Social Media Presentation SeriesPart I: Overview

Kinnelon Public Library Christine B. Whittemore

7/6/11

From Here…

2006

2008

2009+

Social Media Overview

• What is social media?

• What does it matter?

• The tools available

• Social Media code of conduct

What is Social Media?

John Jantsch/Duct Tape Marketing

What is Social Media?

Markets are conversations.

Digital Social Tools and Platforms

Easy to use

Mostly free

Enable sharing

Means to an end

Facilitate conversation, build trust with people

Using…

Simple Marketing Now LLC – http://SimpleMarketingNow.comJuly 2011

Social is about

• Being Human!

• (People trust other people)

Social Tools For Conversation

Why does Social Media matter?

Social Media Revolution http://youtu.be/fpMZbT1tx2o

The Marketplace

We live in a Digital World

• 70 to 90% of people start the purchase process at a search window

• 97% of local customers use online media to research businesses in their community**

**BIA/Kelsey research Simple Marketing Now LLC – http://SimpleMarketingNow.comMarch 2011

Simple Marketing Now LLC – http://SimpleMarketingNow.comCopyright © 2010

That is also Social. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFZ0z5Fm-Ng

Simple Marketing Now LLC – http://SimpleMarketingNow.comMay 2011

Search and Social

Digital Visibility is Critical!

• The paradox of existence– If you have a physical presence, but can’t be

found online, do you exist?

• Your laptop– Your gateway to the world– Your passport to existence!

(Keep an Eye on Mobile)

Create Your Own QR Code http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

The Breakup http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZDXfB0Rd4Q The Breakup http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZDXfB0Rd4Q

Change in Business Landscape

• Consumer access to information– Lack of trust

• Open vs. closed organizations

– Era of frugality simplify– Community

• Look at what the community has created re: healthcare:

– http://www.askapatient.com/– http://www.medhelp.org/– http://www.patientslikeme.com/– http://exchanges.webmd.com/default.htm?

Many Tools Available

To research

To connect

To differentiate

Research

• Google and other search engines– Blogs/Alltop– Twitter search/Bing

• YouTube• Slideshare• LinkedIn – Follow feature• Photos: Flickr• Facebook Fan Pages• Delicious for bookmarks• Twitter for trending articles and links

Did you know?Journalists find story leads on Twitter. Hospitals use Social Media, too.

Connect

• Build networks– Focus on quality and relevance

• Explore their connections– Facebook, Twitter followers, Twitter lists,

Blogrolls

• Read, comment, interact– Note rules of engagement– Tweetups, meetups, Tweet Chats

Differentiate

• Via Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn– Identify issues affecting potential

employers or customers– Develop solutions as a result of

conversation

Start “Listening”

• Find search terms of interest

• Start with broad terms– Refine them as you obtain more information– Enter them into a search engine

• Google blog search• Blog pulse - http://blogpulse.com/ • Twitter search

Listening Means

• Reading and absorbing how people interact– Blogposts– Comments– Tweets– Reviews

• Hearing what others say about you, brand, company, industry, relevant terms…

Set Up Google Alerts

• Go to www.google.com/alerts – Your name– Your website– Brand names– Company names– Keywords & phrases– Key competitors

Social Tools

Conversation Prism – Brian Solis

Do You Follow Blogs?

What is a Blog?

• Web-log:– An online journal with frequent articles on

related subjects• Most recent post first• Searchable• Comments

– A self-publishing platform

Blogs: Thought Leadership

Regular Updates [4x/wk]:

Content relatedto my expertise &business

Blog: Printing Press/Cafe

• Over 181 million blogs– 34% of bloggers post opinions about products,

brands– 72% of bloggers share expertise– 1 in 5 bloggers updates his/her blog daily– Corporate blogging: 14% of blogs

• 60% of bloggers are 18-44 years– 50%+ of bloggers are married and/or parents– 50%+ of bloggers have more than one blog

Blog Content is Timeless

• Tell your story in customer relevant terms– Create meaning and value– Be human– Reach out to others in your space– Influence, thought leadership– Conversation– Available 24/7

• Drive readers deeper into your website’s content

Explore Google Blog Search

Explore AllTop

• Visit http://alltop.com – An aggregator of all the top news,

blogs, etc.

Explore Technorati

• Technorati - http://technorati.com – Tracks blogs around the world– Associates “authority” based on links from

other blogs with authority • The higher the number, the greater the authority

– Credibility comes from authority

Are You on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn: Professional

What about Twitter?

What Is Twitter?

• Micro-blogging platform – 140 characters or less – http://twitter.com

• Source of quick breaking observations & interactions– Brands– Keywords– Conferences

Twitter: Professional, Affinity

About building relationships, discovery, sharing links related to my areas of interest:

#RetailEXP#PracticalMktr

Twitter: Affinity Social

• ~ 110 million users

• Search engine searchable– 600+ million searches happen every day

• 80% of Twitter users use mobile devices

• 54% of bloggers post content or tweet on a daily basis – Over 50 million tweets in 2010 

What about Facebook?

Facebook: Casual Social

• Over 500 million users!– ~ world’s 3rd largest country– 100+ million active users access through mobile

devices

• Average user spends ~55 minutes/day– Connects to 80 community pages, groups, events,

creates 90 pieces of content each month

• 2/3 of comScore’s U.S. Top 100 websites use it• Consider a Fan Page for your business

– Google Searchable

Facebook: Casual

Regular updates & Interaction

Minimal selling:Focus on relationship building, photos with people

Take it to your website:Fan boxes,Like buttons…

Facebook Recommendations

• Invite ‘friends’ to join your Fan page

• Claim your ‘vanity’ URL at 25 members– http://www.facebook.com/username/

• Interact with your fans– Thank You!– Respond– Ask questions– Share photos, videos

Do You Watch YouTube?

YouTube

• No.3 search site after Google, Facebook– 13+ million hours

uploaded during 2010– 35 hours uploaded

every minute

• Broad demographic: 18-54 years old

• Pay attention to KEYWORDS!

YouTube Recommendations

• Use all allowed space for titles, descriptions, tags– Titles should be about 100 characters.– Descriptions can include up to 5,000 characters, tags

can be 120 characters.

• From this YouTube blog post, – "The more words you include in your description, the

higher your chances of being discovered by searchers, which means the larger your audience can grow, and the more potential revenue you can earn."

Social Media

Code of Conduct

(and observations)

Bigger isn’t always better

• Focus on QUALITY

• Get to know your fans, followers, subscribers– Interact

• Ask questions• Say thank you

– Acknowledge in real-time

• Add value to build meaningful relationships

It Will Take Time …

• Especially at beginning

• Start small ~ 15 min/day– Use Outlook reminders– Google Calendar

Success in Social Media:

Simple Marketing Now LLC – http://SimpleMarketingNow.comMarch 2011

Rules for Social Networking

• Offer value• No hard sell• Be active consistently• Mind your manners• Be genuine• Don’t spam• Remember: it’s your reputation • Think long term

Code of Conduct

• Authenticity matters– Don’t pretend to be someone you aren’t

• Transparency is key– When in doubt, disclose

• Be willing to enter into conversation & be there for the long haul– Online reputation building – Like being invited into someone’s home

Start Participating…

• Comment on blogs

• Interact on Twitter

• Answer LinkedIn questions– Join groups and participate

• Beware of code of conduct– Offer value– Think of others first & don’t spam!– When in doubt, observe before rushing in

Last Thoughts

• The world is becoming digital and social

• Get started now!– Manage your time

– Have a goal in mind

– Quality matters over quantity

– Have fun!

Learn Together

• Connect with one another– LinkedIn– Facebook Fan Pages– Comment on blogs

• Offer recommendations based on your interactions– LinkedIn

To Learn More…

Christine B. Whittemore Chief Simplifier - Simple Marketing Now LLC

– cbwhittemore@SimpleMarketingNow.com– Tel: 973-283-2424– @cbwhittemore– Facebook: Simple Marketing Now

• The Smoke Rise & Kinnelon Blog– http://smokerise-nj.blogspot.com/

Download: SimpleMarketingNow.com

Next Week: LinkedIn & Blogging

• Assignment– Create a LinkedIn profile or review existing– Find 3 to 5 blogs you like

• If you blog, tell us about it.

• Bring your laptop to follow along

Will You Assess This Seminar?

• Was this valuable?– What did you like most?

• Would you recommend it to a friend?– What would you say?

• What is most important idea you learned?– What will you put into action immediately?

• What do you want to know more about?– Your email address for more information.

Thank You!