• When setting up your Facebook page, make sure that you create a company page rather than a group. This will allow you to gain likes for your page and more importantly a page enables greater interaction with your followers, and the ability to add applications (jobs and Twitter feed for example) that a group cannot.

• Populate your page with all your company’s relevant information as it is important to say who you are and what you do. Add links to your website, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles in order to instantly drive traffic there.

• Use a mixture of media to brighten up your profile. This almost goes without saying, but adding multimedia makes your Facebook profile interesting and attractive. Add photos and videos as well as text to showcase what you have been up to.

• Promote your Facebook account by including it in your email signature and adding a Facebook button to your website as well as adding links on your other social media sites such as LinkedIn pages or Twitter. That way current clients and candidates can find you at the click of a button.

• Don’t simply feed jobs into your page; add content that is engaging and relevant to your audience. Followers will find it off-putting to have their news feeds clogged up with information that doesn’t interest them so make sure your updates are appealing and significant.

• Encourage participation. Facebook is a two way platform so encourage people to talk to you too. Post questions or competitions which are of interest to your followers.

• Monitor the account and respond to any queries quickly. If you ignore a comment or question for too long your audience are unlikely to stay engaged.

• Pick the name of the page carefully. The company name isn’t always relevant, instead consider the search terms people might use to find you, for example, Construction Recruitment UK.

To find the answer to this question I turned to Twitter itself and less than a minute later I had found the Twitter silence hashtag along with various supporting account profiles. Reading through the discussions I found people across the UK pledging a Twitter silence, and the BlueSky PR team did the same.

I was amazed when I logged back into Twitter to find that the silence really had happened online too, and it really made me think about the power of the online world. We are now more connected than ever and the majority of the population are never far from a tool to access the digital community. As people use new technology to be more social, I find it truly inspiring that it is also being used to unite people across the nation.

Ten years ago I stood with a few friends to observe the Armistice Day silence; today I did the same with thousands across the UK through Twitter. If that doesn’t show how much our lives are affected by social media, just watch the Twittersphere next week to see how it is used to support Children In Need.

I have attended two recruitment in social media events recently and although I thought I was fairly social media savvy – I definitely learned some interesting new stuff showing that you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks!

The first was the UK Recruiter and  HB RIDA Directors’ Networking Event. The first presentation was from Sophie Relf the Head of Marketing Strategy at Guardian Jobs.  While I didn’t actually agree with a lot of her comments (‘social media is a walled garden, for example’ – don’t get Andy Headworth started on that!), there was one phrase she did use which really struck a chord and that was “mobile is the remote control of people’s lives.”
This was a theme that Andy Headworth of Sirona Consulting picked up when he asked “How many of you have a mobile website”? The answer of course was everyone– it’s just that most look crap!  Andy then went on to (in his own words) take down the wall brick by brick and gave some great examples of how powerful the platforms have become.

Next up was Steve Evans of NetNatives who gave some really interesting insights into how Facebook pages are changing.  Likes will no longer be the be all and endall – but visitors will able to ‘recommend’ or say ‘I work here’ – think aboutthe potential branding for a temps recruiter around that!

Will Winch of Mishcon de Reya scared everyone to death (only joking Will) by giving the legal perspectives around data protection, data theft and cyber bullying

The other event was #RTSM11 run hosted by Recruitment International.  Andy Headworth (yes him again) talked about how Facebook is a content management platform – not a social network and so your content has to be relevant interactive and interesting – not just a page of jobs!  He also told us that Google+ is now the fastest growing social network in history and there are certainly some really interesting applications for recruiters.

Patrick Traynor from LinkedIn highlighted the new company status update function and pointed out how few organisations were using the free
products and services tab on company profiles. And a really interesting nugget – mobile searching on Linked In is up 400% year on year!!

Jorgen Sundberg from Link Humans gave his top five tips on putting together a strategy for your content marketing while Dave Martin from Brave New
Talent told us that mobile will overtake desktops and laptops by 2013 and gave us a brand new buzzword – SoLoMo ( Social, Local Mobile).

Steve Ward from Cloud Nine shared a great story about his social media journey and then Oracle occupied the graveyard slot by aptly telling all
the recruiters how they recruit everything in house through social media !

All in all two great events – and I learned a lot !

On my way on to the plane, I was forced to prove that my hand luggage bag was the right dimension – fair enough. But it didn’t end there. I was then told I was delaying the flight. Why?  Because I couldn’t get my case out of the baggage size checker. My bag may well have been on the large size but it did fit – I had measured it beforehand! I was then subject to a rant from a representative of Ryanair saying I was delaying the flight (the flight was not due to take off for another 20 minutes) and they would close the doors if I didn’t get on the flight immediately. No offer to help remove my bag which, of course, would have sped up the process – just a barrage of abuse.  Of course I made the flight – in fact we didn’t take off until the scheduled departure time!

It’s experiences like this that make examples of good customer service that much nicer, and surprising.  But should you be shocked when you receive a good service? No, but it appears that in a society where poor customer experiences are rife, to feel surprised is somewhat common.  I shop at Sainsbury’s each week, I like the produce, the staff are helpful and it is convenient.  However, like most organisations they make mistakes – but it is how they are dealt with that is important.

And in an age where the likes of Facebook and Twitter are regularly used to voice grievances about bad experiences, it is even more important for brands to deal with complaints properly. Following a recent complaint, not only did I receive a call immediately from head office, but I was sent a gift voucher and a letter apologising about it. Well done Sainsbury’s – customer service does still exist.  I tweeted Sainsbury’s thanking them for the good experience, and again got an immediate response acknowledging it. But it could have been very different. If I had not heard anything I may very well have taken to Twitter or Facebook but with a different, more hostile message.

This got me thinking about how other businesses have dealt with negative comments posted online.  The very fact that these complaints are in the public domain should, you would imagine, prompt a brand to acknowledge them and act accordingly. But it appears that this is not the case in many instances. Instead the ‘ignore it’ or ‘delete it’ approach seems to be favoured.

The decision to do so speaks volumes about a brands customer service policy. By doing this rather than acknowledging and rectifying the mistake goes to show how ill informed and unorganised a business can be. Take the recent Blackberry fiasco – poor customer service at its best. By not responding to comments on social media made the negative feeling towards the brand that much worse.

So is customer service dead and buried? And has social media made businesses change their policies? It appears some have, but for those who have chosen to ignore it – the decision may well prove costly.

• Fill out your Twitter bio and upload a picture. A profile with no information can put off potential followers. People like to know they’re communicating with a human being, so it’s important to say who you are and what you do. It also helps to link to your website in order to instantly build traffic there.

• Twitter is about engagement and adding value to your community or followers. Therefore it’s wise to have a separate account for a jobs feed. It’s hard to interact with clients and candidates when they have to scroll through hundreds of jobs to find your last “proper” tweet. Clients might also find it off-putting to have their feeds clogged up with information that isn’t relevant to them. Regularly mention your jobs feed to give candidates the option to follow that account too.

• Don’t follow hundreds of people before you’ve built up a proper following or people might think you’re a spammer. Twitter is about conversation, so listen as much as you talk and build up relationships as you go.

• Promote your Twitter account by including it in your email signature and adding a Twitter button to your website as well as adding links on your other social media sites such as Facebook pages or LinkedIn. That way current clients and candidates can find you at the click of a button.

• Populate you page with a few inspirational tweets before you start following people. You only get one chance to make an impression on new followers so two or three tweets showcasing your knowledge is an advantage. BUT, don’t post these all in one day – spread them out over a week or to minimise suspicion!

The successful social media campaign

The company

Handle Recruitment is the leading recruitment consultancy for the media and entertainment industries. With more than 30 years’ experience, Handle has grown to encompass the wider demands of the increasingly complex media and entertainment arena. It is the only consultancy to have divisions dedicated to providing permanent, temporary, contract and interim solutions across all core business functions.

The challenge

BlueSky PR started work with Handle in 2010 with the brief of providing PR and communications support. Following the successful creation of multiple Twitter accounts for each division within Handle, there was a clear need to increase the follower numbers to heighten brand awareness. Handle set BlueSky the task of devising a social media campaign that would increase followers in the long run and highlight Handle to both job seekers and potential clients.

The solution

After an initial brainstorming session, BlueSky decided that a competition was the best option. However, the real issue would be how to get the information to the correct people, who would then follow them on Twitter. It was decided that the competition would be announced via email to Handle’s contacts and posted on its blog.

While Handle decided on what the competition prizes were to be, BlueSky came up with the questions. The competition details were hosted on a hidden page of the Handle website with a few questions about the company. The answers to all the questions were scattered throughout the site to encourage entrants to have a good look at the whole website and learn more about the business. In order to be sent the link to the hidden page, entrants had to follow one of the Handle Twitter accounts. They were then sent the unique website link to enter the competition.

The competition ran for two weeks, by which point the number of followers across the eight Twitter accounts had increased by over 800. Furthermore, the number of candidates that registered for jobs during the competition and in the following two weeks increased by 20%.

What they say

“We knew we had to increase our social media following but were unsure how to go about this. Once we had decided on what sort of prizes we would give away, BlueSky handled all aspects of the competition and came up with some great ideas. Following the competition, we have maintained our high Twitter following and have noticed a significant increase in candidates approaching us about opportunities. ”

Gill Bell, HR Director of Handle. 

Now don’t get me wrong – I am a huge fan of social media and you’ll regularly find me tweeting away, ‘working’ LinkedIn and checking in on Foursquare.  But just recently I have begun to think about all the ‘noise’ and how incredibly disciplined you have to be. If I log onto Twitter, there are so many genuinely interesting articles/links that people are sharing that are relevant to my world that I could spend literally all day reading them.  I get weekly LinkedIn group updates in my in box – sometimes I just have to grit my teeth and ignore them – and then stress in case I have missed anything  important. And, because we are in the PR business and need to keep abreast of all new developments, I have also been playing around with Google +. 

So now I have the drumming back inside my head – what have I missed, what have I missed, what have I missed.

I think it’s time to go and have a drink and try to forget. But obviously I’ll check in on Foursquare in case you want to join me

However, I have heard a lot of people talking about how we should celebrate the fact that  ’people power’ and public opinion closed a newspaper.  In fact on Friday’s edition of Newsnight, the founder of Mumsnet said; ” we saw what social media can do…when individual people decide to take direct action…ordinary people on Facebook, on Twitter, on Mumsnet have made a difference.

Errr…I don’t think so

Come on now folks,  lets’ not kid ourselves that it was ‘people power’ that closed this newspaper. As Will Self said on Newsnight it was ‘the people’ that bought the paper year in year out because of their ”ubiquitous appetite for what the gutter press have peddled.” 

It was, in my opinion,  a carefully orchestrated move by the Murdoch empire to try and ensure that the Government had no grounds to refer NewsCorp’s bid for BSkyB to the OFT.  In fact in an article in the Guardian back on 30th June: News International facing job losses , it was reported that Rebekah Brooks had sent an e-mail to staff saying: ”Let me be absolutely clear: there are tough decisions coming. Costs will need to be cut and savings made in overheads and personnel… and that “a seven-day operation will be a reality in some common areas.” Additionally, the article stated  that earlier that week: “News International announced there would be a single managing editor for the Times and Sunday Times, and another for the Sun and News of the World, in an indication that the daily and Sunday titles are preparing to pool some editorial resources in a move to a seven day operation in some areas. Previously each of the four titles had a dedicated managing editor.”

Then there was the regsitration of the sunonsunday.co.uk on 5th July – which News International have taken ownership of today.

And while the bid has indeed now been referred – how long before Newscorp no longer owns News International? We shall see.

A celebration of people power? Don’t make me laugh.  A lot of ordinary people lost their jobs last week because of a few bad apples. Rebekah Brooks still has hers. Not much to celebrate there.

Technology has brought us all closer together.  Social networks have provided platforms making it easy to connect with long-lost friends and family, new friends, business colleagues and other people who have similar interests, aspirations and goals. They have also become crucial in job search and career management.   

However good etiquette is still essential. Its infuriating when you get inundated with asks and requests from people you don’t even know.  A simple please and thank you also goes a long way. Social media mimics real relationships. Would you do the following within real face-to-face relationships?

• Jump on the friendship bandwagon without properly introducing yourself?
• Consistently talk about yourself and promote only yourself without regard for those around you?
• Randomly approach a friend you barely talk to and simply ask for favours — repeatedly?

In order to manage and maintain online relationships there is certain etiquette that needs to be followed!

1. Typically only connect with people you know and who know you. 
2. If you are on a professional social network such as LinkedIn and you want to connect with someone you have not met, ask for a referral from someone you know who does have a connection.  Explain your rationale for wanting to link and don’t forget to offer to reciprocate.  
3. Connect.  If you know the person and have had positive interaction, your decision is easy. The larger your personal network of people on sites such as LinkedIn, the better equipped you will be in your business or in a job search. 
4. Unlike traditional face to face networking, your ability to write including grammar matters. It’s shocking how often this element is overlooked.
5. Humanise your profile. Social networking is also about real relationships. Let people know who you are and add an avatar and a bio to your profiles on twitter and LinkedIn.
6. Be honest and respond.  If you’re not interested let them know (in a friendly way).
7. Add value to the site- At the end of the day, the thing that will earn you great connections with others is if you add value to the community. This means not submitting content that nobody cares about and not constantly promoting your brand on networks such as Facebook and twitter.
8. Think about the consequences of your actions. When commenting on Facebook or writing blog posts, you’re leaving your digital signature. Racial slurs, criticisms without warrant, and blatant abuse don’t work in real life, and they really have no place in the social media world.
9. Consider how your comments would be perceived before you actually post them, and think about logic above emotion at all times. Once it’s in the public domain you can’t take it back. It may even be used against you when looking for future jobs.

All of these points add up to one thing—just be nice. Call me old-fashioned if you like, but there’s nothing wrong with being nice to others online.

I had the pleasure of being one of the guests at  Jobsite’s Fresh Thinking event on Wednesday. I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I see myself as fairly social media savvy and so wasn’t sure that I would learn anything new. What I forgot was that sometimes you may not learn anything  new – but you  learn how the apply the things that you do know in a different way – and Scott Stratten  certainly did that for me.  Some of the takeaways for me were:

People spread awesome not average: Which made me think about  the blogging schedule we have in our own organisation – and how I berate  people when they don’t blog – or tell me that they don’t know what to blog about!  And that by doing that I may be actually stopping the spread of our content. Slapped wrist for me! 

We can be dismissive:   New things are coming onto the market all the time – some will look like a pile of crap ( as Scott pointed out  the company that created Farmville has just been valued at $8 billion.)  The point he made is that if  it is consumed then it’s worth looking at just to investigate whether it can be of any use in terms of your clients. And crucially – you have to be where your customers are.  You may hate Facebook – but it depends who you are trying to reach!

Twitter is an entrepreneurial water cooler ( I just liked that qote)

Don’t be an app tart – give options – people may not want to go through an app!

Scott has delegated everything in his business except making relationships – I’d like to get to that!

I’m now reading his book – and I’m hooked !

Next up was Amanda Hite  who talked  about the importance of realising that brands don’t own communities  they need to be part of them – and they may need to join different communities depending on what their objectives are. And one of the big takeaways for me was her take on the whole ‘time’ issue. Yes – social media takes an investment of time – but it can also save so much time and give you what Amanda calls “Superpowers.” You can get advice within minutes, you can connect with someone within seconds – you can carry all your business contacts around with you in your pocket – and talk to them whenever you want.

She also made me think about how brands should be using social media to find out what their communities want from them – and letting the communities drive the communication. And what of research? There are focus groups on line all the time so use them.  Amanda gave the example of an organisation that had spent an enormous amount of money on an employee enagement survey, the results of which could be pretty much replicated by looking at social media profiles! Food for thought!

Another great point that she made was that when organisations ban their employees from using social media then they are only sliencing the people that will says great things about them.  The people that are going to diss you will do it anyway!

But the real takeaway – and one that will stay with me for a long time is when she began talking about how we can change lives using social media - from multinational communities raising funds for Japan to a community in Alabama using Facebook for lost and found items after a bout of tornadoes.  Communicating with thousands of people across the world at the same time is something we just can’t do offline. So Amanda thank you for making me think about building our social capital by doing something good!

Oh and  the breakfast pastries and  lunch were both fab