#ndevon issue 3 by North Devon Business Alliance

March 2012 | Issue 3

#ndevon

@northdevon business news

Twitter: What’s the big deal? North Devon Business Alliance ‰ ndba.org.uk ‰ 0333 044 2038

‰ @northdevon

Contents March 2012

Contents Welcome

Business issues: join the debate

Twitter business basics

Getting the most out of #hashtags

Twitter campaigns build engagement

What is Twitter?

Twitter and social media workshops

Join the North Devon Business Alliance

arbara Fryer has provided the striking cover photograph for this issue of #ndevon. Barbara captures stunning images no matter what the subject, from wildlife to landscapes, weddings and commercial projects. She also offers one-to-one tuition for both digital photography and general computer skills. You can see more of Barbara’s award-winning photography and purchase photocards featuring her images online at her web site barbarafryerphotography.com. For more details of Barbara’s photographic services, please call 07966 502093.

#ndevon is edited and designed by Zarywacz. Call Robert Zarywacz for editorial or advertising opportunities. t: 01271 879100 e: rob@z2z.com w: z2z.com The views expressed by contributors to this magazine are not necessarily those of the North Devon Business Alliance. Readers are advised to seek the advice of an appropriate professional before taking any action on any issue discussed inside. © 2012 North Devon Business Alliance. 2

‰ North Devon Business Alliance

March 2012 Welcome Interesting

Welcome

lready 2012 is proving interesting for businesses in North Devon. While much of the media predicted a retail meltdown, with January and February forecast as tougher than usual, some retailers report unusually brisk business. Many businesses across different sectors are busy, but serious concerns for the future persist. A large number of businesses appear to be investing in their own development – especially in skills and business processes. Yet there is an awareness of vulnerability to global events – the Euro crisis, Middle East events pushing up fuel prices, the fragile US economy as well as lenders raising mortgage rates for UK borrowers. There is also concern over vital infrastructure improvements, with superfast broadband heading the list. With the disappearance of the Regional Development Agency and regional Business Link service, the business support landscape has also changed. While fewer agencies now compete against each other and those remaining seem to be focusing more sharply on their core purpose – to provide useful support to business – this cannot mask the reduction in available funding and resources. This leads many businesses to be more selfsufficient and to seek their own development and innovation. Some argue that this is the best incentive for entrepreneurs.

What it does mean is that North Devon businesses have to find new ways of sharing help and advice and of working together. The internet is playing a major role here. Whereas several years ago help had to be sought by phoning a support agency, often reaching a call centre operative bound by a limited set of predefined options, now a question asked on Twitter can often obtain an answer from an industry specialist with real-life experience and expertise in minutes. It opens up many new options for businesses to choose how they develop. Peer-to-peer support in the community can bypass formal agency networks, providing faster, leaner and, often, more relevant help. For the past year the NDBA has been operating a boardroom concept where a group of trusted business owners apply themselves to growing their businesses through collaboration and support. Please ask for details of how this can help your business. To explore how these online tools can help businesses develop, this issue of #ndevon focuses on Twitter, the micro-blogging service. Over the following pages we discuss the benefits of Twitter, while on page 13 you can find details of our NDBA Twitter workshops. Please contact us to book or follow us at @northdevon.

‰ ndba.org.uk ‰ 0333 044 2038 ‰ @northdevon

Join the debate March 2012

Business issues: join the debate T

he North Devon Business Alliance aims to support all businesses in North Devon so that the whole area thrives and everyone can enjoy the benefits of living and working in one of the most beautiful areas in the world. One of the ways in which we work to achieve this is by DEBATE AND LOBBY encouraging debate ‰ Participate in the LEP forum. within North Devon ‰ Demonstrate superfast broadband and promoting and demand. lobbying for ‰ Show demand for mainline rail. businesses outside ‰ Join the debate. the area. Encouraging debate The challenging economic climate and the rapid development of technology require businesses to remain up to date with what is happening. ndba.org.uk, the NDBA web site and blog, encourages debate on all issues affecting business and is open for NDBA members to post blogs. The NDBA’s North Devon group on LinkedIn is another forum promoting discussion among businesses. And, of course, follow @northdevon on Twitter to keep abreast of current issues. Promoting and lobbying Change affects every aspect of business at present, especially as funding is being reduced in so many areas. The NDBA aims to highlight any issue affecting business where North Devon needs to have a say. Heart of South West Local Enterprise Partnership – last year we urged businesses to respond to 4

the proposals for the establishment of the new LEP, the body superseding the Regional Development Agency. Now that the LEP has been established, it is even more important for North Devon businesses to influence its operation. One way of doing this is to participate in the LEP online business forum. Register by visiting heartofswlep.co.uk and selecting ‘About us’. Superfast broadband – Devon and Somerset County Councils have been successful in their bid for £31 million and will each contribute £10 million to provide superfast broadband to areas not scheduled to be upgraded by broadband suppliers. It is important that North Devon demonstrates commercial demand for superfast broadband. Keep up to date with developments and complete the demand survey at connectingdevonandsomerset.co.uk Mainline rail services – a task force of Plymouth councillors and city businesses is lobbying for faster direct trains which could reduce the number of services stopping at Tiverton. Would this impact on the North Devon economy? Do you use mainline rail services in your business or would it affect your customers? Please comment on the NDBA web site or LinkedIn group. Join the debate Please join in the NDBA online discussions and groups to make your voice and needs heard.

‰ North Devon Business Alliance

March 2012 Twitter business basics

Twitter business basics Kevin Woodward discusses the business benefits of using Twitter

ust so that we are sure, I am aiming these comments at oneman-bands, or at least very small businesses. I am also aiming it at the business owner, not an employee. Basics for the likes of BT and Sainsbury’s are, of course, very different and they also have a budget where they can spend thousands of pounds at making it work. Basics for training employees to spread your word are also very different! For businesses like yours and mine the basics are actually fairly simple: ‰Be yourself – the old adage, people buy from people is just as true in the ‘social media’ world as it is anywhere else – people like to get to know you the person first and foremost. ‰Interact and have conversations – I still like to use the ‘pub’ as an example of interacting and having conversations – that is generally where you go for a good chat. You don’t go there and start selling your wares. You might get asked what you do for a living, but you still wouldn’t try and sell something, so relax and enjoy the social chat. ‰Get a few followers – it’s actually quite easy, even if all you do is pick people at random. Pick a few people who have an interesting ‘bio’, people who have similar hobbies or interests. After all, it’ll then be easier to interact and have conversation with those types of people.

‰Help spread the word – OK, so you have a few followers and one of them says something that you think may be of interest to the others – Retweet it (RT for short) and help them spread their message – you might see a news article that you think may be of interest – add a link into your tweet and ask others what they think of the story. We keep coming back to interacting and having conversations. ‰Don’t just broadcast to the world that you sell XYZ – people will turn off from reading your tweets very quickly. It’s fine to send the odd message out, but don’t swamp people with the message as they’ll get bored with you very quickly. ‰Build relationships – by interacting and having the conversations you will build up relationships, people will talk to you, help spread your message. You never know, you might actually get to meet some of these people and have some real advocates. You’ll never get these advocates without interacting and conversing with them.

‰ ndba.org.uk ‰ 0333 044 2038 ‰ @northdevon

Twitter business basics March 2012

Oh, and did I mention that it is all about interaction and conversation? Join in – don’t be shy! • Kevin Woodward has been networking online in North Devon since 2003. An experienced business adviser, Kevin uses Twitter to market his own businesses, which include Multiheat & Energy Systems, a supplier of infrared heating panels for businesses and homes. Kevin also runs workshops to help NDBA members use social media effectively in their businesses. You can follow Kevin on Twitter @infraredheating. ‰Be polite, be professional – don’t be too opinionated and, most of all, be friendly. Try not to swear, don’t be too geeky, mix and don’t be afraid to butt in to someone else’s conversation. Be relevant though and be interesting. If you can’t be social, you shouldn’t be on Twitter.

Kevin Woodward t: 01237 451759 e: kevin@multiheat-energysystems.co.uk w: multiheat-energysystems.co.uk

‰ North Devon Business Alliance

March 2012 Twitter #hashtags

Getting the most out of #hashtags in #ndevon Nik Barrie explains the power of Twitter hashtags and how to use them

id you know, the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s recent social media benchmark showed that Twitter is now the most used social media platform for business? The hashtag is one of the most difficult features of Twitter for new users to be able to understand, but it is also an important tool in getting the most out of your engagement with this growing platform. So what is it? A hashtag is a topic with a (#) symbol at the start to identify it. Typical examples you may well encounter quite quickly include #followfriday or #ff. Generate conversation Essentially, the purpose of hashtags is for generating and following conversation and engagement around a particular topic. This can be an event or conference, it can be a television programme, a brand, promotion or a place. Just as in real life, topics of conversation can be started around anything you like, and anyone can start them! So how does all this relate to business here in North Devon? Well, when we post tweets that could promote our area, or that alert people about services, opportunities, events and tips in relation to North Devon, it is a great idea to use a hashtag. This enables scores of people who aren’t necessarily following you, but who are searching for or following the hashtag, to discover your tweet. It is really about getting your message to the relevant audience.

Which hashtag? Now this is where the debate begins: what hashtag do you use? For North Devon, there is #NDevon #NorthDevon and possibly a few others now and then. This decision is ultimately down to you. However, there are a number of factors you should take into consideration. The main advantage of using the extended version is for search purposes – this one is probably best used if your target audience are newcomers or visitors to the area who might be searching for content related to North Devon. The shortened #ndevon version has HASHTAGS far greater day-to‰ Use them to generate day advantages. This conversation and engagement. was originally ‰ Keep hashtags short. promoted by the ‰ Don’t overuse. NDBA some time ‰ Don’t duplicate. ago and is generally ‰ Let people know what your the most popular hashtags mean. hashtag. The #ndevon tag is also shorter. Don't forget, the shorter you make your hashtag, the more characters you have left to write your actual message. Your choice Personally, I largely side with #ndevon, as it frees up more

‰ ndba.org.uk ‰ 0333 044 2038 ‰ @northdevon

Twitter hashtags March 2012

characters and has a strong following. It is up to everyone what they want to do, but obviously the more consistent we are, the easier it is for us to all ‘follow the conversation’. Hashtag tips To wrap up, here are a few more tips on using hashtags on Twitter. ‰Don't overuse hashtags – overuse can fragment conversation and make tweets appear ‘spammy’. ‰Don't duplicate hashtags in both upper and lower case. Searching on Twitter is not case sensitive. ‰Avoid using up all your character limit with hashtags – your followers need a few spare characters if you want them to retweet.

‰Make sure your hashtag adds value for you and your followers. If you’re using a hashtag at an event as the organiser, make sure you tell everyone what it is at the start and remind people throughout. • Nik Barrie is a marketing consultant from Exanza Ltd, based in North Devon. He is an active member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and specialises in both traditional and digital marketing strategy. You can follow Nik on Twitter @nikbarrie. Nik Barrie t: 07544 132023 e: nikbarrie@exanza.co.uk w: exanza.co.uk

‰ North Devon Business Alliance

March 2012 Twitter campaigns

Twitter campaigns build engagement Robert Zarywacz looks at how to run successful Twitter campaigns

ne of the most important aspects of social media is the concept of community. People participate because they want to, they follow you because they want to and if they want, they will help to share your messages with their followers. All these actions are voluntary. What happens if we ignore this? People stop sharing our messages, can unfollow us (ie stop following) or even block us and we lose any influence we had with them. This is not unusual and reflects realworld communities where we decide whether we want to interact with someone based on what they say and do. But how do we do this online when we can’t see or hear people? Isn’t that difficult? Actually, it isn’t. Although the prospect of writing and sending tweets – short messages of up to 140 characters – on Twitter can be daunting, it really is not very different to speaking to someone face-to-face. As long as we show courtesy and consideration, people on Twitter are usually very responsive and understanding. Their generosity can be truly astounding. Selling on Twitter If you join Twitter for business, it’s likely that you’ll want to use it for marketing and to increase sales. But Twitter is not like the classified advertising section of a newspaper and, while people don’t mind seeing the occasional promotional message, Twitter users do get annoyed quickly

with someone trying to sell without building a relationship first. Why? Because that’s a natural reaction to anyone who talks to us only for their own gain. We tend to lose interest in them fast and probably don’t want to meet them again. Creating trust Just as in other marketing and sales activities, building a relationship on Twitter creates trust. Potential customers will feel comfortable discussing their needs with us when they know our conversations are more than about just TWITTER CAMPAIGNS making a sale. ‰ Identify business objectives. This all sounds very ‰ Plan activity and resources. comforting, but ‰ Find your target audience. business success ‰ Combine scheduled and depends on selling personal tweets. our products and ‰ Measure results to ensure you services. How can we achieve return on investment. do that on Twitter? Running campaigns on Twitter First of all, it’s important to recognise that Twitter is just one element of social media and that social media is just one part of marketing. It’s unlikely that Twitter will be the only activity in a campaign, although it’s not impossible. You can combine existing web sites, blogs, videos and a lot more in a Twitter campaign.

‰ ndba.org.uk ‰ 0333 044 2038 ‰ @northdevon

Twitter campaigns March 2012

‰Identify goals – before you start, it’s vital to know what you’re trying to achieve: to raise awareness of a business, product or event? to build a bigger newsletter circulation? to attract more people through the door? Once you know this, you can plan activity to achieve it. ‰Create a plan – decide how long your campaign will run. If you are promoting an event, this will be dictated by the date and how much notice people need. Even if there is no specific date, a plan will enable you to schedule activity and allocate necessary resources. This is vital for a campaign running over weeks or months. ‰Find your target audience – the people you need to reach. On Twitter you can browse categories or search #hashtags (or keywords) to find people who show an interest in topics relevant to your campaign. Follow these people or start a Twitter list for this topic and add them to it. Many will look at your profile in return and start following you. This will start to create your campaign followers. ‰Identify your message – to attract and interest followers. Tell a story, show how your campaign is useful, interesting or fun and why people should follow or participate. ‰Prepare tweets in advance – so that you have a ready supply of messages. Some software enables you to schedule tweets so that they are published automatically at a specified time. This can be useful for counting down to an event date, repeating announcements so that people have more chance of seeing them and enabling users in 10

other time zones to see them. Do take care to use automated tweets selectively. Some people unfollow if there is no personal interaction. ‰Engage with followers who show interest or ask questions. The more rapport you create, the more you build enthusiasm and trust. Use this to generate sales, visitors or participants through good online customer service. ‰Link to all your material – add links in your tweets to blogs, web site pages, photos and videos. Twitter can knit all these sources together and drive web traffic to them. ‰Ask people for help and support – people like being asked. However it is important to give in return. Communities are created by both giving and receiving help. ‰Monitor your success – to ensure you achieve your planned return on your investment of time and resources. Use web site statistics or Google Analytics to measure traffic, your own sales data or other methodology. • Robert Zarywacz started marketing online when he produced a 7,000page brochure on Prestel for British Airways in 1985. He has written on technology and marketing for a number of business publications and has run successful campaigns using PR, blogging and social media. You can follow Robert on Twitter @robertz.

Robert Zarywacz t: 07971 176044 e: rob@z2z.com w: z2z.com

‰ North Devon Business Alliance

March 2012 What is Twitter?

What is Twitter? Basic usage and terminology explained

witter is a real-time information network that connects you to the latest stories, ideas, opinions and news about what you find interesting. Simply find the accounts you find most compelling and follow the conversations. At the heart of Twitter are small bursts of information called tweets. Each tweet is 140 characters long, but don’t let the small size fool you – you can discover a lot in a little space. You can see photos, videos and conversations directly in tweets to get the whole story at a glance, and all in one place. Twitter terminology @ – The @ sign is used to call out usernames in tweets, like this: Hello

@twitter! When a username is preceded by the @ sign, it becomes a link to a twitter profile. Avatar – the personal image uploaded to your Twitter profile in the settings tab of your account. Bio – a short personal description of 160 characters or fewer used to define who you are on Twitter. Direct Message – also called a DM and most recently called simply a ‘message’, these tweets are private between the sender and recipient. Tweets sent over SMS become DMs when they begin with ‘d username’ to specify who the message is for.

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What is Twitter? March 2012

FF – #FF stands for ‘Follow Friday’. Twitter users often suggest who others should follow on Fridays by tweeting with the hashtag #FF. Follow – to follow someone on Twitter is to subscribe to their tweets or updates on the site. Hashtag – the # symbol is used to mark keywords or topics in a tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users. Users can search for tweets containing a hashtag to follow conversations on that topic. Listed – to be included in another Twitter user’s list. Listed numbers and details appear in the statistics section of your profile. Lists – curated groups of other Twitter users. Used to tie specific individuals into a group on your

Twitter account. Displayed on the right side menu of your homepage. Mention – mentioning another user in your Tweet by including the @ sign followed directly by their username is called a ‘mention’. Also refers to tweets in which your username was included. Profile – a Twitter page displaying information about a user, as well as all the tweets they have posted from their account. Reply – A tweet posted in reply to another user's message, usually posted by clicking the ‘reply’ button next to their tweet in your timeline. Always begins with @username. Retweet – a tweet by another user, forwarded to you by someone you follow. Often used to spread news or share valuable findings on Twitter.

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March 2012 Social Interesting media workshops

RT – abbreviated version of ‘retweet’. Placed before the retweeted text when users manually retweet a message. Spam – unwanted messaging or following on Twitter. Trending Topic – a subject algorithmically determined to be one of the most popular on Twitter at the moment. Tweet (verb) – tweet, tweeting, tweeted. The act of posting a message, often called a ‘tweet’, on Twitter. Twitter – an information network made up of 140-character messages from all over the world. Unfollow – when someone stops following another user.

Social media workshops If you’d like help and advice on getting started with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Google+, the NDBA is running workshops throughout 2012. Our first Twitter workshop is scheduled for 10am to midday on Friday 30 March at the Pack of Cards in Combe Martin. Learn how to register on Twitter, complete your profile, upload a photo, find and follow users, use hashtags to promote topics and search for information. The session costs £6 per person and is limited to 12 people. Bring along laptop, iPhone, iPad or other smartphone or device and use the free WiFi available. To book your place, please call 0333 044 2038. Please visit the online diary at ndba.org.uk for details of other workshops and events.

‰ ndba.org.uk ‰ 0333 044 2038 ‰ @northdevon

JoinInteresting the NDBA March 2012

Join the NDBA Enjoy the membership benefits of the North Devon Business Alliance

oining the North Devon Business Alliance brings you the benefits of an organisation that meets monthly across North Devon and communicates daily via the internet.

Monthly lunches and tweetups An event to look forward to is the NDBA lunch on the last Friday of each month. These are hosted every alternate month at the Chichester Arms in Bishop’s Tawton, with lunches in the months in between held at different venues across the area. Networking is encouraged so guests get to know each other through conversation. There are no presentations or speeches. The price of £20 includes main meal, drinks and coffee.

In 2012 the NDBA is arranging more North Devon ‘tweetups’ (events where Twitter users can meet up informally). Tweetups are entirely social events and apart from setting a date, time and place, it’s up to those who attend to make them happen. You can drop in, chat, have a drink, tweet and leave as you choose. It’s a good way to meet those you connect with on Twitter. Watch for more NDBA events at ndba.org.uk. Training and development From its inception, the NDBA has encouraged all North Devon businesses to use online networking and has provided informal support on

Twitter: the basics Friday 30 March 10am – midday Pack of Cards, Combe Martin Workshop covering: ‰ Opening a Twitter account ‰ How to tweet ‰ Who to follow ‰ Use search and hashtags

To book your place call 0333 044 2038

ndba.org.uk 14

‰ North Devon Business Alliance

March 2012 Join Interesting the NDBA

blogging and using Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. This year we have launched workshops to help those wanting to take their first steps in social media. The benefit of this is that delegates can join an existing online community and build up their confidence with the online support of other members. We are also rolling out our boardroom programme in which a group of business people meet regularly for facilitated sessions where they can discuss real business issues and problems in confidence. This powerful concept improves motivation, enables clear focus and propels projects from ideas to reality. Participants committing to attending each session benefit from the group’s advice and support which they can apply to their own business. Visit ndba.org.uk for workshop details and dates or please call for boardroom details.

Revised NDBA benefits NDBA membership for new and renewing members is just £1.50 per month, payable by standing order. Revised members’ benefits include access to the ndba.org.uk web site where they can post blogs and link to their own web sites. Members receive discounts on all workshops, seminars and web site and magazine advertising. Free entry to the NDBA Awards is also included – watch for details. Join the NDBA today Joining the NDBA is easy – just download and complete the form from ndba.org.uk. We look forward to welcoming you into a friendly, professional and supportive business community that wants to help your business grow in any way that it can.

Advertise in #ndevon Call Robert on 01271 879100 or email rob@z2z.com ‰ ndba.org.uk ‰ 0333 044 2038 ‰ @northdevon

Join the North Devon Business Alliance ‰ Network face-to-face at end-of-month Friday lunches and tweetups across North Devon ‰ Blog online at ndba.org.uk ‰ Network online on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn ‰ Contribute to our printed and online #ndevon magazine ‰ Enjoy discounts on web site and magazine advertising and workshops and seminars ‰ Debate issues relevant to your business and North Devon ‰ Carry the voice of North Devon business to where it needs to be heard The North Devon Business Alliance has been established by experienced North Devon business owners and executives to represent the interests of all businesses in the area and, through supporting existing businesses and encouraging start-ups, to develop the full potential of the local economy. We’re in business in North Devon, championing business in North Devon. We want the North Devon economy to thrive so everyone can enjoy the benefits of living and working in one of the most beautiful areas in the world.

Join today for £1.50 per month Please call 0333

044 2038

or download a form from

ndba.org.uk Please follow us and engage with the North Devon online business community at

@northdevon – follow the #ndevon hashtag facebook.com/ndevonbusiness Join the North Devon group at LinkedIn.com