the rules of engagement: how to leverage social media to grow your business

The Rules of Engagement:How to leverage your social media to grow your business

Where do I Begin?

Start with the End In Mind

Define your Company Objectives

• Increase Brand Awareness• Reputation Management• Lead Generation• Customer Service

Define your Buyer Persona

Why?• You offer information that is valuable TO THEM• You will be able to position yourself as an expert• Being a resource encourages repeat business

If you respect their attention with valuable content, you will win their loyalty

Know your Audience

Knowing your audience will ultimately...

Good Example - Nesha Pai Singer, femfessional

During the 2011 Uprising in Egypt, KennethCole chose to post this tweet:

Yikes……..

Don’t be tactless

WHY?• It shows poor planning• Sharing carefully shows that you are considerate and a

positive member of the community• It makes people cringe: not a response you want associated with

your brand

In order to avoid this kind of faux pas…

Why?• Creating a plan helps your customers have a clear understanding of

your brand and your offerings• It will save you time and money!!• If your message is unified it will help you make the most of your

relationships with your customers

Typical Marketing Plan: • Content Plan- What are we going to say/post/tweet/skywrite?• Traditional Plan-What outbound mediums will we use?

Print, radio, TV• Interactive Plan- Website? SEO? Mobile? Email?• Social Plan-Who’s monitoring? Emergency Response?

Create a Plan Unify your message with an

action plan

Become an Over-Sharer In a good way

Why?• Your posts are more valued• Resourceful people are more trusted• You become an expert without being a know-it-all• Your customers will look forward to your marketing

Engagement Tip!! Offer challenges and get them to post their outcomes. The Clutter Challenge- Encourage people to pick a closet, purge it and put it back together… post pics online and share with friends.

Consistent and Resourceful

Good Example – Anne Steppe, femfessional

Don’t be this girl. Nobody likes this girl.

An Exercise in

Awesome

Why?• Brand your awesomeness!• Increases customer or prospective customer engagement• This also puts a human face on your brand

Engagement Tip: Actively monitor for any questions and/or comments regarding your company, and make it a daily habit to respond to them. Focus on being friendly, responsive, prompt, and most of all -- helpful!

Knowing how to respond to feedback is crucial… especially if it is negative

Entertain and Delight your customers Everyone LOVES that girl

Amy needs to cool herBiscuits!!

Bad

Example

DON’T Do This! Get B*tchy

Why?• Your brand gets associated with hostility• You look unprofessional• You will appear to be defensive or guilty

Takeaway: Quickly, politely and apologetically address the concerns of those who are posting negative things and ask them to contact you directly. Solve their problem offline.

Pick your poison You won’t be good at any of it,

if you try to do all of it.

WHY?• Business owners think they need to be everywhere-they don’t• Marketing to everyone is the same as marketing to no one• You’ll go broke

Takeaway: Find the medium or mediums that are best suited to your Business OR mediums you are most comfortable with and dominate those mediums.

Measure your Metrics

Know what is working Know what is not Determine ROI Prepare to make adjustments based on those

metrics

Your customers are a great indicator about how well you are doing …..

Good Example - Michelle Mumford, femfessional

Start with the End in Mind—Define your Objectives

Know your Audience-Knowing your best prospects = efficient and

cost effective marketing

Create your plan/Define your Brand!: Content plan, Traditional

media plan, SEO plan, social plan-All your marketing should

coordinate

Pick your Poison-Find where your best customers are and

dominate those 1 or 2 mediums

Measure. Measure. Measure. Know what is working and what is

not-ROI is crucial

Prepare to pivot. Your metrics will give you an idea of where you’ve

been, so you can better prepare for where you’re going

Actionable Steps to Get Started Doing Today!!

Fin(Questions or Comments?)