As part of the launch of Constant Contact in the UK, Our Social Times is teaming up with the US-based social media marketing company to run a series of 6 free seminars. Between March and June 2012 we’ll be hosting Social Media Marketing for Small Business in London (x 2), Chelmsford, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham. We plan to reach around 100,000 SMEs through our outreach and train around 1000 small businesses in the latest techniques.

Here are the dates and websites where tickets can be booked now:

• Essex – 22nd March
• London – 23rd March
• Manchester – 12th April
• London – 10th May
• Edinburgh – 29th May
• Birmingham – 14th June

All of the sessions at these events will be tailored specifically for small businesses, including:

Supercharging Your Facebook Marketing
Ron Cates – Constant Contact

It’s no secret that Facebook has become a huge part of how people interact, share ideas and recommendations, and interact with brands. But too many businesses aren’t seeing results from their Facebook marketing efforts because they are posting content without a plan for turning “fans” into customers and advocates. In this seminar, you’ll learn why Facebook is important to your business, the difference between posting and marketing, and ten tips to drive more “likes,” more “shares,” and more business.

The 7-Step Social Media Marketing Strategy
Luke Brynley-Jones – Our Social Times

I’ll be kicking of each seminar by setting out how to create a social media marketing strategy in 7 simple steps. I’ll highlight all the key questions you need to ask: Where are your customers? Which social media platforms should you focus on? Which 3rd party tools and applications do you need? Do you have the required skills? How should you manage your time? And how can you measure the results of your activities?

How to Generate New Leads on Twitter
Tammy Kahn Fennell – CEO, MarketMeSuite

Twitter is fast becoming a mainstream communication tool, so now is truly the time to integrate it into your marketing mix. In this session Tammy Kahn Fennell, CEO of social media dashboard MarketMeSuite, explains how to use Twitter to drive customer engagement and generate new leads. With guidance for novices and experienced Twitter marketers alike, this session will teach you how to run a successful Twitter marketing campaign and measure the results.

The Secret Marketeer: Tips & Tricks for Social Media Success
Panel Discussion

In this unique discussion our panel of SMEs and social media experts will confess their most secret tips and tricks to help you succeed in your marketing. Learn about Facebook’s “hidden” in-box, discover how to target local customers on Twitter, find out new ways of connecting with influencers on LinkedIn and much more. This session will give you the edge over your competitors – don’t miss it.

We’ll be posting up more details over the coming weeks.  If you’re interested in attending, please book your place now. If you’re interested in participating, either as a speaker, media partner, sponsor or exhibitor, we still have a few opportunities, so please contact us.

A post on Mashable today highlighted Accor Hotels’ decision to publish TripAdvisor reviews, un-moderated, on their hotel websites. As I read this, I tried to imagine the expression on the face of a PR Director I know well were I to suggested his travel company do the same.

At the age of five I mistakenly ate an olive, thinking it was a grape. Same expression.

To me, though, Accor’s decision shows a very astute and mature approach to social media marketing. The vast majority of their reviews are positive, so for the 2-3 people who will be put off by seeing the “Fetid, grimy, hell-hole – NEVER AGAIN!” review, there will be 20-30 who see the “Delightful, special – we’ll be back!” review. That’s a good ratio.

Accor have featured several times at Our Social Times conferences because they have implemented a sophisticated monitoring and social CRM programme across all 4,000 of their hotels (see some of the slides here). Each hotel get’s their own dashboard through which they can track mentions, engage with customers and measure results. There are very few examples of large multinationals adopting social media so comprehensively and in such a root-and-branch way. They’ve clearly got someone smart pulling their social strings.

Similarly, Carnival Cruises, who’s Senior Cruise Director is something of a blogging celebrity, appear in the same Mashable post. If you aren’t familiar with John Heald’s blog, check it out. It’s the most irreverent and silly, yet genuine corporate blog you’ll ever read and it’s become so successful that John now runs special Blogger Cruises for his social media pals.

But it’s not for blogging that they’ve attracted Mashable’s beady eye. Carnival are highly effective at generating positive comments and reviews on their Facebook Page. They post prompting questions, such as “Carnival sails all over the place, but there must be a destination that’s your favorite. Which port would you recommend to a friend? Why?” and invite their Fans to respond.

That specific question managed to generate hundreds of Likes and, interestingly, nearly twice as many comments. They’ve clearly got a handle on exactly what works for their fans. Carnival attribute some of this success down to “social media bragging”, i.e. people boasting about their holidays. They may be right. Presumably, though  boastful people like to brag about other things too – new shoes, video games, phones, bikes etc. – so lots of companies could get in on the act.

We saw at SMM11 London last month that, with the support of an innovative agency, low-cost airline bmibaby are taking social media seriously as a PR tool.  They partnered with Instagram, a growing but still small and niche photo-sharing service, to run a highly visual and WOM-powered campaign to promote holidays in Italy, and then Germany. That’s real social media mentality. I can’t imagine British Airways PLC partnering with a start-up, no matter how pretty the photos were!

It’s great to see companies like Accor Hotels, Carnival Cruises and bmibaby taking social media to the next level. I know there are thousands of other companies doing the same, but getting out there – doing interviews on Mashable and speaking at conferences – shows yet another degree of sophistication. The smart companies know there are scores of social media marketing bloggers, like me, ready to write about them.

Following sell-out conferences in London and San Francisco, the Our Social Times team is heading to New York for Social Media Marketing & Monitoring 2011 – the next leg of our social marketing tour. And we’ve got a great show planned…

From Peter Shankman’s keynote on the increasing blend of mobile and ‘customer service marketing’, to Sebastian Hempstead’s master-class on extracting meaning from social media data and NBC’s use of trending content to increase engagement on Facebook – SMM11 NYC will be a jam-packed, parade of valuable insights and first-hand experiences. We have The Ultimate 30-minute Guide to Location Marketing, from the Founder of the Location-Based Marketing Association (LBMA) and tips on how to integrate gaming mechanics to make your marketing more effective.

The Next Revolution Will Occur in Your Pocket
Peter Shankman – The Geek Factory

In this exciting Keynote, Peter Shankman will teach you, using real world examples, that the next revolution won’t occur through PR, or marketing, or advertising, or even social media, but through customer service. Hear how a Steakhouse’s customer service reaction to one single Tweet led to a 125% increase in sales, and how an airline didn’t listen to a customer on distress, but their competitor did, and earned tens of thousands of dollars.

Social Media Overload: How to Filter Actionable Insights from Your Data Stream
Sebastian Hempstead – Brandwatch

In this fascinating presentation Sebastian will show how companies may be missing out on the critical insights and actionable data, especially if they’re too focussed on the big numbers. The talk will include practical examples and useful hints and tips on how you can make the most of your social media monitoring.

How to Empower Your Digital “SuperFans” to Drive Offline Engagement
Josh Richman, WGN America & Keith Blanchard, Story

“Involve the fans” is the sine qua non of digital marketing today. But to date, these participation opportunities have been limited. What happens if you let brand advocates all the way into the tent? In this session Josh Richman of WGN America, Tribune Broadcasting’s national cable network, and Keith Blanchard of Story Worldwide, will show how you can drive offline behavior through digital by involving advocates in the creation of content, and curating the digital communities that form around it.

Discussion: The Future of Social Media Marketing
With the launch of Google+, the battle to control the world’s newsfeeds (or “streams”) has truly begun. But can we handle multiple social networking accounts? Do we really want to segment our friends, fans and followers? Will we ever tire of ‘recommendations’? And, what role will advertising play in the future of social networking? Join Brian Reich and our team of social media experts for this insightful discussion.

Case Study: NBC Uses Trending Content to Increase Engagement
Dan Wooley (NBC News) and Chase McMichael (Infinigraph)

We all know that consumer behaviour is the best barometer to what’s relevant. Actions equal intent, right? In this insightful session well hear how NBCUniversal used social intelligence on trending content to drive more engagement on Facebook, Twitter and on adverts. Their smart approach to content optimisation led to direct, measurable ROI.

Discussion: Is Social Commerce Really the Future of e-Commerce?
A recent report revealed that 89% of people haven’t bought anything through Facebook. In spite of this 25% said they would if the offer was exclusive and 17% would if buying was made easier than traditional e-commerce. So, should we expect to make sales on social networking sites, or not? Our panel, including Andrew Beranbom (Co-Founder & VP Business Development, Extole, Inc.), will explore the future of social commerce, highlight the risks and offer guidance for selling within a social media environment.

B2B Social Media Marketing: Humanizing Your Company
Christine Perkett – Perkett PR

Social media has become the fastest way to humanize your brand. Once “faceless” corporations are embracing transparency and authenticity and engaging with their customers. By by-passing the call center, by responding as real people and by adding a touch of humour, companies are increasing customer loyalty. In this session Christine shows how brands are shifting from staunch, corporate entities to humanized, “socialized” powerhouses.

The Ultimate 30-Minute Guide to Location Marketing
Asif Khan – Location Based Marketing Association

With the unstoppable rise of the smart phone, location marketing has finally arrived. But which social networks should you use? What kind of activity works best? And what results should you expect? In this session Asif Khan, one of America’s leading Location Marketers, offers an essential, one-stop guide to getting started in social location marketing.

Combining Social Media & Email Marketing
Josh Mendelsohn – Constant Contact

We all know that email is one of the best ways to get your message heard. But social media is one of the best ways to get that message to spread. When businesses leverage both channels in an integrated marketing campaign, it can dramatically increase the impact of their campaigns. In this fact-packed session, Josh will explain how to combine email and social to win new customers.

Discussion: How to identify & Engage with Social Media Influencers
How should you identify the key online influencers in your industry? What’s the best way to approach them? And can you really score online influence? In this topical panel discussion, we ask our hand-picked team of experts, including Marshall Sponder (author of Social Media Analytics) and Pierre-Loic Assayag (CEO, Traackr), what social media influence really means for marketers. Expect fireworks and a suitcase full of actionable take-away’s.

Tickets are available online now for Social Media Marketing & Monitoring 2011 New York. You might also like to attend Social CRM 2011 New York.