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Social Media Strategies for Small Businesses
March 30, 2010
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Social media isn’t a conversation. It’s where the conversation takes place.
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Think Social Media Is a Fad?
It’s a Revolution!
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Benefits of Social Media
• It’s FREE!• Builds deeper relationships• Increases brand awareness • Broadens your network• Helps SEO• Increases website traffic• Can help reach journalists/media• Empowers fans to be viral
ambassadors for your brandSource: Social Media for Tourism Pros
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Basic Social Media Strategy
• Incorporate into existing marketing & PR plans
• Listen to the conversation• Review and analyze what you learn• Engage if and when it makes sense• Monitor and adjust• Measure results
Source: Social Media for Tourism Pros
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Social Media = Biz Cocktail Party
• Business cocktail party– Meet people and
start conversations– Answer questions
and help others– Ask questions and
trust others’ advice
• Social media– Become a member
of the “community”– Add value to the
community• Ask and answer
questions
– More effective than live cocktail parties• No boundaries of
time or space• Other people can
listen in easily
Source: HubSpot
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Common Social Media Platforms
Facebook & Twitter
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What Is Facebook?• A social networking service that allows
users to connect to friends and colleagues• Post updates. Share links, photos, and
videos• Can comment on others’ activity• Well over 250 million active users
– Fastest growing demographic is 35 years old and up
– Over 8 million users become fans of pages each day
• Remember: Personal profiles are for people, not businesses. Develop a fan page instead.
Fac
ebo
ok
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What Is Facebook?
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Facebook Benefits to Biz
• Low cost• Engage with fans of your business
page• Fans receive your updates and can
upload comments, photos, and video• When fans engage you on your page,
their activity shows up in their friends’ streams– This can prompt others to check out
your page and your business!
Fac
ebo
ok
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Facebook Benefits to Biz
• Can incorporate content from other social media platforms– Ex: blog posts, updates from Twitter,
pictures from Flickr, videos from YouTube, etc.
• Targeted advertising opportunities (cheap too!)Fac
ebo
ok
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What Is Twitter?
• Free social networking and micro-blogging site that allows users to send and read messages known as “tweets”
• Tweets can have no more than 140 characters & are delivered to the author’s subscribers, known as “followers”
• 44 million + users– 72.5% joined during the first half of 2009
Twit
ter
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What Is Twitter?
Screenshot of Twitter business profile page
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Twitter Benefits for Biz
• Low cost• Speed of feedback• Potential reach of message• Customer engagement/service• Track what people are saying about
your business• Create buzz around upcoming events• Promote your business and other
content you create
Twit
ter
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Let’s Get You Set Up!
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Facebook Setup
1. Login to your personal Facebook page
2. Click on “Advertising” at the very bottom right of the page
3. Click on “Pages”
4. Click on “Create Page” button
5. Choose a Page Category & Name
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Facebook Setup (cont’d)
6. Complete detailed informationa. Upload a photo or logo
b. Write a brief bio/description
c. Address, phone number, website, hours, etc.
7. Click “Publish”
8. Viola!
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Facebook Setup: Next Steps
1. Enter some contenta. Add a status update
b. Link to a great article about your biz
c. Create an event
d. Upload some photos
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Facebook Setup: Next Steps
2. Promote your pagea. Update your personal status with a link
to your new page – hit up your friends
b. Become a Fan of other local/related pages
c. Include links in your E-mail signature, on your website, in E-newsletters
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Twitter Setup
1. Go to http://twitter.com
2. Click on the “Join the Conversation” button
3. Create a username and password
4. Add an E-mail address
5. Type in the security code
6. Click on “I accept, Create my Account”
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Twitter Setup (cont’d)
6. Click on “Settings” at the top righta. Account Settings:
i. Select English and Central Time Zone
ii. DO NOT protect your tweets
b. Profile Settings:a. Upload a profile photo
b. Enter real name/business name
c. Enter actual location (Ex: Elgin, TX)
d. Enter website URL
e. Enter bio – VERY IMPORTANT
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Twitter Setup (cont’d)
7. Click on “Design” at the top righta. Choose a background or upload a new
image
8. Viola!
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Twitter Setup: Next Steps
1. Enter some content (140 characters)a. Tell the world you’re on Twitter!
b. Link to an interesting article related to your business
i. Use a URL shortener like http://bit.ly to save space
2. Talk about an upcoming event, sale, a new product/service
a. Look for interesting people/organizations to follow
b. Click on “Find People” at the top right
c. Search by name, username & location
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Twitter Setup: Next Steps
3. Promote your pagea. Update your Facebook status with a
link to your new page – hit up your friends
b. Become a follower of other local/related people/businesses
c. Include links in your E-mail signature, on your website, in E-newsletters
4. Set up HootSuite (www.hootsuite.com)
a. Select columns to display
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So What Do I Say?
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So What Do I Say?
• Customer FAQs• Tutorials• Company news• Events you’re attending• Your own content• Content from others• Observations• What you’re reading or watching
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Rules of Engagement
• Listen more than you talk• Remember: It’s about them, not you.• Always “listen” and interact/engage• Provide value far beyond your
particular site or service
Source: Social Media for Tourism Pros
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Formula for Success
70 20 10
Source: Social Media for Tourism Pros
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Formula for Success
• 70% of content = value-added, audience-based & not about you at all
• 20% of content = spontaneous interaction with followers, fans, or friends
• 10% of content = unabashed self-promotion
70 20 10
Source: Social Media for Tourism Pros
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Who’s Talking About Elgin?
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Who’s Talking About Elgin?Y
ou
r F
ans!
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Who’s Talking About Elgin?Y
ou
r F
ans!
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Who’s Talking About Elgin?L
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esse
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Who’s Talking About Elgin?L
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s
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Who’s Talking About Elgin?L
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Who’s Talking About Elgin?L
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Who’s Talking About Elgin?C
yclin
g
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Who’s Talking About Elgin?C
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Who’s Talking About Elgin?C
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Who’s Talking About Elgin?C
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#$!*BLEEP*%#@
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Who’s Talking About Elgin?C
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Who’s Talking About Elgin?C
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Who’s Talking About Elgin?C
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Small Business Examples
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United Linen
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United Linen
• Family owned and operated company in Bartlesville, OK– Founded in 1936 as a personal laundry
and dry cleaning business• Sells linens, uniforms, and restaurant
supplies to other businesses• Focus on customer service and
empower all employees to deliver itMea
sure
men
t
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United LinenH
elp
Ret
ail C
ust
om
ers
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United LinenA
dd
Val
ue
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United LinenA
dd
Val
ue
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United LinenA
dd
Val
ue
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United LinenK
eep
Cu
sto
mer
s In
form
ed
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Promise Pizza
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Promise Pizza
• Founded in early 2009 in Round Rock, TX
• Locally-owned small restaurant• Key Goals:
– Social responsibility– Better product– Tasty pizza– Community-minded
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Promise PizzaA
sk Y
ou
r C
ust
om
er
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Promise PizzaS
ay T
han
k Y
ou
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Promise PizzaC
om
e S
ay H
ello
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Promise PizzaTw
itte
r O
nly
Dea
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Promise PizzaS
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t
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Promise PizzaW
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Some Other Good Examples
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Include links to social media sites on your main website.
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Use E-mail signature files as an opportunity to expand
your social networks.
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Waco Chamber - TwitterP
rom
ote
Eve
nts
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Lost Pines Hyatt – Twitter L
ast
Min
ute
Dea
ls
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Twitter ExamplesS
har
e P
ho
tos/
Vid
eos
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Twitter ExamplesS
har
e P
ho
tos/
Vid
eos
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Twitter ExamplesTw
itte
r L
ists
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Hyatt Lost Pines - Facebook
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Papasan Team Realty - Facebook
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Papasan Team Realty - Facebook
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Questions?
Sarah Page1-800-776-5272, Ext. 3513512-914-8873 (cell)[email protected]@ColoradoRiverTr
