Why your business should be on Google+

Good afternoon, my dear friends, readers and followers! Hi, Mom and Dad, I know you always read me! :)

Today I will share with you some up-to-date piece of knowledge regarding the use of social media channels for business purposes. So, I am sure all of you guys use Facebook and/or Twitter (Vk.com in post Soviet Union countries) as main online communication and connection tool. Obviously, businesses use these SNS for the marketing purposes. For instance, H&M Facebook page with its 16 million Likes can really be named 'encyclopedia example of the social media channels use for retail sector'. On the other hand, Instagram has also proved to be valuable network for fashion brands' online presence. I was always fond of the fashion it-girls like Mira Duma (429k Instagram followers) and how they personalise their businesses (Buro27.ru). Or, as another example, what do you think about Jobs movie promotion campaign? 15 seconds Instagram clips as an alternative to a traditional YouTube trailer looks smart and innovative! (Can you say so about the new iPhone(s)?)

A couple of years ago social media marketing was considered the biggest trend in the industry. I believe it still is important with all the efforts big brands invest into maintaining their SNS pages and even making CRM platforms out of them. One trend I have noticed while in the UK is the emphasise put on Google+ as a No.1 social network for businesses. So, have you heard of Google+?

Google+ is a relatively new SNS launched by Google (obviously) in 2011 and outnumbering Twitter users in just 2 years period! I have been using it for 3 months only, but  can already share with you some hints on why it is important to have your business 'google plused':

1. Search engine optimization  is the biggest concern. On the contrary to websites like YouTube or Facebook, whose content is quite restriced from SEO assessing, Google Plus represents the social network automatically indexed by Google Search. Just like any ther web page, content on the Google+ appears on search, can and does influence your page rank. Moreover, the high ranked information shared on this SNS stays in top search results for years. To compare, your awesomely popular Tweet will be lost in the Net within minutes. Interesting study published by MOZ suggests +1 action on Google+ (smth similar to Facebook`s Like) is 'more highly correlated with search rankings than any other factor. In fact, the correlation of Google +1s beat out other well known metrics including linking root domains, Facebook shares, and even keyword usage'.

2. The new old Authorship. I find my self producing Facebook masterpiece-posts, sharing genious 140 words on Twitter (occasionally) and writing this, hopefully interesting, blog ; clearly, I want the whole world to know who the author is. It is not like we live in the 100%-piracy-copyright infreengement-free world, you know. :) Anyway, Google Plus have introduced this new feature called Google Authorship which works in the following way. First, you should register your email as an author. Secondly, when you share your publications from other web sites (e.g. http://whatiknowishare.blogspot.com) on Google+ do not forget to mention your authorship. As the result, when somebody will google an article written by you, your profile photo from Google Plus will apear next to the search result. 

Again, it is important for search optimization, for promoting your content (as in 'more by Fabulous Author') and building personal brand. 

3. Google Timing+ my third favourite feature offered by G+. How do you know when your readers/customers/clients/fans are online? When should you send our your press release, Tweet latest rumors or post picture of the recently launched products? One way to go, is to read this study by Buddy Media naming the end of the week and weekends better time for online engagement. Thus, B2B Twitter  is more efficient on weekdays, whilst on B2C works best for Facebook on the weekends. You can find even more impressive data there, but another way to discovere the right timing is to go on Google+. Timing+ allows for automatic calculation of when your content gets the highest attention through +1 and re-posts. Therefore, you will always be smart in time managing your content. By the way, did you know that the best time for David Beckham to be active on G+ is Thursday between 20:00 and 21:00? Now, you know! 

There are so many more great features Google Plus has to offer, have fun trying out! 

4 Tips to Get the Best out of Social Media for your Business

Morning guys!

Today I am an early bird producing more interesting and hopefully useful tips. Here you are. :)

With all the amazing online shops the digital world has to offer, how do you attract the customers to really come to your retail store? Is online world for your Forever 21 a chance or a Catch 22?

In a nutshell, it is all about motivating and rewarding with the decent amount of support. Here are some simple tips on how to turn your ‘followers’ into the frequent customers:

  1. Use your social media as a Loyalty Programme Platform

Loyalty programs have become quite a popular tool for the retail stores to attract and please the customers. Similarly, to how the discounts and special deals are received as the award for spending the money, complement your customers for spending their time.

Make the process simple and engaging. Set the price list or assign a value for every Like, Tweet and comment and make it be easily converted into the real money or discount point that can be spend in the store. But does the exchange of Likes into the money really result in brand loyalty? Let`s just say: depends on how you approach it. If your circuit is reduced to a simple ‘bribing’, it will probably result just in a one-day (night) stand on your social media page. The real relationships begin when you show the audience you are on the same wavelength. This is how you do it:

• Do not forget about non-monetary rewards, because their symbolic power really helps building relationships and gaining loyalty from your audience.  Chose ‘the fan of the month’, vote for the funniest tweet or pick ‘the most dedicated customer’. These meaningful achievements may be seen as the online equivalent for the VIP treatments.

• Take it to the next level – give those ‘friends of the brand’ a chance to participate in what you are doing: invite them on a tour around your office, give a chance to dress the window of your store or share your wi-fi password.

• Be creative. (This might not be the best advice to give from the practicality point of view, therefore, you can look up for the examples here:

2. Everybody likes to play, just set the rules

Hopefully surprising, this is not about the Apps and Facebook games. Another way to invite people from and through Social Media to your store is quest – little adventure that integrates online and offline tasks into one big game, making it fun and useful.

• Think about the mechanics of the quest. How many tasks will there be in in adventure? Will you reveal all of them at once or keep the intrigue by posting one task a day (week/hour)?  Will you use only one social platform or integrate Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare all together?  

• Motivation is a king (queen). What is the purpose of the quest and why would people want to participate? It is not only about the prize in the end, so you should make the people feel what they do matters. Perhaps, connect the fun to something bigger (for each person who completes the quest, the company will donate certain amount of money to charity or plant one tree in the local park).  

• Examples of tasks: check-in, take a picture, find, post (anything that will benefit the brand and engage the audience).

3. Use social media as an emergency line

With any business customers will always have queries, questions and seek for assistance, so create a customer service desk on your social media page.

• CRM. Good CRM requires a lot of resources and contribution; however, even if you cannot afford helping your clients online 24/7, they should still feel your support.

• Do your best. Sometimes simply having a FAQs section or image on your Facebook will help. For more serious issue, establish the rules of when and how you will deal with them if you the instant response is impossible.

• Share the duties. Educate your audience with basic tips and advices on what to do if…, so they become experts and help you with the customer service. More on CRM and customer service online here.

That is it for today. :) Let me know if there is anything you want me to write about and thanks again for reading me!!!!!