The Advertising Standards Board has set the regulatory cat among the social-media pigeons in a decision this week, ruling that posts by users to a company's Facebook page are advertisements by that company. Read on!
Read MoreWatching Facebook go from an insignificant little upstart to an industry-dominating juggernaut has been fascinating, as has watching something as inherently geeky as Internet social networking become an accepted and normal part of life and business. Facebook has become an integral part of how some of businesses, including some of my clients, portray themselves to the world.
I don't think that's always a good idea.
This financial year I decided to take a more proactive role in the management of Chilli Chocolate Marketing’s accounts. My bookkeeper suggested that I purchase and install MYOB myself to accomplish this, but for a number of reasons I was reluctant to purchase and rely on a standalone software package installed on one particular computer.
So I asked around and conducted quite a bit of research into online accounting systems and the name that kept coming up was Xero.
Since last October (when we asked rhetorically "Social Networking – what’s it all about?") we've fielded a lot of enquiries about Internet social networking and how exactly such services can help small businesses and their operators. We've found some great resources at UK site Marketing Donut for getting started using online social networking to help you as individuals, to drive sales, and to form stronger relationships with your customers.
LinkedIn is a free business-focused networking platform that seeks to replicate the ‘real-life’ process of word-of-mouth introductions between trusted contacts. It has a global reach, with 8.5 million members, and straddles a great many industries and sectors.
Facebook is a free networking website which enables friends to keep in touch with each other by acting as a hub for a range of online social activities. ‘Friends’ - ie people who opt into each other’s networks — can post short ‘status updates’ about what they are doing or feeling, share photos and videos, recommend other websites, leave messages on message boards, have ‘real time’ online conversations, and much more besides.
Twitter is a free online ‘micro-blogging’platform that enables you to send punchy messages (‘tweets’) to other Twitter users. Messages are limited to just 140 characters and can be read by anybody else on Twitter, even if they are initially directed at members of your personal network (your ‘followers’).
So what are you waiting for? Jump in!
--Simon
Use of Internet Social Networking - sites and services such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others - in Australia is exploding. Online Social Networks are changing how people spend their leisure time, and it's changing the way people work as well. Want to know more?
Read MoreThanks to everyone who attended last night's seminar on Social Networking. It was a pleasure and I offer my thanks to Hayes Knight for the opportunity to participate in this year's Seminar Series.
Read MoreIn today's hyper-connected world, communicating effectively is more important than ever before, and the channels available to us for communication are growing by the day. In both private and personal spheres "Social Networking" is the latest Internet phenomenon. But what exactly is it? If you're curious but have been swamped by the jargon, you should attend Social Networking - what is it, and how can it help me? the next in the Hayes Knight Seminar Series, hosted by Simon Garlick of Chilli Chocolate Marketing.
Read MoreBased just south of Adelaide in McLaren Vale, Chilli Chocolate Marketing is a boutique marketing agency with a particular focus on email marketing, customer retention, and relationships.
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