10 Days to a New You (Social Media-wise)

It’s the time of year when we are all looking ahead at the months stretching in front of us and planning just what we do when.  Thoughts are already on booking holidays, bikini diets and sporting summers.  Likewise now is a great time to take a look at your Social Media (or consider it if you haven’t got anything going) and make some changes.

Here’s a simple 10 steps that can transform your Social Media, and they only need take a day each to get started.

1.  Create a Plan

It sounds simple, but it is the crucial 1^st step to improving your Social Media performance.  Take some time to consider what you want to happen in 2012.  Think about your target audience, top customers, your market, your competitors and what you want to achieve.  If you have existing Social Media channels review these, what have you done with them so far, how have they performed, what could you have improved, what lessons have you learnt.  Your plan for 2012 should be simple and most importantly take a realistic account of things like the time you will commit to Social Media in 2012 and how you want to measure your performance.

2.  Create a Knowledge Bank

However knowledgeable we are about our subject/business/hobby we still need a super source of information and expertise to fall back on.  By identifying key sources of fresh information on your market/area of expertise and doing simple things such as creating email folders, favourite bookmarks and any number of ‘notes’ systems.  Simple tools such as Google alerts can deliver daily feeds of information in all kinds of formats without you having to search.  Use these tools, create a knowledge bank and you will have a constant stream of fantastic information to help your Social Media efforts.

3.  Learn all about it

There are many tools of Social Media and though you won’t be expected to know how they all work intimately it is certainly in your interest to get to know the tools and how they work.  Take some time to learn how each one works individually, it will help you when you look back at the plan you made in step one.  One thing that may help with this is...

4.  Get Advice

Let’s face it there are now almost as many Social Media ‘experts’ out there as there are users of the tools.  This isn’t a bad thing, as many can ensure you get the results you need quicker and without the many mistakes they will have spent time making.  A good Social Media adviser will be able to simply outline the tools and consider your business objectives to direct you to the best tools for you.  LinkedIn isn’t going to bring your £1 stall thousands of sales a day, and equally Facebook may not suit your niche manufacturing consultancy.  What is crucial is that the experts give you the guidance/coaching you need to feel comfortable with Social Media.  In fact that is a great thought, find a Social Media coach not a know it all ‘Expert’.

5.  Who are You?

Your online persona is the single most important component in your Social Media.  Developing this persona is the starting point for all your subsequent activity.  That isn’t to say you need to suddenly become someone else.  However, there are degrees of yourself you can develop, show or not show and this will dictate the kind of messages/conversations you have.  People you interact will quickly get a feel of who you are and what you stand for.  So make some time to decide what it is you want this to be.  This may even follow the persona of your company brand.

6.  Be A Helpful You

It is vital that your online persona is you.  Social media carries transparency at it’s core, it thrives on real people having real interactions.  So interact, be genuine, be authentic and most importantly be helpful.  You will quickly find that other users of Social Media will be drawn to you if you are helpful, polite and genuine.  Your online persona is you, and people need to know there is a genuine person there behind the screen.

7.  Stand Out

Have you considered how your various Social Media sites look?  Have you got the standard template for your Twitter background?  Is your Facebook page just a boring old photo?  There are millions of users of social media and finding a way to stand out is tough.  However, there are ways to make your profile stand out that much more, or at least be memorable enough.  You should also look at ensuring a consistency across the various sites/tools.  People should know that it is you wherever they find you.

8.  Connect with the right people

The best way to get to know what works in your area of expertise is by finding leaders and key influencers in that same area.  Spend time searching for them, observing what they are talking about, how they are interacting.  Join in conversation where appropriate and before you know it you could be getting your own share of interactions.  Take time to research who the leaders and influencers are that will most benefit you or your business. It’s all well and good being followed by half of the local college, but just 1 influential follower more than beats 500 ‘messers’.

9.  Interact

Social Media is about interaction.  That means two things, the first is being interactive with your various networks.  Reply to tweets, comment on blogs (especially written by influencers), join discussions on LinkedIn, use hashtags, post questions, and if someone asks you a question give them an answer.  Secondly, look at even more interactive ways of communicating.  Try creating videos (vlogs), presentations on Slideshare, podcasts and webinars.  All of which create an even stronger bond between you and your network.

10. Get Publicity

We aren’t necessarily talking a PR campaign to promote your twitter feed.  All around the internet are many influential bloggers, media contacts and digital media writers.  Take some time to identify some of these people and think about how your business or a specific piece of news fits with them.  How can your expertise or company help people, or even better, make life easier for them to do their jobs.  Get writing articles, How To’s, blogs, press releases basically anything that shows off your expertise.  Having these to hand when a relevant issue breaks means you can swing into action before others.  Providing great quality means they’ll see you as a good person to know.  Also, think about how events impact on your area of expertise.  When a newsworthy event happens, be the first to react with a thoughtful piece.

There we have it, 10 simple steps to creating a more impressive social media presence.  Ok some of the steps may require a little longer than a day, but by making a start on each activity you will quickly find your social media presence improving.

What the PFA Chairman had to say on Social Media

Those of you who read my article on how football clubs can benefit from Social Media saw just how important it is for clubs and players to embrace social media.  As a communication tool, Social Media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook offer clubs of all sizes the opportunity to stretch increasingly tight marketing budgets whilst increasing the interaction with fans and more importantly securing the fans of the future.

There is no doubt that football isn’t alone in its slowness to embrace Social Media, however that is changing.  Certainly the players themselves are already seeing the potential of the tools and the additional rewards it can bring financially, personal brand-wise and that human connection.  They are, perhaps most importantly, alive to the potential of such an area. 

PFA Chairman and current Preston North End defender, Clarke Carlisle certainly took an interest in my article.  Speaking to me, Clarke was definite about just how important Social Media is for football in general.  In response to my article Clarke said...

“Interesting view on the social media from a fan's perspective, I can see how they feel under-appreciated by the approach of many clubs.

We are continuing to impress on players and clubs the importance of knowledge about social media, and responsible usage, but also, like the blog alluded to, the unbelievable potential of this technological age.

The most salient point though, by a country mile, is the relevance of it all to the player/fan of tomorrow. My daughter is 13 and is on her 3^rd smartphone already! This is the media of now, of today and of the future generations and we, as an entire industry, need to get to grips with that, quick sticks!”  Clarke Carlisle, Twitter Jan 2012

Social Media can be an essential tool for everyone involved in football.  Clubs such as Manchester City are already demonstrating just how effectively social media can enhance marketing operations at clubs.  Endless supplies of marketing budget I hear you cry!  Not at all, social media, used correctly can effectively double any clubs marketing budget/resource without costly outlays.

What is certainly lacking in football at the moment is that knowledgebase about Social Media.  As Clarke Carlisle alluded to responsible usage is the ‘worry’ at the moment, whereas what everyone involved in the game should be focusing on is the potential of Social Media. 

My previous article layed out some simple steps any Football Club should be following to begin to benefit from Social Media.  It will be a long process to get everyone on board.

Ps.  Thank you to Clarke Carlisle for his comments.

Social Media Lessons Every Football Club Should Know

2011 was without doubt the year that social media really placed itself at the heart of football.  Our national game has begun to be dominated by the Facebook and Twitter ramblings of footballers from all divisions, directors, owners and ex-pros.  Some like Joey Barton and Rio Ferdinand have taken to Twitter like white paint to grass, and in era when our footballing heroes are further away from your average fan than ever before, it has added a new dimension to the relationship between players and fans.

It hasn’t all been a positive experience, but the very fact that so many incidents of social media fau-pars have made headlines has merely served to accelerate the importance of this new media to the game.

Certainly football clubs could benefit hugely from social media, more so than they are doing at the moment.  Even the most active football club Twitter accounts / Facebook pages are 99% broadcasts AT their loyal supporters.  Businesses up and down the country would kill for the kind of loyalty, advocacy and support that football clubs get from their fans, yet feel it is ok to link their various social media platforms together and just churn broadcast after news item after sales message out.  Many of them mistake reaction to these, and comments against articles as them successfully building their social media networks.  It isn’t. 

Social Media is about having a conversation and entering into interactions.  It isn’t just about having a Facebook page or a Twitter account.  With the sheer amount of loyalty to them, football clubs could be gaining so much more from their social media and translating this into real bottom line gains.  Plus, it costs so little.

5 things a football club social media strategy should include:

Player / Staff knowledge

With several high-profile incidents happening on Twitter in particular last year, it isn’t unusual that clubs such as Wolverhampton Wanderers and the powerhouse of Barcelona have brought in legal advisers to speak to players on their use of Social Media.  As a marketer it makes me cringe that the first people clubs are turning to are the lawyers. 
A better idea would be to engage good Social Media advisers to work with the staff and create not just a Social Media Policy, but also to give the full picture to them.  The blanket banning of Social Media is just not going to work.  Better for the players and staff to understand the medium and also understand the impact of how they use it.  After all, there are great gains that can be made by players and staff if they get it right.  And yes I am talking financially.

Interaction with Fans

Social Media has opened up a wonderful (and very cheap) way for football clubs at all levels to speak to their fanbase like never before.  This is where clubs need to get away from thinking about Social Media in terms of just a Facebook or Twitter feed.
By appreciating that Social Media can and should be woven into the fabric of the marketing and operation of the club, it is obvious to see just how clubs can improve their decision making.  How do we improve our programme (to sell more)?  What flavour of pie should we introduce?  What do you think about this kit design?  What promotion would you like?  What type of hospitality package would you love?

Basic questions yes, but these are just a flavour.  In any other business customer feedback is key to making good business decisions that impact the bottom line.  Football clubs cannot afford to ignore this.

Involve fans more

Everyday a football fan somewhere is creating content about their club.  Each club has hundreds if not thousands of loyal brand ambassadors who would be willing to contribute to helping out their club.  Businesses already have blogger outreach programmes with loyal customers creating content on their favourite brand.  Football clubs should be making more of these opportunities.  Pitchside reporters, tweet chats with favourite players, blogs, unofficial match reports could all be leveraged by football clubs to maximise their brand exposure across the web and thereby improve their presence.  Why not challenge fans to make their own ‘day of the game’ reports and feature the best ones in the clubs YouTube channel.

Get Creative

Sure, as fans we need an official source for our club news, and we all want this in different ways.  So broadcasting official news across all Social Media is a good move.  But to stop there is, as explained above, only the first rung on the Social Media ladder.  The next step is to get creative and always be on the lookout for opportunities to evolve your Social Media output and include it in every aspect.  The Manchester City ‘Tunnel Cam’ is a fantastic example of this.  The significance of which may be lost on the powers that be at a football club.  The reason for this is they spend most of their working week at the club, they’ve probably been in the tunnel before a game.  However, 99% of fans only get one view of the ground on match day and that is from their seat.  Creating ‘behind the scenes’ footage, the chairmans blog, or training ground videos all have the chance of going viral.  Whatever you choose, always be on the lookout for ways of including Social Media in every aspect of the club.

Act Now

There is undoubtedly a mistrust in many football club boardrooms over Social Media, and this is understandable given the high-profile spats and often secretive nature of boardroom decisions.  However, football clubs should remember that the fans of tomorrow are the generation of youngsters who are currently being brought up with their hands on a smartphone.  Creating engaging Social Media now ensures that the club will continue to benefit for a long time to come.

And if any football club needs some help creating ideas then I'm certainly available and well up for the challenge.

Start Up Britain; Version 2.0?

Twitter went into overdrive yesterday with the launch of the Government-endorsed Start Up Britain.  As is often the case, the negative comments were many, with any backing coming with caveats.  But, do we need to look at this as a Apple style launch?  In other words, are we expecting the next 'version' to be bigger, better, with sparkling new features?

The first important point to mention is the distinction between Government-endorsed and Government-backed.  Though it would be fair to say that for the purpose of interested parties this became a question of semantics depending on how favourable either made it look.  After all, the Government-backed, BusinessLink organisation has been all but dropped as not fit for purpose.  Certainly Prime Minister Cameron is happy to have his (best thoughful and yet ambitious look into the distance) used on the site. (though whether we see him or any of his cabinet move swiftly into that distance after the somewhat negative reaction remains to be seen).

As a backer of any attempt to increase the level of enterprise in this great country of ours I was firmly behind this idea when I first heard of it.  Speaking in schools regularly I see the future Bransons, Bannatynes, Devey's sparkling with ideas and ambitions, but lacking the knowledge and mentors they need.  Certainly, if this is what a 'Start Up Britain' delivered then that would be fantastic.  Also not forgetting those older generations, many being forced for the first time to assess what it is they really want to achieve in life.  If 'Start Up Britain' catered as much for them in the same aspects, I would be the first in line to help.

However, what I saw, though certainly positive was one fundamental flaw, and one almighty PR disaster - both linked to the same aspect.

Now, I and many of my peers had frustrations with Businesslink in that any advice was impartial, but when you really needed someone to give you a straight solution (contact, recommendation etc) it was like a stasi-operation.  'Here's a list of potential suppliers for that' was a stock reply with sly pen movements hovering over (obviously) favoured ones (though without acknowledging whether said advisor had a reason for this).

However, Start Up Britain has no such qualms, delivering recommended advisors each with a sparkly 'discount' book for new prey - sorry entrepreneurs starting off.  This aspect of it worries me, particularly as this 'Start Up' vehicle is clearly pushing new entrepreneurs into the hands of big businesses.  Where are the SME's, the businesses that would truly benefit from a raft of new 'leads' (that after all is what they will become at the moment).

To make matters worse, and this is a PR disaster of the highest proportions, many of the links, for example one of the 'marketing' suppliers sends leads off to a large US 'bidding' site designed so US-based freelances can bid the lowest price to produce logos etc.  What were they thinking!!  And this is just one example.

Two massive errors in my view, but both rectifiable with a little re-think and the re-iteration of the fact this is for Britain.

So I applaud the thoughts, I salute the hard work and dedication of those talented individuals who didn't just think this, they made it happen, and I thank them in advance for what 'Start Up Britain' may become.

But I really do hope one of them will be stood on a stage in a black polo neck presenting the updated version to national acclaim.

Mum...I'm in the paper!

So the power of social networking shows itself.  Just 48hrs after returning to this very blog and sending the update on my Twitter account (@simonbrooke) I've entered the world of social commentator.

Lancashire Business View magazine, top lancashire business publication read my latest posts and have now featured it on their e-bulletin update. To see a copy follow this link http://www.lancashirebusinessview.co.uk/news-details.htm?news_id=73 . 

This is a great example for one of the best lessons I've learned over the past 15months of being an entrepreneur...you are a trumpet so make sure you blow!  Ok, that is a little silly, but the old adage is certainly true, always blow your own trumpet, particularly in these tricky times.  And the other thing is - always say yes (ok maybe within reason).  It is amazing in this age of social media how quickly your voice can be heard and promoted. So don't be shy!  If you have done something, plan on doing something (that you can talk about - no revealing secrets early), or even have an feeling that something is 'good news' talk about it.  And don't think that you need expensive PR to do it, its promotion not a black art.  (though I should say at this point that professional PR are brilliant if used right - mwah pr bods x)

So tell your story, we need more good news stories - the more positive stories that are out there, the quicker we'll see us normal folk back on a natural high.

We learn so much from each other, from people we can relate to, people in our situation, people who provide us with a living example.  So why not be that example, then you'll be making the call 'Mum...I think I might be in the paper over there, can you go and get a copy please, no I don't know what it is we haven't put it out...put it on the fridge next to that finger painting from 1984'.