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  1. Using Twitter for Charity Posted in Social Media, Twitter, Concocted by Neerali Gajjar December 1, 2010 4 comments

    Social media has taken over our lives – it has become the new place to ‘hang out’. We can chat to friends who are across the globe and it also allows us to get recommendations from friends about which products and services to use. It is this latter point that has become a new marketing feeding ground that has been coined as crowdsourcing. Jeff Howe from Wired magazine defines it as “delegating a task to a large diffuse group, usually without substantial monetary compensation”. Read Further

  2. Twitter TV: The Future of Interactive Entertainment Posted in Social Media, Twitter, Concocted by Yolandi Janse van Rensburg November 30, 2010 2 comments

    Ellen McGrit recently wrote such an interesting post on Fast Company titled ‘I Want My Twitter TV!’ It’s all about “why everyone — CNN, MTV, Conan, and even Google — is tweeting about the future of interactive entertainment.”

    Here’s a quick snippet from Ellen’s post: Read Further

  3. Your Twitter Community – Be Nice, Think Twice: Twitter Etiquette 101 Posted in Community Management, Social Media, Twitter, Concocted by Lauren Potgieter November 29, 2010

    All of us are impressed with good etiquette. Whether we are called by our surname when signing something at the bank or we are thanked for letting someone in whilst driving – we know that being polite pleases others, especially when you’re representing a brand or even yourself as a brand online. On Twitter specifically, it is imperative to be polite to your community, because even though etiquette is seen as somewhat old fashioned, it will encourage your current community to keep coming back for more. Read Further

  4. Twitter: Getting your first follower Posted in Digital Marketing Basics, Social Media, Twitter, Concocted by Jason Bagley November 25, 2010 7 comments

    So you have finally joined the world of Twitter and have been tweeting for a few days, but it feels like an echo chamber. Nobody is listening. Here are a few tips to building that niche community of followers – the holy grail of Twitter! Read Further

  5. 5 reasons to Integrate Twitter into your website Posted in Social Media, Twitter, Website Usability, Concocted by Sachin Ranchod November 24, 2010 9 comments
    5 reasons to Integrate Twitter into your website
    As a standalone entity, Twitter is a powerful tool which allows companies to listen to what people are saying about them and actively engage with their community.  However, the advantages of using Twitter shouldn’t stop when you leave the Twitter website. By breaking out of the isolation of the Twitter website and extending your Twitter presence to an existing website or blog, you can begin to see some of the lesser acknowledged advantages of an active social media profile.The real benefits of integrating Twitter onto your website don’t come from just having a link to your Twitter profile on your website.  The link does show people that you do have a social media presence but unless they click on a link, it doesn’t show them what you are really about.  Below are some of the reasons you should make your latest tweets visible on your website:1)  It shows that you are realSeeing an active Twitter stream will help give visitors to your website the comfort that there are real people behind your website.  Proving your legitimacy is often a make-or-break problem for online businesses.  If a visitor is not 100% sure that they can pick up the phone and talk to a real person, then it is unlikely that they will convert from a visitor to a customer.There are many ways in which you can try communicate to the user that there are real people behind a website – you can make the phone numbers clearly visible on the home page, you can use live chat features and you can write an extensive ‘Meet the team’ section.  A live Twitter stream with real conversations between real people, is just another tool to help you immediately signal to the visitor that the website and company are real.2)  It will help keep your website updatedIt is often very difficult for businesses to keep their website constantly updated with new content.  Nowadays, a lot of websites incorporate blog functionality to allow companies to make sure that there is always something new on the home page.  However, writing blog posts and news articles can be time consuming and tedious.  Keeping new content flowing on a website is important as it shows a visitor to your site that you are still active and more importantly, that you are up-to-date with the latest industry news.Twitter updates provide you with the ability to quickly and easily publish content to your website on a regular basis.  However, it is important to note that tweets are not a substitute for blogging – 140 characters is not enough space to adequately discuss a topic and provide in-depth analysis (proving your expertise).3)  You’ll get good quality followersShowing your latest tweets on your website makes it easy for visitors to evaluate the quality of your tweets and decide whether they would like to follow you or not. It is often the case that the people who follow you via your website will be your most engaging followers because they have an interest in your business or industry.  These followers are therefore more likely to read your tweets, engage with you and syndicate your content for you.  Followers who are interested in what you have to say will prove to be much more useful to you and your community than those who follow you because of things like ‘follow our CEO to win’ competitions.4)  People can see that you are knowledgeableIf you tweet about your opinions on the latest industry happening or you tweet back to your followers with advice relating to your business then visitors to your website will begin to see that you are knowledgeable about topics surrounding your business and industry.5)  Visitors will see that you engage with your communityFinally, people visiting your website will see that you have a community or that you are trying to build a community around your brand.  They will be able to see that you take care of them by answering their questions, listening to their complaints and thanking them for their compliments.  Companies often assume that their Twitter profile is only there to accommodate people who are already on Twitter but the truth is that the tweets on your website can bring new users to Twitter itself.  As the Twitter network grows, your community will grow with it.A professional Twitter profile can be used as a powerful tool when it is integrated into your website – your tweets accentuate the existing content on your website and it will show visitors that you are knowledgeable, community-focused and real.
    As a standalone entity, Twitter is a powerful tool which allows companies to listen to what people are saying about them and actively engage with their community.  However, the advantages of using Twitter shouldn’t stop when you leave the Twitter website. By breaking out of the isolation of the Twitter website and extending your Twitter presence to an existing website or blog, you can begin to see some of the lesser acknowledged advantages of an active social media profile.
    The real benefits of integrating Twitter onto your website don’t come from just having a link to your Twitter profile on your website.  The link does show people that you do have a social media presence but unless they click on a link, it doesn’t show them what you are really about.  Below are some of the reasons you should make your latest tweets visible on your website:
    1)  It shows that you are real
    Seeing an active Twitter stream will help give visitors to your website the comfort that there are real people behind your website.  Proving your legitimacy is often a make-or-break problem for online businesses.  If a visitor is not 100% sure that they can pick up the phone and talk to a real person, then it is unlikely that they will convert from a visitor to a customer.
    There are many ways in which you can try communicate to the user that there are real people behind a website – you can make the phone numbers clearly visible on the home page, you can use live chat features and you can write an extensive ‘Meet the team’ section.  A live Twitter stream with real conversations between real people, is just another tool to help you immediately signal to the visitor that the website and company are real.
    2)  It will help keep your website updated
    It is often very difficult for businesses to keep their website constantly updated with new content.  Nowadays, a lot of websites incorporate blog functionality to allow companies to make sure that there is always something new on the home page.  However, writing blog posts and news articles can be time consuming and tedious.  Keeping new content flowing on a website is important as it shows a visitor to your site that you are still active and more importantly, that you are up-to-date with the latest industry news.
    Twitter updates provide you with the ability to quickly and easily publish content to your website on a regular basis.  However, it is important to note that tweets are not a substitute for blogging – 140 characters is not enough space to adequately discuss a topic and provide in-depth analysis (proving your expertise).
    3)  You’ll get good quality followers
    Showing your latest tweets on your website makes it easy for visitors to evaluate the quality of your tweets and decide whether they would like to follow you or not. It is often the case that the people who follow you via your website will be your most engaging followers because they have an interest in your business or industry.  These followers are therefore more likely to read your tweets, engage with you and syndicate your content for you.  Followers who are interested in what you have to say will prove to be much more useful to you and your community than those who follow you because of things like ‘follow our CEO to win’ competitions.
    4)  People can see that you are knowledgeable
    If you tweet about your opinions on the latest industry happening or you tweet back to your followers with advice relating to your business then visitors to your website will begin to see that you are knowledgeable about topics surrounding your business and industry.
    5)  Visitors will see that you engage with your community
    Finally, people visiting your website will see that you have a community or that you are trying to build a community around your brand.  They will be able to see that you take care of them by answering their questions, listening to their complaints and thanking them for their compliments.  Companies often assume that their Twitter profile is only there to accommodate people who are already on Twitter but the truth is that the tweets on your website can bring new users to Twitter itself.  As the Twitter network grows, your community will grow with it.
    A professional Twitter profile can be used as a powerful tool when it is integrated into your website – your tweets accentuate the existing content on your website and it will show visitors that you are knowledgeable, community-focused and real.

    As a standalone entity, Twitter is a powerful tool which allows companies to listen to what people are saying about them and actively engage with their community.  However, the advantages of using Twitter shouldn’t stop when you leave the Twitter website. By breaking out of the isolation of the Twitter website and extending your Twitter presence to an existing website or blog, you can begin to see some of the lesser acknowledged advantages of an active social media profile. Read Further

  6. What’s Trending on Twitter? Posted in Social Media, Twitter, Concocted by Yolandi Janse van Rensburg November 18, 2010 5 comments

    Today’s trending topics on Twitter would include #PrinceWilliam, #KateMiddleton and many more hot topics that people are talking about around the world. What’s trending on Twitter would change every day and perhaps a few times a day. In other words, trending topics on Twitter are subjects people are talking about. The more popular a subject, the more likely it will be trending. Read Further

  7. How to get your campaign trending on Twitter? Posted in Social Media, Twitter, Concocted by Ettienne Mostert November 17, 2010

    Trends on Twitter is a quick snapshot of the most tweeted about topics. From sporting events to movie releases to political events trending topics collect what is newsworthy at that present moment. Trends for those of you who may be new to Twitter are created when user’s add hash tags to words relating to a topic. For example, the Formula One championship was decided in a final race on Sunday. Topics such as #Vettel, #Alonso, #F1 started trending because of the global popularity of the sport. Read Further

  8. The Real Value of Twitter Posted in Social Media, Twitter, Concocted by Fred Roed November 16, 2010

    Something I do regularly nowadays is explain to friends, family, clients and team mates “the real value of Twitter”. My purpose in this post is really to crystallize my presentation in a succinct manner.

    Disclaimer: this article assumes you follow people you respect, aspire to, trust or find entertaining in some way. Thus, some of the people that follow YOU, are people that you respect, aspire to, trust or find entertaining in some way. Read Further

  9. How to create a trustworthy Twitter profile: What do the experts say? Posted in Community Management, Social Media, Twitter, Concocted by Lauren Potgieter November 12, 2010 5 comments

    There are numerous articles surrounding Twitter and how beneficial or useless it might be to individuals, businesses and brands. The Twitter versus Facebook fiery debate will never end – but the truth is that they cannot be compared because they are so incredibly different.

    Read Further

  10. Gillette and their Community Management – the best a customer can get Posted in Community Management, Social Media, Concocted by Lauren Potgieter October 22, 2010 2 comments
    When we think of good examples of community management, our minds automatically wander to
    brands such as Coca Cola and Apple, of which the public cannot help but sing their praises. There are
    however, quite a few companies that have stood on the sideline and slowly created a community
    that is engaging and responsive, whilst not being overly zealous with their brand approach.
    One brand that is getting their community speaking is Gillette. Unlike other brands that are all
    about the show, Gillette has the perfect combination of engagement – not too scarce and not too
    over-active. They have taken an activity that men dread doing on a daily basis and have created
    conversation around this chore.
    We know that community management cannot simply focus on one area and Gillette spread
    their community activities across all their resources. On their Facebook page, they have created
    conversations around the “art” of shaving and recently got Daryl “Moose” Johnston to answer
    questions from Gillette Facebook fans. On the Facebook fanpage, they ask questions, post quirky
    did-you-know facts and generally interact with whoever is willing to talk. Their Twitter page sings the
    same tune as they encourage their followers to be creative and send in videos and pictures of their
    experiences. This approach gives a light hearted and creative feel to the fanpage and encourages
    the public to submit content and converse about content submitted – perfect for encouraging
    community.
    Their website lets you choose the type of beard you have and then shows you the best way to shave
    with their razors. They have also created the Gillette Success Lab, where you create a profile that will
    give you additional advice on how to obtain a smooth shave and what products to use.
    Even though Gillette’s Facebook might not compare to the number of likes of other big brands, with
    only 312,042 in comparison to Coca Cola’s 10 million and nearly 6 000 followers on Twitter, they are
    definitely doing something right and getting their target market (which are males aged 14 and up) to
    share their experiences and open the channels of communication between brand and customer.

    When we think of good examples of community management, our minds automatically wander off to brands such as Coca Cola and Lady Gaga, of which the public cannot help but sing their praises. There are however, quite a few companies that have stood on the sideline and slowly created a community that is engaging and responsive, whilst not being overly zealous with their brand approach. Read Further

  11. Can you use Facebook ads to help build your Online Community? Posted in Community Management, Social Media, Concocted by Ettienne Mostert October 19, 2010

    The great French Marshall Lyautey once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow growing and would not reach maturity for 100 years. The Marshall replied, ‘In that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon!’ – John F. Kennedy Read Further

  12. Twitter strategy as part of Community Management – Some examples Posted in Community Management, Social Media, Twitter, Concocted by Mike Perk October 14, 2010 7 comments

    Currently, an online community manager, would struggle to avoid using Twitter as part of a community management strategy. It ticks many of the boxes associated with community: Read Further

  13. Heavy Chef October: Is Blogging Dead? Posted in Heavy Chef News, Concocted by Fred Roed October 8, 2010 6 comments

    Update: Sorry, this event is fully booked! To get invited to future events, sign up as a Heavy Chef member here.

    For this month’s Heavy Chef Session, held in Cape Town, we ask the question: “Is Blogging Dead?”

    It’s amazing to think that blogging has only been around for 10 years and people are already whispering about a ‘dying art’. In the past month, we’ve seen blogging stalwarts like Windows Live Spaces and TypePad closing doors or selling up. Apparently, the rise of micro-blogging has all but vanquished the carefully scripted masterpieces that begat a whole new generation of wannabe-Hemingways .
    So, is blogging really dead, or is it evolving?
    We’ve asked this question of two legends of digital, Seth Rotherham and Rich Mulholland.
    Just last week, the esteemed Mr Rotherham announced with great fanfare that his multiple-award winning blog 2Oceansvibe.com is no longer a blog. Seth’s familiar online presence, strengthened by years of daily blog posts, now extends to radio, accommodation and entertainment news. 2OV is now a burgeoning media empire.
    On the other hand, the esteemed Mr Mulholland has redirected his focus back to blogging. Over the past 12 years Rich has focused his attention on growing his presentation, conference and innovation companies, and has been blogging since 2001 on multiple outlets such as Jo’Blog, Capitalist Punks and, more recently, his own personal blog.
    Seth and Rich will be presenting their answers to the Heavy Chef community later this month – you DON’T want to miss this.

    It’s amazing to think that blogging has only been around for 10 years and people are already whispering about a ‘dying art’. In the past month, we’ve seen blogging stalwarts like Windows Live Spaces and TypePad closing doors or selling up. Apparently, the rise of micro-blogging has all but vanquished the carefully scripted masterpieces that begat a whole new generation of wannabe-Hemingways . Read Further

  14. Heavy Chef September: It’s about Community! Posted in Heavy Chef News, Concocted by Yolandi Janse van Rensburg October 7, 2010 1 comment
    Heavy Chef September: It’s about Community!
    We had a rocking session in Joburg last week with Mike Stopforth and Alwyn Venter. Mike and Alwyn came to chat to us about community and managing a community online.
    With the explosion we’ve seen with micro-blogging, social networking and more, we’ve noticed a change in how brands interact and engage with their consumers. This on its own brought up a new set of rules for building and engaging with your community. Everyone is talking about how consumer behaviour has changed and how it’s still changing and evolving. Brands should know by now that they need to pay attention to these changes!
    Now, with the attention economy we are living in, people tend to ask “How do you stand out from the crowd online?” Our speakers, Mike and Alwyn elaborated on this and provided useful tips and guidelines for engaging with your community online.
    We’ll be posting their presentations soon so keep an eye out for them!
    Thanks to everyone who joined us in Joburg last week and special thanks to our sponsors as well!
    Cape Town folk, our next session is taking place end of this month and we’re asking ‘Is Blogging Dead?’ – NOT to be missed!

    We had a rocking session in Joburg last week with Mike Stopforth and Alwyn Venter. Mike and Alwyn came to chat to us about community and managing a community online. Read Further

  15. Engage relentlessly and build a Community online Posted in Community Management, Concocted by Yolandi Janse van Rensburg September 8, 2010 2 comments

    I happened to catch an episode of Gossip Girl the other night and it had me thinking about engagement and building a community online. In this specific episode Gossip Girl was outing everyone’s secrets at once and causing a lot of havoc for the high school teens. What I noticed was that Gossip girl really has her community on the tip of their seats. Read Further

  16. Building an online community within Facebook Posted in Community Management, Social Media, Concocted by Ettienne Mostert September 7, 2010 2 comments

    Who really wants to be known by their endorsement of socks?

    Facebook users see ‘liking’ something as their personal stamp of approval. There is no other benefit to liking something other than an emotional payoff be it belonging or crafting your personal identity. Read Further

  17. Monitoring Twitter effectively to find and build a community Posted in Community Management, Twitter, Concocted by Jason Bagley September 6, 2010 1 comment

    So you’ve registered and setup your Twitter account for your brand / company and you now staring at your only follower. You. What’s the next step in finding and building that online community? Use Twitter’s very own built in tools!

    Read Further

  18. 3 Things Lady Gaga is doing right in Community Management Posted in Community Management, Concocted by Yolandi Janse van Rensburg September 1, 2010 5 comments

    She’s the “Queen of Twitter” according to Famecount and she happens to be the first living person to achieve 10 million fans on Facebook.  Famecount lists Lady Gaga as the most popular online entity worldwide, with more than 16 million Facebook fans and 330,000 YouTube subscribers. She is breaking records on all social media platforms. How does she do it? Read Further

  19. Name our Heavy Chef and win big! Posted in Heavy Chef News, Online Advertising, Concocted by Mike Perk June 23, 2010 7 comments

    We have a great digital marketing hamper to give away to one lucky Heavy Chef Fan. All we need you to do is Like our Facebook Fan Page, come up with a name for our famous Heavy Chef (the one in our logo), and add your suggestion in the comment box on our Facebook post. S/he has always been referred to as “The” Heavy Chef, but we feel so close to him now that we need to give him a name. Read Further

  20. 5 Twitter Tips for Managing your Online Reputation Posted in Online Reputation Management, Social Media, Twitter, Concocted by Yolandi Janse van Rensburg June 22, 2010

    Twitter is a goldmine for finding conversations and people’s opinions on any subject imaginable. If people are blogging about your brand or taking part in online forums discussing your products; you can bet they are doing the same thing on Twitter. Here are a few tips on how to manage your reputation on Twitter: Read Further

  21. 5 Ways South African Consumers will use the Internet in 2010 Posted in Digital Strategy, Social Media, Concocted by LouisJvR December 4, 2009 5 comments

    It’s that time of the year again where every digital marketing expert/guru/genius/yoda/messiah will shout from the hilltops on what they think the digital marketing trends for 2010 will be.

    (do a search on 2010 digital marketing trends and you’ll get the picture)

    A lot of noise indeed and often lacking context I believe… Read Further

  22. Controlling your company’s brand in the world of Social Media Posted in Branding Online, Digital Strategy, Online Reputation Management, Social Media, Concocted by Fred Roed October 18, 2009 5 comments

    Control is an unsettling word in the new parlance. “Give up control, sir!” said Ricardo Semler in his seminal books Maverick and The Seven Day Weekend. “Control has been lost in the digital economy!” shriek breathless ’social media scientists’ on their blogs and twitter streams. “Power to the People; we control the corporate brand now!” scream the new marketers, all of 22 years old, speaking from their accumulative 6 months of experience.

    Read Further

  23. My First Week at World Wide Creative Posted in Search Engine Optimisation, Social Media, Concocted by Guest September 29, 2009 1 comment

    Andrew Conyers, Intern

    Walking into my first day at WWC as the new intern, I knew very little about the world of eMarketing that I was diving headlong into.  My recently acquired degree in Business Administration, from back home in the States, certainly did not cover web analytics, link building, or SEO.  Though nervous as I was, relief came quickly as I soon realized it was Ok that I was just learning.  It became clear to me that learning is a large part of what eMarketing is, and that even the most experienced veterans in the office are still learning new things on a regular basis.  World Wide Creative’s very own Heavy Chef Project is a shining example of how everyone here is constantly craving new information and developing new ideas to become better at what they do, to become the all knowing and ever trustworthy Heavy Chef. Read Further

  24. Corporates increase spending in Social Media Posted in Branding Online, Digital Strategy, Social Media, Concocted by Fred Roed September 3, 2009

    US research company, McKinsey released a report today revealing the results of a survey on social media adoption for corporate marketing strategy. It’s well worth a read, with some healthy support coming out in company’s marketing strategies for Web 2.0. adoption in the corporate environment.

    This is one that the strategists and account managers will enjoy, with multiple sound bites to use in their client presentations.

    Read Further

  25. Kevin Spacey Explains Twitter to David Letterman Posted in Twitter, Concocted by LouisJvR August 24, 2009 4 comments

    Classic.

    Kevin Spacey (yes, THE Kevin Spacey) being very practical in educating David Letterman on Twitter. Sending a tweet (via @KevinSpacey) while live on The Late Show with David Letterman:

    Clip below (04:23)…

    Read Further