Social Media - ur doing it rite - PART II - Powershop

So we've already looked at how 2degrees mobile use Facebook particularly well, the second company I want to give social media props to is Powershop. I have a bit of a soft spot for this new wave of companies coming out at the moment who have this rebel image, like by signing up with them I am somehow "sticking it to the man" and Powershop with their "take the power back" slogan and strong almost propaganda-like imagery of powerful arms seizing cables give me this same feeling. As a stay-at-home-mum who spends most of her spare time on Facebook, I'm not exactly a hell-raising rebel these days so if buying my electricity gives me a buzz (sorry, I had to!) then their marketing campaign must be doing something right.
And their social-media is also. Powershop are one of my few "Favourited" Facebook pages on my iPod, I follow them on Twitter AND I signed up for their email newsletter. Mostly for the free 20 units of power but also for the specials and the interaction.

Powershop have managed to foster a great sense of community amongst their fans and followers, you really get a sense that you are part of a movement. I love seeing that my Facebook friends have "liked" a Powershop update within seconds of it going up. I love snagging their awesome deals. I love rushing back to Facebook to post to let others know that the deal is up already. It may just be paying the bills but somehow they've managed to make it fun. Are you listening Telecom? A broad Scottish accent and some fly-fishing isn't quite enough.

So what exactly do Powershop do right, lets break it down into the 3 big must-have categories for Social Media:

Fun
It's difficult in your social media communications to sound genuine and sincerely fun but Powershop manage to. In fact there is so much about Powershop that is fun and irreverant, which is part of the appeal. If its possible to somehow admit this without sounding like a suck-up, I drew a lot of inspiration from Powershop's graphic style and name when coming up with our name and the Twitter backgrounds on our accounts.*
A great example of how Powershop bring the fun to social media is a recent poll to decide on the icon for their Queen's Birthday special deal. There were 4 really funny icons to chose from and at the end of the day, it was all just a bit of fun as the deal was the same no matter what, but I really considered my selection and even tweeted their Twitter account about which one I chose! They change their profile pics to cute little variations on the Powershop logo; the current FB one has a thick winter scarf added while the Twitter one has a little bluebird perched on top. They also just launched power packs which give you $10 off your bar tab! What could be more fun than free drinks with your electricity?

Engagement
When it comes to engaging their followers and using social media for customer support Powershop really have it nailed. Heck, the CEO was already a fan of us on Facebook before I'd finished drafting this post! ;) But seriously, one quick browse through the Twitter feed on the main account shows how dedicated to customer service the Powershop team are. Sort by "Just others" on the Powershop Facebook page and you will see customer interaction for Africa. I think it speaks volumes when the fans voice not just their issues but also their love for a company on their Facebook wall. It shows that they know it is worth their while expressing it there, and when the company in question is Powershop, it seems it definately is! One thing that strikes me is that the reply comments from the Powershop team aren't just "contact us on our help email" comments, (which in and of themselves have a lot of value) but are directly answering the messages there and then. That comes across as confident and approachable to me and it wouldn't be possible for the community feel to exist if the company wasn't coming across as personable and engaging in their social media communications. I'm a bit of a nong when it comes to getting replies from well-known people or companies, I go all fangirl and gushy and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. When businesses recognize the impact even a brief response can have on a fan or follower, they harness the real power of social media.

Regular, Relevant Updates
Looking back over the last month or so the updates on the Facebook page range from once a week to up to once or twice a day which I think is the perfect balance. Frequent updates keep your brand in the forefront of your customers's minds but it's very easy to become spammy in the attempt. While the bulk of the Powershop updates are announcing their specials (and no-one is complaining about this, trust me!) they also post fun polls, photos from work outings, messages about new features to name but a few recent examples. This keeps the fans guessing and intrigued. If you know what the content is likely to be, it's easy to tune it out when sifting through the vast firehose of information that is the Facebook/Twitter feed, but if a page constantly surprises & titillates a fan is more likely to give it the time of day.

Bonus Category - Specials!

I call this the bonus category because while I don't believe its a must-have, it's certainly a great-to-have. Everyone likes a freebie and this is really the hook that gets followers, Powershop regularly offer special power deals. The Powershop team notify their Facebook & Twitter followers of specials, sometimes in advance with a crypticness which totally adds to the fun! Fans have become quite fond of one character in particular, the Cat Burgler(ess) who appears on the Steal A Deal special from time to time. Certainly, when you offer limited numbers of a deal there are bound to be those who miss out and come to vent their frustration on the Facebook page but the Powershop team handle this feedback calmly, supplying the fans with the info they need to understand why they missed out. As I like to say, you can't control what others say about you, you can only control how you deal with it and I think that Powershop is dealing with it with aplomb!

Shot Powershop! Ur doin it rite!

Links:
Powershop's Website
Powershop on Facebook
Powershop on Twitter
PowershopPromos on Twitter

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* On my personal Twitter account you can see the halftone pattern background, inspired by the strong graphic style of Powershop's images, which then influenced the damask & argyle patterns on the other colourways.

Edit - How could I forget the most important thing of all, they have Airshed power packs! I'd be for it if I didn't give a shoutout to my cuz at Airshed! :P

Social Media - ur doin it rite akshully! PART I

If you haven't seen a picture on the internet with a caption similar to this, I can't help you! But seriously, I started drafting this blog post to talk about 3 Kiwi companies who are using social media and doing it well. Then I realised I had so much to say I'd have to break it up into a post per company, so this is the first of our new series on businesses who are doing it rite!

These are companies I personally follow on Facebook and Twitter, and interact with regularly, because they are just getting what social media is all about.
When you can't help but Like a post on Facebook or write a quick comment back, or you stop to retweet their recent update because you really believe it should be shared, that's when you know that they are doing something right.

Today's spotlight is on 2degree Mobile's Facebook page. When 2degrees launched their mobile network in mid-2009, NZ was hungry for more compeition in the mobile service provider realm. They arrived on the scene with big promises, funny ads that starred a very current comedian and had a fun, quirky feel. But that isn't enough to convince most people to change their cellphone provider, you need a strong presence in the market and to win the trust of your potential customers. I hopped on the bandwagon fairly early and became an evangelist for the brand, sharing their Facebook updates and telling all my friends about how good the deals were, and in hindsight it was their presence on Facebook and the interactions I saw there that convinced me to make the move.

There are 3 big areas which I believe are the key to successful social media interactions and 2degrees must agree, for they do them all so very well.

Fun
Just like their irreverant ads starring Geoff the Robot and the ever popular Rhys Darby, 2degrees' Facebook updates are fun and fresh. The 2degrees team post a varied range of fun content, including polls (not just info gathering for them but just for fun too) and sneak-peak videos of their upcoming ads.

Engagement
The 2degrees team on Facebook actually reply to the customer comments! Shocker!
I can share a personal experience here, I mentioned a niggly problem I've been having with my phone but would never bother actually calling them about. A 2degrees staffer encouraged me to message them on Facebook so they could help. Several very helpful attempts later he forwarded my issue onto their tech support who called me within a day or two and spent close to an hour on the phone to me trying to help me get it sorted. In the end it just turned out my phone was too old but they tried so hard to help me that I hold them in much higher esteem than I did before, if possible! And though we didn't get the issue fixed, now my phone can do PXTs and log into Foursquare so thats a win!
In short, using your social media as a customer service tool is a fantastic idea and 2degrees understand this. Their FB discussion boards are full of to and 'fro between the team and their customers addressing issues (like mine!)  
Note: I will talk more about the benefits of social media for customer service in an upcoming post.

Regular Updates
I can't stress enough how important it is to update regularly. It's a fine line between not enough posts and too many but 2degrees get it right. You want to stay in your fans' consciousness but without annoying them. Annoyed fans don't think so highly of you, even if they don't go and remove their "like" on your page, they may hide you from their newsfeed, meaning they don't see your messages. (Note: You can see how many fans have hidden you on their newsfeed from Facebook's Page Insights tool.)

There is also a bonus 4th thing which seems to help but isn't strictly necessary in my opinion:

Giveaways & Prizes
Everyone loves a freebie and 2degrees offer special deals and prizes occasionally through their Facebook page like free $10 text packs to the first 50 people to like a post, partnering with a music site to giveaway a funky USB "mixtape" of Kiwi indie artists and then there is their regular monthly draw of a year's worth of top ups.

So hats off to 2degrees, arguably New Zealand's funnest and cheapest mobile service provider! You got my business and my loyalty, because I think you are doing a great job!

Links:
2degrees Mobile on Facebook
2degrees on Twitter
2degrees' website

Foursquare in Christchurch Press

I was saying to my dad/boss on Monday that sometimes it feels to me as though NZ is a bit slow on the uptake of new Internet things, which as a country which often serves as a guinea pig for new technologies seems a bit strange. Since social media is a personal passion (addiction/obsession?) of mine I spend a lot of time surfing and searching for what's new and hot and useful out there. For example, I heard about Foursquare months ago, still probably long behind the rest of the world (launched in March 2009) but absolutely _NONE_ of my email contacts, Twitter or Facebook friends were also signed up and an astonishing number of local businesses were absent from it.

I commented that it seems that people don't jump on the bandwagon of a new site or service til it gets exposure in the "old school" media like TV, newspaper etc.

Imagine my surprise, when I was lighting the fire that evening, to find this in the Christchurch Press special pull-out section:

Maybe now people will catch on a bit! If more venues appear I'll have more reason to buy an iPhone on the company credit card! ;) jk...I don't have a company credit card :(
But yay for Foursquare. Thanks old media!

Links:
The Press in Christchurch
Foursquare

Services page update

Just a quick note to advise that our Services page has been updated! Check it out for some of the many ways we can help your business get the most from your social media solutions! Remember, we are flexible so if you don't quite see what you need there, just drop us a line to discuss it: info@chirpfactory.co.nz

eReader discussion

In light of New Zealand's first eBook reader release (Whitcoulls' Kobo and accompanying eBook store, not to mention the free eReader apps for a variety of other devices...) I thought I'd write a bit of a discussion on eReading, since its a topic near and dear to my heart.

I'll admit, at first I was skeptical about switching to eReading. We are creatures of habit and I've been reading physical books all my life, why should I switch? Then I tried it and fell in love!

At first I read on my Nintendo DS using homebrew software (legitimate freeware) called ReadMore Alpha. The dual screens of the DS and its clamshell design mimicked the experience of reading a real book but with all the benefits of eBooks, including touch screen page turning. Since I primarily read in bed, lying down, the DS's ability to stay open while lying on the pillow beside me was perfect!
Then I tried reading on a Sony PSP again on homebrew software. The PSP
s shape was too awkward for me and its annoying habit of jumping to the beginning or end of the book by accidental keypress drove me round the bend.
Til my iPod Touch arrived, now I have everything I could wish for in an eReader, excepting only the "book" shape of the DS.

Anyway, that's the history of my eReading, I've been strictly reading eBooks for over a year now, so thought I'd share some of the pros and cons in case any of you have been thinking about it but not ready to dip your toes in yet!

eReading Pros:

1. Most eReaders (though not Whitcoulls' Kobo) have a backlight meaning night reading just got way easier! No lamps, no fiddly booklights, no more falling asleep with the light on and a book over your face!

2. You can carry a literal library around with you anywhere! Most eReaders have a huge storage capacity (eBooks are usually very small files) and fit in your pocket or bag easily! Imagine lugging War and Peace around with you all day! No thanks!

3. It may seem minor to some but I have tiny weak wrists so I actually find it hard to hold heavy or big books for long. Fail, I know! But eReaders do away with this, although it means my wrists will never get any stronger!

4. If you use a device like an iPhone/iPod/iPad etc for eReading then you will have access to a variety of eReader apps. Kindle, Whitcoulls, Barnes & Noble all have their own app which allows you to buy books direct from their online store and download straight to the app. You can also use apps like Stanza which gives you access to wirelessly pick up books from your computer as well as downloading legitimate free books from a myriad of sites. You can also check your emails, read your RSS feeds (I am loving my Mobile RSS Feed app at the moment!) or read PDFs. So you aren't limited to just your eBooks if you use a multifunction device rather than a straight eBook Reader device. I also have an app called Littera which creates reading lists for me based on a Delicious tag. It shows me all pages I have bookmarked with a given tag (I use "readme") and lets me browse them offline. Great for catching up on all those pages you mean to read but don't get time til you are away from your desk! (Instapaper and ReadItLater are other great sites which do this but I prefer Delicious + Littera as I use Delicious for other things too.)
Also this lets you jump out of the eReader app to look something up or make a note or send an email, as you think of it!

4. Free samples! I just discovered today that Whitcoulls' eBook store lets you download a free sample of the book first! I snagged a snippet of the deliciously alliterative "Sense and Sensibility and Seamonsters" which I've been searching high and low for on eBook for ages! And at only $10 NZD it's simply a steal! Sure you can have a quick flick through a book in a store before you buy it but do you have time to stand there and read a whole chapter first?

5. Auto-sleep. The DS and PSP didn't automatically put themselves to sleep without wasting too much battery life, but the iPod/iPhone's auto-sleep function means I can nod off without worrying about it being flat when I wake up in the morning, since I have a habit of falling asleep while reading. Yes, I was speaking from years and years of vast experience when I mentioned the book on the face and lights on!

6. Carbon Footprint. I hadn't considered this til I saw a friend pondering it on Facebook. Does using an energy driven eBook reader create a bigger or smaller carbon footprint than cutting down trees to print physical books? Does anyone know? Should we care? Some people do and its probably an important question we should be asking ourselves before this technology overruns us, like so many have already. I personally would like to see the stats, if anyone has studied it already.

eReading Cons:

1. At the moment most apps I've used don't render images or the eBooks don't contain images which the book would have had. This is frustrating especially for sci-fi books which include maps of fictional lands (I scoured the net for a good copy of the maps for David Edding's Belgariad series to no avail!) Some do though but its a bit hit and miss still.

2. Strange characters and typo's from OCR scans in non-legitimate books. This could also be chalked up as one for buying legitimate eBooks, which we strongly advise you do! But with dodgy books often (we hear...) that some characters don't display properly or have odd line breaks and sometimes words are picked up wrongly by the OCR software used to scan in the real books to convert them. "A friend of mine" once read an entire book where the word "the" was rendered as "die."

3. This could be a pro but I find it more annoying than good; people asking you questions about your eBook reader. When I was in hospital after having my second child I was grilled at length by the lady who checks newborns' hearing when she saw me reading on my DS. Plus people look at me a bit sideways when I whip out my iPod at church to use my Bible application! If you love talking to strangers about your eBook reader then put another tally in the pros column but personally I prefer to read my book not talk about it!

So, what are your thoughts on eReading? Are you a convert, a dabbler or a stuck-in-the-mud? :P Why? And have you read War and Peace on it yet? (I haven't but its on my bucket list!)

Links:
Whitcoulls' Kobo release & eBook store
ReadMore Alpha - NDS Homebrew Application
Amazon's Kindle
Barnes & Noble's Nook
Stanza - eReader app for iPhone/iPod Touch
David Edding's Belgariad Series on Wikipedia
Sense and Sensibility and Seamonsters at Whitcoulls' online store
War and Peace from Project Guttenberg (free legitimate eBooks)

Study shows internet use rewires brain and shatters attention spans!

I recently read a very interesting article about the way the internet is rewiring our brains and it showed that links in text are very distracting, as your brain has to make a decision whether or not to click on it which disrupts the flow of reading, so I'll post relevant links at the end of my posts now, in an effort to allow you to focus on the words! There was a lot of very enlightening (and scarily familiar) information in the article so I urge you to read it too! Does any of it sound like your brain? I know it definately sounds like ... *click*

Links:
"The Web Shatters Focus, Rewires Brains" - Nicholas Carr

Slowcooker Chocolate Self-saucing Pudding Recipe

Something a little off-topic for today's post, I thought I'd share this scrummy recipe, super-easy and perfect for these chilly evenings! I added a few choc chips on top of the batter and did it on low for 4 hours instead of high for 2.

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In a large bowl combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and a tiny pinch of salt.

Add 1/2 cup milk, 2 tablespoons oil (I use rice bran or grapeseed), and 1 teaspoon vanilla and stir well.
Pour this yummy mix into the crock pot.

Then in another bowl mix 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa and add 2 cups of hot water. Mix all this really well until blended together.

Pour the wet mix over the batter in the crockpot ... DO NOT STIR!

Pop the lid on and cook on high for about 2 hours, or until a skewer comes out clean!

Enjoy!