Are we seeing the real commercialisation of the LinkedIn platform? With the introduction of the Careers and Products/Services tabs on Company pages, LinkedIn now provides the perfect place for companies to showcase their wares. A step up from being coy about 'selling' - businesses can present detailed information on their products including images and links to specific websites.
Additionally, you will start to notice even more advertising on a wide range of pages. To the right hand side of connections and at the bottom of most pages. The companies advertising are no strangers to our screens but the flickering images are a departure from the usually calm LinkedIn screens.
Keeping up to date with social media platforms is a crucial part of our role as business advisers. Helping businesses make the right decisions balancing risk and return is one of our specialities. We build strategies and train our clients in the most appropriate use of LinkedIn and other social media sites as part of their overall marketing plan.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Corporate Control
At Alterra, we meet businesses of all sizes who are keen to embrace social media. But very often they don't have a conherent stratgy.
When platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are essentially public spaces, how does a company monitor what is written about them, posted, forwarded and regurgitated around the internet?
For business to business on-line networking the fastest growing website is LinkedIn with over 80 million users worldwide. Nearly 1 million members are located within 10 miles of the centre of London. There are an increasing number of 'private' groups set up by companies so that intra-corporate discussions can be held.
Yet I still see incomplete profiles with no photographs and inconsistant employee lists on the Company pages of LinkedIn.
Well you might say that it is not that important:; but consider this scenario - I meet a senior manager at a conference and type his name into Google. If that person is active on the internet his LinkedIn profile will appear high up in the Google ranking. If I click through I will see his Profile and a further click and I am on the Company's LinkedIn page. So three steps to an unattractive message would worry me.
Worse still are the updates which are totally inappropriate for the platform. How does a company control this in this free publishing space?
Our series of strategy posts will be coming out soon - watch this space!
When platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are essentially public spaces, how does a company monitor what is written about them, posted, forwarded and regurgitated around the internet?
For business to business on-line networking the fastest growing website is LinkedIn with over 80 million users worldwide. Nearly 1 million members are located within 10 miles of the centre of London. There are an increasing number of 'private' groups set up by companies so that intra-corporate discussions can be held.
Yet I still see incomplete profiles with no photographs and inconsistant employee lists on the Company pages of LinkedIn.
Well you might say that it is not that important:; but consider this scenario - I meet a senior manager at a conference and type his name into Google. If that person is active on the internet his LinkedIn profile will appear high up in the Google ranking. If I click through I will see his Profile and a further click and I am on the Company's LinkedIn page. So three steps to an unattractive message would worry me.
Worse still are the updates which are totally inappropriate for the platform. How does a company control this in this free publishing space?
Our series of strategy posts will be coming out soon - watch this space!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Pizza, Indian, Chinese.............what's your choice?
As someone who rarely buys take-aways, as by the time I drive from the nearest town they are usually cold, I sometimes glance a the leaflets dropped through my front door from the local restaurant delivery services. Pizza, Indian, Chinese, chicken and chips - take your pick. As I live in a village, we probably receive only a fraction of leaflets drops that those of you who live in more built-up areas.
Most folk I talk to about their marketing media seem to think that leaflet drops are a waste of time. The question therefore is why do the take-aways continue to do it despite the fact that the majority of receipients throw them straight into the recycling bin? The answer is refreshingly simple - it works. It is built into their whole marketing strategy.
Raising awareness by leaflet drops or any other means is not always about the quick sale. It is more about keeping your brand (as opposed to anyone else's) at the front of your potential clients' minds. In fact, some of my clients find the majority of their new business from leafletting.
You need the right leaflet, for the right service delivered to your target homes or businesses. And, it's all about repetition. Once designed and printed, delivery can be staggered to fit your business cycle. Measure the impact and repeat.
Not all products and services lend themselves to this marketing route but think about yours. It might just work and if anything you'll at least have a great leaflet to give out at meetings and for direct mail.
Call me for more information on our design and print service.
Most folk I talk to about their marketing media seem to think that leaflet drops are a waste of time. The question therefore is why do the take-aways continue to do it despite the fact that the majority of receipients throw them straight into the recycling bin? The answer is refreshingly simple - it works. It is built into their whole marketing strategy.
Raising awareness by leaflet drops or any other means is not always about the quick sale. It is more about keeping your brand (as opposed to anyone else's) at the front of your potential clients' minds. In fact, some of my clients find the majority of their new business from leafletting.
You need the right leaflet, for the right service delivered to your target homes or businesses. And, it's all about repetition. Once designed and printed, delivery can be staggered to fit your business cycle. Measure the impact and repeat.
Not all products and services lend themselves to this marketing route but think about yours. It might just work and if anything you'll at least have a great leaflet to give out at meetings and for direct mail.
Call me for more information on our design and print service.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Going local
We have recently been undertaking some local market research for a financial services business. The need for the research arose from an analysis of new business. The company was increasingly finding new business from existing customers and their families and contacts but very little was coming from the immediate locality.
Why is this important? Well, one of the main reasons is that 'local' is flavour of the month, whether in buying fruit and veg or selecting a tradesperson. Secondly, the financial services firm had a 'shop window' or rather an office frontage, door and the potential for revised signage. Thirdly, the cost of servicing clients in the immediate locality is significantly less in terms of time and travel costs than driving an hour to several meetings before securing any fee paying business - the client is more likely to come to you resulting in 50% more new business meetings.
The main premises of the research was to test whether the 'man on the street' was a) aware of the existence of the business, b) if they were, where is the company's location in the town and finally c) did the interviewee have any knowledge of the services they offer?
Without going into all the methodology and statistics, the main observation was that about 50% of the people surveyed (who lived in the town) had heard of the firm, and of those only 20% knew where to find the offices. Some even directed the researcher to other financial services firms! As for the services offered by the client, the results demonstrated that those surveyed had barely any knowledge of what was on offer.
The implications for this client were relatively straight forward. They were missing out on a niche market that is simple to access. A nifty piece of local marketing, well presented and focussed on the clients' needs will turn the balance of new business around. Watch this space for how it pans out.
This case study demonstrates that businesses become stuck in the same activities because no-one asked the obvious questions. The knowledge gained from a piece of market research allowed the financial services company to allocate their limited marketing budget effectively. Maybe you should ask your locals some similar questions?
Why is this important? Well, one of the main reasons is that 'local' is flavour of the month, whether in buying fruit and veg or selecting a tradesperson. Secondly, the financial services firm had a 'shop window' or rather an office frontage, door and the potential for revised signage. Thirdly, the cost of servicing clients in the immediate locality is significantly less in terms of time and travel costs than driving an hour to several meetings before securing any fee paying business - the client is more likely to come to you resulting in 50% more new business meetings.
The main premises of the research was to test whether the 'man on the street' was a) aware of the existence of the business, b) if they were, where is the company's location in the town and finally c) did the interviewee have any knowledge of the services they offer?
Without going into all the methodology and statistics, the main observation was that about 50% of the people surveyed (who lived in the town) had heard of the firm, and of those only 20% knew where to find the offices. Some even directed the researcher to other financial services firms! As for the services offered by the client, the results demonstrated that those surveyed had barely any knowledge of what was on offer.
The implications for this client were relatively straight forward. They were missing out on a niche market that is simple to access. A nifty piece of local marketing, well presented and focussed on the clients' needs will turn the balance of new business around. Watch this space for how it pans out.
This case study demonstrates that businesses become stuck in the same activities because no-one asked the obvious questions. The knowledge gained from a piece of market research allowed the financial services company to allocate their limited marketing budget effectively. Maybe you should ask your locals some similar questions?
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