The Benefits of Social Media

March 2012A presentation by © Katherine Hanson – Soci@lite

Soci@lite Tips, Tricks & Tip-offs to help you navigate the world of online marketing & master the metrics!

The Benefits of

by Katherine Hanson ©



Introduction

Objectives

What is Social Media?

Benefits for businesses

Accolades & Ambassadors

Social Media channels

Return on Investment

Summary

Agenda



About Me

I provide a Social Media and blog writing service for a number of my clients

I am passionate about helping businesses to navigate the world of online marketing & master the metrics so they can be found by more potential customers!

I do this because I believe that Social Media is the online equivalent of Word of Mouth which really encapsulates its usefulness to businesses

Soci@lite

Social Media, Blogs & Articles, Email Marketing, Newsletters, Content Writing & more

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about (Oscar Wilde)

[email protected]



About You

You are a business owner

You have an understanding of websites

Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter & Blogs are not mysteries

You are passionate about marketing your business

You want to understand how things are changing

You’d like more enquiries or sales



To explain in a bit more detail what Social Media is and its benefits

To emphasise that whatever your customers and competitors are doing you also need to embrace – you will have ideas about how to expand offline, but you have to be seen to be using the same channels online

To demonstrate that Social Media marketing needn’t be a content safari but effective usage of it will increase customer loyalty whilst driving traffic back to your website

How to showcase online what a great business you have!

To demonstrate how either a new or successful and long-established company with a solid offline reputation can promote awareness online

To explain in a bit more detail what Social Media is - some of the available channels, their features and benefits

This presentation’s Objectives



What is Social Media?The online equivalent of word of mouth, the oldest form of marketing in the world yet still the most powerful and driven by people

It is permanent, broadcast and doesn’t rely on somebody remembering and acting on what they have heard about a business and then passing it on to somebody else.

A method of reliably spreading your message to a group of people who want to hear what you have to say – you then TELL them through your selected channels.

An ongoing practice, the immediate purpose of which is not to generate leads & business but share information & engage in the same way that you would in the real world, such as at a networking event or conference.

The same rules apply online as offline, e.g. you wouldn’t pitch at the person you just said hello to at a networking event.

People will look up the products and services that your company offers – if you’re not putting that information online, who is? You need to stay in control of your communication

The problem with Social Media is ‘Social Media’ – by which I mean the connotations it elicits for many businesses. There is so much out there and new things all the time claiming to be better than the last

It’s here to stay whether you love it or hate it – last month was Social Media Week across the globe



The power of Social Marketing & Search Engine Optimisation

Source: www.socialnomics.com by Erik Qualman. From the book Socialnomics: the power of social marketing & Search Engine Optimization.



Benefits for you as a business owner?Social Media enables you to reach markets you may not otherwise have access to for virtually no cost, other than in time & effort

Conduct competitor analysis and stay ahead by posting industry information and starting trends before they do

Ask questions and obtain instant feedback from customers, peers & prospects

It creates an audit trail of online activity, which is crucial for testimonials and referrals and as a permanent reference point

It’s a learning forum and also provides the ability to trial new e-learning

The potential to increase your following – only 15% of local business’ fans are in the same place (Roost) – you can reach a vast audience – go VIRAL!

People are more likely to use forms and FAQs on websites than contact a call centre

The more active IVC appears to be online, the more you will be perceived as an open and honest business that isn’t afraid to share knowledge and deal with potential problems in an open forum - customer service - how you walk away from an experience



Social Media channels

There are really only FOUR STEPS:

1. Find people interested in your products or services

2. Post content not adverts, e.g. articles, blogs, comments, etc.

3. Capture information with an ethical bribe for name & email address , e.g. free e-book

4. Stay in touch and create a valuable exchange, e.g. Newsletters, webinars, etc.



Facebook is the nation’s Social Media Sweetheart:

UK’s most popular social network - 49% of us have a Facebook accountIn 2012 500 million hours will be spent on the site every monthOver 50% market share of all visits35% of Facebook users are aged 25-34 / 29% are aged 35-44 56% of consumers will recommend a brand after becoming a fan (Mashable)

3.5 billion+ pieces of content are shared every week (Hubspot)

800 million+ active users with 200 million+ added in 2011 (Social Media Examiner)

Facebook Fanpages

Over 300,000 businesses have a Facebook presence - 1/3 are small businesses You no longer need 25 likes for a unique URL Facebook Insights provides you with free metrics about your Social Media activitySign up fans to your Newsletter/Contact list (unlike a personal page) The more active you are the more likely it is users will see your brand/contentTip: Yahoo will extract the contact details of all your Facebook ‘likes’







34% of marketers have generated leads using Twitter55% of us access Twitter via our mobiles so use in real time100 million active Twitter users worldwidePost messages of fewer than 140 characters you can post blog links, news, events, etc. to reiterate IVC an industry authorityA customer service channel to engage with loyal and new customers and licenseesMeasure success by analysing how followers engage with your content via free metrics – help identify tools to make best use of timeObtain multiple followers with interesting contentFriendLynx - find your Facebook friends on TwitterWhat makes people Retweet (RT)? interesting content, humour, personal connection, incentives, ‘please RT’

#Hashtags: mark keywords/topics to make your Tweets more searchable. The most common hashtags of my followers’: #business, #media, #social, #marketing, #dorset, #news, #online via SocialBro.com, #follow, #twitter - www.hashtweeps.com displays Tweeters mentioning your company, brand for example and no. of instances so follow them back

http://www.hashtweeps.com/



Nothing beats word-of-mouth recommendations versus a testimonial from a stranger

Your interface to professionals who want to find out more about your company, job openings, culture, recommendations from their network on products/services, etc.

You can ensure your company provides the most relevant and tailored messaging

Provides a wealth of tools for increasing engagement amongst followers via status updates, news, blog posts, Twitter updates, YouTube videos, etc. - benefit from the buzz about your products

Use LinkedIn Groups to promote and track your industry & competitor activity

Add the LinkedIn plug-in to your website displaying at-a-glance information to drive traffic

Use the follow button to help users discover who they know at your company

Use the Careers Tab to shape job seekers’ understanding of your company

Export connections to a spreadsheet and add them to your Marketing list or Newsletter

150 million professionals exchange information, ideas & opportunities, keep up to date with contacts & industry to achieve their goals

LinkedIn Company pages







LinkedIn - sample metrics



The world‘s second most popular search engine In 2012 online video will hit 1 billion visits per monthMillions discover, watch & share originally-created videosA global forum for people to connect, inform & inspire othersUse as a central part of your marketing strategyVideos can be broadcast according to key demographicsOptimise search engine results – Google loves videosProvides free analytics on your Social Media activityUse your YouTube channel to post to other Social Media channels and your company website Share videos you have created, like or think relevant to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.Increase conversion rates (click-throughs to your website)



YouTube - sample metrics



The New Kid on the Block - in operation since June 2011 and already fastest-growing Social network ever launched

Create robust content calendars and target your audience with posts intended just for certain cities, ages, genders and languages

Your activity feed is compressed to a few lines so users can only respond not post

Free analytics to measure your Social Media success

Link to unlimited Social Media profiles/networks, as well as your website(s) - Google loves links!

Build backlinks and create a Smorgasbord of all your Social Media profiles in one place

Android is currently the market leader in Smartphones and some tablets - Google will be activating 1,000,000+ Android devices a day



One of the most popular blog-publishing applications in the world

Used by millions of individuals, businesses and organisations

Maintain content, engage in social media, appear in searches & minimise costs

Blogs alert your followers to new content

Integrates elegantly with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other platforms

‘Open source’ - all code and files are free to use, customise, and enhance

Use templates, search-engine friendly links and widgets (drag-and-drop sidebars, Facebook like boxes, etc.)

Free analytics to measure the impact of your blog and traffic to your website

Skim reads content and suggests relevant or popular keywords (as do podcasts)

Publish retrospective posts based on original date, e.g. existing testimonials/blogs

Make blogs ‘sticky’ – choose what to promote regardless of publishing date

Download to your Smartphone or iPad



A Social Media Dashboard which enables you to connect to all your Social Media channels and post messages simultaneously

Launch marketing campaigns, identify and grow audiences and distribute targeted messages across multiple channels

Users include governments, artists and even The White House

HootSuite sends you a summary of mentions and weekly analytics

Sync with Google Analytics and Facebook Insights

Showcase your Social Media success by creating custom reports

Ensures messages are never missed - draft & schedule to send when your followers will be online

HootSuite can be used on Smartphones and Android devices

View all your Social feeds from within Hootsuite

Hootlet enables you to ‘hoot’ about pages you would like to share

http://www.hootsuite.com/dashboard





It needn’t be a content safari!Choose one or two channels to start with and do them well, instead of overloading yourself with too many - a few simple tasks can enhance your presence:



Many companies have yet to be convinced by Social Media because it doesn’t result in short-term ROI, or they cannot see how it enables them to measure ROI. It is true that the impact of Social Media needs to be measured, but marketing based solely on ROI misses the point.

Rather than “What’s the ROI?” we should be asking “What does or will success look like?”

Today’s Social Media savvy customers publish and share their experiences

Social Media is as an extension of good business ethics

Invest in resources and building your network beyond prospects and investors

Social Media has a far greater impact on the overall customer relationship

See every online exchange as an opportunity to enhance & nourish relationships

What about Return on Investment?

Value of Exchange rather than Monetary Return



3. Builds new relationships

7. Builds trust

4. You can demand higher prices

2. Increases referrals

6. Increases familiarity

5. Creates visibility

1. Makes you credible

8. Offer your products & services

The relationship between your brand, employees & consumers which is more than justsingle transaction or subscription

Value of Exchange

9. You will be seen as an expert



3. Builds new relationships

7. Builds trust

4. You can demand higher prices

2. Increases referrals

6. Increases familiarity

5. Creates visibility

1. Makes you credible

8. Offer your products & services

Social Media success!9. You will be seen as an expert



In the year 2062, a bunch of elderly hipsters are interviewed about the good old days of Social Media

Source: www.futurehipsters.com



Summary

Social Media is online word of mouth

Content is King - the more you post the more you will be found

Free PR & instant feedback

Recommendations over advertising

Spreads messages to those who want to hear what you have to say

Use in conjunction with your existing strategy

Value of exchange rather than Return on Investment

Engage and share with customers and peers

Doing business with people that know, like & trust you will make your money - Social Media is merely a platform!



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www.linkedin.com/company/thedorsetpa www.yoursocialmediator.wordpress.com

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http://www.twitter.com/so_cialite

https://plus.google.com/u/0/116650548288193622804/posts

http://www.linkedin.com/company/thedorsetpa

http://www.yoursocialmediator.wordpress.com/



“The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.” Oscar Wilde

“The question is no longer should we be doing Social Media, it's are we doing it right?” Erik Qualman, Socialnomics

“You can’t just say it. You have to get the people to say it to each other.” Ford Motors

“Our head of Social Media is the customer.” Macdonalds

Quotations

Business

The Benefits of Social Media