1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190 
Caught in a social whirl
Page 46
Page 47
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The web can be a powerful tool to promote your business, but be careful what you post it could come back to haunt you.
Words: Adam Bernstein
Twitter, Facebook, WordPress and LinkedIn are just some of the names in the world of online social networking. which, no doubt, you will have heard of.
It'll be a safe bet that most would say they use social networking sites to keep in touch with friends and family, hut as these sites become more widely accepted, they are also being used to promote businesses.
Spend a little time searching online and you'll find that many businesses are creating their own online presences,
BLOGGING AND FACEBOOK
There are a number of ways of going online, Blogging is a good example. With free online tools such as WordPress, you can create a comment or chat-oriented site.
By opting to go down the paid route with WordPress, you can get a personalised WordPress address, extra storage and the ability to post videos. Blogging sites are great at creating a community where the site owner becomes the moderator, and, effectively, creates an industry name for themselves.
Blogs are worth considering if you want to promote your business —there are more than 1,700 blogging sites on WordPress alone that have postings relating to haulage, including those highlighting the fact that Cheshire haulage firms have been warned by police to beef up their security following raids on five local depots: how UKMall, Marks & Spencer, DHL and TK Maxx are using new Teardrop trailers from Don-Bur to increase load capacity and fuel efficiency; and a customer testimonial praising Birmingham Same Day Couriers, Of course, there are plenty of alternatives to WordPress. just search for 'blogging sites'.
Social networking goes far beyond just discussing issues or comparing notes.
With sites such as LinkedIn or Piaxo, you can keep in touch with colleagues, past and present, for example.
Armed more at 'professional' relationships, you create a profile that lists your career experience and contact details. You can search for people you know while also being able to see their 'links'.
LinkedIn is akin to joining your local Chamber of Commerce. The major difference is it's online and you share information with people who have something more in common with you than just being local.
Type 'haulage on Linked In into a search engine and results include a page for Dews Haulage, a manager at Handle Haulage in Ireland and the Road Haulage Association, to name but three.
Blogs and social networking sites enjoy a number of benefits over anything on paper'. Most notably, they are all indexed and searchable. Anyone can find you and your rivals with a few keystrokes. Also, consider that all of these sites can be updated while on the move. The iPhone and Blackberry, in particular, have dedicated applications for these sites.
You can also use these sites as a recruitment tool. Indeed, many firms use social networking sites to look for staff and to check up on staff they are hiring.
A February 2010 report by HR Magazine (http://bit.109R1R0) said that 41% of HR managers quizzed cited a candidate's online presence as one of the reasons for a rejection.
You can follow up a CV by doing the same. However, be careful you reject a candidate for fair reasons: they have certain rights, too.
There are a few pointers to remember when updating your site. The first is not to overload your followers with piles of ads or reams of self-serving information.
Social networking sites in a business context should be used to show followers what you can do for them.
Aim to get followers engaged with interesting news, developments in your business and promotions you might be running. Why not involve followers by asking for and (crucially) acting on feedback?
A number of people warn that the online world should carry a caution sticker.
Reports in September 2009 circulated that staff from PC World and Currys (http://bitly/ aWJrwD) had set up a Facebook page and posted less-than-flattering comments about customers.
On a different tack, firms need to be careful about staff usage of online sites. Portsmouth City Council had to ban access to social networking sites because of time being wasted it lost 71 days in July 2009 alone, Whatever you are doing, ensure you follow the laws of copyright, trademarks and defamation.
You need to be proactive in monitoring any comments posted. It could cost you dear if you allow a discussion or you post a comment that someone considers to be untrue.
Social networking won't make bad products or services better. What it can do is spread the word when you build a reputation.