Does your company need social media?

We are living in a digital age and social media is a crucial part of any organization's marketing strategy. Because there are so many social media platforms out there, it is important for organisations to choose which one appeals mostly to their target audience.

Let's look at the advantages for social media in an organisation:

• Connecting and engaging with your target audience through social media are the best ways to build a relationships. online business.
• Increased awareness of the organisation
  Increased traffic to website
• Greater favorable perceptions of the brand
• Greater brand recognition. The more impressions the public gets of your business, the more likely they will remember your name in the future.
• Greater customer service and feedback
• Easier platform for reputation management

These are only some of the advantages of using social media, however, social media can be to your disadvantage if not used correctly. A few things that should be kept in mind when opening social media profiles for your organization are:

• Actively engage with your audience and listen to them
• Never ignore negative comments. Respond immediately
• If you are not comfortable with social media, get someone who is, to manage your profiles
• Use your own voice online. Your posts should reflect your company!
• Set time limits for social media - it is easy to get carried away
• Set an expected return on your investment. Review your social media goals

I hope this post carried some value in clarifying that companies do need social media to be effective and to build their brand. So, go on and tweet away!

Hootsuite vs Tweetdeck

When looking for a platform to manage all your social media content, the likelihood of you coming across Hootsuite and Tweetdeck is extremely high. Both tools operate similar in managing social media content - so how exactly do you choose which one is right for you?

I've been using Tweetdeck for quite some time, but since discovering Hootsuite, it was like a new universe opened up to me. Let's go on to exploring the differences between the two:

Let'sss get ready to rummmmmbbbbbble!

Hootsuite:

• You can access and manage various pages of your Facebook account.
• Google+, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Myspace including various other social networks can be set up via Hootsuite.
• Functionality to create teams to work on projects.
• Basic analytics to create custom reports.
• The service is free, however, you are given the option of upgrading to Pro account at a fee.
• Allows for social media scheduling

Tweetdeck:

• ITS FREE :)
• A custom stream to see activity from those you follow or who follow you.
• Because Tweetdeck is a Twitter application, you are not able to access the various social media platforms that Hootsuite allows for.
•  Similar appearance to Twitter’s native interface. Very user friendly and appealing to the eye

Even though Tweetdeck seems much more user-friendly, it might not necessarily be your better option when managing multiple accounts. So, in my opinion, the owl wins the battle and completely knocks the blue birdie out.

All in all, it depends why you need these two tools. If you're a casual twitter and Facebook user, Tweetdeck would be your best option. If you are required to manage various social media platforms and prefer a more intergrated approach, then Hootsuite is definitely the tool for you.

Did you know?
Tweetdeck, originally developed by Iain Dodsworth to manage Twitter and Facebook accounts, was purchased in 2011 for £25million by Twitter.

HootSuite was invented in 2008 by Ryan Holmes in 2008 as Brightkit, to manage multiple social media networks for his digital services agency. Well received by other businesses, it was renamed Hootsuite in 2009.

Content PR: An emerging trend for 2013

What exactly is meant by the term content PR and how does it differ from traditional PR?

Content PR is the extension of content marketing principles – the creation of compelling, relatable content – to the public relations practice to more effectively share an organization’s story, increase awareness and build audience interaction.

For content PR to work effectively there has to be an integration between marketing and PR. Traditionally, campaigns only consisted of a press release being sent out to the media, whereas content PR looks at a more interactive approach by involving key audiences.

Some shifts from traditional PR to content PR include:

From the occasional campaign to an on-going presence

A campaign builds an interest, but does not maintain the interest of the audience. Once the campaign is over, the audience is more than likely to forget about it soon after. It is important to know what interests your audience and to build on that instead of just enforcing messages out onto them.

After implementing campaigns, offer a helpful service to your audience. Show the audience you care by offering advice, answering questions, addressing concerns and clarifying buying decisions.

Engage via compelling content

Don't be shy : add some colourption

As opposed to the generic text release, make use of digital media to evoke interest in your audience. Capture the attention of the audience by being entertaining - make use photos, videos and infographics.

You’ve likely heard the saying, “a picture tells a thousand words”, therefore show instead of tell as about 65% of people are visual learners.

Have an active online presence

The power of social media in today’s world is incredible. Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are only some of the social media platforms that can be used to build your brand’s image when used effectively. 

Being active on social media and engaging with your audience will allow for better relationships between the organization and its public. Furthermore, interacting on a more personal level through social media channels will allow for your brand to reach a greater audience at a minimal cost to your organization.