Now THAT'S customer service

Recently I've been disappointed in two companies. One of them was because I witnessed false advertising. Like, really false. (It was an online business card printing company.) The other was simple disappointment because the membership was moving from free to paid. (It was a group for mom entrepreneurs.)

What did I do?

Twittered them immediately voicing my concern.

They both got back to me within hours. The mom group, within minutes.

It didn't change the false advertising. It also didn't change the membership regulations.

But it was GREAT customer service.

And that's what it's about.

Social Media Series - Twitter

It's all about Twitter these days. We all knew it wouldn't be long until Hollywood jumped on board and now that they have, well, everyone's all-a-twitter (sorry, couldn't help myself!).

Let's start by following me (@scratchpadsteph). That's what you do on Twitter.

You follow people.

See what they're up to. See where they're going. See where they've been. See what they had for breakfast, and what they're planning for lunch.

Follow people in your line of business. Follow your competition. And then check out who they are following. And so on and so on.

See what they're saying. See what conferences are coming up. See who's attending. See who's speaking. See who's giving away passes. See the latest news in the industry. As it happens.

Because it's all happening. And all in real time.

The people you follow will probably follow you back. That's what Twitter users do. When someone follows them, they follow that person back (most times that is. There is something to being choosy about whom you follow... that's for another post).

So have something to say.

In 140 characters or less.

It's microblogging at it's finest.

You can twitter breaking news (ie: plane in the Hudson).

You can announce a new blog post and link to it.

You can twitter a promotion (Twitter Tuesdays! 20% off first @reply!).

(By the way, @reply is how you respond to someone. @scratchpadsteph is me. If you want to, for example, provide an answer or opinion to something I've tweeted, you start with @scratchpadsteph and it'll get my attention. Actually, you can use @scratchpadsteph anywhere in the tweet and it'll get to me. Everyone else who follows you will see it also though, so if it's something you wish to be kept private, you can send a DM (direct message). See.. there's so much you can do!)

You can twitter a question and get instant feedback, instant answers or opinions - FROM THOSE WHO KNOW! Yes, follow the experts in your field and you'll get expert opinions and direction.

In real time.

It's the place to be. So jump in, participate (send an @reply to things/twitterers that interest you!), and enjoy. But remember, tweet about both professional things AND personal. Throw your personality in there. Personally, if someone is only pushing their latest product and nothing personal or funny , I unfollow immediately. We want to get to know you!

Go to Twitter. Set up an account. Follow me.

I look forward to your tweets!

Social Media Series - The Start

Hold on to your Social Marketing horses!

We're about to start a six-part series on social media and how to get involved. How to use it to build your client base. How to use it to network with like-minded individuals, or the not-so-like-minded individuals.

This series will be for you if:

• You want to start a Facebook business page but are overwhelmed (or just too busy)
• You're hearing the growing buzz about Twitter but don't really get how it can be used professionally
• You'd prefer to network with professionals in the same industry as you but don't quite now how to find where they gather online
• You want to add Social Media Marketing/Management to your own list of services
• You want to add to your client base
• You simply want a quick and easy tutorial into the world of social media.

Over the next three weeks, we will be covering social sites such as Biznik, Facebook, LinkedIn, Ryze, Twitter and the concept of forums and list serves. So add us to your feed/reader below and get ready to get your feet wet in the world of social networking!

How to Pitch. Part Three.

In the first two posts about pitching, I talked about pitching on topic, keeping it simple, playing nice and talking the talk. Below is the final post of the three-part series - pitching your concept, your idea, your product.

1. Keep On Keepin' On! In other words? Don't give up. Ever. This is your business, your baby, you've got to shop it! Work it! Own it! Remember, it's rumoured that JK Rowlings pitched Harry Potter over 100 times before it was finally signed. Consider your product your own personal masterpiece and keep on pitching! Keep On Keepin' On.

2. Network, Network and more... Social Network. Do you follow the key players on Twitter? Do you get urgent queries fast, like, yesterday? Here's someone to follow on Twitter: @skydiver. He's the man in the know. He posts queries three times a day from his HARO list as well as tweeting urgent queries. Get to know him, get to see what he's about. He's got a fantastic system going. (But pitch on topic or he'll throw you off the list! He's quick like that - and serious. It's a good thing.) There's more places to network with reporters and PR folk than Twitter, but if you want news and opportunities in real time, it's a great place to start.

3. Make it personal. How are you different - what can you do differently to grab their attention. To get their interest? I had an opportunity to pitch Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York, at an event earlier this year. What got her interested was the fact that I'm a female with a new start up, heading down the entrepreneurial road. Make sure you know who you're dealing with, what their interests are, and off you go!

This could be a much longer list and an ever growing and ever-changing list. It's just a few ways to approach reporters and potential customers. Talk with other successful entrepreneurs. Network with them, network with PR people. Find out what has worked for others. Do your homework.

And feel free to follow me on Twitter at @scratchpad.

Mind Your Manners

Two words: Thank You.

They go so far and yet are so underused. Do you thank people for taking the time to chat with you? For acknowledging that you may be someone they would like to do business with? Heck, maybe they simply find you interesting and would like to get to know you better. If people are taking time out of their busy day to connect with you, that deserves recognition in itself.

Case in point? Twitter. I follow people because I find them interesting. They may say something absolutely hilarious and I'll dig their humour. They have opinions. Someone recommended them. I have something to learn from them. Or I know them. Either way, I'm following 118 people right now, and only FIVE said "Hey there, thanks for following me".

Only five.

If somebody is taking the time out of their day to acknowledge me, in any way, I'll definitely take time out of my day to say, "Hey, thanks." At a traditional networking event, you DO say, "It was nice to meet you", don't you? Or do you just pass your card and off you go? (I've seen it happen - people have done it to me).

I still see it all the time in online networking circumstances as well. I've recently joined a social networking site based in the UK who "practice" getting to know the members on a more personal level before pitching them your business. I have received message after message as soon as I signed up, with people pitching me. I mean right away. Not one "welcome to the neighbourhood" message, just pitches. And pitches that have absolutely nothing to do with my business.

And when someone comments on your blog? Send a thank you note. When someone follows you on twitter? Send a thank you note. When someone welcomes you to a forum or social networking site? Send a thank you post. Other than being polite, it's a great business move. I've got two clients just by sending a polite Thank You when they followed me on Twitter. It simply started a conversation.

There's absolutely no downside.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read our blog!