{!date dayname+0}, {!date long+0} Dear {!firstname_fix} I hope you have had a successful week. I met several people at a local business networking event and was impressed with the enthusiasm of everyone there. And with the news on Friday that the UK growth figures were better than expected at 1.1% there is clearly some business optimism all around. We probably need it, though, because I also read a study which showed that six out of ten people plan to cut back their spending levels even further over the coming six months. It's a reminder that even with the good news, there is often some bad..! We must be sure that our business planning doesn't get carried away with all the positive moods around and that we continue to prepare for potential difficulties caused by ever reducing consumer spending. We are not "out of the woods" just yet. But let's not be too gloomy. After all, negative
thinking never really achieved anything. Which brings us to this week's
question...! YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED: What are the potential dangers of social networking? Headlines about social networks and the supposed dangers of social networking appear in newspapers daily. Recently I was asked to comment on the story that "Facebook causes syphilis"...! Today, the BBC asked me to comment on the notion that social networks increase racism. Every media outlet it seems is out to "diss" social networking. There should be no surprise there really. After all, the news distrubution and information sharing capability of social networks is a potential threat to traditional news media. Anything they can do to make us think that social networking is all tosh is good, as far as they are concerned. However, the daily battering that the likes of Facebook gets can be off-putting. Indeed, something like six out of every ten companies in the UK now ban Facebook on office computers. It's a bit daft really, because any employee who wants to, can access Facebook on their mobile phone; the ban achieves nothing other than reducing the company's use of bandwidth. When I ask companies why they have banned Facebook they mutter about security and then tell me something which effectively says, it must be bad, the Daily Mail said so. Evidence that using Facebook is harmful to a business is very hard to come by. But evidence that it is beneficial, both in marketing and staff motivation terms, is widespread. The "evidence" that most big businesses use to justify their bans is some rant in the tabloids. That said, there are pitfalls in social networking which can affect any business. Take care of these and you will succeed with using social networks. The first issue is the potential for misdirection. Social media is so active it can make you think that this is where ALL the action is. Consquently, you could take your eye off the ball, putting all your efforts into the likes of Twitter and Facebook, forgetting that the bulk of your income probably comes from email marketing. Social networking IS useful, but only as PART of your marketing mix. The second problem is time-wasting. It is easy to get drawn into conversation and to get "involved". That can take up too much time unless you are strict with yourself. The easy way to do that is to schedule your social networking use. For instance, you could check your favourite blogs, have a look at LinkedIn, poke around in Facebook and then twitch the curtains open on Twitter all in the space of 15-20 minutes first thing every day. Then - get on with your work...! Perhaps, you could return to the social world a little later in the day - whatever works in your sector. But "timetabling" your social networking activity will, in the long run, save you time. A further danger of social networking is rapid decision making. We only partially connect online - we miss tone of voice, facial expressions and body language which are all important in helping us weigh up a situation. We can sometimes be too quick online to decide things - taking extra time is vital. In other words do not rush to connect or make comments - consider things carefully. Remember, you can always ask your question and get it answered in this newsletter by going to: http://www.grahamjones.co.uk/questions
WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK: Help I need somebody The Beatles knew what they were singing about OK. Help is something we all need and is something we shouldn't be afraid to ask for. Each week I meet people who could have improved their business, if only they had asked for some help. But they don't ask because they make the false assumption that nobody would help. Or they think that the mere act of asking for help is a public admission of failure. This week, Nigel Morgan who runs Morgan PR in Hungeford pulled his back and was lying flat, on painkillers unable to move. But he was due to speak at a business event that very day. He had no choice, he had to ask for help. He called me and asked if I would step in; naturally I was delighted to help. But, importantly, the organisers were even more delighted with Nigel's plea for assistance. That's because he ensured they didn't end up with a meeting that had no speaker; he saved them the trouble of finding a replacement by doing it himself. That won him considerable "brownie points" with the local Chamber of Trade which was running the meeting. By asking for help, he actually improved his image and reputation. All too often we feel that asking for help reduces our standing; it doesn't, it frequently produces the complete reverse.If you want to check out what else I've been doing for the past week, you can always look at: http://www.grahamjones.co.uk/week
THIS WEEK'S "MUST BUY":
Use online press releases
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So, that's it for this week - see you in seven days...! Kind Regards
Graham Jones Web: grahamjones.co.uk Tel: +44 118 336 9710 If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter than you can delete your name from the mailing list by clicking this link: {!remove_web} |
