Vivid imagery, stunning colors, inspirational content are all key features that set apart a good website or blog from an average site. We all like catchy items. Ask a woman why she bought a certain outfit or fashion accessory and nine times out of ten she will tell you that it "caught her eye" We are visual people in many ways and this includes our online experience. But just like in the real world there are limits to how far we should go in trying to attract attention to our social media sites, the design elements of social media websites is a topic for another entry.
Having quality images on your website, blog or the social media site of business is important. Anyone will tell that when a site appears unprofessional people quickly move along. So how do you obtain quality images. Well unless you are a photographer or graphic designer you will likely have to outsource your material. Outsourcing is key. A business can never engage in copyright infringement. The costs of doing so can be outrageous.
The dangers of using social media sites is we can often forget to provide the owner with the proper attribution. On a blog you may want to re-post another person's article. If they grant you permission great but you should never do so without providing a link. Even this is dangerous and does not even fall into the grey area of fairuse. Fairuse is simply the using a portion of someone else's work while giving them the proper credit. Until laws are more clearly defined this is a tricky subject.
So where do you get images for social media legally. There are a number of stock sights which are of use to businesses and bloggers. I have used them myself on occasion and their fees are relatively inexpensive depending on the purpose of their use.
iStock, Shutterstock, Corbis
Here is a good article which may provide some insights on what you need to know about copyrights.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
In-gage - Straight talk with The Centre for Dreams
Tell us a little about your organization’s work in the community.
The Centre for Dreams is a day program for adults with developmental disabilities in York Region. We teach them life skills and have them volunteer in the community. We strive to help our members fulfill their goals and dreams and let them decide what is best for them
What Social Media platforms do you use?
The 2 major social media platforms that we use is Facebook and Twitter
Are there ways in which you can now raise more awareness or funds through sites such as Twitter, Facebook? IE can I make a donation through Facebook?
We use Facebook and Twitter to spread awareness about the Centre for Dreams. It is a tool that helps us promote special fundraising events that we do throughout the year. We post pictures of events so that people can follow us and it gives our members the “star” appeal which they love. As of right now donations cannot be made through Facebook
Have you engaged in using blogs? If so how do you use the blogging platform to reach out to the community at large?
We do not use blogs as a form of social media
How do you think we can improve our use of Social Media and the work Charities like yours do?
For us, it is not about improvement. It is how a small organization like ours can take full advantage of social media so that we can benefit financially. I think if we can be made aware of the full potential benefit that social media can have on our organization
Are there any negative implications or applications you can see in a Charities use of Social Media?
I think that if used properly there is only positive results that can come out of charities using social media. Social media is a way that we can get the message out that we do exist and to showcase the positive way our members impact the community.
The Centre for Dreams is a day program for adults with developmental disabilities in York Region. We teach them life skills and have them volunteer in the community. We strive to help our members fulfill their goals and dreams and let them decide what is best for them
What Social Media platforms do you use?
The 2 major social media platforms that we use is Facebook and Twitter
Are there ways in which you can now raise more awareness or funds through sites such as Twitter, Facebook? IE can I make a donation through Facebook?
We use Facebook and Twitter to spread awareness about the Centre for Dreams. It is a tool that helps us promote special fundraising events that we do throughout the year. We post pictures of events so that people can follow us and it gives our members the “star” appeal which they love. As of right now donations cannot be made through Facebook
Have you engaged in using blogs? If so how do you use the blogging platform to reach out to the community at large?
We do not use blogs as a form of social media
How do you think we can improve our use of Social Media and the work Charities like yours do?
For us, it is not about improvement. It is how a small organization like ours can take full advantage of social media so that we can benefit financially. I think if we can be made aware of the full potential benefit that social media can have on our organization
Are there any negative implications or applications you can see in a Charities use of Social Media?
I think that if used properly there is only positive results that can come out of charities using social media. Social media is a way that we can get the message out that we do exist and to showcase the positive way our members impact the community.
In-gage : Straight talk with Frank
I had the chance to sit down with Frank Forte to discuss the use of social media in the Business World. Frank works for a leading Canadian Cell Phone Company: Baka Mobile
How do you see the use of social media impacting the way business is conducted?
Customers will rely on social media more and more to determine whether they want to do business with a certain company, brand, or individual.
For businesses that choose to participate, they have the opportunity to create or join a conversation around their brand. The largest impact is usually whether or not a company responds to complaints through social media. No response tells an online community that the company does not care, and makes the complaint more "legit" which can turn off potential customers. A response that deals with a complaint, either compensating a customer or giving them more knowledge can turn the situation into a positive experience.
It is important for companies to give a consistent experience across channels. Some companies have great social media teams that seem to care (e.g. @RogersHelps on Twitter), but they do not have the authority to deal with legitimate complaints, and when phoning into these companies, the experience is completely different (in a negative way). This disconnect makes the investment in social media a wasted effort.
Is it necessary for companies to engage in the use of social media?
The short answer is "no". Just like companies do not need to use telemarketing. Both have the potential to damage a brand if they are not done properly. There is a huge opportunity to reach many customers in a positive way with a much lower cost, so those that do their research and take advantage can benefit from social media.
What forms of social media do you use in the business you are involved with?
We have a diverse customer demographic so we use many of the popular social media channels, mainly focused on Twitter and Facebook, and increasing involvement with LinkedIn and Google Plus. We also use YouTube to provide product information, and have responded to some questions through that channel. The current goals are to help customers find us online (along with our product information), and also to provide good customer service by responding to customer feedback and dealing with customer service issues promptly.
We integrate social buttons on our website (e.g. in our footer, and for each product page). We just started adding product pages on LinkedIn. We promote deals and contests through Twitter and Facebook (and now Google Plus). We create and embed YouTube videos on our product pages. We do not have the resources to create and manage blog, although that is an avenue we would like to explore.
We have tried advertising through social media, but did not get any engagement (practically no clicks).
What negative implications or dangers does the use of social media
present to a business?
Social media can improve transparency. If a business is unethical or has poor quality products or services, it can be very damaging to a business. The negative effects of social media are more of a concern for large brands that have more to lose. Social media campaigns can have unexpected results. Obama tried to get good ideas from citizens through a Digg style website, unfortunately it had runaway consequence of promoting the legalization of marijuana.
Many large companies and websites have been hacked through social media accounts. It is important to protect user credentials for social media accounts, otherwise someone can pose as your company and post very damaging comments or get access to sensitive information or steal customer lists and contacts. Cyber security concerns should not prevent a company from participating in social media... the same way it should not prevent a company from using computers.
What direction if any would you like to see "social media" go in the
business world?
I would like to see it raise customer service standards. Ideally, businesses that treat their customers fairly will be rewarded, and those that do not will be forced to improve their standards.
It is called "social media" not "business media" for a reason. These environments are not built for transactional business, they are built and used mainly for entertainment and communication. The main overlap is in the communication (although some businesses in entertainment, e.g. online games do very well in this space). For this reason, I think most businesses will benefit from using social media to communicate with their customers.
I would say that LinkedIn is the most successful business oriented social media site, and it is used mainly for networking and recruitment, but not so much for direct sales.
How do you see the use of social media impacting the way business is conducted?
Customers will rely on social media more and more to determine whether they want to do business with a certain company, brand, or individual.
For businesses that choose to participate, they have the opportunity to create or join a conversation around their brand. The largest impact is usually whether or not a company responds to complaints through social media. No response tells an online community that the company does not care, and makes the complaint more "legit" which can turn off potential customers. A response that deals with a complaint, either compensating a customer or giving them more knowledge can turn the situation into a positive experience.
It is important for companies to give a consistent experience across channels. Some companies have great social media teams that seem to care (e.g. @RogersHelps on Twitter), but they do not have the authority to deal with legitimate complaints, and when phoning into these companies, the experience is completely different (in a negative way). This disconnect makes the investment in social media a wasted effort.
Is it necessary for companies to engage in the use of social media?
The short answer is "no". Just like companies do not need to use telemarketing. Both have the potential to damage a brand if they are not done properly. There is a huge opportunity to reach many customers in a positive way with a much lower cost, so those that do their research and take advantage can benefit from social media.
What forms of social media do you use in the business you are involved with?
We have a diverse customer demographic so we use many of the popular social media channels, mainly focused on Twitter and Facebook, and increasing involvement with LinkedIn and Google Plus. We also use YouTube to provide product information, and have responded to some questions through that channel. The current goals are to help customers find us online (along with our product information), and also to provide good customer service by responding to customer feedback and dealing with customer service issues promptly.
We integrate social buttons on our website (e.g. in our footer, and for each product page). We just started adding product pages on LinkedIn. We promote deals and contests through Twitter and Facebook (and now Google Plus). We create and embed YouTube videos on our product pages. We do not have the resources to create and manage blog, although that is an avenue we would like to explore.
We have tried advertising through social media, but did not get any engagement (practically no clicks).
What negative implications or dangers does the use of social media
present to a business?
Social media can improve transparency. If a business is unethical or has poor quality products or services, it can be very damaging to a business. The negative effects of social media are more of a concern for large brands that have more to lose. Social media campaigns can have unexpected results. Obama tried to get good ideas from citizens through a Digg style website, unfortunately it had runaway consequence of promoting the legalization of marijuana.
Many large companies and websites have been hacked through social media accounts. It is important to protect user credentials for social media accounts, otherwise someone can pose as your company and post very damaging comments or get access to sensitive information or steal customer lists and contacts. Cyber security concerns should not prevent a company from participating in social media... the same way it should not prevent a company from using computers.
What direction if any would you like to see "social media" go in the
business world?
I would like to see it raise customer service standards. Ideally, businesses that treat their customers fairly will be rewarded, and those that do not will be forced to improve their standards.
It is called "social media" not "business media" for a reason. These environments are not built for transactional business, they are built and used mainly for entertainment and communication. The main overlap is in the communication (although some businesses in entertainment, e.g. online games do very well in this space). For this reason, I think most businesses will benefit from using social media to communicate with their customers.
I would say that LinkedIn is the most successful business oriented social media site, and it is used mainly for networking and recruitment, but not so much for direct sales.
Bottlenose
Ever hit the (figuratively speaking) writers block stump? We all have in one way or another come face to face with the hideous creature. That void of empty thoughts that no matter how hard one tries cannot seem to come up with an original idea. Why the dwarves, who guard the pot of bubbling ideas decide to seal off the lid, will remain one of life's great mysteries. So when the dwarves are not playing so friendly where can you go for inspiration? Having previously discussed this amongst my social media colleagues these answer can often depend Here's a cool website that can help with the infamous brain block.
I have found often when I am looking for new ideas for photo-shoots that sometimes the best inspirations is just going out in public and watching people. Other times reading the stories of colleagues in the same field can be a source of inspiration. I often find that I have light bulb moments when I am listening to music or watching a random movie. I use to carry a mini notepad around with my to record any spontaneous thoughts that came to mind. But there was always that time where an ingenious idea came to mind and the notepad was no where to be found. Now thanks to Android devices I have my virtual notepad with me at all times. So where do you go to find inspiration? Hit the comment box to share your thoughts.
I have found often when I am looking for new ideas for photo-shoots that sometimes the best inspirations is just going out in public and watching people. Other times reading the stories of colleagues in the same field can be a source of inspiration. I often find that I have light bulb moments when I am listening to music or watching a random movie. I use to carry a mini notepad around with my to record any spontaneous thoughts that came to mind. But there was always that time where an ingenious idea came to mind and the notepad was no where to be found. Now thanks to Android devices I have my virtual notepad with me at all times. So where do you go to find inspiration? Hit the comment box to share your thoughts.
Don't quite just yet!!!
Have you been running a blog for sometime only to find that your readership isn't growing too fast, feel like the work you are doing is going no where? Don't lose hope just yet. The attached video may provide just a little inspiration to prove with the right tools and motivation you can earn a significant living off your blog.
Options, Options, Options
These are the main types of social media: 1) Weblogs 2) Internet Forums 3) Podcasts 4) Social Blogs 5) Microblogs 6) Social Networks 7) Bookmarking sites
1) Weblogs are sites that contain a log of links to sites or pages that the author finds interesting. Many major newspapers have Weblog sites where they simply provide links to related articles on topics they have already written on.
2) Internet Forums are online discussion sites or message boards which enable people to hold conversations or discussions. Zerply would be an example.
3) Podcasts which also include video are sites where users can record and post an on going series relating to a specific theme or topic. Youtube would be one of the most popular examples of a hosting sight geared towards hosting a video podcast. The user posts a series of videos.
4) Social Blogs are sites where users can post articles or simply photos or images. Common Social Blog sites are Blogger, Wordpress or Tumblr
5) Microblogs are sites where users can post short limited messages or provide links to other sites. Twitter is a well known microblogging site. Twitter
6) Social Networks are essentially sites where users can network, share pictures, upload files. Facebook, Google Plus, FlickR.
7) Bookmarking sites are places where you can store: recipes, links to your favorite websites, interesting articles that you have read etc. Common Bookmarking sites are Digg, Pocket, Delicious, StumbleUpon
Sometimes these categories will be broken down further or condensed into 6 types of social media, for example at the OutThinkGroup webpage social media sites are broken down into 6 categories.
For an interesting look at the types of social media users head over to Pam Dyer's article on Socialmediatoday's website.
Pick your battles
When it comes to running a business there are always hard decisions to make. Successful businesses can't afford to be indecisive and allow themselves to make poor judgement calls. Poor judgement calls can have serious negative consequences for a business. It can be the cause of losing major clients, loss of revenues, and in extreme cases bankruptcy. Picking your battles in business is key to ensuring the survival of your investments.
When it comes to entering the battlefield of social media the tactics of making wise business decisions are essential. Poor choices in how a business engages in social media can have major reprocussions. Liabilities and lawsuits can happen by using sites like Twitter improperly. See the linked articles below.
Woman sued for $50K over Twitter message
Twitter Sues Five Spamming Sites
Courtney Love Sued over Twitter comment
Lack of Cyber Liability
When a company chooses to engage in using social media it is very important to set up a few ground rules.
1) Determine which sites are worthy of your time and investment. It is easy to sign up for every new social site that becomes available. Is Pinterest really something that an Accounting firm needs? Being over-engaged in social media can be a waste of time and resources.
2) Set a game plan. If you are going to run a blog for example determine ahead of time the frequency of posts. One of the earliest mistakes a blogger can make is jumping in heads first posting all kinds of material and then running out of new material. This is a sure method to lose followers fast. Have a well thought out plan.
3) Have a company policy in place both for using social media as a business tool and for employee use.
4) If you are going to engage in social media use it. Don't create media accounts and then just abandon them. Many companies create Facebook Pages solicit all kinds of users and then never post or update the page.
5) Stay current. Business social media accounts which have strong followings engage their users by keeping up to date by initiating discussions, providing users with the latest news in their industry and if appropriate provide your company's thoughts, advice or perspective on current trends.
6) Be punctual, professional and speak the grammatically correct language of the region you are engaging. There is nothing worse than reading a blog full of grammatical errors or viewing a company's tweets with poor abbreviations.
7) Do not spam. Let me repeat do not spam. Spam is unwanted and is illegal in many countries. When someone decides they wish to follow your online posts they are looking for a unique user experience. Provide it! But do not flood their emails, timelines and profiles with excessive and unnecessary information. Be clear, concise and informative!
With these thoughts in mind it is now time for you to analyze the potential that particular social media applications can provide to your company.
Nose first into the pool
There is no doubt that with the fast paced environment that we live in, and moving faster by the day, that it is easy to get lost in Social Town. New websites are launching daily and just when you seem to have figured out the latest Social Media program a few more have sprung up. Social Media can be mind boggling, if you think about the endless streams of information.
But is Social Media all that engaging? Or is it In-gaging? (self-directed)
How does it truly impact our lives and the way we interact within the different roles we engage in?
For individuals Social Media can be a simple way to share pictures with family and friends, talk to someone overseas without incurring huge long distance bills, and for others it can be a way to gather personal information, find out when you will be on vacation, access your financial records or plain out stalk you.
The applications and implications of using Social Media are both rewarding and concerning (dangerous). But the focus of this Blog is for more practical uses and one in particular: Business. How can a Business, if it should, use Social Media applications and platforms, do so effectively and efficiently?
Take a walk with us on the wild side as we look at some of the various applications and sites available to the Business Community. Journey with us as we discover the current uses by particular businesses as we divulge through the sea of Social Media applications. Learn the tricks of the pros and decide for yourself whether your business should or how it should stay current with these changing trends.
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