Mint's Top Tips for Social Networking @ Work
Social networking can help with building online communities and interacting with new and potential customers – smaller companies can especially benefit from social networking, whether it be on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In or even YouTube.
See our Top Tips on how social networking at work can grow your business:
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Allocate a small team (or one member if you’re a small company) to be in control of all the social networking. You can keep control of what offers or information is posted.
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Make sure the people in charge of the social networking for your business are trained on the correct use of all programs. This way you won’t have the risk of posting information that could potentially harm your business’ reputation.
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Try not to be too formal with your posts. Listen to what people are saying about your business and related subjects and talk to them like you would a friend. “Friends don’t ‘pitch’ friends on social networks – they converse”
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Admit your mistakes; everybody makes them and showing your customers that you do too confirms that you are human.
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Reply to people’s comments as quickly as possible. The quicker you can respond a current or potential client’s question the less time they have to go somewhere else for the answer.
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Use social networking to start conversations with your clients, posts interesting facts about subjects that relate to your business. Ask questions; give people the opportunity to give their opinions and let them tell you what they want from your business.
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Use your business page’s analytics systems to see what your fans/customers are responding to the most. Employ this useful information to encourage more people to interact with your business.
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Start building relationships with your clients, - current and potential. Also with other businesses, give advice (if its valuable) and you will find they will return the favour.
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Upload photos of your company and happy (but professional) people that work there. Customers like to see a business that works well together; it encourages them to want to work with the people they see in the photographs.
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Don’t overload your followers. Update and post information little and often but excessive amounts of posts can deter customers as they feel like you are being “spammy”. Remember they can delete or de-friend your business page.
Here's what our clients say about our training courses:
"Helpful and professional approach offering useful and positive assistance."
"Very clear, precise and knowledgable presentation."
"A very beneficial workshop with the right level of instruction and enthusiasm to help us move forward."
"Very practical workshop, much for us to follow up on."
The Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club, Bristol, October 2011
"A Great insight into how to connect with today's society for greater business benefit, Many Thanks."
"Excellent, well presented and delivered with practical 'hands on' Marvellous"
"Thank you for your patience and understanding"
"Excellent intro into Social Networking and how it can be used in business"
"Interactive and Informative"
Sumitomo, HR and IT team, Social Media Training, September 2011
"A Great insight into how to connect with today's society for greater business benefit, Many Thanks."
Sumitomo, Social Media Training, September 2011
"Feel like I've known Pam for years, which helps when it's my first leap into the social networking world. Very informative and easy to understand."
Eagles Consultancy, Childcare Training, Sutton Coldfield, August 2011
"Pam's a good listener who prompts your creativity/ideas and analyses in a positive way."
Cassy Kindly, Creative Writer, Leicestershire, August 2011
"A great personal service, useful to relate all of the online digital marketing tools to our business needs."
S4Swim, Swimming School, Birmingham, August 2011
"A Professional, easy to follow and constructive session to bring consistency and branding into my social media pages"
Your Business Centre, Serviced Office Centre, Tamworth, July 2011
"Thanks Pam! You've got me more organised in the social networking scene and I have a clearer understanding of this now."
Louise Claire Creative Workshops, Solihull, July 2011
"I have just had an extremely helpful and informative session with mint creative solutions and would highly recommend their help to forward your business"
Shaw Lane Flowers, Bridal Flowers, Lichfield, April 2011
"Pam's workshop was absolutely fantastic - extremely useful and informative, delivered in a friendly and relaxed environment. Having the time to set
up all social media outlets and linking them all up together. Here's to tweeting!!"
Meta4 Ltd, Sutton Coldfield, January 19, 2011
"I hired Pam and she produced some great results, very pleased with the outcome and would have no hesitation in recommending her for social media training."
Positive Solutions, Independant Financial Adviser, Sutton Coldfield, January 16, 2011
Here's what our clients say about our design and marketing:
"I hired Pam (and Sally) to work with Meta4 to improve our website in order to grow with both external and internal changes. Mint Creative work tirelessly to meet with my requirements, making sure that I, as the client is always happy. Pam is excellent at interpreting (sometimes vague!) ideas and seeing them through to fruition. She is great at creating new concepts; ensuring that my business and web presence is the best it possibly can be. I cannot recommend Pam highly enough. If you want to start seeing excellent results and an excellent return on your investment, then contact Pam at Mint Creative."
Meta4 Ltd, Coaching and Presentation Skills, January 2012
“The Team at Mint rapidly turned round a dynamic poster and tickets to help publicise a fund-raising concert. They were friendly and extremely approachable at all times."
Leonard Cheshire Disability, Greenacres Cheshire Home, October 2011
"First impressions – Loooooove it!! You do so well at interpretation!
Great work Mint, it’s mint!!"
Meta4 Ltd, Coaching and Presentation Skills, October 2011
"Pam has assisted me with website services and publicity material for some years. I have appreciated her creative spirit and she is very good to work with. Her enthusiasm is infectious!"
Chapman Higgs, Financial Planning, Lichfield, July 2011
"Pam quickly helped me get to the core issues of promoting my business and effectively guided me towards focussed actions."
Escential Health, Lichfield, June 2011
"I would like to say a big thank you for designing and printing my letterheads for me. I think you will agree, they do look very good!
Thank you for the work you and your team have done in recreating my logo and assessing my requirements. I would not hesitate to use the services of Mint Creative Solutions in the future and will recommend Mint to others.
The service, speed and professionalism of Mint are second to none!
Acorn IT Services Ltd, Software Developer, Dudley, West Midlands, April 2011
“Pam Neaves of Mint Creative was given responsibility for the redesign and production of the Charitable Trust’s Annual Review in 2008.
Whereas previous Reviews had been produced in-house to an adequate but amateurish standard, with Pam’s guidance, we were able to develop a very professional brochure that is much admired and is the envy of other, similar, organisations.
Pam has now produced three Annual Reviews for the Trust, all subtly different in appearance yet, at the same time, each managing to reflect the corporate style which she has developed for us.
Using the Annual Review as a template, Pam has been recently been asked to redesign our Website and we are delighted with the initial results.
Apart from being impressed by Pam’s excellent creative skills, we have been also been pleased with her willingness to work closely with us and listen to and improve upon our own ideas when required.
We are very happy to commend her work to any organisation wishing to use modern communication methods to advertise or promote its work.”
Ernie Murray, Clerk to the Trustees, Sutton Coldfield Municipal Charities, Sutton Coldfield, February 22, 2011
"Mint creative solutions designed and built a tailored website and got it to the top of search engine rankings. This has Increased business recognition, sales and enquiries. Mint creative provided a friendly service that listens."
Auto Diagnostic Specialist, Mobile Car Servicing and Repairs, Sutton Coldfield, February 2, 2011
“I’m very happy with my logos, leaflets and stationery design as they are ‘fresh’, appealing and to a very high standard!”
Care Companions, Sutton Coldfield 2010
“Mint have provided a comprehensive service for us over the last 4 years. They have produced our branding, design, stationery, banner, newsletters and are developing our new website.
We have a great image and strap line which impresses our potential clients and brings us in work. We have brought together 2 businesses and the clients are being cross referred. They feel we are a sizeable professional firm which the work Mint has done has achieved”
Financial Management Solutions, Sutton Coldfield, March 3, 2010
“Mint Creative delivers what it promises and on time. We have built up a very good understanding and working partnership over the last 12 months or so.”
Ian Hazel Funerals Ltd, Sutton Coldfield, Aldridge, Great Barr, Lichfield, 2010
“Pam is dynamic in her ideas and creativity. She does not need to think out of the box because she is not in one! She approaches her work in a refreshing and unique way and always delivers results that surprise and delight you.
I recommend Pam to anyone looking to change their corporate image, diversify or gain new clients. Her work is always fresh, new and inspiring.”
Synergy 4 Business Ltd, Redditch, November 17 2009
“I have worked with Pam for 3 years, During this time she has designed many posters for my fashion shows and events.
Pam is highly respected in the business comunity and is a great contact to have. I would highly recommend Pam”
Esther Marie, Sutton Coldfield, January 23, 2009
“I have known Pam through networking circles for a few years, and having seen her work, I didn't hesitate to ask for her help when I needed a corporate logo designing.
Pam came up with about half a dozen highly creative options to work from, and this was boiled down to a couple to 'progress' further. She was, and is, highly professional at all times, and everything was done swiftly, creatively, and ethically at a fair price and with a minimum of fuss.I would highly recommend her services to anyone looking to freshen up their corporate image.”
Instigate Teletraining, Birmingham, 2007
Mint Creative listened to our needs from the start and helped us out with what the prospectus should contain and how we could best appeal to prospective students.
Marketing Manager, Calderdale College, Calderdale, West Yorkshire
“I got my first flyer on Wednesday and got so excited! Just wanted to let you all know that I’m still not sure I can say how wonderful I think it is!! I hand-delivered one to everyone on Wednesday and they all agreed it was the most gorgeous flyer! Well done you all - a job most definitely very well done! Absolutely bee-you-ti-ful!"
Cultural Festivals and Events Development Co-ordinator, The Black Country
“Pam is a joy to work with. She delivers ahead of deadline, patiently puts up with client delays and indecisions, offers creative and highly intelligent input - and produces wonderful designs that are not only suited to purpose but are innovative, fresh and visually stunning. I look forward to working with her again.”
KFV Consulting, Middlesex
“Pam’s really thoughtful as well as extremely creative. Her research skills are admired - she gets to know a client’s business probably better than they do.”
The Wordsmith, Copywriter, West Midlands
Mint Hints |
People don’t look for my services online?
Using ‘Google’s Keyword Tool’ http://goo.gl/8wMqw you can see what people are searching for online in relation to your business. Even if most of your business is done face to face or by referral, potential customers will more than likely visit your website to check out your history and credibility in your field. Think of your website as a 24hr brochure or shop front which will constantly be promoting you even whilst you’re asleep.
I have a website but it doesn’t bring me any business?
Your website is an important cog in your marketing engine and cannot work solely on it’s own. Ask yourself these following questions and if you answer ‘no’ to any of them then get some advise from a website expert to find out why your marketing isn’t driving people to your website.
Does my website look professional and trustworthy?
Is it being found for the search terms my potential customers will be using?
Is it easy for people to contact me from my website?
Is my website address on all my marketing communications?
Am I promoting my website on other relevant directories and websites?
Is there a reason for people to contact me from my website?
How will people find my website?
When people type a question or phrase into the Google search engine, Google responds with the most relevant web pages for your search. Website optimisation ensures that your website content and coding contains as many of these popular phrases relevant to your products or service.
How do I know if people are searching the internet for me?
Once your website is launched you can track how your website is performing in the Google rankings through Google analytics http://goo.gl/bYH4B or your web hosting company may supply their own version of statistics. It’s important that you monitor and understand these on a regular monthly basis as they will tell you which pages are the most popular, what keywords people are using to find you and which websites are driving traffic to yours.
Should I launch my website even if it’s not perfect?
Yes Yes Yes, treat your website as a constant beta test, the sooner your website is submitted to the search engines, the sooner it will be seen and ranked. The beauty of it being on the internet is that it can be changed relatively easily – especially if you have a content management system, which will allow you to make changes yourself. Get it online, monitor it’s progress and adapt and change your content according to the results.
What do the statistics and analytics mean?
They can be a bit absorbing and overwhelming, we dedicate entire days to monitoring website’s progress and adapting content to ensure your website is high up in the search rankings. We’re happy to explain the content of the analytics to you and the important points to keep track of as part of your website review. Book your £50 review on 0121 636 0900
Ideally, we would like to speak to you in person so we can fully understand your business and the personality that drives it.
Book your £50 marketing review to find out how you can make your website work harder for you to create more quality leads from your website on
0121 636 0900.
Live outside of Birmingham and The West Midlands? We can still talk face to face via Skype, isn’t technology wonderful? Call us for our Skype name and to book your review time.
Remember to follow us on Twitter @mintycreative and Facebook for unique offers, tips and promotions.
Visit our website to discover what our clients have to say about us:
www.mintcreative.co.uk or drop us an email for any specific questions we haven’t covered refresh@mintcreative.co.uk
Pam Neaves
Creator
Powerful strategies for online and printed communication
to help your business grow.
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1. Appeal to the viewer
Include images to make your e-newsletter appealing to the viewer. Avoid ‘dated images’ Link images/graphics to your website. Your enewsletter should be designed with the viewer in mind, images should be up to date and relevant, reflect the message you are communicating and should naturally fit in with your branding and company personality.
2. Ensure all images have ‘alt tags’
Unless your recipient requests to download images, they will not be seen.
You should ensure all the images in your enewsletter have ‘alt tags’ otherwise blank boxes with red ‘x’s will be shown.
Labels called ‘alt tags’ are also for people who are visually impaired and use ‘screen readers’ to read out the content to them. Legally If your images do not have ‘alt tags’ you can be accused of discrimination. (This goes for websites too)
Avoid Flash animations in enewsletters and remember animated gifs will only be viewed as static images in Outlook 7.
3. Maintain Brand Consistency
It should be clear which company the e-newsletter is from and your logo must be clear and not blurred or pixellated.
Use professional graphics programmes such as Photoshop or iIlustrator if possible. Or if your designer has supplied the graphics then scale down rather than stretch the images. http://www.picnik.com/
Where possible mimic the style and colours of your website so that when viewers link through they can be certain that they are dealing with the same business. Design a template that you can use each time for your enewsletters to save time and stick to it so receivers recognise you have sent it.
4. Use sans serif fonts
Use fonts such as such as Arial/Verdana, which everyone has on their computers. Using obscure or fonts you have purchased or downlaoded, may look good on your computer but these will default to alternatives, which you have no control over on other peoples’ computers. If your brand requires certain fonts then create these elements as images within your newsletter to maintain consistency.
5. Keep text clear and easy to read
Provide viewers with clear, attention grabbing headings and brief paragraphs of information then provide links (Preferably to your own website’ for more detail.) Answer your viewers questions to build trust and rapport but avoid ‘techno-speak’ and ‘what we do’ your viewers are looking to be educated by your knowledge. Avoid any graphics behind your main articles and there is sufficient contrast between the text and the background it sits against to ensure your enewsletter is easily read.
6. Express the ‘voice of your company’
Ensure the content is in the ‘voice’ of your company, if you are the person they will be contacting then start to build that rapport with them as soon as possible and include a photo of yourself in your enewsletter if you’re comfortable in doing so.
7. Check and double check
Always send a copy to yourself and someone else to check over, keep the message positive, check spellings, ensure all links work, images are named and download correctly. It is advisable to check how your e-newsletter previews on an apple mac and a pc and there are inconsistencies.
8. Prominent contact details
Make your phone number and email link prominent on your enewsletter. Have separate ones if possible to monitor where your leads are coming from.
9. Email marketing is 10% IT and 90% marketing!
Yes you have to get the IT right but in the end the receiver doesn't care about all that. What they do care about is what you've got to say. So the content of your enewsletter is the most important element. If you think your enewsletter isn't generating any business or you're not sure how you can monitor its success, then book onto our £50 review and we'll help you sort it out on 0121 636 0900.
10. Keep it up!
Keep your business ‘name’ in front of your customers with regular contact. Especially in uncertain times, if they don’t hear from you, you may be forgotten. If you claim it’s going to be a monthly enewsletter then book time aside each month to write one and send it out. If time’s going to be an issue then better to make it quarterly or be honest and say "sign up for occasional updates and useful information.
Want to improve your enewsletter, or discuss ideas for an online campaign?
Ideally, we would like to speak to you in person so we can fully understand your business and the personality that drives it.
Book your £50 marketing review to find out how you can make enewsletters work harder for you to create more quality leads on 0121 636 0900.
Live outside of Birmingham and The West Midlands? We can still talk face to face via Skype, isn’t technology wonderful? Call us for our Skype name and to book your review time.
Remember to follow us on Twitter @mintycreative and Facebook for unique offers, tips and promotions.
Pam Neaves
Creator
Powerful strategies for online and printed communication
to help your business grow.
Do my customers look for me online?
There’s no doubt that marketing technologies have evolved rapidly in recent years.
Brand, service and product promotion via company websites, blogs, social media
sites and other online platforms has become an increasingly popular option,
as companies embrace new technologies to find their customers, and perhaps
more importantly, to allow their customers to find them amongst the competition.
Despite this, many marketing professionals will tell you that they often hear the
same statement from their customers - “I'm not sure that my customers will be
looking for me online?” It’s certainly a great question – after all, many companies
may not understand the importance of having a company website at all, let alone
the need to implement other online marketing methods - especially in a very tough
financial climate.
However, the many surveys and studies undertaken in recent years would strongly
indicate that online marketing really does work. As a collective, we are using online
technologies more and more – websites, once the domain of larger companies alone,
are now expected as standard for companies, regardless of their size.
Additionally, a growing number of companies have successfully implemented
marketing strategies via social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn –
and with a huge collective audience to target – it certainly makes good sense.
So, do customers actually look for companies online? - the answer would seem
to be a definite yes.
Certainly, many factors are involved, perhaps convenience being a key reason,
but one thing is for sure, online marketing looks set to remain a popular and
profitable option for companies for many years to come.
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