Social Media for Small Businesses

Onalaska Area Business Association

Presented by: Catherine TryonJanuary 12, 2010

What We Will Discuss Today

• What is Social Media

• Why Use Social Media

• How to find prospects and customers

• Where to Start

What is Social Media?

• Community.

• Conversation.

• Networking.

• Marketing.

• Relationships

The Power of Social Media.

• It has leveled the playing field.

• Free to participate: biggest cost is time.

• Social Media applications are becoming legitimate marketing tools.

• Great way to create or participate in communities that are your target market.

It’s a Trust-Based Economy

• 14 % of people trust ads

• 76% trust customer recommendations

• 69% are interested in products/services that helps them avoid ads.

Consumers Avoid Ads

Trust Drives Transactions

• The line between business & personal is blurring – people are interested in doing

business with people!

• Interact & create relationships first

• Be authentic & transparent

Social Media Does Not Make Money for Your Business!

Your business makes money by doing business with people that:– Know You– Like You– Trust You

Make It Real

Social Media provides opportunities for you to create deeper & more meaningful relationships.

“Social networking is always important when it’s real and always a useless distraction with it’s fake” ~ Seth Godin

Why Use Social Media?

• Create awareness of your brand.• Develop relationships. • Build a loyal web community.• To generate leads, referrals, and

eventually money.• Customer Service• To grow and have some fun.

Why Use Social Media?

Statistics

• 74% of all American adults are online. (US is #8 June 2009 - #1 is Norway @ 86%)

• Average age of user Linkedin 36

Facebook 34

Twitter 33

MySpace 29

Who Is Using What!

What People Are Doing Online

Drive Everything Back To Your Website

How Are Companies Using Social Media Today?

Blendtec – Willitblend.com – YouTube

Kogi BBQ – twitter.com/kogibbq

Wiggly Wigglers – Podcasting / Twitter

Rudy’s Drivein – Facebook Page

Where To Find Prospects and Customers

http://search.twitter.com

http://blogsearch.google.com

http://www.technorati.com

Where to Start?

• Find Interested People

• Deliver Quality Content

• Capture their information

• Communicate Frequently

Define Your Goals

• More Sales

• Higher SEO Rankings

• Crisis Communications

• Customer Service

• Brand Awareness

Match the tools to the strategy

• After you know what you are trying to do, select the best tools to execute your strategy.

• Learn about the tools and which ones will help you achieve your goals.

• Using the best tools doesn’t guarantee success or solve all marketing problems.

Define Success

• Develop a customer focused community

• Increase engagement

• Opt-ins for e-newsletter or e-mail

• Subscriptions to blog

• Expand customer base

2010 Social Media Ad Spend

Worldwide, paid social network advertising is expected to increase to $2.5 billion in 2010.

$1.2 billion in paid advertising on social networks alone in the U.S. in 2010

3.9% increase driven mainly by Facebook’s rapid growth

Source: www.emarketer.com

It’s all about community

• The most successful communities online tap into our basic human nature:– We want to belong.– We want to make a difference in the world.– We want to be heard.

• Create relationships that satisfy those needs.

Where is Social Media Going?

• Your profile is becoming portable– One username– One password

Remember…

• Anonymity is giving way to authenticity.

• Trust is the new Currency.

• You bring your real life relationships with you online – consistent in both.

• Be Transparent & real.

Thank You!

• Phone: 608.843.2345

• Email: catherine@catherinetryon.com

• www.facebook.com/catherine.tryon• www.linkedin.com/in/catherinetryon• www.twitter.com/catherinetryon