Tag Archives: ideas

20 Goals for Business Social Media Use

I probably don't have to tell you that many businesses are still struggling with the concept of using social media . Many simply can't find a good reason to use it at all, and many more find themselves using it but struggling to validate that use. They can't find the ROI. They feel that too much time is being wasted. Basically, they're just using social networks because they feel like they're supposed to. They just want to keep up. Many businesses are even banning social media from the workplace entirely. In fact, a great deal of our readers have expressed that they feel that social media doesn't belong in the workplace because employees are there to "work," not "goof off." Well, that may be the case, and perhaps social media doesn't fit into your business at all, but considering your general business goals can help you decide whether or not there is a place for social media, and whether or not your employees can fit into that puzzle. As social media enthusiast Chris Brogan told WebProNews in a recent interview, it's time to get over the touristy part of social media and start getting down to business. He says it's not "Gee whiz, it's cool" anymore. It's "What are we gonna do with it?" "Great you can type. Now what?" he says. Here are some sample goals a business owner or manager might set for social media use. Once the goal is considered, then you can look at the tools that are out there and evaluate which ones will give you the best shot of achieving those goals. 20 Possible Goals 1. I'm a content provider, and I want to expand my reach. 2. I want my customers to be able to stay updated with news about my company. 3. I want to get to know my customers. 4. I want to promote my product. 5. I want to stay abreast of current news and trends. 6. I want to share my ideas with likeminded individuals. 7. I want to increase brand awareness. 8. I want to provide customer service and support easily. 9. I want to find a job. 10. I want to recruit. 11. I want people to like my brand. 12. I want to collaborate on business projects. 13. I want to directly sell a product. 14. I want to earn respect within my industry. 15. I am getting information overload, and I want to get organized. 16. I want to drive traffic to my site. 17. I want to attract advertisers and make money. 18. I want to get more involved with local prospects. 19. I want to get more involved with people on an international and global level. 20. I want to keep up with my competitors. There are certainly more possible goals for business social media use out there. I've probably not even scratched the surface. What goals do you set for your social media efforts? Discuss here . Related Articles: > Continue reading

Posted in Business, Pay-Per-Click | Tagged brand awareness, business help, business owner, chris brogan, current news, customer service, customers, fit, gee whiz, general business, ideas, possible-goals, puzzle, tools, using social networks | Leave a comment

Lawmakers Benefit From Online Town Hall Meetings

Online town hall meetings with a member of congress has significant and positive impact on a voter's view of a lawmaker and increases the likelihood that they will become more politically engaged, according to research form the Congressional Management Foundation. "Conducting online meetings with constituents offers Member of Congress a flexible tool for communication in addition to the traditional in-person meetings, tele-townhalls and newsletters," said Beverly Bell, Executive Director of the Congressional Management Foundation. "Our research shows that people like hearing from - and feeling heard by - their representatives in all formats, including online." Lawmakers who held an online town hall meeting experienced an average approval rating jump of 18 points. There were similar increases in trust and perceptions of personal qualities such as hardworking and accessible. The meetings also increased voter's approval of the lawmaker's position on the issue discussed. More than half (56%) of voters who participated in online town hall meetings were more likely to vote for the lawmaker, with a particularly dramatic impact on swing voters. Other highlights include: The sessions were extremely popular with constituents. A remarkable 96% of participants said they would like to be included in similar events in the future. The town hall meetings attracted a diverse array of people. These sessions were more likely than traditional venues to attract people from demographics not traditionally engaged in politics and people frustrated with the political system. The discussions in the town hall meetings were of high quality. By standards of deliberative quality (use of accurate facts to support arguments, respect for alternative points of view, etc.) the discussions were of a very high quality. "Members of Congress are always looking for ways to stay connected back home. It only makes sense that they would turn to the Internet for its almost limitless networking capabilities, the same way other people are using it to stay in touch with far-flung friends and family," said Bell. Related Articles: > Government Embraces Cloud Computing With Store Launch > State Websites Failing To Provide Details On Stimulus > Google Solicts National Broadband Plan Ideas Continue reading

Posted in Business, Pay-Per-Click | Tagged congress, discussions, embraces-cloud, google-solicts, ideas, lawmaker, online, people, provide-details, review and story, state-websites, traditional | Leave a comment

Google Launches Custom Search For Smartphones

Google has launched Custom Search for smartphones. This means that if you own a site and add a Google Custom Search box to it, it will format search results to fit the screens of supported mobile devices. The following devices are supported: - Android-powered phones - iPhone - iPod Touch - Palm Pre When users search on a site with Google's Custom Search box, they are redirected to a Google-hosted Custom Search results page created specifically for the siteowner's custom engine. If webmasters would rather serve the results from their own site, however, Google does give that option. They can host their own version of the mobile Custom Search home page. "You can test this out on your phone right now. Here are a few samples: search for user-generated content (e.g., search for "zakumi") from sites like Wikipedia or Knol, or look for more information on Custom Search (e.g., search for "promotion")," says Google Search Group Product Manager Rajat Mukherjee. "As you can see, Custom Mobile Search results can match the look and feel of your own website, and we've enabled interactive features, such as label tabs for navigation, as well as promotions ." More information about setting up custom search for mobile can be found here in this post from the Custom Search blog. The addition of custom search for smartphones should make a lot of people happy. The company says one of its most requested features in a Product Ideas survey was about enabling a mobile version of custom search. Google says that more features will be coming soon. Continue reading

Posted in Business, Pay-Per-Click | Tagged custom-mobile, custom-search, from-the-custom, googel-custom, google-custom, google-search, group-product, ideas, phone, review and story, search | Leave a comment