Eva Keogan is a blogger and social media specialist, and some time resident of Notting Hill and now Strand on the Green. This year she set up Home of Social to work with individuals and companies who want to learn about and leverage social media. Home of Social offer courses across west London and is also hoping to train mumpreneurs and mums in this new medium.
WLM recently caught up with Eva…
How long have you been practicing social media?
As a communications professional, it’s really important to keep ahead of what’s next so I started using social media about seven years ago and it’s now developed into a standalone discipline.
In 2007, I started blogging and a year later began using social media in a business context. It’s something I’m very passionate about and really enjoy. Every day there’s something new and different and it’s been a lot of fun so far.
What do you believe is the biggest barrier to businesses leveraging social media?
The biggest barrier to businesses when it comes to social media is fear of the unknown. They worry about negative feedback which is a lost opportunity to engage with customers. If they work with them to address any issues this usually results in a positive outcome for both parties. Companies also see it as an extra on the ‘to do’ list, rather than a really important element of modern business.
What do you think the future of social media is?
Social media will continue to evolve and it’s useful to remember that’s it’s not just Facebook and Twitter we are talking about; there is a lot of new technology in this area and for the first time it’s really user friendly. The education sector is embracing social media so it’s time for the grown ups to catch up and close that generation gap.
What advice do you give to small business in regards to their social media presence?
Small businesses who want to use social media should think about where their customers are playing; is it Facebook or LinkedIn for example? If so, they should investigate how other companies are reaping the rewards in those places and see how they can adopt and adapt various strategies. From a practical point of view; branding channels and making sure the profiles are complete is really important as is a good content strategy and connecting with the right people. It’s really worthwhile to think about how much time they can dedicate to making social media a success for them too.
What mistakes do you see small businesses making when it comes to their social media policy?
A social media policy should be really straight forward and be in line with the way you do business. It should be there to support and guide employees rather than penalise them for enthusiasm. Some companies fail to create a policy, which is a real oversight and it can often lead to stray tweets or Facebook status updates that can damage the company reputation. Having a clear, concise social media policy (something about 5 points long that can fit on an A4 print out) gives everyone a good reference point.
You mentioned you want to train mums and mumpreneurs – why do you think this sector is perfect for a mum possibly transitioning back to work?
I really enjoy running workshops because people are so enthusiastic and feel they’ve got something powerful out of the session. Attendees have different needs; some feel that they want to understand what social media is about so will come in at entry level, others are pretty savvy and want to improve what they’re doing already. Interestingly, I’ve noticed that many women are setting up businesses on their own and really want to learn social media marketing to reap the benefits of being their own bosses. There are quite a few Mums who’ve had career breaks while having kids that want to brush up on their skills and knowledge too. The professionals that attend want to extend their skill set and others want to blog about their lives, interests and passions just for the sheer enjoyment of it.
To find out more about Home of Social and their courses, please visit:
