Building my list has been a significant factor in the growth of my business and yet every month I meet hundreds of entrepreneurs and marketing leaders who have not yet started to automate their lead generation. In fact my informal research at all of my live events where I am talking about marketing, digital marketing and social media has shown me that more than 90 percent of businesses are not building and nurturing their database.

A couple of years ago I hosted a very successful list building programme, but since then a number of key things have changed. These changes are so important that I have decided to host a FREE webinar sharing tips about building a qualified list.

What would be the impact to you if you received new qualified leads joining your data base of prospects every day?

If you are looking for ways to ensure you are automating your lead generation, then you will not want to missing this FREE Webinar where we will be covering 4 keys to automate your lead generation.

You can join me on Tuesday 31 August 2010 at 6pm for 60 minutes (1pm ET) – I will be covering:

1.  How to get your list growing now – especially for those of you who have new businesses and don’t yet have a website (hint: I have done this with new businesses before they were even ready to launch their new product or service)

2. The biggest mistake most business leaders make when starting to think about developing their list

3.  Two of the most effective ways I have found to boost the growth of my list (hint: I am not talking about buying a list, and you will be surprised when you learn that one of the ways is offline even though I teach digital marketing and social media marketing)

4.  Essential tools to help you put your list building on auto pilot

5.  Details about my BRAND NEW four-part list building programme that I will be delivering by this September.

So if you want to start or tune up your lead generation and build a qualified list of customers to help you grow your business I do hope you will join me for this FREE webinar.

And make sure that you join me LIVE as i will be making a very special announcement on the webinar that you will not want to miss if lead generation and list building is a priority to you in the last quarter of the year.

Well they have just launched a two-year campaign, Spots v. Stripes – it’s an integrated campaign across TV, print, digital and social media encouraging the UK population to side with the Spots or the Stripe team. You can then take part in silly games – both in the virtual and in the real world – then logon to the site and claim your points.

You can find the campaign on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook where there are two Facebook Pages – one for the Stripes supporters and one for the Spots supporters (who currently have more fans!).

Spots v Stripes will be on tour to take games to everyone and help bring them together in the spirit of play. the website comments:

Our games crew of 2000 Spots and Stripes will be out playing games for free, here, there and everywhere. They’ll be getting people to play together in universities and colleges, at summer fệtes, festivals, community centres and with disadvantaged and harder to reach groups of people.

But that’s not all. In August and September we’re making whole cities stop to play with big game events in Glasgow, Leeds, London, Birmingham and Dublin. They’re free too and give everyone a chance to play some crazy games, like custard cricket, and have some good old-fashioned fun!

The dates for the live events for all but Dublin are listed on their Facebook Pages.

Interesting that Cadbury have invested in a 2 year campaign – they were previously a sponsor of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games – and good to know that chocolate and sports go well together!

Who would you support? Go on pick your team!

And marketing managers take note of Cadbury’s YouTube channel where they have made their video’s available to embed so that people can use them on their websites and blogs – I still see lots of brands reluctant to make available digital assets. Remember that if you make your content available more people will help spread your message through word of mouse!

I was a very infrequent viewer of The Afternoon Show but I do recall when they came back on air after the Summer break in 2009 that they were one of the first shows in Ireland to encourage users to join the on Facebook or Twitter – alongside advising people to text and email the show.

Programmes, be that TV ones or marketing programmes, come to an end – and unfortunately that also is the case with some organisations if they close or merge.

But what does that mean in terms of your footprint on social media?

Ghost Whisperer a US TV on CBS and syndicated across the globe show came to an end in May. The last date of them posting to their Wall was 24 May 2010. However people are still posting content to the page though no moderation or responses are being made by someone managing the Facebook Page.

Turning to The Afternoon Show, their last update on Twitter was 5 May 2010 and their last update on Facebook was on the 21 May 2010 where they said ‘ Thanks to everyone for watching The Afternoon Show. We have now finished for the summer break and hope to be back with you in September. In the meantime, have a wonderful summer, and we’ll see you in September!’.

They have 3500 members of their Facebook community some of whom have posted content up to this week – but it looks as though no moderation or responses have been made since the last update.

I am noticing a number of Facebook Pages for brands, products and services that are left ‘abandoned’, Twitter profiles that become covered in cobwebs or business blogs that have faded out. I know I need to go to back to some of my own digital real estate and do some tidying up or closing down of profiles or accounts as project and programmes come to an end.

So what should you do if your programme or campaign does come to an end or natural close and you have integrated a social media programme? Here are a few thoughts:

1. Plan for the end at the start – if you are developing a social media programme for your product and service consider what will happen at the end of the programme or campaign. Will you delete the account or who will nurture and look after it in the longer term?

2. Manage expectations of your community – whether you be taking a break for the Summer recess as The Afternoon Show did, make sure you communicate what is happening

3. Celebrate the ending – just as you have a leaving party when you move from one job to another to mark a transition consider doing that with your updates on your social media profiles. Perhaps direct people where you want them to go next. And take time to thank people who joined you and your community on the journey.

Investing time in developing a community online takes time, patience and a little whole lot of passion (if not love). ‘Breaking up is hard to do’ as the song says.

How would you recommend managing the end of a programme when using social media? Would you leave the community live or close it down? What great case studies and examples have you noticed?

And in case you can not remember the song (written back in 1962) here is Neil Sedaka singing the classic (check out also THIS LINK to a video for a great old version of the song on YouTube – it’s not permitted to be aired off YouTube).

Are you a business in Europe using Google Ads to build visibility about your products and services or to drive traffic to your website?

Then you are going to find the announcement this week made by Google of interest.

Google have just announced that they are changing their policy to allow European advertisers to buy and include keywords in your Google Ads that have been trademarked by other companies.

This change comes into effect on 14 September 2010 and extends changes that were made in  Britain and Ireland in 2008 – though this has been possible in the US since 2004.

Up until now, brand owners have been able to file a trademark complaint with Google to stop third-party ads from being featured alongside the results of a trademarked name.

The New York Times reports that “brand owners, led by the French luxury goods company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, had argued that only they or authorised sites should be able to buy and use such trademarked terms in searches, so as to protect their brand value.”

It goes on to comment that “Google argues that selling brand names as ad keywords to multiple bidders helps consumers because it allows them to find product reviews, sellers of second-hand goods and other information. It stressed that the new policy would not extend to the actual display text in search findings.”

This is clearly a good move for Google and will boost their revenues for Google AdWords. I am wondering however what the impact of Facebook advertising being highly targeted and the growth of people using Facebook has been to Google. Have you moved some of your online advertising from Google to Facebook in the last year?

Photo credit – The Truth About on Flickr

Do you know what influences your customers to buy online?

A recent Econsultancy report noted that in the US more than half (55%) of consumers report that a product with a high rating will increase their likelihood of purchasing. While in the UK three-quarters (75%) of people aged 18-26 years of age use recommendations on social sites to help them research products prior to purchase.

Last year I had the opportunity to interview Conor O’Neill the Founder of LouderVoice.com a service which enables you to cost effectively add powerful reviews and customer feedback to your site in under five minutes, or use their custom API for even greater control and flexibility.

You can listen to the content rich replay of the podcast here – get ready to take notes (it’s one of my longest podcasts but definitely worth listening to if you are interested in this subject area) as Conor goes in depth in terms of the background research in relation the importance of online reviews in impacting buying behaviour and best practice tips for integrating online reviews into your customer management.

LouderVoice is celebrating it’s third birthday and they have generously offered me the opportunity to give access to someone access to 12 months use of their standard package.

So if you have been considering adding a ratings and review service for your customers on your website or blog, you could be the lucky person who get’s access to this thanks to LouderVoice.

But what do their customers say about working with them?

I reached out to LouderVoice customer Puddleducks, an award winning online retailer who specialise in wet weather clothing for all the family. I asked them what the top three benefits of enabling LouderVoice on their website. Here is what Aedan Ryan their Co-Founder had to say:

1. Greater customer engagement: LouderVoice reviews have allowed us to build on our Word of Mouth referrals and receive honest reviews directly from customers on our website. Reviews can be added directly on each of our product pages and can also be added as a general review of our customer service.

2. Increased sales conversions: Research has shown that potential customers value consumer reviews when making a purchasing decision and we have found that sales conversions have increased due to the integration of LouderVoice reviews on our site.

3. Added SEO benefits: The content on the site is regularly changing with customers adding new reviews. The reviews are also fed to the LouderVoice consumer website which provide powerful inbound links back to the PuddleDucks website.

So if you are interested in the LouderVoice service here is how you can be in with a chance to access their standard service for 12 months at no cost.

HOW TO WIN ACCESS TO A YEAR OF ACCESS TO THE LOUDERVOICE STANDARD SERVICE

If you would like to win access to the service just tell me in the comments below in 150 words or less why you are interested in adding reviews to your website or business blog.

To qualify you can be a business anywhere in the world but you must already be trading online and have a business blog as – one request is that you write a blog post about your experience of the LouderVoice service within 90 days of having access to the standard package. (I am requesting this not LouderVoice). You should also not be using a service link LouderVoice at this time – I want this to be an opportunity for someone who has been considering using online ratings to their website to have the opportunity.

No cash alternative will be available and if you would like to trade up to a premium level of service from LouderVoice should you win, you will be responsible for the additional fee,

You will also be required to work with LouderVoice to get this set up on your website or blog by the end of August 2010.

Go ahead – over to you – just leave your comments below. Entries to be in by midnight Ireland/UK time on Friday 5 August 2010.

In the last 24 hours Facebook has been rolling out it’s ‘Questions’ functionality – you will see it on the left hand side of your Home Page or at the top of your Profile or Business Page.

the Answers and Questions feature of Linkedin have been a great way to build online visibility and be a source of lead generation for a number of years. This move by Facebook is another example of them looking to have people spend more time in their company and become a source for information and research about questions we have.

One of the most powerful features is that you can post a reply to a Question as the name of your ‘Facebook Page’ – unlike when you comment on a Facebook Profile or Facebook Page.

Here is a quick video review of the Facebook Questions feature which I published today over on my Biz Growth Media Facebook Page.

You can also ‘follow questions’ and edit the answers to the questions that you respond to.

However one potential disadvantage is that when people click on the links to the questions you ask using the ‘Questions’ feature it will take people away from your Facebook Page.

If you are monitoring your online reputation on Facebook it will be important for you to start to listen to the questions being asked and answered.

When you post an answer or a question it will be seen by the whole of the Facebook community irrespective of your Facebook Profile privacy settings – so be careful what and how you ask and answer questions.

More details about Facebook Questions are here on the Facebook blog.

Remember the novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams where the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything was 42 – perhaps Mark Zuckerberg is looking for that book to be re-written – and the answer now being Facebook.

What are your thoughts about Facebook Questions?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Access my FREE Facebook webinars about using Facebook Pages and Facebook Advertising

Access my guide to Facebook Pages best practice guide for colleges and universities

Perhaps Facebook not where your potential clients are networking online? If they are using LinkedIn you might want to access my FREE LinkedIn for business – make sure that you leave a valid email address so that you can access a discount off my forthcoming 4 week programme starting the 9 August 2010 called “LinkedIn for Business Leads and Profits”. The discount is valid until the 31 July 2010.

comScore, Inc. has today released a global report how women interact with the web called, “Women on the Web: How Women are Shaping the Internet” – it’s an extensive analysis of how women are are interacting online across social networks, online video, mobile communications, online retail trends and a number of other key areas.

The report comments that social networking sites reach a higher percentage of women than men globally, with 75.8 percent of all women online visiting a social networking site in May 2010 versus 69.7 percent of men.

Here are a few conclusions I drew from the comScore report.

1. Don’t just look to connect and reach women on women’s magazines, celebrity gossip and baby sites – the report comments that “women are more engaged than men on the Internet -you just have to know where to look”. Think beyond the obvious suspects when looking for online communities where you can reach the female consumer.

2. If you want to connect with women you need to understand how they interact in social networks – the report states “social networking is central to women’s Internet experience”. Women of all ages connect on social networks sharing photo’s, playing games, and watching online video. Globally, women spent an average of 16.3 percent of their online time on social networks in April 2010, compared to only 11.7 percent for the men.

3. Women in the US control the cash – more women than men get engaged with online transactions and collectively spend more.What does this mean then when it comes to the tone and content of your online marketing?

4. Act global but understand local influences – we need to deep our understanding of regional and cultural differences impact in Internet behaviour. The report goes into some depth about differences they have found across the globe.

5. Stop making the excuse that Social Networking is only relevant if you are marketing to a youth audience -  the 45+ female segment is driving the greatest proportion of growth for Social Networking sites, in terms of both visitation and time spent. Yes the 15-24 may use these sites more frequently and use them more however the 45+ age group visit and use Social Networking sites just as much as the 25-34 and 35-44 age groups.In fact older women are using Social Networks significantly more than men do. In North America, with 9 out of 10 female Internet users visiting a social network site in April 2010.

6. Men and Women use Twitter differently – the report comments that in an April 2010 comScore survey, men were found to be more likely to post their own Tweets than women; women on the other hand used Twitter more to find deals and promotions, as a place for conversing online and to follow celebrities.How does that change your content strategy for Twitter?

What other research and insights have you found about how female consumers use the web and how is it influencing your online marketing, PR and communications? What other insights did you glean from the comScore report?

Here are three new resources from Facebook that I think you will find of interest:

1. A new Page about Facebook Safety to provide you with updates and information to keep you and your family safe while using Facebook or surfing on the Internet. This compliments the Facebook Security Page.

2. A Facebook Page for PR professionals where the Facebook team share what they have learned about creating social content, promoting events, optimising Pages, and integrating with tools off of Facebook – it looks as though this will be a great resource for PR an marketing people alike. Check out the hour long video recording of a live event held last week at Facebook HQ in the US with information about using Facebook advertising and live streaming

3. A Facebook Page for the Media where they are providing guidance and tips for media outlets  in terms of best practices and tools to drive referral traffic and increase engagement on your site. They are recommending all journalists should have a Facebook Page, and provide tips about running events, adding Facebook social plugins and how to use Facebook search to monitor conversations.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Access my FREE Facebook webinars about using Facebook Pages and Facebook Advertising

Access my guide to Facebook Pages best practice guide for colleges and universities

Perhaps Facebook not where your potential clients are networking online? If they are using LinkedIn you might want to access my FREE LinkedIn for business – make sure that you leave a valid email address so that you can access a discount off my forthcoming 4 week programme starting the 9 August 2010 called “LinkedIn for Business Leads and Profits”. The discount is valid until the 31 July 2010.

I recently noticed a post from Jeremiah Owyang asking the readers of his blog for their input on Facebook marketing best practice.

Here is the feedback I shared:

1. Understand the online habits of your community – identify when your community are online so that you can time your Facebook update so that it has a chance to appear when they log on in their feed on their home page without too much scrolling. This simple online visibility tip could increase the possibility of them engaging with your update

2. Manage the frequency of posting – Take care not to publish content too frequently to your Facebook Page – if all people can see on their Facebook home page feed is your updates not their friends they may ‘unlike’ your Facebook Page or hide your feed

3. Don’t forget to promote your Page – When starting a Facebook Page we have found that also investing in engagement ads (on the home page of Facebook) has assisted in increasing the visibility and number of people joining your community quickly

4. Post relevant refreshing content – Keep your competitions relevant to the community on your Facebook Page. This may seem obvious but it is often overlooked. Your competition does not have to be for something that has an expensive price tag – but it is something valued by your community. Note – if you are hosting a competition or give way, make sure you comply with the guidelines for promotions and competitions (there are many brands who don’t and risk their Facebook Page being deleted)

5. Make it easy to do business with your app – When adding applications make sure you test it for useability – too many clicks as part of the process and people won’t add your application and if it’s not easy to use and does not add value (or fun) to them your Facebook app will remain a secret.

But what ideas would you add?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Access my FREE Facebook webinar about using Facebook Pages

Access my FREE Facebook webinar about Facebook Advertising

Access my guide to Facebook Pages best practice guide for colleges and universities

Perhaps Facebook not where your potential clients are networking online? If they are using LinkedIn you might want to access my FREE LinkedIn for business – make sure that you leave a valid email address so that you can access a discount off my forthcoming 4 week programme starting the 9 August 2010 called “LinkedIn for Business Leads and Profits”. The discount is valid until the 31 July 2010.

Here are some of the areas I covered:

• How LinkedIn can assist you if you want to be make sure that you are found online for professional expertise
• Tips for optimising your professional LinkedIn profile so that it can attract leads for you
• Guidance on how to develop a network of strategic business contacts
• How to ensure you never lose the important connections you make on LinkedIn
• The most important rule you need to follow when using LinkedIn to represent your personal brand online or offline
• Ways to expand your network to support your personal and professional goals
• Guidance to boost your online visibility and your visibility to your LinkedIn network.

Just head over to the opt in page and leave your name and email address – make sure that you leave a valid email address as there is also a special offer that will be emailed to you – a discount off my forthcoming 4 week programme starting the 9 August 2010 called “LinkedIn for Business Leads and Profits”. The discount is valid until the 31 July 2010.

I have delivered this programme in workshops with clients but this is the first (and possibly only) time I will be delivering the programme online.

I was also recently interviewed on a national radio show about LinkedIn for business and career success – you can listen to the recording here.