Jim Connolly Marketing

Using Google Buzz?

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I recently took the plunge and started using Google Buzz.  My initial thoughts are that it has a lot of potential, which is why I wanted to mention it here.

Google Buzz: So, what does it do?

VERY briefly, Google Buzz is a micro blogging application, which comes as part of Gmail.  It lets you post comments or share links, like you can on Twitter, but without the 140 character restriction.

Google Buzz also lets you share rich content (video, pictures etc) with other users, without having to leave the application.  Just like on Facebook, you can comment on what you see and add a “like” to items etc.  Unlike Facebook, each item you post can be made public or private, giving you control over who sees what, on a per-post basis.

You can also aggregate (or feed) your blog posts and Tweets straight into Google Buzz, as well as items from your Google Reader, Picasa, Flickr etc.  The platform is clearly still in its infancy but improvements are being made regularly, by a development team who are active members of the Google Buzz community. I like that.

All you need to get started, is a Gmail account and then to set up a Google Profile (here’s mine) and you’re good to go.

It’s way too early to say if Google Buzz will fly or not, but it does have the finances and talent of Google behind it; so it may be worth you checking it out and then making up your own mind whether it’s right for you.  I think that right now,  it maybe something for early adopters like myself, rather than the wider population?  I’d like to know what you think.

If you use the service or decide to join, you can connect with me on Google Buzz here.

Existing Google Buzz users

Are you already a Google Buzz user?  If so, what are your thoughts or experiences regarding it?

Let’s work together and grow your business. To find out more click here!

Facebook, marketing, privacy and You!

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Facebook is used by millions of social media savvy businesspeople, as a way to develop relationships, connect with people and share ideas / content.  The service is free and boasts over 400,000,000 users.  This offers huge marketing potential.

So, why am I increasingly being asked by business owners if they should even use the service any more?

Facebook and privacy

The challenge is one of privacy.  By default, most of what you do on Facebook is searchable or findable by others.  Even if you have managed to locate and use the various privacy options, most of your data is still findable.  Facebook have also changed how privacy works, so many people who have not recently reviewed their settings are now sharing more than they might think.

Facebook, Marketing and privacy

For people like myself, who exclusively use Facebook for commercial purposes, there’s no real problem.  I’m happy for 100% of what I put onto Facebook to be seen by everyone.  However, many small business owners use a single Facebook account for both personal and business use.  For these people, it seems a challenge exists, as it’s increasingly hard (some say impossible) to keep the personal stuff personal.

I wanted to know what business users of Facebook thought about these privacy issues.  I have already received feedback from over 70 people; via Twitter, email and comments.  Some people had very specific, individual issues; however, I was surprised that the vast majority of people responded to me along similar lines.

They don’t seem to agree with Facebook’s approach to privacy (and neither do I, for the record) BUT they are now self-regulating what they post there; assuming it’s all going to be searchable and used by Facebook to sell on to it’s advertisers.

Facebook & other free online services

Many people I have spoken to about this, have stated that with every popular online service, there’s a price to pay; even if we don’t need to give someone our credit card details.

Examples people gave me included the way that free wordpress.com blogs have Google ads inserted into the user’s posts, which the user themselves can’t see or control.  Gmail was another example offered, where Google  scan your emails for key words, so they can serve up ads to you.

What Facebook does is similar, BUT different.  Facebook has been less than consistent with it’s privacy messages, as can be seen from this post by The EFF Electronic Freedom Foundation.  This clearly shows that Facebook has kept moving the goalposts, after gaining huge market share.

It seems that there is little choice currently, for those with concerns over Facebook’s under-fire attitude to it’s users privacy.  Users can either stop posting anything that they don’t want made very public – or stop using the service.

Facebook and marketing: Your thoughts

I would really like to know your thoughts and suggestions for businesspeople, using Facebook as part of their marketing.  How do you use the service now?  Are you one of those who have recently left the service?  Do you moderate what you put on Facebook?

Please let us know what you think!

Let’s work together and grow your business. To find out more click here!

 

Facebook privacy: Your feedback please!

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Facebook Privacy – Feedback request

I’m in the process of writing a post about the concerns many people have expressed, regarding the way Facebook handles it’s user’s privacy.  This is becoming a very big issue right now and I would like to know what you think.

If you have any feedback you would like to share with me, please get in touch.  Either leave a comment here, send me a Tweet or email me at jim (at) JimsMarketingBlog.com  Please state if you would like your feedback to remain anonymous.

Thank you!

7 ways to improve your Internet presence!

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Here are seven quick tips to help you improve your online presence.

  1. If you have a section on your website or blog, called “news” either update it regularly or delete it.  When someone clicks on that page and sees that the last entry was 6 months ago, it hardly makes you or your business look dynamic.
  2. Write the copy (wording) of your site exclusively for your target prospective clients and no one else.  If you are reading this, it’s almost certain that you are the owner of a business – that’s because you are the person I write for.  Everything I do here, is designed for you.  A message that is 100% relevant to a target group of people will generate massively better results, than a message that tries to be all things to all people.  If you want to work with your ideal type of clients, write just for them and stop trying to please everyone.
  3. If you ask people to comment on your blog or email you, you owe it to them to reply (if a reply is necessary.)  I find it amazing that even the top social media gurus get this wrong.  They ask for comments and then ignore 75% of them.
  4. Look before you link!  What do you think it says about you and your professionalism, if prospective clients visit your site and see that you link to sites that are unprofessional?  The power of association is incredible.  Show that you associate with great people and brands.
  5. If you have a blog, it’s nice occasionally to tell your readers how great some other people or companies are.  Don’t just talk about yourself.  It shows confidence and class.  BTW: Most of the people I tell my readers about on my blog are fellow marketing guys; my supposed competition.  If they provide useful, valuable content, I want you to know about them!
  6. On the subject of blogging, it’s not for everyone.  I find it amazing when I hear social media gurus telling everyone to get a blog.  Here’s the problem with that: Not everyone wants to write or enjoys writing.  If you don’t like writing or find it hard to come up with interesting ideas – leave it!  A poorly written blog that’s seldom updated, is not going to help you achieve anything.
  7. If you make a claim on your site or social network, make sure you can back it up.  My friend Irene Koehler from almostsavvy.com met the top tech journalist and blogger Robert Scoble at an event in San Francisco last year.  She introduced herself to Robert, by saying that they had a mutual contact; Jim Connolly from the UK.  Scoble smiled, said yes and asked her to say “hi” to me.  Can you imagine how bad I would have looked, if I had told her we knew each other, and he told her that he’d never heard of me?  If we make a claim about who we know or what we have achieved, it better be true; because it’s never been easier to bust a fake!

So, what tip or tips would you like to add to that list?

Let’s work together and grow your business. To find out more click here!

 

Twitter as a marketing tool: Your feedback!

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Has Twitter helped you attract new clients or customers?

Some business owners and entrepreneurs, who use Twitter as part of their marketing strategy, do extremely well.  Others seem unable to transform their tweeting time, into tangible, commercial results.

I would like to hear from you, if you use Twitter as part of your marketing efforts and have achieved bankable results, which can be traced back to connections you made on Twitter.

What tips or advice do you have for others, who would like to transform their Tweeting time into commercial success?

Please include your Twitter @username in your comments, so your fellow readers can follow you.  My user name is @JimConnolly

Let’s work together and grow your business. To find out more click here!

Twitter can be amazing: Check this out!

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I just fell back in love with Twitter!

As some of you might remember, I was once one of the world’s top 40 most followed people on Twitter.  Then, in January 2009, after being swamped daily with hundreds of DM’s and junk emails via Twitter, I left.  I later rejoined after totally wiping my account; zero following and zero followers.  Over the past year I have built a small Twitter network, which as you are about to see, is massively more valuable!

Here’s what happened and why I fell back in love with Twitter yesterday…

Twitter contacts

I was in a small village pub last night, when David Spinks from Scribnia.com contacted me via Twitter.  David and I have never met in person, though we have spoken on the phone a few times.  Anyhow, David wanted to know if I could help him, to help a Twitter contact of ours, who is having some real challenges right now.  By the way, you will be hearing all about this very shortly.

I called David and within an hour, I had spoken with a number of my Twitter friends, to see about getting our mutual friend the help he needs.  Everyone I spoke with was eager to get involved.  Each of these relationships were initially formed, via contact made on Twitter and I’ve never met any of these people in person.

Twitter at its best

In my experience, Twitter is at it’s best (from an interpersonal point of view) as a way of connecting with people; rather than as a way of building relationships.  Once a connection is made, it’s super-easy to take that connection away from Twitter, so you can get to know the person better; either face-to-face, via the phone or email etc. 

For example, each of the people I called after speaking with David Spinks, were people I met initially via Twitter, but had built a relationship with away from Twitter; including Scott Gould from Like Minds and The CEO of Headway Themes, Grant Griffiths.

The community of people I know via Twitter, are of massive value to me and last night, the way many of them wanted to get involved and help a guy they have never met, was breathtaking.  REAL people, who right now are about to make a REAL difference to the life of a fellow Twitter community member.  I have never been more impressed with the value of Twitter or more delighted that I rejoined it.

I’m no social media guru, but surely “people” are what it’s all about?

Let’s work together and grow your business. To find out more click here!