Your Business Can Navigate The Social Media Minefield

Social Media! It's all around us. Everywhere you look it's: 'Like Us On Facebook' here and 'Tweet Us' there. We are surrounded by social media networks, and new ones are springing up all the time. Even though some businesses have seen the value of social media, many more have failed to grasp the effect social media is having on the way businesses need to market themselves.

Effective marketing relies on being able to target and reach the greatest possible number of potential customers. If traditional marketing methods become ineffective or outdated, what should a business do?

In the past, most people would read a newspaper daily. So when a business took out an advert, it was seen by most people. Today, many people catch up with current events either through news apps or from the latest hot topics circulating around in social media conversations, many of which don't use adverts. Where does this leave the small business?

If you can't get your marketing materials seen by your target audience, then not only will you be wasting your money, but you will see a big fall in your revenue, and no business can sustain that for long. Your only option is to go where the people are - and that is on Social media.

The time people spend on social media networks is growing, almost on a daily basis. They interact with people globally, make friends there, ask others for advice there, even shop there. Because of the options given to people within the social network communities, people are much more savvy about the products and services they want to buy. How do you get YOUR business voice heard among the literally millions of other voices that are talking daily on social media?

There is no such thing as a 'captive audience' within these social networks. Businesses need to relearn how to reach out and engage with their potential customers but they need to approach it in the right way. People need a good reason to investigate a business page on social media and an even better one to come back for more!

You don't need to make mistakes to learn... you can benefit from looking at the mistakes people have made in the past so you don't repeat them. Here are some lessons others before you have learned the hard way.

THE OSTRICH

There are 2 main reasons for ignoring social media - Businesses either think it to be a fad that only kids use to chat on and pass funny photos around, or they don't take it seriously as an option, thinking that there are better ways to spend their marketing time than talking to teenagers.

The facts show social media IS here to stay:

August 2013, ExportedRamblings.com reported Facebook had clocked up 1.15 BILLION active users

21st March 2013, on its 7th Birthday, Twitter announced that it had over 200 million active users creating over 400 million tweets daily.

In July 2013, Semiocast revealed Pinterest had over 70 million users

What's more, the user figures for each of these, and other, social media networks show no sign of waning. Social media networks continue to grow month on month. Every business should ask itself the serious question 'Can my business afford NOT to be using social media?' (The answer, by the way, should be NO!)

You have to be in it to win it.

JUMP ON IN... THE WATER'S FINE

So that's it... You've decided to take the plunge into the pool of social media. So you're going to tell people about your vacation and then WHAM! Hit them with your sales pitch! Smooth! Not really. That would be like jumping into a swimming pool when you can't swim - you would just sink without a trace.

Each social media network is different. They have their own individual user profile, their own way for users to interact with each other, their own communities, their own rules and social etiquette, and their own way of getting users to engage with one another. Unless you investigate each network, you can't be sure which ones are going to be the best fit for your company. As we said before, you need to market directly to potential customers in order to promote more sales, so you need to be sure your customers are actually there BEFORE you start.

IS IT THE ONE FOR ME?

People will tell you that you should be on this social network or that social network. Really? You need a presence on EVERY network going? Considering the growing number of social networks out there, you would need days and days worth of time to keep each one of your accounts active, engaging and ticking over. So unless you have an army of employees to do it for you, you would have to choose between running your business or running your social media empire.

We all know that time is money. So rather than trying to be a Jack-of-all-Trades, start off with a manageable number of social networks that have a broader user profile. The popular networks of Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest are a good place to begin. There is much advice available to businesses on how to use these networks to good effect. We can also help you work out a good, effective marketing strategy to promote your business on these platforms.

Once you are comfortable with the weekly routine of keeping these running, you can then take the time to look at other social networks to see if there are any other networks that offer your business the chance to make contact with other sections of your potential customer base.

AIMLESS PARTICIPATION

Social media is a vast digital landscape that is easy to get lost in if you don't have a map or purpose for being there. You need to have a good individual marketing strategy for whatever platform you are on, as well as knowing the best way of engaging users in that network. That way, you will always be focused on what you want to achieve, as well as how you are going to achieve it.

IT'S NOT JUST BUSINESS...

Imagine you met someone that you really clicked with as a friend. You spend 2 weeks together, speaking all the time and you build up a really good rapport. Then, without any warning, they disappear. One month passes without a word, then another and another. 6 months later, they get back in touch as if nothing has happened and try to pick up where they left off. How would you feel? What if they tried to sell you something in that first conversation with you? How would you feel then? Used? Misled? Could you really see them as a friend or would you see someone who was just pretending to be friendly to get money out of you?

This is how social media differs from regular marketing. Before you can start to benefit from the connections you are making to people on each network, you need to build up a trust and rapport with them. This means being a regular part of the network community, something that can't be done by dipping in and out every 3-4 months. The connections your business makes on these social networks need tending just like any other offline customer relationship.

The clue's in the name - SOCIAL media. These networks aren't somewhere people come to shop. There are shopping malls and digital department stores offline for that. People come to social media to engage with and socialise with other like-minded people. Being social, you find fun things to look at, interesting people to chat with, amusing anecdotes and videos, and a peek into the lives of others around the world. So if you are all stiff and business-like, you are going to stick out like a sore thumb. And if you are dull and stiff and business-like, and just in it for the sales, then people will avoid you like the plague.

As a business, you need to strike a happy medium between staying professional and letting your potential clients see the human side of your business. So don't be afraid to share some of your personal side with other users. Letting your personality out gives others something about your business they can relate to and want to do business with.

By posting daily, commenting and contributing to the social fabric of the social media networks your business is a part of, it keeps you and your business visible to others and builds up their trust in you as someone more than just another company trying to sell them something.

KEEPING IT REAL... just not too real

There are horror stories galore about companies who have either pretended to be a customer to leave themselves a glowing testimonial or have paid people to put their name to a glowing review the company has actually written itself. These types of deceptive actions shatter the confidence or trust customers may have in any business caught doing it.

So the best advice for any small business owner is to keep all the information in your posts as genuine and reliable as possible. Talk about your day (but try to make it interesting), or maybe a new product launch but intersperse it with some lighter, more personal details - a vacation maybe, or something that happened while driving.

There is a fine line between personal and too much information, especially as what you post reflects on your business. Try to stay away from details of your life that reveal too much about your life, such as a messy relationship breakup, but also from details of your business relationships that may show you in a negative light. If people see you representing your customers in a bad light, for example if you perceived them to be a bad or rude customer, they may assume the issue lies with your attitude, which ultimately is damaging to your reputation.

So be honest when you post, just not too honest.

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING - IT COSTS!

Social media networks cost nothing to join, so businesses think that they are just a free outlet to rake sales in from without having to spend a penny doing it. Well let me ask you... How are they going to find your business in amongst all the other thousand of businesses?

For any marketing campaign to be successful, there needs to be a well thought out, focused strategy targeting who it is aimed at, where those prospective customers are located and how to build up communication through social media that will result in them becoming one of your customers. You also need to know how much time and effort you need to set aside not only to implement the campaign but also to oversee it and analyse the results, and if you can use any other resources to increase the effectiveness of your posts on each of the social media networks you are using.

So while the initial cost of social media is free, there is a time and energy cost to the individuals who need to spend time cultivating and developing online relationships inside each network.

WE CAN HELP

We know just how busy the life of a small business owner is. It can take a lot of time and effort just to keep the business running from week to week, and you just may not have enough time to sit down and plan out which of the social media networks will benefit your business the most and then work out how to use each one.

How To Protect Your Online Reputation for Your Business

Your company's reputation is its most valuable asset. If it's tarnished, you could lose customers and sales. This article shows how negative reviews are not always what they seem and what you can do about it.

In business, as in life, we stand or fall on the status of our reputation. Companies spend many years, and much money, building up a positive reputation through staff training, customer service policies, listening to customer feedback and more.

Despite everything a business can do, a reputation is a delicate object that can easily be smashed into a thousand pieces by a few ill placed words. Never has this been more true than in this modern technological world of internet review sites and mobile digital technology, where a damaging review against a business can be published to the entire world in a matter of minutes.

But is one review really going to have an impact on the way people view your business? After all, if they look around they can find other good reviews about you. But if this is the first contact a potential new customer has with your company, how is it going to look to them? Is that really the first (and most lasting) impression you want to give someone who hasn't yet done business with you? How much harder will it be to overcome that negative awareness of your brand, especially at the start of your business relationship with that person?

Managing how your business is represented online is very important, especially as 89% of consumers around the world start to look for a product by doing a search on the internet before buying. And given the amount of competition every business has out there, if a customer encounters a bad business review about your business, the likelihood is they will simply move on to the next business down the search list rather than look for a more positive review about you.

Online Reputation Management really matters to any business. Why is it necessary to manage how your company's business reputation is portrayed online? It is all to do with the manner in which people shop today.

It used to be that if someone wanted to buy a new product, say a washing machine, they would go into a bricks and mortar store and browse through the range they had to offer, as well as asking friends and family for advice on the best choice to make.

Today the internet has opened up not just thousands but millions of opinions that can be accessed and read in seconds from online review sites, social media chat topics and buyer reviews. An incredible 89% of global consumers will begin by making an online search to help them in their quest to decide on a purchase decision. So what other people have to say about your business, product or services will count in a big way towards them making a purchase from you or not.

So in order to keep your Online Reputation a positive aspect to your business, you should jealously guard it and take proactive steps to repair any damage you may find.

WHO MIGHT DAMAGE YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION?

There are a number of occasions when someone might be prompted to publish a bad review of your business, and it would be very dangerous just to dismiss one because you know or think it to be untrue or unfair.

You need to ask yourself 'Why did this person feel forced to say these things?'

Whether there is any actual truth in the comment or not, clearly that person believed the reason was real to them and was compelled to let you (and consequently the rest of the internet) know how strongly they felt. So while the negative comments may not be valid, you need to remember at all times there is a real person behind them.

Customers

People love to tell businesses 'The customer is always right', regardless of whether they are being unreasonable, over demanding or have expectations that are greater than the promised services. They have grown up with this 'I am right' culture. So when things do not go to plan, they feel they have the right to say something.

While customers are not ALWAYS right, they are not always WRONG either. You need to look at the customer's experience on an individual basis to see whether they have a genuine complaint before you decide to take any action.

Competitors

Unfortunately, it is true that some unscrupulous businesses can employ dirty tricks by deliberately writing and publishing fake negative reviews under a false name about their fellow competitors. It can be very difficult to prove that a review is not real. Sites like YELP, which actively target false positive reviews, are starting to try to identify and remove these false negative ones, but until it is shown to be a fake review, you must deal with each one as if it were a real customer regardless of any suspicions you may have.

Employees

Whether they are current or past employees, if one of your workers has a grudge or is unhappy, they can end up putting out a load of negative comments or reviews. But it isn't always those with a grudge who cause a problem.

Everyone within your company, from the top executives down to the shop floor sales staff, has the potential to cause your business to get some negative press. It could be that someone makes a statement that is very controversial; rowdy or criminal behaviour of staff connected back to your business; controversial photographs involving members of your staff could be published on social media, reflecting badly on your business.

It is important to treat any breech by staff, or any of the other situations, in the right way. As tempting as it may be to terminate staff employments or launch a counter attack on the competitor you think is bad mouthing you, that type of action will only lead to bigger problems.

What can you do if you do come across negative comments in social media, on a blog, on a review site, or even within the comments sections on your own website?

You need to find ways of healing the wounds to your online reputation. Look calmly and rationally for a means to resolve things in a way that reflects well on you and your business. If not, you will only succeed in scarring your Online Reputation even further.

AVOID DAMAGING YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION FURTHER

Although it is perfectly normal to feel angry or upset about negative comments others may be saying about your business, you need to avoid doing any of these things at all cost...

1. Don't Try To Erase All Trace

Many businesses have been caught out by thinking the best way to deal with a negative comment storm is to delete out all trace of the bad ones and then it will just go away. The unfortunate truth is that once you have published something into cyberspace, it is very difficult to remove it completely, as some businesses have found out to their cost. An incident involving one company was played out before 1.4 million views - that is a lot of customers!

Deleting comments tells potential customers you have something to hide or that there is something wrong with your business. It shatters any trust they may have in you. If you have made a mistake, don't be afraid to own up and then take positive public steps to make it right. People respect the fact that you have owned up and are committed to getting it right. It builds confidence in your business motives and ethics.

2. Don't Lash Out

We often take these negative comments as an attack on us personally. The human thing to do is to (over)react and send a stinging barrage of words back at the offending reviewer. These are not the actions that will lead a happy outcome in any situation.

As a business, you can easily be put under public examination by the way you react to negative comments. So you need to think before you speak. We said earlier that nothing ever truly disappears off the internet. Do you really want to publish something written in haste and in the heat of the moment that will come back to bite you again and again?

It is much better to write out a first draft, then leave it for a few hours until you can review it in a more composed frame of mind, and soften any overly harsh words.

3. Don't Put Good Words In Someone Else's Mouth

You may think 'If they can write a bad review about me, then I can write a good one!' It may SOUND like a good idea, but a lie is a lie. You may be saying truthful things about your company, but by pretending to be someone else, or by getting someone else to leave a good review written or prompted by you, you ARE being deceitful.

How could you ever trust someone again if you found that out? Deception causes even less trust in a business than reading a negative review or two. All businesses get bad reviews. Not all businesses lie to their customers, and those that do fair very badly when it is discovered.

Review sites like YELP and search engines like Google realise that fake good reviews are being placed on sites. If they even suspect that to be the case, not only will they remove the offending review but they will lower or even remove the ranking of the offending business so that they don't show up in searches.

HOW CAN MY BUSINESS BE PROACTIVE WITH OUR ONLINE REPUTATION MANAGEMENT?

Reputation management isn't just about responding when a problem arises, but involves building up a strong foundation in the minds and trust of potential customers. The best way is to get out there and start building up relationships with your potential new customers on social media, forums and other places you can be an active participant.

By building up a strong positive reputation, you will be better equipped to weather any negative comments that come your way. If you become a business voice that is respected and well thought of, then people will be less likely to be swayed by one negative opinion and more probable to listen to your explanation, as well as spring to your defence.

The Energy of Busy

Got a minute?

Just about any human being I work with or have in one of my classes tells me that "busyness" and lack of time are to blame for much of their internal stress and churn.

Not. So. Fast.

I'm not going to spend a ton of time on this. You and I both know better than that. Let's do this instead...

"Busy" has an energy about it.

Try it on. "I'm so busy." "I'm so busy." "OMG, I'm soooo busy." Feel it. Say it. Be it. Notice what happens in your body. Ugh.

Of course, you can insert any energy that doesn't serve you here: "It's hard" or "It won't work" are two of my favorites for sabotage, letting ourselves off the hook, and/or retreating when we're scared.

Now take that energy to your colleague. To your kids. To your partner. Helpful?

Probably not.

It's not your "fault". It's a default. A great place to rest. Awesome place to "check out". But, back to busy...

Busy is a farce.

It makes us feel good. Important.

It gives us an excuse to say "no".

It can hide our fear of confrontation or disappointing someone else.

It is a hiding place. A cop out. A scape goat. A self-fulfilling energetic prophecy. A reflection of our inability to say "yes" and "no" to the right things.

Busy is stressful. And it's contagious.

Try it on for yourself. Think of your version of "busy". Think of the story you tell about it. How often you tell that story. Who you tell it to.

The most dangerous person to tell that story to is of course... ourselves. The more we tell it, the more we believe it, the more we embody it. We become "busy". Welcome to the swirl.

I watch this time and time again. I get to witness people say that the thing between them and their dreams is "busy". The thing between them and being a good leader, getting more sleep, working out, taking care of their body, even eating good food, having a better marriage, giving feedback that could change a life, bringing in new business, whatever... is busy.

Busy has a lot of power. And what's worst is that we feed it. We are our own worst enemies when it comes to "busy".

What if it's simpler than that? What if we could make busy our... friend?

What if busy was just a lack of presence, intention, and prioritization?

What if, you're not actually busy? But rather missing presence, right here, right now, in the moment.

And what if this busyness and lack of presence is simply shading your clarity and wisdom for the right "yes's" and "no's"?

Breathe and think about it.

Presence and intention are the antidotes to busy.

Breathing heals busy.

A solid "yes" or "no" is worth a hundred foggy "yes's".

Perspective, priorities, and values clarify and tame "busy".

When we actually befriend busy, we can take it apart and make it work for us.

"Busy" and "lack of time" are here to stay. We have to get better at leading our energy through them, telling the truth, valuing our time, and partnering with them. We have to get better at being present and intentional in our lives. And we have to listen.

I had a client years ago who was busy, busy, busy. So busy, people found it nerve racking to be around her. They didn't want to engage with her. And they'd never ask her for direction or support - she had an energetic force field around her that said "Back off, I'm busy".

When we drilled down to what her relationship was with "busy" - she found it was a protector for her. Being busy all the time kept her off the hook for having to say "no" and disappoint people who she didn't want to hang out with or work with. It also made her feel important in her job. The problem was that she so bought into her story that she had fully embodied it. She spoke faster, wasn't fully present with people, was experienced as unapproachable, and she didn't feel good. Busy actually manifested itself in her physiology.

Once she got honest and clear about what busy was about for her, she was able to partner with it, instead of resisting it or using it as a "bat". She did 3 things:

She made a conscious effort to breathe in the moment and pay attention to her physical body. This was key. She also, in the moment, checked in with the truth... Was she going to die? Was she truly running out of time? Was a tiger going to get her if she didn't get it done? (Ironically, these are often the physiological responses we have to the story of busy.)

She made a conscious effort to be fully with someone when they were talking to her. Ironically it took the same amount of time, but without the resistance and internal chatter, it was easier and more enjoyable.

She made a conscious (though difficult) decision to say NO to people when she didn't want to do something. She held it as a YES to herself. Ironically, as hard as it was, it was so much cleaner to navigate it this way, that she felt physically and mentally better. The mental energy she'd spent, holding busy to avoid disappointed, was hers again. For the better.

For you...

What is your relationship with busy? Be honest here. No one's looking. This is for you.

What does it give you? What does it keep you from?

What are the three things - or even one - that you sense would help you create more space? (Intuition is good here, use it.)

What are the, unnecessary - even draining, things that you participate in that contribute to your energy of busy? (Gossip, not telling the truth, avoiding conflict, working around people, television, procrastination, and not taking care of ourselves are just a few common ones.)

Find a word that means something to your soul... If you were to replace the word or feeling of "busy" with this new word, how might that change things? For example: If you were "on purpose" instead of "busy" what would you do differently? If you were "engaged" instead of "busy" what would that do? There is gold in this question. Dig in.

What if you could tame your busy with some presence and intention? What if taking a step back, breathing, and being incredibly intentional with how you use your energy and time, were the solution to busy?

What if? What might you lose?

I'm not gonna lie and say that "busy" never creeps in for me, it does. But in those moments, when I get that visceral reaction, I'm quicker to turn to it, love on it a bit, get present, nurture what needs to be nurtured, say "no" where I need to say "no", and step into intentional, delightful, full, and on purpose. By choice.

What Are Small Business Administration Loans and What You Need to Know

A small business administration loan or SBA loan is a loan offered by banks and various lenders in the US. These loans are easily accessible for small business owners, especially those looking to start up a new business and they need the financial backing that an extra sum of cash would provide.

The small business administration loan is easier to access than a regular business loan because it comes with a government guarantee. This is a plan by the government to encourage new businesses and assist current businesses expand and grow.

The advantage to this is that these are often available with longer repayment periods and those with poor credit scores are still able to qualify, growing their business to the next level.

The loan guarantee program is the ideal opportunity for small business start-ups and expansions, but as with any loan amount, being unable to repay the amount can be detrimental to your business.

Many business owners choose the small business administration loan because they know the chances of them being accepted is high. It's difficult to start a new business in the current economic market, so that additional boost of cash can be used to purchase stock, necessary business machinery and tools and give the business the cash flow it needs.

The problem comes in that many business owners in a new business don't understand how difficult the market is right now. They will use the cash they receive to design the perfect website, get their office up and running and produce quality marketing material. But if the customers don't come flooding through the door, they do not receive the cash they need to repay the loan in a timely manner.

Before applying for any financing, whether you choose the government guarantee program or not, you must be sure that you will be able to make timely payments. The last thing you want to do is dig yourself deep in debt, before your business has a chance to grow.

Every business owner should put a business plan in place to not only help them run their business, but also assist them in achieving their goals. For those who choose to take out a small business administration loan, their business plan can ensure they stay on track and will also ensure they are able to make the timely payments to reduce financial difficulty before their business has a chance to really take off.

Working on a projected income and knowing what you can expect in sales turnover each month is another way to know whether taking out a loan is the right choice for your business.

If you have struggled with finances in the past and your credit score isn't stellar, then you need to take special care. As you will probably be awarded a small business administration loan with a poor credit history, you need to have every step planned to ensure your business isn't too deep in debt before you begin.

Remember that with this type of financing, you are often able to take the loan over a longer period, but with every month you owe on the loan, you have interest to pay. Paying late or not paying at all will incur penalties and leave your business in serious financial distress.

Before applying for a small business administration loan, take the time to work out your monthly expenditure and your expected monthly income. Ensure you have enough to pay your mortgage or rent, your basic costs and then take the financing repayments into consideration. If you strongly believe your income will cover everything and still offer you a monthly salary, then this is the right choice for you.