Social Media Portal interview with PRHQ's Kizzi Nkwocha

Profiled - Kizzi Nkwocha, director of PRHQ on the book SocMed: Social Media For Business

Social Media Portal (SMP): What is your role at PRHQ?

Kizzi Nkwocha (KN): My name is Kizzi Nkwocha and I am the director of PRHQ. We are a public relations agency working mainly with SMEs and personalities.

SMP: Briefly, tell us about the book 'SocMed: Social Media For Business,' what?s it about?

KN: 'SocMed: Social Media For Business' is a book written by social media professionals from all over the world. It addresses the question of how businesses can leverage the power of social media as a way of engaging customers and promoting their brand.

The vast majority of business owners feel overwhelmed by this phenomena we call social media. This book is an attempt to filter out the signal from the noise and provide practical, jargon-free advice about what social media means and what it can do for your business.

SMP: What is the publishing house is it released by?

KN: The book is published by Mithra Publishing, a company which began life as an online book publishing business, but has now expanded into producing print titles.

SMP: Who are your target audience and why?

KN: 'SocMed: Social Media for Business' is aimed at people in business who are keen to use social media as a marketing resource. Many of them work for large corporations while the vast majority are consultants and SMEs.

SMP: Where can it be purchased?

KN: SocMed can be found at Mithra publishing http://www.mithrapublishing.com/index.php?option=com_hikashop&ctrl=product&task=show&cid=11&name=socmed-social-media-for-business-paperback-edition&Itemid=1

SMP: Why did you decide to write this book on social media?

KN: As a journalist I have won awards for my social media work but, like many of your readers, I know that technology and innovation moves at a blistering pace. Often we are so busy trying to run a business that we simply don't have time to constantly research new social media services and products.

We take our eyes off the ball.  Producing this book was a great opportunity to gather 30 or so social media strategists - people who really understand how to get the best out of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc - and ask them to produce practical guidance chapters that will be of real benefit to business people.

SMP: How did you choose guest writers for the book and why do you do this?

KN: It was important that guest writers had somehow distinguished themselves in the field of social media marketing. A large number of them are award-winning consultants and PR professionals who use social media every day as a work tool. Almost all of them have enormous Facebook Twitter and LinkedIn profiles with thousands of followers and fans.

SMP: How did you initially attract potential readers of the book, and how do you do it now?

KN: Our first tool for attracting readers was using social media itself. We put messages out through LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. We have an online newspaper (The Sussex Newspaper) that carried articles about the book and we also created a Facebook group specifically for our writers called ?Thought Leaders? that they could use to network.  

SMP: What are the low moments of what you have been doing so far (regarding writing and publishing the book)?

KN: One of Mithra publishing's unique selling points is that most of our books are sponsored by appropriate advertising. We thought this would be a good way of meeting the financial demands of publishing: By introducing ads in books, we took the burden off the book publisher while also removing any suggestion that the author contributes to the cost of publishing his or her book.

One of the low points was when we were told by Apple that they would only stock our books if we removed advertising. This wasn't a big issue with all of the books but with 'Socmed: Social Media for Business' we felt it was. The solution was to pull the books from iBooks and focus them on Amazon and the Mithra Publishing?s websites.

SMP: What are the high moments of what you have been doing so far (regarding writing and publishing the book)?

KN: I think I speak for everyone involved in the project when I say that the most memorable good moment was when the first paperback copy of the book arrived at our offices. It looks great and reads brilliantly. It made all the hard work seem worthwhile actually having a copy in our hands.

SMP: What do you see as your biggest challenges and opportunities?

KN: We're keen to try to increase the level of interaction with our writers and readers. To do this we've recently launched an online radio show called Writers Talk which profiles new authors and generally talks about books.

I would like to find some way of creating a social media portal specifically aimed at writers and books. I have no idea how to do this - but that?s never stopped me in the past.   

SMP: What are the next moves for you and the use of social media?

KN: I think this social media portal for writers is our next big move. I'd be particularly interested in hearing from any of your readers that might have an idea of how we can pull this off.

SMP: What?s the next big step for social media and networks?

KN: As technology progresses, social media will gradually replace traditional media. This is already happening with regards to newspapers and magazines. Over the coming years this process will spread to video and broadcasting.

With more homes now buying smart TVs, more people will be able to view user-generated content such as YouTube on their laptop or PCs. If this continues, YouTube will become the largest social networking company in the world.

SMP: What was the most challenging part of building the book presence in digital environments (including social media)?

KN: Marketing the book was much easier than we'd anticipated. By its very nature, the book has been produced by people who do social media every day. Our writers helped us promote the book by talking about it on their blogs and on their websites and also mentioning it through Twitter and of course LinkedIn and Facebook.

SMP: What?s going to be the most interesting aspect regarding social media / technology throughout 2012 and into 2013?

KN: In the years to come the convergence of social media will see it replacing traditional media as a way of consuming news and getting information. User- generated video will also be big news after 2012. The fact is that people like watching other people, and seeing the world through other people's eyes is an irresistible proposition.

SMP: What are your top predictions for social media throughout 2012 and into 2013?

KN: replies with

• Multi-media social media will grow and grow over the next 12 months. Seeing the world through someone else?s eyes will become the next holy grail. If you haven?t tried Instagram yet, put that on top of your ?to do? list for this week.
• With its new venture into creating channels firmly underway, YouTube is likely to become the fastest growing social network in the world. Yes, even surpassing the mighty Facebook. With the growth of smart TV?s, more and more people will be watching user generated content on their TV?s rather than just their laptops.
• As more people read books like ?Insider Know-how: Public Relations? and our recent title, 'SocMed: Social Media For Business,' businesses will begin to realise the strategic value of social media. Its not just about keeping in touch with your mates in the pub. Social Media is about leveraging a communication medium to promote your brand, engage customers and making money.
• Newspaper and magazine apps will outsell their traditional print counterparts by two to one.
• Mobile marketing will become the most powerful (and effective) form of marketing. More people are using their phones to access the web than they do using laptops and desktop computers. This presents a whole host of challenges and opportunities for marketers. QR codes will become standard marketing tools.

SMP: Are there any other book that you?ve written recently that are related and we should know about?

KN: We?ve just produced a book called Facebook For Your Business, which is a direct spin-off from SocMed. While SocMed is a general introduction to all of the social media platforms, this book focuses specifically on one of them: the mighty Facebook.

SMP: Is there anything else you?d like to tell us?

KN: Social media can often seem intimidating and overwhelming. Reading books like SocMed Social Media for Business is a great way of understanding just how to get the best out of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc for your business.

SMP: Best way to contact you and SocMed: Social Media For Business?

KN: I?m always on Facebook at:https://www.facebook.com/kizzi.nkwocha
And my Twitter profile is http://twitter.com/#!/kizzinkwocha
To get a copy of the book, you can visit http://www.amazon.co.uk/Insiders-Know-How-Public-Relations-ebook/dp/B007MLWKB2 or editor @ mithrapublishing.com




SMP: What did you have for breakfast / lunch?

KN: My wife has got me eating porridge in the mornings because, apparently, it stops me eating biscuits and cakes during the day.

SMP: What?s the last good thing that you did for someone?

KN: Last week we published an anthology of fiction talent. The book was a way of showcasing authors that are yet to be published and giving them that very first step on the ladder. It was brilliant to produce a book of short stories written by incredibly talented people who may one day become the stars of tomorrow.

SMP: How many hours to you work a week?

KN: Around 50.

SMP: If you weren?t writing books and doing PR, what would you be doing?

KN: I would be an agent of some kind because I like negotiating deals and managing individuals.

SMP: When and where did you go on your last holiday?

KN: We went to Bordeaux in France last year and fell in love with the region.

SMP: What?s the first thing you do when you get into the office of a morning?

KN: Answer queries from contributors, check the news headlines and talk to our community managers who look after our Facebook and Twitter profiles.

SMP: If you had a superpower what would it be and why?

KN: The power to persuade.

If you're interested in doing a Social Media Portal (SMP) interview, get in touch.