Launching a viral campaign???

Are viral campaigns really that good but one thing is we would all like one for our business. Here is a quick does and don'ts if you are thinking of launching a viral campaign.

Social Media and Niche Products

As we are only too aware during a economic down turn we are considerable pressure to deliver value for our customers and yet at the same time meet our own commitments. so the question arises during a recession how can we capitalise on the opportunities out there and be attentive of our customers shifting needs. Developing a social media strategy an excellent way of engaging with our customers without over stretching our budget. Social media is also great way for anyone with a niche product or service. With a limited budget you can reach your target segments. It's a cost effective way of reaching your market and for generating interest.

What can social media do for my business?

This video is a example of a company using Social Media to engage with its customers. A good social media strategy is a great way to promote your business and should be included in your marketing campaign.

With whom are we sharing our personal data?

Should we concerned about where our information is going, who are sharing it with and how much control can we control the flow. It is interesting once again Facebook has come to the attention of Europe's privacy regulators. One its apps, We're Related, which seeks to locate and linkup family members who are using the site. As reported by 'The Financial Times' (Friday June 19) many people using, We're Related, are unaware of how much of there personal information is actually being appropriated by the app. So users are unwittingly 'sharing' their data including those of their contacts.

Privacy issues such as this have attracted the attention of the European privacy regulators, known as Article 29 Working Party. This group seeks to protect the privacy right of the European users and indirectly will have an impact on other users.

Should there should be greater transparency concerning where our personal data is going and who are we involuntarily 'sharing' it with. Free social online networks such as Facebook are under pressure to monetise, part of its value is is the data it holds. So the question arises how much is our privacy worth to us, would we be willing to to pay a small fee to protect our online privacy?

Gender and Online Social Networking

Again there is has been some debate about the gender differences when it comes to using online social networking. In real life situations when are said to be superior networkers but does this change when using online networks? The recent Hardvard study (http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/cs/2009/06/new_twitter_research_men_follo.html) directed at twitter users indicates while men and women follow a similar number of users, men on average have 15% more followers than women and men are more likely to follow other men. Can a random sample of 300,000 be truely representative when it is impossible to authenicate who really is who they say they are? One article pointing out the possible flaws with the study - http://fstutzman.com/2009/06/04/rethinking-twitter-and-gender-differences/

However, all studies are limited by the inferences they make.

Using social media to promote your brand or service...

How can social media be used to enhance or reinforce your brand or company? The vast majority of social networks are free and social media is another another channel to promote your brand or service to your target customers.

Twitter is a 'real-time' streaming service and can potentially be used to offer your customers discounts, special offers et al in real time. Building a targeted base of followers is advantageous as your customers (followers) may be more responsive. Its also important to find a balance between tweeting your products/services and not to be perceived as a spammer and potentially lose your followers.

Linkedin, Facebook, Zimupa, Myspace et al could be used to raise your company/brand profile too. We will be posting more articles how to use Linkedin, Facebook and Zimupa to reach out to your customers.

Extreme Boss - Al Gosling - talks business

An inspirational talk from Al Gosling of Extreme Channel. For anyone starting a business or has an existing business this is def. worth watching.