blog #8/How to Use Social Networking

Knowing how to use social media is an important aspect today for any business. But knowing which form of social media to use is just as important as knowing that social media is a way to grow your business. Each form of social media starts with a profile page. This basically tells your followers who you are and what your company is all about. Try to think of the profile page as the first impression a person would have if they entered the front door of your establishment. What kind of impression are you sending? What do we stand for? How does a business get started in deciding which form of social media to utilize?

As always, you need to do your research. You want to know about how each form of social media works, what are the positives and negatives of each kind of social media. Would you like to use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pintrest, etc? When you choose which form of social media you would like to use, and maybe it would be more than one site for your business you need to know which form of social media will be best for your customers.

Previously, I have discussed that it is important that you are aware of who your target market is that you are trying to reach. Knowing who your target market is can help you focus and decide which form of social media you would like to use. How will you be using this form of social media for your business? It can be used for marketing, recruiting, network with people inside and outside of your industry?

After you have decided which form(s) of social media you would like to utilize, you know who you target market is, and in which way you will be using the form of social media you choose. You have more things to consider. For instance, who is going to be the “face” of our social media page, do I have anyone who is qualified to manage the company page or should I look for an outside source to manage my company’s page. These are all questions a company needs to ask, research and have answers to before they can make a decision about which form of social media to utilize.

McCorvey, J. (n.d.). How to Use Social Networking sites to Drive Business. Retrieved January 30, 2013, from Inc.com: http://www.inc.com/guides/using-social-networking-sites.html

blog #7/5 Great Tips from Kickstarter:

Social media has become a new medium in which companies are reaching out to their customers to build a bigger client base. There is Facebook and Twitter, now we are being exposed to Kickstarter or Crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is an alternative way to raise capital to get a venture off the ground (Bliss). Kickstarter the middle man, they provide a service that will handle transaction, but there are stipulations with using their service. Your project must fit into a certain category, you tell Kickstarter how much you want to raise, and the money needs to be raised within 60 days.

This article goes on to express how one can be successful in business. In my opinion, this article is full of information that we have been reading about in previous articles. For instance, know your target audience, diversity dilutes you message, have a plan and plan ahead, have a well-defined message, spend time developing that message, build a relationship with your market, take risks, put yourself out there, be passionate about your dreams. Reading this information is all starting to sound like one big cliché. However, take note; those businesses that are successful have done just that. So why not let these “words of wisdom” apply to a person who has dreams and can build a future with support from others who would like to get on the “ground floor” of a big new idea because of one person’s passion.

One has to consider, do I have this passion? I’m fully aware of why some businesses succeed and why others fail. But would I be a person who could take a risk like starting a new business with other people’s money. No, not I, but obviously that doesn’t mean that others wouldn’t take this opportunity to pursue their dreams. Kickstarter itself I believe has found a niche for a new medium in the business world. They help new companies raise funds, and make a profit for their pocket. Only time will tell if Kickstarter will be the next big success story.

Bliss, R. (n.d.). 5 Great Tips from Kickstater: Boost Tomorrow’s Business-Forbes. Retrieved 01 30, 2013, from http://www.forbes.com: http://www.forbes.com/sites/netapp/2013/01/30/kickstarter-crowdfunding-tips/

blog #6/4 Smarter Ways to Work Your Connections

In retail, there is an expression, location, location, location. What I have learned from the article, 4 Smarter Ways to Work Your Connections (Tobak) is connections, connections, connections. It really isn’t about what you know; it’s about who you know and how you utilize those connections.

Realizing that one needs to cultivate their business connections and grow their networks in smarter ways are essential to maintain and growing their business. This can first be done by looking at who we really want to have connection, continue a connection or absolve a connection that we currently associate with in business. Are the connections that we currently have giving us everything we need? Understanding that connections should be a two-way street is critical to the success on one’s business. Are we offering our connections value and are these connections able to offer us any kind of value to support our organization?

After you decided who you would like to maintain your connections with, you need to look at how you want to maintain your connections. In my opinion, I think the best way to maintain your connections is by a personal means. I believe that means pick up a phone and speak directly with a connection when at all possible. I don’t think we understand the context of a conversation without hearing a person’s voice or seeing their facial expressions. I’m not talking about just picking up the phone to chat. Have a purpose, respect their time but let them know you are interested in who they are and how your partnership can benefit one another. Obviously, there are times when it isn’t necessary to communicate by phone, in those instances, go ahead and reach out with an email. The main point is to let them know that they mean something to you and their time is valuable.

I don’t certainly don’t want to make light of the importance to social media and networking, social media has impacted society by positive and negative means. However, I do not believe that maintain and cultivating connections through social media hold the same value that is formed between connection when you can personalize the message with another human being. Therefore, know the value of your connections, personalize your connections through mutual respect and pay attention to when and how you utilize your connections.

Tobak, S. (n.d.). 4 Smarter ways to Work Your Connections. Retrieved January 30, 2013, from http://www.Inc.com: http://www.inc.com/steve-tobak/4-ways-to-make-your-network-work-for-you.html

blog #5/Seth Fodin: Why Small Businesses Fail

Seth Godin believes small businesses fail because they market to the masses instead of the micro market. I have read his statements, I am not an expert but I do have an opinion about how I feel towards his reasoning. For the most part, I believe that I understand what Seth Godin is speaking about just from recent events in my life this past week.

To begin with when you start a new business, you create a business plan. This means that you need to do research on financials, location, target markets, products or services you would like to offer and so on. Particularly important to understand for this article would be who is your target customer, how will you reach your target customer, why are they your target customer. All important ideas that will help you determine how you want to market your business. Without knowing these who your customer is, how can one expect to be successful?

Let me share a couple of examples. Example number one, today I received the “ValPack.” For those of you who might not know, this is an envelope with coupons from businesses marketing their product, maybe windows, oil changes, carpet cleaning, restaurants, etc. There were approximately 35 advertising coupons in the “ValPak.” This truly is marketing to the masses. How much business does one get from this type of marketing? Personally, I looked at the first five advertising coupons and then tossed the whole coupon pack. Is this a typical response, maybe not? The fact is I had no interest in so many coupons for so many different things. This is a technique of marketing to the masses, not marketing to your target market that you outlined in your business plan. Example number two, Meijer’s sends me coupons on a regular basis. However, the coupons that I am receiving from Meijer’s happen to be directly related to everyday products that I actually purchase. Meijer’s does this by analyzing my product history; they know what I purchase when I am in their store. This is micro marketing to me; Meijer’s is giving me targeted coupons for their products and offering me value at the same time.
I know that my examples are simple in form, but I feel that they are applicable with Seth Godin’s. Godin’s philosophy. Basically, know your customer and market directly to them.

James, G. (n.d.). Seth Godin: Why Small Businesses Fail. Retrieved February 2, 2013, from Inc.com: http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/seth-godin-why-small-businesses-fail.html

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blog #4 reponse/As a Hiring Filter

If you were employer, would you want to know the credit history of you employee? If you were a perspective employee would you feel it was just for an employer to check your credit history? Working as a retail manager, and being an employee of retail companies, I know that there are background checks performed on their employees before they are hired by a third party. What I don’t know is exactly what that background check entails. Does it include a credit history? So now it makes me think, is that all right that I don’t even know the answer to whether or not they are checking my credit history or that of a person who might become my employee. At this point, I’m going to say no. But how would I feel if they did a credit history on me, what would they find, and how would they use this information?

My life is pretty much an open book. I know that I have nothing to hide. I also know that people can gain access to almost any kind of information in our technology based society today. Basically, if a company really wanted to know my credit history, I’m sure they could obtain that information. However, without my permission, it wouldn’t be legal and it would be an invasion of my privacy. All thought this would leave them vulnerable to legal action. My thought is if any company wanted to run a credit history on me, I would comply. I have no fear in what might turn up with my credit history because I know that my family was fortunate enough not to have the economy affect our credit. However, that doesn’t mean other people would feel the same as I do because it is a possibility that the economy hasn’t been so kind to them. Or, they just do not believe it is anyone’s business but their own.

My experience as a retail manager tells me, not everything is what it appears to be and not everyone is who they say they are. I have seen employees and peers terminated and walked out the door by security for theft. Some of the most trusted and respected employees and managers have breached policies, stolen merchandise or money, and reported incorrect numbers. It never ceases to amaze me what people will do.
Perhaps running a credit history is important in certain instances depending on your title or position within a company. However, I do not believe that a credit history solely determines the character of an individual.

Martin, A. (2010, 04 10). As a Hiring Filter, Credit Checks Draw Questions. Retrieved 01 30, 2013, from NY Times.com: http://www.nytimescom/2010/04/10/business/10credit.html

Blog #3 response/10 Things You

Tweeting, I get it, it’s a form of social media and a marketing tool. I have friends tweeting, I have family tweeting, companies are tweeting, heck Justin Bieber has the highest number of followers who want to know what he is doing with his life. Therefore, if I know so many people tweeting, or retweeting, maybe I should be tweeting. Maybe everyone has something important to say and I should share what I have to say with tweets. Apparently, when you tweet as a person is different from how you tweet when you are representing a company.

According to the article “10 Things you should Tweet,” by Jon Gelberg, companies need to follow business etiquette when they tweet. Mr. Gelberg gives his top ten suggestions, but his suggestions raise questions for me. For instance, when you are tweeting for a company, how do you decide what information your followers are interested to know or learn? If you call the person from the company a tweeter, what do you call its followers? Do you call them followers, tweeters, or tweetetts? How does one keep the tweets interesting enough to for your followers when each tweet can only be up to 140 characters? Do you tweet continued on next tweet? What if I wanted to add a link or photographs? How easy would it be to add a link? Would you have to set up a special link to see the photographs?

I understand the power of marketing, the more people who you can reach out to the more exposure your product or company will touch. So in essence, by using tweets one increases their exposure to the public, market share, increased product knowledge and sales. All great perks for the company but how about for followers? In addition, one must assume that there can be social responsibilities, concern for goodwill and legal implications with this form of medium just as there is with newspaper, radio or television. Which actually raises another question for me, how much does a follower believe about a tweet from a company? Are tweets
facts or do we need to investigate the information that has been tweeted?

If anyone can help with my questions, great. Then maybe I can decided if I would actually like to tweet or be a follower. One thing is certain, I have a starting point if I would ever like to tweet for a company, thanks to this business communication class and the “10 Things You Should Tweet” (Gelberg, 2012).

Gelberg, J. (2012, June 6). 10 Things You Should Tweet. Retrieved 01 22, 2013, from Inc.com: http://www.inc.com/jon-gelberg/10-things-you-should-tweet.html

Blog #2 response/Training Youths

I enjoyed reading “Training Youths in the Ways of the Workplace,” by David Bornstein. I felt that he brought forward valid points about our youth and how society has failed to prepare the youth of today to enter the business environment. I personally can say that I have seen this first hand.

Working in the retail field for approximately 20 years from a sales associate to a store manager, I have seen various generations applying for a position to work at the companies where I have worked. It always amazes me the stark differences that occur with the applicants that are applying for a position. These differences occur not only from asking for an application, but through the interview process, hiring, and performance on the job. Truly our youth needs some help to prepare for what lies ahead of them in the professional world with business protocol.

So, how do we go about helping our youth with become prepared to enter a professional environment? Who should be responsible for preparing them? Should it be our the youths parents, teachers & school systems, businesses, the internet? And just what does the youth who wants to enter the workforce need to know?

These are some of the small things I think that the youth should consider before applying for a position anywhere:
*You need to come prepared for an application, interview and work (something to write with, appropriately
dressed).
*Fill out your application legibly and completely.
*Hand back your completed application to a person, do not just leave it on the counter/desk.
*Do not arrive in pairs or groups when asking for or returning an application, I might want to speak
with you immediately.
*Look me in the eyes.
*Shake my hand when mine is extended to you.
*Be on time for interview or work.
*Call if you are going to be late.
*Please do not come in chewing gum or with something to eat or drink with you. (Seriously, this has
happened to me).
*Take a look around, know something about what we do.
*Thank me for my time.

There are so many more ideas on how to prepare to enter the workforce, what are your thoughts?

Bornstein, D. (2011, 01 24). Training Youths in the Ways of the Workplace. Retrieved 01 22, 2013, from NYTimes.com: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/an-education-in-the-way-of-the-workplace

Blog #1 response/Social Media

Social media is something that I know little about. I confess that I do have a facebook and twitter account. I use my facebook account to connect with friends. I joined twitter because one of the teacher’s my daughter had last year asked us to follow him on twitter so we knew what was going on in his classroom. However, I never used twitter because I could pull the same information from the school website. I have heard of google plus but I have never interacted with this site. I do understand that companies use these forms of social media to communicate with people, however, I have never taken the time to investigate this form of communication. Apparently, that is all about to change because of my choice to take business communication in the workplace.

After reading the article “The Developing Role of Social Media in the Modern Business World,” for our assignment, there are a few things that I would like to know. First, how does one get started in creating an account for their business? What kind of information would one put on to the social media network about their business? Are the social networks interactive? Second, if I decided I wanted to pursue a new career to enter into a social media position, what would the curriculum look like? How would that does a marketing curriculum look different or the same as a curriculum that involves social media? What kind of opportunities would be available for me if I went with a marketing degree that involved social media? Finally, where will social media be next year or in five years? These are my questions.

Now for my concerns. Are there any legal implications to social media? Who would be liable for any kind of legal implications? Would that be me or would it by the company where I was employed? What kind of social responsibilities would one have to the company or the consumer?

If anyone out there would like to share their knowledge or opinions, I would be interested in what you would have to say.

Bosari, J. (2012, August 8). The Developing Role of Social Media in the Modern Business World. Retrieved January 21, 2013, from Forbes.com: http://www.forbes/sites/moneywisewomen/2012/08/08the-developing-role-of-social