Soci@lite

Social Media: Features & Benefits

Soci@liteThe only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about

(Oscar Wilde)

by Katherine Hanson

Soci@lite

About Me

Social Media Training Consultancy

Believe Social Media is the online equivalent of Word of Mouth which really encapsulates its usefulness to businesses

Passionate about helping businesses to navigate the world of online marketing & master the metrics so they can raise their online awareness

Mission to help businesses understand why Social Media can help them, not just how

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Social Media is….

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

Permanent & broadcast – no reliance on somebody remembering what they have heard about a business and passing it on to somebody else

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

Websites tell you about a business and Social Media tells you about those in a business

Social Media is ultimately about solving readers problems

Love or hate it? It’s here to stay – there is even a globally-recognised Social Media Week

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WHY?

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Whatever your customers and competitors are doing you also need to embrace

Increase customer loyalty whilst driving traffic back to your website

Reach other markets for virtually no cost, other than in time & effort

Spreads your message to those who want to hear what you have to say

Harness the collective power of a captive audience and they will spread the word for you

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

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

Audit trail of online activity - crucial for testimonials/referrals & permanent reference point

No geographic boundaries - only 15% of business’ fans are local to them - go VIRAL!

Open & honest business not afraid to share knowledge & deal with issues in a public forum

Keeps your customers & target audience returning to your website regularly

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WHAT?

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The same etiquette applies as offline – don’t say or do anything you wouldn’t face to face

Brainstorm ideas with colleagues, family and friends if you're not sure what to write about

Ask questions via Surveys & Polls, etc.

FAQs – answer questions & comments via your Social Media channels

Blogs – these win when they are full of passion and helpful information

Make personal stories into lessons - People do business with People

Resources your customers find helpful, e.g. Reviews, Links, Tutorials & ‘How To’ articles

Repackage content from company literature and your website – news is cyclical

Call to Action with an Ethical Bribe, e.g. download a free e-book – gauges interest and captures leads and further engages a follower with your content/website

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Using 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.

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HOW?

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Sync Social Media channels to maximise your audience, e.g. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

Think about your customers and what sort of information would be helpful to them

Treat every post as an opportunity for a Google listing under a new keyword or phrase

Add Social Media buttons so readers can share your posts on Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Choose a keyword or phrase to focus on and then measure the results to see what has resonated most with your followers

Use titles that are easy to understand so people want to click on them to read more

Build relationships with industry experts/influencers and share their content

Delegate to a ghost writer or encourage colleagues to blog or brainstorm ideas for content

Subscribe to other blogs – read what is being talked about and join the conversation

Plan your posts for the month with an Editorial Calendar – decide on dates and times

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WHEN?

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It needn’t be a content safari!

At least once a week – post & blog as often as you can thereafter

Editorial Calendar – use this to schedule content and vary types of post and their length

Publish around the same time each day/week to create anticipation amongst followers

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Social Media Dashboard enabling you to post to all your channels simultaneously

Users include governments, artists and even The White House

Weekly summary of mentions and analytics

Sync with Google Analytics and Facebook Insights

Maximise your captive audience - draft & schedule to send when followers will be online

Smartphone & Android free Apps available

View all your Social feeds from one Dashboard

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

Soci@liteSchedule Content

Plan your blog posts for the month and write and schedule as many as possible in advance – this frees

up your time to deal with daily tasks and social networking.

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The power of Social Media Marketing & Search Engine Optimisation

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

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3. Builds new relationships

6 Builds trust

2. Increases referrals

5. Increases familiarity4. Creates visibility

1. Makes you credible

7. Offer your products & services

Value of Exchange

8. You will be seen as an expert

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

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3. Builds new relationships

6. Builds trust

2. Increases referrals

5. Increases familiarity

4. Creates visibility

1. Makes you credible

7. Offer your products & services

Social Media success!8. You will be seen as an expert

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Allows you to be yourself! Let your personality shine through with a conversational & friendly tone

Free PR & instant feedback - invite conversation by asking questions & encouraging comments

Online word of mouth - people trust peer recommendations so leave out the sales patter & advertising

You can use in conjunction with existing marketing to enhance your offline activity NOT replace it

Captive Audience - engage and share with peers and customers

Content is King - the more you post the more you will be found and drives traffic back to your website

Network online with prospects, peers and other businesses, not just your followers

Value of Exchange not Return on Investment

Reach markets you may not otherwise have access to

Doing business with those who know, like & trust you will make you money - Social Media is merely the platform!

Summary

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

Social Media

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

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Thank You

www.facebook.com/socialiteconsultancy www.linkedin.com/company/social-ite

www.twitter.com/so_cialite www.yoursocialmediator.wordpress.com

To discuss Social Media in more detail or for or a copy of this presentation please email

katherine@social-ite.info