Tag Archives: web 2.0

Introducing the BufferApp – Social Media Done Right

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Just about a week ago I talked about the various 3rd party applications I use to enhance my Twitter experience and if you remember, BufferApp is one of them. Despite it’s awesome functionalities (especially after the recent update which I’ll share with you a little further), what makes BufferApp awesome is beyond that. It actually lies in how the founders and creators of BufferApp actually ‘humanize’ the application, and here are 2 simple reasons why I say so:

#1: They LISTEN

Truth be told, I’m even more impressed with the people behind the product than the product itself. Both @LeoWid and @joelg87 are amazing people. They are on a consistent look out for ideas, listening to what each and every user has to say about BufferApp to improve its usability. Crowd sourcing – that is what they are doing. And they are doing it right!

This also reminds me that many projects / products fail because someone tried to pack too much into it at one go – resulting in an overly complicated product or an extended timeline to which sometimes lead to no ending. What they did is to launch a simple and lightweight product that works, THEN rollout updates that caters to the users.

What do they get out of it? They save time, and they can get the functions right.

What do we get out of it? A product that we love!

#2: They ENGAGE

The worst thing that can happen is to drop someone a DM or @mention and you get a reply days after (or never!). As for BufferApp, you can be assured that they will respond to you – whether it is a simple ‘hello’, a complain or a complement, you can expect a reply. Don’t believe me? Put them to the test and experience for yourself!

Simple as it sounds, the above is really the essence of being social and businesses should realize that social networks are not a place to rack up the fan / follower count and blast them with sales pitches.

Now, the BufferApp

You simply tell Buffer your schedule... once!

Okay, enough about the great people behind the product – now the product itself. I started using this nifty tool a few weeks back and what really caught my attention is the ability to automatically schedule tweets periodically but yet have so much control over the tweets. What I really meant is that you do not need to schedule every individual tweet manually anymore, unlike TweetDeck, HootSuite or etc.

What makes Buffer different is that it also comes with optional add-ons (or goodies): a Google Chrome, Safari or Firefox browser extension.

This means that you can even schedule your updates OUTSIDE of BufferApp.com by simply clicking on the Buffer extension on your browser window to reveal…

 

this!

You can opt to “Tweet Now” where you share the content immediately or “Add to Buffer” where the content will be added to your queue of updates on Buffer. Did I also not mention the “Shorten Links” feature? These 3 are perhaps the most sought after functions when it comes to sharing a Tweet (at least for me).

Buffer did not forget about the mobile users, too! Instead of developing an individual mobile application to suit all existing smart phones, they took a step forward (or backward) to come up with a very simplistic yet smart way of making Buffer happen for a larger population – through email. Yes, all you need to do is to share your content via email on your mobile and send it to: [email protected] where the subject is your tweet, and the body is your link – and it will automatically be added unto your Buffer queue.

 

Tweet Suggestions - plenty of them!

Now comes my all-time favorite function – “Suggest me a Tweet” where Buffer generates a random tweet for you! I spend quite a bit of time looking through all the tweets at times just to see what will I get. Quotes by the famous, articles by bloggers and even jokes – you can get them all in a click.

That’s not all!

I find it really fascinating to see how Leo and Joel is able to roll out updates almost every single week at such a rapid pace – something many projects (especially startups) aren’t able to do. Their dedication says it all and they are making it happen beyond a great social product – but being social themselves.

My Description of Buffer in 140 Characters

If you’re interested in looking up what are all the other functions of Buffer (analytics, bit.ly integration, button for blogs and more), click here to see a full list of them (and be prepared for more to come)!

Don’t believe what I have to say about Buffer? See what others have to say over here!

important note: this article is not by any chance a paid review, advertorial or request by anyone representing BufferApp and / or its founders and it is solely written on my experience with @LeoWid and @BufferApp itself.

Who Is More Influential? The Brand or Its Followers?

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brand influence on social mediaBrands all over the world are hopping onto the social media ‘brandwagon’. For some, it is called strategy; the others, it is simply because it is ‘the thing’ to do. How successful are these brands? Are they influential enough to command attention?

Or rather, Who is influential?

An interesting question? I would think so myself. The thought came to me very recently when I was looking at various social media marketing campaigns – I saw how successful brands got their fans together through various promotions, facilitate discussions, interacting with fans and etc.. basically all the good stuff. However, who empowers the brand? Is it the social media manager behind the fan page? The brand? Or is it the fans?

I suggest it’s the latter.

A brand can only be as influential its followers can get. Look at it this way – a ‘successful’ brand on social media usually has high engagement with their followers. What if the followers do not respond? Does this affect the brand’s influence?

This can only mean one thing – it all revolves around the followers. Your brand may have the best offer and content but if the message is delivered to thin air (not responsive followers), nothing is going to happen.

What to do?

#1: Understand their influence

Sure, you have 100,000 fans but the threat of substitution remains high especially on social media networks. Followers can unfollow at will OR follow multiple competitors at one go – in fact, some argue that brand loyalty is dead with social media.

#2: Respect their influence

Take genuine interest in them beyond just numbers. Take the effort to talk to them individually whenever possible and respond to their conversations and feedbacks – both good and bad.

#3: Reward their influence

Every brand will have extraordinary fans. Some call them brand champions – fans that have been there since Day 1, fans that have been following your updates, fans that have been commenting and interacting often with your brand and fans that have been sharing your content with their friends. These fans are a gem! Look for opportunities to reward them e.g. a special feature of the month, freebies, exclusive passes and etc – every bit counts!

#4: Repeat #1

What is your take on brand influence? I would love to hear your thoughts below :)

Quality Over Quantity, Really?

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is quality the only criteria on social media?With the number of new blogs and social media accounts being setup every single day, it is no wonder why quality is preferred over quantity. After all, visitors prefer quality content over frequency of updates, right? The question is – is that all it is to it?

This has always been a topic amongst bloggers and businesses alike. I know of bloggers that go all out, putting up at least 3 posts a day with the reason of generating more traffic. Nothing wrong with that as long it is working for him. There are also others – businesses, to be exact, that posts only on a weekly basis. Does that make them weaker candidates on social media?

How about status updates on Facebook and on Twitter? Are frequent updates more inclined to be followed or be seen as ‘active’ on the network? Or will an update a day do the trick?

Is Quality ‘IT’?

Sure, quality is very important especially today where everyone can create content. Imagine – with 600 million users on Facebook, 1 update per user produces 600 million updates. That’s some massive content but how many of them are quality content? Quality content allows you to rise above the social media clutter. The usage of words, language proficiency, degree of insight, research and more all contribute to quality content.

One thing from missing from the list of quality content is that you’ll also require to have a quality NETWORK or COMMUNITY. Producing quality content without the right audience renders your hard work useless. With the right network, your content has the potential to gain more eyeballs and spark off even more ideas through discussions.

What About Quantity?

Having that said, let’s come back to the question – is quantity insignificant then? I personally do not think so. Quantity matters, too! Here are 4 simple reasons why:

1. If you’re new to social media, it matters to make yourself visible. Post frequently and consistently to capture attention. Avoid using same sentences in your updates as you do not want to be spammy! Be creative.
2. If you’re a blogger, the total amount of your posts count. This does not mean that you should be posting relentlessly, but your post count should show that you’re consistent and you’re serious. Readers may not find you credible / serious if your last post is 6 months away.
3. If you update Facebook, Twitter or more, your interactions count. You should engage in conversations with your customers and networks – don’t just chat, share ideas and position yourself as both an avid learner AND an expert in your field.
4. If you use Twitter, the number of your followers speak. The number of lists you’re added to also speaks. Most people only follow others that have more followers than how many they are following (i am one of them) because it indirectly suggests that you’re ‘followable material’ and that there is just something about you.

What does this mean?

“Quantity matters in social media. The trick is knowing the right amount to spill.”

Sharing time! What is your take on quantity and quality? Do leave your comments below!

How to: Manage Your Time on Social Media?

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How to: Manage Your Time on Social Media?

Let’s face it – as many benefits we can draw from social media, social media can also be very distracting. Never mind the plenitude of Facebook games – just spending time on researching, content creation and engaging (i.e. replying) across social media networks can cost one the entire day!

“How much time should I spend on social media? Am I spending too much time on social media?”

Do you ask those questions?

Many do. Small and big companies, groups and individuals alike – you’re not alone. Truth be told, there is never enough time on social media as there are always time for something on it. The trick is to know how much or how little is enough for your business – yes, time management even for social media.

Understanding the Components of Social Media

Social media in general consists of 3 important aspects that both businesses and individuals cannot overlook:

1. Listening

Perhaps one of the most powerful attribute of social media networks as it enabled businesses to find out what the consumer is talking about, their complains and suggestions – something unachievable back then.

I personally prefer to do this at the start of the day. It can comprise of looking at what your competitors are doing, looking up what your fans and followers are talking about, catching up with the latest news in the industry on various sites and etc.

2. Communicating / Engaging

communication and engagement on social media

Ah, the essence of social media networks – being social. What good it is if you’re part of a huge community (e.g. Facebook fan page) that does not communicate? This is where you take genuine interest in your followers and fans by talking NOT pitching to them.

This should take the bulk of your time on social media networks. This includes commenting on blogs, replying to messages and also content sharing. Remember, its not just about sharing your content but to share other quality content that you may find – tweet and retweet them, stumble them, like and share them on Facebook! Not only it grants you exposure, it opens up opportunities for you to expand your network within your industry.

I usually do this on the move with my phone – while waiting for the escalator, waiting for food to be served, at a long queue, waiting for a parking bay (some times this alone takes up to 30 mins!) and etc.

3. Content Creation

Creating content has never been easier with the help of blogging tools such as WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr and more. What’s great about creating your own content is that you’re able to position yourself as an industry expert, granting your brand more credibility compared to your competitors.

If writing isn’t exactly up your sleeves, try creating video clips, screen casts, infographics, podcasts or even post pictures of your work (especially for photographers) on networks such as YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, Deviant Art and etc. Every content you create can be powerful when positioned using the right medium, even greater when combined with the first 2 aspects above!

What Determines the Amount of Time Spent?

how much time do i need to spend on social mediaNow, now.. I wished there was some kind of a success formula to social media: X hours x Y medium = AwesomeResults but there really isn’t. Having that said, I believe what determines the time spent for your social media network truly depends on your GOALS.

Yes, your GOALS – what do you want to achieve out of social media.

From there, you should be able to identify how much time should you spend on Listening, Communicating and Creating Content. For me, I spend about 2-3 hours daily on my networks on a busy day and here’s how I do it on a daily basis:

50% for Communicating and Engaging
25% for Listening
25% for Creating new Content

What do I achieve out of it? I know that as long I stick to my plan, I’ve covered the important aspects of social media, allowing me to achieve my goals AND YET have plenty of time for me to work on my projects with my clients. You can do that too!

Where Can We Go From Here?

1. Find out how much time are you spending on social media
2. Ask yourself: are what you’re doing in line with your goals?
3. Which of the 3 aspects are most important to you?
4. Establish a plan that you can follow on a daily basis encompassing all 3 aspects
5. Evaluate whether the plan works for you from time to time

Do you have a social media plan? I would love to hear what worked (and what did not) for you!

How Long Should Your Company Spend on Social Media in a Day?

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This question has been popping up quite a lot in my recent conversations with clients and friends alike – how much is too much and how do one estimate accordingly? Some companies swear by 1-hour daily while some go with 24-hours constant monitoring – is that really necessary?

The duration spent on social media defers from one to another and is dependent on 2 simple factors:

#1: The social media tools your company is using

Some tools require more time to monitor (e.g. Facebook and Twitter) compared to others (e.g. blogs) as tools such as Facebook has a lot more interactivity going on as compared to blogs. Also depending on the size of your network, you may need to spend more time replying to posts, @mentions and comments left by your followers or readers.

The more tools you use will definitely take up more time so be selective! Use only those that matters most for your business and concentrate on them first!

#2: What social media is used for (i.e. its intended purpose)

This goes all the way back to your company’s objectives in utilizing social media in the first place. Is it used to disseminate information? Is it used to promote your products / services? It is used to listen to what’s hot and not? It is used to engage with your customers? Is it used to attract new customers? Is it used to obtain feedback? Your reasons will determine how long you would want to spend on social media. If you’re just wanting to disseminate information, chances are, you’ll only need to spend time on content creation while if you’re there to listen to complains, you may want to play a more active role.

Be clear of what you want to achieve with social media networks as you won’t be able to do everything at one go especially if you’re new to it.

Closing Thoughts

As simple as it seems, most companies intend to dive into the sea of social media tools without first understanding what is required and whether it is really necessary. Not every business requires a blog and not every business have to be on Twitter.

Know your goals and no longer you’ll feel that time is never enough on social media. Know why you’re doing it and no longer you’ll feel that the results does not justify your time.

Coming up next: How to manage your time on social media?

How to: Integrate Social Media in Business Using Blogs (Part 3)

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So you now have a blog up and running and you’re working on your posts consistently, great! The common question I face during meetups with clients is: “Is that enough?”.

Is it?

It depends. It depends on how far you want to take your company / brand. If you’re comfortable having that limited number of readers or if you have no problem with a slow and steady organic growth of readership, then yes, it is enough.

However in most cases, companies and businesses would want to see results fast. They want to build a huge readership base within the shortest amount of time possible. Some make it, some don’t. Why? It takes a little more than just commitment and consistency to make it happen.

Here are 3 tips on how businesses can build readership:

#1: Guest Posting

guest posting for extended exposureThis is pretty straight forward. Just like how your business is looking for opportunities to be featured on newspaper / magazine columns, you can write guest posts on other people’s blogs! All you need to do is to be on a lookout for opportunities to guest post – contact the site / blog owner to see if you can do so.

Remember to offer something in return such as an offer for them to write a guest post on your site, or to do a special feature about them or by linking them up. After all, it is a mutual benefit. Look for sites / blogs that relates to your industry so that your brand image is consistent. You may also want to wait till you have  a healthy amount of posts on your site before approaching others as they too, will want to know of your expertise :)

#2: Commenting

contribute through comments. do not spam!Just like guest posting, commenting on other writer’s posts can bring about great exposure to your business. How so? When you leave constructive comments and / or share ideas, you’re actually engaging with the author and fellow peers. This means that you will be recognized and when that happens, chances are, they too will drop by and visit your site as you leave your link.

Now be careful to not go on a commenting spree and leave links all over the blogosphere as that is equivalent to spam and that will work in reverse for you. Instead, look for sites that you can contribute ideas and learn from and get started on a healthy discussion – that will work much better as you position yourself in the industry on blogs.

#3: Submit / Syndicate Your Posts

building your network on social media

One good way of getting more readers is to leave as many trails of your post as possible on the web. It can be on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Stumble Upon, Reddit, Digg and the list never ends! Fortunately with the abundance of tools out there, you can get your posts in multiple places in one go such as Google’s Feedburner or if you’re using the Chrome browser, the Shareaholic extension makes things really simple, too!

Suggested read: I found this timely article here that suggests some of today’s growing tools you can submit your posts to to grow your readership network.

Is there more?

There sure is but the above 3 should be able to get things going pretty well for a start especially if you’re new to the blogging scene. Focus on growing your networks through engagement and do not worry about other techniques for now, you’ll definitely get there soon enough!

Do you have tips to share? I would love to hear what works / doesn’t work for you, too! :)

Should Companies Ban Social Media Among Employees?

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should companies ban social media?

Recently I’ve been noticing more and more companies here in Malaysia putting a barrier around their employees, preventing them from accessing social media tools within the premise. While some go about a complete ban, some left room for the marketing department to roam about freely.

Is that a good move?

It is fully understandable that social media tools especially Facebook, Twitter and blogging can be a huge time waster at work. Employees may be playing games, chatting away or busy updating their personal blogs instead of being ‘productive’ at the workplace. It’s no wonder why companies have to resort to a complete ban.

However, it is also interesting to note that some of these companies are supposedly customer centric, saying that they listen to their customers and etc but at the same time, staying out of social media. Strange indeed.

Blogs (social media) doesn’t get people fired, people get people fired. – Deb Schultz, Altimeter Group

To me, social media should not be banned in a company at all. Instead, companies should establish clear guidelines on how social media can be used. Companies such as Dell takes social media very seriously and goes to the extend of training their employees in this area and they have been utmost successful.

IBM takes a different approach by allowing their employees to write their social media policy for them. Sounds absurd? Not really, considering the fact that since the employees will be the ones using social media, they should be the ones setting the guidelines. In fact, they are more likely to keep to it if they formed it themselves. Plus giving your employees this liberty may cultivate an innovative culture in your company.

Some companies don’t even have rules to regulate social media usage. They simply let their employees do what they like, as long they perform in the end.

So.. What’s the Conclusion?

There is really no hard and fast rule in implementing / regulating social media in a company. I really do prefer both Dell and IBM’s way of doing it but it also depends on your comfort level as a business owner in the industry. Remember, social media can act as both an asset and a liability to your brand. Experiment with techniques and find out what’s best for your environment – social media only works when you try.

How to: Integrate Social Media in Business Using Blogs (Part 2)

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Now that you’ve understood why blogs are vital to your business instead of having a traditional website, you may have in mind to make full use of them to sell your products and services, perhaps even going to the extend of writing 1-page sales pitches that may have worked for you in the past.

Unfortunately, sales pitches does not work on blogs – especially when you’re just getting started.

Why Don’t Sales Pitches Work?

Blogging, or rather, social media is not about sales. It’s about customer engagement, it’s about relating and listening to your target audience and to have a human presence. Customers today do not want to be sold to – they want to be heard. Writing a full fledge sales pitch will only drive people away than to convert them.

Err.. But Isn’t It All About Making Sales?

That may be true for your business but on social media, I personally believe that sales is secondary. Yes, you would ultimately want to convert customers and make sales but upright sales pitches would do more harm than good. There are, after all, various ways and techniques of conversions on social media.

leading the pack with your blog

How to Make Sales With My Blog? Here are 3 Steps to Get You Started!

#1: Give and you shall receive

“What? I thought we’re talking about making sales!?”

Yes, we are – the long term yet effective way and blogs are just the right medium to do it. Provide value to your readers consistently to establish your own presence first. Write about what you do best, industry updates and share your experiences with past clients.

During this stage, you’re actually creating a platform for your business to reach out in the future – take time in doing this as it is your biggest asset!

#2: Create exposure

“Oh come on, get on with the sales already!”

Blogs can give your business an exposure beyond traditional means. With the amount of blog syndication tools out there and with search engine optimization (SEO), the amount of exposure is massive. Now, all you need to do is to create opportunities (or window opportunities) for sales to happen.

Some use exclusive offers, contests, VIP passes, weekend giveaways and more to gain more exposure AND create an opportunity for your audience to get to know you better through your products. In other words, you’re creating leads for sales!

#3: Promotion

“Are we there yet?”

There are various ways of promoting your products / services through your blog and one of the common ways of doing so is by producing an e-book. An e-book allows you to pack more of your expertise to your audience, benefiting them and at the same time, creates an opportunity for you to upsell your products. It can be a seminar, workshop, demo sessions, trials and more.

So, What About Sales?

As you can see, social media is an excellent tool to drive sales and increase conversions, especially with blogs. If you’re STILL looking to make plain sales out of thin air for your business, then perhaps you may want to consider other alternatives :)

How to: Integrate Social Media in Business Using Blogs (Part 1)

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If I had to pick which social media tool is the most beneficial for businesses, I would say BLOGS will come first. Nevermind whether it is Blogger, WordPress or the likes – blogs, in general is perhaps one of the most important social media tool for businesses today.

Why Should Your Business Blog

Your business may have an active Facebook or Twitter page going but like it or not, Facebook and Twitter are great engagement tools and not necessarily the best tool in disseminating information and content, especially chunky ones to your customers.

3 Reasons on Why Your Business Should Blog:

1. It is your HOME BASE

Traditional websites are slowly moving into a blog environment because businesses see the value in providing consistent updates and additional value to their customers instead of having a well designed, static information website.

Having a blog (or in this case, the centre of content) can act as the primary place of information for your business where you can share what’s happening behind the scenes, updates on upcoming plans, interesting news and even insights in the industry your business is in – basically content that adds value to your prospects and customers.

Are you driving your customers home?

Combine this with your engagement tools such as Facebook and Twitter, now your fans and followers will be able to find out and benefit more from you. This can easily be done by including a link to your blog on tweets and status updates.

Find out more about having a home base here!

2. Expert in the field

Now you may think that you can also establish a home base with a traditional website. True, but one thing blogs triumphs is that through your sharing of content, you are able to change the perception of your prospects and customers towards your business.

How so? A traditional website focuses on designs to create an impression. A blog focuses on content to create an impression. Which lasts longer? Blogs. The more valuable content you put out, the more your target audience will be able to know you and that builds a relationship that your competitor may not have with them.

Everyone is an expert - all you need to do is shareIf you are in business, chances are, you have tons of knowledge and experience in you. If you’re able to share them, that alone will make you an expert in the field – especially in the eyes of your customers. Customers value valuable content and transparency as it also influences buying decisions.

For consumers that are new to your business, a blog will be able to reflect your knowledge and experience in a particular field and in some cases, how active your business is by looking at when was your last update.

3. Low Cost

Guess what, you may already have been blogging and you just do not know about it. You may have been ‘blogging’ on advertorials, press releases, media write ups, newspaper columns, magazine columns and etc to position yourself in the market.

If you’ve been there, you should know that chances like that do not come by very often and sometimes it may cost you. If you’ve haven’t been there, you should also know that such opportunities may not be easy to find and that it will also cost you.

By having a blog, you have these opportunities every single day, at no cost! The only evident cost is your time. Your time to put together your thoughts, research, pen it down and to publish it online. Other than that, it’s literally free!

So, Why Blog?

Given the benefits, why NOT blog? I strongly believe that every industry will be able to benefit from having their very own blog. After all, wherever there is knowledge to something, there is definitely something to share from it, and blogs are the place to share them.

Have blogging been beneficial to you or your business? Do share them by commenting below! :)

Is It Possible to Hire a PR / Young Person to Manage Your Social Media Presence?

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I’ve been noticing this as a trend lately that’s happening in many companies and businesses within Malaysia. Young grads are being hired for a specific job to find that they are given an additional job description – to manage the company’s social media accounts.

Is this really a smart thing to do?

A young person usually spends their entire day on Facebook, Twitter and blogs therefore they are great candidates to manage the accounts, isn’t it? WRONG. Though it may be true that they are technologically savvy, this does not automatically makes him or her a social media expert with the required capabilities to take on your company’s social media presence.

Likewise for PR Managers, they may be really good at what they do but this does not automatically makes them a social butterfly online. Plus, PR Managers generally have extrovert personalities so keeping them behind a screen to socialize may not work as well as you think it would.

Insisting on using them?

I would not go down this path but if that’s the only choice you have, consider looking up their backgrounds or throwing them a test before adding it to their job description. Check out their Facebook, Twitter and blog accounts to see what they usually talk about (you may even find that they are active only on Facebook games).

If you find that they are actively participating in chats, sharing informative contents, retweeting, creating content and etc – Congratulations! You’ve found your man (or woman)!

If you find that they are actively chatting casually, sharing random contents, talking about the bits and pieces of their life, mostly participating in games and etc – You may not want to bestow them your company’s social media accounts.

What should be done then?

The best for the job is definitely a social media manager or consultant that specializes in social media. One that does not only have the knowledge, but also with the experience to generate ideas, execute and creatively engage with his / her network.

There are tons of articles out there listing the various areas to look for in a social media manager so I won’t go into the details but most of them concur that he / she must have some past experience in the field. It can be personal experiences, various projects / campaigns or past / present clients.

Also, do not hesitate to probe questions to test their knowledge in the field as knowing these can give you an ease of mind and somewhat gauge the potential results thus evaluating whether he or she is worth your money.

So, is it really a ‘no’ to hire a young person / PR to do the job for me?

Never :)