social media for business link
TRANSCRIPT
Social Media for Business
James Cope
Featuring Angie Beeston!
james_cope jamesccope
• A shift is happening• People interact online – 67% engaged in Social Media• Blogs, networking sites, link sites, youtube etc.• Big growth in mobile sites
What is Social Media?Why Bother?
Popular Networks
What is Social Media?Why Bother?
• Reach out to new audiences and markets• Reach out to existing markets• Better understanding of your customers and related markets• Relative low cost of entry• Possible high return ??? – ROI Please
What is Social Media?Why Bother?
What is Social Media?Today looking at...
Grow a Businessor
Find a Job?
- consider your objectives
Social Media - Great for Growing a Business
• Too Much Noise• Spam Filters• Mail Preference• Ad Blocking• Ffwd TV Ad’s
• Different approach??
Social Media – Useful for Finding A Job
• Promote Yourself• Build Your Brand• Research The Company• Get In Before The Ad• Avoid The Job Centre!
• Different approach??
Perspective
Facebook – 128 Million + visitors, 30% growthLinkedIn – 14 Million visitors, 10% growthMyspace – 64 Million visitors, 18% decline
LinkedIn Users• Average age 43• Average household income £65,600• 41% are business decision makers or influencers• 75+ million members worldwide (in 200 countries)• Over 4 Million UK users• Including Recruiters
• Remember your objectives – quality v quantity • Business Networking Approach• We Can Help Each Other Better and Spend Less Doing It
Let me at them!
• Help You To Grow Your Reputation• Get Help - Get Answers To Almost Any Question• Recruit Better People• Promote Yourself• Stay In Touch With People Who Are Important To You• Stay At Front Of Mind Of Your Contacts• Find & Research People & Companies• Advertise To Very Defined Business Audiences
What Can LinkedIn Help With?
- not just a list of contacts
• Get Introduced To New Potential Customers• Find Business Partners & Suppliers• Enable You To Introduce People To Each Other• Great For Job Seekers Too• Organise events• Find and even attend events• Market Research• Prepare for networking events
What Can LinkedIn Help With?
The Basics• Build a Network of Hundreds of Thousands
• You CAN do it
• It’s free
•Objective – quality or quantity?
What is it?
Guess the network size- Includes specialist groups
490
?
?
• 2.5 Million Trusted??!
1. Decide why you are doing this!
• Clear objectives – begin with the end in mind• Build a big network • Build a quality network
2. Setup an Account
• Log in / create an account
3. Create a profile• Remember include skills• Search terms – you want to
be found!
4. Connect to contacts
• Searching & browsing• Add via e-mail addresses / address book• Former colleagues & classmates• People you may know feature
5. Think Homepage
• Your information centre• Your inbox• Update your status• Keep your finger on the pulse of your network
6. Explore & Join Groups
• Join groups of people with the same business interests• Join discussions, “meet” experts and build relationships• Demonstrate expertise
7. Ask Questions & Give Answers
• Find help• Provide help• Make new contacts• Demonstrate expertise in your niche
8. Add a Company Record• Companies have records too• Individual people profiles linked to companies• Upload logo and create description and specialties• It will show up in the search engine results!• Links to your web site• Is shown to non members
9. Make & Request Recommendations
• How do you feel when people recommend you?• How do you feel about the person that recommended you?• Why you should recommend others• Users with recommendations are 3 times more likely to get
enquiries through searches
Very important therefore for job searching!
10. Attend & Organise Events
• Create an event• Share it with up to 50 of your contacts• If they attend or flag it as interesting they pass it on• Online and offline events
11. Applications• Reading lists• Events• Polls• Blog link• Slideshow• File sharing & collaboration• Travel tools• Company buzz
12. Promote your profile
• On your email footer• On your Web site• On your blog• On your business cards / brochures• Via Twitter
13. Ongoing updates• To your status• Adding connections• Save your searches• Request introductions• Ask & answer questions• Join group discussions & contribute
13. Ongoing updates• Upload presentations to share• Make recommendations• Organise & publicise events• Update your reading list• Add polls• Read blog updates and update your blog
14. Advertising on online networking sites
• Targeting• CPC Vs CPM• Search advertising Vs social network advertising
Convinced yet?LinkedIn By function…
If You Are Looking For A Job• Make sure your skills are included - mirror your CV
• Search The Single Largest Network of Recruiters Available
• Contact Former Colleagues - Where Do They Work Now?
- Check Out They Present Themselves Online
- See Who They Know
• Research employers
Be Aware – Recruiters:• Check CVs Against LinkedIn • Can Do Recommendation Checks
For Hire
Tips from a RecruiterMartin Pardey of HAYS says:
• Consider your profile as a CV
• Reliant on traditional Keyword Searches so Career History needs as much detail as possible
• Be well connected – but quality not quantity don't add random connections
• Search technique is on relationship then relevance
If You Need To Create A Reputation
• Watch the Questions and Monitor Your Subject(s)
• Provide Answers – People Will Check Out Your Profile
• Great Answers Turn You Into a Visible Expert
• You May Create Customers Around the Globe
If You Want To Grow Contacts• Join LinkedIn Groups/ Read Questions/ Answers & Get Involved!
• Outright Selling Is Obvious And Worthless
• Add Relevant Content & News – People Notice
• Start Discussions & Debate - Ask The Burning Questions
• Follow Conversations & Get Auto Updates
• Start A Group On A Niche Topic
• Get Introduced Using LinkedIn Introductions
• Maybe get a Premium Account
If You Cold Call• Search For The Company – Find Contact Details
• Research Your New Potential Contact
• Look For Common Ground
• Open Your Conversation With, “Hello Sue – We Are LinkedIn Connections…”
• How Much Better Would Your Chances Be?
• Preparing for meetings
If You Need To Advertise• Define Your Target Market in Terms of Geography, Company Size, Seniority, Sex, Age and Industry
• Choose a Payment Model
• Choose Your Budget Level
• Create Compelling Ads – Each Targeted at Variations of the Above
• See new microsite http://advertising.linkedin.com/solutions
If You Sell A Product/Service
• Search For Your Target Market
• Find Potential Users of Your Product/ Buyers and Decision Makers
• Find Your Customers’ Customers
• Find Influential Consultants
• Get Introduced or Point to Your Recommendations
• Join Groups, Listen, Advise & Build Relationship
If You Are Looking For Information
• Check Out LinkedIn Answers
• Ask Questions And Forward The Question By Email To Relevant Contacts
• Rate The Answers You Receive
• Search For Experts
• Experts Will Contact You To Sell Their Services
If You Need Business Partners
• Find Local And International Suppliers And Resellers/Partners
• Find Joint Venture Opportunities
• Check Their Experience and Background – You May Get More Than You Would Have Asked For In Person
• Find Contacts to Verify Their Claims of Capability
If You Organise Events• Create your event
• Share Your Event With Your Contacts (Ask Them To Respond “Attending” Or “Interested” And Forward/Recommend To Contacts)
• Mark Yourself As Attending/Presenting
• Publicise Your Events (Depends On Account Level)
Premium Accounts
Tips -Using Your LinkedIn Account• Put Time Aside At Least Once A Week
• Go Through All Those Business Cards You’ve Collected!
• Or get in touch with ex-colleagues
• New! Link to Outlook – see YouTube •but not on a SERCO machine!
• Use RSS
Recap• Remember your objective - LinkedIn Can Help • LinkedIn Is Actually Fun – Trust Me I’m An Adviser!!!• It’s Not a Silver Bullet However…
• http://econsultancy.com/blog/6276-ten-ways-to-get-ahead-on-linkedin
• Getting Started Guides - http://learn.linkedin.com/ + Job Seekers + Business Development + Consultants & more
Waste of time?
Profiles are exploding
Info on Special Offers
Boosting Search Ranking & New Customers
Waste of time?- No, but careful not a drain on time!
- Business v Individual
• Business Presence – ‘like page’• Target your niche• Increase visibility• Free marketing• Build relationships• Get quick top Google placement• Drive e-commerce sales – eBay Plugin• Facebook ‘like box’
Business Page – ‘like’ Top Tips
Confessions of a facebooker!
•Be careful who you link with...•Avoid including too much personal information•Keep some things private, have a separate facebook page for personal comments/photos•It’s for business so use intelligent, thoughtful, incisive comments, not B.S.!•Use separate pages for newsletter items – encourage prospective clients/contacts to follow you and “Become a fan”
Confessions of a facebooker!- for Business its a powerful medium
but remember individuals.....
•Include all your information and updates on all your social media sites – Linkedin, Twitter, YouTube, etc.•Use your pages to acquire feedback, comments, referrals, recommendations, research•Build online relationships and keep in regular contact with your ‘friends’ and ‘fans’•Celebrate your successes – use it for good PR!
And finally, the most important aspect of all.....“Don’t forget the virtual world of facebook will never replace the personal touch! So utilise facebook along with the phone, face to face and meetings.”
Confessions of a facebooker!
Fastest growing
• Over 11.5 million users• Since June of 2008, has grown by 1,460 %
• Reaches 10.7 percent of all active Internet users
• 5% of users account for 75% of all activity
What is Twitter?• Tweets are like SMS (text)
messaging• Messages are 140 characters or
less, generally visible by anyone• You follow others, they follow you• Communicate openly or directly to
other “Twitterers”
63
Why use Twitter?• Easy to use• Easy way to keep in touch• A way to reach potentially large
market• Short sharp communication tool• Ideal for :-
• searching • listening• conversing • additional customer service channel
64
Locals using Twitter
65
•Look - Analyse your market, audience, and demographics• Choose targets – who are you going for
• decision makers• consumers
• Listen - Research relevant network – listen & judge tone• Think - Create a buzz about your company / service / product• Measure results• Only real cost here is your TIME! – set aside an hour a week
Social Media Recap
• LinkedIn & Facebook only part of the picture• Successful social media includes others
• Youtube• Blogging• Email marketing
• Can look at those during follow up workshops
• Dates – 21st & 23rd Sept / 7th & 11th Oct• subject to change
Out of Time –but there’s more!
With Thanks
Linkedin presentation adapted with permission from LinkedIn Guru, and all round nice guy Paul Tansey – MD of Intergage
Find Paul on LinkedIn or at http://www.intergage.co.ukThanks to Martin Pardey – HAYS Recruitment for recruiter view point, find Martin on Linkedin.Angie Beeston – Facebook TipsDavid Lakins – Keymultimedia – Local examples
