The Importance of Customer Service via Social Media

Posted on March 19, 2014 by krisgoetz — Leave a comment

Back in November, I presented an intro to Twitter workshop at the North Hill Business Education Centre. During the presentation, I outlined the various reasons for businesses to have a presence on Twitter – most of these tend to be fairly obvious to any business owner, but one of them seemed to stand out the most for attendees: the importance of customer service via social media.

First of all, let’s take a look at the normal customer service channels we’ve become familiar with. We’re often given 1-800 numbers to call if we run into any issues, but let’s face it – we end up being transferred to multiple departments, placed on hold for hours, and then speaking to someone who is – yet again – from the wrong department. Not helpful, and a complete time-waster.

In recent years, many companies have set up help forums on their websites. You can search for your problem and see if a solution has already been posted, and in some cases you can post your own question to the public forum and wait for an answer. Not as terrible as the phone calls, but not always the best option.

Now look at social media. You’ll often find that when a customer has a question or complaint about a company, they’ll go straight to Twitter or Facebook. The reason? It’s the quickest way to get the company’s attention. No brand wants negative feedback in the public eye, so they’ll be sure to resolve it to the customer’s satisfaction as soon as possible.

On a personal level, I’ve used Twitter for this very reason on multiple occasions. Without naming names, the companies I had a negative experience with were quick to fix the problem and go the extra mile. In one particular case, a company incorrectly charged me for services and products I hadn’t ordered. I emailed and called their customer service and was only offered credit toward their products – no refund. This wasn’t acceptable to me, so I went to Twitter and made my issue public as a warning to their other potential customers. Not one minute after I posted they connected with me and offered a full refund and a great deal of help, and I’ve continued to be their customer. All because of Twitter.

This is a perfect example of why your business needs to utilize social media properly as an effective customer service tool. It can mean the difference between an unhappy ex-customer and a satisfied long-term one.

Posted in Customer Service, Social Media, Twitter

Join Us For an “Intro to Twitter” Workshop

Posted on November 13, 2013 by krisgoetz — Leave a comment

As we’ve mentioned in past blog posts, social media is an important part of running a business. Any business. One of the main reasons that social media management has become our most popular service is that business owners are increasingly aware of how imperative a social media presence is, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they know why – or how to get started.

We can help.

Starting this month, The MediaHaus will be leading a series of social media workshops at the North Hill Business Education Centre in Toronto. These classes will arm entrepreneurs and small business owners with the tools and information they need to effectively start and strategize their social media initiatives.

The first workshop is an introduction to Twitter – perfect for absolute beginners, as we will walk you through the process of creating an effective and well-branded presence on Twitter. From sign-on to strategy, attendees will learn how to properly use Twitter to help reach their business goals.

The first workshop takes place on Monday November 18th from 7pm-9pm, at a special soft launch price of only $49. Learn more and register here.

We’re also giving away two free entries to Monday’s workshop – here’s how to enter:

Via Twitter:

– follow @NorthHillBEC

– follow @TheMediaHaus

– Tweet: “I want to learn with @TheMediaHaus at the @NorthHillBEC #LearnWithNorthHill”

Via Facebook:

– like the North Hill Business page

– like The MediaHaus page

*note – if you’re already following or have previously liked a page, simply comment below and you’ll be added to the draw.

Each separate action gives you one entry into the contest, and we will announce the winner on Monday morning. Good luck, and we’ll see you on Monday!

Tagged with: Contest, North Hill Business Education Centre, twitter, Workshop
Posted in Social Media, The MediaHaus, Twitter

How Antvibes Has Made Voice An Effective Branding Tool

Posted on September 11, 2013 by krisgoetz — Leave a comment

With all of the constant changes in the marketing world, we’re often looking for the best new ways to properly brand our products, services, and even ourselves. Social media has certainly been a game-changer, but there’s another way to take it to the next level – give your brand a voice.

Antvibes is a company based out of Waterloo’s tech hub that has innovated and taken branding in a new direction. Their Audible Tags are brief voiced clips that allow brands to further explain a product or service at point of sale, and even offer personal information as an email signature.

While the mere mention of QR codes can cause some marketers to shudder, Antvibes has found the perfect way to use them to their proper potential – by placing the QR code on advertisements, products, cards, etc, users can scan it via their smartphone and hear the voiced message. There is no limit to where a brand message can be placed. Tags can also work online, anywhere a link or image can go.

Click here for an example, and hear how a DSLR camera was given a voice so buyers could learn more about it, right on the spot. Another great example are the tags created by Versado Wine – they’ve used the power of voice and mobile marketing to give customers information about the different wines they offer. Have a listen to this one, for their 2010 Versado Malbec.

For more information on Audible Tags, visit www.antvibes.com.

Tagged with: Antvibes, Branding, Mobile Marketing, Voice, Waterloo
Posted in The MediaHaus

The Benefits of Social Media Consulting

Posted on June 21, 2013 by krisgoetz — Leave a comment

Social media management is one of our main services here at The MediaHaus, and it’s an important one – having regularly updated social media channels with the proper voice and ability to engage has become a need for all businesses and brands. But some choose to be more hands-on with their social media initiatives, and prefer to handle the management themselves.

For anyone just starting out in the social media world or for those who don’t know best practices, consulting and training services can be immensely beneficial.

Source – Big Stock

Learn the Ropes:

Brands just getting started with social media can be overwhelmed by all of the options and “rules”. Having someone come in and help you with the initial set-up and strategy is a great way to learn the ropes the right way, without compromising your brand’s message and personality. A consultant can show you which platforms suit your needs best, and how to make the most of them.

Tools of the Trade:

Hootsuite? Tweetdeck? Smartphone apps, auto-schedulers, analytics? There are a great deal of helpful tools that streamline social media use, and allow you to be as effective as possible. With help from a consultant, you can determine which ones would be most useful to you, and learn how to properly use each of them for optimal results.

Create your own voice, with the help of a pro:

You know that you want your brand to stand out, but when you’re about to start posting it can be more difficult than you imagined. Having a brand personality is very important, and there are a lot of variables to consider. Who is your target audience? What will they engage with? Does what your posting show personality without alienating or offending your demographic (or anyone else, for that matter)? Consultants will guide you through the process and help create the online voice that you need.

For more information our social media consulting services, email us at info@themediahaus.ca

Posted in Uncategorized

The Value of Putting Pen to Paper in a Digital World

Posted on June 6, 2013 by krisgoetz — 1 Comment

Like many of you, 99.9% of my job is done on computer, a lot of it online. That’s the norm. But unlike the majority of people in my line of work, I use a couple of tools that are rarely heard of anymore – pen and paper.

For those of you too young or too digitally-inclined to remember what a pen and a piece of paper are, please refer to the photo. Often seen as archaic by our current generation, at one time they were the best vehicle for our words and ideas.

Archaic or not, I stand by them. Every single day I write myself a to-do list for the next morning, and I write these lists in a book; page after page of daily lists. I’ve tried writing these same lists on a mobile app and on my computer, but it’s never as effective as putting pen to paper. It’s much more satisfying to physically cross a task off my list each time.

For as long as I’ve been writing I’ve often preferred a notebook to a keyboard, save for client projects – there’s something more personal about handwritten words. And so while my computer has most of my focus throughout the day, I’ll always have a little love for my pen and paper. Some old habits truly do die hard.

But I’d like to hear from you: Do you still find use for these non-digital tools?

Tagged with: digital, pen and paper
Posted in The MediaHaus, Uncategorized

How To Choose The Right Social Media For Your Business

Posted on April 9, 2013 by krisgoetz — Leave a comment

The social media world can be quite daunting, especially for businesses. With so many platforms to choose from, how do you know which one suits your needs – and is it really necessary to have a presence on every single one?

When speaking to clients who are looking to get on board with social media, I never suggest signing up for every single social media channel – at least not to start. For most businesses, it’s smart to begin with the big ones: Facebook and Twitter. But that decision depends on your particular brand.

In order to choose the right social media outlets, there are a few things to consider:

Know Your Demographic – If your business sells orthotics to seniors, Instagram may not be the right place for you. But for a brand new vintage clothing store, the medium is perfect. The key is to use social media to reach the intended audience and connect with them; there’s no sense in wasting time or money to be placed in front of a demographic that doesn’t care.

What Are Your Needs? – If you have a lot of info to share regularly, Facebook and Twitter are standard. You want to put a face behind your business and connect via video? YouTube is exactly what you need for that, with Vine and Keek as related options. If online meetings with your customers or peers is important, get a Google+ page and use Google Hangout. Your needs are specific – your social media should cater to them.

Don’t Get Overwhelmed – Having an account on every social media platform available is a lot of work, especially with new ones cropping up regularly. Just think of all the managing that entails, not to mention to content creation – you’ll need to have a lot to say daily, and it all must be within your brand voice. One of the main reasons we at The MediaHaus are hired as social media managers is because most business owners simply don’t have the time needed to constantly curate content and manage each account. And we all know that a lot of time is required to run the business itself, never mind the online side of it.

So do some research. Talk to people like us who manage social media accounts for a living. Find out which outlets will work best for you and your brand, and get started.

Create your online presence – you can always add to it.

*Image courtesy of Social Media In Business

Tagged with: business, Marketing, social media
Posted in Social Media, The MediaHaus, Uncategorized

The Business of Being a Band

Posted on March 27, 2013 by krisgoetz — Leave a comment

On a few occasions I’ve been asked why I target our services to both businesses and bands – after all, aren’t they completely different markets?

To that, my simple answer is no. Businesses and bands are not so different at all. In fact, when you get right down to it, a band is a business. It’s comprised of people with specific skills who form together to create a new endeavor. It takes work, talent, sacrifice, and (where The MediaHaus comes in) it requires marketing, promotion and branding.

If created for the right reasons, both are passion projects striving for success.

As a small business owner, I partnered my love of music to my interest in business and offer services to both. To me, it makes perfect sense. Finding long-term success in either venture takes a great deal of work and the right set of tools to get there – and whether you’re starting a band or a business, the basic tools are the same. Your product, service, or music needs to get in front of people. It needs to create interest, be accessible and have the right brand message.

Though a band is its own business, the reverse is not exactly true – but there is one lesson that business owners can learn from musicians working toward their goal: Don’t lose sight of why you started. Remember to enjoy the journey and the work involved. Stay passionate.

The journey to success, for bands and businesses alike, should always be fulfilling.

Tagged with: bands, business, music
Posted in The MediaHaus

…And So Began The Blog

Posted on March 14, 2013 by krisgoetz — Leave a comment

Well, I guess it’s time.

For a business so heavily involved in all things marketing and creative, it’s high time we started blogging for ourselves. And I suppose the correct way to start would be to properly introduce ourselves and what we do.

Hi. We’re The MediaHaus.

More specifically, I’m Kristen. I run it, manage all projects, am in charge of social media for our clients (and, of course, for The MediaHaus itself), and so on. But I’m not the only person involved. I have an amazing team of freelancers who provide fantastic work for our clients, and allow us to offer all the services that we do.

What services? I thought you’d never ask.

Here’s the short list:

Social Media Management
Website Design and Maintenance
Copywriting and Editing
Social Media Consulting
Online Reputation Management (ORM)
Audio Production
Graphic Design and Editing
Photography & Photo Editing
Voiceover and Narration
On-Screen Hosting
Illustration
Blog Reviews and Write-ups
Public Relations
Video Editing
Location Scouting
Online Marketing Strategies

We pride ourselves on being a one-stop creative & marketing source for brands, bands, & businesses.

Now that we’re blogging, we’ll get into some fun topics that match our brand. We also welcome guest posts from those who are interested – if that’s you, feel free to email info@themediahaus.ca.

Stay tuned for updates!

Tagged with: Creative, Marketing, The MediaHaus, Toronto
Posted in The MediaHaus