Total Image Group – Social Media News

Why I’m closing my Facebook page…..

October 24th, 2011

The number of Facebook business pages that keep popping up from a multinational brand to the shop down the road selling cat food continues to increase. But that doesn’t mean that those who have been put in charge of managing the sites understand what they should be doing any better.

I recently researched an industry in Bournemouth to pitch to a client and discovered numerous Facebook pages with very little activity. In fact only one business was regularly updating of the 15 Facebook pages I found. What was interesting was that the 14 inactive had clearly launched their page and then posted with a frenzied enthusiasm for 2 or 3 months and then got bored, the posts became less frequent until they stopped completely and then haven’t touched it since. In one instance a user had commented on a page ‘will someone please call me’, they were clearly not answering their phones and then publicly not answering their comment on Facebook- a double whammy!

Social media requires time and input and there are significant results on offer as a reward. Most companies fail because they decide on a Monday morning meeting to have a Facebook page and by Tuesday they’ve uploaded a bio from the website, a profile picture, a few images of the owners and ‘hello everyone, we’re on Facebook’, by Friday they’ve uploaded everything the company does and what it has ever done and by the following Monday they’re struggling for content, bored and when too many emails come through, it’s forgotten and their social media experience is over because it didn’t work and social media is a load of baloney! Unsurprisingly, social media requires a plan and a strategy and most importantly, knowing where you’re content is going to come from on a regular basis. What it also requires too is realistic targets, so that after 6 months of updates and interactions, you can assess whether it has been a success and what the company has archived by using social media.

Don’t embark in social media if you already know you’re not going to update your profiles with regular interesting news, don’t allow your customers to find poorly managed pages. Close down your existing pages if you know you’re never going to update it again or you’re not going to invest the necessary time. But if you’re serious about social media, make a plan and devise a strategy. How are you going to connect with your audience and what results do you expect to see?

With 50% of the UK population on Facebook and half logging in very day, you shouldn’t be dreaming of closing down your page or not getting involved!

Why are pensioners using social media?

October 14th, 2011

A recent survey conducted by social media agency Umpf found that 55% of the UK’s pensionable age has an active Facebook page and two-thirds regularly view videos on YouTube.

This is obviously great news for businesses on the social networking sites who are continuing to witness their social media investment reap better rewards as result of increased usage and the continued expansion of the active demographic. More companies are discovering that their target audience are involved in and active on the social networks and therefore can no longer discard social media as a tool used only by the young or people who have ‘nothing better to do with their time’.

But why are pensioners taking to social media?

Family updates: It’s a great way to keep track of what the family is up to by viewing status updates and photo uploads
Social lives: many have active social lives and therefore communicating and arranging plans is easy to coordinate of Facebook and is to many, easier than having to use a mobile phone
Technology: the use of the computers and the internet is far more accessible than it was 10 years ago. What’s more, ‘young’ pensioner’s age have had time to get used to technology like computers and mobiles and therefore using Facebook does necessitate a steep learning curve.

What does this mean for businesses?

Whereas only 3 years ago social media data was being uploaded mainly by 19-35 year olds, Facebook users from the 45-and-over category generate 400million plus stories each month, which means they are just as engaged content wise as 19-year-olds. It demonstrates that data is being uploaded and importantly consumed by an older generation.
Use of social media for businesses is not only broadening in the demographic they can communicate with. A company may have used previously used social media to communicate with a section of their audience but now they could potentially talk to their entire audience.
More companies will be looking to invest in social media who previously thought their audience were not active.

Think about if your business is on the social networks and whether your updates are catering for all demographics. Does your strategy need to be reviewed and your content adjusted accordingly?

Social media has once again proved that it is an indispensible tool to any business- we shouldn’t be surprised any longer really.

Why you don’t involve your company in social media…..

August 2nd, 2011

At SWARM we’re trying to preach the good word of social media. To us it makes perfect sense that you should immerse your company in this modern, fashionable and highly effective form of PR, Marketing, Advertising and Communications. So we can list reason after reason why you SHOULD be on social media but we thought we’d address the concerns we’re confronting in meetings and explain why these aren’t motives to stay away from social media at all!

I don’t like it… …I don’t have a profile.
You might not like social media but your business’ target audience does! 50% of the UK population are on Facebook and 20% have a Twitter profile. In fact it’s not just that they have a profile, 15 million people in the UK login to their Facebook profile every day.
Your company can’t ignore the fact that despite your personal belief that it’s people making strange updates and spending too much time on the platforms, it is where people are communicating with each other and surely you’re business wants to get involved? Don’t miss out on the conversation!

What if people say negative things?
Whether you like it or not people will always have an opinion and often they’ll want to share that with people on the social networking sites. This is NOT a bad thing. In fact it gives you the opportunity to manage your online reputation. Where in the past, most criticisms were spread across the internet on forums and various sites, with the rise of Facebook and Twitter, you have the opportunity to monitor what people are saying and most importantly contact them and make sure any problems are corrected. In fact it shows that your company is on the ball and responding to feedback. Make sure that if you do enter social media you’re monitoring your profiles regularly and responding carefully- it’s even worse if you’ve created profiles and then not replying to comments or mentions.

There are so many sites I don’t know which ones are best for me
Following on from the last concern, you have to decide which social networking sites will best benefit your business. Pick a couple which offer the best return and stick with them. Don’t spread yourself thin because you’re less likely to keep on top of it and if there are comments that need attention, you’re more likely to reply if you have fewer profiles to check. If you’re starting on social media for the first time, start with Twitter and Blogging for six months for instance and then assess whether it’s beneficial to move into Facebook and LinkedIn if it fits your strategy.

I don’t understand it
If you want to keep your social media management in-house then there are plenty of webinars, articles and blogs on social media and the best ways to use it. But in the most case, we explain why you should be on social media, the benefits and the returns and we talk you through it. We’ll outline the basic principles of social media and it’s our job to ensure your business gets the best from social media.

Stay in contact with SWARM on Twitter

Top 5 SWARM tips for new businesses embarking on social media

July 22nd, 2011

Top 5 SWARM tips for new businesses embarking on the social media mission

Olly will be talking on BayFm on Monday about why social media is so powerful for businesses and gives his top 5 tips. Tune in to Bay FM to hear what Olly recommends to get the best from immersing your company on the social networking sites and further explanation on his tips.

Here’s a sneak preview of those top tips:

1. Strategy- why have you put your company on the social networking sites and what are your objectives?

Don’t just dive into social media without any kind of plan otherwise you’ll soon be wondering what you’re doing and why you’re even there! Create some realistic objectives- make sure you are working towards something whether it be increased web traffic or the amount of likes/followers. If you don’t you wont know whether it’s a successful campaign or if you’re achieving the ROI you hoped for.

2. Don’t just follow people on Twitter

it’s not a numbers game! If you have 1000 followers and no interaction then you’ve eliminated the ‘social’ aspect of social media! Follow people who would be interested in your business and say hello, comment of the weather or strike up conversation.

3. Incentives

There are a growing number of businesses getting involved in social media but very few are doing it correctly. Make sure you’re different to everyone else and particularly you’re competition. Create incentives and treat your followers as an elite group- tell your community breaking news before you release the information to anyone else.

4. Mix up your updates

Don’t use the social media as a broadcasting mechanism. Make sure you add some personality to your updates, it’s social after all! Upload industry news, pictures, office news, is one of the company employees raising money for charity and wish people a good day!

5. Don’t give up and have fun

A lot of companies give up too quickly because they haven’t followed the previous steps. Keep at it and you’ll discover the rewards and whilst you’re doing it, have fun!

Say Hello: Follow SWARM on Twitter or send olly@swarmbuzz.co.uk an email

Phones 4 everyone!

July 18th, 2011

While the explosion of mobile use is no new phenomenon, what continues to amaze is the appetite for smart phones and the onus on making them indispensible to the consumer. The smart phone was impressive alone, let alone the continued progression of technology that is making it the most modern form of communication far beyond texts and phone calls. In fact, in terms of social media use, it’s easier to use a smart phone that it is your desktop.

Currently, 25% of people in the UK own a smart phone but by 2014 this number will rise to 75%, a staggering increase in such a short time. Social media will play a key part in this growth, consumers want to access their Facebook or Twitter accounts, or watch YouTube videos where ever they are, at any time of the day. In the UK 50% of all mobile internet traffic is on Facebook the key platform driving mobile internet usage, followed by Google and YouTube.

What does this mean for your business? The key aspect is that your customers are constantly talking about your brand with more ease than ever before. A consumer having a coffee mentions where they’ve been and how good it was, a service they’ve used and their reflections on it. In many occasions it’s not even a conscious effort to name the brand and give their opinion; it’s just sharing information and updating the people in their community.

Businesses need to get smart. They need to be aware that in the past they discovered what their customers thought by handing out testimonial cards. That’s long gone. They’ve almost lost control of who says what and when, but as a result, businesses need to be at the top of their game every day. It’s no longer enough to produce a good dish when a restaurant reviewer visits; every customer is now the reviewer with an equal opinion. They need to embrace social media rather than continue to run from it.

Facebook, Twitter and no doubt Google+ have been developed with the mobile device in mind. Facebook’s places and Twitter’s geotagging are developments that use smart phones to give information beyond an update. The idea is for the micro-blogging sites to be immediate and convenient. It captures their thought at that moment which can then be shared with incredible ease. Experiences, good and bad are shared by consumers every minute of every day.

70% of people will buy products/services even if it has been recommended by a stranger and 90% buy after recommendations from friends. For businesses this means that with the spread of social media and the rise of smart phones they need to be at the top of the game and value every customer. Companies are being discussed, whether it be positive or negative feedback and they need to be on top of it. Social media isn’t going away, it’s only going to grow as smart phones make it easier to post and the consumer now gets their voice heard.

Social Media: ROI…..ROI….ROI

July 5th, 2011

Now that the top UK brands are acknowledging the importance and power of social media, the emphasis of their involvement is beginning to change. Initially, those that first immersed their brand on the social networking platforms did so because they had the vision to appreciate it was where their customers were communicating with each other. They appreciated the benefits that Facebook and Twitter and YouTube could offer and rather than evaluate the tangible cash return they’d witness, they instead understood that deep involvement would reap rewards that traditional forms of marketing and advertising could not claim.

However, with the mass entrance of brands of all shapes and sizes, the concept of vision and genuine belief in the sites has been replaced by the ancient business ethos of ‘what will I get back from the money I’ve put in?’ Understandable from a business mindset but consequently, social media is changing. The most frequent topic of articles on social media in recent months has been on ROI, as companies are frantically trying to understand why they’re investing in social media, why they’re competitors are throwing large budgets at it and other than a Facebook page with 10,000 likes, what they’re actually getting back from it.

What has been difficult for most brands is that they cannot find a tangible ROI for social media. But it can be argued that traditional advertising, ie a TV advert, a page in the newspaper or magazine or a billboard ad are harder to determine the ROI. Social media can be tracked; the traffic referred to the brand’s website, better search ranking, levels of feedback on various campaigns, assessing customer’s thoughts on changes to the brand or suggestions for the future. How else could these factors be assessed or even posed to their customers before the arrival of social media? If you want ROI, don’t enter social media to sell a product or service, treat it as the most effective, beneficial and unique opportunity to achieve results nothing else can currently offer.

Is Twitter just too dangerous for footballers to use?

June 1st, 2011

Rather than considering the legal implications of the use of twitter and the recent revelation that Ryan Giggs was ‘outed’ on twitter, it made me consider instead whether footballers should be on twitter.

Enough has been said about Giggs, and no doubt it is a shame that a role model like he was actually hiding behind a string of laws to maintain his polished appearance. Whilst Giggs wasn’t on twitter, a number of his team mates are and they’re receiving varied reaction.

It must be a nightmare for managers, not only are they having to keep these twenty something millionaires squeaky clean but now they’re having to deal with social networking which is difficult to monitor and is allowing players to say what they want.
Rio Ferdinand, the pin up tweeter is probably the best example of a footballer using the platform to best and most productive effect. He is diplomatic and polite and whilst his heated discussions with Robbie Savage have become well known, they’re all in good jest. He refrains from criticising referees and does not use it to berate other players but instead encourages the likes of Jack Wilshire on his England debut.

Ronney on the other hand wasn’t so reserved recently when he told a fellow tweeter to come down to the training ground to ‘show him what he was made of’, not quite the interaction Ferguson would have advised. Wilshire and Babel have openly criticised referees, Wilshire calling them ‘inconsistent’ and Babel posting a photo of a referee in a Manchester United shirt.

Should footballers on twitter be banned? It has on the plus side brought fans closer to their idols, Ferdinand host a Q&A and Fabregas holds competitions via twitvid. But the likes of Bent ranting about a transfer just feeds the paper with new stories and gossip. Reporters must love Twitter, when for years they’ve been trying to access players, they’re now providing all the information they could dream of. On Kaka’s profile his mum posted news he was buying a property in London, fuelling rumours he was on the way to England- gold dust for papers.

Sure Twitter is a great source to connect with the people we watch every weekend, but it needs to be controlled. It’d be a shame if Ferguson removed Ferdinand but at the same time, the likes of Rooney need to be coached on what the effects of 140 characters can do. It seems this is the major failing, footballers don’t realise that people are listening and reading every comment. It’s as though they say what they want without any thought of consequence. It’s great having footballers on Twitter and it’d be a shame if we weren’t able to interact with them, but they need to implement some control and remember that as examples to young footballers, they need to be ‘tweety clean’ too.

Should employees be allowed to use social media at work?

May 12th, 2011

A recent survey has suggested that half of the UKs employees are banned from using Facebook and other social networking sites. Companies blame the ban on wasted time and also the risk of misrepresenting the company image. So is the ban justifiable and is it beneficial to implement the restriction?

Looking first at the reasons why employees SHOULD be allowed to use the social networking sites, a survey in 2008 concluded that companies which allowed e-time during the working day made workers more productive and boosted morale and thus reduced stress. Goldsmiths College went so far as to suggest that £4 billion pounds a year was being lost by companies who’s employees were not putting enough effort into work. Obviously, it’s questionable how much an employee’s productivity would increase by using Facebook specifically, but certainly the opportunity to relax and take time away from work for 5 minutes, will help the employee. When employees were questioned, 85% suggested that an ebreak made them more productive than stopping for a tea- maybe because they could drink tea and surf the internet at the same time!

On the other hand, using social networking sites can be dangerous. Not only is it difficult to patrol if staff were allowed to tweet or update but who’s to say that they will restrict themselves to 5 minutes every 2 hours for example? Does a bell ring so everyone can stop typing and check their Facebook and then drop their update mid sentence and return to work ‘productively’ when the bell rings 5 minutes later? Is the temptation not going to be too great?

What’s more, what are they going to be saying? Will they be connecting with friends to tell them how bored they are at work, or that the they wish they could hook up with another employee or the boss came in looking hungover? Once these types of updates are being made you’re treading dangerous ground. The BECTU (The Media and Entertainment Union) states ‘If you make disparaging comments on social networking sites about either your employer or third parties, you could be exposing yourself to being sued for defamation by either the employer or the third parties, or both, depending upon the circumstances’. Furthermore, an employee could be accused of harassment or even dismissed if the company feels the employment or hiring contract has been broken.

It is no doubt a minefield- do you prevent your staff from using social media but reduce their productivity OR allow them to make updates and risk negative comments being made about the company? Is it possible that companies could lift the ban during the 12-1 when most people take their lunch break? Could the company control administer a page/profile which allows the employees to interact with each other? It does seem that companies have been taken by surprise with the rise of social media- they don’t have their own strategies and presence arranged, let alone internal policies. It’s time they gave it some thought- it’s not going away any time soon!

Royal Wedding V Osama on the social media

May 6th, 2011

We witnessed two major global events over the last bank holiday weekend, one rejoicing the start of a new life together with the marriage of William and Kate and the other being the breaking news that Bin Laden had been shot by Navy Seals.

The Royal Wedding attracted an audience of 2 billion people, a third of the world’s population whilst Osama’s death was the most concealed secret in recent history and was watched by a handful of Obama’s closest advisors. Interestingly though, Osama’s death was first revealed on twitter when a person from Abootabad was live tweeting the attack- “Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1am (is a rare event),” he went on to document the death of the most wanted man.

But what we’re interested in is how this affected the social media?

Were people still only interested in celebrating the Royal Wedding or was this long forgotten when news broke about Osama? Would it make a difference that the Royal Wedding had been planned long in advance and therefore people were already updating their social networking profiles or would the sudden news of Osama create a sudden reaction and sense that the news needed to be spread?

A few moments after Obama announced the death of Osama, one-fifth of global Tweets contained the word ‘Obama’. In comparison the Royal Wedding only reached one-tenth of all updates. Google saw a one million percent increase in searches for “bin Laden” and Twitter said messages posted between 7:45 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. PT that night were the “highest sustained rates of Tweets ever,” with Twitter averaging 3,000 tweets per second during that time.

Royal Wedding received several mentions during the 6 month lead up but Osama was being paid very little attention. However on the day of the respective events the outcome was very different- Osama’s death far outweighed the wedding. Was this because it was sudden news or were people actually more interested? There’s no doubt the events are localized- the UK would have paid more attention to the wedding and the US would have been more interested in Osama’s death and therefore it may be that it’s the sheer population that accounts for the difference.

So what does this demonstrate? That news is best received on the social media when it is broken suddenly, or is it a because the content was more shocking? A previous record was when Michael Jackson suddenly died- Twitter witnessed 456 tweets per second. So what does this say about Twitter? Is it therefore a platform that is used to break sudden news and share it very quickly. The Osama news was the first time Twitter demonstrated that it was more reliable and accurate and the first source of breaking news. Major news stations were reacting to Twitter and behind its coverage. Is this the moment Twitter truly became the first port of any breaking news?

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