Social media continues to grow globally in terms of adoption, usage, interest and impact in a massive way. It’s undeniably changing the way that content and information work particularly in terms of the publishing of consumer opinion. This has transformed the way that consumers relate to brands and the way that brands should operate, driving direct interaction, transparency and a more consultative approach.

However, we still operate in a system defined by the old media world and consequently big brand involvement is still in the main tentative and sporadic. From my experience of trying to get big brands to embrace the social revolution, there are a number of reasons why they have yet to embrace the real opportunities that involvement can deliver:

1. Social Media is often viewed as just another marketing channel: It is of course so much more; it is a completely different approach to interacting with consumers and customers. Of course, you can advertise in a social media environment, but the true return on investment comes from developing communities, creating content to be shared, and talking and listening directly with consumers.

2. It does not fit into current structures: True social media falls somewhere between marketing, PR, communications, content production and web development. No one is quite sure whose responsibility it is and who should ultimately deliver their organisation’s social media strategy.

3. Communities and content are global: Users of social media connect, consume, and share content globally with little care for international borders. Marketing and PR departments and objectives are set up nationally or regionally. Very few organisations have a truly international structure and perspective.

4. Social media needs a long term approach: To build community, distribute content, or get people actively involved in an application takes time. Marketing and PR work on short time frames and are wedded to sets of individual campaigns or short term objectives. Social media is not a campaign, it’s a permanent approach.

5. No guaranteed results: You book advertising and it’s guaranteed to work. For, example you book a web campaign on page views and you keep going until you reach your goal. This is what advertisers call a push medium, i.e. you choose when people see it. Social media is a pull medium; usage and interaction is totally dependent on the user choosing to do so. If it’s not relevant or lacks creative brilliance it will not work. This makes it hard.

6. The metrics are new: Companies are used to the big numbers of advertising, but these numbers are different. Advertising is measured in booked exposures, i.e. page views, while social media is measured in direct interactions, i.e. number of friends, number of views or number of users. These numbers will always be smaller, but not necessarily any less measure of success.

How do big brands take the proper approach to social media?

There is also need for more and deeper research, to understand and quantify the value of engaging with consumers in social media versus traditional advertising. This is an emerging area that will see a lot more investment over the next year or so as is needed to show the financial case.

Lastly, companies need to look long term and understand the value that social media can bring to cultivate lifetime advocates of their brand. This is not about campaigns, but a permanent positioning. Hopefully, the current economy can help companies take this long-term perspective that has been lacking in the boom years.

Selling is hard work, but it’s even more difficult when the sales team starts exhibiting dysfunctional behavior. Here are the seven major sins of sales teams, along with some advice on how to cope:

1. OVERCONFIDENCE. When everyone wants to make big numbers, there’s a tendency to sell too much, too quickly. Solution: Before closing, always make certain that the customer really needs your offering and that your firm has the resources to deliver promptly.
2. GRANDIOSITY. If you’ve got a terrific offering, it’s all too easy to pretend that it’s a panacea. While some products do arguably “change the world” they’re few and far between. Solution: Focus on helping the customer, rather than converting them to a “product” religion.
3. HUBRIS. Sales professionals know what worked in the past, but the memory of past success blind the team to changing customer requirements. Solution: Become obsessed with customer satisfaction and measure it through an objective customer survey.
4. DEHUMANIZATION. Sales technology is great, but if it becomes too pervasive it can hinder the person-to-person interaction that is the core of relationship building. Solution: Use technology sparingly and use face-to-face communication for key customer meetings.
5. OVERWHELM. During times of change, there’s a tendency demand more from everybody on the team, and management may pile on extra offerings, making it difficult for keep abreast. Solution: Stay focused on what the customers are buying today.
6. STOVEPIPING. In every company there is a tendency for sales to view itself as the only group that’s really important; meanwhile, other groups start viewing the sales team as arrogant. Solution: Get other groups involved in the sales process by inviting them to meetings with key customers.
7. STRESS. Sales is, by nature, a stressful activity. If a sales team isn’t careful, it can end up creating a sales culture where stress becomes habitual, like a drug. Solution: Make humor and laughter an integral part of your personal sales process.

Have I missed anything?

The Internet is swarming with copywriters, web designers, software experts, project consulting personnel, financial wizards, artists, scientists, technologists etc who are acting as freelance experts or what we normally call freelance service providers in net jargon. Apart from a few (though the number is growing rapidly) freelance consulting organizations or portals, the majority of people are operating on their own and a cut throat competition is no exception on the web. Sometimes an unhealthy strife can be noticed between service providers and this result in some sort of distress, not only to the freelancers but also service buyers – who many times fail to make the most out of the immense potential Internet has to offer. Over and above, several English speaking countries compete with each other to proverbially “bag the order” resulting in intense activity and communication that requires a large amount of bandwidth. Broadband connections are certainly helping in solving several communication problems.

India -that mysterious land with a lot to offer, other than one of the 7 wonders!

English as a second language, but many in India consider it as their first language due to centuries of using this world tongue! The dialects are many, just like in England. The composition could match or even surpass the best Oxford or Queen’s English! Thoughts and inspiration in excelling in words can make many writers (authors) freelance in the profession of composing words into ideas that “have legs”! The software industry can boast of developments that even Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, or Linus Torvalds’ penguin can give it a standing ovation. What more does one need in terms of a multitude of talent at an economic cost – affordable and professional – more than one bargained for! It is no longer a mystery, nor a magic rope trick that has brought India as a forerunner in the freelancing field. Catering to all who wish to correctly outsource their projects has become a by word to the millions of freelancers and freelance conglomerations in India.

The Pros & Cons of Outsourcing Projects to India

If one checks out any outsourcing or bidding portal like GAF, Elance, RAC, Scriptlance etc it will become clear that a large contribution is made by service providers from India. The results therefore speak for themselves. India does have a large population as such and subsequently the distribution of freelancers on various IT careers is also large! Mostly this is considered strength for any nation! Sometimes of course a few providers do create problems through unethical and thoughtless actions but then this is prevalent in many other nations of the world. On a majority basis the freelance population of India is very useful for not only the English speaking world but also those who are not so proficient in this language. Therefore the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages and India is looked upon as a good outsourcing prospect.

How does India operate in the Outsourced Jobs?

There are some very large organizations in India who provide a compendium of services in the information technology field. They manage to pick up large jobs from other countries. However, a majority of freelancers work independently, working on smaller projects that really cannot be handled by very large corporate companies or conglomerates. The advantage of smaller freelancers is that they have a better turn around time and are surely more affordable. In the writing or copy writing field India does score pretty high in spite of English being a second language! Many young people work from home and are today fortunate to have broadband connections that make their freelance jobs easier. Payments modes are also more flexible these days so that money transfer is more viable and fast. These environmental conditions have given a good boost to the freelance trade in India.

Meta Description: India has great potential as a country for outsourcing all information technology projects. There are more advantages than disadvantages.