social media for small business
DESCRIPTION
Social media has made it easier for small businesses to transform the community engagement that happens offline. With tools like Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, WordPress and more we are able to move the offline relationship building online. While many of us are aware of social tools and use them in our personal lives, we are unsure how to leverage these tools to grow our businesses. While social media is just another channel, not a looming mysterious force, it still requires its own methods for small business owners. Every small business today can look at itself not just as a “business” but as a publisher of content. Today your small business’ content and engagement methods are key–are you full taking advantage of the community building tools online? Did I mention they are all free? In this session I will help Bay Area small businesses better understand new tactics using Twitter, Facebook, Quora, Pinterest, YouTube, blogs, forums–that you can’t afford to ignore. In this session we’ll provide guidance on creating a results-oriented system that works for you.TRANSCRIPT
Social Media for Small business owners
In 30 Minutes
1. Intro to social ID2. Food for thought3. Target Audience4. Channels5. Owned versus Earned media6. Tactics 7 . KPIs8. Guidelines
social id
a positive Social I.D. fuels positive Word of Mouth and creates Brand Advocates.
Your Social I.D. is about the interactive experience your audience experiences with you and your brand…
and that experience is what your Advocates will talk about.
Assume everyone is listening, all the time
• Social media is just another channel, but it’s a critical one.
• It is no less important than any other channel we communicate on.
• We don’t always know who is listening, so we must ALWAYS act as if everyone is listening, all the time.
• This is the most public messaging we will participate in as an organization.
• It deserves extreme care, quality, and thought, every time.
Food For Thought
Target Audience
Who is your target market?
Where are they “hanging out” online?
Where are they searching for answers?
Who influences your target market?
Channels
Blogs
Youtube
Quora
Owned versus Earned Media
What is “Owned” versus “Earned” media?Owned social media includes the channels you controlsuch as the Facebook page, twitter and Slideshare. Earned social media includes content off of your owned pages, such as external blogs, videos, and forums. you don’t control this.
Tactics
wordpress (Owned)Write 1-2 blogs per week. Market the blogs on our social channels, in addition to responded to other relevant logs and posting in comments section. --> Respond to comments. Track engagement via traffic, comments, RTs, tweets, Likes, Shares and more.
wordpress (earned)*Post on industry blogs about relevant topics*Find all blogs and subscribe *Subscribe to google alerts for blog ideas.*Comment on blogs in an intelligent and thought-provoking fashion and link back to other relevant thought leaders, and relevant blog posts.
Twitter (Owned)Use the your account to identify and engage with new prospective clients
Leverage the list making option on the twitter account to create new lists of influential bloggers, and identify current lists of bloggers.
Retweet and favorite tweets from prospects Clients we are already working with.
Act as a news source posting articles
Tweet no less than 2 times per day.
If responding to a tweet, post your initials. Anything specific--not sent out as a piece of news--should have initials (-BL or –MS).
Participate in tweetchats such as #SMallBizChat, Wednesdays 5pm every week
Download a desktop client such as tweetdeck. Search relevant people and watch conversations happening around relevant topics
Twitter (earned)
Facebook Page (Owned)
Post relevant articles on your Facebook Page, minimum, one new post a day, maximum two new posts per day.
Post content (and other content) on our own Facebook page.
Comment on Facebook pages of clients and partners
Leverage Facebook to post twitter and Pinterest info when necessary (such as Twitter chats).
When we post to Facebook, make sure to tag the relevant establishment by using the @ sign.
Facebook (earned)
LinkedIn (Owned)
LinkedIn (Earned)*Join relevant groups to goal *Post relevant content in LinkedIn Groups.
*Add all of your clients and new contacts on LinkedIn and see who they are connected to (to find more leads like them).
*Track the top articles and stories from LinkedIn, and tweet, FB them.
For examples see next slide
Examples
Google + (Owned)*Create new circles and add prospects to circles
*Post on Google + once every two days and comment on relevant user’s posts as well (helps with SEO)
*Share good content that inspires you.
Google+ (Earned)*Engage with other influencers on Google + by commenting on their posts, and providing relevant links in comment section.
Google+ Content Helps SEO More Than Twitter
Youtube (owned)
create a youtube account
create an “about” on the YouTube profile pageWhen possible, upload new content such as interviews with your clients/partners
Tweet, Facebook and post videos on LinkedIn.
Pinterest (Owned)
*Create a Pinterest with relevant photos/content
*create albums with inspiring messages, photos and content
*Post photos that link back to our other social “events” such as a twitter chat that’s upcoming, or a photo publicizing a webinar etc.*Ensure photos are visually beautiful, and always cite the source.
Quora (owned)
Create a profile
Follow relevant influencers in your industry
Ask relevant questions
Quora (Earned)Answer questions on topics relevant to your industry
Example of KPIs For Each Social Network
Guidelines1. Double check your links (make sure they aren’t broken).
2. Attempt to use good grammar (lose vs. loose, there vs. their vs. they’re, two vs. too). 3. Always maintain politeness, positivity, optimism, humility, helpfulness,
and steer clear of controversy (nothing that is negative or references politics, race, gender). Content should
4. always be well-researched and relevant.
5. limit self promotional posts. We should mostly be promoting the people in our community.
6. Don’t mix personal and professional in most cases. Don’t tweet personal things from NAWBO’s twitter account, and always double check your work to prevent any PR nightmaresUse common sense. If it seems wrong, it probably is.
7. Have fun. This should be fun since we are part of a highly social organization.
8. Remember you’re human. We will make mistakes. let’s use the mistakes as learning moments, and recover quickly.
