social media for business: designing your strategy

Taught by Tracy Samantha Schmidt, The Chicago Tribune

Social Media for Business: Designing Your Strategy

Social Media = individuals or brands talking with each other, sharing content

and interacting with it online

What do you share online?

Why do we share online?

• To stay connected with our friends & family

• To celebrate our latest accomplishments

• To seek support during hard times

• To ask for feedback about an idea

• To laugh about something funny we found

• To raise awareness about an important issue

• To promote an upcoming event

Customer Service

Marketing

Monitoring

Business Development

Search Engine Optimization

Traffic Referral

Build relationships & handle problems immediately

Promotions, events, sales and news at your business

Analyze your competition, the market demand & who is talking about your business

Identify and follow up on potential business leads

Create a link-building campaign to increase your site’s SEO

Send new followers directly to your website for more information

Social Media’s Influence @ Your Business

The Top Social Networks

FACEBOOK PAGES EXPLAINED

Why you should consider Facebook

• Facebook has 800+ million users--200 million joined in 2011.

• The average Facebook user has 130 friends and is connected to 80 Facebook pages, events & groups.

• You can create a Facebook Page for free and use it to talk directly with your customers, as well as share information (status updates, links, photos, videos) about your business.

• 56 % of consumers polled said they are likely to recommend a brand after becoming a fan of it on Facebook.

• More than 3.5 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, etc.) are shared each week on Facebook.

For more info, visit www.facebook.com/business

Facebook dominates in traffic

Source: Venture Beat, December 2011

Facebook Page Highlights

•Can be created by a business, brand, band or celebrity. •Free to create, takes just minutes. •You don’t need to have a Facebook Profile to create a Page. •As a Page, you can share info for free about your business. •You cannot “friend” users. •Instead, they can “like” you and opt in to receiving your Facebook posts.

Learn more at Facebook.com/Pages.

The Anatomy of a Facebook Page

Facebook Likes = The number of Facebook users who opt in to hearing news about your Page. Only human users will appear in this count. “Like us on Facebook” encourages a user to opt in to a brand’s Facebook Page.

Facebook Wall = The main area of your Facebook Page where you can post content. Content can include status updates, links, photos, videos and polls. Users can also post to your Facebook wall unless you restrict them from doing so.

The Anatomy of a Facebook Page

Photo Strip = A stream of all photos that have been posted to your Facebook Page. Photos appear here in reverse-chronological order. You can prevent users from posting photos to your Page.

The Anatomy of a Facebook Page

Applications = Applications, or Apps, can be added to your Page to further customize it. Thousands of apps are available at Facebook.com/apps. Facebook Apps are available both for free & a premium.

The Anatomy of a Facebook Page

Page Likes = Your Facebook Page can like other Pages on Facebook. You can like whatever Pages you want to like. As a Page, you cannot send friend requests to users.

The Anatomy of a Facebook Page

Welcome Tab = An optional app that acts like a mini web page within your Facebook Page. You can include links to direct Facebook users back to your website for more information. Learn more at Facebook.com/apps.

Applications

Photos = A free app that is included with your Facebook Page. You can post photos from your business & ask customers to tag themselves. Learn more at Facebook.com/apps.

Applications

Contact Forms Multiple apps are available collect the contact info and birthdays of your customers. Many of these apps can be integrated into your own databases for a fee. Learn more at Facebook.com/apps.

Applications

Questions = A free app that is included with your Facebook Page. Use this app to take a survey of or poll your customers. Learn more at Facebook.com/apps.

Applications

TWITTER EXPLAINED

Why you should consider Twitter

• Founded in 2006, Twitter now has more than 300 million users—many of them influencers.

• Setting up a Twitter profile is free.

• As a business, you can interact with current customers and potential customers.

• You can also monitor what is being said about your business and respond in real-time.

• Twitter is a great way to improve your SEO. For more info, visit www.twitter.com/business

Twitter Highlights •Both individuals and businesses can create Twitter accounts. •You can create several different accounts for free. •Your tweets are limited to 140 characters. •All of your tweets can be seen by the entire world.

Handle - Your handle is the name people refer to you by on Twitter. My handle is @tracysamantha. All handles are limited to 13 characters. Display Name - This is the name associated with your account. You should use your full name or business name here. My bio appears below it. .

Anatomy of a Twitter Profile

Following- These are the Twitter users that have opted in to receiving your tweets on their personalized Twitter homepages. Followers– These are the Twitter users whose tweets you have opted in to receiving on your personalized Twitter homepage. .

Anatomy of a Twitter Profile

Tweets –These are my most recent Tweets, listed in reverse chronological order. @ Replies – These are tweets that are directed at one or more specific Twitter users. The tweets are still public and anyone can join our conversation. .

Anatomy of a Twitter Profile

Recent Tweets –These are the most recent tweets of the users I am following. Trends– These are the trending topics that Twitter users in my area are discussing right now. .

Anatomy of a Twitter Homepage

Hashtag - A tag attached to a tweet (with a #) that allows users to talk about a topic together in real-time. Anyone can create a hashtag by adding # to a word or phrase. Popular hashtags include #Oscars #SOTU #Japan #Fail #Winning

Anatomy of a Twitter Homepage

As soon as I tweet, it appears instantly on my profile & on my friends’ feeds.

Always use caution: All tweets can be captured by search engines.

Even if you delete them, they can still be found by other people. Remember Anthony Weiner?

LINKEDIN EXPLAINED

Why you should consider LinkedIn

• Largest social network for professionals.

• More than 100 million users worldwide.

• Highly optimized for search engines.

• The neatest way to display your resume.

• You can easily showcase client testimonials.

• You can also create a company page for free.

For more info, visit www.linkedin.com/business

A completed profile – Includes your full name, headline, photo, work history,

education, recommendations, and links to your website (if applicable).

A completed profile – You should also include a detailed summary of your work

history. Be sure to include key phrases you want to be found for in your summary.

Status Updates– Are an easy way to share your latest accomplishment or just an article

you think will be of interest to your LinkedIn connections.

A LinkedIn Group– Is an easy way to meet other people in your industry, learn the

latest trends, discuss ideas and build your own professional reputation.

A Company Page– Is a free way to share information about your business, including

linking together your employee’s profiles and detailing services that you offer.

FLICKR EXPLAINED

Why you should consider Flickr

• The largest photo-sharing social network.

• Flickr is owned by Yahoo, making it also one of the world’s largest search engines.

• For free, you can upload 300 MB of photos per month. For $25/year, you have unlimited uploads.

• Flickr is an easy way to store your photos online and increase your SEO.

For more info, visit www.flickr.com/tour

A Flickr Profile– Let’s you share information about your business and group together all

photo albums you’ve created, as well as your favorites of other Flickr users.

A Flickr Collection– Let’s you group together individual albums around a theme. You

can also include more information about your business & direct users to your website.

A Flickr Album– Let’s you group together individual photos around a specific theme or

event. Like a collection, you can include additional info and direct users to your website.

Flickr Photo– You can include caption and licensing information with each photo. Each

photo also has a unique url, so you can link directly to the photo and use it to improve your SEO.

Group Pool– You can encourage your customers to post photos of your business and

attach it to your Group Pool. With permission, you can repurpose these photos offline.

FOURSQUARE EXPLAINED

Why you should consider Foursquare

• Largest social network for check-ins.

• Every time a customer checks in to your store, their personal networks can be notified.

• Your store/brand thus gets free publicity.

• Customers can also leave tips on Foursquare for future customers to your store.

• To reward loyal customers, you can create Foursquare specials for free.

For more info, visit www.foursquare.com/business

Offer loyalty & check-in specials

Encourage customers to leave tips

And ask for photos, too.

GOOGLE+ EXPLAINED

Why you should consider Google+

• Social network owned by Google, the world’s largest search engine.

• Google+ launched in summer 2011 and now has an estimated 62 million users worldwide.

• Google+ results are integrated into users’ searches through a new feature called Search + Your World.

• It’s free to create a brand page for your business on Google+.

For more info, visit www.google.com/+/business

Google+ Profile – As a brand, you can share status updates, links, photos and videos as

you would on a Facebook Page. Users can also comment on what you’ve shared, as well as give it a +1 and reshare your content with their own Google+ circles.

SEO & Google+ – While it doesn’t have the engagement of Facebook, Google+ is an

easy way to increase your business’ search results. Include plenty of key phrases and info about your business throughout your profile. Learn more at google.com/+/business.

PINTEREST EXPLAINED

Why you should consider Pinterest

• Pinterest is a virtual pinboard built around a social network. Users can “pin” images they’ve found online, as well as upload their own images.

• Pinterest launched in March 2010. By December 2011, it had 7.5 million users—up from 418,000 users in May 2011.

• Retailers are using to Pinterest to create a “social shopping” experience.

• Pinterest now matches Twitter’s rate of traffic referral to publishers’ sites, according to the WSJ.

For more info, visit www.pinterest.com/about

How Pinterest Works – Users find or upload images to their own Pinterest

boards. Other users who like the images can “like” the image, comment on it or repin the image on to their own boards.

How Pinterest Works – Users can create unlimited boards. Other users can

then choose to follow an individual board or all of the user’s boards.

How Pinterest Works – Each photo posted to Pinterest includes a link back to

the site that owns the image. This creates huge SEO potential for a business whose images are repinned frequently on Pinterest. Learn more at www.pinterest.com/about

DESIGNING YOUR STRATEGY

1.Update your website

2.Improve your SEO

3.Research competition

4. Establish guidelines

5. Decide on platforms

6. Enlist resources

7. Train your employees

8. Test the waters first

9. Evolve & Adapt

Your Road Map

Your social media road map

1.Update your website

2.Improve your SEO

3.Research competition

4. Establish guidelines

5. Decide on platforms

6. Enlist resources

7. Train your employees

8. Test the waters first

9. Evolve & Adapt

1. Update your website

• Your website should be easy for customers to navigate and find what they’re looking for.

• Display calls to action throughout your site.

• Also include all essential information about your business, including:

• Business name

• Goods or services offered

• Contact information

• Store hours and/or address

2. Fix your SEO

• Next, make sure your web site can be found.

• At the minimum, customers should be able to Google your business’ name to find your website.

• To do this, claim your Google Place listing.

• Consider hiring an SEO consultant to improve your overall search engine results.

3. Research the competition

• Analyze your competitors online.

• Ask yourself:

What’s the focus on their website? How do they show up in Google?

What are they doing in social media?

What are their customers saying online?

4. Write your social media guidelines

Before you even begin, make decisions about how your company will act online. These decisions include:

• Your “personality” across the social networks

• What information you will & will not share

• What you will do to satisfy an unhappy customer

• How to handle a crisis when it strikes

5. Decide on a platform

6. Enlist resources to help you.

People • Look for employees who love

using social media. – Ask them for feedback on your

strategy – Encourage them to act as brand

ambassadors – Consider changing their job

description to include executing your social media strategy

• Do NOT give full control of your profiles to an unsupervised intern or entry-level employee.

Content

• Look for content that can be reused via social media. – Old company photos

– Short videos of your team

– Upcoming event calendars

– Printed newsletters

– Letters from your executives

– Annual reports

7. Train & encourage your employees

• Teach all of your employees how to use the social networks your company will use.

• Create an employee social media policy.

• Be sure to monitor your employees online. Look out for:

• Negative comments about your company

• Inappropriate behavior online

• Leaking of proprietary information

8. Test the waters first

• Start with the social network that is the simplest for you to use & fits your business.

• Spend at least a month building that profile and getting comfortable in social media.

• When you’re ready, add another social profile and make sure your profiles are connected to each other & to your website.

9. Evolve and adapt

Give your social media strategy at least three months to show results.

• Use the social networks’ reporting tools to measure what is and is not working.

• Ask your followers for constructive feedback right on your social media profile.

• Be willing to adapt and make changes to your strategy if needed.

Your social media road map

1.Update your website

2.Improve your SEO

3.Research competition

4. Establish guidelines

5. Decide on platforms

6. Enlist resources

7. Train your employees

8. Test the waters first

9. Evolve & Adapt

Social Media for Business: Part Two

Monday, Feb. 13| 6 p.m. | Tribune Tower | $75

Building an editorial strategy for your profiles

Setting up a free social media dashboard

Setting up Google Alerts for your business & field

Actively engaging your followers

Quickly responding to questions & comments

Handling negative reviews in a positive manner

Thank you for joining us!

Register for upcoming classes at www.chicagotribune.com/classes

Tracy Samantha Schmidt Manager, Educational Programs Tribune Media Group 312-222-3099 tsschmidt@tribune.com