Tag Archive for 'Social Media'

Social Media Monitoring With Radian6

Published
by
Ian Smith
on March 15, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith and Web 2.0 Search
. 0 Comments

With the overwhelming amount of strategic intelligence that is available on social networks, competitive intelligence professionals must have access to a reliable tool that will gather information and organize it in a manageable format.

Radian6 has announced their Engagement Console application, a social media monitoring service which tracks brand mentions across the web specifically on Web 2.0 network accounts.  This can be managed all in one screen.  Figure 1 is an image of the user interface of the Engagement Console.


Figure 1: User Interface of Radian6 Engagement Console

By using the console, user can track content from sources such as:

  • Flickr
  • Google Buzz
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook Fan pages
  • Public discussion groups
  • Mainstream news sites
  • Blogs
  • Videos
  • Forums
  • Boards
  • Twitter

One of the key functions that users will benefit from is the ability  to save conversations on social networks with others.  This is especially handy for companies who use Twitter and Facebook to engage customers in discussions about a product or service for market research and branding intelligence purposes.

You may access a demonstration of the application at www.radian6.com/register-for-a-demo/

Using Hootsuite To Manage Social Networks

Published
by
Ian Smith
on March 5, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Internet tools and Social Media Marketing
. 2 Comments

Having difficulties managing your time amongst the different social networks that your organization has a presence on?

Below is a tutorial that my colleague, Aicha Habiby, created in PowerPoint to aid individuals in using Hootsuite.

Hootsuite is an application that will allow individuals to manage multiple social network accounts via one interface.

This tool can be extremely helpful for individuals who responsible for their economic development agency’s Facebook, Twitter or blog accounts.

The complete slideshow is available in English and French on Intelegia’s Slideshare page

Want to know more about using social media marketing or Web 2.0 tools for economic development? Attend Intelegia’s seminar, “Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications“

Why Use SlideShare As A Part Of Your Economic Development 2.0 Strategy?

Published
by
Ian Smith
on February 24, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Investment Attraction and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 0 Comments

You have decided to implement a marketing strategy for your region for investment attraction purposes.  As a part of  the strategy, you have selected to use social media marketing applications. After concluding a benchmark of sites that are using Web 2.0 tools, you have created a list of the following applications that should be used in the strategy.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Flickr
  • RSS Feeds

The list seems to be pretty complete however; there is an application that does not come to mind when discussing social media marketing tools.  The application is SlideShare.

SlideShare is a tool that allows individuals to place documents in various file formats (i.e, .ppt, .doc, .pdf) on web.

The use of SlideShare in a marketing context is very practical.   Here are the advantages

1 - Avoid reinventing the wheel

There is a good chance that you may have promotional material in .pdf and or PowerPoint already in your agency that can be easily placed online.  Instead of spending a portion of your budget on new promotional content, use what you have and upload it to SlideShare.

2 - Reinforce Your Search Engine Optimatization Strategy

Having a presence on various Web 2.0 applications will enhance and reinforce your search engine optimization strategy for your website.  SlideShare is an efficient tool to accomplish this goal,  Each word of the document on the application is indexed and allows it to appear on Google’s result page quickly and within the first couple of pages. (if you are creating a new document to be place on SlideShare, keep in mind the keywords that investors are most likely to used to find information regarding investment attraction along with the name of the city, region, province / state or country.  Good examples of keywords would be: “Invest in”, “Investing in”, “Incentive” or “Doing Business In”.

3 - Be Visual

Using Slideshare to publish Microsoft Powerpoint presentation is a very powerful strategy.  The medium allows agencies to communicate facts about their region visually.  Figure 1 is a page from the Chesterfield Economic Development (Chesterfield, Virgina) presentation on SlideShare.

Figure 1: Chesterfield SlideShare Powerpoint Presentation

This particular slide is effective to help sell the region as a location of  growth in terms of the value of new commercial construction by using the ascending set of bars in the chart.

Some may consider SlideShare as the poorman’s YouTube when it comes to delivering content visually however; it can be efficient tool to aid in obtaining your marketing goals for economic development initiatives.

SlideShare is available at www.slideshare.net

Thinking about creating your Economic Development 2.0 strategy?  Attend Intelegia’s seminar,  “Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications“

SODIL Lanaudière On Twitter

Published
by
Ian Smith
on February 10, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development and Social Media Marketing
. 3 Comments

The topic of this blog is based upon a posting on the Linkedin group, Economic Development Professionals, specifically in the “discussions” section of the group.

A group member brought to our attention a Twitter feed that offers trilingual tweets.

Figure 1 is a screen shot of SODIL Lanaudière Twitter page.

Figure 1: SODIL Lanaudière Twitter page

SODIL Lanaudière is the agency that encourages the development of the Lanaudière (Quebec, Canada) business communities by assisting the region’s SMEs with their projects directly.

The SODIL tweets are made available in French, English and Spanish.  The images in Figure 2, 3 and 4 illustrates the trilingual tweets.

Figure 2: French Tweet

Figure 3: English Tweet

Figure 4: Spanish Tweet

Having the ability to post in more that one language is a benefit and most importantly, it can be a competitive advantage.  Communicating with existing or potential stakeholders of a region in a language that they feel the most comfortable in is a critical aspect in marketing.

Web 2.0 & Health Information Delivery

Published
by
Ian Smith
on December 16, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Social Media Marketing and Web 2.0
. 0 Comments

My colleague, Aicha Habiby, who blogs at Des Outils et Des Hommes, informed me on the use of social media tools to push health information to citizens.

The Public Health Agency of Canada provides health information in regards to the H1N1 flu via the following five Web 2.0 applications:

RSS Feeds

RSS Feeds allows the agency to disseminate information via users’ RSS readers.  As seen in Figure 1, there are four topics covered as of December 15th, 2009.

  • H1N1 Flu Virus (Human Swine Flu)
  • Travel Health Advisories
  • Canada Communicable Disease Report (CCDR)
  • Chronic Diseases in Canada (CDIC)

Figure 1: Public Health Agency Of Canada’s RSS Feeds

Widgets

To help citizens access information easily, the agency has created a widget in which individuals can plug into a website, blog or a social media platform.  Figure 2 presents a look at the widget and the content that is updated in real time supply information about the H1N1 flu.

Figure 2: Public Health Agency Of Canada’s Widget For H1N1 Information

Twitter

Figure 3 illustrates the agency’s Twitter page with 1,433 followers.  Browsing the past tweets, the agency disseminates information on the H1N1 Flu.

Figure 3: Public Health Agency Of Canada’s Twitter For H1N1 Information

Facebook

The content of the agency’s Facebook Fan Page is divided amongst the following four sections:

  • Wall - The wall offers access to links to current news and information about the H1N1 flu.
  • Info - Fans have access to links to Public Health Agency of Canada and Fightflu websites in English and French.
  • Notes - The Notes section offers general information on the H1N1 flu with the ability to have fans to post comments.
  • H1N1 Information Centre - This section is the one-stop shop for H1N1 information.  The resource is divided into 10 activity modules as seen in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Public Health Agency Of Canada’s H1N1 Information Centre on Facebook

YouTube

The agency’s YouTube Channel is composed of a series of bilingual videos regarding H1N1 Flu and on-going initiatives to keep the public health.  The video below is a short 30 second clip about the H1N1 Immunization Campaign.

Web 2.0 and Investment Attraction: UK Trade & Investment

Published
by
Ian Smith
on November 11, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Investment Attraction, Social Media Marketing and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 2 Comments

E&B DATA’s recent benchmark study, “Web 2.0 And Business Attraction - Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index” examined how well economic development agencies in large Canadian cities are utilizing social media marketing tools for investment attraction.

Just to show that cities are not the only entities that are using web 2.0 applications, countries have hopped on the bandwagon.  A perfect example is: UK & Trade Investment.

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the government department that helps businesses locate in the UK and grow internationally.   The department’s website ranks amongst the best in class according to Organization for Economic Co-operation Development as stated in The World Bank’s Global Investment Promotion Benchmarking 2009 Summary Report (Please see page 62)

Upon visiting the website, you will be able to spot their collection of social media marketing  tools.  The site provides links to the following applications:

  • Blog - The provides insights on various aspects of trade and investment attraction activities.  UKTI uses a multi-blogger approach by having different staff members post on a regular basis.
  • Twitter - This  page acts as a vehicle to push information regarding  UKTI activities and relevant news items.
  • YouTube - This channel is an outlet to:
    • Learn about London’s success stories
    • Provide information on High Growth Markets
    • Provide country information
    • Access past speeches from Lord Davies - Minister for Trade & Investment
    • Access case studies
  • Flickr - The Flickr photostream allows individuals to view pictures from past business events involving UKTI representatives and ministers.
  • Facebook - The Facebook Fan Page is mainly composed of UKTI staff members and is used to provide updates on new posts on the other social networking platforms.
  • LinkedIn - The LinkedIn group is avenue in which UKTI can bring together trade and investment experts and businesses.  It is interesting to see that the department has created subgroup for business people interested in trade and investment between Canada and the UK.

Figure 1 illustrates the UK Trade & Investment’s Twitter page.

Figure 1: UK Trade & Investment’s Twitter Page
Please click on image to enlarge

UKTI shared their thoughts on their web 2.0 strategy in terms of their objectives and tangible benefits:

Objectives:

  • Reach new audiences: new and existing customers; consultants; the media; other government departments; colleagues
  • Spread the word about UKTI through news and insights
  • Raise awareness of events/initiatives/news
  • Support marketing pushes
  • Be more accessible/responsive/open/two-way
  • Keep track of what is being said about UKTI and have the opportunity to respond direct

Benefits

  • Opportunity to feed back, re-inform and offer further information
  • Increase attendance at events, and in turn increase take-up of UKTI services
  • Reach new audiences and be where conversations are already taking place
  • Positive (unsolicited) tweets about UKTI/services have reached a large and diverse audience (of previously untapped potential customers)
  • A major website traffic driver. Both Linkedin and Twitter are in the top 5 traffic referrers to the investment services website.
  • Drive (trade website) registration by raising awareness of how we can help. Eg, by tweeting business opportunities we are broadening reach beyond the current customer-base

Are you thinking about creating an economic development 2.0 strategy for economic development initiatives such as investment attraction for your city, province or state and/or country?    What are the main challenges that you will have to deal with?   Tell us.

Branding Reinforcement Tool or Source For Competitive Intelligence?

Published
by
Ian Smith
on November 5, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Competitive & Internet Intelligence, Social Media Marketing and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 0 Comments

It should not be a huge shock to find that some of the well known brands in the world have a Facebook Fan Page. The popular social media marketing tool allows marketing professionals to reinforce brands on the web by engaging consumers via wall postings, photos, videos and discussions. This low cost avenue of keeping a brand in the minds of consumers does have its disadvantages.

In the process of exchanging messages and sharing images via the web 2.0 application, companies must realize that a great deal of competitive intelligence data can be made available. Such data can be used by competitors to adjust offline marketing plans, create consumer profiles and modify their respective social media marketing campaigns.

Screenshot of Mitsubishi’s Facebook Fan Page
Please Click On Image To Enlarge

The challenge of finding the right balance between soliciting just enough feedback from consumers and not putting on display valuable information should be a concern for marketers and CI practitioners responsible for defensive competitive intelligence strategies.

Dealing with the challenge calls for having a practical approach to managing a Facebook page by considering the following issues:

  • Do you really need a fan page?
  • Should the page be public or private?
  • Are you aware of who is joining the fan page?
  • Are you prepared to deal with feedback provided on the page’s wall? (Positive vs Negative)
  • What topics should be discussed to engage consumers on the page?

Although it would be easy to suggest possible answers to the questions listed above, it is recommended that they should be used as discussion points in your company. Results from the discussion can be used to build a sound social media marketing campaign considering the competitive intelligence implications of the Facebook Fan Page.

New Investment Pattern In Canada For 2009

Published
by
Ian Smith
on November 3, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development and Investment Attraction
. 0 Comments

Representatives of E&B DATA were on hand for this year’s Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Via data from the Investment Observatory, E&B DATA presented  its findings regarding new investment pattern in Canada for 2009.   The presentation is full of details regarding the following:

  • Status Of Major Private Industrial Projects Announced In Canada
  • Investment Trends
  • Announced Investments In Canada $ Value Per Country Of Origin
  • Investment Projects Announcements - Number By Sector
  • E&B DATA’s Green Investment Index
  • Trends Of Capital Investment Announcements - Emergence Of Green Investments
  • Green Investment Projects Canadian Regions And Sectors

Investment Projects Announcements in Canada (2000-2008)
Please click on image to enlarge

The last quarter of the presentation unveils what major Canadian cities are doing in terms of marketing themselves on the internet via Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 tools.  (To learn more, please reading E&B DATA’s benchmark study, “Web 2.0 And Business Attraction - Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index“)

To download, “New Investment Patterns In Canada” please click here

itpints…Another Real-Time Search Engine

Published
by
Ian Smith
on October 13, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Competitive & Internet Intelligence, Internet tools, Web 2.0 and Web 2.0 Search
. 0 Comments

Another day, another real-time search tool to add to your competitive intelligence research toolkit.

itpints allows you to submit keyword(s) to search for relevant content on social networking platforms and blogs.  Figure 1 below illustrates a test for a query using the keywords, “Gourmet Magazine“, the very popular cuisine magazine that has ceased publication two weeks ago by Condé Nast.

Figure  1: Results of search for “Gourmet Magazine” on itpints
Please click on image to enlarge

By browsing through the results, one can see that the tool pulls content from such Web 2.0 applications as:

  • Twitter
  • Plurk
  • Facebook
  • Friendfeed

Any relevant content found by itpints on Digg and blogs will be presented as an abstract as seen in Figure 2.

Figure  2: Abstracts from Digg and a blog for keyword search, “Gourmet Magazine”
Please click on image to enlarge

The beta version of itpints can found at www.itpints.com

Tell us how itpints compares with Samepoint, OneRiot and Collecta.


Real-Time Search With OneRiot

Published
by
Ian Smith
on October 7, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Competitive & Internet Intelligence, Internet tools, Web 2.0 and Web 2.0 Search
. 0 Comments

Here is one more search tool for content on social media platforms in  real time.

OneRiot, which is in the beta testing phase, is a tool that crawls such platforms as Twitter, Digg and other Web 2.0 applications in order to provide users with real time results.  Figure 1 is a screen shot of the index page of OneRiot.

Figure 1: OneRiot’s Index Page
Please click on the image to enlarge

Users of OneRiot have the option of searching content on the web (in text and image format) or video clips courtesy of YouTube.  Figure 2 illustrates  the results for a web search using the keywords, “Investment attraction”.

Figure 2: OneRiot’s Result Page For “investment attraction”
Please click on the image to enlarge

Be sure to sort the results by either clicking on “Pulse” or “Realtime” when looking through the hits.

OneRiot is available at www.oneriot.com

Tell us what you think about OneRiot? How does it compare to Collecta?