Every week, for the next 100 weeks I will be going to a new, inspiring location where I will use AudioBoo to record an interview with the accomplished author Joe St Clair. Joe will be describing not only the scenery and the surroundings but also why he chose each unique location to demonstrate a connection with one of the inspiring tips drawn from his best-selling book “100 Tips for Total Life Fulfilment”.

This is part of a comprehensive social media experiment in which I choose to combine the strengths of different Social Networking sites, each offering specific benefits and reaching entirely different audiences, namely AudioBoo, Flickr, SuperBlog, FaceBook and Twitter, the resulting AudioBoo interviews being published to iTunes. The final icing on the cake is the heavy use of the Apture plugin that brings all of the background information that’s available across the internet together on the page, allowing the user to explore the content in far greater depth while listening to the AudioBoo tips.

My goal

My goal is to bring out the best of these sites to create a feature-rich and far reaching social networking campaign designed for anyone who would like to join us on our journey of inspiration. Putting this experiment together has been a privilege and a joy for Joe and I and we hope our followers will find that it enriches and improves their lives as much as it has done for us.

You can follow us on our journey through these links:

Here’s a video of what we’re up to, after you’ve watched it please continue reading below about how I came up with this comprehensive social media strategy and how it’s being implemented.

Choosing the right medium is critical

As a result of the research I’ve been doing into Social Media over the last two years it was apparent that different people consume their information in many different ways, and the medium we use to deliver that information is critical if we want it to reach as many people as possible. Some like their information to be presented very formally, others informally. Some like reading on the screen, others like printing it out on paper, or even buying the book. Some like to watch, or have the freedom to explore, or download to their iPod / iPhone / MP3 player so they can consume the information at their leisure and listen to it when it is convenient for them.

I decided to build a fully integrated social media campaign that covers all of those areas, and I wanted to create something that would not only be simple to maintain with the minimum of effort, but would allow us to deliver this incredibly rich content in a way that would satisfy the interests and needs of all of our followers.

Documenting our progress

It’s early days yet for me to be able to say whether this approach will be a success or not, but I’ll be charting my findings on this blog where I’ll be regularly posting updates as we progress through the project. In particular look out for my next post where I’ll describe in a little more detail how I put this whole social media project together, and where I’ll also give you an insight to the decision making process I went through for selecting the technology we used in the field, and how I decided on the specific social networking sites we picked for broadcasting our campaign.

Join in and take part

It’s all free, so why not follow the journey yourself using the link below, and we’d appreciate you telling your friends too so please use the re-tweet buttons to regularly to tell them, and let’s see if we can get them on board too: http://tiptours.co.uk/

I welcome any thoughts or suggestions you may have. Do you think I’ve I got this right, am I missing an opportunity, do you think it’s overkill, or am I wasting my time? Please let me know with your comment below.

The media loves a good story, particularly when comparing what is ‘currently ‘hot’ and what is ‘not’. Take the phenomenon of social networking for example. First it was ‘Facebook’ and ‘MySpace’ that was hot news and then it was ‘YouTube’ followed by hordes of others. Now it is the simple concept of ‘Twitter’ that is suddenly everywhere. Such is the media frenzy about Twitter that recently we have started seeing reports that ‘blogging is dead’. Apparently, we all now prefer ‘tweeting’ instead.

Blogging growing faster than twitter.

The reality of course is that the true facts are getting lost amid the media hype. Yes, social networking is now de rigueur for the aspiring business or business professional but blogging is seeing a new renaissance as individuals and businesses wake up to the potential of a good well thought out blog message. Blogging platforms such as Killer SEO SuperBlogs and WordPress is thriving, and WordPress in particular is reportedly growing even faster than Twitter. The popular media are still keen to shout about the amazing success of Twitter but few commentators mentioned that Twitter’s growth rate has slowed significantly in recent months.

Large corporations are waking up to Social Media.

Whether you are a Twitter or a blogging aficionado, or both, you are in good company. All of a sudden, after a long period of burying heads in sand, large corporations are starting to wake up and see the light. Big business is blogging and twittering like never before, suddenly realising that social networking has moved out of teenage bedrooms and into the mainstream.

Abandoning traditional marketing in favour of on-line social media media marketing.

Take Coca-Cola for example. Always innovative (remember the 1970’s anthem about teaching the world to drink Coca-Cola?) the company has always been prepared to be creative, forward thinking and professional in its approach to promoting its products. And now Coke has embraced the age of social media and rewritten the rule book. Coca-Cola is now dropping traditional websites in favour of using social networking sites to promote its brands. Unbelievably, this giant in the world of advertising is scrapping ordinary campaign websites and instead focusing entirely on social media.

And Coke is not alone. The global food and household products giant, Unilever, has also woken up to the social media revolution. In other words, two of the world’s biggest businesses, with some of the most creative and forward-thinking people in their marketing teams, have realised that if they want to attract people to their products then they need to go where the people are – rather than trying to get those people to visit them.

So the message is clear, you can sit like King Canute and tell the relentless waves to stop and go back to the comfort zone of traditional advertising, but you will drown.

Or you can jump on the surfboard of social media and ride the wave into the hearts and minds of those you need to connect to, and outshine your competitors, the choice is yours. Maybe you have a different view, if so tell in the comments below.

Yes we have all heard about mind mapping. It’s those funny squiggly lines and pictures that we draw in order to remember things right? Cute child-like drawings that are meant to trigger our memory because they branch like natural objects whether branches of a tree or the inner workings of our brains. This isn’t a lecture on mind mapping though; you can find out everything you know by contacting the leading thinkers in this field like Barry Mapp or Tony Buzan. I’ve been using mind maps for years to plan projects, remember speeches, link ideas or answer exam questions. And once you’ve grasped how to do it then it becomes a tool that can be used and developed over and over again in all different situations.

Mind mapping iPhone App – iBlueSky

I use the iBlueSky mind mapping software for the iPhone by Tenero Software, pictured above. I find it really useful to develop and organise new ideas in front of my clients, and when we’re done, I simply send them a PNG or PDF of the finished mind map by email straight from my iPhone, there and then, with no fuss. iBlueSky even imports and exports in Novamind, OPML and Freemind formats which makes it really flexible and a great tool to work with.

The thing is, mind mapping as a technique really does work. Not only that but it starts opening up our minds to other possibilities. We all have some sort of skills, whether they be professional skills or hobby based and they are skills that we have learned that make us stand out from others. So why not use mind mapping techniques to show people what we have to offer? Yes, mind mapping can be a great business tool or memory jogger but it is also something more. It can also be a tool to ‘sell’ yourself in a fun, engaging and innovative way. Why not use the mind map concept to create the mind map of your business or to demonstrate your product or service? It will surely beat the hell out of a stale PowerPoint presentation and will help build a more ‘natural’ rapport with your audience.

Mind mapping “social media marketing” example

Here is a brilliant example of “broadcasting your expertise” which was created by Barry Mapp (one of our SuperBlog Subscribers – See his SuperBlog here>>) who actually created a mind map for his corporate Christmas Greeting card, which I thought was pure genius! It’s ideas like this that lend themselves well to social media marketing campaigns as ideas like this are shared, creating their own word-of-mouth, raising awareness of what you do, and giving your followers the opportunity to talk about you and what you do.

That’s what I like about mind maps. It’s not just about using a fun, creative technique to trigger ideas and associations. It’s also fun because it embraces real tangible ideas within a picture of childlike simplicity and innocence. Our eyes feast on the colours and the scribbled drawings and our minds feast on the links and the ideas. We relate to mind maps because we understand them – and like any great communication tool it’s the simple ideas that sell the best.

Your mind mapping feedback

What are your experiences, are you using mind maps, or have you seen them being used in an inventive way? If so, please share them with us here.

Yes – it’s that time of year again when our minds turn to Christmas presents because despite the doom and gloom of the recession we still like to dig deep to give our loved one’s a nice present on Christmas morning. It’s no different for Gordon Brown of course, except he has to dig a little deeper than the rest of us. The banks will want some money to pay for their Christmas bonuses and the Army would like some more helicopters, the hospitals could always do with a little extra at Christmas, particularly if Jordan needs another boob job, and the police could always do with a few more festive speed cameras. Sorry Gordon – it’s time to get the cheque book out again!

Hold on a minute though…maybe that’s not such a good idea…

What if the cheque bounces?

Yes, it’s a little embarrassing, but then it won’t be the first time our beloved PM has had one of his cheques bounced! And if you check on Twitter, FaceBook, and trawl the blogosphere you will find that news about our dear Gordon’s bounced cheque is already winging its way around cyberspace – such is the power of social networking!

Bid for Gordon’s bounced cheque

You can even make a bid for the original cheque and accompanying letter from the bank which is now for sale on eBay, which might make a great Christmas present for someone!

So before you start writing those big cheques Gordon it’s best to check you’ve still got the funds in your account first. A bounced cheque from the PM might be bad news for the economy but isn’t it reassuring to know that our wonderful banking institutions still have the balls to return a bad cheque regardless of who wrote it?

Know what? I reckon the banks should get a bonus for getting something right for a change…and for bringing us a little festive cheer!

Anyway, I can lend you a fiver Gordon if you’re really stuck!
Or maybe our readers would like to give Gordon some suggestions in the comments below…

In August I was invited by Paul Sage of Click4Causes to give a presentation in Milton Keynes to demonstrate the power of Social Media and Social Networking, and how these could be used to engage with their audiences to raise awareness of, and increase contributions to their causes.

Paul Sage began the seminar with some very sound advice on the importance of choosing the right words to ensure our messages elicit the desired response. In Pauls words:

Gone are the days when we sell AT people. The time has come for us to engage with our audience on a more personal level. The tools that will allow us to do that are now here, and these are called Social Media and they enable us to build powerful Social Networks. Using this new medium we have to be careful, and pay particular attention to how we engage with people. We need to choose our words very carefully and we must construct our messages so that we appeal directly to our audiences hearts and minds.

To conclude his presentation and to emphasise his message Paul then played the following short film which was voted #1 for the special award at the Cannes 2008 Film Festival:

I think you will agree, this video demonstrates perfectly how the choice of words can make all the difference, and the message it gives certainly stirs the emotions. Having to follow such a moving film (while I sill had a lump in my throat) was not an easy task!

How to Use Social Networking to Revolutionise Fundraising

My presentation is designed to enable even the most non-technical people to use Social Networks like Twitter and FaceBook to get more business, more fans, more funds or more awareness for their company, group or organisation. The section on how to Listen, Fish and Establish Trust prompted the most questions and quickly explained how a huge number of people all over the world can be engaged in conversations and subtly led to take action in a very short period of time. Its going to be exciting to see how the representatives of the charities who were at the presentation start to use these techniques to revolutionise their fundraising strategies.

The JK Wedding Dance Entrance Video

I concluded my presentation by explaining the story behind the JK Wedding Dance Entrance phenonomon and how it spread across the internet. In only six weeks the video was viewed over 21 million times on YouTube (exceeding the entire US Network TV output combined during the same period!) It’s all due to its sheer creativity, and the insatiable hunger of an internet audience searching for fun and inventiveness. The video has now managed to raise over $15,000 for the Sheila Wellstone Institute, and the figures are rising every day – To whoever said “Social Networking doesn’t work” – here’s proof it does!

Many aren’t aware of the full details of the story behind this, but essentially Jill and Kevin wanted to make this video as a celebration of their marriage. Unfortunately it appears they hadn’t quite realised the huge backlash their video would cause from the online social community. Their post on YouTube received some pretty vitriolic comments highlighting the fact that the music they’d chosen was performed by Chris Brown – who is currently on trial for assault after beating up his wife Rhianna – and certainly not something to be used to celebrate a marriage!

Jill and Kevins response to this was to set up a web page specifically to raise money for the Sheila Wellstone Institute. Sheila Wellstone was an advocate, organiser, and national champion in the effort to end domestic violence in our communities. The result of setting up their donation website was phenominal and at the time of this article have managed to raise over $15,000 for the Sheila Wellstone Institute. You can view their website and make your donation here>>

Using the medium

Any organisation that wants to engage hearts and minds needs to be using this medium – it gets straight to individuals on a scale never possible until now and will have a huge impact on how the charity weary public are re-engaged with the work that is being done and how they are motivated and inspired to get involved.” For those who haven’t seen the video yet, here it is – Watch it, make your donation at The Sheila Wellstone Institute, and then tell all your friends about it – That’s exactly how Social Networking works!

The Midnight Moo

My presentation was followed by the amazing Lincoln Bedeau of ASKMK.net who gave an excellent talk about the recent development of ASKMK.net, a YouTube style website for promoting products, businesses and events. The main feature in his presentation was The Midnight Moo which is now to become an annual event in Milton Keynes. For my non UK readers who don’t know, cows are very special in the hearts of the Milton Keynes community, (click here to find out why – you can even see them on Google Maps HERE! ) The Midnight Moo 2009 was the first event of its kind for Milton Keynes and was held at Midsummer Place to raise vital funding for Willen Hospice. Melanie Harriss (Marketing Manager) of www.midnightmoo.com was in the audience and shared her insights into how ASKMK.net assisted with promoting the event. On the 18th July the MK Midnight Moo, a ladies only 10 mile midnight walk, took place around Milton Keynes and raised over £100,000 for Willen Hospice . Their herd of 1000 udderly fantastic ladies pounded 10 miles of Milton Keynes redways, pledging pounds to support patients and families being cared for by the staff at Willen Hospice.

Here’s Lincolns video of the event – it was huge!

We were told how part of the MK Midnight Moo’s success was due to the moovellous herd helpers that supported them. Over 150 volunteers came together, working all hours, some of them all night to support the event; cowpleting a range of essential tasks from manning water stops, arranging registrations to marshalling the route. The local community also came together to help make the first MK Midnight Moo a memorable night by donating their services, time and funds.

This was a brilliant story, and Lincoln demonstrated how their new Social Networking site askMK.net now includes all of the latest capabilities for promoting events such as this through the use of online social media and social networks. Lincoln is a great character who’s way out there ahead of the curve, bursting with new and original ideas, and it was a pleasure to meet him. Apart from being the founder of the highly popular askMK.tv (FaceBook page here>> ) Lincoln has also set up askBrango.com which is a unique video platform for educational organisations. The really clever part ofaskBrango.com is that it’s based on a YouTube-style format and has a safe-social network element which is built-in. This website is designed so that teachers or staff can moderate content produced by students. Visitors to the site only view content that has been authorised by an appointed administrator. askBrango.com also provides a secure environment where projects, activities and work produced by students can be showcased to other students, schools, parents and potential employers for best practice sharing. Take a look at their site here>> and I think you’ll agree it’s a great concept!

Turning Maketing Budgets into Donations

Lincoln’s presentation was then followed by the wonderful Simon Parslow of e-say Limited . Simon heads up a new and exciting company with some very cool and fresh ideas. They have their eye firmly on the social networking scene and have developed a unique online shop which takes a portion of the marketing budgets of its suppliers and distributes these to customers, charities and fundraisers to help raise money for their respective causes. The visions that Simon shared with us during his presentation of how his online service is creating new communities through social networking specifically to influence suppliers to deliver the products and services people want is truly amazing.

E-say are leading the social market place by putting the customer in the driving seat of brand development and making the customer the best advert a brand could get. Using a social networking platform e-say redistributes money normally spent on traditional marketing and motivates the entire supply chain through social networking in a unique and very clever way. They work directly with manufacturers and suppliers and the ethos of the business is to pay suppliers more so their customer service can be the best. They firmly believe (as I do) that satisfied customers recommend more, and on that basis, spreading the word through social networks will drive up sales and help customers, charities and fundraisers in the process. It’s a novel and intersting idea and an area I’ll certainly be keeping a very close watch on.

We’re very proud to have the event organiser Paul Sage as one of our SuperBlog customers, and he used it to great effect to help promote the event as you can see here>>>