Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has become so commonplace that we likely use it without even knowing. One of the most popular customer oriented VoIP solutions is Skype, owned by Microsoft. Skype has received a recent update that sees Microsoft's popular Instant Messenger program (Messenger) merged into Skype.

A few weeks ago, Skype Version 6 was introduced which allowed users with a Microsoft account to sign into Skype using their account name and password and have access to their Microsoft contacts. This move, of Microsoft backing a non Microsoft branded product, was seen by pundits as an interesting one, but it works well for those who use both Skype and Messenger. It means you don’t have to have two programs to do essentially the same thing; communicate.

Last week, Microsoft announced that Messenger will officially be merged into Skype. This means if you use Messenger, you will have to switch to Skype. This should automatically happen the next time you update Messenger. This may seem like a weird move, but there are some great benefits to this merger that will make both Messenger and Skype more competitive. Some of the benefits to the merger include:

• Messaging on more platforms - Skype is available for nearly every platform, which means you can communicate on nearly any device.
• Central hub for communication - With this update, you can call phones, conduct video chats and use Instant Messaging all from one place. There is no longer a need to have 3-4 different programs open.
• Group communication - If you are looking for a free platform that enables you to communicate with a group, say your team or employees, Skype allows for this.
• Screen sharing - You can share your screen on Skype, which is ideal for giving product demonstrations, or even showing a PowerPoint presentation during a chat.

After you update Messenger or Skype, you'll be taken to the sign in screen and will be asked if you are an existing Skype user or a new one. If you are an existing user, you can click I have a Skype account and you’ll be taken to a new screen where you can merge your Messenger and Skype accounts. If you are new to Skype, you can sign up for a new account by pressing I'm new to Skype. Follow the signup process during which, you will be given the option to merge your accounts.

When you sign in and merge your accounts, you will see all of your messenger contacts synced and available under Contacts in the left-hand panel. Messaging a contact is as simple as double clicking on their name. To call you press the green phone button icon when you hover over their name. Alternatively, you can right click on the name and select either Call, Instant Message, Send Files, etc.

Skype is an ideal VoIP solution for light call volumes and inter-office messaging in small businesses. However, if you handle a high volume of calls, or are in a larger office, you will need a more robust system. If you're interested in a VoIP system for the whole office, regardless of if it's Skype or some other setup, contact us, we can help with that.

Social networking has become an integral part of the fabric of modern society. There are more social networks than you can count, all offering a network usually aimed at a niche market. One of the more popular networks is LinkedIn. Geared towards professionals, LinkedIn is a great tool that can help you in many different ways. However, if you make mistakes, it could harm your reputation.

Below are five common mistakes professionals make on LinkedIn.

• Using it only for job searches. One of LinkedIn’s most powerful tools is the job search, as you can tap into the hidden market of jobs, or reach out to contacts for potential for potential openings, or to hire them. The only problem with this is: Many LinkedIn users only use the network when they are actively looking for a job. You should make an effort to keep your profile and connections up-to-date and be active even when you’re not looking for a job or to hire.
• Having an incomplete profile. One of the key aspects of any social network is your profile. It’s the online representation of who you are, and an incomplete profile is like an incomplete picture of who you are. At the very least, you should have information about all the important companies/jobs you’ve had and your main achievements associated with them. Having industry recognized keywords sprinkled in helps as well; it makes you and your expertise easier to find.
• Not belonging to groups. The groups we associate with make up a large part of who we are. LinkedIn is no different and has a ton of professional groups, including alumni and industry specific groups. Joining these groups is a good idea as you can connect with colleagues and other professionals, share your experience and keep your finger on what’s going on; maybe even find your next big business idea.
• Not making connections. We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: LinkedIn is all about connections. If you only connect with people when you need something you will reduce the efficiency of the network. You should be actively looking for people that you know - personally or professionally - to connect with. At the same time, don’t connect with anybody and everybody, LinkedIn should be your online professional network - only connect with people you know or have met.
• Not a team effort. With other social networks like Facebook, colleagues are usually against connecting with workmates. While this is probably a good idea for Facebook, after all, who wants their boss seeing pics from your weekend shenanigans? LinkedIn is different, it’s beneficial to connect with your current colleagues as the main idea of LinkedIn is to establish professional connections. The best place to start making connections is your current job, so encourage your team members to have profiles and connect with each other.

Through effective use of LinkedIn, you should be able to build a solid professional network that spans countries and could provide you with your next big opportunity. If you have questions about LinkedIn or social networking in general, please contact/connect with us.

Social media can be a great way for your business to both expand and build as well as solidify your brand, which can in turn bring in more customers. While there are numerous services out there, many companies focus on Facebook and Twitter, when they should also be focusing on the main business related social media service: LinkedIn.

Here’s four reasons why your business should have a presence on LinkedIn.

1. You have more than 1 employee. With a company profile, you can pick how many people work in your organization, and many small businesses pick 1-10 or 11-50. In these two categories there are over 1.5 million businesses with accounts. Lots right? Add into this the ability to filter companies by industry, location and relationship and you have a powerful search tool that can help you stand out locally.
2. You want to connect with your peers. Facebook is a great tool for connecting with nearly everybody, while LinkedIn is better for connecting to your colleagues and peers who are constantly sharing topical information and discussions that could be of great use when you’re stuck, or need advice.
3. You are hiring. LinkedIn is also one of the best job boards for mid-level and higher professionals. If you have a job opening, you can post it on the site and people connected to you and your friends can be recommended for the job. You can also target the posting at professionals who you want to apply, no more having to wade through unqualified candidates.
4. You don’t want to deal with games/links to cat videos/senseless sharing. LinkedIn is a professional network, as such, there aren’t many time wasting features. If you haven’t bought into, or are tired of notifications about games or other activities, LinkedIn is a great alternative. Just be warned, you won’t connect with your customers on a close basis like you can with other networks.

If you feel it’s time to get on to LinkedIn and would like to know more about the process, please contact us.

Modern telephone systems use a hybrid of traditional phone lines and digital transmission to connect you with others both nearby and around the world. While email, mobile phones and social media are the main forms of communication of the younger generations, companies still need traditional telephones. To connect with all generations, a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) system is the perfect answer.

VoIP, is a digital telephone solution that replaces traditional systems with a digital alternative that utilizes broadband Internet connections and transmission lines. Here are five reasons why your company should upgrade to a VoIP system.

• Remote phones. Working remotely has become a viable alternative to a desk in the office. One of the major issues with remote workers however is that that they can be hard to get a hold of; often using their homeline for both work and personal calls. With a VoIP solution, employees connect to the office over the Internet and their computer becomes the phone. They can get an extension, or use their office direct dial number, thus reducing the need to pay for potentially costly phone bills.
• Mobile office number. Mobile phones are a prominent part of business, most managers have their mobile number written down on their business card. While this is a good idea, customers are often hesitant to call mobile numbers because they feel they may be intruding. With VoIP, there’s no need to have a mobile number as there are apps that will route calls through the office’s phone system, meaning no missed messages and lower mobile bills.
• Lower calling rates. Many small businesses now operate without borders and if you’re making a lot of long distance calls, you’ll notice that the bills using a traditional system can be outrageous. VoIP providers often offer substantially lower rates, or the same rate regardless of the location the call is placed to.
• It grows with you. If you plan to expand your business in the near future and have a traditional phone system it will cost you to upgrade your system, lay new phone lines, and purchase new equipment and numbers. With VoIP systems, it can be as simple as assigning a new number, which often costs nothing, and that’s it. In short, VoIP is highly scalable, whereas traditional systems aren’t.
• More useful features. Some features offered by telephone providers are essential for business, yet companies are charged for these additional benefits, often on a per number basis. Many VoIP providers bundle the features businesses use the most into the monthly costs, usually at no extra cost.

While it’s not a requirement, companies that don’t upgrade their phone systems to VoIP, or other similar systems, are missing out on some great benefits and may, in the near future, find themselves left behind by competitors who have upgraded. If your company uses a traditional phone system and you’d like to find out how to upgrade, please contact us.

Marketing for small businesses and entrepreneurs can be a tough nut to crack. You’re often competing against larger companies with budgets that probably rival your yearly net profits. There is one medium however which small businesses can employ to gain a foot up, or at the very least, compete on an equal footing, and that is through social media.

Using social media to advertise or sell products and services, commonly called ‘social selling’, should be an integral part of your marketing and sales promotions. Here are five reasons why your sales force should be social.

1. Cost effective. Of the main marketing and sales pipelines, social media is by-far the most cost effective way to connect with people and build a solid marketing funnel.
2. Level playing field. The best thing about social media is that there’s no size requirement. One man companies can benefit in exactly the same way as multinational corporations. With a well crafted and executed plan, you could see your company achieve Internet fame and increased revenue as a result.
3. Less investment of time. Marketing and sales is a full time job, and using a website or other technical mediums requires the time of other departments as well. With social media, sales people can run campaigns themselves thereby reducing the demands on other departments.
4. Highly trackable. Social networks like Facebook and Google+ have built in analytics making it easy to track nearly anything related to social media sales. If a mistake is made changes can be made quickly and results will show instantly.
5. Drives loyalty and brand presence. With successful social media interactions, customers will often be more loyal as they feel a connection with the brand and will be less willing to change to buy from other companies. Social media also gives customers a chance to truly let you know how they feel, and other customers can see this. Visible comments are one of the most effective ways to build brand identity.

Using social media to conduct social selling is a great way for small businesses to not only grow their business but also market their brand. If you’re not using social media in your company, or would like to know more about how social media can help your business grow, please contact us.

Many small businesses have been migrating their telephone systems from physical telephone lines onto virtual networks. The technology that allows this is Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP. While VoIP integration is common for companies without a PBX - Private Branch Exchange - those with a PBX need an extra device called a SIP trunk to switch to VoIP.

SIP trunks blend together voice, telephone and data - Internet - connections, which allows your voice to travel over data lines. In other words: You pick up your phone, dial a number outside the office. Your call goes through the PBX - Private Branch Exchange - which tells the call where to go. The SIP picks this up, digitizes it, mashes it together with your data connection and sends your voice over the Internet to the recipient where it drops down to the original telephone lines.

There are three main components of SIP trunks

1. PBX. A PBX which can switch VoIP calls to traditional lines and vice versa.
2. Internet Telephone Service Provider - ITSP. An ITSP is similar to your Internet Service Provider, only they focus on digital telephone transmission. Often times, the ITSP is a subsidiary of, or a branch of your Internet Service Provider.
3. SIP trunk. The SIP trunk is a device that facilitates the two above networks, and allows them to work together to send out and receive voice and video calls.

There are some great benefits to SIP trunking including:

• Decreased phone bills. When you make calls, they are transmitted over data lines which cost a lot less than traditional phone lines, especially if you’re making long distance calls. You could even ditch your current phone provider, as all voice will be transmitted over data lines, freeing up funds which can be spent elsewhere.
• Don’t lose numbers. If you move offices you’ll be able to take your numbers with you, without having to pay to have them connected to the traditional phone networks.
• Calls can be easily rerouted. If your business is caught in a disaster, you can easily establish an SIP trunk in another location and have calls to your numbers routed through there.
• Don’t need to discard old phone system. Unlike VoIP, SIP trunking works with your old phone system, which means set up costs are considerably lower.

If you’re interested in SIP trunking for your business, or would like to learn more, please contact us.

Social media is widely thought to be crucial to a successful marketing plan, especially when a vast majority of the upcoming customer base view it as an extension of themselves. Many small businesses realize this and have successfully integrated at least one platform into their daily operations. It seems like there’s a new social network every six months, it can be hard to keep track of them.

Here’s some important information about each of the top five, as of 2012, social networks, that as a whole make up social media.

1. Facebook. With around 900 million users, Facebook is “the” social network for connecting with nearly everyone and has become one of the main forms of communication among the younger generation. In general, over half of users are between the age of 18 and 34, and spend an average of 405 minutes a month connected. If you’re looking to connect to customers, while driving brand awareness, your company should be utilizing this network.
2. Linkedin. Linkedin is the social network for professionals to connect with other professionals, share their experience and find a job. There are around 150 million users, 55% of whom are between the ages 26 and 44 and spend, on average, 21 minutes a month logged in. If you’re looking to connect with your colleagues, other businesses or potential employees, this is the network that allows you to do so.
3. Twitter. Twitter is the social network that allows users to announce, or find events going on nearby. With a 140 character limit, twitter is great for those who are efficient with their words, which is apparently over 550 million people. The majority of twitter users are between the ages of 26 and 44 and spend an average of 89 minutes a month logged in. Twitter is a great way for small businesses to broadcast announcements and promotions, with the goal of driving traffic to other social networks.
4. Google +. Google + is the closest competitor to Facebook with many similar features. There are two major differences however. The first is the userbase is quite a bit lower, around 170 million users. The second difference is users only spend 3 minutes a month, on average logged in. If your business has a Google Places page, you’re already on Google +, and with recent changes to the platform, it should become a solid network to connect with your customers in the near future.
5. Pinterest. Pinterest is the network to discover new content and products and is one of the fastest growing social networks. Founded in 2010 and coming to prominence in 2011, the userbase is around 11.4 million and growing rapidly. What’s intriguing about Pinterest is that users spend, on average, 90 minutes a month logged in, second only to Facebook. This network is a great way for companies to drive interest in their physical products.

These five networks are by far the most popular in terms of both users, time spent logged in and overall content. What social networks you use and why do you use them? We look forward to your comments below.

It used to be that when a company spokesperson made a gaffe it was usually in person, and observed by a limited number of people. Now it seems that the majority of gaffes made have been on Twitter. These mistakes can spell disaster for any company, and can be even more deadly for small businesses, who may not recover.

Here are five types of tweets that can seriously damage your reputation.

1. The making things up tweet. Beyond the obvious moral reasons, it’s never good for a business to tweet something that’s made up. Be it false sales, achievements or facts, you can guarantee that someone will know and call you on it which could create a PR nightmare. Always be sure that what you tweet is true and can be backed up.
2. The denying allegations tweet. There’s a pretty high chance that users will take to Twitter when they have something negative to say about your company. When this happens, one of the worst things you could do is deny the allegations, even if you’re right. Doing so will only result in more negative tweets, all of which are very public. If you do get a negative tweet, the best thing to do is encourage the tweeter to contact you privately.
3. The mad as heck tweet. Doing anything when you’re angry is never a good idea, especially when using a medium as public as Twitter. If your first reaction is to be angry at a tweet, it’s best to step back for a bit and think about what made you angry. If you’re still angry, get an employee or friend to read the tweet and talk about what actions you should take.
4. The inflammatory tweet. It’s best to not tweet anything that could make your followers angry or upset. Remember your Twitter account represents another way for your customers to interact with you. If they’re upset about something, the chances of you getting their business again are slim. If you’re not sure if something is inflammatory or not, try asking your employees or a friend, or just don’t tweet it.
5. The negativity tweet. Negativity in the workplace is something that could cause a business to go under quickly. The same goes for a negative tweet, it is a sure fire way to tarnish your reputation. As a rule, don’t publish anything negative.

Twitter, when used correctly, is an extremely useful communication tool for small businesses. When businesses mishandle their tweets, they could create publicity issues that could irreparably harm a business. If you would like some more tips on, or need help managing, your tweets, please contact us.

Facebook is one of the most popular websites on the Internet. It seems like every business, person and their dog has an account. While it’s extremely popular, many business owners tend to stick with the features they know, which the majority of the time are the features they can see. There are a number of hidden features you can use as well.

Here are four hidden features you can use.

1. App Settings. This setting tab lets you view and manage all the apps you’ve installed to your profile. From your profile, click the grey arrow near your name at the top of the window, select Account Settings and Apps to view your apps. Clicking the X will delete the app, while Edit will allow you to edit the settings. This feature is good for managing your profile.
2. Archive Facebook. There’s a hidden feature in the Account Settings page that allows you to download your wall posts, everything you’ve shared and your friend's email addresses. You can also download an enhanced archive which includes info like IP addresses. This feature is in the General tab in Account Settings and is under Language. If your company wants to backup its Facebook data, this is the way to do so.
3. Customize Username. You can customize the username attached to your Facebook account, which in turn changes the URL of your profile to the username selected e.g., www.facebook.com/myprofile. This is useful for businesses as it allows them to have a unique username that they can use on their websites, newsletters and other communication to encourage visits. To change your username, click the grey arrow beside your name at the top of the Facebook window and select Account Settings. Under the General tab, select Edit beside Username. Be aware that at this time, Facebook only allows you to change your username once, so make sure you’re okay with the selection.
4. Facebook email. Did you know that you can message Facebook users from any email account? All you have to do is enter username@facebook.com and anything you type will be sent to that user’s messaging tab (the speech bubble in the top left of the screen). This is a great feature that allows you to quickly and easily send a message to your friends without actually opening Facebook.

These are just four of the many useful features of Facebook that you could use in your business to help further your brand, or make it easier to reach out to your followers. If you’d like to learn more about utilizing Facebook in your business, please contact us.

Social media is a part of daily life for the vast majority of people and businesses. It’s the perfect platform for businesses to gain exposure to a large pool of potential customers, while being able to interact with their existing customers. One use of social media that companies are starting to adopt is social customer service.

Social customer service is a bit of an ambiguous term with no real established meaning. Before you pursue this strategy, you should be clear on exactly what it is and the benefits it can bring your company.

What exactly is social customer service? Think of the last time you had a problem with a program on your computer. Did you contact tech support? Or did you turn to your friends on social media? If you turned to social media, this is one of the main elements of social customer service.

Customers are starting to go to social media sites when they have questions, many times contacting the company directly. Having customer service elements on social media to answer these questions or field complaints is social customer service. A great example of this is OPEN Forum, run by AMEX. It allows customers to interact with one another, while giving the company a channel to feed technical help and information to them.

Benefits of social customer service There are four main benefits of leveraging social customer service in your business.

• Increased customer satisfaction. By offering a way for customers to interact with you on a medium many are already comfortable with, you’ll find customers to be more satisfied.
• Meeting consumer expectations. Let’s face it, the majority of your customers are using social media with many now expecting you to as well. If you meet their expectations, there’s a higher chance they’ll stay your customers.
• Increased loyalty. One of the main reasons companies should be on social media is that an effective campaign can help improve customer and brand loyalty. Social customer service is an extra service that can help further increase loyalty.
• Decreased customer service costs. If you offer customer service on social media, you could potentially decrease your total costs. The expenditure required to setup and maintain the online service is fractional compared to the physical operation.

While there are some distinct advantages to social customer service, it’s not a good idea to shift all of your customer support onto social platforms. Rather it should be viewed as a supplementary service, or another way for customers to get in contact with you. If you’d like to know more about how to integrate social customer service into your company's social media plan, please contact us.