Social Media « Johan Horak's Blog

Should You Use Controversy About Your Business For Increased Marketing Awareness?

By admin on July 5, 2011

I am currently helping a self funded group of actors, The Mechanics, with their social media efforts. For example the creation of their Facebook page, an integrated blog instead of their old static website and integrating it all with their existing Twitter profile.

Let me give you some background:

Because they are a theater group they get unsolicited reviews about their shows. Most are great reviews but there are one or two negative reviews. They currently share the positive reviews with their followers. But what do they do when they get a negative review?

Should they share negative reviews?

I believe they should and this is why:

People that follow you on Twitter or Facebook are there because they choose to be followers and the majority are there because they want you to succeed. And as long as you give them what they want they will defend you.

If the above is true, and I believe it is, then you (The Mechanicals) need to allow people to defend you. A reviewer has every right to his opinion but you have followers with their opinion. And by having the guts to share these negative reviews with your followers they now have the right to balance the scales with their own opinions.

As you know controversy creates discussions and Facebook is an ideal place to spread the controversial virus (ala Seth Godin’s Unleashing the Idea Virus). When you allow your followers to react to controversy on your Facebook page (your brand) then each comment made is seen by many others who are not followers of your page. Yet. As long as the controversy continues your brand gets exposure and, I believe, you’ll get many more followers; because your followers’ friends are potentially people who also want to follow you.

Can this idea back fire on you?

Yes it can but then you should not be in business. This is only for brands like the Mechanicals who love what they do.

Your Potential Clients Are Looking Information. Can You Help Them Easily And For Free?

By admin on May 9, 2011

The First Problem:

Many businesses don’t realise that their potential clients surf the internet for information. Most of these surfers are not ready to buy.

There are others who have done business with you and they may want to do business with you again but you have no way of staying in touch with them.

Let’s have a look at potential clients looking for information:

Traditionally businesses had to pay lots of money to advertise.

But when you advertise to sell your product you may be wasting your time. Why? Few people reading your advert are ready to buy. But many people reading your ad may be interested in knowing more. There’s a hunger for information. And you need to share and educate your audience.

Where do your potential clients go for information?

The internet.

Example One:

I want to buy an iPad but I prefer Android, because Apple is not open source. I am not convinced or ready to buy but I am ready to learn. Learning is normally free. Therefore I subscribe to blogs teaching me about Apple iPads and Android tablets. And may buy from the blogger I have come to know, like and trust.

Example Two:

Today I got a great newsletter from a teacher of mine. She has a website but is not aware of the tools I am discussing with you here today. She sends out an email newsletter using Outlook Express. The problem is that I cannot share her emailed wisdom with the world because I don’t have the World’s email addresses on me. I cannot share it via Twitter, Google Buzz or Facebook (the World). Sad opportunity lost.

A Second Problem:

Depending on how tech savvy your audience is you have to find a way for them to subscribe to your information updates (via blog, Facebook, Google Buzz or other). With tech savvy clients you’ll not be reading this. But when your audience mostly use email you need an email subscription solution.
You also want to add email address to your subscription tools because you have previous clients who have given you permission to send them information.

Why do you need a subscribe solution?

You want people, who find your blog interesting, and when they do give them a tool to stay in touch with you, so that they don’t have to go through elaborate searches to find you again; and maybe find your opposition.

As a tech shy business person you may find it difficult to integrate these subscription tools to your blog.

How did you solve this problem?

Here is my solution to group blogging and newsletter.

The Royal Wedding: The Viral Scoop Before The Occasion

By admin on April 28, 2011

The Royal Wedding will be watched by a third of the worlds population. What a story and what an occasion. (I could personally care less but this story is not about my issues).

This video on the Royal Wedding was watched by more than 13 million people before the day of the Royal Wedding. All eyes are on the Royal Wedding. But T-Mobile got the scoop.

Their video became viral. They used a newsworthy story and had their timing spot on. And now they have unleashed their idea virus. What a marketing lesson…..

You may not have the same success, or you may exceed T-Mobile’s success. It does not matter; if you follow the basic press release principles (timing and a newsworthy story), know the secrets of viral marketing and can make a picture story using Power Point, or your video camera, or using free software from Windows or Mac’s iMovie you are on your way to geting a lot of free attention to your business without using any outdated interruption techniques.

P.S. Never in the above video did T Mobile promote themselves. No. They were only getting your eyeballs to stick to a fun look at the wedding. They knew they will get it. And then at the end they published their name and made the association. Clever.

Why am I afraid to share who I am?

By admin on April 27, 2011

I was scattered all over the place. In more way’s than one. I had a few blogs, a twitter profile, and many facebook pages. The realisation came that I am separate. I am keeping parts of myself hidden. I was not sharing my truth.

Why am I afraid to share who I am?

Was it fear of rejection?

During 2011 I decided to re-find my truth; my core essence and meaning. I just lost it.

My separateness confronted me: How can I talk about sharing the truth while I am hiding who I am?

After the process of re-finding my truth I took action. This is what I did:

I changed my blog and it is nearly integrated and complete; incorporating most of the topics that interest me.
I am focusing on one Facebook page for all these topics.
I was following many thousands of people on Twitter for the wrong reasons; I deleted them all. (I may have deleted you as well. I am sorry).
On my personal Facebook profile I deleted all the people who I don’t have a relationship with anymore.
My contacts were cluttered with once off connections. They are now all gone.
I will now write a short story on my blog everyday. And it’s my intention that whatever I share comes from my heart.

I realise that my truth may not be yours. You may not like a side of me that you were not aware of. This time it’s not my problem anymore. I am out of the closet. And you need to do what is right for you.

I feel lighter and can now give attention to my truth and you.

Have fun

Johan Horak
P.S. The process of re-finding who I am is an intense activity that took me places. One day if you are interested I will share some of them with you.
P.P.S. I believe there should be no separation between the truth of the people and the business they are involved in. If there is then today is a good day to start changing that.

Are You On A Smart Phone? Your Visitors Are!

By admin on April 26, 2011

If your website visitors are not yet on smart phones they soon will be:

Smartphone sales increased by 96% worldwide from 2009 to 2010 whilst mobile phone sales only increased by 35%. In 2012 smartphone sales will overtake computers and in 2013 the mobile phone will become the most common Web access platform with a billion mobile Internet users. Mobile Future.

What does it mean for your business?

Your customers will buy at their mobile convenience; smart phone mobile payments will mean a retailer of any size can accept and process credit card payments. All you need is a smartphone, an account and corresponding app (Mashable). Theses applications promise to replace credit and debit cards in the same way that plastic has largely displaced cash (VeriFone).

Everything is going local. When you combine local and mobile you have a killer combination. Even if your customers are not there yet; you need to establish a presence and educate yourself to the local mobile possibilities.

Is your blog or website easily and ‘speed-ably’ accessible? The solutions to making your blog mobile are very simple.

If your business qualifies for a mobile application then it’s worthwhile to know that Gartner has predicted that mobile application downloads will surpass 4 billion in 2010 and grow to 21 billion by 2013. These are interesting but relatively useless numbers; the number of downloads is not the real measure of your success; strategies to drive continued usage – which lead to revenue – will become more important than strategies to drive downloads. (Your business may be ideally suited for a dedicated mobile application. Others may get by with a mobile site. (Here’s an interesting article on designing your own mobile application).

I believe the idea is not to necessarily do everything, suggested above, but to stay in touch with the social media trends.

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