Thursday, April 14, 2011

What do people find when they Google you?

The internet. What did we do before the internet? Lets all think back to a time when you wanted to find out some piece of information and there was no where to Google it. Maybe you had to get out a reference book, use the yellow pages or call a few people to find out. Maybe you had to (GASP!) just not know the answer.

We are in an age now where the internet provides instant gratification. Want to know who sang the song you danced to at your senior prom in 1972? BAM! Google it. Trying to research a company you are going to meet with? BAM! LinkedIn. Want to go see a movie? BAM! There's an app for that. You can find out literally almost anything with a quick type in a search bar and get more information than you ever wanted. 

So what are people finding when they google you or your company? Do you have a Website? A Facebook? A LinkedIn page? 

I am in the midst of planning my wedding in November and was recently perusing the web for dessert vendors.  I was COMPLETELY shocked at the low number of bakeries that actually had Web sites or even Facebook pages. How are these people getting business? When a business doesn't have a Web site or Facebook I immediately think something shady is going on.  I contacted several companies (some I had to actually call!) and discussed their services. I found myself judging the ones without an online presence much more harshly than the ones with a simple Web site or Facebook page. They must not actually be a bakery if they don't have a Web site. They must do enough business to afford hiring a Web designer. Are they even professional enough to trust to come through for my wedding?!

Chances are these are unfair judgements. Their baked goods and professionalism may even be greater than the bakeries that have an online presence. They may be older and more experienced bakers who just don't think of the Web the same way I do.

But these are the times we are living in. If you don't have a Web site or Facebook page for your business, how do you expect people to find you? The internet has taught us that we have full access to any information we want 24/7. All we have to do is type it into the search engine. 

Make it easy for your potential clients to find you. Have an easy to navigate Web site that lists all of your contact information. Create a Facebook page and keep it updated with pictures, content and interesting posts that people care about. The time and money invested will be well worth it.

Kristin

Friday, February 11, 2011

Big Changes Look Promising for Fan Pages

Good morning! Facebook rolled out their new Fan Pages today and I think they look great and allow for greater interaction on Facebook from companies. My favorite change is the ability to interact as your business. So as Twigg Marketing I can go on to my favorite paper vendors fan page and give them some feedback on my latest delivery. This is a huge step for businesses to be able to interact on a whole new level on Facebook. Here are the additional changes: 

  • Interact as you or the fan page-go to account on the right side of your screen. You can choose to interact as you or your fan page. When you are in fan page mode you can comment as the fan page and like other fan pages as the fan page. So instead of Kristin Andrews commenting on ClientX's web site, Twigg Marketing can. 
  • Photos at the top- the most recent photos you added to your Fan Page will now be displayed at the top of page
  • Notifications- When you have selected to interact as the fan page (again, account-use facebook as page) you will get notifications of new "likes", comments and interactions. This is just like you get on your personal pages now. 
  • Wall filters-Your fan page can show "posts by everyone" or "post by page" so you can choose if the people that "like" you can show up on the wall
  • Email notifications: You can opt to receive notifications when people post or comment on your fan page
  • Featured Pages and admins-You can show pages you like or admins of the page to any one who visits the page
  • Mutual connections: When people visit your fan page, they can see who they "like" that you "like"
  • Navigation-This is the biggest visual change, I think. All of the tabs from the top of the page are now under the profile pic on the left. Easy to navigate, will take some time to get used to. 
  • Profile picture size- The profile picture size for Pages has been adjusted from 200x600 to 180x540.

If you have any questions about any of the changes or Facebook fan pages in general, feel free to leave me a comment or shoot me an email kandrews@twiggmarketing.com. 

Kristin

Thursday, January 6, 2011

How to NOT be a Rotary Phone

Have you ever made that rolling down the window motion at anyone under 15? Have you ever turned to a teenager and told them to get the phone book? What about those pictures from Christmas? Ask your nephew if he has gotten them developed, see what kind of look he gives you.

An article came out yesterday titled Things Babies Born in 2011 Will Never Know and it really got me thinking. Not really about babies born in 2011 and what they will never know, but about babies born in 2011 and what they WILL know.  Assuming they go to college and graduate in four years, they will be entering the workplace in 2033.  They will have never lived without the internet, never done a research project without Google, always had a Facebook account and have had cell phone since they were 6. Paper will be obsolete to them. MY paper day planner will make me a dinosaur to them.

I consider myself a pretty tech savvy woman. (I have a Mac Book Pro, okay?!) I help businesses learn how to use social media, so I have to stay on top of trends more than your average joe. But thinking about those 6th graders with their iPhones and their Twitter accounts makes me feel so...old and obsolete. They know about things that I can't even list on here because I have no idea they exist! They have never had to really learn to use an iPhone, or a computer or Facebook. They just KNOW.

So, what do I do? How do I keep my job and my business safe from these iPad-using, ebill-paying kids who have will never have to use a rotary phone? So glad you asked, I have a few ideas:

1)Stay on top of trends and adopt the ones that make sense for your business and your clients- Not every gadget, social media site, software, hardware, etc is going to make sense for every business. Take the time to know what is out there, but only use what is efficient and effective for growing your business and serving your clients.

2)Keep what works for you- I use a paper day timer. Thats right, I said it. I know it doesn't make me look cool and sometimes it makes me look downright out of date, but it works for me. I had to ask myself, would I rather look cool or have the peace of mind that comes with doing what works for me? Cool never wins.

3)Keep an open mind- As your business evolves, what works for you may evolve too. I used to scoff at LinkedIn Groups. Until I got a call from someone who had read my blog on there and needed my services and then I got another call and another... Somethings may work better than you think they will, if only you would give them a fair chance. If they work, great! If not, at least you tried.

So, to wrap up: try new things, explore new technologies, stay on top of trends and do what works for you. Make THAT your 2011 resolution!

Kristin