Embrace Social Networking – Don’t be scared off by the techies!

I know that many business owners think that social networking is not for them. They perceive it to be so much fluff and hype, and it’ll steal their time and money. In my view, and I don’t have an axe to grind, they need to clamber on board………….

Perhaps they’ve been put off by “experts” who talk a language that makes it sound complicated. I suspect that’s probably the case. My eyes have glazed over at many seminars and meetings – and I understand some of this stuff, although I’m no technical expert.

The simple truth is there’s a series of opportunities that could be swift and cheap to execute. At the worse, they may cost some time, but that time can be managed, and the likelihood is that any business can strengthen their on-line presence for FREE – Honest,……nothing…..nowt……zip……..

For me, blogging has added real value to my business. It can “betray” the soul of my business more than a website can (could I use the language I use here on a website? – Probably not) and I know people find me and by website through the blogs I write. I can then link my blogs to Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook and improve the risk that prospective customers might find me.

My own experience is that Twitter and Facebook haven’t added any value to my business, so I spend very little time on them, but I also know that my daughters bespoke wedding dress business (http://www.robynellis.com/) gets traffic from Facebook, and she’d be silly to ignore it.

Whatever, your business, it’s worth experimenting. You’ll find ways to get more business and learn more about the on-line world. Don’t fret about getting everything perfect. The important thing is to start and play with it. You’ll soon what works for you, and the stats packs you can get (with blogs in particular at: http://wordpress.com/) will really help you understand what people want to read.

If you want to dip your toe in the water and not too sure where to start, I’m happy to give you a free steer. Just call me on +44(0) 7823 887982. Another alternative is to call Jo Shaer at Lollipop Local on +44(0) 1702 476517 or visit her website at http://lollipoplocal.co.uk/ where “she don’t speak geek!”

Written by Martin Ellis – martin@corporatehandyman.co.uk

The Role of the Internet in Career Managment

There’s an interesting piece on the BBC website about the increasing role of the internet in recruitment from both the employer and employee perspectives. See it at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12194581 It asks some excellent questions about the role of the headhunter/recruiter in the future.

Any headhunter who is going to remain relevant has to walk straight into the internet and all it offers. It will speed up their search and should reveal a better list of potential candidates.

The value a headhunter has to bring is to motivate candidates to be interested in the role and manage the recruitment process itself. They can add greater value by the use of psychometrics to add objectivity.

This internet has changed, and will continue to change, the world of recruitment. It will bring more people into the process and, by default, it will also leave a trail of mishandled candidates who could be right for the role. This brings the risk of damaged brands and reputations – that’s the opportunity for recruiters and headhunters.

If headhunters ally the internet, and then add the value of personal interviews by Skype, then they can improve and accelerate their results and hold their value in a changing market.

Written by Martin Ellis – martin@corporatehandyman.co.uk