woa social media
DESCRIPTION
Sandy Lender gave this presentation on using social media to expand your asphalt business at the 2013 World of Asphalt in San Antonio.TRANSCRIPT
Efficient Online MarketingHow to use online social media to build your asphalt business
By Sandy Lender, editor of Asphalt Pro magazine
Consistency
Consistent message across your platforms
Consistent images
Consistent tone
Consistent personnel
Let’s look at an easy way to accomplish this…
Organize Yourself
Assign the person who updates/monitors your social media presence online
Create a folder on the desktop
Let’s discuss what goes in the folder
Rotate your passwords because hackers are smart
The Folder
E-mail address(es); password(s)
Signature/tagline (http://wisestamp.com)
Bio (long and short); images (low resolution)
Mission statement
Site & group URLs
All in a folder on your desktop where you can find it easily
Where do you need to be?
Google+ beats Twitter by a nose
facebook is still #1, but I’m starting you all with Google+ and LinkedIn…then facebook and Twitter
Don’t ignore your website and blog
Website = static; blog = dynamic (let’s discuss before we dive into the social sites)(social media beats search in publishing circles; ppl trust word of mouth)
Your blog
Dynamic (spiders & bots troll for active discussions)
Content content content; visit & comment elsewhere
Moderate it; be active in controlling content of both posts and comments
Bit.ly; hootsuite; Klout; www.wordpress.com
Use your blog to drive traffic to your website
Let’s discuss “comment etiquette abroad” (chat elsewhere; no spamming; no fighting)
Your website
You can make the website dynamic by adding comment features; posts (like a blog); live links within the site and to other sites/blogs
When you post an image, name it with keywords
Use social media tags so people can easily share posts
How to use the social networks
Only the Paranoid Survive (by Andrew S Grove; 1999)
Not every transaction has to be for business; as Depeche Mode said, “People Are People”; social media is supposed to be social, but keep in mind…
You have limited time to “play around” online; time is money
Connect your media—twitter, facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube—they all offer ways to post simultaneously or at least share what you’ve posted among the platforms
Where to be seen
http://plus.google.com
http://www.LinkedIn.com
Your state DOT’s blog
Your state APA’s blog
http://twitter.com; www.facebook.com
Others (newspaper article comments—you don’t have to be first, just be salient)(you’d rather be a source IN the article) (YouTube)
Google+
Google+ (let’s get there)
http://plus.google.com
Assign yourself an email
Assign yourself a username (use your email)
Assign yourself a password you can remember
Upload your profile picture
Google+ (what you want to see)
Google+ features
Circles—people you want to have contact with
Stream—think of this like the facebook feed or Twitter feed—ignorable until you start following useful people
Hangout—good for meetings; web conferencing
Uses hashtags in the stream (similar to Twitter)
LinkedIn (for professional use)
LinkedIn (how to get there)
www.linkedin.com
Professional use—more than 70 million professionals use it
Groups; Questions
How to request connections professionally (follows)
Recommendations (written); Endorsements (of skills)
Apps add value & start conversations (SlideShare; TripIt)
LinkedIn groups to check out
Linking Construction (over 34,000 members)
Highway Design Engineers
Highway Maintenance Professionals
Asphalt Shingle Recyclers Association
Road Builders Professional Group
(tons more of these)
LinkedIn (the look)
Facebook (Part 1)
Set a timer before you get started because facebook will suck your life away
Set up a group page for your business; group vs person
What to post
When to post (Thursday; Friday traffic)(10% see it)
How to promote a post
Facebook (Part 2)
Privacy settings are for people
Watch your message
Watch your message
Watch your message
www.twitter.com
Handle = username
Hashtags
140 characters or less
Retweets make things viral easily
Bit.ly or Tinyurl.com
@NAPATweets; @Asphalt_Inst; @asphaltroads; @AsphaltPro
We’re all in this together
Asphalt Pavement Alliance = AsphaltRoads.org
www.AsphaltFacts.com
www.AsphaltPavement.org
www.TheAsphaltPro.com
The Point: Get Recognized
Build your brand through viral messages
You want DOTs, state engineers, commercial developers, LEED project managers, or the store owner down the street who needs to repave his parking lot to recognize your company name & logo as a professional, friendly, quality, competent, community asphalt pro when he has a project ready to go.
Social media is about viral messages.
Viral Messages
Relevant messages get shared.
Short messages get shared.
Entertaining messages get shared.
Educational messaged get shared.
Make your message go viral.
Connect with AsphaltPro
www.TheAsphaltPro.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/sandylender
http://plus.google.com Sandy Lender
http://twitter.com/AsphaltPro
www.TheAsphaltForum.blogspot.com (blog)
Now go tweet this info!