The ORIGINAL

Search Marketing Event#SESMiami

Determining the Right Social

Media Networks for Your

BusinessVictoria EdwardsFlorida Blue

Digital Content Strategist

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Background information

• Working in Social Media/SEO/Content

Marketing for 9 years

• Digital Content Strategist for Florida Blue

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Where you can find me

• Twitter - @TallChickVic

• LinkedIn - LinkedIn.com/in/VictoriaLEdwards

• Email – Victoria.Edwards@FloridaBlue.com

• Website – Victoria-Edwards.com

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

When I am not working…

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Overview• Best methods for determining what social

media networks work best for your business

• Strategies for developing effective content for your social media efforts

• Creating content around the lifestyle of your products or service

• "How to" social media in a day

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Why do I need social media?• Increases brand awareness

• Increases traffic to your site

• Increases overall reach (target demographic)

• Helps with research your target demographic

• Great communication tool with your customers/audience

• Your competitor is already there!

• Helps with SEO (search engine optimization)

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Which social media networks?

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Do NOT sign up everywhere

• You don’t have the time!

• It may not be where YOUR business

needs to be

• Start slow…

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Do your research

• Where are your competitors?

• Where is your audience?

• Where can your digital marketing goals be

met?

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Where are your competitors?

• Make a list between 5-10 competitors

• Go to their websites

• Find their social handles (should be on site)

• Look at the conversations

within social media

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Where are your competitors?

• Just because they are there, still does not

mean you should be there

• Your competitor list should help nail down

where to be

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Where is your audience?

• Which existing profile is getting the most

traction?

• How much engagement is occurring?

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Where is your audience?

• Take a peek into your analytics

• Where is your referral traffic coming from?

• Just because you’re not there doesn’t

mean it’s not of value

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Where is your audience?

• Are those networks sending you

VALUABLE traffic?

• Do they read your content?

• Do they convert?

• Or do they bounce?

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Where can your goals be met?

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Where can your goals be met?

• Facebook can:

– Increase sales through advertising

– Increase brand awareness through content

promotion (promoted posts)

– Assist in customer service & retention by

creating a community hub

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Where can your goals be met?

• Twitter can:

– Increase sales through advertising

– Increase brand awareness through content

promotion

– Assist in customer service & retention by

creating a community hub

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Where can your goals be met?

• LinkedIn can:

– Increase leads through introductions

– Boosting client retention by maintaining

relationships

– Assist in company and personal brand

awareness

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Where can your goals be met?

• Instagram can:

– Increase brand awareness

– Increase conversion by promoting sales and

products

– Increase engagement (higher engagement

compared to Twitter)

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Strategies for developing effective

content for your social media efforts

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Plan, plan and plan some more• What do you want the content to do?

– Generate leads

– Generate downloads

– Increase traffic

– Increase conversion

• Not all content will do everything, so have a clear goal

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Develop Personas

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Develop a content calendar • Update it frequently!

– Title

– Author

– Persona

– Due date

– Publication date

– Platform

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

More research!

• Research your competitors:

– What type of content topics do they develop?

– What type of content do they create (video,

PPT, blogs, podcasts, whitepapers)?

– What’s the engagement like of that content?

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Develop “lifestyle” content

• Create content around your product or

service to educate and entertain

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Health care examples• Health insurance 101

• Health care reform

• Health care innovation

• Fitness

• Wellness

• Recipes

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Look internally

• What content is develop within your

company already

• How can you repurpose this content?

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Types of content to develop

– How to’s

– FAQ’s

– Case studies

– Interview experts in your industry

– Interview internal experts in your company

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

What is your audience asking for?

• Develop content around THEIR common

questions & statements

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Ask your audience

• Surveys

• Emails

• Ask on social media

• They want to be heard!

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

“How to” social media in a day

• Look at the industry publications you get emails from

• Look at the industry news your read

• Find 2 news items that you found of interest

• Find the authors & their Twitter handle (usually next to their author byline)

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

“How to” social media in a day

• Then follow, share, like, tweet

• Tell the publication you appreciated the

content

– And / Or

• Tell the author the same thing

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

“How to” social media in a day

• Ask your social media community what

they thought of the article

• ENGAGEMENT

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

“How to” social media in a day

• Summarize the content in a blog post,

then link to the actual news piece or article

• Take that content and SHARE!

• Mention the authors when you do so!

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

“How to” social media in a day• Monitor your comments

• If someone posted a comment on your wall, reply

• Listening Tools that are free:

– Google Alerts

– Tweet Deck

– Topsy

– Social Mention

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

“How to” social media in a day

• Use tools like Followerwonk to find people

or subject matter experts in your industry

• Follow them in social media and then send

a quick hello!

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

“How to” social media in a day

• Then rinse & repeat

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

3 Main Takeaways

• Research A LOT

• Learn from your competitors

• Focus on where your goals can be met

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Thank You!

• Twitter - @TallChickVic

• LinkedIn - LinkedIn.com/in/VictoriaLEdwards

• Email – Victoria.Edwards@FloridaBlue.com

• Website – Victoria-Edwards.com

@TallChickVic

#SESMiami

Resources• https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/social-media-channels-business-

223554094.html

• https://www.123-reg.co.uk/blog/online-marketing/social-media-platform-business/

• http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-tools/the-39-social-media-tools-ill-use-today/

• http://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-engagement-rates-up-to-50-times-higher-than-twitter-socialbakers-finds-2014-12

• http://www.problogger.net/archives/2011/09/03/52-types-of-blog-posts-that-are-proven-to-work/

• http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/monitor-social-media-effectively