Outsource your ‘memory’ to a social network and see your business thrive

Businesses who use the extended ‘memory’ of social networks have the ability to extend their sphere of influence to many thousands of people, compared to a person’s own limited memory, which is only able to manage around 150 connections, according to Societal Web expert William Buist.

According to Buist, a leading online networking expert and founder of The Societal Web (www.societal-web.com), the typical sphere of influence in the old off-line world was limited to those we socialised, lived and worked with, and it was unlikely that a person could reach more than 150 people. But because social networks can retain the memory of interactions far better than the human brain can, Buist claims our sphere of influence can now reach to many, perhaps even thousands.

“Online, in social networks, we interact with others more often and with more visibility than we tend to do off-line. So if people are influenced by the friends of friends of friends then what we do has a chance of influencing the friends of the friends of our friends. This begins to explain the power of social networks. The powerful part of this is that our reach (and the influence we have in that reach) goes further than was perhaps realised. The level of influence with each person that we have might be tiny, but the potential reach through social networking is staggering”, says Buist.

Buist predicts that business social networks such as Ecademy and LinkedIn will see a surge in membership as many more businesses look to the web as a means of generating new business, as well as finding valuable contacts for collaboration and more cost effective virtual working.  But he warns businesses to ensure that they conduct their online activity exactly as they would in the offline world, as reputation and credibility will be what ensures they succeed in the virtual business world.
“If you aren’t consistent and focused on what you want to achieve then you won’t influence in a consistent way and towards your own goals. Do it well and there is an army waiting to support you”, says Buist.

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For press enquiries please contact Rebecca King on 01603 283 506 or email rebecca@mediajems.co.uk

Job-seeking grads who embrace social networking will gain upper hand

Graduates who engage in business social networking and can establish a visible brand online stand a better chance of securing a job in an increasingly competitive marketplace, according to UK entrepreneur Penny Power.

With recent news that the number of graduate vacancies is set to fall over the coming months, Power, who is founder of the UK’s first business social network Ecademy is advising graduates that networking online could provide them with valuable leverage when applying for graduate jobs.

“Employers know that new graduates won’t have much practical experience, so it will be down to each individual to show their skills, passion and enthusiasm to prospective employers and graduate recruiters. So what better way to demonstrate what you know, think and feel, than through engaging with other people online, creating blogs and learning as much as you can from others”, explains Power.

“Creating a profile on a business social network like Ecademy (www.ecademy.com) can provide you with immediate leverage and visibility. You can share your story, build your reputation and create a following around what you are passionate about, around you and your thoughts”, advises Power.

In an interview last year, Power hinted at what the future may hold for those who could grasp the full potential of the web in a business context, saying “wait for that moment that a graduate walks into an interview and shares that they have studied the company they want to work for and they know what the market is ‘saying’ about their product, both the good and the bad things that are being said”.

“My comments last year are extremely relevant to the graduates who will be looking for their first job during this tough economic climate. At a time when standing out and being seen for your unique and individual attributes has never been more critical, social networking and blogging may provide the key to gaining that competitive edge over other candidates”, adds Power.

For more information visit http://www.ecademy.com

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Editors Notes
Ecademy connects business people all over the world. It is a self-development, business and branding tool, which enable business people to achieve immediate visibility. The relationships, advocates and knowledge subsequently shared through the network provides individuals with the credibility they need to grow their business.

Ecademy’s core intention is to help business people to be more successful and promotes the values of a business community who no longer wish to be broadcast to, but demand engagement and conversation. Founded in 1998 by husband and wife team Thomas and Penny Power, Ecademy is visited by millions of users each year and has thousands of new members joining each month.

Ecademy is privately owned and sustains itself through subscription, with only ten percent of Ecademy’s revenue coming from advertising and partnerships. The Ecademy business model is a classic example of a 21st Century business, operating virtually, with minimal operational costs and just five staff members on the payroll.

For more information visit http://www.ecademy.com or for press information visit http://www.ecademy-pressroom.com or contact Rebecca King on 01603 283 506 or email jenna@mediajems.co.uk

Thousands of businesses set to benefit from Ecademy’s free SEO Guide

Thousands of business owners are expected to benefit from an increase in online visibility following the launch of a new, comprehensive SEO Guide by the UK’s first social business network, Ecademy.

The downloadable SEO Guide, created in partnership with MWA Design’s Simon Graham, is available free of charge to all subscribing members of Ecademy and is a comprehensive guide to achieving effective SEO, covering topics such as choosing attractive keywords, understanding meta-tags and why its is crucial to write for readers first, and search engines second.

Many businesses are already reporting the benefits of using social networking sites such as Ecademy to increase online visibility. Roger Swain of Grupo Mallorca Select SL says, “I have been amazed at the immediate Google rankings for adverts placed in the Ecademy Marketplace”. Ecademy founder Penny Power believes that many more businesses are set to follow suit in the race to gain maximum online exposure in 2009.

“Our free SEO guide helps all members to navigate the world of SEO easily with subscribers making immediate improvements to their online visibility”, says Power. “Put simply, SEO is giving you the best chance possible to be found when people search on Google or other search engines. This is about optimizing genuine content e.g. writing your Ecademy profile in the best way possible so search engines understand who you are and what you do.”

Established in 1998, Ecademy (www.ecademy.com) was the UK’s first Business Social Network and has millions of visitors each year worldwide. Ecademy enables business people to connect through online networking, at business networking events and 1-2-1 meetings. Ecademy is one of the only top business and social networks that encourage blogging, as well as club discussions, Marketplace listings and meetings.

“There is always lots of authoritative and relevant knowledge and expert opinion being posted by members and because of this, Google loves our business content and indexes the site frequently. Now with the added ammunition provided through our new SEO Guide, whatever you post on Ecademy, you can be sure it will get found fast”, adds Power.

The Ecademy SEO Guide is available free of charge to all Ecademy members only. For more information visit http://www.ecademy.com.

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For press enquiries please contact Rebecca King at Rebecca@mediajems.co.uk or 01603 283506

Online network membership soars are business owners go ‘virtual’

UK business social network Ecademy has reported a surge in membership over the last quarter, fuelling speculation that offline networking is falling second place to the web as the most cost effective means of growing your business during the credit crunch.

Hailed as the only networking site designed specifically for business owners, Ecademy (www.ecademy.com) has reported that its membership has more than doubled over twelve months, and with the average time spent on the site up by over a third, its founder Penny Power believes this reflects an increasing confidence in utilising the web to build credible business connections, whilst keeping networking costs to a minimum.

Online networking is providing small business owners with real, tangible results

“I’ve noticed a distinct decrease in attendees at many of the offline events I have attended in recent months as the battle to keep expenditure down during the credit crunch continues and many of the business owners I have been speaking to are seeing real, tangible results from their online networking activity”, explains Power.

Ecademy member Liz Vandorpe  (http://www.ecademy.com/account.php?id=92889) is one such member who has gained business through the Ecademy network and believes that its core strength is that all its members are of a certain calibre, with a similar way of thinking.

Harwood was astounded when she received orders for her recently published ‘The Blessings Book’ within just 2 minutes of placing a blog and online listing on Ecademy last week.

“My experience is that Ecademy operates likes a virtual dinner party. All the guests (members) seem to have a genuine interest in helping each other and this week’s order is testament to the success of this high calibre, professional social network in helping small businesses to flourish”.

“Online business networking is increasingly becoming an integral part of 21^st Century business and utilising business social networking sites such as Ecademy and LinkedIn

is by far the most cost effective way to gain new business, establish business partnerships and establish new friendships along the way”, adds Power.

For more information visit http://www.ecademy.com

Business reputations put at risk by over zealous blogging

In reaction to a surge in online activity reported by popular business social network Ecademy over the past four months, its founder Penny Power is warning that many may be risking damaging their reputation by choosing visibility over credibility in the race to gain maximum exposure during the credit crunch.

Speaking after the filming of her weekly show for yourBusinessChannel TV (www.yourbusinesschannel.com), the social networking expert warned of the dangers of creating the wrong impression online and being seen as simply ‘a nice person to know’, rather than a credible business connection.

According to Power, there are fantastic opportunities right now for entrepreneurs to build their personal brands online, as corporate brands have been relatively slow to join the social networking party, leaving plenty of space for individuals to establish themselves. But because everyone has the opportunity to create their own brand within an online social network, you need a smart strategy to really stand out.

“You have to be very careful when communicating with others via social networks and many people make the mistake of being too fun or too jokey in an attempt to get over the point that they are a nice, friendly person. Whilst this is good for visibility and presence, their credibility remains low, and is ultimately the deciding factor in doing business virtually, especially during a recession when every penny needs to be spent wisely”, advises Power, who founded the UK’s first business social network Ecademy (www.ecademy.com) in 1998.

 “Your true expertise is about more than the skills you use to earn a crust, it’s about what it is you want to achieve with your life. If that all sounds more like soul searching than business, there’s a very good reason for it, says Power. You need to really identify what it is you do that makes a difference to people, and share it with others. Because ultimately, your brand is about you as a person”.

“The key is to be open, honest and genuine, whilst keeping your business head on you at all times as the internet is an unforgiving place and a single misplaced blog or comment will be visible for many years to come and seen by potential customers who may use it to evaluate whether they connect with you or not”, adds Power.

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Editors Notes

Penny Power is a published author, a highly engaging speaker and one of the UK’s most inspirational female entrepreneurs. Penny founded Ecademy, the UK’s first social network for business, in 1998 at the age of 33 with her husband Thomas Power. The next ten years have seen Penny successfully grow Ecademy into the global operation it is today, with a presence in over 230 countries and an average of 15,000 new members joining each month.

For more information on Ecademy visit www.ecademy.com

SME crunch mistake puts earnings at risk

Many small businesses are putting their business and earning capacity at risk by investing in expensive marketing activity that increases visibility but does nothing for brand reputation, the ultimate decision making factor used by businesses during turbulent times, according to networking strategy specialists at leadership consultancy Dynamic Transitions.

In a recent whitepaper by Dynamic Transitions MD Judith Germain entitled ‘building reputation and credibility for your business’, Germain suggests that potential clients will only buy ‘high ticket value’ services from those they trust and that SME’s need to focus on how they can develop, nuture and maintain that trust, particularly during the credit crunch when spend is often limited.

Germain suggests that businesses should consider forgoing expensive marketing activity that only increases the business’ visibility but does nothing to lessen the ‘risk’ of hiring the company, arguing that those who rely on referrals or social networking to secure work instead will realise that the most cost effective way to gain new clients is to use ‘pull’ rather than ‘push’ marketing techniques.

“Reputation is personal in its nature, concerning itself with the character of the business (or person) and the intention of its (their) actions. It is essential that you are consistent with what you say and do, especially on the internet where everything that is recorded there is of a permanent nature. Inconsistency can be the biggest killer of reputation because it undermines the trust that is being established between the two parties”, explains Germain.

Germain strongly believes that freely providing advice to others without expectation of a return helps to build your reputation as an expert and provides an informative view on your character, and ironically the return on this activity can be immense.

Germain adds, “with the credit crunch still impacting most industries, you need to ensure that you focus your energies on delivering a consistent and compelling reason for clients to work with you and a well defined networking strategy will help you to achieve this for very little cash outlay. It is a solid, credible reputation (not just increased visibility) that will carry you and business out of the crunch and beyond. So, look at the way your brand is seen by others and ask yourself this…based on the information available about me, would I hire me?”

You can download the free whitepaper ‘building reputation and credibility for your business’ from http://www.developing-leadership.com/leadership-whitepapers.html. For further information or to find out more about Dynamic Transitions visit http://www.developing-leadership.com or telephone +44 (0) 208 288 0512.

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