Do these before your competitors…

1. Follow competitors company pages..obvious but sometimes overlooked…keep an eye out for new products or services and monitor which of the services is getting the most attention… check new followers

Up to date Information

2. Page Insights – look at all people who have worked at the company…connect if of interest

3. Check web links form Banners…thats if they have banners,speaks volumes if they don’t..how often do the links change?

4.Groups – follow activity and key “Influencers”..are they engaging with anyone new? Cross check with Twitter..is there the same increase in engagement here as well? handy tools available to see who someone is actually talking to not just Following

5. Connections – see who key competitors are connected to and check updates to see who their new ones are

6. Searches – setup and review searches for new entrants and sectors and set up a similar Google Alert

7. Word Map Profiles to get key words…are they the same as mission statement?

8. Networks..look at network diagram and conduct Gap Analysis..where are their strengths and weaknesses?  Which industry and companies do they have most links in..Location..al contacts in a small geographic area the exploit by connecting with people in their less strong areas..set a Tag up that reflects this

9.Signal – check against names,company and all updates

10. Do this often and review strategy… get to the future before you competitors and research the same as everyone else Customeyes your approach

Here to help so please do get in touch with any questions or comments

socialmedia@customeyes-research.co.uk

Angus Grady

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What I don’t do…

As a rule I’m not too keen on exploring Apps, I tend to work on the basis that if anything is any good then “Noise” will get back to me and I’ll start to get involved..

Well I have surprised myself…I came across this particular App from a Podcast I was listening to…even that is surprising as 3 years ago I had never actively looked for any Podcasts, now I have to have a daily listen to something..thats another story

Right back to Elevatr…

What does it do?

As the name suggests it resembles an elevator pitch in as much as it helps you to remember that brilliant business idea that you just had…

Be honest how many barmy ideas do you have in a day that you are convinced will make you a trillionaire…yep, loads just like me..still raging that the wheel has gone…anyway..

This App lets you quickly write it all down with handy categories that let you quickly enter the main points..these include target market,Business Model,Execution,The Product..

No more scribbling on the back of a Sainsbury receipt or ripped napkin, leave behind the odd bits of paper put somewhere safe never to be found again..how many days have you lost searching for those saved items?

This isn’t going to get you the ideas to dream about but it may just help you remember them…

Only on Iphone and IPad right now but Android version coming soon…wonder if the used their own App to remind them to go Android..

Anyone who uses it please do let me know what you think..

socialmedia@customeyes-research.co.uk

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May the Fourth spirit at Hemel this morning…

The joys of networking are that you get to meet some amazing companies that are often sitting on your doorstep…it’s easy to overlook the fact that right under our noses are so many good vibrant companies…

This morning showed me that there is a wealth of good local companies that could not only be my suppliers but also potential clients..

Networking works…

There were over 30 companies this morning,two more than the lockout number..all are welcome to the Hemel gathering

The range of business types was once again brilliant, web based through to bespoke tailors…I know what a mix

Some exceptional people there,including the amazing Paul Ryan from Improve on You and  Michael Nagles from StrotherWeb as well as Julia Bell from Sirens Driving Academy and many more…

The 4Sight today was from Shilpa Panachmatia from Ziiri Digital Marketing and it covered social media..people were scribbling notes galore

Hear what people thought…

Don’t take my word for how good it was, take a few mins to listen the feedback your self and get yourself booked in for the next meeting on May 17th

This week has been an odd one in as much as I have gone back to my roots and reverted to some old fashioned Telemarketing..

It’s not too strange as we do use the telephone as part of our research process. 

What was different was the fact that broadband and other online elements have been less than reliable and so the good old phone was the perfect standby and a very rewarding one

Having mentioned this to someone their reaction was a typical one..” I hate the phone,it’s hard to get through to anyone and its no good anymore for doing business on…”

Bullocks..is all I can say..

The Nerves first recorded “Hanging on the Telephone” and thats exactly what people suffer when the grab the phone..they get nervous and have the conversation in their head BEFORE they have had the chat on the phone…

In a word they have already determined that they are going to get nowhere and that it will not be productive ahead of the first Hello..crazy

Glad people don’t like the phone… 

I genuinely am glad as it gives me an unfair advantage over rivals because the phone is my friend, a weapon of mass discussion…

Given that we natter all day long on our mobiles why is that making a business call can cause so much stress and what to do about it?

♦ We don’t prepare.. previous calls may have gone wrong and we just don’t think about what we are trying to achieve ahead of the call

○ Always make sure that some research has been done, get the right name, have an end target in mind..getting an appointment..remember the call is not always about making the sale its about opening the door

♦ Get the gatekeeper and just accept the excuse given for not putting you through

○ Have a strategy.. sound in control and authoritative without sounding rude, never say BUT in response to objections  ” ..thats a useful point,lots of our clients felt like that AND then they found…”

○ When getting through try saying …” Can I speak with person X Thank you” don’t say please, keep it short

♦ We assume that the answer is going to be no..you know thats a reason you didn’t make that call

○ Be confident BEFORE you make the call…try standing up when calling,use headphones,it’s easier to move around,it’s good to use your body..keep going,and don’t have a break between each call, tell yourself this is the last call you have to make because it’s going to be a successful one..

Positive Results..

The joy of the phone is that not many people use it and it always delivers if you have the right attitude.

Where else can you get a result so quickly? No waiting for emails or Tweets to bounce around, no having to second guess the situation..

You can tell by the tone of voice if the person you are talking to is genuine and you can ask direct questions,change direction and get more answers faster than other routes.

The best thing? You can ask the Columbo question ” Just one more thing..”…just as they think the conversation is at an end and are relaxed you ask a killer question…never fails to deliver the best answers..

Good luck when you next call that prospect or lapsed customer and leave the Nerves at the office door..

I Love you just the way you are…

I keep thinking of the Billy Joel song every time I go into Linkedin these days..

“Don’t go changing to try and please me,you never let me down before…Don’t imagine you’re too familiar…”

The last few weeks have seen some pretty important changes happen with Linkedin and I have to say I’m not that sure they are for the best..

You could say that I’m just being an old git and shouting against change because I don’t like change…to some degree yes but sometimes change isn’t always appropriate in my view..

What’s already changed?

The demise of Answers and Events happened some time ago as did the introduction of Endorsements and of course the new layout…another one due, see below

In the last few weeks we have seen Linkedin introduce new searching capabilities, smarter searching as well as the new Tagging option 

The court is out on the functionality of the new search but certainly what has been written thus far would suggest that for recruiters the changes are not good..more on that in a later post.

New layout

On the back of the functionality changes there is a new layout about to be launched…which has meant a re write on my course notes..I do wish there was more notice..

This is the old layout with the new one underneath.

So what is New?

The look is more condensed which is the obvious thing to mention with familiar features now icons.

Profile area has no more drop down options these have moved.

Career is now Jobs and Companies..the annoying thing will be that you can no longer get to your company page from here, presently you can click on companies and the drop down will show you your own company tab.

In Box tab has gone and replaced by a new envelope icon

News and More tabs have gone and been amalgamated into the other tabs.

Advanced Search still available as long as you are in Home or the Profile tabs..Signal is no longer an option although it can be accessed from the Updates option in the new search function.

There is a drop down icon to the left of the search area which allows you to search People,Updates,Jobs,Companies,Inbox and Groups

Settings are now under the photo on the far right, this is where your Privacy settings will be located.

That is a brisk jog through the layout changes,more updates to follow with a video walk through..

Have to say that I’m not sure these latest layout changes are that good.In my view Linkedin has made life a tad more difficult for those who are just getting to grips with the already present changes without another big change.

If there any questions please feel free to email on

socialmedia@customeyes-research.co.uk

Hemel does it again…

Another brilliant #4N hemel with 30 plus people..

Once again the room was packed full of varying business types which made for an enjoyable business breakfast.

This was networking at it’s best with a sparkling 4Sight from Debbie Gilbert on Social Media.

Debbie gave some great advice for getting your social media sorted in 30 mins a day..I’m going to have to nick a few of those tips fro myself..

Don’t take my word for it,here are some other people who thought it was good…

Always good to end the week on a good networking note.              

It rounds off the week and sets you up for the next week of meetings and connections.

4N Hemel is always a buzzing meeting,it’s a great mix of different companies and often similar ones.

Today was a case in point with a few web based companies along with some financial ones..the good thing was that there was a good feeling in the room.

Why similar skills make for a good meeting..

• No one company can offer a single stop shop..often people are good at aspects of their chosen field and are not good at absolutely everything..
• Having several people from the same industry in the room means that all the skills get represented and anyone looking for help has the chance to pick the most appropriate person to talk to
• It’s not always about business..meetings are places to strengthen existing relationships and forge new ones

Today’s Hemel meeting

Nearly 30 people in the room and supercharged with conversation and business.

A 4Sight to be remembered from Russell Hewer on the subject of what success means to people, a walk through his personal journey that took in the first London Marathon as well as the coming down of the Berlin Wall, it was a Forest Gump journey of discovery.

It was an extremely vibrant meeting and below are some very quick thoughts on how the meeting went from Dawn Barton, Stuart Burgess and Michael Nagles

This week has been a timely reminder that as powerful as Social Media Marketing is it’s not the silver bullet that many think it is.

Facebook have to some extent changed the rules by introducing the sponsored posts which in effect negates what the Social Media Revolution is about…creating a level playing field…Reach is already down and who knows what we will be charged to post, some,all, selection…smaller brands will suffer in the long run.

In some respects its the beginning of the end…those brands with bigger budgets will once again get more media influence “Selling by Yelling” is creeping back…

A very good Twitter post by Alison Page also reminded me that advertising concepts thought out by Claude Hopkins in his 1923, yes 1923 book “Scientific Advertising” are as pertinent and relevent today as ever they were…the book is amazing and one that has been in my collection since my days in advertising along with “Reality in Advertising” by Rosseer Reeves..

7 Things I Learned about Digital Marketing from Claude Hopkins ow.ly/2vrUdQ

— Alison Page (@thealisonpage) March 13, 2013

The demise of traditional marketing is in my view much over emphasized and this blog is a small attempt to redress that balance..

Consider this…

Did email displace the letter? Did email spell the end of Direct Mail? Email stunted the use of the telephone but that is making a comeback

The evolution of Social media will not do for traditional marketing what the Telegraph did for the Pony Express..

How much of your business is derived from the more traditional marketing avenues?

I will wager that loads…networking,letters,direct mail campaigns,postcards…what you stopped sending letters?

Rethink…

We rely too much on the new and shiny and forget the value of tried and tested methods;

• A well written headline and letter will always win over a shoddy email campaign that hits a saturated market..what is your open rate? Most letters(not trashy Direct Mail) get 100% open rates…conversion is another thing but memorability factor is 150%
• Well targeted Direct mail with good content scores highly in terms of ROI..you would remember and respond to something delivered that was well thought out and got you thinking
• Post is seen as less fashionable which is why you need to be using it..stand out in a busy marketing environment by being different
• Networking gets good results if the old adage of Meet Know Like Trust is adhered to..if it doesn’t work why do so many new networking groups spring up almost weekly?
• The Telephone is back in fashion..why? because you can go Direct to the Need..a phrase often used about social media but a warm list of people to call will always bear fruit because it’s more interactive…you can explore and change direction far faster talking to someone that in a tweet or an email

Social Media

Of course Social Media Marketing has a role to play in any marketing strategy but that’s the key word Strategy...Claude Hopkins stresses this from the start, the problem is that many companies don’t have one full stop.

Social Media is evolving and fast, how platforms are used is changing. Companies have to some extent become slightly wary of using it as a communications tool where the cost,often to outside companies,does not bear scrutiny in ROI terms.

Without a doubt there are some good and credible outfits out there that manage all social media communication for companies but what are the results?

Having a massive Twitter,FaceBook or Google+ counts for nothing if all you are doing is blindly feeding them with pointless updates.

Customeyes are finding that we are advising more and doing less hands on work which is the way it should be…we can not be the organisation that is hiring us and we can never have their tone of voice or adequately reflect their sentiment in the market place.Its a nonsense to think we could.

Strategy revolves around using Social Media as a means to communicate certain aspects of the brand and as a means to conduct other marketing that is linked in with it.

Getting warm lists organised,discovering common ground, and engagement are crucial as a prerequisite to other marketing.

So it’s back to the future and a few more chapters of Mr Hopkins for all of us…

Up to date Information

Linkedin has an amazing function that most people rarely use…

Connections…some people spend an age getting them and never use them.. collecting but not engaging,the sin of sins on Linkedin.

How to use Linkedin as a CRM system is simple

1.Go to Connections on your Linkedin profile..Third Tab along under Contacts..

2. Click and open and you should see this…

CRM

This allows you to Manage your Tags..

You can create new Tags by clicking on Manage..why not have one called Networking and put all your networking contacts into the one   folder or Tag?

You can message up to 50 people in a Tag at the same time, great way to keep everyone up to speed or send an invitation to an event.

By Clicking on Companies, Locations ,Industries you will get to see where your connections are..

Most of my connections are in the Hemel and London area so recently I have been looking to add connections in areas that I network in..

Over the last month I have been adding more connections in Bristol son that when I network at a 4N meeting I can make sure  use the day by having meetings their.Using this Location Tag I can message people and set those meetings up.

Similarly by viewing the Industries Tag I can see where most of my connections are.

This shows me that I have very few good connections in the IT sector so mission for March..start to connect with some more…

3. Not only are Tags a great way to build a useful CRM overview you can go further by editing each individual Connections details..

Edit Notes

This is the profile snapshot of Mr Martin Gladdish who is a Copy Writer at The Watered Meadow and who is a BGA for the Entrepreneurs Circle..

A talented copywriter who has just written a new book called the Lazy Optimist., which I am sure will sell like Hot Cakes.

The point is that there are going to be times when I forget that he has written a book,or I can’t recall when I last spoke with him.

By using the Edit function I can update activity with any prospect or client simply and quickly.

Up to Date

Keeping tags updated is an easy way to make sure you stay well informed and in a position to have meaningful engagement on Linkedin.

By looking at the other Tag sections on a regular basis you can conduct a Gap Analysis and make sure that you are connecting in the right locations and sectors. this is particularly important when it comes any new business activity.

The Recent Activity Tag is one that is very useful.

Check out your connections new connections, at the same time visit Signal and look at View Updates by Category for a full overview of what is happening in your network.

Get those Tags sorted out and organised and you will find engagement with existing connections is better and find that you will have a more focused new business programme. Organised Tags mean an organised approach…

If this has been helpful then please do contact us for any further assistance, contact details are below.

socialmedia@customeyes-research.co.uk

article by Angus Grady

Already the year is zooming by…it’s getting towards the end of January and plans for February and beyond should already be in place.

New Year resolutions are probably being stretched to breaking point or already completely abandoned and it’s looking like some of the old ways are taking over again..

I’m writing this as if a question but I know that I am guilty of falling behind my 2013 game plan,it’s not easy to stay motivated and on track..it’s even harder to back track and try and catch up.

Organisation

Over the last few weeks I’ve started to read more and get into Podcast’s, of which there are some great ones on marketing,motivation and social media..Social Media Examiner  Marketing Over Coffee  and Duct Tape Marketing are but three of many out there.

One thing that has struck me is that organisation is the key to a successful day.Many successful people swear by routines and approaches that allow them to define and control their day rather than have it hijacked from under them.

Plenty has been written and talked about in Podcast’s that relates to having a clear Focus and goal and to be able to get back in the zone of that focus on a daily basis.

F.I.R.M

To help with that I’m joining a new Firm every day…

I’m making sure that I work in a place that delivers the goals that have been set for my business and family..to do that focus is required..

This new Firm is a powerful place and keeps me on my toes..

F – Focus, Fundamentals, Fantastic..

To get where I need to be takes Focus, a clear set of objectives not a scribbled back of fag packet.Goals that are milestones not millstones..

Fundamentals such as getting and keeping customers is top of the list..spend more time on this and everything else will follow.

Fantastic objectives not wishy washy ..” in 6 months I’d like more clients..” more like ” the business will allow me to take more time off whilst earning more next month..”

I - Investment,Implementation,Impact,Internet..

To progress investment is important..not just in good equipment and suppliers but in Learning and development..spend time and money on you..

Implementation is vital to most things and have to say that the Entrepreneurs Circle and Nigel Botterill have been mazing in turning that light on

Impact, if my marketing lacks this then how can I help others increase theirs? There is a great book by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith called The Impact Equation which talks about the key elements of what makes marketing or you have that Impact factor.

Internet, understanding how key factors work and the importance to keep up with Social Media and SEO

R – Research,Recommendations and Resistors..

Research,to stay ahead of the pack it’s imperative to know what customers and the competitors are up to. There are many combinations of what works best here but Business Social Media ( Linkedin, twitter,Pinterest, Facebook) as well as tools such as Mention and the old fashioned Telephone all have their place. Intelligent Business decisions based on Business Intelligence is the aim.

Recommendations are crucial, there is no point you telling the world how good you are it’s about the world shouting just how brilliant you are that counts..World of Mouth,yes WORLD of mouth should be the key watch word here. Give them to those who deserve them and and give them because you want to not for the thought they may just endorse you back..

Resistors or in the Net Promoter terminology Detractors need looking after..make sure all that would not actively promote you to another business or work colleague are followed up on..find out what stops them and over come the issues by putting them right.

M- Marketing, Mobile, Measure, Management

Marketing is the engine that derives a business so it’s a good idea to keep it well oiled and in good working order.

Mobile, is your web site set up to be seen on mobile devices? More people are looking at sites from smart phones and tablets than ever before.

Measure relates to metrics..have you got those Google Analytics set up? Do you know how to read them? Do you read them?

Also important to make sure that you have thought about which links do best in your social media marketing.Do you check or just send out tweets etc in the hope that they will hit the right mark? What about making sure that you know which bits of marketing gets the results by using tracking numbers,goal conversions etc?

Today has been a good day at my new F.I.R.M and I’m looking forward to making more headway tomorrow. There is always something to focus on that makes a significant difference to progress.

What will you Focus on first tomorrow?