Social Media Digest - Blogging Takes Step Forward in Cyprus
The art of blogging for business and individual career development took a step forward with the Business for Blogging event held at Limassol’s Carob Mill on December 9th, where I had the opportunity to talk to 140 attendees about the value of blogging for reputation and influencing your target market, and to listen to 10 other excellent marketers, publishers and thought leaders.
I consider each social medium to be a microblog, so although most people using Facebook or Twitter don’t realise it, they are all - in their own individual way - blogging on a regular basis to an audience of friends, potential employers or clients. This doesn’t mean becoming self-conscious, on the contrary, it means adding to our appreciation of how useful social media is becoming in our lives and careers. Blogs can also be more in-depth on a company’s website, on a stand-alone site or in third-party websites.
For those who missed it, here are my takeaways from the Business Behind Blogging event organised by Anirot Development, as expressed by the experts:
Sarah Fenwick, co-founder CyprusNewsReport.com, Jazz Arts & Communications:
“Whoever controls the media, the images, controls the culture.” ― Allen Ginsberg
The popularity of the Internet, the relative ease of creating a website, and the low cost of social media provide an unprecedented opportunity for businesses to build influence in the media by blogging. Top 11 reasons businesses should blog and spread their news:
- Creating exposure, public profile and awareness with the target market.
- As part of market positioning strategy.
- Communicating their example - corporate social responsibility projects.
- Consistent front-of-mind positioning.
- Creating shareable content for social media.
- Reinforcing branding and company image.
- Influencing the market with expert opinion/tips/advice.
- Creating qualified traffic flow to company website.
- Being a useful part of the business community.
- Combining promotion with helpful information.
- Improving search engine rankings.
Panagiotis Pieri, founder of start-up news site DisruptCyprus
Companies that blog create many more opportunities and leads, and the exciting world of start-ups is moving extremely fast. Panagiotis showed us one of the start-up examples he found at Techcrunch in London - EzyInsights - which helps publishers find the latest trending and viral blog and video content to drive their editorial decisions.
Bella Sovmiz, founder at the beauty blog TheOtherFWord
Research is key! Bloggers can research the best way to analyse and promote their blog, and even if you don’t have a writing background (Bella comes from the financial services sector) you can learn quickly if you research carefully. Bella has used her blog to become a well-known beauty expert and now writes for media companies in addition to her own blog.
Irene Demetriou, business development expert at Anirot Developments
A business development manager, conflict resolution and IR expert, she is a geek of academia, a law addict and policy innovator, an EU project manager, a funding guru and a strategic marketer. Irene believes in business development, whether through PR or marketing and is a fan of innovation and specialisation. In her talk, Irene urges people to be real when they’re blogging, and to create content that adapts to the audience’s feedback and needs.
George Theodotou, Marketing Director of Alphamega Hypermarkets.
A strategic part of the organisation, George has contributed greatly to Alphamega’s ever expanding and ascending development, and describes their approach as storytelling through social media and video with popular food bloggers. The company’s storytelling approach appeals to the supermarket’s main audience, women between the ages of 23-50.
Demetris Demetriou, CMO for SPP Media Group (publishers Kathimerini, Must, MAD).
Demetris is the best of two worlds, a blogger and a media expert serving as the Chief Marketing Officer for one of the biggest media and publishing houses in Cyprus and Greece. In his talk, Demetris explained what media groups are looking for from the bloggers they work with, mainly to be tightly focused on the target audience’s preferences. As an active citizen and writer himself, he advocates balanced and well-researched articles.
Marios Karatzias, CEO SocialWiz
For the greater part of his professional life, Marios worked at Cyta. Last March, he decided to leave his position as the Senior Manager of Customer Services in order to make Twitter and social media his business. He co-founded SocialWiz with his wife, Rita, and currently serves as CEO. SociaWiz specialises in Twitter, promoting and consulting clients in order to enhance their presence in social media.
Marios has encouraging words for Twitter users, advising them to build a network, support by retweeting and keep engaged to get engagement. He points out the power of Twitter to change politics, with breaking news and strong opinion coming from the ground up, it’s no place for lies or manipulation. If you make a mistake - say sorry and correct it!
Julia Papageorgiou, founder of JPP Marketing
Julia Papageorgiou is an experienced strategic marketer. In 2008 she founded JPP Marketing, an online marketing agency specialised in SEO, PPC and Web Analytics. In 2010, JPP Marketing became the first Google Adwords Certified Partner in Cyprus.
Julia took us carefully through Google Adwords, explaining the importance of tracking your blog’s results and of setting up Goals and understanding the different reports available in this invaluable tool.
Peggy Spinelli - founder at The Write Formula
When she gows up, Peggy Spineli wants to be a nail tech. Until then, she will keep taking diligent care of her fingertips by typing incessantly. She started with diaries, but, then carried on with magazines, newspapers, sites and blogs…of others.
Peggy’s talk was in Greek (much of the audience was bilingual) and she underlined the importance for bloggers to proof-read their work, writing great copy, being authentic, doing proper research, and respecting the audience. A charming talk full of good advice from a caring professional. Main takeaway: write in the language you’re most comfortable in, if you’re comfortable in English, write in English, if you’re comfortable in Greek, write in Greek. Don’t do Greeklish!
Xeni Anastasiou - founder at Brain Cube Communications
Xeni Anastasiou is an powerful advocate of content strategy. She is the CEO of Brain Cube Digital, ‘The Social Firm’ in Cyprus. Xeni’s work focuses on the processes, people and policies that make up the foundation for extraordinary, sustainable content.
Xeni’s talk focused on the fascinating psychological aspect of social media, and peoples’ need to affiliate, to feel connected and to feel a sense of control through their social networks. Marketing and blogging should empower the audience to feel a sense of achievement, togetherness and community for the longest-lasting effects.
Lastly, a word of thanks to Andreas Rotsides and Irene Demetriou of Anirot Development co, for having the vision to organise a refreshingly relaxed and free-to-be-opinionated conference that’s sure to take blogging one step forward in Cyprus.
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About Sarah Fenwick
Editor, journalist, jazz singer and digital marketing consultant.
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1 Comment
Nowadays the buyers are more well educated than ever, so social media is a good place to add high quality content in order to educate and give alternative solutions to the future and existing clients.