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	<title>Small Business Tech &#187; social networks</title>
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	<link>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk</link>
	<description>Advice to help you save money, time and be more productive.</description>
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		<title>5 Ways to Use Twitter to Expand your Connections</title>
		<link>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/5-ways-to-use-twitter-to-expand-your-connections/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/5-ways-to-use-twitter-to-expand-your-connections/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:57:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guest Post</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[social networks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/?p=1997</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You want to get your business started Twitter, but you have no idea how to begin. The whole world is telling you how great Twitter is for successfully marketing your business, but how does it work? What can you do to develop your connections? Here are five important tips on how to get your business [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You want to get your business started Twitter, but you have no idea how to begin. The whole world is telling you how great Twitter is for successfully marketing your business, but how does it work? What can you do to develop your connections? Here are five important tips on how to get your business Tweeting.</p>
<p>1. <strong>Be broad –</strong> Don’t just use Twitter to peddle your company or product. No one looks at ads for pleasure. Instead, take a look at what is going on in your company’s market. What is happening that’s exciting? That’s innovative? Make your company a part of it all.</p>
<p>2. <strong>Don’t stress –</strong> You don’t have to react to every Tweet. Answering some of them is enough, especially those that add to your business’ outreach. Twitter programs can make answering easier, but remember not to get trapped Tweeting all day. You have other things to take care of.</p>
<p>3. <strong>Be helpful –</strong> Sharing blogs, posts, and websites that can benefit your customers is a good opportunity to keep people interested in your Tweets. If you find a bargain or a new product you think your customers could use, Tweet it.</p>
<p>4. <strong>Be real –</strong> Tweeting with thing not directly related to your business makes you more welcoming and tangible. Share real-life stories, give funny examples, and remember to be human. Bond with other people directly and stop stressing so much about stimulating your company.</p>
<p>5. <strong>Remember to balance–</strong> Twitter can be a prodigious tool or it can be a boundless waste of time. Have a strategy, keep at it, and remember not to get too convoluted. Twitter is a way for people to connect, but it is not a replacement for real communication. You might get a few critics, but you’ll also get devotees. Make sure not to let your long term strategy be decided by short term outcomes.</p>
<p>There you have it, five important tips on getting your business started Tweeting. Tweeting is an easy thing to do poorly, so strategize before you Tweet. Know who you’re trying to influence and what they need from you, and then give it to them. Remember to stay real. If you can be supplanted by a computer no one will stick around to read your posts. Last of all, remember community. That’s what Twitter is all about.</p>
<p><strong>Guest Post Author Bio</strong></p>
<p>This Guest post is by Christine Kane, a graduate of Communication and Journalism. She enjoys writing about a wide-variety of subjects including <strong><a href="http://www.internetserviceproviders.org/" target="_blank">internet providers in my area</a></strong> for different blogs. She can be reached via email at: Christi.Kane00 @ gmail.com</p>


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		<title>The problem with Twitter and Facebook for business</title>
		<link>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/the-problem-with-twitter-and-facebook-for-business/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/the-problem-with-twitter-and-facebook-for-business/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:50:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guest Post</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[social networks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/?p=1988</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If your business doesn&#8217;t already have active Facebook and Twitter accounts, you&#8217;re hopelessly behind the times. A few years ago the internet brimmed with articles suggesting that businesses big and small use these social platforms to create a more personal relationship with their customers. Most have heeded, and they&#8217;re currently running promotions and other interactive [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If your business doesn&#8217;t already have active Facebook and Twitter accounts, you&#8217;re hopelessly behind the times. A few years ago the internet brimmed with articles suggesting that businesses big and small use these social platforms to create a more personal relationship with their customers. Most have heeded, and they&#8217;re currently running promotions and other interactive events through these social media accounts. Many businesses have even realized great upside from this tactic. But despite the success stories, there are still issues with businesses relying on these social media platforms.</p>
<h3>It&#8217;s not your property</h3>
<p>Companies might enjoy the level of interaction they get on their Facebook accounts. They might run promotions that get people interested, and they might help solve problems that would be more difficult to address through other media. That&#8217;s seen as a plus, and rightly so. If companies can use these media to get people to spend more money with them, it&#8217;s a win. Or, at least, a temporary win.</p>
<p>The problem is that these customers are interacting on someone else&#8217;s property. They might be your customers, but they&#8217;re also Facebook&#8217;s customers &#8212; and you&#8217;re doing business on Facebook&#8217;s property. That is, businesses aren&#8217;t dealing customers who are primarily theirs. They&#8217;re dealing with customers who are primarily Facebook&#8217;s.</p>
<p>The same goes for Twitter, and it extends even further there. Interaction on Twitter can happen on Twitter&#8217;s website, but it can also happen through a third-party client. That is, customers are not just your customers, but they&#8217;re customers of both Twitter and of the client before you. So while businesses stand to gain from these platforms, they&#8217;re still doing business on someone else&#8217;s property.</p>
<h3>A necessary evil?</h3>
<p>What complicates the problem with doing business on Facebook and Twitter is that there&#8217;s no real alternative. Nowhere else can businesses bring together such large audiences. Even if they maintain their own regularly updated blogs, and even if they answer comments on that post, they have no chance of assembling the kind of audience that Facebook and Twitter can deliver.</p>
<p>In that way, Twitter and Facebook become necessary evils when conducting businesses. Any business owner would far rather conduct business on her own property. The advantages are pretty self-evident. Your property, your terms. On Facebook and Twitter you&#8217;re playing by someone else&#8217;s rules. And worse, you don&#8217;t have one iota of influence over those rules. It&#8217;s not as though Twitter and Facebook create policies in conjunctions with the businesses that use them. They create policies that maximize the value of their own services.</p>
<h3>Age of the middle man</h3>
<p>Today it seems as though everything goes through a middle man. The internet enables this. There is a certain level of value in connecting buyers and sellers. But in most cases, the middleman does the connecting and then is done with it. (The big exception being web hosting, because, well, not everyone can afford their own <strong><a href="http://www.abb.com/industries/us/9AAC167274.aspx" target="_blank">data centers</a></strong>.) With Facebook and Twitter, the middle man is not only there, but the business is conducted on the middle man&#8217;s property.</p>
<p>Businesses would obviously prefer to move the transactions. Indeed, many times they&#8217;ll try to get people off Facebook and Twitter websites and onto their own. But that&#8217;s not easy. People are familiar with Facebook and Twitter, and people always prefer familiar grounds. They might not want to click away. While businesses can still benefit from interactions on Facebook and Twitter, they&#8217;re certainly not getting the full effect.</p>
<p>As of now, there&#8217;s little, or nothing, anyone can do to change this. Facebook and Twitter have the mass of users, so they hold the cards. Businesses see an opportunity there, and they&#8217;re cashing in to the extent that they can. But there&#8217;s always risk in that game, playing by someone else&#8217;s rules on someone else&#8217;s turf. But until we find a way to move those masses from other services to our own, they&#8217;re a necessary evil that we&#8217;ll have to deal with.</p>
<p><em><strong>About the Guest Post Author:</strong> Joe Pawlikowski is the editor of <strong><a href="http://www.prepaidreviews.com">Prepaid Reviews</a></strong>, a site that provides news, commentary, and reviews of prepaid wireless services.</em></p>


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		<title>‘Sharing’ &#8211; What, Why and How It Benefits Social Media Marketing</title>
		<link>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/sharing-what-why-and-how-it-benefits-social-media-marketing/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/sharing-what-why-and-how-it-benefits-social-media-marketing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:06:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guest Post</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[social networks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/?p=1979</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sharing is the now ‘in-thing’ in online marketing. Researches by an SEO services company have revealed some basic reasons behind sharing and the core characters of people who share. Some tips have also been unearthed from the social media marketing research that will help you influence the process of sharing. It’s not easy to define [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Sharing is the now ‘in-thing’ in online marketing. Researches by an SEO services company have revealed some basic reasons behind sharing and the core characters of people who share. Some tips have also been unearthed from the social media marketing research that will help you influence the process of sharing.</em></p>
<p>It’s not easy to define the reasons behind sharing content on social media sites. As there are no roadmaps to social media marketing, observation and research can reveal the inclinations of different segments of the demographic to ‘share’ content on social medias.</p>
<p>Online marketing studies have revealed some basic reasons behind sharing. Let’s take a look at them:</p>
<p><em>Share to convey interesting and important content to people one cares about.</em></p>
<p>I. 94% of the people share content because they think it will be helpful to the recipients.</p>
<p>II. 49% of people share because it allows them to let others know about the products and/or services that they themselves like. It lets them change their recipients’ opinions about the products/services.</p>
<p><em>Share to craft a personality for others to see and appreciate.</em></p>
<p>III. 68% of the demographic shares to create an image. To them, sharing is a way of telling others who they are, how they think and what they are concerned about.</p>
<p><em>Share for personal development and strengthen their relationship with other people. Share to feel worthy.</em></p>
<p>IV. 69% of people share to feel involved in what’s going on around them. They share because they want to feel connected to the world.</p>
<p><em>Share to tell others about the causes (or even brands at times) that they believe in.</em></p>
<p>Feel the common thread? It’s the relationship between people!</p>
<p>Now, let’s take a look at the core characters of people who share. Research by SEO services companies points at these 6 core characters.</p>
<p>1. <strong>The Careerist:</strong> Well educated, working professionals, maintains cordial relationship with professionals, as well as personal contacts. Tends to be more active on LinkedIn and email. Likes to spur debate and discuss things that are related to career. Subject is very important to them, and so is networking. Will not share something that doesn’t seem gainful.</p>
<p>2. <strong>The Altruist:</strong> Most commonly females. The drive to help those in need and to spread the word about the causes that they believe in stimulates them. They want to know that what they shared is appreciated. To lead or not is not important to them &#8211; their preferred platform of sharing is Facebook. They’re cautious about the content they share and whom they share it with.</p>
<p>3. The Boomerang: Active on Facebook, Twitter, blogs and email. The only reason why they share is to get reactions. To them, validation is hugely important. They love comments and are always looking for what comes back in response to their share.</p>
<p>4. <strong>The Hipster:</strong> The youngest users of social media. Mostly male, they are always eager to build an identity and sharing contributes to their identity. They look for content to share. Always want to be the first to share the latest ups-and-downs. Mostly active on Facebook and Twitter.</p>
<p>5. <strong>The Selective:</strong> A more traditional user. Only shares what seems worthwhile. Always shares with a particular person. More active on email. Will only share if the recipient does not seem to be able to find on their own.</p>
<p>6. <strong>The Connector:</strong> Primarily female. Shares to stay in touch. Shares mostly entertaining content. The whole sharing experience is important, not just the content. Likes to share mainly on email and Facebook.</p>
<p>These classifications were done on the basis of:</p>
<p>a) Emotional stimulus</p>
<p>b) Wish fulfillment &#8211; Creating a preferred image of oneself</p>
<p>c) Importance of sharing in one’s life</p>
<p>d) Importance of being the first to share something</p>
<p><span style="color: #800000;"><strong>Vital Tips for Making People Share</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Stimulate consumers to connect with one another, not just your brand:</strong> Keep in mind the fact that it’s about the relationship between your consumer and others who can turn into your consumers. Whether you are carrying out a social media marketing campaign yourself or have hired an <a href="http://www.webguru-india.com/seo-india.php" target="_blank"><strong>SEO services company</strong></a>, this is an aspect that must be clear from the very beginning of the project. Your message should be implanted in the content your consumers will share.</p>
<p><strong>Earn the trust of users:</strong> If you want to turn them into your consumers, you have to earn their trust &#8211; so much so that they take the initiative to share your content to their near and dear ones.</p>
<p>Simplicity is the key: You’re not here to teach rocket science. You are here to market your product/service. Be simple. Nobody wants their recipient to struggle to understand the meaning of a message. The simpler the message, the more likely that it’ll get shared.</p>
<p><strong>Humor always works:</strong> Everybody loves to laugh. Tickle the users’ sense of humor with adding some fun into the content. Funny and witty messages get the most number of shares.</p>
<p><strong>Emphasize on the promptness of action:</strong> Stress on the urgency of taking immediate action. Express the importance and the benefit of taking the action promptly.</p>
<p><strong>It all starts from sharing:</strong> Use the sharing cycle in your online marketing campaign. Share – see the reaction – take action – get rewards for taking action – share again.</p>
<p><strong>Email still is the most popular way of sharing:</strong> Because it is so personal. People like to share things that they surely know will be read and responded to. Email provides this opportunity as opposed to social media sites where the shared content gets pushed down by the constantly updated news feed.</p>
<p>Do you find any resemblance to yourself and the demographic you are targeting in the core characters of sharing? What, according to you will be the most relevant aspect to your marketing campaign? Would you use this information in your upcoming promotional campaign?</p>
<p><strong>Guest Post Author Bio:</strong> WebGuru India is a <strong><a href="http://www.webguru-india.com/" target="_blank">website design company</a></strong> based in India, offering high-quality and cost-effective website design and website development solutions to people worldwide. The company has authored several articles on web design, Flash design, brochure design, logo design, graphic design, corporate identity design, SEO services etc, providing updated information on technological developments and advancements.</p>


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		<title>Top 5 Ways to Promote a Small Business on Social Media</title>
		<link>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/top-5-ways-to-promote-a-small-business-on-social-media/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/top-5-ways-to-promote-a-small-business-on-social-media/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:39:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guest Post</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[social networks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/?p=1940</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Social media has become so powerful. It is now hard to imagine the Internet without it. Through the last couple of years, more and more people from across the globe has been using the online media to communicate with friends and relatives. It is definitely taking over the position of other popular media like television [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Social media has become so powerful. It is now hard to imagine the Internet without it. Through the last couple of years, more and more people from across the globe has been using the online media to communicate with friends and relatives. It is definitely taking over the position of other popular media like television and magazines.</p>
<p>You could actually use the modern social media to promote your small business. Thus, doing so must be made part of your marketing strategy. You would definitely like using social media for promoting or marketing your business. Doing so is not just less costly; it has also been proven to be effective. You may take advantage of viral marketing, which naturally comes with the use of social media.</p>
<p>Here are top five ways on how to effectively promote your business through social media. Doing so is not as hard as you think. The results could be overwhelming.</p>
<p><strong>1.</strong> Use popular social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. There are just too many network sites to get into. It would be better if your business could penetrate most if not all of those. Doing this could ensure that your small business would get to enjoy the exposure it deserves. You may create accounts for your business on such social media networks.</p>
<p><strong>2.</strong> Ensure ‘linkability’ of your Website. This is under the assumption that you have established a Website for your small business, which is a must. You need not spend so much to do so. There are many options available that facilitate establishment of Websites for free like Blogger and WordPress. Amazingly, such sites help save time and effort on your part as they easily and quickly facilitate buttons for sharing through Facebook, Twitter, and more.</p>
<p><strong>3.</strong> Create original content. For your Website and your social media accounts, always make sure all content posted is always original and accurate. The Internet is an information super-highway. Original content could quickly and easily travel through it with less resistance. If the content is flawed, readers could find out about it. They could end up bashing and degrading your Website, social media accounts, and business. Do not underestimate the power of viral communication through social media. It could make or break your small business.</p>
<p><strong>4.</strong> Present your content in a better way. Nothing could beat content that is presented in the most interesting way. Use a creative and better layout for your site. Present original and colorful pictures. It would also be advantageous if you would try not to be self-centered. Provide external links so your readers could feel more empowered while in your Website. This way, your site and business could enjoy raves across social media.</p>
<p><strong>5.</strong> Be cool. The difference of social media over other online portals is that social media users are mostly casual and informal. You do not need to be formal to communicate to the public. Instead, try to reach out to more people by becoming informal, cool, and approachable. This way, your small business could surely enjoy the raves across the modern social media.</p>
<p><strong>About the Guest Article author:</strong> Andrew helps businesses finance their expansion. When he is not writting, Andrew works for a private lender, <strong><a href="http://www.australianlendingcentre.com.au/" target="_blank">ALC</a>,</strong> where he specialises in <strong><a href="http://www.australianlendingcentre.com.au/businessCommercialLoans.aspx" target="_blank">business loans</a></strong>.</p>


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		<title>Tips for Using Social Media &amp; SEO Together</title>
		<link>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/tips-for-using-social-media-seo-together/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/tips-for-using-social-media-seo-together/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:52:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guest Post</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[social networks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/?p=1934</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Search Engine Optimization. Those three words drive so many aspects of business websites that it’s almost unbelievable. Successful websites have mastered the art of seamlessly integrating SEO into a wide array of aspects of their websites to get the most bang for their buck. But social media has added a whole new side to optimizing [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Search Engine Optimization. Those three words drive so many aspects of business websites that it’s almost unbelievable. Successful websites have mastered the art of seamlessly integrating SEO into a wide array of aspects of their websites to get the most bang for their buck. But social media has added a whole new side to optimizing websites and effectively increasing online presence. It’s almost taboo if you aren’t a part of the social media circle, and you’re definitely doing your business a disservice by not signing up your business for these different websites.</p>
<p><strong>1. Get on the map</strong></p>
<p>Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all have one thing in common: they have the ability to connect you to hundreds of millions of people almost effortlessly. Your business should have a profile on each of these sites and should actively participate in the online community.</p>
<p><strong>2. Free marketing</strong></p>
<p>Social networking, as mentioned above, has the unparalleled ability to connect you to people all over the world with a single click. Social media also allows you to share different articles and websites. This is essentially free marketing – if you have something that people find of value they will inevitably link to you to share the content.</p>
<p><strong>3. Search engines love social networking</strong></p>
<p>Do a quick Google search for something and you’ll likely bring up Facebook pages and Twitter chats regarding the particular service or product you’re looking for, in addition to relevant websites. This can be very useful for driving traffic to your actual website.</p>
<p><strong>4. Make it easy</strong></p>
<p>The best way to encourage people to share your content is by making it easy for them to do so. You should install social sharing buttons your website or blog so that people can link to you effortlessly and promote through their chosen social medium.</p>
<p><strong>5. Have a broad range of tactics</strong></p>
<p>As helpful as social media is for increasing your website’s SEO, you shouldn’t rely solely on it. By putting traditional SEO, social media, and other marketing tactics into play you’ll reach a wider audience.</p>
<p>Social media has given marketing and connecting to people to a whole new meaning. By combining social media optimization with other tried and true forms of SEO you’ll create a recipe for success.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Guest Post Author Bio:</strong></span></p>
<p>This is a guest post from Laura Backes, she enjoys writing about all kinds of subjects and also topics related to <a href="http://www.dslserviceproviders.org/" target="_blank">internet providers in my area</a>. You can reach her at: laurabackes8 @ gmail.com.</p>


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		<title>Social Profiling and Social Management Sites &#8211; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly</title>
		<link>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/social-profiling-and-social-management-sites-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/social-profiling-and-social-management-sites-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:07:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guest Post</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[social networks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/?p=1930</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[More and more ways of monitoring your social media accounts seem to be springing up all the time. From resources such as Manage Flitter, which helps you to monitor your connections on twitter to sites such as Klout which give you a numbered score as to your, for want of a better word, social media [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>More and more ways of <a href="http://justinflitter.co.nz/tools" target="_blank">monitoring your social media accounts</a> seem to be springing up all the time. From resources such as Manage Flitter, which helps you to monitor your connections on twitter to sites such as Klout which give you a numbered score as to your, for want of a better word, social media ‘klout’! I believe the way in which we can control our business social media profiles in this clinical manner is having a massive effect, some good and some bad. Here are six ways in which these sites have changed the way we use social networks:</p>
<p><strong>The Good…</strong></p>
<p>(1) Sites such as Klout and PeerIndex are excellent for finding out whether or not someone is influential in terms of their social media and HOW they are influential. To this end, if you find someone you trust, see who they follow and who they trust. This is good way to build up a good network of information.</p>
<p>(2) Social media management sites are fantastic to help keep a track of your friends and followers. Manageflitter for instance, allows you to monitor who you follow, who tweets a lot, who doesn’t follow you back and so on. This is a big help when ensuring that you follow and be-friend people that you can engage with.</p>
<p>(3) Businesses frequently have more followers or follow more people than they can keep track of. Social media management sites can be brilliant time saving tools, try TweetDeck which allows you to schedule tweets for times when you cannot be near your computer, or overnight when you want to catch the international market.</p>
<p><strong>The Bad…</strong></p>
<p>(4) Working up a good social media profile is time consuming and takes commitment. If a person does not have this, their influence score on social media profiling sites will be lower. This score does not mean what they say will be of less value or interest and people may easily cast them aside due to their low Klout score.</p>
<p>(5) According to Dunbar’s Number it is only possible to maintain real social relationships with about 150 people. These websites have made the management of social networks an easier task, but for most people they will simply propagate the myth that social media is about developing relationships. In fact it would seem that social networking for business is now focused on creating an online presence through which companies can self promote.</p>
<p><strong>Which leads to the Ugly….</strong></p>
<p>(6) Is social media first and foremost not a communicative medium? If we become so obsessed with managing and enhancing our social presence and judging the people we engage with based on this do we not lose the very essence of using social media as a way of communicating with customers? I am concerned that as social media becomes more and more about status and control we may lose sight of its potential as an interactive and insightful tool to engage with our customers.</p>
<p><strong>I believe that marketing via social media is benefitting from the wealth of online marketing tools. They assist with the management of social network profiles, making the process faster and more efficient. Yet, it is important to ensure that in social media marketing, engaging and interacting with customers should be the top priority.</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>About the Guest Post Author: </strong>This post is by Lianne Froggatt, Online Marketer at IdeasByNet, a UK <a href="http://www.ideasbynet.com/" target="_blank">promotional gifts</a> distributor. Interested in all things online marketing, she is especially interested in using social media as a marketing tool. She would love any feedback or comments you might have so find her at <a href="mailto:lianne.froggatt@ideasbynet.com" target="_blank">lianne.froggatt@ideasbynet.com</a> or tweet her @Lianne_Froggatt.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


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		<title>Social Media – The Continuous Circle</title>
		<link>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/social-media-the-continuous-circle/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/social-media-the-continuous-circle/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:17:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guest Post</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[social networks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/?p=1926</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many businesses are starting to take full advantage of social media, with the benefits for well executed campaigns being huge for both large businesses and small organisations. However, some business owners are still trying to find reasons to take part. Trying to identify a single ‘reason’ to get involved is probably not the best approach. [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Many businesses are starting to take full advantage of social media, with the benefits for well executed campaigns being huge for both large businesses and small organisations. However, some business owners are still trying to find reasons to take part. Trying to identify a single ‘reason’ to get involved is probably not the best approach. The simple answer is that social media, when used correctly, can bring a huge amount of benefits to a business and not just serve one single purpose.</p>
<p>As anyone who has had any success with social media will tell you, it should serve to gain new traffic, keep existing users engaged and much more. In one way, the benefits should be a ‘circular’ effect, with the turning wheel effectively feeding the activity of your website. I think it’s also wrong to look at social media as a primary or secondary focus, it should really be a fully integrated part of your online marketing activities. I’ve listed a few of the many benefits below, which should help to illustrate my point!</p>
<p><strong>Gaining New Traffic</strong></p>
<p>This is perhaps one of the biggest reasons that companies are initially attracted to social media, and rightly so. The potential reach of a website such as Facebook or Twitter is huge when compared to traditional media, and as such it would be silly to ignore the fact that large amounts of traffic can be generated. By regularly promoting great content and discussion, word should spread amongst friends and you should easily be able to attract new people to your brand. Companies also have the chance to take advantage of social media advertising, which compared with traditional methods is still relatively cheap.</p>
<p><strong>Keeping Existing Users Engaged</strong></p>
<p>The second main benefit of social media is having a channel with which to keep your existing users engaged. Some of the most successful websites have reached their dizzying heights by creating a community around their brand. Even if your industry is ‘dull’, social media offers a great platform to make your users feel part of something. Keeping them coming back for more should help you continually grow your online presence; attracting new people all the time whilst at the same time keeping your existing traffic happy and returning regularly.</p>
<p><strong>Building a Buzz</strong></p>
<p>Word of mouth is nothing new, and has always been cited as one of the most powerful marketing tools a company can have in its arsenal. As with the real world, word of mouth on social media is free yet can spread extremely quickly. The idea here is that if you give people something to talk about, word should start to spread. One of the other benefits to social media is that it truly gives a company a chance to be slightly more edgy with what they’re saying, and to steer away from stiff corporate language. The more you put out, the more word should spread, and ‘buzz’ surrounding your brand should grow with it.</p>
<p><strong>Customer Service</strong></p>
<p>Often, one of the most surprising aspects of social media is its use in customer service. No longer does a customer have to go through a ‘procedure’ to complain or send in feedback. Now it can be done instantly, although this time it’s in the public domain. This scares quite a lot of companies, but don’t forget it also gives you the opportunity to respond instantly.</p>
<p><strong>About the Guest Author:</strong> Jenny Quinn currently works in marketing for <a href="http://howtotradecommodities.co.uk" target="_blank">howtotradecommodities.co.uk</a> giving advice and information for people wishing to learn more <a href="http://howtotradecommodities.co.uk" target="_blank">about commodity trading</a>.</p>


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		<title>The New Face Of Marketing Using Social Media</title>
		<link>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/the-new-face-of-marketing-using-social-media/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/the-new-face-of-marketing-using-social-media/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:25:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guest Post</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[social networks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/?p=1852</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A lot of changes have taken place on the internet, in the past couple of decades. Your business growth and impact depends largely on how much marketing tactics you employ. That is why, the traditional systems of marketing is fast fading away, you need some degree of self-trust to achieve success these days. It all [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A lot of changes have taken place on the internet, in the past couple of decades.</p>
<p>Your business growth and impact depends largely on how much marketing tactics you employ. That is why, the traditional  systems of marketing is fast fading away, you need some degree of self-trust to achieve success these days.</p>
<p>It all begins with you. Who you&#8217;re is much powerful than what you do. So begin with your inner self, conquer your self doubts  and embark on a journey that makes life blissful. I want to share some eye-popping marketing systems that is proven to work.</p>
<p>As a conceptual marketer; who wants to succeed and deliver top notch products, there are things you aught to be friendly  with, this way you would be able to trounce the market, and cause the lines to fall in your own favor. After the Google panda updates, it becomes obvious to  use social media as a marketing tool, because it works.</p>
<h3>1. Understand The Era We Are</h3>
<p>We are no longer in the industrial age, where families enjoy hereditary assets. Although, a lot of people today are enjoying  what their parents left for them. If you&#8217;re fortunate enough to inherit wealth, congratulations. But for those who are like  me, you need to know the times we are in.</p>
<p>This age we are in right now, is somewhat quick, powerful and high-tech. You don&#8217;t have to rely on your mundane knowledge to  win, get the latest updates on your niche, and make sure you adapt to changes coming your way.</p>
<p>Your target prospects are looking for answers, very quickly. As much as possible, they want shortcuts to achieve  something. Nobody wants to suffer, undergo pains and agony before making it big. So, get in tune with prospect&#8217;s choice, and  your marketing campaigns would soar.</p>
<h3>2. Use Social Media Creatively</h3>
<p>When marketing your products and services via twitter and Facebook for instance, you have to do it creatively. A lot of  things pose to distract your attention and waste your time on these portals. You shouldn&#8217;t allow such events to override you.</p>
<p>The best way to become creative is by understanding what your prospects want. What is pushing them, their motivation and the  power behind their refusal to patronize you? Until you understand this, you would be targeting the wrong people. So, become creative, when people post and upload their  photos, find out what motivated them. This way, you would be able to speak their language and win their hearts. Be a creative  marketer!</p>
<h3>3. Schedule Your Advertising Campaigns</h3>
<p>Social media prospects needs to see your business everyday, if you must win them. Generally, you need a total of 3000  impressions to be able to please stubborn prospects. But you can&#8217;t be there at all times, using manual systems.</p>
<p>This is where automation comes in. Just like in twitter, you could be able to automate and schedule your posts to go out  daily, while you focus on the core aspects of your business. Sending out tweets every minutes is best done, with a twitter  app like twaitter or twuffer.</p>
<h3>4. Build Strong Relationships With Prospects</h3>
<p>I discovered that people buy from experts. While in College, we were taught that experts know their worth, they are  skilled and whatever they say, is final. On the internet, the same system works every time. You have to prove to your  prospects that you&#8217;re an expert.</p>
<p>How? By the quality of information you deliver.</p>
<p>When you promise a thing, you should go the extra mile to deliver and even overdeliver. This way, you would soothe your  prospective buyers, get positioned to market your products and services easily. No matter the niche you&#8217;re, you can relate to  these people.</p>
<p>For instance, on one of my review blogs that sittercity coupon and 6pm.com discount codes, I had to build relationships  with prospects who wants to save money on their favorite items. Therefore, selling to these group of people becomes a lot  easier.</p>
<h3>Marketing Takeaway</h3>
<p>Social media marketing can help your business in several ways. You should start incorporating the systems into your business.  If you own a blog, or a corporate website, start building your fan-base today.</p>
<p>The success of your business is determined by the number of prospects you&#8217;re able to rich at the click of a button &#8211; (Michael  Chibuzor)</p>
<p><strong>Author Bio:<br />
</strong><br />
Michael Chibuzor is a Social Media Writer and shares blogging tips. He also writes on his coupon blog that shares free  discount deals. Some popular  products discussed are sittercity.com coupon and 6pm codes &#038; discounts.Currently, he offers a  free <a  href="http://www.coupontriumph.com/sittercity-coupon-code/">sittercity promo</a> and <a   href="http://www.coupontriumph.com/6pm-coupon-code/">6pm coupon code shipping.</a></p>


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		<title>How to Use Twitter Hashtags to Help Your Business</title>
		<link>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/how-to-use-twitter-hashtags-to-help-your-business/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/how-to-use-twitter-hashtags-to-help-your-business/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:38:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guest Post</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[social networks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/?p=1811</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There’s no doubt about it, Twitter has been steadily gaining momentum over the past few years and, like Facebook, has found its place within business marketing as well. So if you aren’t yet using Twitter to help your business, now is a good time to start! Twitter is an exceptionally effective way to get out [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There’s no doubt about it, Twitter has been steadily gaining momentum over the past few years and, like Facebook, has found its place within business marketing as well. So if you aren’t yet using Twitter to help your business, now is a good time to start!</p>
<p>Twitter is an exceptionally effective way to get out quick, succinct marketing messages while allowing you to reach audiences you may not otherwise have reached. How? Through hashtags. If you’re wondering what a hashtag is, it’s simply the # symbol followed by a keyword that you’re using to reach out to people. Once the # is in front of your buzz word, it becomes a link that Twitter users can click on to see what else is being said about that word.</p>
<p><strong>Creating Your Own</strong></p>
<p>A good way to get started is to create your own hashtag. This doesn’t mean go crazy and use the # symbol after everything you tweet, instead use it strategically to create a brand.</p>
<p>For instance, if you were promoting a wine tasting event for your company you could tweet something to the effect of “Getting ready for our #winetasting event &#8211; #WT2011”. This does two things:</p>
<p>1. It means that anyone who has searched hashtags for wine tastings will now find yours as well</p>
<p>2. It has helped you to create a branding for your event (#WT2011)</p>
<p>But don’t just stop at Twitter to promote the hashtag you’ve created – put it on your collateral marketing as well – on your Facebook page, in your emails, on flyers being sent out, etc. This way, people will be able to search the hashtags to find all the different tweets regarding it.</p>
<p><strong>Utilizing #FF</strong></p>
<p>#FF is something called “Follow Friday” (or #FollowFriday), where users can utilize the #FF and then list out other followers they believe are worth following. This is a good way for you to help promote other businesses to your followers and in turn for them to promote you to their followers, so you are able to gain a wider range of people following your tweets. It’s also a good way to create a bond with those you are promoting and vice versa.</p>
<p><strong>Use it Correctly</strong></p>
<p>When using hashtags you need to be sure to do two things:</p>
<p>1. Make sure it’s all one word. For example, you want it to be #winetasting not #wine tasting. In the first instance, the entirety of “wine tasting” will be the link that people will be able to click on. In the second instance, only “wine” will become the link, with “tasting” left out.</p>
<p>2. Strategically place your hashtags into tweets, not just at the end. That way if people were to retweet your tweet to their followers, people will get the whole message. Because only 140 characters are allowed, sometimes retweets get cut off. So it’d be better to tweet “#WT2011 is almost here and we could not be more excited…” instead of “Our upcoming event is almost here and we could not be more excited #WT2011”</p>
<p>Twitter has the potential to help businesses maximize on marketing and increasing business, you just have to be willing to use the shortcuts they provide. Otherwise, you risk missing out on some valuable opportunities, and in today’s cutthroat business world, missed opportunities are not something you want to happen!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Author Bio:</strong></span></p>
<p>Kate Croston is a freelance writer, holds a bachelors degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. She writes guest posts for different sites and loves contributing <a href="http://www.internetservice.net/" target="_blank">internet service</a> related topics. Questions or comments can be sent to:  katecroston.croston09 @ gmail.com.</p>


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		<title>High Snow Tech</title>
		<link>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/high-snow-tech/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/high-snow-tech/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:08:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guest Post</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[social networks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smallbusinesstech.co.uk/?p=1800</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How Tech Has Helped an Extreme Sports Retailer Engage the Online Community and Increase Profitability. Incredible advances in tech have touched all retailers in a major way – from engaging community niches, regardless of location, to automating tasks to increasing efficiency and profitability. At Eternal Snow, a snowboarding retailer since 1994, we have seen the [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>How Tech Has Helped an Extreme Sports Retailer Engage the Online Community and Increase Profitability.</em></p>
<p>Incredible advances in tech have touched all retailers in a major way – from engaging community niches, regardless of location, to automating tasks to increasing efficiency and profitability. At Eternal Snow, a snowboarding retailer since 1994, we have seen the rise of social media, ecommerce and other trends affecting the way we do business. Below we’ve shared several aspects of our business that have been most affected by technology and how we have and are going to adapt to the ever shifting environment.</p>
<p><em>Staying in Sync with Customers: Facebook, Twitter and Beyond.</em></p>
<p>We are definitely in the social space as many are these days, with the goal of engaging the online community and build Eternal’s authority in the social sphere. Facebook and Twitter are where we spend most of our energy. Twitter and Facebook are great for people to keep up with our current activities whether it is a sale, team news or just posting a picture of the powder on the hill.</p>
<p>To keep everything in sync and to insure that our message remains consistent in all of our outlets, we use Hootsuite. This makes the managing of social media much easier in that all of your feeds are on one screen. We also write and maintain a blog, and this is something that every business should do. By writing about experiences and sharing your knowledge you become an authority and people begin to search you out to get that expertise about a subject.</p>
<p>We also answer a lot of questions out there. These questions range in topics from: queries about the items we carry to snow conditions and beyond. The great part about having these new avenues of communication is that we are able to establish a relationship with our customers. Ultimately we are not only a place to buy snowboard we are also an authority on snowboarding because everyone who works here is an avid enthusiast.</p>
<p>We are also looking to Foursquare, Yelp and other location based networks to help with our brick and mortar business. These days it is important for brick and mortar business to be both visible from the street as well as being visible on the web. Now with smart phones and the ability to constantly be connected, people are constantly looking to the web for recommendations from their friends and even strangers.</p>
<p><em>Mobile: Increasing “Impulse Buys” and Being Everywhere All the Time.</em></p>
<p>Right now our mobile clientèle is definitely increasing. Mobile purchases are up in most ecommerce. Currently we do not have a mobile version of our web-store, but we do have a mobile version of our blog. Mobile traffic to our blog accounts for about 25% of total traffic. This has been on the rise since we implemented a mobile-friendly version. Mobile is a powerful piece of the puzzle because the customer can now get to your store regardless of where they are physically located, whereas in the past to shop online, you had to be at a computer. We have all had instances where we thought “oh I need that new widget,” but without instant access to it, the thought often fades and you tend to forget about it. The ability to buy something from anywhere/ anytime can turn your entire web stores inventory into an “impulse buy.” A mobile site is on our road map for sure.</p>
<p>Beyond just our ecommerce store, mobile plays a role in people having access to us. At anytime someone is able to use Facebook or Twitter to get answers to their questions. We are also looking to mobile location based apps to help drive business in our brick and mortar stores. People will often rely on their mobile devices to find the location of the store. The Yellow Pages are becoming a relic of the past, so now if anyone wants info about your business you need to be found through “search.”</p>
<p><em>Increasing Reach and Profitability Through Automation.</em></p>
<p>We have implemented technology that allows us to sell snowboard product not only on the internet but also in our brick and mortar stores. It enables us to have a single inventory that ecommerce and the physical store can use. All of our order, packing and shipping use automated software to manage tasks. The use of these technologies has cut down the double entry of a lot of data, which in turn cuts down of the amount of mistakes made by human error.</p>
<p>Additionally, implementing a Point of Sale system in our retail stores allows us to use barcodes to label items, and increase the speed at which we can serve our customers. We are always evaluating new technologies to help us improve our processes to make it easier for our customers to shop, and to streamline our work flow.</p>
<p><strong>About Eternal Snow</strong></p>
<p>EternalSnow.com carries all the best men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s snowboard products and skateboarding equipment from your favourite core brands. Find a wide variety of <a href="http://www.eternalsnow.com" target="_blank">snowboarding gear</a>, such as <a href="http://www.eternalsnow.com/snowboard-shop/snowboard-gloves-mitts.html" target="_blank">snowboard gloves</a>, jackets, pants and helmets, as well as skate gear.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


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