Entrepreneur Reality TV Shows, Good or Bad for Business?

As entrepreneur/business TV reality shows, such as Dragons’ Den and The Apprentice, grow in popularity, Waseem Saddique Marketing asks are such shows good or bad for business?

Waseem Saddique comments: “Impressionable, young entrepreneurs/business owners look to the likes of Lord Alan Sugar and the ‘stars’ of Dragons’ Den as a foundation for leadership styles. It’s questionable whether the approach to business adopted by these TV moguls actually represents a true reflection of how business is done.”

In an article, written by Bev James and published in ‘Real Business’, she states: “The issue that I have with business reality shows in terms of leadership and management are most evident in the new generation of entrepreneurs. For example, if someone was to start a business in their fifties, then they would have the experience of working under both good and bad managers.”

She added: “This would have helped them to develop their own management and leadership style. Someone starting a business in their teens, however, has not been exposed to this kind of experience. So, they often look to reality television as the template for management and leadership.”

Despite registering its lowest viewing figures following the series conclusion of the 2013 edition (attracting just, 5.7 million viewers), ‘The Apprentice’ enjoyed excellent viewing figures when launched in 2005.

In the initial, business leaders embraced such reality TV shows, why? Because they recognised that they did inspire individuals to embark on becoming entrepreneurs and transforming their ideas into products or services that would appeal to consumers.

However, as the years progressed and more of these ‘shows’ emerged, the early promise of these programmes dwindled and the opinion of business leaders altered. The general consensus now is that programmes the likes of ‘The Apprentice’ and ‘Dragons’ Den’ depict businesses as entertainment. 

Bev James states: “They fail to portray some of the true characteristics of business, such as management, leadership and teamwork, in their true form.”

It’s also been argued that such shows quash the dreams of many entrepreneurs and create the perception that all business leaders adopt the same ruthless style as those ‘starring’ in such shows. 

Waseem Saddique states: “Whilst we have to concede that the entrepreneurs who appear on these shows do so voluntarily, it’s not nice to witness young businessmen and women humiliated all in the name of ‘entertainment TV’, this is potentially damaging to the next generation of entrepreneurs and perhaps more worryingly, the future of the UK economy.”

On such shows it’s usually online business ideas that come under intense scrutiny. Dragons’ Den in particular has been notorious for ‘savaging’ entrepreneurs when it comes to some online business models.

Reality TV shows have been criticised for not adopting a ‘mentoring spirit’, but instead using criticism and condemnation as a means of management style, something that has been frowned upon by a number of key UK business leaders.

Waseem Saddique concludes: “What started out as something with so much promise has descended into ‘entertainment’. Such shows initially existed to open the door to a variety of entrepreneurs to allow them to succeed in business. Then somewhere such shows lost their way, producing something that does not represent true business, but represents distasteful entertainment.”

How to Use Skype to Enhance Business Profitability | A Waseem Saddique Marketing Guide

Skype has recently announced that its users spend 2 billion minutes per day connecting, this equates to enough time to view approximately 16 million videos or journey to the moon and back at least 225,000 times.

This represents a massive global audience for businesses to tap into and Waseem Saddique Marketing Services has issued some essential information for business owners on how to use Skype to enhance business profitability.

Vital Information

•     Use Skype to cut costs
•     Use Skype to grow consumer audiences
•     Use Skype to do business with other businesses
•     Use Skype to host seminars and charge a fee

Waseem Saddique asserts: “Skype is free and enables businesses to call and conference anyone, immediately eliminating the cost of calling mobile phones and landlines. This already represents a significant decrease in financial outgoings for the majority of companies.”

Companies can also utilise ‘Skype Numbers’, which allow potential consumers, current clients  and other callers to contact one centralised ‘Skype Number’ from anywhere in the world. This allows for significant financial savings to be made as it eradicates the need for numerous telephone lines and purchasing mobile phones excessively.

However, should telephones be an integral part of a business, Skype calls can be routed through current phone systems without disruption and tying up telephone lines.

Waseem Saddique comments: “Skype not only improves productivity, but it eliminates so many costs involved with running a business. The money saved can be put to better use in areas such as advertising, improving customer service and building business prominence.”

As Skype is a widely free service, companies have been encouraged to engage audiences using the system. It allows business users to conduct on-line presentations, in real time, should they be unable to represent themselves ‘in the flesh’.

Statistics show that consumers are more likely to purchase goods or services if they can ‘see them in action’, a solution that Skype offers, resulting in more sales and therefore increasing profit margins.

The Skype free service is compatible from PC-to-PC and represents the most cost effective way of using Skype to reduce financial outgoings.

Waseem Saddique states: “Skype is a simple application to install and the possibilities for its use are endless. The most notable impact that it has on increasing business profitability is that is reduces costs and effectively pays for itself because it opens up a massive consumer audience and can be utilised as an effective marketing tool.”

Simply initiating Skype as the primary communication tool within a business reduces company outgoings instantly and a number of marketing experts, according to Mashable.com, have implored business owners to seriously consider using Skype on a frequent basis for online marketing and advertising purposes.”

In a statement issued on Mashable’s website it’s stated that: “Skype is immensely versatile, in addition to video chat and instant messaging, it offers voice calling from desktops and mobile devices, as well as file sharing. Companies will certainly witness some, if not substantial, growth in terms of profit margins when using it.”     

How to build an ‘App’ for your Business – A guide from Waseem Saddique Marketing Services

It’s estimated that there are 6 million apps in circulation (source: esave.com) across all platforms including: the iPhone app store, the Android Market, the Windows Phone market place, the Blackberry and many more.

Waseem Saddique comments: “The ‘app’ market is competitive, as businesses jostle to attract consumer attention. Therefore, if an app would be suitable for aiding business growth, it’s certainly worth considering the development of an ‘app’ when implementing an online marketing strategy.”

Statistics show that quality ‘apps’ tend to go viral very quickly and are a sure fire way to increase the prominence of an online marketing campaign and increase the exposure of a business. ‘Apps’ have become a particularly favoured marketing tool among SME’s as they look to raise the profile of their businesses.

Waseem Saddique states: “Whilst there are a number of DIY ‘app’ development tools available, it is recommended that you consult a specialist ‘app’ developer, especially if you’re technological knowledge is basic at best. There’s no shame in calling in a professional, after all it’s best to develop an ‘app’ that is effective and less likely to encounter functionality issues.”

What’s the benefit of an ‘app’?

One of the key benefits that ‘apps’ offer is versatility as they can be embedded almost anywhere, whether it is on a Facebook page, on a mobile or smartphone or on a website.

Other benefits include:

#1 – A cost effective approach to online marketing.

#2 – Rapid viral exposure.

#3 – ‘Apps’ are interactive, encouraging consumers to connect with your business, whether        consciously, or subconsciously.

#4 – They offer a revenue stream – ‘Apps’ can be sold on a number of ‘app’ markets.

#5 – They can constantly be refined to keep up with consumer trends.

What are my options for developing an ‘app’? 

Do-it-yourself – Whilst consulting with a developer is recommended, if your budget is tight there are a number of DIY ‘app’ development tools available. One particular DIY tool that is proving popular is Google’s App Inventor. ‘App’ inventor does not require the involvement of a developer and allows you to create Android compatible ‘apps’ that utilise smartphone features such as, GPS and SMS.

Should you wish to capture the iPhone market the ‘AppMakr’ tool is a website-based iPhone ‘app’ creator.

A number of DIY tools also exist for creating microsites, Facebook applications, blog ‘apps’ and much more.

Waseem Saddique states: “It’s imperative, that when developing an ‘app’ of your own, without professional assistance, that the concept and strategy are right from the word go, otherwise the development could become a time-consuming and costly process.”

Hire a freelancer – Freelance websites are a great way to source ‘app’ developers, some of the top sites include peopleperhour.com, odesk.com and freelancer.com

There is a risk element to hiring the services of a freelancer, but it is also a cost effective method compared to hiring a development agency.

The key element of hiring a freelancer is to do your research and when selecting a developer to work with, make sure everything is put in black and white by way of a contract. That way there can be no misinterpretations of what is expected from both parties during the ‘app’ project.

Hire an agency – For the more affluent business owner, with a more significant budget, hiring an ‘app’ development agency is perhaps the best option. If your ‘app’ is likely to play a big part in your marketing strategy, there is no substitute for ensuring that you ‘app’ is developed to the highest standard.

Waseem Saddique comments: “A well-developed ‘app’ can be a ‘game changer’ when jostling for consumer attention. Functionality is of the utmost importance and research conducted by esave.com shows that 47% of consumers will cease to use an ‘app’ if it’s slow and too complex to use.”

A highly recommended ‘app’ development agency (as supplied by masahable.com) is TheyMakeApps.com who have the capability to develop ‘apps’ for all platforms, particularly for online marketing campaigns.

For an all-in-one solution, employ in-house developers

Hiring an in-house developer(s) offers a solution that combines all three of the above. If online marketing and mobile marketing are the essential foundation for the success of your business then, purely for the long-term benefits, employing in-house staff is the most effective solution. 

Over a period of time, in-house staff will have a solid grasp of your ‘app’ requirements and can constantly refine and develop applications in order to keep up with customer trends and tastes. In terms of longevity and establishing an ‘app’ brand having developers that know your business inside out will ultimately prove pivotal.

Founded in 2007, Waseem Saddique Marketing Services has consistently provided small to medium enterprises, as well as larger corporate firms, with a range of digital marketing & online solutions. To learn more visit www.waseemsaddique.blogspot.com

Social Media Wars, Who’s Really Top of Social Syndicate? Waseem Saddique Marketing Investigates

Social media has become a global phenomenon, with social networking platforms used by all sectors of modern society, whether it’s for personal or business use. In order for businesses to best target their online marketing efforts, Waseem Saddique Marketing Services investigates which social media solution sits at the summit of the social networking world. 

Waseem Saddique comments: “Ask a Facebook representative, they’ll say Facebook, ask a Twitter employee, they’ll say Twitter or ask a LinkedIn spokesperson they’ll say… and so on. According to in-depth research, carried out by ‘Ebizma’, official stats, as of January 2013, put…’Facebook’ at the summit of the social media syndicate.”

According to ‘Ebiz’, Facebook boasts approximately 750,000 billion unique monthly users and now has approximately 1 million users (at time of writing), exceeding Twitter’s (which ranks in second place) unique monthly users by around 500,000.

Isn't it all subjective? 

Waseem Saddique comments: “Being top of the pile in the quest for social networking supremacy is no small feat. But, do the statistics represent personal preference. Whilst people may be registered with a social networking site, it may not necessarily cater to their needs and presence on the site is more out of necessity as opposed to an essential requirement.”

Certain business streams adopt one form of social media, whereas competitors may well maintain a social media presence elsewhere. Much of the decision making process rests on where businesses can achieve the best results in terms of reach, but reaching the required audience for their business needs.

There is no doubt that social media is shaping the way that business conducts its online marketing efforts. Business moguls are now often quoted as saying that ‘any marketing strategy that does not consider a social media presence is no marketing strategy at all.’

Social media has a ‘vice like’ grip on society. According to ‘World Mixture’, the average individual checks their social media profile every 6 minutes. Also, 87% of these people maintain the same habit in checking their profile first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

In terms of subjectivity, whilst Facebook is defined as the leading social media lead generation platform for B2C businesses, B2B companies refer to LinkedIn as the most effective social media tool for their needs.

Waseem Saddique states: “When it comes to business to business relationships and business to customer relationships, maintained via social media, statistics do become subjective. One platform that works for one will not work for another.”

To put things into perspective, according to ‘Marketingeasy’, the average midsize or large company (1000 employees or more) has 178 “social media assets” (Twitter handles, employee blogs, etc.)–yet only 25% of companies offer social business training to their employees.

So whilst businesses recognise that social media now plays a key role in business growth, investment into employee training remains staggeringly low.

So even the overall importance of social media to businesses can be questioned, although many companies have a great social media presence, do they have the resources and knowledgeable staff to maintain it.

Concluding thoughts

The question of who sits at the summit of the social media empire is open to interpretation. Waseem Saddique comments: “Whilst Facebook holds the statistical crown, if you were to conduct a country-by-country survey, many nations would offer a different social media platform, which they would consider to be the leader in the social networking wars.”

To give business leaders and individuals a recent insight, from a statistical point of view, of who dominates the social media realm, here’s a list, compiled by ‘Ebiz’, revealing the top 15 most popular platforms of the moment (correct as of March 2013) –

1 | Facebook - 750,000,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

2 | Twitter - 250,000,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

3 | LinkedIn - 110,000,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

4 | Pinterest - 85,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

5 | MySpace - 70,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

6 | Google Plus+ - 65,000,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

7 | DeviantArt - 25,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

8 | LiveJournal - 20,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

9 | Tagged - 19,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

10 | Orkut - 17,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

11 | CafeMom - 12,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

12 | Ning - 12,000,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

13 | Meetup - 7,500,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

14 | myLife - 5,400,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors

15 | Multiply - 4,000,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors 

Exposed, SlideShare Secrets - The Social Media Solution Taking the Business World by Storm

SlideShare began its existence back in 2006, in just 7 years the social networking site has established itself as one the most unique and innovative social media sites operating today and has taken the business world by storm. Waseem Saddique Marketing Services investigates SlideShare’s rise to prominence and its increasing popularity within the business world.

Waseem Saddique comments: “The statistics for SlideShare make for phenomenal reading. The social media site welcomes 60 million visitors per month and approximately 130 million page views during the same time-frame  SlideShare is also ranked within the top 200 most visited sites on the planet.”

What is SlideShare?  

SlideShare is a social media platform, predominantly used by corporate companies, to display business presentations, but the platform also displays documents, PDFs, video and webinars. SlideShare operates with 55 staff and boasts the title of the world's largest community for sharing presentations.

The secret to SlideShares’ success

Perhaps one of the most defining factors for the popularity of SlideShare is its affiliation with the White House. The fact that arguably the most powerful Government in the world uses the SlideShare network will certainly raise the eyebrows of business leaders around the world.

WaseemSaddique states: “If SlideShare is good enough for the US Government, then it’s most definitely good enough for all sectors of the business world. A major fact worth knowing: In 2009, the official website for the US President (Whitehouse.gov) signed user agreements with eight of the world's leading social media websites. SlideShare was one of them. SlideShare is regularly used by the White House and many other US Government departments.”

SlideShare is also a very unique concept and appeals to a niche market, namely the business community, allowing companies around the globe to store presentations and have access to them during important business meetings, client pitches and other important business events.

SlideShare offers a credible online marketing solution for businesses, as presentations are stored indefinitely and are constantly accessible to current customers, business connections and potential customers.

Why is SlideShare popular among businesses?

The general consensus of business leaders is that SlideShare offers premium viral penetration.   SlideShare content spreads virally through blogs and social network platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Organisations upload documents to SlideShare to share ideas, conduct research, connect with others, and generate leads for their businesses.

Businesses also enjoy the features that SlideShare is able to provide, some of which include:

• The capability to upload presentations publicly or privately
• The ability to download presentations on any topic and reuse or remix
• The opportunity to embed on blogs, websites and company intranets
• The ease at which SlideShare posted can be shared on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn
• The Zipcast feature: Free, no download, 1 click web meetings
• The option to lead share,  generating business leads with presentations, documents, PDFs and videos
• The Slidecast feature: sync mp3 audio with slides to create a webinar
• The potential to embed YouTube videos inside SlideShare presentations
• The option to upgrade the SlideShare experience allowing access to premium features like branded channels, analytics, ad free pages etc…

Waseem Saddique concludes: “SlideShare offers a complete online marketing solution allowing companies to spread the word about products and services that they have to offer. The secret to the success of SlideShare is its appeal to the business community and in conquering the business world, the social networking site is now making strides to conquer the public domain.”

Blog Standard: Waseem Saddique Marketing Services Offers Tips on Blogging for Business Purposes

Waseem Saddique provides essential tips for businesses that blog, offering valuable information that will enable companies to maximise the potential of their blogging efforts.

Waseem Saddique says: “A blog can be immensely effective in driving traffic to a website. If done properly, they have the power to transform any business into a thriving arena, swamped with sales and consumer interest. Furthermore, they can significantly increase the prominence of a business, building a reputation as a major player within an industry sector.”

1. If you don’t have a blog, get one. Blogs can be set up through service providers such as Blogger or Wordpress, but many more exist. They are fairly simple to maintain and provide a great opportunity to showcase the expertise of your business and share it with a wide audience. Should it become a struggle to maintain, outsource it. There are plenty of marketing services that exist to assist in helping a business to keep up blogging efforts.
2. Use your blog to supply a business audience with information and advice. ‘How to’ articles, tips and information on how to solve problems are extremely popular blog subjects for consumers. Any help that a business can provide on how to solve specific problems are often craved by the online audience.
3. Make your blog unique and bring your business to the forefront, ahead of the crowd. Provide regular updates that are in keeping with what’s happening in your industry sector. Information provided should be beneficial to your audience, keeping them gripped and attracted to your blog.
4. Build a community based around your business blog. Target your content to a particular audience through social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter as this will enhance the possibility of your business blog being shared.  Waseem Saddique states: “All this begins by providing captivating and compelling content, which engages consumers.”
5. Give a true reflection of your brand and company ethos by taking a step back from the corporate stance and become a member of the consumer community. Strip away the office attire and interact with your audience through conversational content.  Building trust is key and by becoming reliable and trustworthy increases the chances of converting leads into sales.
6. A business blog should educate, not only the consumer audience, but also the industry sector that your business is in. By building a community of followers it enables your business to identify consumer problems that your company can solve, offering them effective solutions whether that be by way of a product or service.

Waseem Saddique comments: “A business blog can become an effective online marketing resource for companies as it subconsciously wins the trust of the audience and keeps them coming back to your blog when in need of advice or guidance.”

Providing a ‘stand out’ service to your customers will portray your company as superior to your competitors, putting your business in the driving seat within your industry sector and for increasing sales.

Furthermore, keeping prospective customers coming back to the blog will enhance the reputation of the business within the industry sector and greatly improve ranking status on major search engines such as Google.

Waseem Saddique concludes: “By offering products or services in a way that offers a solution to a problem, customers will feel more confident in giving it a try. Trying to be too pushy with a Salesperson type approach is unattractive to consumers.”