‘Using social media to promote your business – a beginner’s guide’ will be the title of four workshops hosted by training company GPA Solutions, who are based in Terryland Retail Park on the Headford Road.

The workshops will be facilitated by Liam Horan, of Sli Nua Communications and Careers, one of whose specialities is the application of social media for small to medium-sized businesses.

The workshops will take place over four Tuesdays (March 1^st, 8^th, 15^th, and 22^nd) from 9.30am to 12.30pm each day.

Over the four sessions, Liam will discuss practical ways in which social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter can be used to boost sales, marketing, and profile.

“Everything we do will be underpinned by the need to know your message before you start broadcasting it – so, in that regard, the workshops will have be very practical for businesses,” said Liam, an award-winning broadcaster and journalist.

He will aim to illustrate how social media is not only relevant to local business, but also well within the compass of all businesses to conquer.

A novel element of the workshops will be a ‘hands-on’ dimension. “Each participant will sit at a PC, or their own laptop, for the duration of the four workshops, which means they can work on their own social media pages throughout. This way, they can see the progress as they go along, and bounce ideas off the entire group,” added Liam.

The cost is €200, and places can be reserved by contacting GPA Solutions on 091 562 838, or info@gpasolutions.com.  Further details are available on: http://www.gpasolutions.com/schedules.html.

For more details:

LIAM HORAN, Sli Nua Communications, Tel: 094 95 42965

Mobile: 087 9185 867, Email: liam@slinuacommunications.com

It exposes Patrick to a tv audience of almost 1m people, which is a great break for him.

The Mirror cover the story today.

IRISH MIRROR: Patrick Feeney in today's edition

GiveawaysIreland.com is the brainchild of journalist and broadcaster Liam Horan, and it follows a very simple model.

“Businesses such as hotels and restaurants pay us to give the prizes away to our database of entrants,” explains Liam.

“It’s very straightforward. There is no cost to enter, while the participating businesses are glad to promote their brands to our database.

“The cost is very attractive. Another feature is that consumers must answer a simple question to enter – and the answer to that question is contained on the website of the participating business.

“So this drives traffic directly to the site of the participating business. We have got a very good reaction to that element of the service.”

GiveawaysIreland.com is just two months old, and already has over 1,200 consumers on its database. The current draw is for a two-night stay at the Carlton Hotel & C-Spa, Kinsale, Co. Cork. To be in with a chance of winning, go to http://bit.ly/bhwkzp.

Businesses who wish to promote their brands through this novel approach can contact Josephine Pearce at Giveaways Ireland, tel 094 95 42965, email giveaways@giveawaysireland.com.

And here to see Paul’s All-Ireland final performance at the INEC, Killarney: http://bit.ly/aMjeXC

“Effective communication is a crucial issue for the Archdiocese, and this is why we have invested in the site, and also in the accompanying social media,” said Fr Fintan Monahan, the diocesan secretary.

Tuam Archdiocese extends from Achill to Galway, and from Aran to Roscommon. It has many famous pilgrimage sites of note, including Knock Shrine, Croagh Patrick, Ballintubber Abbey, and Máméan. The total Catholic population is believed to be in the region of 120,000, with 56 parishes and just over 100 Priests.

“The site and our Facebook and Twitter accounts provide a means of two-way communication – a way for us to broadcast our news, and also for parishioners to communicate with us,” added Fr Monahan.

The social media contact details are Twitter (tuamarchdiocese) and Facebook (Tuam Archdiocese.)

The site was built by Ballinrobe-based media organisation Sli Nua Communications, who have also overseen the social media strategy for the Archdiocese.

“Through the site, and our accompanying Facebook and Twitter presence, we aim to provide all our followers with up-to-the-minute news from Ballinrobe Racecourse,” said course manager John Flannelly.

“We will also be running special promotions through the site, Facebook and Twitter, and already there are clear indications that people are keen to hear all that’s happening at the course.

“We have over 550 Facebook followers already – and the Facebook account was only opened three weeks ago.”

The site features all manner of information relating to the course, and attempts to satisfy the curiosity of punters and also those involved in the trade.

The site was built by local media organisation Sli Nua Communications, who have also overseen the social media strategy for the Racecourse. “Our hope is that the site, Facebook and Twitter would help to bring more people to Ballinrobe to enjoy the races, and everything else the region has to offer,” said Liam Horan of Sli Nua Communications.

Racecourse Committee member Sean O’Connell, who co-ordinated the project, urged all fans to seek out the Racecourse on Facebook (Ballinrobe Races) and Twitter (BallinrobeRaces.) “We also welcome contributions of photographs and items of interest to the site, which will continue to grow over the months and years ahead,” he said.

It stems from our own fascination with start-ups. We understand the thrill of the start-up, the way in which it consumes your life, those early-morning hours spent at the laptop, those stolen minutes on holidays when you shoot down to the internet cafe, the phone on silent so the incoming texts won’t waken the whole place up.

Chances are, you recognise those symptoms too! Email us if there’s anything you like to bring to our attention

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Daithi O’Regan, a Clare man who also hurled for Kerry, was one of the more interesting characters to come through Dragon’s Den of late.

His idea was quite simple – an online store where hurlers can buy hurleys. Daithi’s rationale is that hurlers in, say, Antrim would like to get their hands on a hurley made by the makers who make, say, King Henry’s hurley.

We like the general idea – particularly as hurley-makers on their own may not have the wherewithal and/or the inclination to create an online presence for themselves. This way, they can showcase their hurleys online, and Daithi can make a profit for himself on all sales generated.

Will it work? We hope so, and we’re not sure. By ‘not sure’ we mean ‘not sure.’ We’re not sure it will, we’re not sure it won’t. The main obstacle we see is that hurlers like to hold, feel, bend, caress, chat up, almost kiss their hurleys before buying them.

Sarah Newman, partner of King DJ, invested in Daithi. The pair of them acknowledged the tactile relationship hurlers have with their hurleys, but are still confident they can make a business out of this.  There is a sound premise underneath it all, and, once again, it shows that a good idea, pulling together various other service providers already in the market place, holds the prospect of becoming a viable business.

Daithi won’t manufacture hurleys. He won’t knock down ash trees. He will simply market, promote, publicise, the lot. Expect to meet him at the next National GAA Coaching Conference, and read about him in match programmes this summer.

We wish him well. It’s a simple idea, and it would be wonderful if he could pull it off. He is a popular figure, too, and on LinkedIn, where I started a discussion, I found a lot of goodwill towards him (a great promoter of hurling in Kerry, I was told) and towards his idea.

Business name, anyone? DJ’s Handcrafted Hurleys? I presume they will use DJ’s good name to brand the product.

http://bit.ly/bxOhId – SmallBusinessCan

http://bit.ly/9tclpu – his adopted club of Duagh gave him a presentation some time back for all he’s done for hurling in Kerry. Coming from Mayo, where the Large Ball is the dominant faith, I am sure you can understand why I would be extremely grateful if more people would do a lot more for Kerry hurling!

Sli Nua Communications

Media Strategists – Public Relations – Marketing

Email: liam@slinuacommunications.com

Tel: +353 94 95 42965

Our house, the front door is the back door, if you know what I mean. And that’s where the salesman from HeavenlyFoods.ie fetched up last week. I hadn’t heard of Heavenly Foods before – but they run a very impressive operation.

John Middleton whisked open the back door of his Peugeot Partner and revealed all manner of delicious foods. From Boneless Chicken Breasts to Paella, and lots more in between.

Did I buy?

Yes.*

Why?

1. Because he asked. He came to my door and fronted up. I admire that in someone. This is the era for getting out there and putting yourself in front of people.

2. The presentation was excellent. Packaging, van, John’s demeanour and attire – it all added up.

Selling is now a much more pro-active activity than it was for the last ten years. Now you’ve got to elbow your way to the front of the queue to make the sale. Not everyone is able to knock on a door and sell.

Those who do give themselves a huge advantage. It’s no time for an apologetic, sorry-to-bother-you approach. You can check out their produce on www.HeavenlyFoods.ie.

They sell nationwide. We have a strong feeling they’re going to do very well indeed.

* The Paella. Top notch. Comes in a big bag, you can take out what you need to cook, and leave the rest back in the freezer. Uber-practical.

Sli Nua Communications

Media Strategists – Public Relations – Marketing

Email: liam@slinuacommunications.com

Tel: +353 94 95 42965

My tuppence worth, for what it’s worth – keep your website brief and simple.The more you put up there, the greater the likelihood they will miss the most important thing you want to tell them.

There is still a tendency in small business to let the website sit somewhere ‘out there’, unloved and forgotten. No-one tells it about changes of emphasis in the business. It is kept completely in the cold.

My view is that your website should try to do a few key things – and keep doing them.

Its first function is to tell the customer what you do. Effective, convincing language should be used so that you help the customer solve their problem.

So what do you do?

Write it down, in 100 words or less. “We help you save €700 a year on their electricity bills,” might be what you do. If it is, put that up on the site, because, regardless of what systems you are using to achieve those savings, that’s what the customer wants to buy.

Secondly, call the customer to action. Ring now. Email now. Request an information pack. Start saving now. Etc, etc, etc.

Your site can also give some more information on what you do – but not exhaustive amounts because people won’t read them, and, as I said at the outset, the more you put up there, the greater the chance they won’t pick up on the very thing you want.

Some client testimonials are a good idea. But not ‘John from Dublin’ says “this is a wonderful service that changed my life beyond all recognition.” Believable testimonials, from people with full names and contact details are essential – otherwise, the testimonial has the look and feel of a great work of fiction, which it probably is.

And, after that, not a lot more, I would say. Building a website for a small business has become such an easy job these days that the old fear should be gone. It shouldn’t be costly or time-consuming.

If you’re not doing heavy e-commerce – merely using your site as a brochure to attract customers – you can easily be out of it for well under €1,000. Always go to a professional – your nephew just won’t deliver, trust me.

The whole search engine world is a whole other thing – and one that promotes violent debate even among experts – but the practicalities of actually get your site up there are quite simple.

You can promote your site in your adverts, on your business card, on your premises, as well as through search engine optimisation, if you choose to invest in that area.

Sli Nua Communications

Media Strategists – Public Relations – Marketing

Email: liam@slinuacommunications.com

Tel: +353 94 95 42965