Enterprise Nation ~ Go and Grow Online....

I went to a free event hosted by Enterprise Nation at the end of May. If you don't know anything about them they are a business that "help people turn their passion into great businesses".  I reviewed a book by the owner last week you can check it out here.

The event was one in a series about growing a business online.  The talk I attended was about Social Media which is a huge topic to squeeze into an hour, but they managed to cover the key points and I got some helpful hints.

They had Communications and Social Media experts from Microsoft (where the event was held), UPS as well as freelance consultants.

Here are some of the top tips from the experts:

• Don't post the same thing, at the same time across all platforms.  Be more targeted on each platform.
• Use a consistent tone of voice across all platforms.  Not sure what that is? Ask yourself this question, if your brand was a person how would you describe it?
• Consider what you want to be known for.
• Most people follow or like a page because of an incentive or a promotion.
• Which platform and at what time to post depends on your customers and their lifestyle.  If you are not sure ask your customers what they use and try posting at various times to see what gets the most comments/ retweets/ Likes etc.

I found the Twitter tips from @AlisonBattisby (Social Media Consultant) most useful. Her top 3 tips plus a bonus one are:

#1 Be interesting

• There are three types of posts ~ fun, informative and helpful.  Use a mix of all three.
• Generally people are looking for entertainment on social media.
• Make your audience feel special by posting news about offers, new products/services.
• Use images at least once a week.  This will also make your post stand out on your followers timeline.

#2 Speak to influential people

• Use #journorequest to see the stories and features that journalists are looking for.
• Twitter advance search ~ this is great for finding specific tweets. For example if you are a social media consultant you may want to search for people asking for help with social media and using this tool may help you find your next project.

#3 Use Twitter advertising

• Be targeted, specific and always add a link to your website.
• You can pay for different types of advertising but the recommended one by Alison is a promoted tweet. Always include an image and your web link.
• Use advertising for key events such as launching a website, hosting an event or launching new products, to get the most return on your spend. 

The Bonus : Make sure your twitter account looks professional.

Quote of the evening was by @StevenWoodgate #JFDI & be awesome, I think this will be my daily mantra!

There was also an opportunity to network.  It was a pleasure to meet others who own a small business and are at various stages in their journey.  You get to meet people who have gone through the process of starting a business or who are at the early stages and it's a great opportunity to share experiences and get support. You can guarantee whatever you are struggling with someone else will have gone through exactly the same at some point.

I am going to another event about Going Global. I had my first order from the USA last week so this may be quite apt!

If you are interested in these events there are two left in the Go and Grow Online series and you can get more info here (one of them is tomorrow night so be quick!). They are being held at Microsoft's offices in London, near Victoria Station (not as easy to find as you would expect!).

I don't have any pictures of the event as I didn't pick the best seat in the house, I had a pillar blocking some of my view! So I thought I would end with this....



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fizzi~jayne x