In my last post I set out some general reasons why it is worth using Hootsuite to save you time and give you a dashboard to control several social media accounts. Today I want to give you some specific reasons why this same channel can help contractors, engineers, architects and others be everywhere they want to be from a single social media platform.

Increase Your Profile

If nothing else, social media will help to increase customer awareness of your products and services. If people cannot find your business on the web then you are not going to be as effective as you can be. Social Media has now given low cost access to small businesses in order to market their business effectively.

If you are just getting started with social media then Hootsuite is definitely a platform that you need to look at seriously. It will save you time, which will please you and energy. Instead of logging in to five separate accounts you simply log in to one.

Hootsuite will help busy business owners, and here’s how.

1.  You can manage multiple networks from one dashboard

Hootsuite will help you to manage multiple accounts all from one dashboard and save you the time of logging in to several different platforms. You can use it for Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and others. You can use it to direct mail, tweet and retweet, publish photos and shorten your links as well as join conversations of your choice.

2.  Hootsuite is web based.

We all use computers at work and because Hootsuite is web-based you can access it on your pc or Mac and even when you are on the move through your Smartphone. Apps are available to download and make doing business much more flexible and time efficient. When you are on site you can upload updates of your latest project. Great!  Web access enables work colleagues to help manage your profiles and so collaborate on this dashboard.

3.  Collaborate using ‘assign’

The great thing about using Hootsuite is that you can use the functionality of this platform to connect with colleagues using this function. If there is a customer service issue or a blog post that you want  a colleague to respond to then use the assign function. (Pro version) Assign messages for follow-up and track responses. From help desk to marketing, engage audiences at every level of your business.

4.  Monitor Mentions and Respond

You can track Twitter conversations through Hootsuite by selecting keywords in your search. The value of this is you can identify who is saying what about your company services or products. You can track who has commented on your blog posts and respond in real time which is similar to Google alerts.

5.  Finding New Business

What are other people talking and commenting about on Twitter? You can track what is being said and add some worthwhile comments to those conversations. You may be interested in Structural Engineering issues or Ecology. Create for yourself a Hootsuite ‘stream’ (column) where you can track key phrases and when people are in conversation or asking questions you can help with your expertise. In helping others you will become trusted and make new connections with people which may lead to new business.

6.  Use a List to Develop Relationships

Relationships take time to develop and social media platforms such as Hootsuite aid this process. The dashboard enables you to have a networking virtual meeting each day to connect with others using a list. If you find likeminded people on Twitter and add them to your list you can then contribute to the conversation each day. By doing this you naturally build up a network of people who share something in common. You will in turn receive help and recommendations through this process.

Setting up a LIST:

Click “Add Stream” in the top left hand corner. A window will open up and you will then click on Lists. Select a Twitter Profile such as @constructionMM and then select the type of stream you want.

Click on create a new list and in the text field above where it says List URL, type in a name for your Twitter list. Click create column and this will generate your new list to follow. It can either be a Public or Private list which you will need to check.

7.  Share Your Blog Feeds Automatically

If you want to share your blog posts automatically across your network go to Settings – RSS/Atom. Again, if you use the free version you can advertise your own blog while the paid version (under £4 per month) allows you unlimited blogs. You can add up to 20 characters of text before this blog post appears. You might want to add something like, “Construction Blog” or “New post via CMM” which will automatically appear before each blog post title.

I am sure there is a lot more you can do with this marvellous dashboard. If you have any further tips please let me know so I can continue to help others within the construction industry.

Feel free to call me on 0782 515 5165  See you soon…

We  have all heard  about managing our time on social media because it can become a real ‘time drain.’ Social media channels are increasing in number and that means more time we do not have.  Yet when wisdom prevails,  we can manage our social media channels by using the right tools.

In the construction industry using the right tools for the job is of paramount importance. The right tool enables a contractor to get the job done properly and effectively.

Hootsuite

Let me introduce you to Hootsuite. This tool will help you to manage all of your social platforms including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Instead of going through the time consuming process of logging on to each social media platform you can use Hootsuite to manage each one from a single platform. Engineers and Architects can view, interact and engage with your social media sites from this single website.

Updates from your other social media sites will appear on your Hootsuite dashboard and you will be able to;

1. Send and receive Tweets using Twitter.

2. Schedule and track Tweets and follow new people.

3. Attach photos and send and receive direct mails.

It has been very helpful to me in managing my time by using this single platform to manage multiple accounts and have so much functionality under ‘one roof.’

Scheduling is a great function which enables me to set up my tweeting for the day or week and then get on with other things. So, after completing your blog post you can schedule the link to go out at different times through the day. In this way you are free to get on with the task of running other  aspects of your business. If your company has more than one person involved with social media then Hootsuite is helpful because it provides features to help with this.

Your team can be given access to this platform without having to know all the passwords. Team members can then be involved in the process of status updates, mentions, retweets, replies and direct messages with your customers.

Monitor and Track

Hootsuite is very helpful in helping to monitor and track your brand.With this information you can create professional customised reports on your social media activity. More on this next time. This will help you to analyse and adapt your campaigns to suit your specific needs as a business. You can also use Hootsuite from your pc, Mac or any Smartphone while on the move.

Your Options

There are two options with Hootsuite. You can use the free version which is suitable for most small businesses or you can upgrade to Pro-Plan which will cost under £4 per month.With the paid version you get unlimited social media accounts, the full report builder and access for an additional team member. The free version offers five free accounts with limited reporting access and no extra team member option but still adds value to a small business owner.

I have found Hootsuite to be very easy to learn and this platform has reduced my time involvement with social media significantly. Have a look at this Social Media Dashboard. There will be more next time…

Blogging for Engineers is a structurally sound idea. Period! In fact, it would be a valuable exercise to  calculate the load and conclude for yourself  that  the benefits to your business can be quite substantial. Puns aside, I could not find too many Engineers using the power of the Internet to market their construction skills and hence the reason for my question. Are Engineers structurally sound?

Why?

Who wants to read the ramblings of an Engineer you say? Well, there are many people in the market place who think like you do and would be very interested in what you have to say. Added to that is the need other professionals have for your service. So why not engage with them?

The joy of blogging is that you can help to build your own audience. People who appreciate the detail, the calculations and the solutions that you bring to them. Secondly, it is all about engaging with interested people and asking questions and sharing ideas rather than just a dissertation for someone to read.

What is a Blog?

It is an online journal where your posts are published on your website. The bonus for you is that it transforms your static website in to a continually evolving, dynamic platform where you as an Engineer can publish that appealing content at the click of a button.

You can write about interesting projects that you are involved with but in a conversational and personal style. It doesn’t need to be long, just a few paragraphs.  Consider these points Engineers and please let us start a conversation.

1. Why do so few Engineers actually blog? Type ‘Blogging for Structural Engineers‘ in to Google and see the results. I also looked through the first page of Google to find an Engineer with a Blog.

2. This proves to me that there is a real opportunity to engage with like minded professionals including those Architects on social media that you will want to do business with.

3. Engineers are people who want to connect with a professional network of individuals. Why not do it!

Well,that is all for now. If you are an Engineer it would be so good to hear from you because I value your perspective on blogging and social media. I also know I am able to help you set up this blog to get you going.

Looking forward to your contact.

Other helpful links about Blogging -

Build A Blog

What to Blog About

Good Reasons Why an Architect Needs To Blog

Social Media is both fascinating and daunting, creating a sky rocket of activity amongst business people in the last few years. Fascinating because of the wonder of the visible functionality and daunting because of the learning curve and time investment required.

And the pace quickens! Each month there seems to be some new app or technology appearing in our in-box.  Our relatively new friends in the guise of media technologies have been developed to reach or communicate with a very wide audience. These amazing technologies available for people today will harness huge benefit for your own business. If we neglect them we are going to lose out on the potential to connect and engage with both an existing client base as well as a previously untouched audience.

Look Before You Leap

But beware, before you run headlong into trying to use the myriad of technologies available within the social media arena – stop and think! What are the best and most effective tools for your business? Use them well and use them wisely. Implement and then test the results. Review the available media and then either learn to use them or outsource to those in the know. It is certainly more cost effective and will be up and running in half the time.

You should start by drawing up your social media plan of action and then research the capability of each technology and how it fits in to your business plan.

Social Media Is Social

I feel it is important to stress here that it is all about social media. Social media is about engaging, connecting and networking with others. As people connect with you and you with them they will begin to discover how much they can trust you. We do business with people we trust. That’s my point.

A Social Media Revolution

We are seeing social media grow at an exponential rate. In my opinion we are not going to be experts in all of these technologies. So, my advice is to choose the best media for your own business and run with it.

Statistics

Social Media Examiner set out some statistics in November 2011 [these have probably increased since then quite significantly]. Facebook had over 800 million users with customers embracing social media as part of their lives including the over 50s who are adapting at staggering rates. Here are some statistics on social media usage within the UK alone. 37M users on Facebook, 32M users on Youtube, 15M Twitterers and 8M using LinkedIn. If we conservatively say only 10% of business uses these platforms we have a huge audience and potential people base we can connect with and ultimately call customers. The world awaits you!

Using Twitter in your marketing mix as a building contractor is vital if you are wanting to network with  potential work providers. One of the key questions to answer is who to follow and how to find them.

1. Use a directory like Twitter Search to find the right people on Twitter. By doing this you will be able to identify and build your network of contacts.  You might want to use keywords, hashtags # , location or  industry to help locate them.

2. Follow people who you want to network with and where you share something in common. As a contractor you may want to follow Architects or Surveyors within your geographical area.

3. As you begin to build a network of contacts start to separate a smaller group of those you follow and investigate their profile more closely. Read their bio, check out their website, blog, LinkedIn profiles. You might want to add them to a ‘List’ on Twitter to see what they are saying.

4. This process of networking on Twitter will take time. Be genuine and don’t bombard them with advertising. Connect with them and retweet interesting things they say. Comment on their tweets with @reply and answer  questions they might have. Read their blog posts and offer constructive comments.

5. You might want to use the #followfriday hashtag for each of your smaller group of connections. Highlight something about them that you appreciate and ask others to follow them. In other words build a relationship with these people and earn their trust.

6. If you continue to develop trust  within your network the result will be an increasing number of connections and real engagement. You can dm (direct message) your contacts, email or call them.

If you use this simple strategy to develop your network of friends it may take some months but certainly worth it. See you soon.

Follow us on Twitter

Other articles about Twitter -

1.   Why Construction Firms Should be using Twitter

2.   It’s All About People

3.   Putting Your Plan Into Action

Let me introduce Business Coach Natalie Ekberg who I met on Twitter recently. She is a qualified business and personal life coach. She has both the qualifications and the experience as you will see. After all,  she has moved countries on 5 occasions in the last 15 years. I would recommend you follow her on Twitter and visit her website.

How You Can Benefit from Coaching If You Are A Small Business Owner

The benefits of coaching are endless: it brings clarity, provides accountability, keeps you on track, helps you discover the right direction, etc. However, different segments of customers benefit from coaching in different ways, and there are naturally some specific benefits for small business owners or even a “solopreneur”, namely if you are your company, as many architects and designers are.

Firstly, let me say, I can easily relate to your struggles and challenges, having been a small business owner for over 6 years. Therefore, I am going to walk you through the aspects of coaching that can be specifically helpful to you and hopefully by the end of the article you will be convinced that hiring a coach is an investment well worth making.

1.) Whether you are a seasoned, successful business owner or a start up, one thing is for sure – throughout the process of running your business you will constantly be questioning your next steps and the decisions you need to make. Sure, you will probably discuss these with your family, friends, or even colleagues if you have any, but the truth is nobody will be able to give you the right answer better than a coach. Why? Because the coach will not give you any answer. The coach will make you think for yourself, to dig deep for the right answer which you have known all along; you just didn’t trust yourself enough to take YOUR answer, as opposed to the answers you received from others, as the right one. Imagine how much time you waste by asking around, hesitating and deliberating. One laser-sharp coaching session on the subject will leave you clear and convinced about the best next step.

2.) I have already touched upon the issue of trust in the point above. Being able to trust yourself and have confidence in your business when things don´t look rosy is a very rare feature amongst small business owners, especially those who are new to this business group. One of the major objectives of any honest and experienced coach will be to help you operate from a place of self-belief, positivity and motivation. The coach will help you to approach each and every project from the perspective of “happy anticipation”, meaning expecting a positive outcome rather than stressing over self-induced doubt and insecurity.

3.) When talking to various small business owners, I often hear the impact that their responsibility has on them. And it is overwhelming. Being a business owner is not for the faint hearted. The complexity of it all is neverending. There is the need to sell and generate the revenue. To achieve that, there are numerous (and not always successful) marketing and promotional efforts involved. There is the accounting, the networking, the admin, and a lot of interpersonal and team dynamics, if you have a team. Through it all, all you want to do is be as good a leader as you possibly can and put in place the vision that brought you originally to your business. And that is exactly where a coach fits in. He will always, I repeat always, be able to bring you back to your initial dream and enthusiasm. She will help you to find the way through your numerous responsibilities and assist you in understanding what is important and what can wait or be delegated. Your coaching session will allow you to relax into who you really want to be while remaining accountable for all you want to achieve.

You can look at having a coach as like having a personal spring board where your opinions are heard, challenged but not diminished. You can also view it as a time when your intuition is allowed to flow and when no ideas are too crazy, too ambitious or flat out outrageous. During a coaching session, you are assisted and supported but not allowed to get away with excuses. And remember, a coach is a small business owner too, so he/she understands you really well.

©2011 LB Life Coaching

Natalie Ekberg is an international Career Transition Coach and author. She leads business professionals and owners through major life and business transitions. As a result they drop struggle and stress leading to the clarity and courage needed to live their vision. Find out more at http://www.lblifecoaching.com and www.lbcareercoaching.com

Follow Natalie on Twitter

Have you read Richard Branson’s blog or do you follow him on Twitter? Interesting question you might say but how do I end up being compared with a serial entrepreneur? The answer to that is quite simple. The headline was the hook and made you curious and the answer is authenticity.

In the Free  Dictionary the word ‘authenticity’ is defined as “the quality or condition of being authentic, trustworthy or genuine”

Richard Branson uses a blog and Twitter to communicate with people. He probably uses other technologies but I came across those two on his site. Those tools give expression to who he is and what he is doing. Now,I carried out a little experiment by asking a number of people on Twitter what is their favourite and most effective social media platform. You might want to ask yourself the same question.

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Hootsuite, Skype, Blog et al

My question was not based on looking for statistics to use on the most used social media site. You can find those statistics on the web. I wanted to see how different people from varied business types responded. The outcome was great and confirmed what I thought. We are all different.  It showed me that  being ourselves and using the  social media platform that best serves us and our business is a very powerful tool indeed.

So, what do I do?

1.   Ask yourself, which social media technology do you prefer to use when communicating with your customers? Whichever one you choose, give time to it each day. Twitter and Blogs  are littered with people who started off with gusto and good intentions but have tailed off almost to a standstill. Develop a small following of people you can connect with and chat with them. Build the relationship. Move beyond the small talk and start to engage with those who want to connect. It is not primarily a ‘numbers’ game but rather networking for mutual benefit.

2.   Be genuine, be yourself and become trustworthy. That is actually hard work, believe me. Have you ever greeted someone and they just looked at you without even a smile? Well, those people are few and far between thankfully. However, I come across people all the time on social media who are not the least bit interested in connecting even though they may have initiated the contact with a ‘like’ my Facebook page. You know how I feel about this so no further comment. I observe people and appreciate that we are all so different. Engagement enables a rich diversity to emerge. In my mind that is where trust starts and takes us to the place where business begins.

3.   Test which technologies work for your business. I like good websites, engaging blog content and micro-blogging on Twitter. I will occasionally use Facebook. Try them out and test if they work. If they do use them.

You may not be Richard Branson- neither is Usain Bolt!  BUT, you are you. So, let me leave you with 3 words – TRUST, ENGAGE and PERSEVERE. It will be worth it.

There is a point for you in this metaphor!

Walking in to a large supermarket is best done armed with a shopping list that clearly identifies what it is you are going to buy!  That’s my experience anyway!  Without that list I could spend hours walking around the aisles aimlessly trying to figure out what I need  from the multitude of products on sale. Some of the more tempting items like chocolate or coffee are my favourites, so a decision is quickly made at this point. Well presented, strategically positioned, value for money. You know what I mean.

Shopping with the Crowds

Of course, shopping is usually made that little bit more challenging because you don’t have the luxury of being  in  a supermarket on your own to browse in a leisurely way.  No, hundreds of other people with trolleys,travelling in different directions  are also shopping and clamouring for the latest ‘best offer’ or reduced price product. To add to the already difficult task of making your purchases someone is shouting over the tannoy about special offers in aisle 12 and on your way to have a look you find yourself blockaded by a group of people standing in the middle of the gangway talking with their trolleys turned sideways and their backs to you.  Is there such a thing as trolley rage? I am sure you will get my point!

Too many Voices?

Music blaring, tannoy screaming, people talking loudly and in the midst of this ‘YOU’ and I are trying to negotiate our way around the store to make our planned purchases and leave! This scenario is an analogy  of current social media activity! Be warned, involvement is not for the faint hearted! Too many ‘voices’ in your Twitter stream does not bring clarity to your message but rather a blurring  and when that happens we can become  insensitive  to the really important issues. Over these holidays I have reviewed my own list and  have decided to remove myself from much social media activity. Firstly, because I want to concentrate on specific areas of marketing and second because I feel much of what is happening does not currently add value or purpose to my own business.

Too much noise!

I am reliably told that the word noise in Latin is ‘nauseas’ and means ‘seasickness’ which affects balance and induces headache and sometimes vomiting.  If you have experienced seasickness you will know how it can make you feel disoriented as well.  There is a moral to this story and if you continue with me you’ll understand what I am saying.

“That’s been one of my mantras – focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” Steve Jobs

We Need Wisdom

I would like to think that I am offering you sound advise here.  So here goes! Well firstly, we do not shop with a view to buying every product on the shelves. Whatever you do, don’t try to implement every social media  tool available to you.  Try to learn each one well and become experienced in using it.  Buy it only when you are sure it will add value to your business. That may be a better investment. I know people who regularly buy the 2 for 1 products only because of the reduced price. They do not normally use the product so why buy it?

We have a well prepared plan and tick off the products as we purchase them. Ah! Of course, there is the odd bargain or surprise buy that we make on occasion.  We may even buy because someone else has recommended a particular brand that does the job so much better than the product we have been using. That is also helpful.

I guess shopping is a bit like marketing so here are some of the valuable lessons I have learned over the last year.

1. When marketing, work from your own list or plan. It saves time and energy and reduces the pull of distraction. It will help keep you focussed and makes a good reference point when uncertainty draws in.

2. The temptation to buy special offers will always be there and unless they add something positive to your business you don’t actually need them, no matter how much functionality they may have.

3. Work with others you trust.  Family shopping trips can be both a pleasure and an opportunity for collaboration. The network relationships we have cultivated are  effective and I come across people nearly every day who are so very helpful.  Become trustworthy and add value to others without being asked. Networking is a key skill that will need to be added to your arsenal.

4. Stop shouting about your services!  All the unnecessary noise of late on social networks is polluting the stream and in my humble opinion, causing a  loss in quality. I’m not sure why this is happening but from my point of view the tide is turning and hence my reason for removing myself from certain social media activity.  I am there to ‘engage and connect with people’ and not simply to ‘get followers’ or increase my Klout score!  If I follow you it is because I have reviewed your bio, blog or website and feel that I am interested. Don’t ask me to ‘like’ you on Facebook without engaging with me first. [rant over]

5. Don’t dilute your services or brand.  Be authentically yourself, because nobody else can do that for you. I think that is one of the keys to success for 2012.

6. Some people arrive at the checkout with a trolley overflowing while others have just a basket with a few items.  You take what you need at the time.

Encouragement!

My personal observation about social media activity  is that there are few very competent ‘specialists’ in the field who are both remarkable and original. Most of us I think, are on a relatively new  journey and we need to tread softly with courage in order to maintain our authenticity, authority and freshness. Take steady, confident steps in to 2012 and you will aspire to great things. The world awaits you!