POWWOWnow taking a Social Media launch into 3D

POWWOWNOW

This is the fantastic new web conferencing brand, and they have taken their social marketing effort into the face to face dimension today. London is buzzing with Powwowness!

They are engaging:

Face to Face at Waterloo, London Bridge and Victoria.

Taking and publishing threeway photos, if you are in London today go get in the buzz, have your photo taken with them it looked fun. I tried to get in a photo, wearing my new red winter coat, I side stepped over, was shooed away like an irritating pigeon. I am obviously to old or to ugly for a PowWowNow threesome. So see above me in my new red coat and the LiveEnsure Team, we offer threeway authentication security...

Seriously pretty people of London go get in the shot.

http://www.upforathreewaycall.co.uk/photo/


PowWowNow is Causing a storm on Twitter and facebook with a great fanpage.

PowWowNow is the free conference calling service with no booking, no billing, no fuss. Providing an easy, no-fuss relationship without tying you down or burning a hole in your wallet… This is the best three-way you’ll ever have!

I support Powwownow in promoting the benefits of saving money, saving time and saving the planet with conference calling.

It would even better if they use LiveEnsure to protect you while you access their service...we already protect global users of MoCall http://www.mo-call.com/en/ low cost international calls and Paytoo users when they top up their mobile payments.


http://www.upforathreewaycall.co.uk/join/

Lucy Payne their social strategist is doing an awesome job, social marketers could watch this promotion closely!

You can Really Connect on Linkedin

“What’s the best way to get started on LinkedIn?” The real question is “What’s the best way to prepare myself to get started on LinkedIn?”

Most articles on this topic begin by spouting the ‘steps’ to connecting with others, 1-5. 1-10… and some agencies now specializing in advising you. It is far more simple than this.

I’d like to begin even earlier in that process and talk about you.

“Just be yourself and people will like you!” or
“If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”?


You’ve probably heard or read quite a bit about all the buzz words in social media:
Authenticity,
Transparency
Integrity;

Three key elements to social media success. Displaying these qualities actually does make a difference.
Very simply…absolutely. For anyone looking to really connect on LinkedIn, here’s the starting point. LinkedIn (in fact, social media in general) is about people…helping, sharing and connecting. If your neighbor’s lawn mower breaks down and he or she asks to borrow yours, you’d likely say yes, because the two of you have a relationship. You also inherently recognize your neighbor will return the favor, or perhaps another type of favor, if you asked. If a total stranger were to knock on your door with the same question, you’d likely say no and immediately think, “The nerve!”

A genuine, authentic approach to connecting with others is vital.

Wrap your brain around this ‘helping’ attitude before you begin.

If potential LinkedIn connections smell ‘a pitch’, you’re done before you start. No pitch should be necessary when you’re connecting on a deeper level that says, “Let me help you, just because I can.”

How can you help? Be you; be real; don’t falsify who you are. Get involved in and create stimulating, informative valuable discussions others can debate generally, or post your comments and thoughts more privately within groups you have joined.
As people begin to know and trust you, lead generation will begin. This is a two-fold process:
1) As you listen to the real needs of others, you help solve their challenges.
2) When you give help, you get help in return.

I often joke that I keep my expectations low; therefore, I’m never disappointed, but often delighted. It’s not much of a joke, because it’s true. Relationship building takes time. That connection may blow you off with a polite comment today, but may be knocking on your door tomorrow, because you’ve taken the right steps to remain top of mind.

Social media is a marathon, not a sprint. Wishing for it to move faster isn’t going to make it so. You’ve got to do the legwork required. Over time, you’ll be glad you did, as your online reputation and credibility grow.

Interact at an authentic level with everyone you meet, and watch the real magic happen.

BASICS: CV and Linkedin should have same detail.Spell check your content, don't use abbreviations, share good information not sales propaganda.

Dilbert-Gets Social

Dilbert is known for its satirical office humor about a white-collar, micromanaged office featuring the engineer Dilbert as the title character.


Had to smile today when I saw this Dibert comic strip in Nick Pearts Blog! Nick is so right it encapsulates perfectly the way that a huge number of businesses today view social media. My role encompasses as you know social, and I encounter daily re-buffs like this.

Most businesses today know that they need to be incorporating Social Media into the way they communicate with customers and employees but are effectively paralysed from doing so due to perceived risks. The attitude of shutting out this communication channel combined with a lack of trust of employees is only going to be detrimental to an organisation’s success and corporate reputation. If you can't find a company active on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook or Youtube as a consumer you question it very existence.

There are a huge range of progressive companies, Dell, BestBuy, Sophos, who are embracing social media to great benefit. Clearswift recently conducted some global research into the use of Web 2.0 tools in the workplace and almost two-thirds of companies were actively embracing them.

Confidence to use them has been bolstered by the fact that these organisations know that they need to have a security policy in place to be able to deal with them . To embrace these powerful communication mediums, companies simply need to implement simple policies, motivate their people to jump on social media, then authenticate their users and monitor content, LiveEnsure handles the authentication. (An empty facebook page, a dead twitter feed won't help any business)

Companies can in the words of the author Susan Jeffers... feel the fear and do it anyway.

Is Social Media Valuable

What is the Value of Facebook and LinkedIn?

When someone asks me this question, internally I tend to sigh deeply and externally smile, you do have to wonder if they are in business whether they deliberately buried their heads against the social media explosion that we are in the midst of. Many people understand the fact that they NEED to be on social networking sites, but are not sure exactly WHY they need to.


SIMPLY GET SOCIAL - these sites are an excellent marketing tool for business, individuals and students. If you are asking this question you are behind the curve so do it now.

Think about the meetings and exhibitions attended globally every day. These networking opportunities are held by associations, professional groups, local chambers of commerce, etc. While sometimes they can be niche and packed with members of your target market, many times they can be sporadic and unfruitful. But you go all the same and come away with new contacts.

Facebook and Linkedin are electronic networking events. The differences is astounding they are running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
The Social Advantage

*Free CRM System for your contacts
*You to choose the EXACT target market you want to engage and connect to
*No costs just time
*Fantastic Free Tools- Events, Announcements.
*Allows you to be flexible!
*Set up, Communicate get started in less than half an hour.

Facebook and LinkedIn allow you to connect with large masses of people including your old friends and professional colleagues, but more importantly they allow you the opportunity to meet and connect with new quality professionals who are willing and able to build your business, purchase your products, learn from your expertise and spread that all too valuable word-of-mouth.

Get Connected
By connecting with people on social networking sites you are enabling a wide group of people to benefit from your area of expertise while engaging them in conversation, asking/answering questions and gathering valuable information to help you market more effectively to your target audience. To be honest, the opportunities, at times, can be endless.

I will talk in detail about Linkedin and Facebook in my next posts, for now get your name, your business website details up there and do some ‘lurking’. (Join us on Linkedin or Facebook)

Linkedin
http://bit.ly/c5F4jq

Facebook
http://bit.ly/cQIp27

And then I get an email for people who get it, with tools that help manage it how can half the business world be in tune and half so not. An email yesterday was from people who get it...
SPROUT Better Manage Your Small Business’s Social Media Presence: http://bit.ly/dfCxQz

Be Authentic http://www.liveensure.com/