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As a business, we all need to be up with the latest marketing techniques and currently video is blasting its way around like there’s no tomorrow.
As a business there is currently no better route to take than creating a Facebook live.

A wha’?
In a nutshell, Facebook lives are instant video, created either from your mobile phone or a more complicated professional setup, broadcast directly onto the Facebook platform.
So essentially, you can create a video and it sits on your Facebook feed.

https://www.facebook.com/leerickler/videos/10211458288145178/

The start of the journey
I was speaking to somebody recently at a big networking event.
She’s just getting herself off the ground. Just getting her business going, and we’re talking about how she’s going to promote herself, her content.
She mentioned Facebook lives. I said well that’s a good place to start doing a Facebook live, but, what are you going to do with that content once you’ve got it? What are you gonna do with a Facebook live once it’s broadcast?

She said, “well it just sits on Facebook account and I’m going to tell people about it.” I said well okay. You’ve got this video and of course. That was it as far as she was concerned.

As far as I was concerned, there’s got to be more to it than that so I came up with a few tips of things you can do with that final product, the video.

So when you publish a Facebook live, you have a video file.
Afterwards you can save it, download it, upload it to your YouTube, Vimeo, on whatever video channels you want to.
From that, you can also export the audio and make a podcast out of it.
So you’ve also now got a podcast.

You can also get it transcribed, which is also useful because once you’ve uploaded it to YouTube, and wherever else, then you have access to subtitles as well.

Content, content, content
So now you have a video.
From that you’ve got a podcast.
And now you have it transcribed (text).

From the transcription you can produce a blog article (like this one) which you can then syndicate out to places like Medium, LinkedIn and obviously a Facebook article.

So, from a simple couple of minutes in a Facebook live, you’ve got all this other content that you can start using, start producing, start publishing and just pushing out all over the shop.

A little extra tip here: If you’re going to take all that content and then publish it as a blog article and then stick it on places like Medium, LinkedIn etc, adapt it slightly.
Adapt it for the audience that’s there. The audience at Medium for example, is different to an audience at LinkedIn. Which again is different to an audience at Facebook. And obviously don’t forget to tweet it out. So there’s a few ideas for you but if you want to find out how you can maximise your online presence even further, get in touch today.

This time last year I was posting on Twitter constantly, now … mehh … a couple of times a day, maybe … but, my current stream is majorly auto-blatants or just stuff I’m not interested in.

It’s like there was a party going on, everyone had fun, then we all headed home and someone left the TV on the shopping channel.

Tumbleweed.

BUT … I still believe Twitter is relevant for a business and personal and here’s why.

Twitter is a powerful platform
Driven by citizen journalism which itself is another hugely powerful platform, Twitter is hugely important to today’s society.
It’s where people turn to to hear the latest news way before the TV stations are allowed to broadcast it, way before it’ll ever be in print.

Twitter for business
Marketers ruin everything and, just as they do with every new platform it seems they ruined Twitter the day someone thought it was a good idea to automate #buymystuff tweets.

Twitter can be powerful for business, but, right now it’s gone the lazy load and no-one bothers to hang around – drive-by tweeting – and when you reply to their tweet, it’s a few days before they respond.
Twitter, email or even phone calls – in business you deal with it immediately or you’ll find yourself deselecting your customers faster than you can say #imusingahashtagwrong

If you really must use Twitter from a business POV, and I totally recommend you do, I suggest using the search function, finding people tweeting about stuff you’re interested in, follow, join in with their discussions and strike up a relationship.

Twitter for Twitter
Unfortunately Twitter seemed to lose it’s way after the IPO.
It doesn’t have a personality any more. Instead it’s a bit like when your best mate growing up came back after his holiday and discovered ‘girls’.
Now, instead of being a fun place to hang out, they’ve gone all serious quarterly sales forecasts to meet, investors to appease and an audience to nurture and grow.

While other platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat have innovated (when I say innovated I mean copying each other) with new functions, Twitter has stood still.

Twitter for your advantage
The good thing about tumbleweed is that there is massive room for growth.
My advice now is to make a move on the barren turf and stake your territory.
Dump 96% of those that you currently follow and find some new friends to play with.
Get constructing, hang around the Twitter bar and develop new relationships.
Give it another go and come and join us.

Despite its launch being a good couple of years ago now, Facebook Live remains a fantastic, fresh and interesting way of interacting with your customers in real time. Instead of spending hours on end editing and tweaking the perfect video, this brilliant addition to the world of social media allows for in-the-moment marketing for which the only requirements are your phone camera, an Internet connection and a Facebook account. To get started, all you need to do is go the section where you would normally write a status, click the ‘Go Live’ video camera icon and voila!

Here, we outline a few ways that Facebook Live can benefit your business, in addition to offering some suggestions for your content calendar.

Why integrate Facebook Live into your marketing strategy?

It’s built into Facebook
Unlike other live streaming newcomers such as Periscope, having the feature integrated within an already popular social media site means you don’t have to start from scratch to build up your audience.

It’s time efficient
Although you can’t go far wrong with planning in advance, the beauty of Facebook Live is that it’s designed for spontaneity, allowing you to connect with followers at the push of a button.

Videos are automatically saved
Once your Facebook Live video has ended, it will automatically save to your timeline, meaning offline followers can catch up at a later date. Unlike Stories, this gives your masterpiece permanence, meaning it can be further shared or tweeted to get an even higher reach.

You can build a relationship with your audience
Facebook Live is up close and personal, meaning companies have nothing to hide behind. It has the potential to give your brand a more human element, making it more relatable, likeable and, most importantly – memorable.

It’s authentic
These days, people want authenticity and transparency when it comes to making purchasing decisions. Whether that is through knowing where their product comes from or how it’s made, Facebook Live allows for behind-the-scenes access to otherwise out of bounds areas.

Not sure where to start? Ideas that have been successful in the past include daily tips, answering frequently asked questions or even question and answer sessions. You could also do a behind-the-scenes video of your factory or office, demonstrate how a product is made or how to use it, tour a live event or prepare employee interviews. Remember that your video needs to be of interest or use, meaning it’s crucial you avoid content that could be considered advertorial or like a sales pitch. For more ideas on how Facebook Live can work for your business, get in contact with Point and Stare today.

The rise of the internet means that the world is smaller, faster, and better connected than ever, but what does this mean for your business? It means innumerable opportunities, not being restricted by geographical location, and the potential for more growth than we would have been able to comprehend just a mere decade ago.
Going viral and harnessing untapped markets are not just the stuff of internet legends – they’re real, happening, and yours for the taking. Here, we outline the importance of rising above the competition and making the decision to take your business into the multilingual stratosphere this new year.

Growth
Limiting your business to English speakers is like teasing yourself with just the icing of a very large, scrumptiously-profitable cake. With booming Russian and Chinese markets, why hold yourself back? Having a multilingual website opens doors to customers from all over the world, unleashing the potential for an increase in website traffic, social media activity and, most importantly – sales.
But it doesn’t stop there. Having a multilingual website also means that you can start to analyse the unique buying habits of your global demographic, allowing you to identify gaps in your business and really take it to the next level.

Customer relations
Having your website available in multiple languages demonstrates that you really care about your customers and their experience with you. Not only can it make the difference between a browser and a buyer, but, for non-native English speakers, it shows that you’re on the same page, defining your brand as professional, empathetic, and culturally aware.
In addition, a multilingual website can increase trust and credibility, giving customers the impression that they are buying a little closer to home and into a business that really values being able to communicate with their customers – wherever they may be in the world.

Competition
Having different language options on your website can really give you the edge; ask yourself, wouldn’t you be more comfortable shopping in your native tongue and currency? Furthermore, multilingual businesses are fantastic for search engine optimisation, because your strategically placed keywords will be ranked in the individual (and perhaps less competitive) languages, too.
Point and Stare has a wealth of experience in constructing an online presence for global brands, building multilingual websites for companies such as de Grisogono, Kaplan International, Martini Grand Prix and Chateau Mouton Rothschild.

Why not get in contact with Point and Stare today and see how far they could take your business?

Seeing your first pennies roll in as a business owner is a rewarding and exciting time. You finally get to eat the fruits of your labour and yep, they taste good.
However, once your tax bill comes in you soon realise all that gorgeous profit could be eaten up and the business will have nothing to show for that big outlay you just made.
It is also important to keep in mind that, although dedicating a large proportion of your profit to fill your pockets may give short term gratification, you could ultimately be doing your business more harm than good.
Yes, you do need to put food on your plate, but, look at where that money is coming from, and, more importantly, where it’s going to.

I often advise business owners to look at reinvesting as much of that potential payment to HMRC as possible back into the company so here are a few reasons why wisely reinvesting money back into your business is the key to growth and success this year and can save on your tax bill.

Honey, it’s back on the beans again
As a small business, you can deduct certain costs accumulated from the everyday running of your business from your taxable profit (speak to our accountant for more details). These range from office supplies, stock, travel, and staff uniforms to the ultimate reinvestment – marketing and advertising. This means that by making the smart decision to build a new website, or improve on your current one, run a marketing campaign, videos, Instagram campaigns, or design a new logo, you can not only improve your online presence, attract more customers and therefore give your competition sleepless nights.

I’m the International Head of Making Stuff Up
When building your own business, there comes a point when outsourcing is a necessity. While you may have your head screwed on when it comes to presenting your passion, nobody expects you to be a Jack of All Trades – accountant, award-winning designer, marketing maestro at the same time. By investing in a professional to take over the areas you’re not so confident in, such as WordPress development or running social media campaigns, or even keeping your online presence safe and secure, you can dedicate more time to focusing on the all-important nuts and bolts of your company and concentrate on what you do best.

Taking the moonshots
Those ‘gooroos’ say that the only time to stop reinvesting is when you are content with where you and your business stand, which (as many entrepreneurs will no doubt agree) is rarely the case. When it comes to putting money back into your company, especially in terms of online advertising and marketing, you need to take the moonshots, look at where your crowd hangout and understand the notion of ‘you get out what you put in’.

So, if you’re yet to conjure up a resolution for this year, how about a change in focus? Instead of licking your lips at how much profit you’ll potentially make this year, look at it from a different angle – reinvested money doesn’t have to be considered spent money, rather a step in the right direction towards your unique business goals and, potentially, reduce that frustrating end-of-year tax bill that swallows up all your sexy profit.

Get in contact with Point and Stare today to see how we can help you reduce your company’s tax bill.