In an article published by Alison Diana of Informationweek.com, the majority of consumers want to interact with businesses via social media outlets. However, less than one-third of companies actually have any type of social media strategy in place. Thus, we have a problem. So, then why aren’t businesses picking up on their consumers’ desire to connect?
This information on the many missed opportunities to use social media in business comes from a recent report put forth by Siemens Enterprise Communications in conjunction with leading research firm, Yankee Group. In the study, results showed that the average customer satisfaction with current business interactions via social media was just 65 percent while one third of businesses do not allow the use of social media at work or aren’t aware of their company’s participation in social networking.
Tsk. Tsk.
Overlooking social networking or merely passing social media off as a “waste of time” or boiling it down to goofing off on Facebook or Twitter is hardly the case. If used properly, social media can draw in tons of traffic to a website or help put a business that would have otherwise been an ‘unknown’ on the map for the first time.
All you have to do to see social media in action with a business is look at the recent ad campaign put forth by Old Spice. Old Spice found a clever and creative way to employ the use of several top social networking site: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube (all user-generated) in order to strengthen their brand. Some may view Twitter as pointless, but when you look at what Old Spice did with their Twitter page, they actually took the time to interact with their followers. It was the perfect example of listening to the consumer and then responding (in real time) to their demand.
Selected highlights from the study
70 percent of consumers want access to company experts and support via social media channels and trust company information provided to them via their social networks.
Nearly 60 percent of customers feel company outreach via social media would improve their loyalty to that company.
Most customers feel that companies should be monitoring social media for customer feedback.
50 percent of respondents use social media daily or several times a day.
Nearly 70 percent of employees feel they need better tools to track and manage social media for business, and would like the ability to initiate a Web conference automatically from a chat discussion at work, inviting people from within their social and work networks.
To read more about the study, click here. In the meantime, consider what sorts of social media practices your business is employing at the moment. What could you be doing better? What sorts of demands do your customers/clients want? Perhaps the most important thing to consider is the power that social media has to leverage your business above the competition. Never underestimate this!
According to an article published in Kiplinger, the future is looking bright for those who find themselves living in certain cities around the United States.
Sure, the economy might’ve bombed, and people might have lost their jobs, but even if you have to relocate, it’s not the end of the world. As Kiplinger points out, the following cities are not only prospering during these tough economic times, but they’re also offering folks an excellent second chance at earning a living.
2010 Top 10 Best Cities to Live in
Austin, Tex. is a great place to live for small business owners, with tons of community programs. It’s also a great area to enjoy some downtime with the city’s famous South by Southwest festival
Seattle, Wash. If you can get used to the rain, Seattle offers a well-educated workforce, a world-class research university and tons of creative energy.
Washington, D.C. We all know and love Washington D.C. for its museums and history. However, this area offers far much more to budding entrepreneurs with great entertainment, neighborhoods and job prospects.
Boulder, Colo. This area is a mecca for those seeking healthy, active lifestyles. Not to mention, Boulder is a renowned intelectual hub with the University of Colorado, federal research laboratories and over 6,000 small businesses and corporations.
Salt Lake City, Utah This area has a phenomenal cost of living with low wages, taxes and operating costs. It also offers a variety of unique and friendly neighborhoods to give the area a small-town feel.
Rochester, Minn. With close to 3 million visitors each year, Rochester is known for the Mayo Clinic but also opened the Minnesota BioBusiness Center in 2009. The center is just one representation of the city’s intentions to build an even stronger bioscience and medical-research community, which means that there will be more jobs available in the foreseeable future.
Des Moines, Iowa When most people think of jobs, they probably don’t think about Iowa. However, there is more to Iowa than farms. The low cost of realty, short commute times to work and family feel are a big draw for many who are seeking jobs.
Burlington, Vt. Talk about environmentally friendly! Burlington has much in the way of eco-friendly living from Co-Ops to solar powered energy to family owned farmland that provides a decent percentage of the town’s food. This is a great place to live, work and be healthy.
West Hartford, Conn. West Hartford offers a small town atmosphere with the addition of great dining and shopping.
Topeka, Kan. Nearly 25% of Topeka’s work force is employed by the government, which equates to a more stable job market. Additionally, the area touts quality education, hospitals and low housing costs.
There are so many great videos out there that offer tons of information that could potentially help each of us in our business endeavors. However, when it comes to actually getting around to watching them, who really has the time? In the following, brief video, Erica Douglass of erica.biz shows you how download videos and speed them up in order to save time. The only tools you will need are FREE, and these include:
For many of us, once we get a job, we hang on to it as long as we can. Especially during these trying economic times where job scarcity is in abundance, we are usually willing to go above and beyond the call of duty for a little financial security. But what if your boss decides to expand business by opening up another office elsewhere..(say, on the other side of the country) and put you in charge?
When my father worked for Avis, he was not only offered a cushy promotion, but he was also offered full relocation services that included having his vehicle(s) shipped with a car shipping company, a reputable home movers company and other miscellaneous expenses- ALL PAID FOR. At the time, the move was only from New York to New Jersey, but it was a move nonetheless. He didn’t want to uproot the family, but he also didn’t want to leave his job either.
He wound up deciding to do a double residency by living in New Jersey during the workweek and then coming home on the weekends. It wasn’t long before it became too much, however. He wound up bowing out of Avis and then pursuing his law career full speed ahead. In the end, it worked out for the better.
There are numerous cases similar to my father’s in which families, couples and even young, single professionals have to decide what the pros and cons are of moving with a company. There are many factors to consider, and after you get past the headache of figuring out what car shipping and moving companies you’re going to use as well as all of the things that you’ll have to sort through in your home before you pack, you have to consider your surroundings. Are you close to your family? Will the relocation be to a place that puts you closer or further away from family members? What is the climate like where you are going? What is there to do in the area?
So, if the opportunity ever arises where your boss sits you down and asks you to step up to the plate, what will your answer be?
In the following video, famed economist, Milton Friedman discusses America’s path towards socialism and the possible dangers that it poses. Do you agree or disagree and why?
In a day and age where politics and economics are at the forefront in most business owners’ minds, Thomas Sowell sits down to discuss Obama’s vision for America as well as other political misnomers. How much of what Sowell said back in 2008 was or wasn’t telling of what is going on economically today? Should American business owners and/or households be worried about the direction that the United States is heading?
If you claim that you don’t have time for social networking or if you are one of the doubter who thinks that social networking is a waste of time, then you obviously haven’t examined it closely. When you think back to how most people used to get the jobs that they currently have, a lot of it had to do not with their actual qualifications (sad to say) but rather, it had to do with who they knew.
“Oh, a friend of a friend of mine knows this guy who has this friend who might be interested in what you’re doing and may be able to help out…”
“I got this job because my mom is friends with this lady who has a daughter who…”
“I went to this business networking meeting and met this young man who also loves to play golf. We eventually started meeting up regularly to play golf, and then when I lost my job, he found an opening in his company…”
How many times have we heard the above scenarios before? How often have we known someone who has landed a job or a business deal or who has even eeked out a friendship…possibly a romantic relationship that ended up in marriage all because of who they were networking with? It happens more often than you think. And with the new wave of social media and social networking sweeping across the entire globe, infecting everyone, we are now more subjected to putting ourselves out there on the Internet, whether it is through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Inside919 or some other networking medium.
We are people who seek the camaraderie of other like-minded (and sometimes different, unique) individuals. We like to know that we are not alone, that others share our interests and want to communicate. That being said, the following are five ways to integrate social networking into your life:
Join Twitter. Nowadays, everyone and their mother is on Twitter. If you have a Blackberry or some other type of mobile device, you can usually find a free Twitter app to help keep you connected on the go.
Look up and join a meetup group. There are plenty of meetup groups in your local area if you just look. From divorce groups to book reading clubs, there is more than likely something out there that will catch your eye; plus, it’s a great way to meet other professionals who live and work in your area.
Be regularly active on your social networking sites. One of the most annoying things (especially if you are on Twitter) is to be following someone who almost never signs in. If you are regularly active, then you are more likely to carry interesting convos with people than if you never sign in.
Only join three or four social networking sites. One of the biggest mistakes that people make is that they wind up joining way too many social networking sites. Your brain can only handle so much information at a time. Focus on one or two sites (everyone is different) and then really learn how to master those social networks. It will be worth it in the long run.
Create a LinkedIn profile. Creating a LinkedIn profile is akin to having a professional resume online. It validates your skills and lends credibility to whatever it is that you do for a living because employers (as well as other people) can leave reviews about you on your profile page.
The following is a video in which Thomas Sowell discusses the various issues and problems surrounding the highly debated topic of welfare. Who is right and who is wrong? Has the problems surrounding welfare dissipated or worsened since the 1980s?
