Social Media WorkshopCaithness Horizons, Thurso

31st May 2013

Delivered by:

This event is sponsored by:

http://northerneditorial.co.uk

Why use social media for business?

• Raise brand awareness• Increase traffic to website• SEO (search engine optimisation)• Your customers are using it!• To find new customers• Widen your target market and potential reach• Build strong relationships with customers• Build strong relationships with local

businesses• Market research• And much more…

Social Media Mishaps – What to avoid!

• Using social media channel purely for sales• Lack of interaction and updating• Not including it in your overall marketing plan• Getting too personal• Having no overall social media‘plan’in place• Reacting badly to negative feedback• Talking badly about other businesses• Inconsistent content, bad spelling, etc• Not letting customers know you are using it• Doing too many updates not related your

business/market• Too many updates• Expecting immediate results• Using social media instead of other marketing

techniques

What, when, and how should I communicate on social media?

• Don’t just talk about your business - use it to promote other local businesses and the area also

• Social media is all about interaction and conversation

• Share your experience and expertise• Keep posts/updates short and concise• Share photos and links – they will help to create

interaction• Check all posts carefully before sending them

out• Be quirky, be different, be innovative• Timing is everything

How to let customers know you are using social

media…• Icons/links on website• Icons/links within your blog• Links from other social media accounts• Icons on printed marketing materials• Links within email newsletters• Links on email signatures• Tent cards within your business premises• Window stickers within your business

premises• Mention it to customers in conversation

Google AlertsWhat they are and how to use them for social

media and your business…

FacebookAll you need to

know…

TwitterAll you need to

know…

FUN STUFFGetting creative…

FACEBOOK AND TWITTERKeeping it consistent…

What we’re looking for:

• Consistency across both platforms – backgrounds, avatar and colours

• What makes a good Facebook cover• Using the Twitter background• Avatars – which ones stand out

Things to remember:• Whatever you do online needs to be

consistent with what you already use in the ‘real world’

• Use the same avatar on both Twitter and Facebook – adapt your logo if necessary

• Keep backgrounds the same or very similar for instant recognition

• Twitter – use themes to change colours to be consistent with your brand

Making yourself stand out…

• Get creative, make sure you have an impressive visual impact!

• Consider doing a fun campaign, think Coca Cola…

• Kick off conversations…that sometimes means getting controversial!

• Think ‘outside the box’…

LinkedInAll you need to

know…

Hope you’ve enjoyed your…

http://highlandsocial.co.uk

www.snowmarketing.co.uk

Find us on…