By Alexandra Reid
As many of you probably already know, Google Plus finally rolled out brand pages this week. Upon first review, brand pages look very similar to Facebook pages, but a closer look reveals added benefits that will help businesses make closer connections with their supporters.
I’ve read lots of articles this week about whether or not businesses should create a brand page right away. Google Plus has been growing at an astounding rate, hitting 20 million users by its first weekend, and millions have joined since. Google Plus is now the fastest growing social network, already boasting 40 million users and attracting large enterprises including Pepsi, Toyota, H&M, CNN and the Dallas Cowboys. As Business 2 Community puts it, “Facebook may be at the center of the social world, but Google is positioned firmly at the center of the business world.” For these reasons, and because of its unique features, I think businesses should begin establishing their presence on the channel as soon as possible.
Google Plus brand pages are similar to Facebook in both appearance and layout, but some publications, such as Wired, have argued that Google Plus trumps Facebook, and even Twitter, in functionality.
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By Alexandra Reid
Developing relationships with influential bloggers, and those who comment on their blogs, is an excellent way to develop your online clout and community. While you spend time tweeting and posting status updates to Facebook and LinkedIn, don’t overlook the conversations taking place through the comments section on blog posts about topics that matter to you. Blogs are often where great ideas are born, and commenting on thought provoking posts helps others see you as a thought leader in your space.
However, poorly crafted comments that add no value to the conversation can have the opposite effect, signaling to others that you are a grammatically and/or spelling impaired sheep with nothing new to contribute to your space. Even worse, poorly written comments can be flagged as spam, damaging your reputation and potentially hindering your ability to comment on future posts.
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Thank you for being with us for the ninth month of our new blog. In case you missed them, here is a recap of our posts from October.
Moving forward with our two new series, Technology Marketing 101, and A Startup’s Story, we uncovered how startup BlueArc managed to move past the “wow” factor of its technology to achieve market penetration, explored the fine art of the business hustle and how it helped CommentAir Technologies bootstrap its way to market, explained how telling the right story helped Screenreach drive customer acquisition, and introduced a new startup, Genevolve Vision Diagnostics.
Beyond our series, we further investigated the roles of the IP Co-ordinator and social media champion, shared more best practices on PR and marketing and examined how the brain reacts to technology, among other subjects. And of course, we also paid our respects to the Pitch Innovator Steve Jobs. We welcome your feedback.
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By Alexandra Reid
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
This powerful idea comes from Alvin Toffler, an American writer and futurist best known for his works discussing digital, corporate and communication revolutions and technological singularity. It’s a thoughtful quote that sums up the core theme of the TEDx Ottawa event nicely. Its theme, “creative actions,” explored the creative effort that goes into reversing, reworking and reinventing previously held ideas and the profound results that come from taking this kind of action.
What is TED?
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By Alexandra Reid
I sat down with Delaney Turner, IBM’s social business strategist, editor and engagement lead, to expand on some of the subjects he presented to the Social Media Breakfast Ottawa crowd yesterday morning.
According to Turner, our world is becoming smarter as it becomes more interconnected. Businesses must acknowledge that social media is at least partly responsible for bridging new connections and adapt their communications strategies to utilize these new channels to their best effect.
Turner said IBM employees are encouraged to participate on social media channels on behalf of the company, and take personal responsibility for their work. “Social media is like the phone,” said Turner. “Rather than restrict access, we’re going to treat people like adults and trust that they’re going to use it right for business.”
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