals the working day is starting. A delegate at an event I spoke at recently recommended a ‘walk to work’ – a 15 minute stroll to stretch her legs, get some fresh air, say hello to a few neighbours and remind herself how lucky she is not to be sitting in traffic.

My routine is a 21st century version of toast with the papers – eating breakfast while surfing the news, checking out business sites and updating Twitter. Reading my emails and making the required responses hooks me effortlessly into work.

Stay connected

The idea of working alone, away from all the distractions of the average workplace, is certainly appealing, but the reality can present a real risk of becoming lonely and isolated. That can quickly lead to a loss of perspective and a downward spiral in self-confidence and motivation. So make human contact your top priority to keep your energy and creativity high:

Social media and internet forums help you connect with others socially and may prove to be sources of professional help.
Pick up the phone when your energy starts to flag – talking to somebody will give you a quick boost.
Get out and about – there’s nothing like a change of scene and being amongst other people for a shot of inspiration. Coworking allows you to work alongside fellow freelancers and home workers in a relaxed atmosphere where people chat about what they do and exchange tips. Check out coworking spaces and Jelly in your area and my website www.workfromhomewisdom.com for lots of information about both.

So that pretty much deals with the ‘lazy’ part of my headline. And the great thing is that if you apply all these tips, it’s hard to see how you could possibly become fat and depressed either while working from home!

Filed Under: Guest posts, Social Media Tagged With: business, homeworking, productivity, work

Every ash cloud has a silver lining: mapping social media 2.0

April 22, 2010 Leave a Comment

This is a guest post by Jeremy Bramwell, Client Services Director at IAS B2B Marketing.

The biggest and most bizarre news story of the year so far has got to be the Icelandic Volcano (I won’t even attempt to spell it, let alone get you to pronounce it), its accompanying ash cloud and consequential lockdown of Northern Europe’s airspace for 6 days.

I heard about this the first morning via @skynewsbreak in my Twitter feed and immediately started to think about using Twitter to map the movement of the ash cloud over the UK. Mistakenly, I thought that we’d actually be able to see the ash cloud and so I asked my Twitter followers to @ reply me their postcode if the ash was overhead (of course, I got no replies).

I got the idea from @benmarsh who developed a very neat application to map the affects of the snow in real time last winter. That of course is too clever for me and my intention was to create a cardboard map of the UK, give it a dusting of ash from an instant BBQ, take a picture and post it on Twitter for a bit of fun (see original tweet).

This I did and the ‘UK Ash Map’ took off getting 1,700+ views on Twitpic over the next 2 days. I quickly realised that the story was going to run and also tweeted the UK ash map from the @iasb2bmarketing Twitter account with the line ‘Mum’s not going to Iceland’.

I also toyed with other ideas of how we could as an agency have a bit of fun, and help people stuck in other parts of Europe, I even considered ‘re-naming’ IAS as ‘Icelandic Ash Services’ for the week and using our network of agencies across Europe to assist stranded B2B marketing professionals get home but the logistics were too complicated so that had to be shelved.

I learnt a valuable lesson in on-line to off-line PR from my very first UK Snow Map back in January, which was even more successful getting over 10,000 views on Twitpic, so set our PR team to work in producing an IAS press release on the UK Ash Map which has already gained good coverage in our key trade publications. Our agency is very creative, fun and irreverent and the ‘cardboard maps’ I create fit our brand perfectly, we may even put together a 2011 ‘Cardboard Map’ calendar I just need a few more biblical events to stimulate my imagination.

So in the interests of ‘new media art’ we are giving away a framed print of the UK Ash Map at IAS’ Digital PR forum in Manchester today, if you’re lucky enough to win it, you’ll have a small piece of Twitter history to put on your wall.

Filed Under: Guest posts, News, Public Relations, Social Media, Writing Tagged With: airspace, ash cloud, Iceland, Public Relations, Social Media, twitter, volcano

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