Blogging and social media for professional purposes

Marta Stelmaszak

YTI

25 January 2014

Agenda

• Introduction

• 1.30 – 3. 30 Social media (SM)

• 3.30 – 4.00 Coffee break

• 4.00 – 5.00 Blogging

• 5.30 onwards – Tweet Up North

Introduction

• About me

• If you haven’t, introduce yourself

• About this workshop • @YTIUK, @mstelmaszak

• Use your devices

• Fill in the worksheet

• If an example comes to your mind, share it

• Try to leave the room with action points

Social media introductions

• Which SM tools are you using now?

• How effective they are?

• What would you like to achieve?

SM and professional purposes

• How can SM benefit professionals?

SM and professional purposes

• Four main areas: • Marketing

• Networking

• Socialising

• Continuing Professional Development

SM platforms and goals

Marketing Networking Socialising CPD

SM group discussion

• Let’s divide into groups! • LinkedIn group

• Facebook group

• Twitter group

• Google+ group

SM group discussion

• Discussion topics: • How you’re using this platform now?

• How it’s been working out for you?

• Which goals you can achieve with this platform?

• Which specific tools this platform offers to achieve these goals?

» What you’re doing now?

» Unexplored options

» List of resources online

» Report in the designated area

» Each group presents to the main forum

SM group discussion

• Feeding back

• Handouts

SM audit

• What are you trying to achieve through social media?

• How good you are in achieving your business objectives?

• Who are the target audiences and why?

• How good are you in targeting customers?

• Which SM platforms or tools are you using?

• How good are in using them?

• How good are you in engaging with the audience?

• What is your message?

SM audit resources

• http://www.seotakeaways.com/9-point-checklist-for-conducting-a-social-media-strategy-audit/

• http://www.razorsocial.com/social-media-audit/ • http://socialmediatoday.com/mlewis1/785426/h

ow-perform-social-audit-infographic • http://wallblog.co.uk/2012/10/31/how-to-

conduct-a-social-media-audit/ • http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/Conduct_a

_social_media_audit_in_4_easy_steps_47138.aspx#

SM plan

• Perform a SM audit

• Look at how others are doing it

• Establish your goal

• Have a clear target audience

• Choose the right tools

• Execute!

Coffee break!

Blogging introductions

• Are you blogging now?

• Would you like to write a blog?

• What would you like to achieve with your blog?

• Specific questions

Blogging and professional purposes

• Benefits of blogging – Building a professional network

– Improving Google rankings

– Low-cost marketing

– Showcase of skills

– Generating leads

– Helping others

– More?

7 important decisions about blogging

• Professional or hobby blogging?

• What do you want to achieve?

• Who is your target audience?

• What you’re going to write about?

• What’s your editorial calendar?

• Where to host your blog?

• How you’re going to let the target audience know?

Common questions about blogging

• How to select the audience and figure out what they want to read about?

Common questions about blogging

• How to find topics that the audience wants to read about?

Common questions about blogging

• How to prepare an editorial calendar?

Common questions about blogging

• … and more!

Summary

• Social media audit

• Social media plan

• Decisions about blogging

• Blogging plan

Questions

Marta Stelmaszak

www.wantwords.co.uk

marta@wantwords.co.uk

@mstelmaszak