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PM Forum - Birmingham
An effective guide to social media
The term ‘social media’ can be off-putting for some professionals, deterring them from becoming involved in this growing trend. According to Kirsty Farrelly, a web strategist from the Open Book Agency, referring to it as ‘online networking’ is a far better reflection of what it actually involves, and is far more likely to get people to use it.
Kirsty is a passionate advocate of social media and its marketing benefits, and it was clear from the start of her presentation at HBJ Gateley Wareing in Birmingham that she was excited to share her own experiences, advice and recommendations on the subject.
So, why should businesses and professionals embrace social media – or online networking? Well, it can be a quick and effective way of raising your own and your company’s profile, potentially reaching thousands upon thousands of business minds. It can improve your website’s search engine rankings, drive more traffic to your website, and increase your marketing database.
But it’s important to remember that as with any marketing tool, the benefits should be assessed before any time or money is committed to it.
Firstly you should set up web analytics on your website. This can be done through Google and will assess traffic to your website: where it’s coming from; which pages visitors are landing on; and how long they are staying on each page. Analyse activity on your website as it stands, and then monitor the results of any social and online marketing that you decide to do.
Secondly, you should decide what you want to achieve from social networking. Do you want a bigger distribution list, better search engine rankings, or an increased company profile? Determine what you want to achieve and create targeted, appropriate channels to achieve it.
There are many social networking sites out there and you can’t possibly participate in them all, so it’s important to decide which will be best for you. Kirsty recommends starting off with Twitter as it’s straightforward and not very time consuming. You can very effectively build up a picture of yourself and your company, you are completely in control of the information that you provide, and you choose the people that you want to link to and follow.
Remember to be as professional online as you are off-line. Follow relevant and appropriate people – they are all part of the professional profile that you are creating. Equally, your own followers want value and benefits, so ensure you keep friends and family, and business, very separate.
And finally, reap the benefits of integration – integrate all of your online activity through your website to increase content, link-building capabilities, and ultimately web traffic.
Target it, test it, and enjoy it!
Alison Garrett
M Consulting
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