Marketing 2.0

The Benefit of Social Customer Service to Businesses

2013-05-07T21:36:03Z

Written by Sara Benwell

Read the May Edition of Business Review Australia here

Throughout the last five years, companies have continued to embrace social media, with even the least tech-savvy starting to see the benefits that good social customer service can bring. For many, however, there are still concerns about opening up a two-way dialogue with customers. While this lack of control over one side of the debate may be a legitimate concern, the opportunities that social media hold for enhancing customer service practices are vast, and as such, forums such as Twitter and Facebook should be top of any forward-thinking business leader’s mind when creating strategies to improve the customer experience. As the saying goes, with every perceived threat comes opportunities, and social media can be one of the greatest tools for brand engagement available, particularly when it comes to customer service.

One of the key benefits of social media for business is as a tool for aggregation of public opinion, comments and sentiment. Indeed, a recent study by Zendesk found that 95 percent of people share bad customer service experiences with people through social media. The same study found that 40 percent of people recommended others not buy products or services after having a bad customer service experience.

Clearly, for a company that is looking to provide great customer service, social media provides a much needed insight into the stakeholder mind.

More often than not, the companies who use social media to the best advantage, and therefore have the best reputations, are not those who spend a fortune on advertising. Instead, it is the companies that monitor Facebook, Twitter and the like and respond in a timely fashion to consumers. It’s a sensible communications strategy - nobody wants to be the company that ignores a customer comment for it then to turn into a viral PR nightmare.

Why should companies embrace social customer service?

A growing trend amongst consumers, faced by what seems to be either an inability or an unwillingness to help on regular customer service channels, is to turn to social media. This can mean anything from venting fury on Twitter, writing an angry review or using a company’s Facebook channel to make a public complaint.

All it takes is for enough people to get angry on social media and suddenly a company has a potential reputation crisis on their hands. The world of social media moves fast and those companies that fail to respond quickly can find themselves facing widespread public outrage. Clearly it makes sense for companies to deal with public complaints quickly from a reputation point of view.

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How can companies use social media to their best advantage?

There are some basic rules that can be followed to help develop a great social media strategy for dealing with complaints >>>

#1. Never get into a fight with a consumer: No one wants to get into a public fight with a consumer, it’s not just unprofessional, it can also lead to more people jumping on the bandwagon and a situation snowballing into a crisis.

#2. Be timely: Social media platforms are fast-paced. When responding to consumers you need to deal with the issue quickly and calmly before it escalates. More than an hour can be too long.

#3. Acknowledge complaints early on: If dealing with the complaint will take time, make sure you send a message to the consumer letting them know you are looking into it. Nobody likes to be ignored.

#4. Don’t delete complaints: If somebody posts a complaint, don’t delete it. It often makes people angry, and it’s far better for your reputation if other fans/followers see you responding and trying to resolve an issue.

#5. Move the debate - Sometimes the most sensible thing to do is to move the problem into a more private forum. Switch the Twitter conversation into direct messages or provide a phone number in response to a Facebook comment. This way you can move the conversation out of the public eye. Make sure phone calls are answered promptly though, and by someone who is familiar with the complaint.

#6. Joined up teams: Customer service teams and social media teams need to be joined up so people are receiving the same message on the phone as they do through social media channels. While good social media teams often resolve customer problems, you should be getting the same level of service across all channels.

#7. Be social: Facebook, Twitter and the like are forums through which you can create open and honest engagement. If you’re friendly and helpful your consumers will be impressed.

#8. Spot the trends: Finally, don’t forget to aggregate any complaints you receive; if several people have made a similar complaint, social media can help you spot a trend and make the changes necessary to improve your business and brand reputation.

Dealing with social media can be tricky, but there are many benefits for businesses that get it right. Those companies that aren’t using social media to listen and respond are missing a great opportunity. If a business has put itself on social media, consumers expect not just to receive a steady stream of information but to receive a response in the event of a problem. Also, those companies that handle complaints on social media well, can actually enhance their reputation amongst consumers.

Social Media for Business Just Got Interesting

2013-05-07T00:42:38Z

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Written by Robert Spence

Read This Article in the May Edition of Business Review Australia's Digital Magazine

As social media continues to evolve and change, businesses are now adapting and embracing these changes with open arms. Companies are no longer relying solely on flashy ad campaigns or well-constructed press releases to communicate with customers. The rules have changed. Businesses must decide if they want to reveal their human side and forge new relationships with customers, or stay stagnant and “old school.” Here are five ways social media for business is evolving.

#1. Visual Content Is More Important Than Ever

In this day in age, visual content is imperative for businesses. Consumers are on the go and busy and don’t have time to read everything they come across. That’s where pictures and videos come into play. The new players (or relatively new) on the block are the Vine, Pinterest, and Instagram. While most people have been using Pinterest and Instagram for years, businesses are just now starting to see traction from company profiles. All three of these social networks help to humanize your business while promoting your brand and other brands your company is passionate about. Never underestimate the power of grassroots, guerilla-style marketing. USAToday made a living utilizing colorful sections and big bright pictures. Visual storytelling is alive and well in today’s age of business and social media has revolutionized that for companies.

#2. Real-Time Reputation Management

For the first time ever companies are able to manage their reputation in real time. If someone is disgruntled with your product or service, they are able to post directly to your Facebook page, tag you in a tweet, blast your business on Yelp, review you on Google Places, and the list goes on. This is a great opportunity to directly reach out to an upset customer or client when it happens to solve their problem or issue within moments. Chances are when you provide someone with awesome customer service they will send out a tweet or status update of thanks. People do business with companies they trust - show your audience they can trust you to solve their problems and you will develop repeat customers.

Note: Make sure you hire a social media manager with customer service experience. A part of their job is reputation management. They need to be proactive not reactive.

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#3. Rather Than Talking, Businesses Are Listening

Traditional marketing implies you are screaming your message at consumers. Social media marketing is providing companies with the best opportunity to listen. Companies are able to really listen to their fans. The professional networking site Businessfriend, which allows for employers and employees to connect, provides vital tools for businesses to listen. You will get excellent feedback, suggestions, and concerns from the people that are passionate about your brand, and you can utilize this feedback to make your business better. To evolve as a business you have to listen to the people that keep you in business. Use the social platform to listen rather than screaming your message at consumers. You will be surprised what you hear.

#4. From “Hard To Reach” To “Available Everywhere”

Remember when the only way to contact a company was through an email or phone number? Not anymore! Social media has given businesses the ability to be reached 24/7 and that’s the way many businesses like it. Companies want people to be able to connect with them through whatever channel is more comfortable for them. Rather than expecting customers to communicate through your chosen means, companies are now allowing consumers to do so through their own means.

#5. Companies Are Being “Real”

Companies are infused with personality, just like an individual. The new era of social media has shifted companies from creating a very controlled and polished image that everyone in the company tries to reinforce, but rather gives employees the means to be human and put a friendly face on the corporation. By doing so, consumers are reacting in a positive manner. Social media has given a new way for companies to be “real” and not the pushy, nagging company that is constantly breathing down your neck to buy something. By just being themselves, social media has allowed for the personality of companies to shine through, making customers a lot more likely to interact and buy from them.

Is this the Beginning of the End for LinkedIn?

2013-05-05T23:23:08Z

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LinkedIn announced weaker than expected second quarter revenues, suggesting that the company’s new mobile advertising initiative could take longer to come into fruition that first anticipated. As a result, the professional network saw its share price tumble.

READ THE APRIL EDITION OF BUSINESS REVIEW AUSTRALIA HERE

According to Reuters, LinkedIn announced strong first-quarter revenues of $US324.7 million, up 72 percent from $US188.5 million a year earlier.

LinkedIn’s core recruiting services business generated 57 percent of the company’s sales, with its revenues up 80 percent to $US184.3 million, with the company reporting a solid first quarter net income of $22.6 million.

However, despite a strong first quarter, the company disappointed investors by announcing projected second quarter revenues of between $US342 million and $US347 million, below the $US359.3 million tipped by analysts.

The projections caused a 10 percent fall in the company’s share price, suggesting recent initiatives aimed at growing the company’s advertising could take longer to generate revenue growth than many analysts predicted. The company is also suffering from increasing competition from professional networking sites such as Businessfriend, which is currently gaining traction in the business social networking arena.

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The Future of LinkedIn

LinkedIn recently unveiled plans to run mobile ads in future versions of its iPhone and Android apps, and the service will also give greater prominence to its news feed in future versions, with Twitter-style advertisements interspersed, however that has failed to keep investors feeling secure about the future of the social network.

Could LinkedIn be losing its grip of the professionals social networking market? Let us know what you think on our Facebook page, or send us a Tweet!

Five Questions with a 'Best Jobs' Candidate

2013-05-05T21:54:48Z

In an effort to attract under-30 travellers to Australia, Tourism Australia launched another “Best Jobs in the World” campaign with six positions available across the country. More than 40,000 video entries from candidates spanning the globe were entered into the contest, each hoping to become NSW’s Chief Funster, South Australia’s Wildlife Caretaker, Queensland’s Park Ranger, Western Australia’s Taste Master, the Northern Territory’s Outback Adventurer or Victoria’s Lifestyle Photographer for six months.

We spoke with Rebecca Morris, a top-25 US candidate for the Taste Master position who has big dreams for Western Australia’s culinary future.

READ THE APRIL EDITION OF BUSINESS REVIEW AUSTRALIA HERE

Hi Rebecca, thanks for speaking with us! Tell us a little about yourself – and how you happened to end up in Australia earlier this year.

At 14, I had the chance to eat at Susur Lee's eponymous restaurant in Toronto. I had never heard of foods like uni or foie gras and here they were, beautifully presented on my plate. My mind suddenly became very clear and I just thought, "I want to be a chef." Right away, I started working in restaurants in my hometown of Sarasota, Florida, and shirked conventional college for The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

I soon learned that for people like myself who love to travel, cooking is great ways to make that happen. I jumped around every year or so, living in places like Toronto, Seattle, and Maine, and cooking at restaurants that had a great reputation for seasonality and farm-to-table cuisine.

As much as I value the experience those restaurants gave me, I never felt the pressure cooker environment required to be a top chef was a very good fit for me. Call me crazy, but I was looking for a change that would let me still work in food, without the tears of frustration after a busy dinner shift.

Enter Americas Test Kitchen, a publishing company based in Boston who produces the recipe driven magazine Cooks Illustrated. I knew this would be a good segue into food writing. I got hired and went on to work for them on several best selling cookbooks, two seasons of their award winning show, and I learned how to develop recipes in an approachable way for the home cook (a skill I think is missing in culinary schools). After two years, my partner, who is an academic, had an opportunity to spend a semester at the University of Sydney. There was no way I would pass up this chance – visiting Australia had been a dream of mine for a long time. So I sold my car, left my job at the Test Kitchen, and set out with him for the strange and beautiful land of Oz.

Rebecca Morris enjoying some of Australia's cusine

Nice choice. Why did you initially apply for a 'Best Job in the World' and how did you choose the 'Taste Master' position in WA?

I had seen a friend on Facebook "share" the advertisement, and I had this gut feeling that told me to just do it. I know I keep talking about my 'gut' instincts (go figure, its always about the stomach with me!), but I've found that whenever I listen to those feelings, they usually lead me to some amazing places…such as being in the top 25 for one of the best jobs in the world!

Choosing to apply for the taste master position was driven by my passion and experience in the food industry. I would be qualified for this job even if it weren't part of a worldwide competition, so it was a no brainer in my head. And as amazing as the jobs like 'wildlife caretaker' and 'park ranger' sound, my heart will always be where the food is.

If you are selected, how will you help promote WA and its food/wine offerings?

After living in Sydney, I have seen first hand just how right those slogans are: There really is nothing like Australia! And Western Australia, though I haven't been yet, is the kind of dining destination I'd like to sink my teeth into. The food scene just keeps getting better, with celebrity chefs I respect moving into Perth like Jamie Oliver, and well established restaurants like Amuse singing the praises of the quality fish, meat, and produce in the state. There's no better recommendation for a region than the chefs that work there; they know where all the good food is!

But I also want people to know that there's so much more to WA than the restaurants, because if they learn the whole story, they are going to have to see it for themselves. Fantastic restaurants get to be that way in part because of the region they are in and the producers who deliver it freshly to their back door. In addition to telling the individual stories that make up the diverse food landscape of WA, I will also document all of the culinary adventures you can have. For instance, I had no idea that I could go foraging in Manjimup, and find truffles the size of my fist! Or that after winery hopping through the Swan Valley trail, I could drive 15 minutes and watch the sun set on Burns Beach. Talk about extraordinary.

Which experiences, personal qualities and strengths will you bring to the position and how will they set you apart from the other candidates?

I want to give my readers a taste of what they can find in WA. I plan to do that by getting my hands wet deep sea fishing, staining my clothes making wine with the talented vintners in Margaret River, and sharing those experiences (to only name a couple) with the rest of the world through blogging and recipe writing. I've taken wine courses through my culinary school, so not only can I sip happily on a Vasse Felix Classic Dry Red, I'll be able to tell you about why this blend of varietals work so well together and the unique qualities the terroir in Australia has to facilitate a really successful vintage.

I also have a great idea for a cookbook that I would write while in WA. I'm working on a proposal, and I am shopping my idea around to garner support for the book. I'm really excited about this and I think the book idea has a lot of potential.

What do you hope to gain from this experience, both personally and professionally?

I hope to develop relationships while I'm there with the people who will grow my food, bake my bread, and culture my cheese. Then, I want to spread the word about how amazing those people and these places I visit are. I want WA to become the next Napa Valley, of sorts: a place people will put on their bucket list for the food and wine, and when they visit end up experiencing so much more than they imagined. Personally and professionally are one in the same with me. I love what I do; I always have. And I have enjoyed every moment of this competition that has let me share my passion for Australian food, wine, and way of life.

Which Social Media Sites Does My Business Need?

2013-05-04T17:47:42Z

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Written by Adam Groff

Whether an established small business or a new startup, social media means big business.

Think of social media as a middleman between the business and the consumer: without that common thread, the two parties will unravel. That’s why it’s crucial for any company to implement social media into their business platform.

READ THE APRIL EDITION OF BUSINESS REVIEW AUSTRALIA HERE

Here are just a handful of social media sites every small business should be taking advantage of >>>

Brand Development, Day-to-Day Business and More

Businessfriend is a professional social network unlike anything the internet has seen before. Its a total business ecosystem, where companies large and small can develop their brands, promote their message, handle internal communication, recruitment and much more. Businessfriend has all the well known qualities of a social network; a profile, company pages, and an email function, but it also offers some completely unique features that will change the way we do business online. It helps its users handle recruitment through unique compatibility matches; it acts as an intranet and provides each user with cloud storage.

Businessfriend is not exclusively about promoting your business online, its about running your business from a portable, flexible and highly engaging online tool.

The All-Encompassing Facebook

When it comes to social media, what could be better than a site with the nickname “the social network?” There are countless reasons why Facebook is the ultimate form of social media, but there’s one overwhelming reason it works so well for businesses: constant contact.

With more than 1 billion users, that’s billion with a B as in business is going to thrive, Facebook has become a social destination for literally everyone. In terms of businesses, Facebook provides a built in audience. The sea of Facebook users can interact in any number of ways with a Facebook business page by “liking” business related posts, sharing business pages, and even “checking in” at actual business locations.

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When a Business Tweets, Customers Will Flock

Twitter is the anywhere, anytime, anything form of social media with over 500 million users and counting. And, with the ability to tweet just about anything to an overwhelmingly massive audience, the marketing possibilities for businesses is unending.

Twitter gives a business the ability to inform and update their customers through twitter feeds, which act as mini newsfeeds that can be delivered at any interval. In relation to this, customers can choose to “follow” a business to receive informative “tweets” about the business, its products, and upcoming events and promotions.

Building Business Links

Linkedin uses much the same platform as Facebook, only Linkedin is more of a business-to-business network rather than a social one (although it’s very social too). And, with over 200 million business minded users, Linkedin is an indispensible networking source for any business.

As for connecting to customers, Linkedin might not be as effective as the sites above, but what it lacks in customer presence, it makes up for with professional connections. And, industry relationships are just as important as customer relationships; keeping in touch with other businesses is essential to company and industry growth.

The Business Side of Blogging

An up to date business blog with consistent posts can be a valuable asset to any company trying to get social with their media. Although it doesn’t have a built-in audience like the sites above, with persistent and quality content, a solid blog can attract numerous customers.

Blogging not only brings customers to a website, but by using keywords to link to other credible, related sites, the company’s online presence will increase along with its page rank. Businesses with informative, well-constructed blogs are proven to perform better in search engine results thus increasing customer awareness.

From customer “likes” on Facebook to tweeting your way to new customers to setting your company apart with an engaging blog, social media is a must for today’s businesses.

So get that middleman up and running with any or all of the social media sites above.

About the Author

Adam Groff is a freelance writer and wizard of wide-ranging content. He specializes in writing on topics covering personal health to voip sip to being more social with social media.

Facebook 2013 Updates For Business Users

2013-05-01T03:44:47Z

Written by Amanda DiSilvestro

Over the last couple months, Facebook has been rolling out even more changes to their layout. Naturally, businesses have spent time scrambling and trying to understand how to make the changes work for them.

It’s clear that the social networking giant isn’t going anywhere, so it’s important that businesses take advantage in order to reach an even larger audience. With the built-in analytics Facebook offers, it’s easy for companies to see what a large impact Facebook has on audiences. Facebook brings in that engagement that is so important and helps create visibility amongst its now over 1 billion users. Companies have to ask themselves: What are these new changes, and how can I make them work for me?

The Facebook Changes Explained

There were a few changes Facebook made to the layout as well as the navigation that have made people stop and think. A few of the major changes include >>>

#1. A new feature called “Replies” allows you to reply directly to comments that you see on your Page as well as start conversation threads. The most engaging conversations will also be shown at the top of your posts.

You have to opt-in to the feature from the Page admin panel in the “manage permission” section of your page. Otherwise, this will be automatically enacted on July 10 of this year. It’s not yet available for mobile, but hopefully will be soon.

What the Changes Mean to Your Business: This update should make it easier for a business to interact with individual visitors and help keep similar conversations connected for a better experience. People will always be seeing the most engaging conversations on your page (according to you), so you never have to worry about someone missing something important. The change has still not shown up for my company or me, so here is a screenshot from a Facebook article.

#2. All posts have been moved to the right-hand side of the timeline, while other general, miscellaneous information have been moved to the left.

Once the timeline layout was introduced, there was a lot of backlash about having to move your eyes from one side of the screen to the other. Everything seemed jumbled, and people didn’t like the fact that when something new was posted, many things shifted to the other side of the timeline. This made it confusing, so it wasn’t a surprise when Facebook decided to make this change. The left side of the page is now filled snippets of the about section, friends, photos, places, music, movies, TV shows, books, likes, notes, and recent activity.

What the Changes Mean to Your Business: The changes here are likely more important for bloggers and individuals than businesses; however there is no denying that things are at least easier to understand. People are going to be able to skim your business page easier, which should help make sure that all of your posts are being seen.

#3. Images are going to be larger and more vibrant, and videos will now be able to be viewed at their full size.

Facebook understands that photos are one of the most interesting and engaging parts of the network. The photos got larger when the timeline was first developed, and now they’re getting larger again. Videos will also get larger, making them easier to watch.

What The Changes Mean to Your Business: Larger photos often mean more engagement because it catches the attention of visitors. Utilise photos more now that Facebook has added this feature and do a little bit of testing to see what your audience likes to see.

#4. Graph Search is a new way to search for things on Facebook. It allows you to better discover things in common with other companies as well as your followers.

Finally, Facebook is using its plethora of information to help benefit you with more than just targeted ads. With Graph Search, you can type in a query such as “friends who enjoy bike riding,” or “people who enjoy Italian food” and a list of your friends would appear. It makes the most sense to use Graph Search when looking for connections based on information that is given to Facebook. Graph Search is currently not available to all Facebook account holders, but you can visit an introductory page to sign up on their waiting list.

What The Change Means to Your Business: If you are thinking about having a bike riding event for your company, the first search above will help you determine if it’s really worth your while. If you’re an Italian food restaurant, the second search above will help you know who to connect with in your area. The possibilities for connections are endless. You can finally learn more about those in your area and those connected with your company, and target some of your efforts towards any trends. Below is a video explaining more about the feature >>>

#5. When someone “likes” your business page, part of your cover photo will show up in that person’s news feed.

This is another example of Facebook trying to incorporate more photos. Logos and cover photos are often ways that someone can identify a business right away, so this will only help users and businesses see more clicks.

What This Change Means to Your Business: The biggest takeaway here is making sure that your cover photo is up to date and relevant. People will be seeing this as well as your full profile picture in their news feeds. Since this is where the most clicks will occur, you’ll want to take advantage.

Facebook 2013 Changes: Now It’s Your Turn

It’s also important to realise that at this point, the changes have not been enacted for every Facebook account just yet, but the social networking giant expects all accounts to cross over throughout the next few weeks. There are also a few more changes that have been made to Facebook that don’t necessarily directly affect business pages, which you can learn more about here.

About the Author

Amanda DiSilvestro gives small business and entrepreneurs SEO advice ranging from keyword density to recovering from algorithm updates. She writes for HigherVisibility, a nationally recognized SEO agency and local SEO company.

Could Hotmail be the New Gmail?

2013-04-29T23:07:40Z

Hotmail has had a facelift and you won’t believe it, but it’s actually awesome. Hotmail, or Outlook as it has been rebranded, is a far cry from the ‘HoTMail’ we all knew in 1996, before the days of Gmail.

READ THE APRIL EDITION OF BUSINESS REVIEW AUSTRALIA HERE

The new online email service has many of the great features, which can be found in Gmail, such as cloud storage, contact imports, email imports from old / other email accounts and the ability to use it on a mobile device, however it also has some really cool features such as the option to add Facebook, and Twitter plugins for all your social media updates in place of adverts.

The new Hotmail or Outlook email system is easy to use, fast and navigable. Its fresh, it has a super modern, clutter free design, and truthfully, it makes Gmail seem a little bit out of date. Another great thing, I managed to get the email address I really wanted, without having to add any underscores, numbers or characters, just a simple firstname.lastname@outlook.com - that has got to be worth something in itself.

What is yet to remain is how quickly this takes off, and if users will flock to the site or not – I am considering it myself, so I have high hopes for this new service and believe it will be a serious thorn in Gmail’s side in no time.

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Top Three Tips for Avoiding Social Media Pitfalls

2013-04-24T17:39:01Z

Written by Matt Thomson

The Australian digital media landscape has gone through an amazing transformation over the last few years. Social media used to be seen as frivolous and only really big brands had the marketing dollars to throw at engaging their Facebook and Twitter audience. Thankfully that mentality has changed and it’s amazing to see how businesses, big and small are embracing social media. Today, many more businesses are willing to acknowledge that being social is powerful.

However, while social media offers incredible opportunities for businesses to engage with customers and build their brand it’s not enough to just “do” social. The social web is infinitely vast and there is a massive amount of content being produced every day. This means your Facebook or Twitter posts could very well be disappearing into cyberspace without a trace. When this happens, companies usually don’t see much value from their social marketing efforts and start believing social media is more hype than substance.

The problem isn’t with social media - the problem is usually with the way social media marketing (SMM) is handled. With dollar signs in their eyes, many companies jump into social networks without a plan just because it’s the thing to do; because everyone is doing it.

When SMM fails for a company, there is usually a pattern to the reasons behind the failure. To avoid these common pitfalls, businesses need to adopt a strategic approach to social media.

1. Have A Strategy In Place

Social networks are a fun and casual place to be but good social media marketing is serious business. If you really want to see results from social marketing, just “being” on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest isn’t enough. A common pitfall for businesses on social media is not having a proper strategy in place. SMM needs continual research and a solid plan of action. As a business, you need to ask yourself >>>

What are my goals for social media?
Create awareness for your product? Reach a larger customer base? Improve customer relationships?
Where does social fit in with my business objectives?
A good social media marketing plan must be aligned with your business goals and objectives. Is investing in social going to help you expand on these business goals? Will it help you connect with customers? Will it help you make more money?
How do I define social media success?
Measuring your social media marketing is important to assess your performance. What are you going to measure? Are you happy with gathering more followers or are you aiming at engagement? Maybe you want more leads?
Who is going to manage my social media?
Social media isn’t the intern’s job, it should be an integral part of your marketing - are you taking it seriously enough? Does your social media manager understand your social media goals? Do they have enough time to devote to it?
Who is my target audience?
Researching your audience is key. This is discussed in detail below.

Research your audience
Don’t think about your customers as a collective herd of people. Think about an actual person in your target audience. You have to put yourself in their shoes and put a lot of thought into what they like / dislike. Understanding your audience will help you plan your content and your long term social media strategy.

Are they male or female?
How old are they?
Why are they interested in your brand/ product?
What other interests are they likely to have? What topics would interest your audience?
What sort of content does this demographic most like to consume - text, photos, videos?
Which social networks are most appropriate for your target audience?

Research your competitors
You don’t have to copy what your competitors are doing but it’s always a good idea to have a finger on the pulse and see what you’re up against.

Do your competitors have a social presence?
What sort of content are the posting?
Are their followers interacting with them or is it a ghost town?

Plan your content

Once you have answered these questions and hopefully have some insights, you need to put an editorial calendar into place. Posting good, engaging content that your audience will appreciate should be planned ahead instead of doing it ad hoc.

Keep your audience in mind at all times.
Post content that is interesting and relevant.
Post consistently to drive more engagement.
Research times and post at times your audience is more likely to engage.
Post content relevant for the social network. What works on Facebook might not necessarily be Twitter-worthy.

2. Make Engagement A Priority

When done well, social media will bring you leads but social isn’t about the sell. The key to good SMM is in being social of course and this is something many businesses still fail to realise. When you look at your Facebook page or Twitter account as yet another sales channel, you have stumbled over yet another pitfall.

Your audience is on social media to interact with you and to socialise with you. If you treat this an opportunity for a one way broadcast, your audience will quickly disappear and your broadcasts will remain unseen. But when you start posting content your audience is interested in, they will interact with you and expose your brand to their friends, who could be your potential customers too. Social media is at least 80 percent give and 20 percent take - be sure not to get them mixed up.

3. Acquire Targeted Followers

Acquiring masses of social media followers is something many businesses seem to obsess over. But if you’re after big numbers alone, you’re doing it wrong. Your focus should instead be on acquiring a targeted audience i.e. an audience that is genuinely interested in your product / your company. This audience will interact with you and the engagement will help you boost your social presence. You are better off having a 1000 fans of which 500 interact with you regularly than having 5000 fans of which only 500 interact with you. Focus on engaging your genuine audience and social media success will follow.

Social is powerful and businesses of all shapes and sizes are seeing great results from it. Simply setting up shop on social media and waiting for the customers to come isn’t enough. Instead, think about your customers as people and focus on building an engaging community on social media and your brand will thrive. You will start seeing tangible results for your hard work if you do social the right way.

About The Author

Matt Thomson is the founder of Connect Social Media, a digital agency focused on growing small businesses with the power of social media. Connect Social Media offer both a paid management service and free online DIY education. Download their free 'Just Do It' social media guide to learn how you can grow your business with social media marketing. You can contact Matt on Twitter and Facebook.

Why is Australia Not Embracing Design Thinking?

2013-04-23T06:20:32Z

Written by Dr Lars Groeger and Leanne Sobel

Internationally, design thinking is top of the agenda for leading organisations, such as, GE, P&G, Oxfam and Unilever. Design thinking offers an approach better suited for dealing with the accelerating pressures for growth and innovation faced by so many firms and their managers today than business’ traditional analytic methods.

READ THE APRIL EDITION OF BUSINESS REVIEW AUSTRALIA

A recent exploratory MGSM study suggests that Australian businesses fail to adopt truly innovative practices, but heavily rely on older, traditional methods to solve business problems.

So what exactly is design thinking?

Designers, by the very nature of their professional practice solve complex or inherently ‘wicked’ problems that span across areas of specialisation, industry and innovation. This process involves an in depth analysis of many factors in order to consider the various options in which to resolve it. Design thinking is the attempt of capturing this very process and presenting it as an approach to creative problem solving that can be applied more broadly, by people who are not necessarily designers. Design thinking brings together what is desirable from a human point of view with what is technologically feasible and economically viable; it is both a method and a mindset while solution focused and action orientated.

Read Related Articles On Business Review Australia

What is design thinking in action? – A case study

Kaiser Permanente is a healthcare provider that set out to improve the overall quality of the healthcare experience from the point of view of both patients and medical practitioners. Following a design thinking process, based on observation, deep empathy and prototyping, the team identified key problems that occur when nurses shifts change. The procedures were unsystematic, knowledge that patients cared about was often lost, and the majority of nurses did not leave the hospital on time. The first prototype was developed within a week and resulted in a change in approach: nurses were exchanging information in front of the patient instead of back at the nurses’ station, making patients part of the process, adding important information as well. This is a well-documented case study by Brown (2009) and Ideo and is a good example of how this approach can assist in creating breakthrough systems, processes and services – beyond just innovation discussed in the context of product design.

What are the barriers?

The study unveiled that businesses in Australia are behind in seeking to adopt design thinking for greater business outcomes. This, more generally, comes down to a lack of understanding, knowledge and experience of design thinking within business in the Australian market. While Australia has some well-established consultancy firms who apply design thinking with business at various levels, this barrier is compounded by the absence of documentation and ‘proof points’ of how it has been successfully applied. Such evidence will help to provide business management with a case to point out its validity and viability as an innovation tool for business.

Furthermore design thinking is often rejected as a plausible approach to complex problem solving and perceived as a “high risk activity” or “artistic pursuit” – which is linked to creating a tangible product or output, whereas the strategic elements of design thinking are less understood. One respondent felt this attitude stems from a: “fear of risk, short-term thinking, conservatism and traditional ways of working” more generally in the Australian business environment. “The barriers are not physical ones, they are simply a mindset – that people often feel more comfortable in hierarchies, or in departments and silos and they can stay there for years on end and it may not achieve very much.” Further, it was raised that Australian businesses lack concern towards innovation and global competitiveness: “There is this lack of need or competition I think, which is schizophrenic, because in other areas we are super competitive in Australia”.

What should we do?

The exchange of knowledge by companies and interested parties can be facilitated through workshops, information sessions, and talks. In addition, it is important to establish networks across industries that involve people “from various backgrounds – unexpected mash-ups of people”, to generate a hybrid space that explores the synergies between design and business in leveraging design thinking. Such collaborative exercises will build awareness, general knowledge and discourse about the benefits of, and the way in which design thinking can work in Australia.

When applied by business it was also noted that management and staff need the time, support and space to practice design thinking in action, and that business must give “people enough opportunity to actually get runs on the board and gain experience.” Additionally it was found that greater inclusion of design thinking within business education and additional support from the government would also be helpful in creating broader awareness and knowledge for business.

The understanding and perceptions of design and design thinking in the mind of Australian business needs to evolve in order for the benefits of design thinking to be realised. This is something both the design industry and businesses that are already applying it can assist with – it’s time to share, exchange ideas, understand a common hybrid language and ways to meet on the path to finding a creative approach to old and new problems faced by corporations in Australia today and in the future. Greater understanding and awareness of design thinking by Australian businesses will allow companies a broader perspective in the way in which they approach and tackle the challenges experienced in the Australian business environment today.

MGSM is launching a new open enrolment course this year in Design Thinking. Click here for details of the course.

Further Readings

Sobel, L. and Groeger, L. (2012), Design Thinking: Exploring Opportunities for the Design Industry and Business in Australia: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2194672

Brown, T. (2008). Design thinking. Harvard Business Review, 86(6), 84.

Brown, T. (2009). Change by design, HarperCollins.

Kaiser Permanente case study: http://www.ideo.com/work/nurse-knowledge-exchange/

Is Content Marketing the New SEO?

2013-04-23T05:15:52Z

Written by Binh Nguyen, CEO, Market Ease Business Promotions

The rule is, and always has been, ‘quality content is king’.

But only now, as content marketing is taking center stage, are we left scratching our heads, wondering how SEO and content marketing can not only peacefully co-exist, but work together to meet our online goals.

So, is content marketing the new SEO?

I’d argue, most definitely not. Both are a necessary part of establishing a strong online presence, and anyone who neglects one to pursue the other is going to have a rude awakening. But when done properly, SEO and content marketing can be an online powerhouse; delivering excellent content that people love, and that the search engines recognise as being high-quality.

READ THE APRIL EDITION OF BUSINESS REVIEW AUSTRALIA HERE

Here are 5 ways content marketers can utilise SEO to propel their content across the web >>>

5 SEO FACTORS FOR CONTENT MARKETERS

#1. High Quality Content

There is absolutely no substitute for high quality content. Gone are the days of throwing together keyword-dense blog posts, pointing a few internal links at them, and getting floods of search engine traffic.

SEO in 2013 is all about providing information that people are hungry for, and presenting it in an engaging, interactive way.

We’re seeing a trend towards longer, more information-rich blog posts. Find out what information people are looking for, and do your best to give a detailed, definitive answer, or a thoughtful, unique perspective on the topic.

Some tips for generating good quality content >>>

Plan ahead using an editorial calendar. If you know you’re going to be writing about something next week, you can start mulling over the topic today. Great ideas sometimes need time to settle and refine themselves.
See what topics are hot in your industry or niche. Keep up to date on popular blogs to see what topics are trending, and what gaps you may be able to fill.
Take a topic and dissect it. There’s a time and a place for ‘big picture’ posts, but many of the most successful pieces are detailed ‘how to’ type posts on very specific topics.
Research, research, research. Commit some time before you start writing to researching the topic you’ve chosen. Find out what industry experts think about the topic, and what the main streams of thought are.

#2. Sharable Content

This should be a natural extension of producing high quality content. If your content is truly valuable, it is more likely to be shared, retweeted, and +1’d. How often your content is liked, shared, and mentioned is likely to play heavily in search rankings in the future. Although there’s still some debate about how important it is for current rankings, making sure your content is ‘share-worthy’ is always a good idea regardless.

Make it as easy as possible for your readers to share, like or retweet your content by including social share buttons at the end of each and every post.

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#3. SEO Basics

Some content marketers are moving away from implementing even basic SEO strategies, assuming that their excellent content will be good enough to achieve high rankings. And while good content truly is irreplaceable -- now more than ever -- don’t make the mistake of completely dismissing SEO in favor of content marketing.

Make sure you >>>

Optimise your posts to the best of your ability. Include keywords that accurately describe or depict your content, use a descriptive title tag and subheadings, and accurately name and tag your images.
Have an accurate and current XML sitemap in place. Make sure Google is able to crawl each and every page and post on your site.
Make sure your site loads quickly.Load speed is definitely a factor in current search rankings, and is likely to become even more important in the future.
Do keyword research to make sure you’re writing what people are wanting. Keyword research is (and always has been) about figuring out what people are actually looking for. What’s the point in writing something no one’s ever going to care about? Before you write, find out not only what people are searching for, but what words or phrases they’re using when they search for it.

#4. Google Authorship

Have you ever typed a query into Google and seen a result like this?

If so, you may have wondered how the author was able to get his image displayed with his url, and how you can do the same.

This is what’s known as Google Authorship, and although the jury’s still out in terms of it’s value for search engine rankings, many suspect it will be important for rankings in the future. There’s even a discussion on the concept of Author Rank whereby, the credibility of the author plays a role in how well your page ranks on Google.

In the meantime, there’s no doubt that having an image next to your posts is good for click through rate and building an immediate sense of familiarity and personability.

Here's how to set it up >>>

Step 1: Sign up for a Google+ account

This is pretty self-explanatory. If you don’t already have an account, go ahead and sign up for one. You don’t need to worry about completely filling out your profile now, unless you plan to actively use the network.

Step 2: Indicate which websites you contribute to

Log in to Google+ and go to your edit profile page. This is where you’ll be asked to enter information like your work, education, and basic personal details. Scroll down, and you should see ‘Contributor to’ in the Links section.

Click ‘Edit’, and then enter relevant website names and urls under ‘Contributor to’. Be sure to select ‘Public’, and indicate whether you’re a past or current contributor to the site. Using the homepage url is sufficient, even if you only contribute to one part of the site (for instance, the blog).

Step 3: Add a profile picture and tag it

This is really important. Go to ‘Photos’ and add a high quality picture of yourself. This is the image Google is going to show when it displays your content in the search results.

Upload an image of yourself, and then click on the image to tag it. Find your name from the drop down list, and select it to complete the tagging process.

Step 4: Link your blog posts to your Google+ profile

This will involve going into all the blog posts you’ve written, and adding a piece of code to indicate that you’re the author. Unfortunately, this will take a bit of work to get set up - or a lot of work if you’re quite prolific.

Insert the following code into each of your blog posts to link it to your Google+ profile (replace the URL with your Google+ profile URL and the name with your real name in the example below) >>>

{Google+ Profile URL}?rel=author”>Firstname Lastname

e.g. https://plus.google.com/118125628147750279533?rel=author”>Binh Nguyen

And that’s it! In about a day, your posts should display in Google’s search results with your image next to it.

#5. Diversified Links

Don’t rely on any one source of links to your site. It’s hard to imagine a time when external links won’t be important for search engine rankings; links are the foundation on which the web is built. Links act as recommendations to your business from third parties, and plays a key role in determining your company’s credibility and authority online.

Branching out and getting backlinks using multiple methods lowers your risks, and increases your chances of long term success. Pursue multiple high-quality link-building strategies, like guest posting, social sharing/links, content syndication, infographics, and testimonials.

These types of links are going to be harder to get, and are going to take time. But in this age where highly quality content rules, should we be surprised that high-quality linking strategies are replacing the quick and easy (and dare I say, spammy) strategies of the past?

I hope it’s apparent that SEO and content marketing aren’t mutually exclusive -- that the two can (and should) work together -- for maximum online success.

Great quality content that’s properly accessible to the search engines stands the greatest chance of reaching its intended audience, and of helping you achieve your content and SEO goals.

Where has your focus been these days? Do you find yourself relying more on SEO or on producing content? Have you been able to find a good balance? I’d love to discuss this topic with you on Business Review Australia's Facebook page.

About The Author

Binh Nguyen is the CEO of Market Ease Business Promotions, a digital marketing agency dedicated to helping companies in Australia grow by leveraging the power of the internet. In the past 6+ years, Binh has helped several multi-million dollar companies in Australia establish themselves as the market leaders in their fields, and sell millions of dollars worth of products and services online. You can connect with Binh on Google+ and facebook.

How to Make Your Business a Social Business

2013-04-23T02:59:17Z

Written by Marc Englaro, CEO, InsightfulCRM

The rush to social media shows that Australian businesses know they can’t afford to stay out of the online conversation. Unfortunately most are going about social media the wrong way and missing out on sales and happier customers as a result. Over a third of medium-sized businesses already use social media, up from a quarter last year, according to the 2012 Yellow Social Media Report by Sensis.

READ THE APRIL EDITION OF BUSINESS REVIEW AUSTRALIA HERE

The take-up among large businesses is even more remarkable – 79 percent now have a social media presence, up from 50 percent in 2011. Large businesses spend an average $100,000 a year on social media. But what do they have to show for it?

Based on my conversations with SugarCRM customers and the broader business community, I would suggest that as much as 90 percent of medium and large sized businesses use social media as a communication channel to project their messages externally but are completely missing the opportunity to listen and talk with customers on their turf. The trend towards the social business is creating another dimension for engagement with savvy customers for who spend much of their time online on social networks. People of all generations are increasingly becoming comfortable engaging online in both their work and personal lives. They ask questions, make compliments and air opinions with their friends and colleagues, whether businesses are there to hear them or not. These conversations on social media can deliver valuable commercial information that can drive sales and customer satisfaction if a business knows how to take advantage of it. But this is easier said than done and takes a lot more effort than setting up a company page on Facebook or Twitter.

Before a business can start using social media, it first needs to understand that social media is not just another weapon in the marketing armoury. Social media redefines how businesses operate. These days a company must think of itself as a social business, which can be defined by three traits >>>

1. Social businesses are highly engaged

They build an interconnected web of customers, employees and partners to drive efficiency and productivity.

2. Social businesses are transparent

By giving customers direct access to employees, they cut through red tape and remove traditional boundaries to information, experts and assets. Mature businesses also allow customers to air their complaints or negative opinions without seeking to remove posts or react defensively. Instead they acknowledge feedback and engage to say what they are doing to improve.

3. Social businesses are nimble

The information and insight collected through social media can be used to anticipate and address evolving opportunities.

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How can companies become a social business?

The old adage of ‘people, processes and technology’ applies here. Employees are readily bringing their own personal devices into the workplace, and rather than limiting their access to social media, businesses need to roll out change management strategies to ensure employees efficiently use social media tools as part of their daily tasks. While many large businesses (79 percent according to the Sensis report) use social media policies to define appropriate behaviour for employees in the personal use of social media, only half of large businesses surveyed had invested in social media training.

Educating employees about the do’s and don’ts of social media in the workplace is vital in creating a positive culture of knowledge-sharing and collaboration.

When it comes to measuring the results of social media, there is no gold standard. Some businesses measure success by the number of likes, followers or subscribers their company accumulates.

Other businesses measure success by the number of positive social media conversations, take-up of incentives or offers, brand sentiment and the amount of traffic driven from social networks to the corporate website. In these situations, an array of tools can help businesses track their success in social media, including analytical tools and media monitoring tools. IBM is the global leader in Social Analytics and with solutions for the Social Enterprise where they also partner with SugarCRM.

The best metrics are sales related, such as volume of new sales, number of customers and overall revenue, yet many businesses are using social media without a structured marketing strategy to increase sales. For example, of the number of medium sized businesses which measure their social media presence, only a fraction of those (6 percent) measure whether their social media activity has increased sales, revenue or number of customers.

Becoming a true social business is a long-term investment, and one that is strongly depending on senior decision makers within the business. Smart businesses which take on the challenge of becoming a social business, and use social media tools externally as well as internally to listen to and engage with their customers, will find a throng of clients ready to talk, to listen and, ultimately, to buy.

About the Author

Marc Englaro is the CEO of InsightfulCRM a consulting and system integration firm, with clients across Australia and New Zealand. You can find them here: http://www.insightful.com.au/

More information can also be found from SugarCRM here: http://www.sugarsocial.com.au/flexible.html

Tips for Connecting With Customers via Mobile Platforms

2013-04-21T22:57:26Z

Written by Lee Hawksley, Managing Director, ExactTarget


We’ve all be there. It’s that moment you’re out to dinner and you realize that you left your phone at home. How many calls will I miss? Text messages? Emails? How am I going to check-in on Facebook? The thought of missing out makes many consider getting up and leaving the restaurant immediately.

READ THE APRIL EDITION OF BUSINESS REVIEW AUSTRALIA HERE

As hyper-connected consumers we rely heavily on mobile phones. SMS is the most used means of consumer communication ever created, according to the Mobile Marketing Association.

Marketers should be thinking about what they are doing to connect with consumers’ through SMS. But with a limit of 160 characters, how do you go about this?

There are three key rules to make the most of SMS communications >>>

#1. Know your audience

Get to know your consumers. After the initial opt-in, find out their preferences. What types of messages do they want to receive? Would they like to receive alerts for offers and product updates?

#2. Personalize

Subscribers aren’t interested in recycled content or ‘batch and blast’ messages. Use the information collected to personalize and send relevant messages. While five percent of consumers prefer to receive permission-based promotions via text, 35 percent prefer to receive personal communications via text. It’s important that marketers respect these preferences and make the most of out their messages. If you have the data to segment and deliver personalized communication – you should apply it to your SMS campaigns.

#3. Connect mobile with email and social

You have their attention. Now maintain it. When a consumer opts in to receive mobile messages and provides their email address for future communications, marketers must capitalize on the opportunity by continuing to build the relationship across email, Facebook and Twitter.

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Tips for a Successful Mobile Campaign

Start by using triggered email sends to consumers who have opted in to emails. Triggered emails build on the initial engagement by delivering fast, timely messaging delivered instantly to someone’s inbox. This type of program is perfect if you’re sending product information, event registration forms and transactional emails.

Looking to build your fans and followers? Add a Facebook and Twitter icon to your emails to encourage subscribers to become a fan or follower of your brand. It’s also a great opportunity to find out about consumer preferences. Marketers must ensure that they are delivering the correct messages across the channels the customer prefers.

Consumers are no longer looking at one channel to receive information. They are constantly on-the-go, sending and receiving communications of all types. They’ve come to expect that information be (literally) in-hand at all times. In 2011, mobile device sales outnumbered PCs for the first time in history, (according to BI Intelligence). Consumers expect information to be available all around them. The shift in expectations makes it vital for brands of all sizes to start interacting with customers at all times.


About ExactTarget

ExactTarget is a leading global provider of cross-channel digital marketing software-as-a-service solutions that empower organizations of all sizes to communicate with their customers through email, mobile, social media, Web and marketing automation.

ExactTarget’s suite of integrated applications enable marketers to plan, automate, deliver and optimize data-driven digital marketing and real-time communications to drive customer engagement, increase sales and improve return on marketing investment.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana with offices in North America, Europe, South America and Australia, ExactTarget trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “ET.” For more information, visit www.ExactTarget.com.

Top Five Things You Need to Know About SEO

2013-04-18T23:20:46Z

Why do you publish content online? To be seen, right? There is no point in posting content to your website unless it is going to be read, and the only way to ensure it is, is by following a few key SEO principles.

READ THE APRIL EDITION OF BUSINESS REVIEW AUSTRALIA HERE

Business Review Australia highlights the top 10 key tips for boosting your site’s SEO strategy, thus gaining better traffic and ultimately ROI >>>

#1. Say it as it is

Google doesn’t have the time to work out the pun, or the clever joke behind your headline. It wants to know exactly what your article is about in as fewer words as possible. If you are writing an article about ways to encourage employee engagement, that should be your headline; Top Ways To Encourage Employee Engagement. Your headline should say exactly what your article does on the tin.

#2. Keywords are King

As you are writing your article make sure you understand what you top five to ten keywords are. For example if I am writing an article about social media marketing, then my keywords could potentially be the following:

social media, social networking, marketing, marketing 2.0, Facebook, Twitter, Businessfriend, social business, consumer engagement, online marketing

Once you have identified your keywords, be sure to include them within the headline, standfirst and body of the text, without keyword stuffing (and that is very important). Make sure the piece reads well, and if you read the draft back and you think that you have used the same keyword too many times… you have.

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#3. Use BOLD text

Use bold text to highlight keywords and sentences. Google is searching for information and can see that you have highlighted certain words, which indicates to Google robots that those are important, therefore ranking you higher for those search terms.

#4. Unique content

It should go without saying, but unique content is possibly the most important thing when it comes to basic SEO principles. Google can tell if you have copied and pasted from another online source and will penalise you for it if the content is not attributed to the original source or accounts for more that 80 percent of the copy.

Make sure your content is unique and well written.

#5. Make sure it is relevant

Google doesn’t only look at articles in exclusion, but measures it based on the rest of the content on the website. If you normally write content about best practice in law and then one day write an article about fashion for example, Google will not rank that article highly because it doesn’t target your demographic and you have no credibility as a fashion source.

Visit Business Review Australia Next Week For More Top Tips For SEO Best Practice In 2013

Why Content Marketing is Good for the Bottom Line

2013-04-18T07:54:18Z

Written by Fergus Stoddart, Commercial Director at Edge

The battle for consumers’ attention is causing new marketing battle lines to be drawn. We are moving away from disruptive one-way advertising to deeper, highly personalized, two-way relationships with customers. This evolution is being driven by the convergence of new data, CRM technology, new consumer consumption habits, social media, digital distribution and above all, content.

The upside of this evolution is rather than attracting one-off customers, content marketing can facilitate ongoing relationships that increase the likelihood of repeat business and increased sales revenues.

What Is Content Marketing?

Content marketing isn’t the latest fad or buzz word, it is the direction marketing is heading. The underlying reason for this is because it can have a direct and ongoing impact on sales and therefore the bottom line. With increasing demands on consumer’s attention, good content that is entertaining, informative, valuable and interesting provides an effective avenue to developing a lasting customer relationships and increased repeat business.

READ THE APRIL EDITION OF BUSINESS REVIEW AUSTRALIA HERE

Flow On To Monetary Opportunities

Content marketing is more than just writing a few blog posts then waiting for the engagement and sales to come. It firstly involves using data and insights to really understanding your customers, including their buying habits, behaviors and triggers.

Interpreting this information will enable you to deliver relevant, interesting and personalized content at the right time to hopefully inspire customer action. This action could be clicking through to a website, downloading a brochure, becoming a member, sharing the content or making a purchase. On average shoppers need to be exposed to 10.4 sources before buying. This is twice as much as in the past.

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The Big Bad ROI Question

In most instances it’s good to view content marketing in terms of a value chain that takes a customer from the moment of discovery through to purchase. Along this chain are many touch points for customers with aim of stimulating a different action with monetary opportunities towards the end of the chain. For this reason content marketing needs to be viewed as a long term strategy but also one that if done right, can have significant ROI pay offs.

For instance, for an alcohol retailer offering an exclusive membership for wine lovers, their value chain might look like: membership, leading to engagement, leading to offers, leading to sales, then finally repeat sales. At each step, metrics are involved to measure the success, for instance how many members, how engaged are members by the content, which offers worked best and then how much revenue was generated.

In some instances, if your content and distribution channels are attracting solid traffic and engagement, you can also think about monetising your content for additional revenue. This is of particular relevance to retailers to get the support from suppliers.

Content marketing success lies in making content customer centric and not focused on the brand. This will mean customers are more receptive to any offers or sales you promote to them, especially if they see them as highly beneficial, exclusive or convenient.

Key Tips for Developing a Content Strategy >>>

Content that focuses on the customer not the brand.

Define audience profiles to enable personalisation and targeted content that will resonate.

Understand the customer journey so you can correctly tailor content to influence behaviour at certain stages of the buying journey.

Define engagement goals and measures for desired behaviour change to measure ROI and effectiveness.

Involve a broad range of stakeholders in the development of the strategy to ensure it is customer-centric, responsibility is outlined and buy in across the organisation is achieved.

Businesses often put more focus on expanding and reaching out to new audiences. However, with customer attention now at a premium, it’s equally important to focus on retaining those customers you attract and using great content to keep them involved, interested and loyal to your brand. When this is done correctly, your bottom line will thank you for it.

About Edge

Edge is a strategic content agency creating and producing custom content for brands across any channel or platform, including print, digital, gaming and broadcast. Edge has a strong heritage in quality editorial products and advertising sales, having started in 2003 as a custom magazine publisher.

Edge’s clients include Woolworths, Volkswagen, Westpac, Australia Post and Foxtel.

www.edgecustom.com.au

Amazon Appstore Launches In Australia

2013-04-17T22:55:13Z

Amazon announced today that it would be continuing the global expansion of its Android Appstore, but making the service available in a number of new locations. The online giant requested that developers begin submitting their applications for distribution in nearly 200 countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, India, South African, South Korea, Papua New Guinea and Vatican City.

Amazon expects users in those countries to be able to use the service in “coming months.”

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Amazon recently launched its Appstore for the Android platform in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, and in November 2012 opened its Appstore in Japan. Amazon is clearly aiming to become a global player in the market.

“Allowing developers to target distribution of their apps and games in even more international countries is yet another important milestone as we strive to serve consumers and developers globally,” Mike George, Vice President of Apps and Games at Amazon, confirmed in a statement. “Many of our existing developers have localized their apps and games for international consumers, and we look forward to working with new developers that have been waiting to bring their apps to more Amazon customers across the globe.”

The Amazon Appstore offers a paid app for free every day, and apps purchased from the store can be used across a customer's Android devices, including Amazon's line of Kindle Fire tablets.