internet marketing crash course
DESCRIPTION
A presentation given by Sarah T. Page Consulting, LLC at the Texas Forest Trail Region's Tourism Toolkit in Gladewater, TX on March 25, 2013.TRANSCRIPT
Internet Marketing Crash Course
Presented by the Texas Forest Trail Regionand the Gladewater Chamber, Main Street &
Economic Development CorporationMarch 25, 2013
Agenda
Social media reviewSocial media strategyWebsite marketing
Social media tools• Facebook• Yelp!• TripAdvisor• Foursquare
Social Media Review
Photo: erinjpattison
Social media is FREE!
Benefits of Social Media• It’s FREE!• Builds deeper relationships• Increases brand awareness • Broadens your network• Helps SEO• Increases website traffic• Generates leads and sales• Can help reach journalists/media• Empowers fans to be viral ambassadors for
your brandSource: Social Media for Tourism Pros
Is Social Media Right for You?
• Is social media …• Providing value to your organization and your
members/customers?• Bringing benefit via brand awareness,
membership, loyalty, sales, etc.?• Helping to grow membership base?• Justifying the investment?
Source: pammarketingnut.com
First steps
• Find your audience• Know what’s being said• Extend a virtual hand• Get your community to be virtual ambassadors• Have fun, in a professional manner of speaking
Source: DCI
Social Media Strategy
Photo: davidkjelkerud
First, Some Questions
1. Can you describe your business/organization?2. What are your goals?
a. Generate salesb. Brand enthusiasm c. Loyalty
3. What is your relationship with your audience?a. Awarenessb. Interestc. Actiond. Advocacy
Source: Jay Baer (http://convinceandconvert.com)
More Questions
4. How does your audience use social media?5. Who will be your community managers?6. What social media platforms will you use?
(Hint: Where is your audience?)7. How will you be human (what is your
“voice”)?8. How will you know when/if you’re successful?
Source: Jay Baer (http://convinceandconvert.com)
Do You Need a Social Media Policy?
Maybe. Just keep these basics in mind:Be politeBe honestBe openBe inclusiveBe forthrightBe legalBe helpfulDon’t try to control the conversationAccept, respond, and be gracious to negative feedback
Source: The Potluck Guide To Social Media Strategy
So What Do I Say?• Customer FAQs• Tutorials• News (sales, new products/services, etc.)• Events you’re attending• Your own content• Content from others• Attractions and events• Observations• What you’re reading or watching
Social Media Don’ts• Don’t be something
you’re not• Don’t experiment with
the company logo • Don’t think you have to
be on every social media channel
• Don’t tell, show• Don’t feed Facebook to
Twitter (or vice versa)
• Be authentic
• Try new things with personal accounts first
• Start slow and be selective
• Use images • Know your audience and
post accordingly
Remember: Social media
is not an island.
Photo: lisbokt
Website Marketing
Your website should be the hub of your online marketing
Social Media Brings Users To You!
Integrate Social with Web
From this …
Integrate Social with Web
… to this …
Use Calls to Action
Content Really Is King
• Put contact info on EVERY PAGE
• Use easy navigation• Keep content current• Use high-quality
content (including photos and video)
• Add calls to action
Content Is King:Visual Content Is Ruler of the World
• Videos shared 12x more than links and text posts combined
• Photos are liked 2x more than text updates
• Instagram is the 2nd most popular app (globally) behind Facebook
• Pinterest generates more referral traffic than Google+, LinkedIn, and YouTube combined
Sources: HubSpot; Marketing Land
FacebookOffers
• Affordable and great for brand awareness
• Spent $3.70 and drove over $200 in business
• 102 offers claimed/5 redeemed
• Redemption rate on this offer was low
• Ask your community to share!
Source: Doe’s Eat Place
FacebookOffers
Source: Doe’s Eat Place
FacebookPromoted Posts
FacebookPromoted Posts
FacebookPromoted Posts
Source: Visit Bloomington
FacebookPromoted Posts
Source: Visit Bloomington
FacebookCover Photo as Advertising
Source: Mari Smith
FacebookCover Photo as Advertising
Source: Bass Performance Hall
Text can be no more than 20%
FacebookProfile Photo as Advertising
Source: Kyle Chamber of Commerce
Social spaces represent physical locations.People can add ratings, reviews, and
conversations.
Source: Fargo-Moorhead CVB
Before You Get Started
Create a Game Plan
• Accessibility– Use a shared or neutral email account, not a
personal one– Consider setting up a Gmail or another shared email
address that can be forwarded to multiple people
• Responsibility– Who will monitor on an ongoing basis?– Who decides which reviews are responded to?– Who is in charge of updating photos every 3-6
months?
Source: Fargo-Moorhead CVB
Encourage Reviews• Encourage, but don’t ask for
reviews– “Check us out on…” works better
than “Write a review on…”– Include URLs in follow-up emails
or on receipts– Signs or cards in lobby– Focus on one space, or
encourage them to use the space of their choice
• Remember that reviews from your lobby computer may get flagged
Source: Fargo-Moorhead CVB
Claiming Your Yelp Place
• Step 1: Search for your business– If your business is not listed, click Add a Business
• Step 2: Click “Work here? Unlock this business page”• Step 3: Create a business account using a neutral email
address• Step 4: Phone authentication process• Step 5: Fill out profile information• Great video tutorial in Yelp Support for Business Owners
Source: Fargo-Moorhead CVB
Respond To Good Reviews …
… and the Not So Good Reviews
Provide Customer Amazing Service
TripAdvisor“According to an MSNBC poll, 86% of respondents use
travel sites to gauge traveler sentiment before they make their accommodation choice…Responding to reviews is
key, too: a recent TripAdvisor survey found 76% of travelers think more positively about owners who find the
time to reply.”
Source: Fargo-Moorhead CVB
TripAdvisor
• Please make sure you encourage reviews when guests get home. A review from an internal IP address could result in getting flagged
• Of course, never add your own reviews of your property!
Source: Fargo-Moorhead CVB
Claiming your TripAdvisor Place• Step 1: Start at the TripAdvisor Owners page
– Choose Hotel, Restaurant, or Attraction and search for your business
• Step 2: Register with TripAdvisor when prompted• Step 3: Fill out your information and confirm to register
your listing– Business listings are available for a monthly fee– If this step is unavailable, contact TripAdvisor through a form
• Step 4: Manage your listing– The Manage Your Listing page makes it easy to add photos
and manage reviews
• More info available on Owners’ Help Page
Source: Fargo-Moorhead CVB
Free Tools for Business Owners
Add these widgets to your website!
Respond and Use Personality
Foursquare
Foursquare
Foursquare
Foursquare
Foursquare
Let’s Look at Gladewater!
NegativeFeedback
If possible, don’t delete it.
But … don’t ignore it either.
How To Deal with Negative Feedback
Source: http://socialmediatoday.com/rachel-strella/441158/social-media-consumer-how-handle-negative-feedback
Use it to engage other customers
How To Deal with Negative Feedback
• If you’ve decided the feedback has truth to it, do the following:o Acknowledge the feedbacko Apologize – genuinelyo Take the conversation offlineo Offer a solution
Source: http://socialmediatoday.com/rachel-strella/441158/social-media-consumer-how-handle-negative-feedback
How To Deal with Negative Feedback
• If you’ve decided the feedback is only partially true or it’s slightly misguided, do the following:o Acknowledge the error on your part and
apologizeo Gently correct any misinformation o Take the conversation offlineo Offer a solution
Source: http://socialmediatoday.com/rachel-strella/441158/social-media-consumer-how-handle-negative-feedback
How To Deal with Negative Feedback
• If you’ve decided the feedback couldn’t be farther from the truth, do the following:o Acknowledge the comment and write a
general apology for any perceived dissatisfaction
o Take the conversation offlineo Get more details
Source: http://socialmediatoday.com/rachel-strella/441158/social-media-consumer-how-handle-negative-feedback
The most awesome example EVAH!
Examples
Follow Me
Linkedin.com/in/sarahpage
Facebook.com/SarahTPageConsulting
@pagetxSarah Page, PrincipalSarah T. Page Consulting, LLC
http://[email protected]
512-914-8873
Can I Help?
Call Me!
Photo: .Uvitra on Flickr
Thank You!
Questions?