Hi Folks!

Another month another topic!

This month I thought it would be good to discuss Social Networks and your Balloon Artistry.

Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Blogs, Youtube, FlickR and there are many more....

They are all good marketing tools.....

How do they work for you? Do you get work from them? Do you even know what they are?


Let the discussion commence....

Danny

Good topic!

I think you're probably right, Danny, that they are all good marketing tools.

My experience is only really with LinkedIn (and a blog on my website). I find LinkedIn is more geared to employees of companies - a kind of 'Professional Friends Reunited' if that makes sense.

It's handy for finding out where people you have worked with previously are now (mostly to either catch up with where they are working, how long they've been there for, or to check if there is maybe some recruitment going on where they are) but I can't really see it being suitable for marketing the sort of short term work most balloon artists are engaged in. It tends to be a history of employment, rather than a showcase for work items, if you know what I mean.

Personally, I probably wouldn't see the benefit of LinkedIn to the balloon community as the best marketing tool of the ones you've listed, but perhaps I'm just not getting it and would be interested to hear if others agree / disagree...

--Neil

I am somewhat dubious about the actual marketing potential these sites have for creative businesses but having said that I am kind of on MySpace & Bebo (although not used them for years) and am certainly on Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook for me is more a social networking facility rather than a business marketing ploy but again I do have a separate page for my business. Back in November I even took out their Ads for my business page and cancelled it yesterday because not one single person had clicked one of my ads to get to my Facebook page!

I suppose the one main benefit for people with things like Facebook that allow you to post up photos is that if you don't have a website (and are unable to do one for yourself) this is a good way of getting your pictures out there to refer potential clients to. I have been doing that of late because my current website is out of date and I have managed to over save the template whilst I was trying something out so until I can build the new one I can't update the old one

I find Facebook works really well for me. I’ve just checked my FB inbox and in the past six months I have 8 messages relating to enquiries. Of those, I’ve taken 3 birthday party bookings and 1 wedding decor. I’ve also sold a few balloon décor deliveries via phone calls from people on FB.

When I first started using it I was picky who I added as a friend, but then I decided to use it mainly as a networking tool and added anyone who asked.

Here’s a tip I use, when I do a party, I often do a search on FB after to see if they are on there, if they are, I request to be there friend with a personal message saying how much I enjoyed the party. I then often get a message on my wall saying thank you and how ‘they’ enjoyed the party. Their friends will then see this and maybe think . . . . ‘Billy Wiz!!! I’ll add him as a friend and enquire about my party’. You never know eh!!!!!!

I’ve also found it a massive help with my charity work, I have a separate page called ‘Billy Wiz’s Make A Smile Appeal’. That has brought in a few donations, a local girl guides group did a fundraising event which came about from someone on this page, I also managed to persuade 24 people (many from this page) to join me for the New Years Day Dip in the sea.

So if used the correct way, I think you can certainly get FB to work for you.

I haven’t tried any of the others so can’t comment on them. Personally, I looked at Twitter and just couldn’t see any benefit in that. I would be interested in how anyone uses this to their benefit though.

I may try getting a personal page as Yvonne Loony-Balloony then because although I have a business page you cannot use it in the same way you can your personal account. Also I would love to keep my personal facebook stuff separate from my business stuff as I seem to have friends who love to post incredibly rude videos on my wall etc and I would hate for a client to see that.

Directly I have got one party from facebook, the great thing about it is people know where to find you, also great networking.
On facebook I would do a fan page as well as your own page as I have found people are happier to join a fan page (which I have just started to market).
Twitter I'm still working on same with Linkedin but they are free and extra tools, also you can set an app that will allow you to update all your social sites in one go.
I'm thinking of advertising dates for gig's that I working at that are open for the public any thoughts

I've been doing that on Facebook but unless I do something like Graeme and hunt down past clients on Facebook most of my friends are colleagues and family / friends and usually live too far away to be bothered!

| went on a course recently of which the subject was Social Media.

Basically the way things are going now social media are a way of targeting micro niches, and connecting with your markets. The people you serve can find out more about you and your company and you can have a very focussed approach to your customers.

There are many free tools out there on the internet to help with this:
Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, Wordpress, Blogger, Youtube, Paypal, Google, Slideshare & there are MANY more.

There was a lot more said in a whole day, too much to put in a post.

I hope this helps,

Danny

Danny

Was it by Nigel Temple?

Fuzz

Hi fuzzy,

no it wasn't Nigel Temple