A Year in the Life of a Social Media and Marketing Blog – 30 Handpicked Posts

As one that loves to blog to share my experiences and tips, then I thought I’d create a blog post that brings together my year of blogging in 2011. Social Media has really come to life for all businesses great and small during 2011 and no doubtsocial media and marketing blog roundup for 2011 2012 will prove to be a very interesting year. I’ll be blogging as usual throughout 2012 sharing my news, views, tips and advice – but for now, in case you missed any of them, I’ve handpicked some of my favourite posts. Not all of them made the cut (we really did do a lot of blogging last year) so I hope you enjoy the roundup from 2011.

Don’t forget the business basics... the product has to stand up

Key business basics - this blog post focuses on the fact that your product really should be great. You really can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

Social Media - 12 Questions Answered

I was approached by a business student who was writing her dissertation on how social media channels were impacting marketing.  This post is rather lengthy, but covers my answers to questions such as; What are the reasons behind social networking sites?,  Are social networking sites important and why do people use them? Do they increase business and engagement? Are social networking sites a cost effective way of advertising a business? And more.

Are you promoting your good points? Testimonials, videos, reviews…it all counts!

Many businesses miss out on promoting their great points. We have positive statements and gems waiting to be shared. This post looks at how you can be leveraging the ‘Recommendation Generation’.

5 Social Media Myths well and truly Busted

This was a popular post and resonated with many. I often meet people that say that social media is great because it’s all free. Oh yeah? This post looks at that myth and others.

Do you know the keywords for your business?

When I’m working with clients or running social media training workshops we always cover the importance of ‘keywords’. Effectively, they are your online dna for your business. The words people type into search engines to find your products or services. Know them and use them wisely. This post shows you why and how.

Twitter Stats and Trivia

We all love a bit of trivia and stats are usually pretty compelling reading. This post plays up to those curious needs we all have. Gems such as the lifetime of a tweet etc.

Creating a personalised Twitter background

This post does what is says in the title. It’s the facts and sizes about creating a personalised Twitter background. Some of the logistics for this may need to be reworked in line with Twitter’s new identity – but the ideas around what you can be sharing are still relevant.

Social Media Marketing - Take it seriously or leave it alone!

They are important and far reaching marketing channels – so in the wrong hands, things can get dangerous.  This post takes a look at how you can be leveraging them effectively.

A Practical Introduction to Google Adwords

At Carvill Creative, whilst we certainly don’t specialise in Adwords, it’s important that we understand how it all works. This post is exactly as it says, a practical intro – some do’s and don’ts for successful online advertising campaigns.

In the world of social media - don't underestimate the power of your profile picture

First impressions count – so be sure you’re making the right impression.

Facebook for Business

In my humble opinion 2012 will be the year businesses (b2b and b2c) really start to leverage Facebook. This quick post offers a bit of a scene setter.

Facebook Statistics that will convert you for Life

Vikki, our lead social media exec, contributed a few posts to our blog last year – this is one of hers, sharing stats and facts about the mighty Facebook.

Blogging – a few fast tips and a definition to clear things up

Blogging is central to successful social media activity. It’s effectively a quick and effective way to share unique, compelling content. This post offers some tips for all to consider.

Content is King. So...what's your content strategy?

Most businesses don’t have a content strategy in place. Do you? This post covers the importance of content in the social media age.

Cutting through the noise on Twitter – and capturing key conversations

With over 200 million tweets a day how do you find the conversations that are relevant to you? This post shares the why and how.

How to be a good Tweeter - some do's and don'ts

There’s always something new to learn – and so we keep on sharing.

When did you last check your website's performance? 5 Critical Checks

40% of websites get zero traffic – and of those that do, 70% of consumers don’t trust them due to poor design and user interface. How effective is your site?

How To Make the Most of your Facebook Business Page – get those ‘likes’ in

Getting people to ‘like’ your page is the first step, as once you’ve got them, you’ve then got to keep them engaged. This post looks at some marketing tactics to assist.

5 Key Elements for Success when Outsourcing Social Media Marketing Activity

It’s an important relationship so be sure you’re in for a successful partnership by heeding the advice in this post.

Creating Social Media Guidelines for your Business

How do you manage a crisis and who is responsible for what? As businesses become ‘social’ a whole new set of guidelines are required to safeguard and manage social engagement effectively.

Leveraging LinkedIn...very simply, it’s about harnessing the relationships you already have

Many people I meet say they have a LinkedIn profile. When I ask if it’s 100% complete it’s rare that they answer in the positive. This post offers tips for getting your profiles in tip top condition and leveraging LinkedIn as a business resource.

Are you down with the Twitter Lingo?

Bit of fun this one. There really is some creative language creation going on around Twitter.  This post was our most Tweeted in 2011 with 226 tweets via the blog.

Content, Creativity and Ingenuity 3 Key Drivers for Successful Social Media Engagement

One huge thing I love about social media is that fact that it drives organisations to be get more creative – this post looks at just that.

Social Media Fears:  But what if someone says something awful about us?

They’re going to be saying it whether your on social media or not - so my advice is start listening.

LinkedIn - Have you got your Products and Services in the Spotlight?

This post looks at the new spotlight feature for LinkedIn company profiles. Certainly worth doing.

Social Media Management – a Practical look at Daily Twitter Activity

We’re often asked ‘How can I fit social media into an already busy day’ – and this post looks at just how you can.

Measuring Social Media.  My Mantra is... ‘Measure What Matters’

Businesses are obsessed about measuring social media activity – more so with social than with any other form of marketing activity I’ve ever known. This post looks at ensuring you’re measuring the right things.

Ten reasons someone might unfollow you on Twitter

There are lots of reasons I’m sure, but this post focuses on some of the more obvious reasons.

And then finally, two blog posts for the Christmas week in December – a silly (yet hopefully) eye catching titled Twit(ch)hikers Guide to the Twitteralaxy Part 1 and Part 2. Effectively, a guide to surviving and leveraging Twitter – covering 20 tried and tested tips.

Here’s to a fun filled, happy, bloggingtastic and healthy 2012 .

Carvill Creative – the online visibility experts. A digital marketing agency based in Maidenhead, Berkshire.  Carvill Creative covers all aspects of online visibility – website effectiveness, social media marketing, social media management and social media training, user focused website planning and conversion focused website design.

 

Passionate about Online Visibility - creating an integrated approach across websites, blogs and social media platforms.