Success Strategies for Business Owners Getting Started with Social Media v.20121127.

Success Strategies for Business Owners

Getting Started with Social Media

v.20121127


Introductions

Show of hands:– Company size (1-10, 10-20,

>20?)– B2C business?– B2B business?– Government?– Who has a personal social site?– Who has a company social site?– How many social media sites

are there?


About SCORE

• Successful and experienced executives acting as volunteers.

• National web site, www.score.org, provides useful information and resources for small business.

• Seminars and workshops• Free Mentoring

– One-on-one– Email mentoring

• Contact Manasota.SCORE.org

http://www.score-suncoast.org/


In today’s session, we will cover

Technology helped me

boost sales

What are the practical steps to integrate social media into your business.

• Overview of social media• How to think about your social

content• A framework for getting started• Key takeaways and next steps


What is social media


What is social media?

• Wikipedia: The social interactions among people in which they create, share or exchange information and ideals in virtual communities and networks.

– Social media is about conversations and relationships

• Your customers/clients have opinions and questions about your business– As a business owner you want to be a part of those

conversations• Today, those customers/clients speak with you face-to-face or

via phone• Because social media is digital, you’re now able to have those

same conversations with a much broader customer/client base

– Your customer/client reach expands dramatically– These conversations are happening in front of the public, not in private


Popular social media platforms

LinkedIn 90 million users

Social Networking> Target your audience by age, gender, seniority, geography,

or job function> Pay per click or by impressions> Stop your ads at any time

Facebook 500 million users

Social Networking > Connect with more than 500

million potential customers> Choose you audience by

location, age, and interests> Test simple image and text-

based ads and use what works

Twitter 175 million users

Microblogging> Connect with customers and quickly

share information > Gather market intelligence and

insights> Build relationships with people that care about your company

YouTube 2 million daily views

Online Video Community> Promote your content> Share promotional videos and customer testimonials> Target audience by keyword

Google+Business Finder> Be found by your customers> Stand out by engaging customers

with photos, offers, and public responses

> Get insight on your listing to make smarter business decisions

Blogs 126 million internet blogs

Online Conversation> Word of mouth> Communicate promptly > Obtain feedback on products,

service, trends, and industry


What’s old is new again


Social media is an aspect of your (digital) marketing plan

• A website is mandatory for your business

• Customers can’s find you without it• Social media serves as a more

dynamic amplifier• Brand reach• Higher level of engagement• Website traffic …

• Having both increases your search engine rankings

• The end result• More qualified leads• Reduced marketing spend• Increased brand awareness …


More than 60% of Fortune 1000 companies with a Website will connect or host some form of

social network or online community to build customer relationships in the upcoming year. BUT, more than 50% will fail to establish mutual purpose with customers.

Source: 2010 Gartner, Inc. study

Being a part of the conversation is your ticket of entry. You must participate in the communication, collaboration, and networking

Find creative ways to share information and bring communities together

Content is king

Marketing 101: Who is your target audience?

What social media platforms do they frequent? Google: “demographics of key social networking platforms”


How to think about social content


How are small businesses using social media?


Get active and build your community!

• Start two way conversations (free)– Publish relevant and useful content– Listen and respond to posts

• Spend some $$– Facebook/LinkedIn ads– Promoted posts– Highly targeted

• Measure your results against your objective(s)– Don’t be afraid to change course or

approach


What are things you can measure?

• Number of content likes and shares

• Number of followers/fans• Redeemed coupons and

promotions• B2B sales leads tracked through

a sales funnel• Number of customer

inquiries/comments responded to

• Candidate applications and employees hired


Try to avoid these mistakes

• Rush to action without a measurable plan– You can waste a lot of time

• Not posting on a regular basis• Not responding to all comments

– both positive and negative

• Deleting a negative review• Being overly promotional• Purchasing “likes” and “followers”


How to structure your social activities


Here’s a framework for how to start

•Who’s your target audience?•What are your social media brand standards? (pictures and text)•What is your posting strategy? (content, timing, frequency)•Objectives and test strategies

Social media plan

•Active engagement (focus on top priority)•“Stake your claim” only

Prioritized platforms

•Backlog of cool ideas and content•Weekly feedback and planning meeting•Weekly/daily engagement•Responsibility and accountability assignments

Workflow process


Key takeaways

• What’s old is new again• Do your planning!!

– focus on the top social media platform for your audience

– create a process– execute that process with discipline

• Stake your claim– Facebook, LinkedIn (personal and company),

Google+, Twitter• If you haven’t already, create a LinkedIn Personal

page• If you get stuck/frustrated, google your question• Send me a LinkedIn invite: [email protected]• Don’t follow “woo woos”


If you want to learn more …

• A good compare and contrast of social media options– Google: “get started building your social media presence”– Nice overview published by Constant Contact

• How to create a Facebook Company page– www.hubspot.com– Go to “Blogs” and then “Marketing Blogs”– Search: “how to create a Facebook page in 5 simple step”

• How to create LinkedIn Personal and Company pages– www.hubspot.com– Go to “Blogs” and then “Marketing Blogs”– Search: “the ultimate cheat sheet for mastering LinkedIn”

http://www.hubspot.com/

http://www.hubspot.com/


Here’s a quick reference guide


Workshop in Review

What did I learn today?

• Overview of social media• How to think about your social

content• A framework for getting started• Key takeaways and next steps


Do You Have A SCORE Mentor?• Fill out the online request for free, one-on-

one mentoring.– Right after this session!– manasota.score.org – click the

Mentoring tab– A mentor will be assigned in about a

week– Mentor will call you to setup a

mentoring appointment • Ongoing phone and/or face-to-face

guidance to aid completion improvement plans

• Mentor will be available for an ongoing relationship

Take advantage of this free service to help you make the best decisions as you grow and improve your business!



Visit manasota.score.org for Schedules and Registration

SCORE Workshops

Specialized Workshops

• Building Your Business Plan• Utilizing Websites to Boost Sales• Internet Marketing and Social Media for Business

Grow Your Business !

• Create Innovative Marketing Strategies• Attract More Customers - Increase Your

Sales• Improve Your Cash Flow and Profits• Improve Internal Operational

Effectiveness

Simple Steps for Starting Your Business

• Start-up Basics• Business Concept• Marketing Plan• Financial Projections• Funding Sources • Next Steps



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Date post:	23-Dec-2015
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Success Strategies for Business Owners Getting Started with Social Media v.20121127.

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