Deciding on whether to set up a facebook group or a facebook page for your company or organisation is currently very simple...
Do you want your newsletter to be on your facebook profile?
Do you want your blog to be on your facebook profile?
If the answer to either of these questions is YES, then set up a facebook PAGE for your business and not a GROUP.
I went from a facebook business page to a facebook group because it looks a little more professional, but unfortunately you have little flexibility.
Good luck
Blacksheep Solutions Ltd is a marketing consultancy based in Norfolk, UK
http://www.blacksheepthinking.co.uk/
Tuesday 8 December 2009
Monday 7 December 2009
Adding your blog to Facebook
Clearly, this could NOT be really easy or why else would companies charge!
In my last blog I discussed setting up a business facebook page. Now I would like to also add that you could set up a group and not a page...if that suits. I will discuss how to do that later.
I think most people will not even notice the difference.
The main advantage of a page is that you can add a blog...which as of the posted date of this blog; you cannot do on a group.
I suggest that for a group you create a blog page and have that running at the same time, whilst manually (I know, sounds rubbish), updating your discussion board on your group with your blog.
Group or Page company profile...either way, you need a page if you want facebook to show your blog automatically.
Assuming you have created a blog (i use eblogger), then follow these steps:
1) Create a page using the text icon in the bottom left corner. If this is not visible (it does seem to disappear) go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php
If this link fails then type 'facebook business page' into google.
You will be asked to complete a series of forms to get your business page up and running.
2) Next click on the tab to view/add notes
Now this may be a bit of a hash way of doing it...but it works.
In the top right hand corner there is a button called 'my page edit' click this.
Scroll down to 'NOTES'
Click 'EDIT'
On the right hand side you will see import blog.
Click and paste your blog URL here.
That's it - all done
For more on low cost marketing visit http://www.blacksheepthinking.co.uk/
In my last blog I discussed setting up a business facebook page. Now I would like to also add that you could set up a group and not a page...if that suits. I will discuss how to do that later.
I think most people will not even notice the difference.
The main advantage of a page is that you can add a blog...which as of the posted date of this blog; you cannot do on a group.
I suggest that for a group you create a blog page and have that running at the same time, whilst manually (I know, sounds rubbish), updating your discussion board on your group with your blog.
Group or Page company profile...either way, you need a page if you want facebook to show your blog automatically.
Assuming you have created a blog (i use eblogger), then follow these steps:
1) Create a page using the text icon in the bottom left corner. If this is not visible (it does seem to disappear) go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php
If this link fails then type 'facebook business page' into google.
You will be asked to complete a series of forms to get your business page up and running.
2) Next click on the tab to view/add notes
Now this may be a bit of a hash way of doing it...but it works.
In the top right hand corner there is a button called 'my page edit' click this.
Scroll down to 'NOTES'
Click 'EDIT'
On the right hand side you will see import blog.
Click and paste your blog URL here.
That's it - all done
For more on low cost marketing visit http://www.blacksheepthinking.co.uk/
How to Set Up a Facebook Business Page
After spending quiet a while trying to figure out how to add a facebook business page without having it linked to your personal profile I thought other newbie’s might also find this blog of some use...
If you found this easy then stop reading. For those of you that want to create your own business profile then here are the basics.
1) Your business has to be linked to a name
I thought I could just have a business page with nothing to do with me on a personal level. Apparently not! Business profiles are 'PAGES' within a person’s profile. This means that you will need to create a new 'Person' profile first (unless you want the business page to be part of your current personal profile).
So, you first need to set up either a made up persons name or your own as a new user to facebook. Only now can you add a business page within the assigned profile.
2) Adding your profile page
Before completing these next steps, make sure you are logged into your new profile.
Next visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php
If this link fails then type 'facebook business page' into google.
You will be asked to complete a series of forms to get your business page up and running.
3) Finding your new page.
Remember that you log in through your fake or company person profile to get access to your business page.
To view your new page, log in to your account and in the top right hand box; search your exact business (page) name.
You should see it appear (within your fake or person profile) account.
From here you can edit the info section, add pictures or insert your blog.
4) Check your profile page and become a fan!
Log out of your newly set up account.
Log in using your personal account (if you have one) and search two aspects:
4.1) Search your fake or person specific name via the email address you used to set up the account. You will see that there are no details (unless you add them) and that all details are blocked.
4.2) Search your business page name (so in my case it is Black Sheep Solutions Ltd)
Here you can become a fan or simply see the page as others do.
5) Tell your friends and colleagues
As you will not have any friends in your new profile / business page, a good place to start, once your personal profile is a FAN, is to use the 'suggest to friends' text link in the top left hand corner of your own personal profile page.
If there is a better way, please do let me know.
For more details on marketing for SME's please visit http://www.blacksheepthinking.co.uk/
Good Luck
If you found this easy then stop reading. For those of you that want to create your own business profile then here are the basics.
1) Your business has to be linked to a name
I thought I could just have a business page with nothing to do with me on a personal level. Apparently not! Business profiles are 'PAGES' within a person’s profile. This means that you will need to create a new 'Person' profile first (unless you want the business page to be part of your current personal profile).
So, you first need to set up either a made up persons name or your own as a new user to facebook. Only now can you add a business page within the assigned profile.
2) Adding your profile page
Before completing these next steps, make sure you are logged into your new profile.
Next visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php
If this link fails then type 'facebook business page' into google.
You will be asked to complete a series of forms to get your business page up and running.
3) Finding your new page.
Remember that you log in through your fake or company person profile to get access to your business page.
To view your new page, log in to your account and in the top right hand box; search your exact business (page) name.
You should see it appear (within your fake or person profile) account.
From here you can edit the info section, add pictures or insert your blog.
4) Check your profile page and become a fan!
Log out of your newly set up account.
Log in using your personal account (if you have one) and search two aspects:
4.1) Search your fake or person specific name via the email address you used to set up the account. You will see that there are no details (unless you add them) and that all details are blocked.
4.2) Search your business page name (so in my case it is Black Sheep Solutions Ltd)
Here you can become a fan or simply see the page as others do.
5) Tell your friends and colleagues
As you will not have any friends in your new profile / business page, a good place to start, once your personal profile is a FAN, is to use the 'suggest to friends' text link in the top left hand corner of your own personal profile page.
If there is a better way, please do let me know.
For more details on marketing for SME's please visit http://www.blacksheepthinking.co.uk/
Good Luck
Friday 4 December 2009
Marketing for Small Businesses
The trouble with small business marketing is that small businesses are often time poor, cash strapped and resource light. Yet, they are told to research the market, develop customer target groups, create messages for different groups, build websites, create a blog, get a podcast, sign up to face book...the list goes on and on...
Whilst all of the above are excellent marketing aspects in their own right, most of the time our working day just gets in the way. Ruining around, organising, dealing with too many emails and phone calls are all things that eat into the time of a busy MD/CEO in a small business.
Finally i know what i want to say on my blog....How do small, businesses with say 3-10 employees (in the office), work out what is the best marketing practice when budgets are tight and there is so much they can do.
This blog will detail ideas i have and marketing aspects that i am either putting into place with actual companies right now...or are in the process of being developed for actual, real small companies.
My names is James Scott...and i am discovering the world of blogging...so i can speak about its merits first hand to my clients.
www.blacksheepthinking.co.uk
Some of the companies i am consulting for are:
www.patersondata.com
www.camcar.co.uk
www.instructacard.co.uk
Whilst all of the above are excellent marketing aspects in their own right, most of the time our working day just gets in the way. Ruining around, organising, dealing with too many emails and phone calls are all things that eat into the time of a busy MD/CEO in a small business.
Finally i know what i want to say on my blog....How do small, businesses with say 3-10 employees (in the office), work out what is the best marketing practice when budgets are tight and there is so much they can do.
This blog will detail ideas i have and marketing aspects that i am either putting into place with actual companies right now...or are in the process of being developed for actual, real small companies.
My names is James Scott...and i am discovering the world of blogging...so i can speak about its merits first hand to my clients.
www.blacksheepthinking.co.uk
Some of the companies i am consulting for are:
www.patersondata.com
www.camcar.co.uk
www.instructacard.co.uk
Friday 27 March 2009
Could reverse mentoring be used more by SME’s?
What is the difference between the Baby Boomers and the Millennials? The answer is face book, instant messenger, twitter, social networking and so on.
More so in the US, reverse mentoring, the processes by which traditional mentoring is flipped on its head with young people helping older people, is proving immensely popular. And it is easy to see why. The world is changing at a phenomenal rate with regard to social networking and for those of us that were not born into the social networking world, but rather migrated across, it can prove rather complicated and difficult to grasp.
Reverse mentoring is a fascinating approach to not only bringing the boomers up to speed on the latest social networking developments but will also act, if approached correctly, as a way for employees to connect, integrate and work more effectively as a team.
In the past, the older generation often had the knowledge, today, that knowledge is shifting and becoming more balanced. Websites, SEO, social networking, blogging etc.
For SME directors or managers unsure of this new world, look no further than your younger employees.
It will be amazing what you can learn, use, implement and create together!
More so in the US, reverse mentoring, the processes by which traditional mentoring is flipped on its head with young people helping older people, is proving immensely popular. And it is easy to see why. The world is changing at a phenomenal rate with regard to social networking and for those of us that were not born into the social networking world, but rather migrated across, it can prove rather complicated and difficult to grasp.
Reverse mentoring is a fascinating approach to not only bringing the boomers up to speed on the latest social networking developments but will also act, if approached correctly, as a way for employees to connect, integrate and work more effectively as a team.
In the past, the older generation often had the knowledge, today, that knowledge is shifting and becoming more balanced. Websites, SEO, social networking, blogging etc.
For SME directors or managers unsure of this new world, look no further than your younger employees.
It will be amazing what you can learn, use, implement and create together!
Thursday 26 March 2009
Treat your website like a person who talks to your customers
Why is it that so few SME’s regularly update their website. After speaking with a number of web developers and agencies it still seems as if building the new company website is a one off process.
Build it, leave it and hope that customers continue to love it and use it.
Websites are organic, they need to be continuously developing, changing and updated because that is what your customers will want to see. Think of them as a sales person or customer advisor. Marketers need to develop their website personality or take the personality elements of their brand and build the website around them.
So when building your site or improving it, try to stay clear of falling into the trap of making it a one off process.
Assign a budget for ongoing changes and updates. Consider how you can make your website come alive and feel less static.
Make your customers feel that your business is right there waiting for their call or email, ready to serve!
For more information, please visit www.blacksheepthinking.co.uk
Build it, leave it and hope that customers continue to love it and use it.
Websites are organic, they need to be continuously developing, changing and updated because that is what your customers will want to see. Think of them as a sales person or customer advisor. Marketers need to develop their website personality or take the personality elements of their brand and build the website around them.
So when building your site or improving it, try to stay clear of falling into the trap of making it a one off process.
Assign a budget for ongoing changes and updates. Consider how you can make your website come alive and feel less static.
Make your customers feel that your business is right there waiting for their call or email, ready to serve!
For more information, please visit www.blacksheepthinking.co.uk
Wednesday 25 March 2009
Keeping consumer trust through the recession
Keeping consumer trust through the recession
In a recent publication of the ‘Reader's Digest annual survey of Britain's most trusted brands’, Thompson the holiday brand, came out top in its category!
The report showed that there was clear evidence that whilst many of the top trusted brands were experiencing a decline in like for like sales, that consumers still held those brands in highest regard.
What these means for marketers is that if they can continue to build or maintain consumer trust through these difficukt times, then when the recession ends...and it will, just like in the previous recessions, then those brands will be perfectly placed to continue to succeed and thrive.
What brand managers need to be careful of is cutting costs too far, reducing the quality of a product or service and then slowly but certainly, reducing consumer trust.
I have recently booked my holiday and who did I book it with, you guessed in, Thompson. From a marketing perspective they get the basics just right. Customers can book via the web, telephone or travel agents. The employees are always friendly and helpful. Customers are not disappointed by the product, i.e. the destination and hotel description is usually correct and not over hyped by us marketers and finally, Thompson go to great efforts to find out what we think and what importantly, we don’t like.
Get the basics right, build the trust and don’t cut service or product build costs so much that these elements are jeopardised!
Feel free to comment on this blog and let me know your thoughts.
For more information on building consumer trust visit
www.blacksheepthinking.co.uk or email me; james@blacksheepthinking.co.uk
In a recent publication of the ‘Reader's Digest annual survey of Britain's most trusted brands’, Thompson the holiday brand, came out top in its category!
The report showed that there was clear evidence that whilst many of the top trusted brands were experiencing a decline in like for like sales, that consumers still held those brands in highest regard.
What these means for marketers is that if they can continue to build or maintain consumer trust through these difficukt times, then when the recession ends...and it will, just like in the previous recessions, then those brands will be perfectly placed to continue to succeed and thrive.
What brand managers need to be careful of is cutting costs too far, reducing the quality of a product or service and then slowly but certainly, reducing consumer trust.
I have recently booked my holiday and who did I book it with, you guessed in, Thompson. From a marketing perspective they get the basics just right. Customers can book via the web, telephone or travel agents. The employees are always friendly and helpful. Customers are not disappointed by the product, i.e. the destination and hotel description is usually correct and not over hyped by us marketers and finally, Thompson go to great efforts to find out what we think and what importantly, we don’t like.
Get the basics right, build the trust and don’t cut service or product build costs so much that these elements are jeopardised!
Feel free to comment on this blog and let me know your thoughts.
For more information on building consumer trust visit
www.blacksheepthinking.co.uk or email me; james@blacksheepthinking.co.uk
Sunday 15 March 2009
Instructacard Video
So you are still not using videos on your website!!!
Just recently marketing weeks editor asked the same question. She found it rather hard to believe that the majority of companies were not utilising video especially since the broadband is faster and youtube is such a success.
Many people have mentioned how obama used video to engage with the voters and quickly get his core message across...and do it time after time after time.
But how can SME’s utilise video?
As with all marketing, don’t just create a video. Create a plan and consider what outcome you require. So if you require increased sales of a particular product, then create a short video showing the product, how it looks and how it is used. Einstein’s theory of relativity, of which is truly mind bending talks about how the speed of an object can only be truly determined if it is measured relative to something else i.e. if you are sitting in car travelling at 100mph, how fast are you travelling? Well 0MPH if relative to the car but 100MPH if relative to the road. So what has this to do with product videos? Well product videos showing someone holding the product, using the product, enjoying the product create a relative backdrop. They help potential customers to see the product as if they were using it, moving it around, touching it and pressing buttons etc.
A picture paints a thousand words!
It is an old adage, but a good one. Let’s take something basic like directions to your company. Now let’s think about the customer process. They might log onto your website and click on the contact page. They are presented with a google map, directions and an address. They may even have SAT NAV and so, providing you are not based in London, they will find you with ease. But what if you showed a directional video? The video could show how to get to your company address from say 1 mile away or a landmark or main road. Your customer has a quick look at the video, maybe down loads it to their phone or ipod and bingo...they have a clearer image of where you are at the most crucial point.
There are literally hundreds of ways to use video to improve your bounce rate, increase your SEO and most important of all...provide something that your customers will find useful.
Check out a golf video I produced at www.instructacard.co.uk
For more information visit www.blacksheepthinking.co.uk
Call James Scott 07887772524
Black Sheep – Think differently about marketing!
Just recently marketing weeks editor asked the same question. She found it rather hard to believe that the majority of companies were not utilising video especially since the broadband is faster and youtube is such a success.
Many people have mentioned how obama used video to engage with the voters and quickly get his core message across...and do it time after time after time.
But how can SME’s utilise video?
As with all marketing, don’t just create a video. Create a plan and consider what outcome you require. So if you require increased sales of a particular product, then create a short video showing the product, how it looks and how it is used. Einstein’s theory of relativity, of which is truly mind bending talks about how the speed of an object can only be truly determined if it is measured relative to something else i.e. if you are sitting in car travelling at 100mph, how fast are you travelling? Well 0MPH if relative to the car but 100MPH if relative to the road. So what has this to do with product videos? Well product videos showing someone holding the product, using the product, enjoying the product create a relative backdrop. They help potential customers to see the product as if they were using it, moving it around, touching it and pressing buttons etc.
A picture paints a thousand words!
It is an old adage, but a good one. Let’s take something basic like directions to your company. Now let’s think about the customer process. They might log onto your website and click on the contact page. They are presented with a google map, directions and an address. They may even have SAT NAV and so, providing you are not based in London, they will find you with ease. But what if you showed a directional video? The video could show how to get to your company address from say 1 mile away or a landmark or main road. Your customer has a quick look at the video, maybe down loads it to their phone or ipod and bingo...they have a clearer image of where you are at the most crucial point.
There are literally hundreds of ways to use video to improve your bounce rate, increase your SEO and most important of all...provide something that your customers will find useful.
Let me know how video is working for your website...
Check out a golf video I produced at www.instructacard.co.uk
For more information visit www.blacksheepthinking.co.uk
Call James Scott 07887772524
Black Sheep – Think differently about marketing!
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