Category: Social Media

Trend Watch: A Facebook “Terms” Page

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If you thought the untamed realm of social media is (or should be) free of legalese, think again. A growing trend for companies—especially large businesses—is to create a set of their own “terms and conditions” for Internet pedestrians to scan before becoming a follower of their Facebook page.

The extra steps companies are adding to the process of joining your online crew are (supposedly) for good reason. Take the fansite of Progressive’s new mascot, “The Messanger.” Before a patron becomes a fan, they are prompted to read specialized terms and conditions before clicking that “like” button. One excerpt reads, “You agree that you will not submit Content or otherwise use the Page in any manner that would interfere with or damage the Page, including, without limitation, through the use of viruses, cancel bots, Trojan horses, harmful code, flood pings, denial of service attacks, packet or IP spoofing, forged routing or electronic mail address information or similar methods or technology.”
In other words, don’t spam up the boards or try to scam our fans out of personal information and/or life savings.

So, should your company take the time to create and display a “terms and conditions” section for your Facebook page? In the short term, it’s difficult to see how a simple page of text would stop scammers and fraudsters, many of whom live far outside the boundaries of English-speaking countries in the first place, from posting fake login mirrors and advertisements for prescription medicine. However, as the legal issues and rights ascribed to social media firm up, having a terms page could be an important tool in policing your company’s digital rights. Worth a consideration, anyhow.

See you next time,

Buyer Advertising
www.buyerads.com

Top Ten Tips For Successful Personal Branding and Networking

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Here are 10 great tips to help tell your story.

1 ) If you are doing something exciting, share it: communicate via LinkedIn, Facebook, or good old conversation.

2 ) Try to set goals for yourself–apart from those of your employer.

3 ) Focus on increasing your network any way that you can (personal, professional, etc.)

4 ) Take the time to evaluate any event before attending–even if attendance is free.

5 ) Find a partner in crime (or advocate).

6 ) Don’t be afraid of starting over. Sometimes it’s easier moving forward with a clean slate.

7 ) When family and career collide, decide which is more important–in the moment.

8 ) Continue to test and evaluate your own personal brand: Google yourself!

9 ) Don’t be afraid to cross the line of conversation from swim meet to sales contact.

10 ) You are your greatest advocate, but if you create a strong reputation in the marketplace and continue to support and maintain friendships and partnerships, others will take the lead. Always repay the compliment, the introduction, etc. to improve your relationships.

– Composed by Jody Robie, Executive Director Business Development at Buyer Advertising

Social Media Strategizing for 2011

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It’s a new year, and your company has a new focus: bringing in business by utilizing New Media. It’s no easy task. Considering that sites like Facebook and Twitter are only a scant few years old, determining tactics for these new mediums is a hazy enterprise at best.

Companies are still figuring out the strategies that work for their line of business. But whether you sell shoes or jet engines, there are two goals you should have in mind: increasing the number of followers, and provide ways they can pick up what you’re offering.

That is to say, of course, that your tactics shouldn’t necessarily reflect your goals. After all, pitching offers to your fanbase one after another is a surefire way to lose your audience in a hurry. If there’s one thing that 2010 has to teach us, it’s that large companies don’t necessarily translate into successful online powerhouses. Small organizations can get it right, too.

At the risk of oversimplifying, one great strategy is simple: don’t be boring. The most successful businesses in the world may have their message down to a science, but that doesn’t mean you can robotic about disseminating it. People aren’t machines. Remain personal, laid back, even humorous. Offer content real people can use—not just CEOs. Cater to the casual. And stay interactive. Join us this year as we explore social media in detain, including ways for you to strike it big in the world of social media.

Best wishes for the new year!

Buyer Advertising
www.buyerads.com

Incenting the Masses

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It’s a topic that receives less attention as the recession lingers: recruitment incentives. Despite having a swelling of potential recruits per opening, as hiring managers, you know that quantity doesn’t always translate into quality. The best solution for filling an open position is to first attract top talent, and then keep them at your organization. But with limited budgets, how do you make this happen?

Consider allowing more personal expression into the workplace. Although an admitted time sink, companies are experimenting with opening up sites like Facebook and Twitter—often for business, networking related purposes. Companies are also providing time for music and exercise, finding that the resources they’re expending catering to high-performing employees is more than worth the investment.

Above all, remember that a plethora of available talent doesn’t necessarily translate into increased productivity, and ultimately higher revenue for your business. Taking the time to plan a thoughtful, fun, creative, rewarding workplace is a great strategy for truly utilizing emerging graduates with a lot to offer your organization.

‘Till next time,
Buyer Advertising
www.buyerads.com

Don’t Neglect LinkedIn

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Like any good advertising strategy, it’s easy to sweep the old faithfuls under the rug. In the midst of the growing popularity of Twitter and Facebook, there are many who neglect the underdogs. LinkedIn came into being in 2003, and since then, by-the-minute media has been the flavor of choice–with flashy features such as instant tweets and a library of Facebook apps. Simply stated, to some, LinkedIn has become old hat.

However, keeping an active account is a worthwhile endeavor for nearly any organization. Even without the designer interface and the mobile media extras, LinkedIn provides a valuable “at a glance” stats about a company without a client needing to navigate individual company websites. It’s essential for SEO, where sites like Google can parse LinkedIn to see if an organization exists outside their own little webspace. And as a portal for employees-to-be or prospective clients, LinkedIn offers an attractive way to reach individual people, rather than the info@yourcompany.com many organizations use as a default.

But perhaps the most compelling argument to keep up with LinkedIn is that people know it and use it already. It’s found a home in the bookmarks of millions, and if you’re spending time keeping up a presence, it’s only logical that you’ll reach some potential hires or customers. After all, advertising where the people are remains one of the fundamental tenants of any successful enterprise.

Signing off for now,
Buyer Advertising
www.buyerads.com

Human Resources—Preparing for 2011

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As HR professionals, we’re looking forward to the future as new trends constantly emerge. Today, the landscape of hiring quality employees is shifting more rapidly than ever. 2011 will be no exception—expect plenty of changes that affect the way your organization recruits new talent.

According to the HR Management blog, there are 10 major changes to the way recruitment will work in 2011. Here are the highlights:

1. Rise in health care costs.
2. Focus on domestic safety and security.
3. Use of technology to communicate with employees.
4. Growing complexity of legal compliance.
5. Use of technology to perform transactional HR functions.
6. Focus on global security
7. Preparing for the next wave of retirement/labor shortage.
8. Use and development of e-learning.
9. Exporting of U.S. manufacturing jobs to developing countries.
10. Changing definition of family.

(Thanks to http://www.humanresources.hrvinet.com/hr-trends-2011/)

Make sure you bookmark our blog as we explore some of these issues in greater depth. Share your thoughts with us!
Signing off for now,
Buyer Advertising
www.buyerads.com

Black Friday and Your Recruitment Drive

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There’s such a thing as a “hot new deal!” when it comes to hiring initiatives. Though it doesn’t involve catalogues and bright red callouts, it’s your job as an HR representative to fill important positions. From your perspective, you want the best and the brightest pool of applicants to make the most intelligent decision and hire an outstanding employee. As a potential hire, what this opening means to them is this: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Like Black Friday deals, it’s your job to communicate to employees-to-be these great career opportunities. The good news is that there’s a lot of new mediums open these days. Radio and newspaper advertising is still effective, but adding to the mix is also special Twitter announcements and Facebook wall messages. These social media avenues are often more effective in that job openings extend beyond your fans’ listings because of the way people share information—privately, publically, through messages behind the scenes.

Consider also landing pages on websites, press releases, and paid advertising on sites your target demographics frequent. With some planning and hiring initiative, you could find yourself with stampedes of qualified applicants—without having to wake up at 4 in the morning.

Buyer Advertising
www.buyerads.com

The Logistics of Going Social

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You’d love to get in on this social media thing, but you just don’t have the time. With the amount of material to read and digest, and a laundry list of “to-do’s”, it’s easy to keep putting off the bits and parts that make a successful online strategy. Here’s an approach to get you started.

Companies need to take a different route than individuals when establishing themselves on Twitter and Facebook. Not only do you have different setup routes (such as Facebook, where you need to list your company as a business instead of as a person), but you’ll need to include more information. One tip is to collect this data ahead of time. Choose an associate to manage the account. List their email address as the primary holder. Collect the following snippets: your organization’s contact information, your physical address, your telephone number, your blog address (if you have one), hours of business, and a brand image to display. You’ll need this when setting up a Facebook account, and you can even elect to use some of this in your Twitter account, too. Launching a complete social media profile helps to avoid being mis-categorized for a few days by popular search engines, and allows you to begin producing meaningful content immediately.

Once you’re set up, decide on an updating strategy. And you do want to update. Not only is social media a great way to maintain SEO and draw in customers, it’s an opportunity to promote content and change your voice, even stepping away from the traditional brand of your own product. Social media provides a chance to re-invent yourself with a fresh voice, and that’s a project few organizations can afford to pass up.

Signing off for now,

Buyer Advertising
www.buyerads.com

Twitter Tips for Turkey Time

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As a growing business (or a company yearning to get bigger), you’re actively invested in social media. It’s a great, untapped resource for potential hires and customers-to-be. Unless traditional mediums, however, it’s a finicky realm. Attention spans are at a minimum, and the Internet represents a land where advertising of any sort is chastised. Here are a few tips as you ease into the holidays that can get you more followers on Twitter—and in the process, more business
potential.

1. Post at least once a week. Activity keeps you relevant in the mighty eyes of Google.

2. List ways to connect with other parts of your business. For example, a link where your fans can sign up for your newsletter.

3. Share useful articles, videos, and links to resources that can directly benefit your customer.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or for fresh ideas—it keeps your fan base interested and interactive.

5. Post recent work or ongoing collaborations. Even if you’re a resource for your fans, they still don’t mind hearing (occasionally) about what’s going on in that office of yours.

6. Actively network. Find similar companies and message them. Identify client bases, and do what you can to tap into them.

7. Offer discounts. Better yet, offer discounts only available to your Facebook fans.

Till next time,
Buyer Advertising
www.buyerads.com

Measuring Your Online Hiring Campaign

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It’s a bit of a challenge even using traditional media: gauging the success of a hiring campaign. Throw in the relative new-ness of social media and the oft-lacking tracking tools from the likes of Facebook and Twitter, and you can rapidly find yourself launching hiring campaigns in the dark. Without reliable methods of tracking you investment, it’s hard to say if your social media hiring efforts are paying off. There are ways to assess what you invest, however.

The most important thing to remember is that an online hiring campaign isn’t strictly a game of numbers. You’ve furthering your employer brand. You’re increasing engagement. You’re disseminating information about your place of business. To evaluate effectiveness, you need to look at traditional online metrics including page views, landing page visits (if you’ve set up your system that way), and fan/follower counts. Actual conversions or hires remains a solid method to determine whether your campaign is working or not.

New, Web 2.0-savvy ways of tracking your hiring efforts include counting the frequency of re-tweets and searching out mentions of your campaign in other “new media” sources such as blogs and on personal posts. Using traditional and emerging metrics, evaluating your campaign makes a shift from quantitative to qualitative, but is still a very real and obtainable goal.

Signing off for now,

Buyer Advertising
www.buyerads.com