Social media 101For Business

©2011 Social Savvy Geek, LLC

Expectations

Think Social Media is for

kids, not business? Think

again! Learn How the Smartest Main Street

Businesses - Just Like Yours - are Using Social Media to Crush the Competition!

so-cial me-di-a mar-ket-ing (noun)

1. The use of online social media sites to:

• Promote services, events, or products• Pursue branding goals• Increase market awareness• Efficiently reach and engage consumers• Drive more business/increase sales

What is social media marketing?

Who Cares?2/3 of online adults use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn (Pew)

AND

Facebook alone has over 750 million users…

Where is buyer attention?

Americans spent 53.5 billion minutes on Facebook in 2011

(Nielsen)

(In May alone…)

Naysayers1. Social media is a waste of time

2. Only young people are using social media

3. Social media ROI cannot be measured

4. Social media is pretty easy/unimportant-(I’ll give it to the intern to handle)

5. Social Media has no place in business

Pollyannas1. Social media will replace real-life networking

2. Social media can replace your website

3. Social media is free marketing!

4.Social media marketing gets immediate results

5. Social media marketing is the ANSWER!

Reality: It’s working, but it’s not the ONLY thing...

• 63% of companies using social media say it has increased their marketing effectiveness (HubSpot)

• 88% of marketers have indicated that social media efforts have generated more exposure for their business (Harp Social)

• 73% of marketers plan to increase their use of Facebook (Harp Social)

• 90% of social businesses say SMM is important to their business (Social Media Examiner)

Customers WANT YOU on social media

• 93% of customers expect companies to have a presence on social channels1

• 85% expect companies to interact with them on those social channels2

1,2 Cone Business Study on Social Media, 2008

And customers are rewarding businesses that do social media…

How your business can benefit• Increase engagement with customers and prospects

• Affordably build brand awareness

• Boost website traffic

• Grow your email list

• Build your influence

• Promote events and special offers

• Find new customers

• Quickly address negative PR

• Increase customer loyalty

Top challenges• Overcoming cultural resistance to social media

• Lack of resources to maintain consistent effort

• Perceived as too difficult/overwhelming

• Measuring ROI is not always easy (and requires some savvy)

• Devising a method to the madness

Social Media Changes EVERYTHING...

...and NOTHING!...WHAT?

NO!• Fear

• Loss of control

• Dilution of Brand

• Waste of time

• Fad

• Difficult

• Confusing

©2011 Social Savvy Geek, LLC

Reality

• Conversation online

• Brand building

• Lasting trend

• Manageable

• Scalable

• Learnable

©2011 Social Savvy Geek, LLC

Tools• Facebook

• LinkedIn

• Twitter

• Wordpress

• YouTube

• Flicker

• Foursquare

• Google +

• Email Newsletter

• & more every day...©2011 Social Savvy Geek, LLC

Core Mission

• Clients/Customers

• Sales

• Events

• Projects

• Brand Awareness

©2011 Social Savvy Geek, LLC

Networking

The SAME rules apply (online)

©2011 Social Savvy Geek, LLC

Go where your people are...

• Imagine you are at a live networking function

• Have a PLAN (before, during, & after)

• Introduce yourself

• Find out about the other party

• Make introductions & Share connections

• Be a resource

• Farming not Hunting

• Visibility, Credibility, & Marketability

©2011 Social Savvy Geek, LLC

©2011 Social Savvy Geek, LLC

Don’t be “that guy”

• 70:20:10

• Don’t over-share

• Don’t sell

• Don’t be a snob

• Remember your audience

• Be open & honest

• Be patient ©2011 Social Savvy Geek, LLC

Be REAL

• Show that you are actually in the community and are human•People do not expect perfection, just honesty and respect

Brand Management

• Strategy

• Phases

• Set Up

• Manage

• Adapt

©2011 Social Savvy Geek, LLC

Set Up & Integrate

• Identify your target audience

• Choose appropriate tools

• Define your Brand

• Logo, colors, fonts

• Use what you have

• Website, Email newsletter, Database

• Add Social Media icons

• Facebook Business Page, LinkedIn Company Page, Twitter, Google +

• Directories, Memberships, Associations

©2011 Social Savvy Geek, LLC

Content is King

• Drives traffic

• Does not ALL have to be original

• You can repurpose your content

• Articles, Press Releases, Event Summaries

• Blog

• Newsletter

• Channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter)

©2011 Social Savvy Geek, LLC

Proactively cross-pollinate

Collect email opt-ins

• Have people opt into your email list on your social media site

• People want to engage with brands!

• Photo contests, sweepstakes, surveys, etc. drive engagement

• Engaged customers and prospects buy more

Run social promotions, contests, etc.

BONUS. Advertise

• Amazing opportunity to target locally, specific interests, etc.

• Very affordable

• Easy to do

• Facebook will occasionally give money away for advertising

Frequently Asked Questions

How much time will I need to spend each week on social media?

75% of businesses spending as little as 6 hours per week on social media marketing

saw increased traffic.

(Social Media Examiner)

Which social platforms should my business use?

• Users?• Competitors?• Consider multiple channels!

Trick: Use the search function on a network to gauge activity related to your industry/market vertical/audience

Diversify

• Use multiple social media channels

• YouTube is HUGE

• Pinterest is taking off like a rocket!

• Choose your channels and commit to them

How can I avoid the common mistakes that businesses make?

1. Have a plan/be prepared2. Don’t obsess3. Engage & promote4. Talk with (not at)5. No interns/teenagers

What should we consider when evaluating the efficacy of social media.

•Bigger than sales!•Generating word of mouth marketing•Strengthening brand loyalty with your customers•Adding value

People are talking. Are you part of the conversation?

•Social media is not a passing fad!•53% of people on Twitter recommend companies and/or products in their tweets (ROI Research for Performance)•The average consumer mentions specific brands over 90 times per week in conversations with friends, family, and co-workers (WOMMA)

Questions?

©2011 Social Savvy Geek, LLC

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