Social media marketing

What works, what doesn't and why

March 2010

Quick intro

• Yahoo! EU marketing operations manager• London Business School MBA• Business Development• Communications consulting• Web development and design• McMaster University - Human factors

• Linkedin/in/farhanlalji• Facebook.com/farhanlalji• Twitter.com/farhanlalji

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The most important word of them all

People

What matters

• Trust• Transparency• Tools• Benefits • Money

To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.

– George Macdonald

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What matters

• Trust• Truth• Benefits• Relationships• Fit• Money

Yesterday

Today

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Always

Today and tomorrow

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Trust

• People trust brands less• People will always trust people• Trusting people you know is easier than trusting people you don’t

• Trusting people other people know is also easier than trusting people you don’t

• Build trust by participating

One man's transparency is another's humiliation.

– Gerry Adams

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What’s the skiing like?

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What’s the skiing like?

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Transperancy

• People want the truth• If you don’t tell the truth, someone else will• Share insights and go beyond the detail• Don’t be afraid to share some personal moments

How many times do I have to tell you, the right tool for the right job! 

- Scotty from Star Trek

Know your target audience and where they are

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Use the right tool for the job

Twitter• Search.twitter.com• Look up locations• PR agencies / Newspapers

Facebook• Search• groups• Ads• Locations

Linkedin• People• Recommendations

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Flickr• Photographs• Comment• Groups

Delicious• Share content• Allow users to share your content

Blogging (blogger/Wordpress etc)• When you want to influence• Comment on other people’s blogs• Build a profile

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Tools

• Who do you want to attract?• What assets do you have?• There’s a lot out there• Take it one step at a time (but try different things)

• Use the right tool for the job!

The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive. 

- Albert Einstein

Benefits, think win win

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Give stuff, make people happyfinance.yahoo.com

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Source: comScore Media Metrix, Sep 2006

One happy Farhan

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Benefits

• People know what’s valuable, so give things that are valuable

• Things that are valuable are more likely to be shared

• Don’t think short term at the expense of long term

Money often costs too much.  - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Money

• Invest to make return• Think about packages, offering something of value to work with other things at a price

• Use the power of social media for good (making money can be good)

What matters

• Trust - Build trust by participating• Transparency – Tell the truth and be personal• Tools – Use the right tool for the job• Benefits - think win/win• Money – can be made, but investment is needed

Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future.

– Yoda

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Questions?