vibrant creative: "social media" - practical applications for the time and patience...

Creating an engaging and interactive website with Strategy for Social Media, RSS Integration

So you have Facebook – now what?

You need a strategy.

Without Strategy, All the SM tools in the world are worthless.

Developing your Strategy A.  Who is the target? B.  What is the message? C.  How can we engage? D.  What tools do we use? E.  How do we build a base? F.  Define Success G.  Delegate the Responsibility

A.  Who is the target? Different strokes for different folks.

If your target is everyone – think again, Just like any other media – get specific to the demographic that can most effect your organization.

Details – Age range, occupation type, Location, etc.

B. What is the message? Now that you have defined your target,

what do you want them to know or do?

Craft clear direct messaging for them, not for you.

C. How can we engage? The target has the message, how can we

capture their attention and keep it long term?

D. What tools do we use? Based on the answers from A-C – decide

what SM tools to use or not use to achieve your goals.

E. How do we build a base? Now that we have the perfect SM

campaign we need to build a base of users.

F. What is success? Defining success will make success feasible

and possible.

G. Define Responsibility One primary person must maintain

primary responsibility for success.

Subs can contribute but performance and content is always monitored by the primary.

Hold accountable and define deliverables for success.

Strategy Defined.

REMEMBER Social Media is about Permission

Marketing – not Interruption Marketing.

“Permission marketing is the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal and

relevant messages to people who actually want to get them.”

-Seth Godin, Marketing Guru

So, Don’t Burn the Permission

“If you burn the permission no one will pay attention to your posts which defeats the purpose. Give value and you shall receive”

-Me

Permission marketing is measurable.

•  Your website and the associated tools are incredibly trackable – use the data to make adjustments to your campaign.

Creating a reasonable campaign to available

resources •  If you have 1 hour a week to dedicate to

Social Media – Your campaign should look different then the org that has a part time person dedicated to the effort.

Active SM Actively telling a story and engaging in a conversation with constituents. Passive SM

Using a blog or other tool to disseminate information you are already creating; News, PR, Events, etc. and dispersing it via rss to other media

Basic SM Tools

The Benefits of Blogs

•  Makes your site attractive to search engines

•  Allows you to engage your members with information that goes to them.

•  Positions you as authorities in your field

Blogs use RSS Which means Using RSS (Really Simple Syndication) you can make your information subscribe-able, share-able and tap-able by other social media tools.

Connect with FaceBook

Facebook is another way to reach out to your members. Create constant opportunities for discussion.

You can tie your news videos and events to your Facebook “like” page

Create promotions and fun reasons to be “liked”

Get Viral - YouTube

Use YouTube to share videos with constituents. Allow constituents to comment on videos.

Have your website & SM tools feature automatic feeds of the videos.

The Same goes for Images ie: Flickr, Yfrog, etc (our site)

Let’s talk business - LinkedIn

You can create Groups in LinkedIn and invite your members to be a part of it, which means your logo on their LinkedIn Pages. Once you have a membership group we can reach out to the members with communications.

E-newsletters

E-Newsletters Pro-Actively reach out to your constituents with links that return them to the website.

e-Newsletters & Surveys •  Keeps you in regular contact with membership.

•  Permission – people have requested information so communication is targeted rather than scattershot.

•  Even if your open rate is low – they are still getting a message.

•  Create membership buy-in with surveys of membership on programs, services, etc

•  They’re inexpensive – and drive people to your website.

•  Not a replacement for hard newsletter

Are you a Twit?

Twitter is a way to keep in regular contact with your members and we can automate it using the blog. (tweetlater) (personal/work)

Bad News It takes a little time, effort, consistency and patience.

Without strategy These tools are worthless.

Good News Social media can be used to reach new audiences, build relationships and establish authority.

Important Considerations

• Create a resource for sharing expertise between members

• Create a method for repeat visits

• Establish yourselves as a hub for your community.

• Don’t fear repeating content.

• Everyone is not on, but eventually most will be.

There are more tools and more to come – your job is to best strategize which ones to use and create a site that lets you grow into new ones.

TIPS

Promote Your Social Media

•  Print ads •  Brochures •  Newsletters •  E-newsletters •  Business cards &

letterhead •  E-mail signatures •  Everything else!

If you build it, They most certainly will NOT come – Unless – you tell them to.

You have to invest to get the return •  Recognize Web as a

priority •  Devote staff hours •  Find ways for users to

contribute •  Get creative •  Empower Employee(s) •  Block Time

Doing Something Viral •  Viral does not have to

mean national, viral can mean your town, your county, your state, your field.

Policy •  http://blog.vibrantcompany.com/

Getting buy-in •  Draft a plan and present it. •  Ask for proposals. •  Don’t call it a blog.

Typical Process for Launch

•  Craft a Strategy

•  Designs, Strategy & Outline of Functionality

•  Writing and Build out

•  Training

•  Pre-Launch & Closed Invitation

•  Official Launch and Announcement

Jump in.

Suny Delhi

Case Study

Coop All Star Village

Case Study