Tweak Your Biz » Global » Saint Patrick’s Day Facebook Campaign: Shamrock Urself

Saint Patrick’s Day Facebook Campaign: Shamrock Urself

by Niall Devitt on March 15th, 2011
58 Comments



Would you be able to write a blog post or do a status update via Twitter or Facebook to get some further momentum behind this campaign?

In the run up to St Patrick’s Day, I have been working with fellow social media volunteers and we have come up with a Shamrock Urself! - a Facebook specific application that enables people to add a Shamrock Stamp to their profile picture.

Shamrock Urself!

The background is a simple one.

With Irish people based across the globe, coupled with doom and gloom that has become the spirit of the homeland, Irish people are craving a celebration commonality.

Given the fact that if Facebook were a country, it would be the 3rd largest in the world, this gives Ireland a virtual platform to spread the Saint Patrick’s Day message of pride and positivity.

Shamrock Urself! enables Irish people and friends of Ireland  to add a Shamrock Stamp to their Facebook profile picture through our Shamrock Urself! Application .

Facebook doesn’t automatically set it as your profile picture. You have got to click on ‘Make it my profile picture’ when you preview it. Or alternatively, set it as your profile picture from your Shamrock Urself special Album! This is a Facebook restriction that is beyond our control

The ethos of the campaign is about fun, enjoyment, and people getting involved.

The key is you don’t need to be Irish to be part of the campaign; you just need to want to be part of it all.

There are a host of Irish Brands taking part in the campaign; those who are joining in the ‘craic’ and doing their bit to spread a little Irishness this Paddy’s day.

The ask for Irish Fan Pages is both simple and quick. We are asking them to like the ShamrockUrself! page and post a status update to their fans and tell them about Shamrock Urself.

To note:

If brands want to add a Shamrock to their business page, there is an additional step due to restrictions on Facebook that are beyond our control. Your Page Admin will have to save your business page profile picture onto their own page and shamrock it and then set it as the Business Page pic.

So what are you waiting for, Enjoy being Irish if just for a day and go Shamrock Urself! now!

Thanks for reading,

Niall



Category: Global Irish, social media

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

The Author:

Niall Devitt is a doer, not a talker when it comes to social media. Niall advises organisations how to plan, design and implement social media strategies that generate real business returns.  Niall is Chief Digital Strategist & Founder at the Ahain Group, an independent, ideas-led social business consultancy with experience of working with all types of clients and sectors– from large blue-chip multinationals to the 1 SMEs. Download our industry specific and researched social business reports. In 2009, Niall co-founded TweakYourBiz.com (formally Bloggertone.com) an international, business community and online publication. http://www.ahaingroup.com/

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  • http://twitter.com/fredchannel Fred

    Good one Derbhile. Indeed, free, good word of mouth is worth a lot more than going the advertising route immediately.

  • Anonymous

    Sound advice Derbhile

    I think your article is a good reminder that printed media has not disappeared and can still play a very important role in marketing a business. Social Media / Online activity has blinded/distracted many businesses to the continued value of the coverage in the newspapers.

    Newspaper exposure has an impact on the immediate reader BUT let’s not forget about the long term potential. Placing your newspaper/media exposure on your websites is very powerful.

    Paul
    http://www.paulmullan.ie/in-the-media/

  • http://www.btbtraining.com/blog Niall Devitt

    Hi Derbhile, How do you feel about surveys? Do you think they might be a good way to get your business into the mainstream media?

    @Paul I am not sure it’s blinded people, perhaps it’s getting more priority cause it’s easier to do & some might say fairer.

    I have to say I have an issue with the way many mags offer you editorial for money, I understand that they have to make money like any other business but does this practice make for the best articles or most valuable pieces? I don’t think so :-(

  • http://www.writewordseditorial.ie Derbhile

    @Niall. I agree with you re advertorial. It’s ruining print media. But people do give me money for doing it! 2 edged sword. And there’s a business in Kilkenny called Market Dynamics that gets very good coverage for its South East Business Conference surveys.
    @Paul. A new website from Mark Little called Storyful aims to combine the dynamism of online media with the news values of traditional media. Not launched yet, but keep an eye out.

  • Anonymous

    Niall

    Verbal marbles in my mouth – I will need to get the scrabble board out again :-)

    What I am trying to say is that many companies completely ignore/forget about printed media due to increased popularity of online strategies. I agree that online is “top dog” due to ease of use and access to a greater audience. Most of my PR/Marketing efforts are now online compare to 2006 when I set up. I still think that successful newspaper exposure/comments carry a big punch in terms of credibility/reputation/branding so shouldn’t be completely ignored.

    Will keep an eye out for that site Derbhile – thanks!

    Paul

  • http://www.seefincoaching.com/blog Elaine Rogers

    Derbhile,
    Great advice thanks for sharing.
    I have just launched a new business, and am happily going to pull in a favour for some media coverage. would you recommend I do Press Release before or after the media coverage (newspaper) I hopefully will get soon?

  • http://www.btbtraining.com/blog Niall Devitt

    I am going to do a post on it, would be interested in hearing your thoughts beforehand?

  • Anonymous

    Totally agree Derbhile, great post! It’s absolutely imperative that businesses use all media availbale to them to get the best results. We need to see a message 7 times before it sinks in so the more you get out there the better.

    I second everything @paulmullen said !

  • http://www.writewordseditorial.ie Derbhile

    Have newspapers already shown an interest? Are you happy with the level of coverage they’re giving you? If yes, you won’t need to do a press release. But if you’d like more interest, or haven’t any coverage yet, then yes. And if you’re doing an official launch, then try and get it in in the run up. Local media can be tricky with their deadlines though, so if it reaches them the week after, that’s fine.

  • http://www.tweakyourbiz.com Niall Devitt

    Interesting! Hopefully the Obama factor should help this time round…. if you don’t try it and all that :)

  • http://www.capitalsteelbuildings.com.au/ sheds

    a strategic coalition to assist Indigenous Irish businesses to globalise successfully. He is furthermore the co -founder of Bloggertone – a new online space that permits persons in enterprise to get access to and share helpful enterprise data and opinions

  • http://www.insideview.ie topgold

    The word “Ireland” itself may trend as soon as Air Force One parks on the auld sod.

  • http://www.tweakyourbiz.com Niall Devitt

    Hi Bernie, You’re right of course! The objective here I suppose is to tie in as much positivity as possible :)

  • http://www.tweakyourbiz.com Niall Devitt

    Hiu00a0@twitter-22328001:disqusu00a0u00a0u00a0nThanks for the comment and the support!u00a0

  • John Twohig

    Ask for the business, the biggest failure of people because they fear rejection…Good post.

  • Pawel Grabowski

    Thank you John :)

  • http://smartbusinessguides.net/ Pawel Grabowski

    Thank you Tori, I appreciate that.

  • http://www.ioventuresinc.com/ Jordan

     Like my mother used to tell me, the worst thing they could say is no. 

  • http://www.tacticalsalestraining.co.uk/ John Perrin

    Hi Niall, thank you very much! It’s an incredible sales model and it really does make you consider the options for shaking up the standard “business & market models”.  

  • http://www.smartsolutions.ie/blog/ Elaine Rogers

    It is so tempting to use models that have existed and been successful previously, far easier than re-inventing the wheel. But John, your point about “being the rival” is the key here. A great book by Oren Harari ”Break from the Pack” covers this topic in detail and is an inspirational read for anyone who wants to literally break from the pack :)

    I even attended a business mastermind programme based on this very concept http://smarteregg.com/programmes/break-from-the-pack/

    Welcome to TYB John, great post

  • http://www.encouragingexcellence.ie/ Mairéad Kelly

    Talk about timing Pawel! I was at an event today, the main point of it was to get us to sign up before leaving.  I knew this going and went with the idea of just seeing what was on offer and coming away to think about it first.  I watched the Sales Director in action and he did a great job of reeling a few of us in, asking for the sale, etc using all of the above. For those who didn’t have any intention of buying, he accepted that with a cheerful grin. However when a few people aired objections he asked outright, what it was they were afraid of and met each fear head on and then went on to close close the sale, with each person delighted with the decision they’d made. It was a delight to see the process in action and one I’ll be putting to very good use in the future.

  • http://twitter.com/xcelbusiness Helen Cousins

    I’d never thought about it that way, but it makes sense. Fear holds us back in so many ways, and it makes sense in relation to commercial sales, in the open market. 
    In relation to selling to non-profit organisations, such as Government bodies, sometimes there are other factors at play.
    Thanks Pawel, some food for thought for me there.
    ~ Helen

  • http://smartbusinessguides.net/ Pawel Grabowski

    Thanks Niall, yeah, it all comes down to selling peace of mind.

  • http://smartbusinessguides.net/ Pawel Grabowski

    Hi Helen, many thanks for that (and glad to be of help :)
    I agree, my advice relates mainly to B2B sales. Selling to NGO’s, govt organizations etc. works in a slightly different way.
    Many thanks for the comment

  • http://smartbusinessguides.net/ Pawel Grabowski

    Mairead, that’s an amazing story, a true sales professionalism. Brilliant. Best of luck with implementing it, I am sure it will work well for you :)

  • warrenrutherford

    Pawel – this is good guidance for all of us to follow.  It’s straight-forward, well explained, and emphasizes establishing and maintaining credibility.  Thanks.

  • http://smartbusinessguides.net/ Pawel Grabowski

    Thanks Warren :)

  • http://www.smartsolutions.ie/blog/ Elaine Rogers

    A great article Pawel, and great simple pointers.
    All business owners I work with, know the importance and benefit of marketing, some do better than others. Many, however, do not “sell” themselves well.

    And I would add, because of the nature of one of the areas I work in, Coaching, the fear begins with the business owner. Feelings aside, if one goes to a meeting with a client, and is afraid (their own stuff) how on earth could that instill confidence in the potential client?

    Confidence instills confidence, and if we can learn what our customers need, provide the solution with absolute confidence, follow it up (TOP notch customer service as you mention) and get paid, then we are all successful. And we maintain our credibility and good standing :)

  • http://smartbusinessguides.net/ Pawel Grabowski

    Brilliant point about confidence Elaine, thanks! We surely send signals to prospects, through everything from our behavior to our work. 

    Great comment!

  • bucklawrimore

    This is consistent with recent brain research – see for example David Rock’s “Your Brain at Work”. The brain “runs away and walks toward.” That means our genetic background makes us flee from (fear) danger much more than approach reward. But missing from your list is the value of controlled interpersonal interaction. Showing genuine concern for the prospect, asking them what is important to them, providing reflective listening, subtly mirroring behavior, understanding personality type, and other interpersonal skills can be powerful tools for reducing fear and increasing trust. Very stimulating post overall, and thank you for the thought-provoking “single point.”

  • http://twitter.com/#!/antonmccarthy Anton McCarthy

    Hi Pawel, 

    I thought this was a great article. I never would have realised the importance of your point on fear holding people back before, but reading it here made perfect sense! At the end of the day, why do some sales discussions not lead to an actual sale, even when you know you are demonstrating your expertise? It’s a very interesting psychological reason you’ve highlighted here! Thanks for the article.

  • http://smartbusinessguides.net/ Pawel Grabowski

    Thanks Buck, and cheers for recommending “Your Brain At Work”, on my list of books to check out :)  

  • http://smartbusinessguides.net/ Pawel Grabowski

    Anton, many thanks! I am delighted that I could help :)

  • http://smartbusinessguides.net/ Pawel Grabowski

    John, a brilliant point here. 

    Many small business owners have absolutely no idea how their companies are performing, how much money they have, how much they can expect in the future, what’s the overall performance of the team and its members and so on. And, it works quite well for them but only until something happens and they run into trouble. With clever performance tracking you can foresee and avoid quite a lot of potential problems (not to mention that to actually know how your business is “doing” too). 
    Well done. 

  • http://twitter.com/tacticalsales John Perrin

    Thanks Pawel.

    It is at times very scary to consider what the process of tracking is with some companies. The balance sheet may say one thing but the upcoming downfall will never be seen, so they start to lose and they will never know where or even when it can be turned around. 

  • warrenrutherford

    John – in agreement here with Pawel and Sian. My effort with clients is to establish simple business plan, with measurable goals, strategies, action items, etc. You are each right of the challenge to get an owner to focus and implement.  Great post on how the sales end of the metrics get tracked.

  • http://twitter.com/tacticalsales John Perrin

    Thank you Warren! It’s an incredibly common sight within companies where the employees are not motivated and productivity begins to slow, even though targets may stress some people out they will all feel a satisfaction once completed or even drive harder to accomplish further goals. Can never say it enough but metrics need to be track.

  • Ruan

    1 hour 14 mins for a 2 mile jog?? I’m guessing you’re not a Kenyan..

  • http://www.smartsolutions.ie/blog/ Elaine Rogers

    A great investor told me yesterday – you need metrics!!! Measure, measure, measure – and this was from an Investor AND and Entrepreneurial point of view. And then I read your post John, and it just amplifies the need to look at the figures, adn not just look at them, but make sense of them!
    As most biz owners hate accounts and number crunching, they generally leave it up to their finance team or accountant – or worse still, the end of year accounts. 
    As my investor friend said – ” a perfect way to go broke”
    Great post John, thanks.

  • http://www.bloggertone.com Niall Devitt

    Wow! Amazing post, well done Helen!

  • http://twitter.com/xcelbusiness Helen Cousins

    Thanks Niall!

  • http://twitter.com/xcelbusiness Helen Cousins

    I’ll be giving the multi-currency (#6) a test run with a client tomorrow – shall be looking for an enlightened face and no head scratching!
    Thanks Sian – hope it helps a few people out.
    ~ Helen

  • http://twitter.com/writerlyderv Derbhile Graham

    Interesting, particularly the Research and Development point. Would that include books you buy and courses you take? Also, in my case, late payment is often caused by customers simply forgetting. When they’re gently reminded, the money wings in.

  • Izzy

    Excellent Post, very thorough. I’ll be passing this info around to a few people who I know will be interested.

  • http://twitter.com/bengii bengii

    A realy useful post Helen, thanks. There is something in here for everyone, all levels

  • http://www.thesmarttrain.com/ Elaine Rogers

    A worthy resource to keep on record Helen, seeing as you are discussing the importance of recording.
    Great tips for all business owners, and I commend your use of best practice, especially when it comes to using spreadsheets to manage accounts, a big NO-NO!

  • http://twitter.com/xcelbusiness Helen Cousins

    Thanks Begjii – hope it helps a few folk.
    ~ Helen

  • http://twitter.com/xcelbusiness Helen Cousins

    Thanks Izzy – good to know it’s a resource post.
    ~ Helen

  • http://twitter.com/xcelbusiness Helen Cousins

    Hi Derbhile
    R & D would tend to apply where you are developing something new and unique – a specific project. So, books and courses could count as R & D, but only where something major, new and unique was being created. I would spend quite a bit on books and courses each year, but wouldn’t classify it as R & D because it is a routine and necessary part of my business.
    Good point about late payers forgetting. When it come to debt collection, consistency and persistence is the only game in town – so reminders are vital :)
    Thanks for adding to the post and for your comment.
    ~ Helen

  • http://www.facebook.com/elish.bulgodley Elish Bul-Godley

    Thank you for that timely post as we start of the New year post Budget. Practical as always- As a previous retailer I can testify even the most minor slips in a stock count can greatly distort the end of year figures. Also a real blog waiting to happen there in terms of how to read your stock count results for signs of trouble in your company

  • http://twitter.com/xcelbusiness Helen Cousins

    I guess we have both been in the trenches with spreadsheets :) Thanks Elaine, I’m delighted you find it of resource value.
    ~ Helen

  • http://twitter.com/xcelbusiness Helen Cousins

    Good point on the stock count Eilish, Some retailers do weekly or even daily counts where there is high value stock or where they need to identify the source of problems such as falling profit margins. These can be be stock- related through fraud, theft or human error in the sale process.
    Thanks for the blog suggestion – one of us might write it, it would be a useful post.
    ~ Helen

  • http://www.bloggertone.com Niall Devitt

    I think the inital valuation meant that the Facebook share price had no where to go except down. That said, Facebook is now going to be much more focused on generating revenues and could mean good news for investors, provided they can continue to keep users happy.

  • http://about.me/Lindeskog lyceum1776

    I think it was a success that Facebook made it to the exchange. Now they have learned a lesson from this. The free market will take care of the situation. My question is: do you think that companies like Facebook and other tech companies will have the same influence like the old traditional manufacturing companies that are a big part of the Dow Jones Index, sometime in the future?

  • Alvin Payne

    Thanks for the blog on invoicing and factoring . This blog is a great help. I’m extremely happy to know that it is a discretionary service, i view this as a benefit as well.

  • factoring financial services

    Invoice factory are so receiving with different accounting and rangable industries. The obligations suppliers are so traders with factoring retailers.

  • http://www.thesmarttrain.com/ Elaine Rogers

    I often get frustrated that people cannot just pay on time. I know there is so much at stake by witholding money, on both sides, but the small business owner is always the one to lose out the most – especially with cash-flow.
    That has a knock-on effect – they don’t get paid, so cannot pay the other small business who provides services, and on and on.
    And we have to pay the big companies up front, or on time! No lee-way. Rant over!

    Andrew, great post and I agree about discounting – I use it to get paid on or before time – improves my cash-flow immensely.
    I enjoyed especially your points 3 and 4, especially for the medium size business or HTSU that is expanding quickly – and finance is desperately needed.

  • Liran Hirschkorn

    Thanks for the warm welcome! Appreciate the nice comments. Key man is important, business owners need to wear many hats and protecting their business is extremely important.

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