Using Social Media to Build Community and Promote Your Event

transcript

Using Social Media to Build Community and

Promote Events

Wisconsin Bicycle Tour Directors, Oct 9, 2010

Wendy Soucie25 years + experience

Certified social media consultant

Certified LinkedIn Trainer, Social Media Campaign Manager

Based in the Midwest with national reach.

AgendaAgenda

Why social mediaStrategy pointsProfile tipsBuildingPromotingExamplesQ & A 2

With the Internet comes a new reality

"The corporate homepage at Dell.com is not really the corporate homepage. The homepage today is Google.“

Bob Pearson, Dell's man in charge of social media strategy

It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million users;It took television 13 years to reach 50 million users;It took the internet 4 years to reach 50 million users;It took Facebook 2 years to reach 50 million users.

Social Media: Why?• Brand – building awareness in WI

and nationally

• Loyalty – improving the public’s knowledge - educating, sharing, expanding the experience for all

• Advocacy – building and maintaining support

• Extend your reach – generating action to signup

• Sponsorship – social capital for support externally

More ways to connect to each other

Source: HubSpot

Know where to start

Avalanche!

Social Media StrategyGoal – 5000 Members16,000 ft

Strategy – reach out where they are

You can choose how to start

20 minutes a day - socialminutes.com

What business owners need to do

Clarify Business Goals

ExtendBrand TacticBuild Strategy

Tools:AdvertisingPublic relationsDirect mailSocial media, etc.

Take a strategic approach

Goal Strategy

Clarify Business ExtendBrand ToolsMarketing

Be realistic – What resources?Get training – Do you know how to be social when

you apply the tools?Define success – Can you agree on measurement? Make your team approachable

5 Rules for social media

• Listen then hear

• Grow your network

• Contribute

• Participate

• Be a trust agent

It takes time to do all this.

You can’t listen in a space without

Its about people and connections.

… signing on!

Free Listening Tools

Technorati Search

Compete.com

TweetDeck Search

Search.Twitter.com

Trendrr

Addictomatic

Socialmention

Google Alerts

Google Reader

Google Analytics

Google Keyword

List of 26 tools http://www.socialmediatoday.com/SMC/155299http://www.dreamgrow.com/46-free-social-media-monitoring-tools/

This is you on Social Media

Network

• Why a Big Network?– More prospects

– More INBOUND calls

• Why a Smaller Network?– Control communications

– Verify connections

Just remember you can’t build a network overnight.

• Completeness

• Where is Home

• Content

• Context

• Applications

• Network

Profiles for social media

Tip: Profile for social media sites

Use a headshot of just you (real picture)Complete the profile – picture, bio, linkDecide where “home” is. Primary email should be a gmail or yahoo accountUse your real and complete name Add under hobbies or interest: bike, biking, bike tour, travel, adventure travel, bike wisconsin, bicycle, Trek, Lodi Bike Club, silent sports.

Short-term Strategy

SEO and Social Media displace SERP

Make brand optimization a process

Optimize all digital assets

Don’t underestimate local search directories

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxpnvFOcFfM

Tip #1 Stay Visible.

• Profile Activity level– 2x/week– 3x/day– 3-5x/day

• Blog– 3 times/week– 2 times /week– 1 time/week– If less consider

newsletter

• Email – 3-5 times before event

Wordle.net

• Cross pollinate your media– Blogs– Podcasts– Videos – Photos – Presentations– Ebooks– News releases– PDFs– Slideshows– Event Directory

listings

What to Publish and Share

– Emails > blog posts

– Forum posts > blog posts

– Blog posts > presentations

– Presentations > blogs

– Event video > blog post

– Interview clients > blog

– Company info > public reports

– Company info > presentations

Make Use of Existing Material

Event Promotion

Some insight….

• 1.7 M people in Wisconsin are on FB

• 332,240 FB users in Madison (more than the population)– 18+ over 90%– 35% 35+– 15% are over 50+

• 65 M active users accessing through mobile.

Reserved

Social Networking -

Create a #hashtagfor your event

Microblogging - Twitter

• Just 11% of users on Twitter are teenagers.

foursquare

Video - YouTube

Pictures - Flickr

Business Networking - LinkedIn

Social Media: Event Example

Share the IAT

experience

Local News

papers

IATA - Tactics

TouchFeelHearSeeRead

1 Week – Lodi Bridge Dedication• Attended dedication• Video & pictures of the event• Video interviews of 2 people• Edited & posted to Youtube• Blog post for blogspot• Tweeted video and post• Picked up by Lodi Valley News• Articles in three papers and online by

next day• Pictures uploaded to FB & Flickr

(taged)• Gathering Waters Conservancy posted

link for Youtube video on FB page• Top of the list for Google Search -

videos

Tip: Ways to use social media effectively

• Sign up for an account, spend a week listening

• Invite people to biking events, promote an event using various

tools, ask them to write about an event they attended

• Encourage picture sharing via FB, Flickr, Picassa

• Connect with people you meet during a bike, your customers –

find in social places

• Invite your customers to connect

• Get your pictures and video up on a social media site - tag

• Write a review about your recent ride – submit to blog com

Happy trails to you

Happy Trails

ResourcesBooks

Rock the World with Your Online Presence by Mike O’NeillMost up to date LinkedIn book www.rocktheworldbook.com

Twitter Marketing : An Hour a Day by Hollis ThomasFacebook Marketing: An Hour a Day by Mari SmithBooks: Groundswell, Trust Agents, Six Pixels of Separation

BlogsLinkedIn - http://blog.linkedin.comIntegrated Alliances http://www.integratedalliances.com/blogWSC Blog - http://www.wendysoucie.comMashable – http://www.mashable.comSocial Media Today – http://www.socialmediatoday.comSocialMediaExaminer – http://www.socialmediaexaminer.comChris Brogan – http://www.chrisbrogan.comAll Facebook -

Slide Presentationshttp://www.slideshare.net/wsoucie

YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/wendysoucie

Social Media Club Madison (in many cities)• http://madisonsmc.org

Social Media Breakfast Madison (in many cities) http://facebook.com/socialmediabreakfastmadison

Photo credits – Istockphoto.com and Wendy Soucie39

Partnerships | Strategic Alliances | Joint Venture

• Wendy Soucie Consulting – www.wendysoucie.com

• Founder/Principal

• End Result Marketing• Nurture marketing and research

• Social Media Academy • Certified Social Media Consultant• Founding Gold Member and Alumni• Black Diamond Consultant

• Xeesm – Social CRM • Business Partner – Wisconsin

• Integrated Alliances – IA Certified Trainer

• Images from IstockPhoto.com

We provide: Technical Product ExpertiseManufacturing experienceSocial media assessmentsMarketing best practicesThought leadership strategiesSocial media building blocksTraining on tools and strategyImplementation help and coaching

Network . Contribute . ParticipateSocial web links: http://xeesm.com/wendysoucie

Your Questions?

Using Social Media to Build Community and Promote Your Event

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