embracing social media | success on any budget
DESCRIPTION
Successfully leveraging social media to further your business objectives doesn't have to feel like a waste of time and money. This presentation will walk you through... Getting focused: The first step in building an engaged following is knowing who you're talking to, and what they need. Some simple tools are outlined to help you identify your ideal target audience, and reasons to stay focused on the channels you can truly be present within. Getting Strategic: As with any other marketing efforts, attracting and engaging an audience on social media requires strategic planning. Tools and ideas here will provide you with a map to outline your objectives, tactics, and measurement of ROI. Getting Results: Understanding the "social sales funnel"...and how to grow awareness for your organization, provide content that's interesting and engaging to your target audience, and moving your audience toward taking action. Sign up for free updates from Mesh Marketing at http://meshmarketing.biz/free-updates/TRANSCRIPT
Kristel Hayes, Mesh Marketing Creative GroupApril, 2012
EMBRACING SOCIAL MEDIASuccess on Any Budget
What We’ll Cover...
As with any other marketing efforts, attracting and engaging an audience on social media requires strategic planning.
Getting StrategicGetting Focused
The first step in building an engaged following on social media is knowing who you’re
talking to, and what they need.
Getting Results
Understanding your “social media sales funnel”:
Awareness > Interest > Action
Hi! I’m Kristel...
I like dogs, singing, the great outdoors,
and helping businesses achieve their business goals
thru online marketing.
More Specifically...
Bachelor of Music from UCI• learned to promote & present myself to people who are most likely to enjoy what I do• learned to get creative visuals, audio, video, and most importantly, how to engage my audience• learned to work with NO budget• old school...back when we used word processors & copy machines
San Francisco : Sales/Marketing/PR for Britanne Corporation• “snuck” email & internet access into the picture• thought leader w/in my organization to leverage online marketing• helped grow the brand & sales over 200% annually on a VERY tight budget
Maine: Began Work as Independent Consultant• Helping small businesses present the best version of themselves. • Auditing current efforts, and building strategies based on those observations• Empowering clients to maximize efforts based on their unique budget limitations via best channels for their organization.
Organizations I’ve Enjoyed Working With...
So Enough About Me
What is Social Media?
noun : forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and microblogging) through which
users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos)
What is Social Media?
Any media or communication method your organization uses to engage its ideal target audience
The goal is not to be good at social media...
The goal is to be good at business because of social media.
~Jay Baer
Social Media is no longer the Wild Wild West. As folks become more savvy, it’s important to be sure your efforts are focused and effective.
Promoting a Social Media Channel You do not Actively Participate in is Like Opening an un-staffed Office.
Get Focused & Be Present
Everyone likes vanilla, but is it really all that interesting to anyone?
"If you dont have a big budget, you need to be the Pistachio"
~Sally Hogshead
Know Your Ideal Audience
10/12
WHO is most likely to support an engage with your organization?
GET SPECIFIC man or woman, how old, how many kids, what kind of car do they drive, what do they order at Starbucks?
DEVELOP your voice so that you are speaking directly to that person.
Who is your ideal target audience?
Who is Your Ideal Target Audience?
• Male or Female?• What’s their name? • How old are they? • Tall or Short?• What color hair/eyes do they have?• What do they do for a living?• What car do they drive?• Married?• Kids?• Attitude toward the world?• What do they do on Friday nights?• What keeps them up at night?• How does this make them feel?
Digging deep helps you connect.
Digging deep doesn’t just help your organization develop a specific voice...
It creates messaging that will attract your ideal target audience and allow them to
connect with your message on a truly emotional level.
Be Strategic
“Organize, don't agonize.” ~ Nancy Pelosi
Create a Strategic Plan
Objectives & Goals
What do we want to accomplish?
Tactics
What tools and tactics will help us accomplish our goals?
ROI
How will we measure success?
TAKE ACTION: Write down THREE primary objectives for your organization on social media
The Social “Sales Funnel”
Awareness
The initial goal is to make your target audience aware of your brand. This is a necessary prerequisite to moving them further down the conversion path. This primarily takes the form of a “follow” or “like”.
Measured by Followers/Fans
Awareness
Interest
Once you’ve generated awareness, you need to generate interest in your prospects. This involves creating and/or sharing interesting, relevant content that drives engagement and clicks from your followers.
Measured by clicks and engagement
Interest
Action
Prospects have been groomed down the path to conversion. This can be an event signup, trip purchase, or simple micro-conversion, such as a page-view...
Measured by social conversions
Action
Awareness
Basic Awareness Strategies Awareness
Add URLs to email signature Include URLs on biz cards Link personal profiles to Facebook biz page Email subscribers & give them a reason to become a fan • contest / giveaway• discount• great content• some sort of incentive that will be valuable to YOUR target audience
BONUS: Add Like box to thank you / confirmation pages, about page, anywhere you have lots of traffic
Add a Like Box to your website• Allows people to LIKE your FB page w/o leaving site• Shows YOUR friends who like the page at top of faces grid• Similar tools available for other channels (just ask your friend Google)
TAKE ACTION: Write down ONE basic awareness strategy you’re not using and commit to implementing it within 24-48 hours.
• Add URLs to email signature• Include URLs on biz cards• Link personal profiles to Facebook biz page• Email subscribers & give them a reason to become a fan • contest / giveaway• discount• great content• some sort of incentive that will be valuable to YOUR target audience
• Add a Like Box to your website
Awareness
Interest
How to engage and encourage interest... Interest
Use Images to Tell Your Story • Users are more likely to engage with photos• Photos on Facebook generate 53% more likes than avg post• Images, when done right can drive traffic to your site via Pinterest• Great tools to elevate images: PicMonkey, Snagit, & Instagram
Rocking the Visuals... Interest
How to engage and encourage interest... Interest
Get Active Outside of Social, and your ideal audience will make the effort of finding you via their preferred channels.
Think “Story” not “Promotion”
• Convey your organizations mission w/peeks behind the scenes
• Share “on location” stories & images
• Speak directly to your ideal target audience...they WANT to hear your story
Venture Outside the Social Media Box
• Attend networking events
• Say “yes” to interviews
• Create awesome video & blog content that people will be eager to share
TAKE ACTION: Write down ONE basic interest strategy you’re not using and commit to implementing it within 24-48 hours.
• Use Images to Tell Your Story • Think “Story” not “Promotion”• Peeks behind the scenes• Share “on location” stories & images• Speak directly to your ideal target audience...they WANT to hear your story
• Venture Outside the Social Media Box• Attend networking events• Say “yes” to interviews• Create awesome video & blog content
Interest
Action / Results
Measuring Results
16/14
Action
• Google Analytics• Surveys• Email Campaign Analytics• Social Media Analytics• Attendance Records• Financial Records
Whatever your objectives are, you need to identify
how you will measure results before you begin efforts to get there.
The B Word
What to Budget For...
Analysis & Planning
AuditStrategizeExecuteRinse & RepeatExpect 3-4 hrs/month
Conversation & Outreach
Content CurationGraphic Design & ManipulationHeavy Focus on Visual MarketingEducate. Entertain. Inform.Expect 2-3 hrs/week per channel
Learning & EducationFree WebinarsOnline Video & Forum MembershipsIndustry Leader BlogsIndustry Leader E-NewsList at the end of this presentationExpect 3-4 hrs/month
What to Budget For...
Don’t forget to budget for ads!
• Google Ad Words• Facebook• Twitter• LinkedIn
ALL of these platforms allow you to set your own budget, and you will want to be strategic in exactly which objectives can be best supported with ads.
How much should we budget for online advertising?
What is the value YOU place on the actions & results you hope to achieve with online ads?
Resources
Resource Lists: Measurement
Dashboards• Google Analytics• HootSuite (plans start at $5.99/month)• RavenTools (plans start at $99/month)Channel Specific (free)• Facebook Analytics• Pinterest Analytics• LinkedIn Analytics• YouTube Analytics• Twitter: FollowerWonk
Resource Lists: Learning
Free Resources• Blogs / Subscriptions • Social Media Today• Social Media Examiner• Social Fresh• Amy Porterfield (FB page)• Jay Baer / Convince & Convert• Mari Smith • Webinars
Like what you see on these blogs/websites? Be sure to subscribe to receive tips & webinar invites via email.
Resource Lists: Learning
Are you on Facebook?
Subscribe to my“Social Media Marketing”feed to tap into the feeds of my favorite resources and colleagues on Facebook.
http://bit.ly/SocialFBFeed
Resource Lists: Learning
Incredible Value• In Depth Library of How To Videos• Interactive Forums/Group Pages on FB• Lifetime Memberships for one flat price• Consistently updated for most current best practices
FB InfluenceFBInfluence.com
$97
LinkedIn InfluenceLinkedInfluence.com
$97
PowerOfPinningPowerofPinning.com
$197
Coming Soon from Mesh Marketing
How-To Video LibrarySocial Media Basics & Quick TipsWordpress How To Basics
Dr’s Hours at Roost House of Juice20 min appts - bring your list of online marketing questionsIncludes a Green Juice
Private Coaching2 hour time slotsOne-on-one help with your social media & online marketing challenges
Social Media AuditsAudit > Strategy > Initial Content Calendar
Services On RetainerMonthly Audits & Planning, Assistance with social voice, blog content & community management, and more...
Be among the first to know as new services are launched:Subscribe for free content, updates, and exclusive invitations at http://meshmarketing.biz/FreeUpdates
Blog & Website Design
“Everything is Figureoutable”
~Marie Forleo
Thank You!
Contact me
websitehttp://MeshMarketing.biz
Kristel HayesFounder
Facebook.com/MeshMarketing
@MeshMarketing
LinkedIn.com/company/Mesh-Marketing-Creative-Group-LLC