Connecting Brings Added Value

by Mallory McSweeney on November 27th, 2009

As I was flipping through The Sunday Post yesterday an article titled, “Networking can bring added value”, caught my eye as I immediately thought of Connector.  The article points out that while tough economic times influence companies to pull back on spending, networking actually provides opportunities to save.  Helen O’Brien, managing director of HOB Management, points out that it is important for businesses to keep investing in and attending events in the current economy as businesses need to be out there more than ever and people are helping each other out more than ever before.  Networking events provide opportunities to garner new contacts and reconnect with old ones.  You may be able to drum up new business for your company, or connect with another company and strike up a business relationship that can provide for both parties.

The value of online social networking can not go unmentioned as people are taking advantage of newer technologies to promote their businesses and get noticed.  Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogging, and interactive websites are all valuable marketing tools that can reach hundreds or thousands of people in seconds.  Each digital forum allows for consumers and businesses to interact which brings an added value to the information being provided.  Additionally, many of these online tools can be accessed for free, allowing for new and improved marketing initiatives or promotion in any economic climate.

Connector has two major networking events in the next few weeks, Connector Launches was yesterday and we hope you made loads of connections! Christmas Connector is on 10/12.  Join us and take advantage of the melting pot of social and business connections available at each event!

Job Hunting 2.0

by Rob Cumiskey on November 20th, 2009

The following is a guest post by Sarai Fernandez, and was posted originally on her blog:

It’s almost a month since I gave up sending CV’s out. Before, I used to sit down in front of my computer for an hour each day, log into different websites and apply for all the jobs that I thought would suit me. The only thing I achieved from this was feeling exhausted, and I have not had a single phone call from these applications since September.

So, my new strategy is focused in two main points: learning and networking. Besides my PR studies, I try to spend all the time I can reading articles on the web about new trends, new systems or anything else relating to Public Relations. They can be blogs, e-zines, or discussions in LinkedIn, it doesn’t matter what, because I am learning a lot and also improving my English.

The second point is Networking. I started this with the Connector Lunches, and the Connector Halloween Party, and I hope to continue with these, and also try more networking events in the future. Besides that, I was at the Monster’s Career Fair today and, as was expected, I didn’t get a job, or even an offer. I did get a few business cards that could be very helpful in the future. I also attended some motivating speeches, and I took some very good tips from all of them.

If I have learnt something during this year, it’s the importance of social media and networking for your own professional development. With these tools you will never be ignored, and that is the most important step in order to achieve a successful career.

Diary of a Meteor Apprentice

by Rob Cumiskey on November 18th, 2009

Last week, we were proud to announce that one of our own, Izabela Zelazna, was chosen to compete in the Meteor Apprentice competition. Izabela has written a diary entry about her first task in the competition:

My first task in the Meteor Apprentice competition was all about social media. We were given a week to get as many fans as we could for Facebook fan page.

‘Use all possible social media and scream about your case’, my friend told me. Scream is good, I thought, however I didn’t want to create too much noise. I think that people are usually reluctant and slow to join Facebook Fan Pages these days, not wanting their News feed to be spammed.

First of all, I decided to record nice and friendly videos and post them on my Facebook page and YouTube channel. I wanted to spread the word through the networks and personal contacts that I have made so far. Knowing that Meteor is about entertainment, engagement and humour, I wanted to incorporate it all, and make people interact and smile.

The number of people signing in was not impressive though. Facebook may have had spectacular results in reaching 100mln users in 9 months but it was essential for me to understand that my audience is dispersed and the key is to have an interesting twist and share worthwhile content.

With that in mind, half way through the task, I decided to use another angle –to position myself as a foreigner, who aspires to succeeed and boldly goes for a high profile job. I sent this positive release to the press and it worked perfectly. My press release got coverage in two Polish newspapers in Ireland (Gazeta.ie, Polski Express) as well as Polish newspaper in Poland – Gazeta Krakowska. I also asked my international friends from Amsterdam for support.

So after all the effort and campaigning, I ended up with nearly 780 of the most diverse and multinational fans in the whole competition.

This has great potential. What should the next step be?

Social Media Training

by Rob Cumiskey on November 17th, 2009

Originally posted on Sarai Fernandez’s blog -

Last week, while I was shopping in town, I ran into a guy who was doing some promotion for beauty products. Despite my refusals, he took one of my hands and started to polish my nails. When he was finished, they looked awesome, but my main surprise came when I realised that the same tool he had used, a six-faced file, had been in my wash bag  for at least a year with absolutely no use. The fact is that I never learnt how to use it, and it led me to think about how we sometimes have the best tools in the world at our disposal, but without the proper knowledge of how to use them, they become worthless.

This is the same problem that many people have in the world of Social Media. They have a Facebook and a Twitter account, but they don’t know how to make the most of it for their own bussiness. They’re kind of intuitive, but sometimes some specialised training can make a great difference.

On December 14, the Irish Times Training will offer an interesting one- day workshop: “Twitter and Facebook for Business” focused on how Facebook and Twitter can be integrated in a marketing and communications plan.

Besides that, organisations such as the PRII  have detected the need to offer a more extensive education, new programmes to prepare PR people to exploit these new media, such as the Certificate in Social Media.

So now, companies have two options: either send their PR people to these kinds of training sessions or just apply a new trend called “Reverse mentoring“,  I found this article on one of my visits to Connector’s Twitter profile. Surely Reverse Mentoring is going to be a really important method of Social Media training into the future?

Connector Lunch @ Saba

by Rob Cumiskey on November 12th, 2009

After last week’s lovely lunch at Little Caeser’s, where we connected with some great people, we’re going back to Saba on Clarendon St, Dublin 2 (where we had some lovely dinner here) for a 1PM lunch this Friday.

Unfortunately we won’t be sponsoring lunch this week, but we’d love you to join us. You will of course be meeting with some great folk from both the online and offline world. In the last few weeks we have had a diverse crowd but quite a few are from Dublin’s fast growing digital scene with people in from Dublin Web Summit, Balcony TV, Facebooth and reps from Truvo & Connector.

Hope to see you there

Connections on Dublin City FM's The Persuaders

by Jamie Richardson on July 31st, 2009

Our very own Conor was on the radio this afternoon! 103.2 Dublin City FM’s The Persuaders with Alex Gibson to be exact.

Along with Robert from Bloom advertising, Fred from DoneDeal.ie, and Piaras Kelly from Edelman PR, Conor held a discussion on the importance of social media in the marketplace. Facebook and Twitter were obviously hot topics of discussion here!

The guys spoke for a while on live broadcast, and the rest of their conversation will be available for listening on The Persuaders’ podcast. The Persuaders is a podcast is a weekly program devoted to marketing and media interests. 

Conor and Piaras had a chance to talk about the success of the Connector Canon Digital Video Awards as well as other past and future endeavors. So have a listen! You can also check out Piaras’ blog >here>>

I also got a chance to connect with these guys, especially Alex Gibson! Thanks again. 

Connect with Twitter ??

by connector on July 2nd, 2008

Twitter seems like such a great idea and very popular with Bloggers who are always online and sharing their experiences.  These are very interesting times and the way you can follow and be followed is great.

I have dabbled a bit but am unsure if anyone would be bothered listening to my tweets so have kept them to a minimum – PLUS the site is down so much !!  The most amazing thing is that have a series of cools screens designed to tell you that their system is down – good marketing but why not just fix it ?

I have heard many complaints about it for a while now and am wondering in the day of humungous servers, how can this site not manage at this stage to house lots of ‘micro’ posts with no images or videos ??  Is there a Twitter 2 on the way or are they about to be outflanked like MySpace were by Facebook in social networking ??  I guess so and maybe someone can advise me on that.

I noticed a few new prominent Tweety birds following me so hence the Blog about Tweeting.  Tweet Tweet.

Don't connect with musicians

by connector on June 25th, 2008

Here is an article today from the Irish Independent article by Rhodri Marsden on Facebook & social networking.

I thought it had all been said before but no, apparently some of you out there are stressing & confused about the rules ?!! Yes, a “recent survey ” (unnamed of course) revealed that almost two thirds of people using social networking websites feel frustrated and confused by the unwritten etiquette.”

Well at least the crumbling economy in Ireland has been taken off our minds for a while ! We are given some ‘Friend Warnings’ …. as we are warned that “No group of people are as eager to seize the chance to relentlessly pester people as musicians.”

It goes on … “Anyone possessing a guitar will have three times the number of friends as anyone else, none of whom will have expected the torrent of useless information that’s now hurtling in their direction.”

The article is a summary of a dubious book by Debrett’s, the publisher offering advice on “international etiquette, manners, good taste, style and sophistication,” then leapt to our aid, issuing a number of rules on how to behave online. What a waste of time writing this book but the reviewing it does make for an interesting subject line !

Check out the article >>

Connect with Irish Social Networks

by connector on June 2nd, 2008

While global sites like Bebo, MySpace & Facebook have dominated as the most popular social networks in the English speaking world, some niche sites are popping up now as the market evolves

The following are 3 new Irish based niche social networks with great global promise – best of luck to them all and well done to date on such well structured web sites for connecting with a community of like minded people -

Edenbee – Green & Environmental Community

ammado – Not for Profits Community

iFood.tv – Culinary Community

Of course I have not included all Irish social networks but if you want to send me some others, I will add to the list ! Please feel free to comment on this or any article or email conor [at] connector.ie