The Fundamentals of Your Social Media Strategy

Derek Overbey@doverbey

Sr. Social Media ManagerVerticalResponse

Agenda

• Facts about social media networks• Social media for small business• Doing it wrong• Set up a strategy• Create a plan• Some tactics• Resources• Q&A

Some Big Facts to Remember• 72% of all internet users are now active on social media.

• 71% of users access social media from a mobile device.

• Instagram has an engagement rate 15x higher than Facebook.

• 53% of people on Twitter recommend products in their tweets.

• 93% of shoppers’ buying decisions are influenced by social media.

• 90% of consumers trust peer recommendations and only 14% trust advertisements.

Our Recent Small Biz Survey

• 60% of small businesses are spending less than 6 hours a week on social media.

• 88% of small businesses use Facebook

• More than 50% have a company blog.

• 35% use YouTube as part of their social media activities.

Companies are doing social media wrong. Instead of

connecting with people and starting conversations, a lot of companies are participating in

one-way conversations…

Ed O’BoyleHarvard Business Review

~ Ted Rubin @tedrubin

Before You Start…

• Social media might not work for every

business.

• Is social media best suited to your biz

objectives?

• Why is this good for my business?

• Are your customers already on social

media?

• Don’t be afraid to ask for advice or borrow

ideas.

• Do what you can really do!

Ask Questions As You Build

• Who is your target audience?

• What do you want to achieve with social media?

• How much time are you able to devote to social media?

• Be efficient and use tools.

• How will you track the results?

Building Connections on Social

• Invite friends and family to connect, follow and like your business social accounts.

• Occasionally share your business accounts on your personal social channels.

• Comment on comments, tweets, pins, etc.• Tag or @ where appropriate.• Share other content.• Involve your community in your social

activities.• Use the 80/20 rule.

Create Your Social Voice

• By creating a unique voice on your Social Media Platforms, you give your brand an inviting human touch.

• “Dialogue not a monologue” – Entertain, communicate, and gain trust.

• Make it personal – connect with your community with sincere posts, humor and thought sharing.

• Ask questions and engage.

• Offer solutions & be helpful. Don’t sell.

Source Content

• Make a list of all your resources for content (blogs, website, pictures, articles about industry topics/ your preferred publishers).

• Determine what content you can create. – Should you publish more of your own

blog posts? Can you do 1 per week? Per month?

– Should you assign a photographer at your next event? Outing?

• What else can you share? (We’re a lumber yard – Can we share home remodeling stories? DIY?)

Understand the Basics

• Learn About Social Media for Business.• Anyone can have a Facebook account, but

not everyone can execute a Social Media Business Plan.

• Being an expert requires constant self-education.

• Subscribe to blogs with helpful tips.

Create a Plan

• Determine which networks you will be active on and how often.

• Here’s an example:

• Set a reminder each month to track success.

Some Tactics

Use Humor

Evoke an Emotion

Show What Your Organization Does

Relay Culture Through Visuals

Get Involved With Trends

Highlight Donors or Customers

Resources

• http://www.verticalresponse.com/blog• http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com• http://kimgarst.com/blog/• http://socialmouths.com/blog• http://razorsocial.com/blog• http://www.ducttapemarketing.com• http://allfacebook.com• http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/