Hi, I'm Linda Coles, Blue Banana
I founded Blue Banana to train other professionals in the expert use of social media tools as a viable strategy to grow their brand or company online and develop an additional way of doing business. I am a speaker and trainer and run various workshops and seminars on how to use the various tools effectively and productively.
Originally from the United Kingdom, I have helped many companies and businesspeople in New Zealand to gain a competitive advantage in their industries through inventive use of social media.
I have worked with professionals at major New Zealand companies including Air New Zealand, Telecom, ICONZ, Bayleys Real Estate, University of Auckland Business School and New Zealand Post.
I have spoken at events for the Her Business Network, MIT, Results.com, HRINZ, William Buck and staff of the University of Auckland.
You can find my work published on the subject by the NZ Herald, NZBusiness Magazine, Her Business Magazine, Human Resources Magazine, and I am the resident social media expert for www.businesswomen.co.nz
A selection of testimonials from satisfied clients
“The session I had with Linda and my senior management team was extremely useful and gave us all a great insight into the world of social media. Very practical and hands on. Thanks so much Linda Sean McDonald, ICONZ
“Linda’s experience in social media has greatly enhanced our SM strategy. She’s provided, and is continuing to provide on an ongoing basis, valuable advice and applications to help optimize our activity. Her consultancy lives on beyond the physical workshops through twitter, her blogs and other SM platforms.” Louise Harrison, Telecom
“I asked Linda to present to a group of senior HR and Recruitment professionals (approx 50) at a recent Human Resources Institute (HRINZ) seminar. Linda was a very confident and engaging speaker and knew her subject very well being Social Media. We had some very positive feedback from the attendees who gained value and insight from her presentation. Great work!” Paul Leacock, Blacksmith
"If you are confused by social media and want to maximize traffic to your company website then I do not hesitate to recommend Linda. Her training is clear and concise and very practical. It is in plain English, which is important if you are not very IT savvy. She ensures you get an understanding of not only the "how" but also the "why" and her continuing support is outstanding. You want to learn about social media, then hire the best - Blue Banana” Sarah Lochead-MacMillan SLM Group
“Linda provided and interesting and passionate social media seminar for our business. The session was well organized, concise and provided for all levels of understanding which I know I appreciated. I would consider Linda to be an expert in her field and would thoroughly recommend Linda's services to anyone who wants to get on board the social media train. Fantastic service.” Tim Norman, Life Care Consultants
“Linda has a way of making IT come alive to the non-believers! She has the ability to convince even dinosaurs such as me that the internet is a valuable business tool. Her knowledge of and passion for business and social networking sites such as Linked In and Twitter is phenomenal - I could not recommend her highly enough." Jacqui Matthews-Harris, Blackcat Consulting Ltd
"I have enjoyed working with you and like the way you just get on with things" Ben Ridler RESULTS.com
“I have recently used Linda to maximize the impact of my website and make sure that it was working for me. Previous advice from those in Linda's field has been somewhat opaque and not terribly helpful for someone such as I, who isn't really IT-minded. Linda's clarity of thought, explanation and then execution have been outstanding and I will be using her again.” June 12, 2009
Nick Davies LLB (hons), Barrister Really Great Training
“If your ailing website needs a face lift, or you need some pro-active assistance on web-based projects - Linda is the person to call. I find Linda consistently professional, friendly and helpful. What more could I want?” Justine Orme, Innovative foods
"Linda ran a workshop for our Blackcat networking group on the use of business & social media sites in developing your brand through the internet. The feedback was fantastic, her presentation style was relaxed, helpful and very informative and she made the subject-matter come alive. As a result most of the delegates are now ready to press the button and are excited & confident about entering a new world. I would have no hesitation recommending Linda to anyone" - Andrew Harris, Director, Blackcat Consulting
