I help organisations get the most out of digital (especially social) media by delivering research-based marketing and communications strategies, then managing the ongoing development of my clients’ digital assets and communities.

…and here’s what’s on Offer:

Digital Strategy

Situation Analysis
Communications Plan

Social Media

Online Influencer Relations
Social Networking
Blogging and Microblogging
Forum and Blog Commenting
Monitoring and Alerts

…in detail then:

Situation Analysis

A robust stategy should be built on solid research. According to your project’s needs, I can give you a tailored programme of research to establish where you are and where you should be going. Brand footprint mapping describes your existing reach. Conversation monitoring illustrates what’s being said about you and your industry, by whom, and where. Competitor and best practice insights recommend what’s being done well and what you could do better than Them.

Communications Plan

I keep hearing, “We know we should be doing social media but we’re not sure how best to do it”. Should you? Who knows? I don’t know. I see you having two choices: you can close your eyes, throw your crap at the wall and see what sticks, or you can work from a targeted strategy and prioritised tactics based on objective research. I can point you down the latter path, or the former should still be worthwhile, just don’t take the middle road.

Online Influencer Relations

The PR industry is dead, long live the PR industry. The old PR principle, that promoting your brand or cause can be achieved by persuading influential voices to speak on your behalf, survives in social media. It’s just the tactics that have changed. Online, the new generation of influencers includes bloggers, forum hosts, content publishers, as well as little old you and me. Through tailored, honest, patient PR, genuine and valuable relationships can be achieved and, in turn, the word will start to spread.

Social Networking

What do you mean you’re not on Facebook? Social networking is so fundamental to social media, the two are mistaken by many people as synonyms. The buzz can be misleading. Networks are great for making and maintaining friendships and business relationships – you know, networking – but that doesn’t mean they are appropriate for your needs. You need to work out how you should be interacting with your audience and if you are willing to put in the time managing the relationships you initiate. I can help you answer those questions.

Blogging and Microblogging

Starting a blog or a Twitter account is another popular must-do on the task lists of those without a clear social media plan. Either one could be the ideal medium to elevate you to the position of an expert within your industry niche, or it could be a waste of time. Or worse, bad blogging could denigrate your reputation. It’s important from the start to establish why you would want to blog or publish updates, how often, how you will optimise that content for peer-to-peer distribution, what you will say and, most importantly, what you won’t say.

Forum and Blog Commenting

Brands and agencies have achieved some fabulous disasters in social media by ignoring one simple fact: it’s a two-way thing. They overruled the opportunity to take a fair role in a conversation, stuck the corporate boot in and expected people to listen patiently. To its credit, the social web tends to burn intruders for that kind of behaviour. But that is not to say that business has no place in online discussion. The change is that broadcast mentality is unwelcome there, instead organisations can be heard by offering useful messages in highly relevant conversations, and responding to anyone kind enough to pay attention.

Monitoring and Alerts

As is infeasible in traditional media, the internet can be searched constantly for communications opportunities. Using either free or paid-for tools, you can monitor most of the public conversations and content online, and be alerted to relevant keyword occurrences. The right mix of tools and keywords is the first challenge, then an effective response strategy is needed to make the most of those opportunities to interact with your audience.