Netizens, let’s practice some cleverness and be aware of false promises! Okay.
If you get a call from a Brendon or Brandon Mabasa who allegedly is a person working for Breakaway Communications, and he calls you on behalf of LVC (Lifestyle Vacation Club) from number 087 805 2350, please do not fall into the trap of believing you’ve actually being given a FREE 7-day holiday (all expenses paid except travel) for doing absolutely nothing!
1. Breakaway Communications does not exist in SA or is trading as another entity altogether. There is a marketing and PR company with the same name based in the States and should not be confused with the above-mentioned company.
Brandon told me that my cell number was randomly selected to win a complimentary voucher which entitled me to a ’7-day holiday for 4 people’. He said this was not part of any competition and that I didn’t need to do anything but show up at his offices with proof of ID, enjoy a hearty lunch and collect my voucher for the holiday.
2. According to Brandon, Vodacom and other mobile service providers have provided his company with mine and many others’ cellphone numbers. Apparently the “We will not sell your details to third parties” clause did not apply to my number when I signed up for it almost 10 years ago…
I thought that all South Africans needed to get their SIMs RICA-compliant in a bid to prevent fraudulent cell numbers from being circulated. Why is it then that the 087 805 2350 number which Brandon called me from is still being used to scam people, and has done so since 2008, according to HelloPeter entries about the same holiday points/timeshare scam?
3. Brandon has told me to come claim my voucher for the supposed “7-day holiday getaway for 4 people” on Friday at 12 noon at Office 216 on the Second Floor of the Design Quarter in Fourways.
However, alarmingly or not so in my case, I called DQ’s Centre Management Office this morning and according to CMO, office 216 does not belong to a company called Breakaway Communications or “LVC”, but is the official premises for a company called Terramarique, which just happens to sell ‘holiday points’ to make its living.
Can you see an ‘aha’ moment forming in the clouds at this point?
The strange bit is that the woman at DQ’s CMO told me that Terramarique is only set to re-open its offices in February, and is closed at present. This she said is the reason for Terramarique’s office number, as is listed on DQ’s website, being engaged or not working when you dial through to their office (0114675223). Telkom has actually listed this number as “no longer being available” and does not list a new number for the business.
Now that you have some of the facts, you can choose to make your mind up on whether or not to dilly-dally with scammers who call you out of the blue.
Please Note: I accept no responsibility for the way the information provided may be used in a court of law or in any civil action suit that may arise against the above-mentioned companies. I merely wrote this piece to make the public aware of the unethical marketing and promotion of “free-for-nothing” products and services that are being used to dupe people into timeshare schemes.
Social Media Marketing can help promote your business goals, can be used to set up a loyal community and allow you an intimate level of engagement that you would not ordinarily get by just using digital media, but it will not automatically guarantee you sales. Relatively speaking, interest in products and services on social media channels are garnered by reviews, recommendations and positive feedback from users within a community.
Please Note that apart from Pay-Per-Click advertising and banner advertising, social media marketing needs to be adopted for the right reasons – one of them is not to make sales.
Having said all of this, I dismiss the notion of providing avenues for sales – my work and time becomes invaluable to business owners who are looking for digital media content and community management.
I can help you get set up, create strategies that allow your business to grow organically online with the view of promoting the great merchandise and services you offer, but I cannot guarantee you sales – a person that can is probably pulling your chain at best because anyone that is anyone online – if honest enough about their craft, will tell you the first rule of the Social Media “Fight Club” is Don’t Sell!
The most you can be sure about when working with me is that I keep it real, focused and enjoy a good challenge.
1. Have a Game plan.
Create a plan of action that will help keep the focus and give direction to your social networking strategy. Think clearly on how you want to involve yourself on a social network.
2. Remember to set goals.
A phased approach to the social media marketing of your personal brand is best because you are in it for the long haul and not just there to test the waters. Make every effort count.
3. Choose the right platform for YOU.
It’s no good being on every social network just because they’re popular because what if that platform is not going to aid your efforts in promoting your personal brand effectively? Social networkers who succeed in the social media game are those who know how to leverage and make the best use of the network through their activities on these channels, and they do it better than their competitors, which is why they stay top of mind.
4. Filter the information you share.
This applies to the choices you make in sharing information on social networks. It is hard to separate the person from the personal brand if you know what I mean so try to intersperse your professional voice with the personal voice too.
5. Be yourself and have fun!
You wouldn’t try to imitate someone else in life so do not attempt it on a social network. You will come across as insincere and phony so keep your communications simple, have fun interacting with others and stay true to you and your personal brand.
I have helped many of my clients make their way successfully onto Google’s social networking platform called Google+. For those of you who have not actively engaged on Google+, named a hugely popular Facebook competitor in the social networking world, please consider testing it out before you decide whether it would be beneficial for your business brand to belong on an engagement network like Google+.
As of 21 September 2011, Google granted the public access to the platform thereby taking it out of its beta-testing stage and setting it on the path for more prominent global domination. An added benefit of utilizing products produced by a conglomerate like Google is that you also receive added value and benefits like the important and ‘not be taken lightly’ addition of ‘Google+ like button’ to Google AdWords.
Klout and other influence indicators are the industry’s way of trying to find a meaningful way to explain and denote value from social media engagement.
Of course if being able to measure one’s co-creation of value with your consumer base were that simple – we would all be ascribing to it, but all software sites like Klout do is aggregate the “influence” you have based on an algorithm that they run through social networks.
The accuracy of such data is not analysed by a human who can make sense if it or at least delve into it with a critical eye. It is for this reason why I’m not sure how valuable one’s Klout Score is in the long-term, but for a start it helps people see the measure of their engagement in real-time, and allows them to effortlessly correlate their interactions with its measured impact that goes a long way in substantiating social media ROI.
