{"id":28626,"date":"2014-10-13T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-10-13T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/futurelab.digitalmachine.co.nz\/blog\/bnz-connect-make-your-website-and-social-media-work-for-you\/"},"modified":"2014-10-13T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-10-13T11:00:00","slug":"bnz-connect-make-your-website-and-social-media-work-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/futurelab.digitalmachine.co.nz\/au\/blog\/bnz-connect-make-your-website-and-social-media-work-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"BNZ Connect: make your website and social media work for you"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

FutureLab recently gave a presentation in Takapuna at the monthly BNZ Connect event (first Tuesday of every month<\/a><\/span>, see you there!). Our presentation was about \u2013 what else? \u2013 effective marketing strategies for small business. Number one on the list, of course, is get a website for your business<\/a><\/span>! Whether you sell products, services, or advertise events \u2013 if you\u2019re not online yet, you certainly should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we talk to potential clients, we often find surprising resistance among company owners who do not yet have a website. We think that\u2019s because business owners who have never had a website just have no idea how effective a marketing tool it can be. When we speak to businesses that are looking to upgrade an existing website, the company owners are far more enthusiastic about investing in their online presence. They\u2019ve already seen the difference a website makes to their business and they are keen to further this potential with an upgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We provided some facts and figures to our BNZ audience \u2013 for example, the majority of Kiwis are looking online for products and services, yet only half of small and medium Kiwi companies have a website! It\u2019s hard to overemphasise what a difference having a business website will make in netting more potential customers each month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose your social media platform<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Social
Social Media<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

We also talked about social media and choosing the right platform for your brand. As our lead developer Ralf put it, a digger for hire probably doesn\u2019t need its own Facebook page<\/strong>! There\u2019s not a lot that you can update or post about for this small company. However, an online booking system and a listing on Google Plus<\/strong> to show the location of the business would both be great ideas. Although we\u2019re fans of the Facebook page, it might not be the right platform for you. Towards the more formal end of the social media spectrum is LinkedIn<\/strong>; for frequent updates and event promotion Twitter<\/strong> is a great place to start. Companies promoting a particular image or look could use Instagram<\/strong>, and there\u2019s even YouTube<\/strong> if you want to get really interactive. However, once you choose a medium, stick with it! Keep active \u2013 keeping your audience interested and make sure to update regularly. Write about what\u2019s going on with the company, comment on current events, post interesting articles from around the web. Writing or choosing something to post doesn\u2019t have to be a tortuous process. To get started with social media, you could:<\/p>\n\n\n

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  • Run a Facebook competition<\/li>
  • Connect with other businesses via LinkedIn<\/li>
  • Upload a video to YouTube showcasing your product or service<\/li>
  • Instagram pics of users interacting with your product or service<\/li>
  • Tweet about life in the office<\/li>
  • Advertise promotions using Facebook or LinkedIn advertising<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    The most effective marketing doesn\u2019t look like marketing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Now you\u2019ve got the basics of social media set up \u2013 using whichever platform\/s are relevant and appropriate for your business \u2013 it\u2019s time to consider how to best use these tools. Consumers use social media for a variety of reasons \u2013 for fun, to connect with friends, because they are bored, to promote themselves. Rarely is someone using social media to check out company advertising and unsubtle marketing campaigns aimed at getting consumers to make a purchase or sign-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Try and blend promotion of your brand, latest work, and special offers with other interesting, thought-provoking or amusing content to actually engage a user\u2019s interest in your brand voice, not just your products or services. Just like your website, if you provide quality content, you\u2019ll attract a fanbase first \u2013 and a database of sales leads second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A good example of marketing via consumer engagement are the Red Bull-sponsored extreme sports videos that can frequently be found on YouTube. In line with their brand identity \u2013 think high energy, daring exploits, rave festivals, adrenaline-fuelled sports \u2013 Red Bull sponsor athletes or stunt artists to attempt video-worthy exploits that will garner views online. All that you can see of Red Bull might be a branded backpack or piece of equipment, and there\u2019s no overt message given at any point. The latest such video comes from biker Danny MacAskill who has produced videos in collaboration with Red Bull for the last few years \u2013 many of which have gone viral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n