1. How to think about social media

2. People Driven Communications

Social medial is people driven, not brand driven

- Online masses often set the agenda, create narratives, influence opinion etc.

- Those with influence, those who are known and considered reputable are known as:

“INFLUENCERS” AND “ADVOCATES” (who are they)

- Many communities created online, form around many topics-> relevant to GML: industry,

trade groups etc. -> great for research and prospecting

Communities can be echo chambers

Group think ****** offer something new

3. People Driven Communications

Ex. Of online community: LinkedIn group, “Packaging Pick of the Day” Pinterest

- Advocates and influencers in every group

- Find, understand and engage online communities; gain insights-> prospecting

- Figure out what people are talking about, capture conversations, what is most salient?

- Advocates and Influencers extend reach

- > “Packaging Experts” add credibility, strengthen your online presence and ability to reach

out

4. BIER- A new Model of Communications

BUZZ: Get people talking, conversations and content about your brand

- Brands can create and drive buzz

- Advocates and Influencers

Influence: Understanding current trends, what is salient, being part of conversation

- Use of advocates and Influencers

- EXPERT

Engagement: content production posts, comments, blog -> anything to stand online 2-way convo

What do consumers want to talk about?

5. BIER: A new Model of Communications

Repeat: Loyalty, brand awareness, increased sales etc..

Applicability to Sales: This is a new paradigm of communications, especially relevant online -> better

able to communicate and promote online

6. Engagement Strategies

- Use of Advocates and Influencers

o How to best leverage them

o Take advantage of their pre existing audience

o Power laws in Social Media -> only handful have influence over majority

- Leverage “Packaging Experts”

o Credibility and perception of being knowledgeable is key

o People more likely to pay attention

7. Engagement Strategies

- Online Anthropology/ Qualitative research

- Don’t be overly theoretical/ high level

- Analyzing conversations- online Ethnography

o Easily obtainable data on all social media platforms-> searches, keywords etc.

o Gain meaningful, insightful data in what your consumers are talking about

Open HONEST conversations

AKA “Online Anthropolgy”

8. Engagement strategies II

Authentic Brand Experiences

- Show don’t tell

- Prospects want to recreate or take part in the experience

- Full, branded packaging program

- What is the “Gunther Mele Experience”?

9. Engagement Strategies II

- Lasooing a Topic

o What’s your niche or strongest area

o Credibility

- Going where the mass influencers hang out

Refer back to communities and groups

LinkedIn, Piinterest

- Asking for the opinions of others

o Control and START the CONVO

- Creating communities

o Make your own, ctrl message and agenda, gate keep

10. Engagement Strategies III

- Google trends

- Google news and alerts

- SEO applicable to social media

- Google keyword tool

- Social media as customer service tool

11. Measuring results

- Involvement

- Interaction

- Intimacy

- Influence

- Income

12. Measuring results II

- Google social analytics

o Free

- Pre existing with platform

- Endless assortment

o Selling a service, be wary

- Qualitative and quantitative

o Certain data not easily quantified/measured

o Qualitative methods used in engagement strategies are also helpful here

13. Implications for sales

- Social media marketing survey, from 2012 social media marketing industry report

14. Implications for sales II

15. Future Trends in Social Media Marketing

TED

- Joseph Pinc: What consumers want 12:35- 13:34

- Tim Lebrecht: 3 ways to (usefully) lose control of your brand

:56- 1:22