Sir John Mayers the Spy Outed by Facebook

In the past few days, Sir John Mayers, the soon-to-be head of MI6, the British Secret Service ‘Spy’ Unit, was outed ‘big style’ by his wife, an avid Facebook user. 

Apparently, and I have to go on media reports here because his Facebook page was taken down, his wife listed private information on her Facebook page.  This included the address of their London residency, the address of her in-laws and photographs of their children. 

On Monday (6 July 2009), I was listening to LBC radio and the morning presenter Nick Ferrari.  Now, I really cannot repeat what he called Lady Mayers just in case I get sued, but he repeatedly questioned 1) whether she had used any common sense in having a Facebook page at all and 2) whether she had shown any judgement in putting so much personal information into the public domain. 

By publishing a holiday photograph of Sir John Mayers in his swim shorts along with a raft of other personal facts, Mrs Mayers made information that should have been private very public.  As the incoming spy chief, Sir John Mayers should have known better as his life, and that of his family, may have been put in danger. 

The Mayers family will now have to have extra security protection and possibly move house and change schools.  ‘So what!’ will probably be the common response of the general public but we will be left with a huge tax bill.   

Clearly in the media, the national security angle has generated much interest along with how a Facebook ‘faux pas’ can affect your personal and professional life. 

The Proper Way to Use Facebook for your business and career:

• Check your Facebook privacy settings so that you only show particular information to specific users.
• Consider setting up Groups and only a select few friends that can join with your permission. They are privy to specific information as you wish.
• If you do want to increase your profile, make sure your privacy settings allow search engine access.
• It is important to get the balance right between business and personal information on Facebook so that you do not appear to be a business robot. Remember, people buy from people so you have to be seen as human.
• If you are primarily using your account for business use, perhaps that shot of you drunk and disorderly at a party with your underwear on your head is not the best idea.
• If you want to have a personal profile, maybe set a separate one up with your real or nick name with your business account in your business or brand name.
• Unless you want to receive speculative sales calls or spam emails, it is probably best not to include your telephone number or email address.
• Create your profile so that it focuses on your business activities and includes your business web address to drive traffic to your website and your social media access points.

Digital Britain 2009 - A Growing UK Online Audience

In the House of Commons (London), the Labour Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw (16 June 2009) announced a plan of how the UK will develop and grow the digital landscape. This report affects all homes and businesses with or without broadband and will impact revenue generation in the future.

Currently on the list of developed nations, the UK does not have the highest broadband speeds and we are beginning to fall behind other less developed countries. Worse still, there are many communities in the UK without any access to broadband at all. This is made worse because ISPs (Internet Service Providers) are not willing to invest in the infrastructure of unprofitable areas.

In order to access a wide array of online information, streaming media and use social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook etc, we need to have fast and reliable broadband access. Many small businesses operate from home and according to the Digital Britain Report 2009, currently 2.1 million people (6% of total UK employment) contribute to the digital economy.

It is the UK Government’s intention to make sure that everyone has access to ‘next generation’ super fast broadband by 2012. The downside for UK households with fixed lines is that we will be taxed £6 a year to make this happen. The upside is the potential for growth for businesses that understand the growth potential as more and more of their target markets have online access

As an entrepreneur and business owner it is essential to identify areas that have a potential for growth. Faster and more widely available broadband will provide access to a bigger target market with a new way of promoting marketing messages. The web removes any perceived country borders which can stop business transactions from taking place. Regardless of whether you are UK based or live further a field, a better access to fast broadband in the UK will definitely open up the market place.

Take advantage of a burgeoning UK online audience and demonstrate a level of expertise in what you do - your niche. All of the following online strategies are low cost (if not free) and demonstrate how using guerrilla marketing can achieve specific online goals.

1. Make sure that you have an online presence. A UK Microsoft executive estimated that approximately 50% of UK businesses did not have one (2007). A blog is the place where you can demonstrate your knowledge and expertise but a basic website is better than nothing.
2. Demonstrate Knowledge. Write articles, press releases and blog posts that demonstrate your knowledge on a regular basis.
3. Incorporate multimedia such as audio and video onto your websites and User Generated Content (UGC) directories such as YouTube.
4. Grow your mailing list. Get people to sign up to a free ‘gift’ on your blog/website to gather email addresses. If you have a blog, users can sign up to receive RSS feeds with your latest blog posts.
5. Communicate Regularly - Send out emails about your industry, sector, products and services to you’re your mailing list.
6. Social Networking - Sign up for free Twitter and Facebook accounts, fill in your profile and take part in social media networking with your specific target audience. Give your prospects and clients a way to get to know you better.

Opt In Email Marketing

Some businesses think that it is more important to have a bigger mailing list when in reality, it is the quality of the list that is most important. 

An element of quality can include spamming rather than getting permission.  The mistake that many small businesses make is to continuously send out emails without taking the time to ask the recipient if they actually want to receive them. 

Also, the source of the email addresses might not be from an authorised source and can be from unregulated direct marketing companies.  There are businesses that use dubious direct marketing methods and make spamming their business.

Put yourself in the shoes of your customers and clients, what scenario would you prefer? 

a)  To receive unsolicited information from a business that you have never heard of regarding a product or service that you have no interest in.

OR ….

b)  To ask to be sent information because you are interested in what a business has to offer or may have done business with them in the past and are interested in their future activities. 

How you choose to interact with potential and actual customers/clients has a direct correlation with the perception that they have of your business and brand.  Someone receiving spam email is less likely to open your email and if they do, will not be very responsive. 

So –

1.  Make sure that you get your email addresses from a reputable source.  The Direct Marketing Association has details of members who sell access to email lists in the UK - www.the-dma.org.uk

2.  If you use an email list that you have compiled yourself using public sources, ask the recipient to opt in to receive future emails.  Even if you have to ask more than once, just make sure that they do not receive emails on an ongoing basis if they have not explicitly agreed to it. 

3.  Make sure that you provide an option for recipients to ‘opt-out’ (stop) receiving emails from you.  Many businesses that spam do not provide any method or contact details for this to happen. 

4.  To save time, use an automated email service such as Aweber (www.aweber.com) or the UK based company Sign Up To (www.sign-up.to).   These services allow recipients to confirm their opt-in to receive further information along with clear links to opt out at any time.

Free Online Tools

The web is a resource that is under utilised by many businesses.  It is fair to assume that many businesses in general could make more use of the web to grow their businesses. 

Technology is at the heart of guerrilla marketing as it creates a level playing field and allows entrepreneurs to flourish by defining a niche, automating processes and offering products to a targeted and segmented audience. 

21st Century OnlineIn the twenty first century there are so many cost effective or free options available.  Apart from an online brochure, the web allows you to create a relationship with customers/clients, to communicate with them on a regular basis, build a bond of trust and emphasise your expertise. 

 

The advent blogs, podcasts, forums, multi-media and social networking for business purposes and despite the size of your business, you can demonstrate your business acumen to a worldwide audience if you wish. 

Cost of entry is low – at minimum you need an internet connection and then you can either learn how to create your own website using various tools yourself or outsource the tasks to someone else.  If an ecommerce website is needed, then companies such as BT Tradespace and free online classifieds offer free web space to sell products online. 

Top five free online tool categories:

1. Sell online (free) – BT Tradespace, Free Classifieds
2. Social Networking – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
3. Non Hosted Blogs – Blogger.com, Wordpress.com
4. Online Video/User Generated Content (UGC) – YouTube
5. Podcasts – Audacity Recording Software

The Web - A First Point of Call

If you have a particular need that you think can be fulfilled by a product or service, the web will most likely be your first port of call.  Where else can you quickly and easily get the information that you need?

Be Visible Online

Even if you provide a local service, your potential customers and clients will often search on the web to find a product or service that provides a solution to a problem.  They will spend time reading up about the services/products that you provide and compare it to other companies using their own specific criteria.  More importantly, they will get an impression of your business and brand that will fill them with confidence and trust to convince them that you are someone to work with.

For retailers, an ecommerce website clearly offers the opportunity to be open 24 hours a day, provide detailed product information and attract an audience that is much larger than a typical bricks and mortar establishment. 

A good example is when a consumer considers buying an electrical item and researches the technical information online before visiting a retail outlet to help with a purchasing decision.   Unfortunately some retailers still manage to lose the sale at the point of purchase but that is beyond the realm of a website. 

Online Retailers

For potential customers, your website might be their only point of contact with your brand so first impressions are important.  Include your contact details such as a telephone number and/or email address and adhere to the Distance Selling Regulations for those retailers based in the UK. 

For businesses that only exist online, a website is the sole outlet for selling products/services so it is even more important.  If you have a generic web address e.g. Abc Enterprises, consider purchasing a new domain (web address) that is explains what you do and is more memorable for potential buyers.  In addition to this, search engines will use the keywords in your domain name as another way to target your website.