Building Social Networks

Building Social NetworksAn introduction to Social Media and Social Networking

by Fardad Amirsaeediwww.icewire.co.uk

07985 723856

Overview

• The Social Media Landscape

• Benefits of social media marketing

• Establishing the need for Social Networking

• The most commonly used media

• What should you use?

• Free tools to help you manage it

• Case study – October Textiles Ltd

Social Media Landscape

• The number-one benefit of social media marketing is to stand out from the crowd

• Improve organic search engine rankings

• Increase brand awareness in target or niche markets

• Build recognition resulting in being seen as an authority on your topic/ area

• Build business partnerships

• Compete with larger businesses

• Create value based subscribers

• Reduce marketing expenses

• Gain market knowledge

• Gauge the temperature

• Generate leads

• Increase traffic

• Improve sales

Benefits of Social Media

Chart taken from the 2011 Social media marketing industry report by Social Media Examiner

Establishing the need for Social Networking• Be clear about what you are trying to accomplish from your social media activity

by setting GOALS.

Here are some examples:

• Create a buzz to improve brand awareness in niche markets

• Establish yourself as a subject leader

• Create prospective clients and generate sales

• Meet like minded people/ businesses to share knowledge and experience

• Be seen as up-to date and meeting audience expectations

• Because you love to socialise etc.

*You are now ready to select the social media tools that will best suit your needs.

Social Media Landscape

Most commonly used Media

Networks particularly well suited for Textile, Design, Print and Technical Industries are:

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Linkedin

• Wordpress

• You Tube

Other examples

• Prlog.org(Free press release distribution)

• Tumblr.com (micro blogging with re-blog facility)

• Etsy.com(Ecommerce with Facebook sharing facility)

Chart taken from the 2011 Social media marketing industry report by Social Media Examiner

What should you use?

• Select a small number (at most 4) of co-related media tools most suitable to help you to achieve your set goals and marketing strategy.

• Ensure to commit at least 6 hours per week to social media activity and be consistent.

• Produce quality and relevant content.

• Make sure your online brand and visuals are of a high standard and easy to use by your audience.

• Have fun with it and bring your personality into it.

Free Tools to help you manage it

• Hootsuite.comupdate multiple networks in one step including Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Myspace, Ping, Wordpress etc. Get performance reports and track visitors. Free for 5 accounts.

Free Tools to help you manage it

• Ping.fnis a simple and FREE service that makes updating your social networks easy.

Free Tools to help you manage it

• Tumblr.comFree blog service, very powerful, micro blog (cross between Wordpress and Twitter)

• Quick, simple and attractive

• Re-blog facility (very socially friendly)

Free Tools to help you manage it

• Gist (social CRM)View all your social media contacts activities in one place. Free

• Can add Contacts/feed from:

• Facebook

• Twitter

• RSS Feeds

• CVS – Excel sheet uploads

• Company realted News/ articles

• PR about the person or company (external souce)

• Linked (imported contacts file)

• Aggregated contact and view contact content streams in one account window.

Free Tools to help you manage it

• WiseStamp.comSocialize your email signature

Thank You

“If you’re not sure where you’re going you’ll probably end up somewhere else”

Fardad Amirsaeedi

fardad@icewire.co.ukwww.icewire.co.uk

Case Study

October Textiles Ltd.Garment supply, screen printing and embroidery.

Specialist providers to the fashion industrywww.october.co.uk

Case Study – October Textiles website social structure

Prominent Social media links (follow us)

Featured projects/ blog

Brand identity to meet consumer expectations

Blog/ downloads

Case Study

ConsistentProminent Social media links (follow us)

Page/product specific social sharing and referring

Case Study

Brand and label your profile in order to reflect the desired audience and the way they might search

Promote your client work and build customer loyalty by adding value

Share the things you like/ products and services to connect with others like you.

Promote in places like Linkedin, Twitter etc.

Share images/info about yourself at work and allow people to see your human side

Case Study

Invite people to participate and become a member in order to access the content.

Hyperlink to your website

Make your other media accessible

Consistent branding

Case Study

Useful tabs to motivate and inform the audience.

Hyperlink to specific pages in your website/ special offers/ purchase pages

Promote your most desirable service or product

Case Study

Continuation of the brand identity

Google analytics (free)

Organic (inbound links)

A modest but consistent effort can provide the results but it has to be of quality

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