Ryan Hogarth

It is our very nature to be seduced by numbers, by things that are big and shiny. Return on Investment – ROI – is the constant question of social media. Nothing gets social media people hemming and hawing and mumbling into their shoes like the ROI question. And given the newness of social media it is no wonder there has been no definitive answer. For many though it seems quite straightforward: Followers, fans and Klout score. However, to an ever growing number there is the realisation that building a loyal, communicating community is a much greater prize. This realisation comes … Continue reading →

A line in an article I read recently  stood out in neon:  Even an executive never sends a tweet or posts a status update, they must know what social media is and what it means for their business. 2011 was a breakthrough year for social media.  There was so much hype and hyperbole that many businesses rushed to put up Facebook pages and open Twitter accounts only to be faced with the very real question of “Now what?”.  Others still immediately blasted out their advertising messages only to be met with derision and ghost town followings. 2012 will be the … Continue reading →

Use your Facebook lists! As our use of Facebook evolves we are building up “friends”  in very different areas of our lives.  We have our close family, our not so close family, close friends, business associates, work colleagues and on and on.  Each plays a specific role in our lives and what we do. And as these friends grow it becomes important to deliver the right messages to the right people. By not paying attention to this you may be offending or upsetting groups of friends or you might be getting blocked by people that you may later want to … Continue reading →

      I, like most people that are actively connected, get 3-5 invitations every month for some new social interest.  If it looks interesting enough I may register in order to reserve my username in case it makes it big one day but most are ignored.  So it was when I heard about Pinterest.  But then I saw an article about them, then another.  By the third I thought it was time to check it out. I signed up for an account and experimented a little and spoke with some people that have used it.  Following is my description of … Continue reading →

When it comes to social media or social business this is the article of the year.  Written by Dave Evans who in 2007 wrote Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day.  It’s an article I wish I had written.  In it he makes the case for dropping the term ‘social’ since being connected has become (and will be more and more) the central point from which we depart.  That is to say, we must recognise that ‘everyone’ is connected.  I understand that in an African context this is not quite the case but it is changing rapidly – half the … Continue reading →

2011 was the year that social media went viral in South Africa: The number of “experts” in the field mushroomed, there were seminars, talks and a scramble for business.  Out of the confusion came one, unassailable fact:  Business must go social. In 2012 the international trend will be Social Intelligence with an emphasis on knowledge, intelligence about your business, industry and competitors.  This is and always has been the first step in developing a social media programme that is sustainable. Monitoring the social web and knowing what is being said about you, your industry and your competition. And through this intelligence, … Continue reading →

Nandos most recent triumph, their “Last Dictator Standing” is indeed a triumph. When I first saw it last Friday I was quite literally gobsmacked.  A stroke of genius.  I couldn’t stop watching it.  I instantly annoyed several friends and colleagues, insisting they stop what they are doing and watch.  And I would watch it with them. I posted the following status update on Facebook: For my money the Nandos Last Dictator ad is a stroke of genius that is difficult to comprehend. Truly amazing. I shortly received a comment asking “Why do you feel that, Ryan?” That sort of stopped … Continue reading →