Noteca Fernando Almenara an interview
Tell me about your Noteca and why it stands out?
Noteca is a web app for working on Social Media. It is “true” Social CRM. It is the first tool specially created to enable companies to participate in conversations. Noteca gathers all mentions about your brand and allows you to quickly recognise those which are most relevant to you, thus blocking out background noise. Once you have chosen the mentions you want to participate in, it provides you with the context in order to be able to give the best response. http://noteca.com
All relations are saved so that companies can gradually build up these links with users. Furthermore it provides statistics which allow us to see the ROI of the actions developed in Social Media, showing the number of mentions produced, the conversations held, divided by language, etc.
What was your first experience of social media?
We started writing blogs six years ago. We understood that the Internet was a reflection of the human being and that we are social beings. It was natural for the Internet to become ever more sociable. And for that reason we started creating Noteca in 2007, to enable companies to take part in those conversations with their users, whether they are in their hundreds or thousands.
What is the biggest tip you would give to a newbie in social media?
It’s all about person to person communication, horizontal interaction. Avoid a corporate tone; use a natural way of expressing yourself. And participate in direct conversations about your company, and indirect conversations about collateral subjects, giving your personal point of view. You’re not a spokesperson for the company, you’re not the company “in the flesh”, you are you, and you speak as a member of the company, in order to give assistance.
Where do you see growth in the social media field?
Everywhere. We human beings are Social Media. It is normal that the Internet should evolve reflecting this nature and so, in one way or another, it will affect everything. In particular, Social Media Marketing will grow, there will be more agencies specialised in providing Social Media Marketing services and more Social Media departments in other companies. We want Noteca to be their main tool of the trade.
What new ideas are advertisers coming up with to take advantage of new trends?
Ideas which are ludicrous and wrong. They want the hype of creating a social network about themselves, or they want to create viral adverts. These are just anecdotes. True value is found in paying attention to conversations that people have about your brand on blogs, on twitter. But it’s not particularly “awe inspiring” work, and it has to be done little by little, day by day. But it’s the right idea. And it’s what really works.
What do you do that is green?
We believe that in reality the contamination impact is in the hands of big industries. However, there are constant campaigns which try to “blame” the people. It’s the airlines, the container ships, the chemical companies and the like which really make an impact on the environment. And it’s easier to reduce the emissions of 300 companies than to try to change the habits of 30 million people in a way that has a significant impact. Both things are positive, but it’s much more effective to act by pressuring governments and the large companies to be much more responsible in their behaviour. For this reason we, as citizens, must be sensitive and apply the pressure.
What is one thing about you that not many people know?
I had one of the first 50 ADSL lines marketed in Spain 🙂
What’s your favorite book?
I learnt a number of Mario Benedetti’s poems by heart. And a Bernardo Atxaga story or two. They probably haven’t been translated into English, but they’re the kind of thing that makes Spanish worth learning.
What is on your iPod?
Spotify
What are your contact details (email, company, blog, facebook, myspace, forums, etc)?
Feel free to contact me at twitter.com/noteca or at blog.noteca.com
What events do you go to?
Evento Blog, in Seville. It’s one of the few events which is completely free, organised by bloggers and with great speakers each year. The atmosphere is great.
How do you prefer to communicate?
I’m a bit shy, although I may not seem it, and so it’s very easy to feel more comfortable using e-mail.
Who would you recommend, and why?
I’m going to take this opportunity to recommend some Spanish bloggers who provide very interesting information, and thanks to Google Translate, this can be enjoyed by English-speakers.
César Carballada: Consultant for McKinsey, writes a great blog about marketing.
Jesús Encinar: entrepreneur and successful businessman on the Internet.
Antonio Ortiz: partner in one of the main blog networks of the world, with a personal blog, Error 500 in which he offers an analysis of the most influential innovations of the Internet.
