Constant Contact's Power of Social Media for Businesses and Email Marketing

Copyright © 2008 Constant Contact, Inc.

Power of Social Media

Why and How email marketers have an advantage using the power of social networks.


What is Social Media?

Social media is primarily Internet and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings.

The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, telecommunications and social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio.

This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and "building" of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories and experiences. Businesses also refer to social media as user-generated content (UGC) or consumer-generated media (CGM).

- Wikipedia, January 12, 2009

Geek to English

Trading information and comments via the internet using a collections of tools often described as Web 2.0 technologies.

Regardless of Social media tools used, material shared and traded often falls into 2 main categories:

■ Business Networks

■ Social Networks

Be aware there is a growing trend of using Social Networks for Business reasons.


Competitive Edge for Email Marketers

Good Email Marketing is:

■ Advocacy and empowerment of your customers/members with useful information.

■ Not about you. It is about what you know and how it helps your reader.

■ People talking to People with similar interests.

■ Understanding what your customers/members want from you.

■ Good Listening and Response Skills.

■ Permission based communications.

■ Use of evangelists to share your message. (Forward to a Friend)

■ Provide information on the reader’s schedule, not yours.

Social Networks/Media shares all these values but delivers them with different technology. -Not competition for email marketing but a complement.


What are people doing? What are businesses doing?

■ Can they continue the relationship/conversation outside of the social media tool?

■ Are you leveraging your other marketing media to work with your presence in social media?

■ Are you creating content that is relevant enough to be re-used in your social media tools ?

■ Do you have anything of value to add to the conversation?

■ Can you offer specific advice to peers facing the same business challenges?

■ Are you willing to ask peers for advice on business challenges?

■ Does what you are planning to say have value to anyone else but you?

■ Can you solve problems/issues/questions with your expertise?

■ Are your customers or those you want as customers involved in Social Media?

■ What are they saying?

■ Where are they saying it?

■ What are they talking about or asking for?

IntegrateParticipateListen

Why should you care what is going on in Social Media?People are talking about you out there. Even if you are not reading your customers and future customers are. Ignorance is not bliss.


Tools of Social Media

Social NetworksB to B Social NetworksGroups/Meet up

Video Sites

Blogs

Micro Blogging/Texting

Photo Sites

Social Bookmarking

Podcasting

Email MarketingArchive

Polls

Social Media Tools


Tools of Social Media

Using the Hubs

Social NetworksB to B Social NetworkGroups

Location for individuals with like minds or interests, can exchange information and organize time to gather on line or in person.

Communications and Content tends to be of a professional nature. Peers seeking Peers for advice, information, effective resources, expert human capital, etc.

Communications and content tends to be a casual social nature. Personal photos, comments, shared topics of interest and related information.

■ www.meetup.com

■ http://groups.yahoo.com

■ http://groups.google.com

■ www.linkedin.com

■ www.plaxo.com

■ http://www.constantcontact.com/community/index.jsp

■ www.Facebook.com

■ www.myspace.com

■ www.friendster.com

■ www.ning.com

■ www.skyrock.com

GroupsB to B Social Networks

Social Networks


Using the Hubs - Facebook

Built for college students to get to get to know each other but now has become a hybrid of Social and Professional Networking.

■ Photo hosting

■ Video hosting

■ Promote your blog

■ Only can see your profile if you are identified as friend.

■ Join/create groups regarding topics of shared interest

■ Aids in expanding your network by suggesting people you might know.

■ Create a company profile page and gain network of fans

Invite your email readers to become fans on Facebook. Remember, they have to get something out of it.


Using the Hubs - Facebook

So what can I do with this?

■ Consider putting details of product announcements or events on your company page. Inform your social network first and use the location to host details and link from your email newsletters.

■ Host archived editions of your best received newsletter and helpful tips from your email marketing.

■ If you connect with some of your current customers, ask them to write reviews/opinions on your organization/ products/services.

■ Consider creating a company profile page and use it to connect with your online “fan” base.

■ Enable your fans to sign up for your email newsletter to get more exciting details.

Create a basic personal profile to see who is here and listening to what they are saying. Are they your target audience? Would they be receptive to your message?

“Use of social networks instead of email for personal communications in the last year: 42% Ages 25 to 34; 53% Ages 18 to 24”

-NPD Consumer Survey, JupiterResearch LLC 2008

IntegrateParticipateListen


Using the Hubs - Linked In

A social network to manage your professional contacts and relationships.

■ Find individuals you know in a professional capacity

■ Update your profile (think online resume)

■ Join networks or groups by industry, geography or work history

■ Create a network or “brain trust” of peers to provide suggestions on business issues



■ Enter your basic professional information and start looking around for the people you know.

■ Join groups and look at the questions these groups ask.

■ Spot trends that effect your business or mentions of your organization in the dialog

Listen


Using the Hubs-Linked In

Dave Gowel of Clearly Creative suggests:

“Ask your network a question to see what they think. You can tap into a knowledge base you trust and get exposure for your business.”

Not sure what to ask? How about using an opinion poll to see what your peers are thinking?

Participate

http://www.clearlycreative.net/



Showcase your archived educational emails.

■When answering questions

■Featured on your Linked In profile page to sample your value.

Give people a chance to join your email list from your profile page.

–They like what they see in the social network, will be willing to share information to get more quality content.

Integrate

Archive showcases the value provided in your emails.

Enable people who know you in the network to sign up for more in-depth info via email.


Using the Hubs - CTCT Connect Up Community

Are you Nervous to dive into these public Social Networks? Get your feet wet with Constant Contact Connect Up Community.

Designed as a location for Small Business and Non Profits to find each other and exchange ideas, information and find resources.

Listen Find other businesses/organizations like yourselfRead questions of the group for their experience and

guidance.Participate

Answer questions and share your experience.Rate the value of the resources sharedBlog about your expertiseBookmark useful things to share

IntegrateList your business so it can be found by people looking

for resources you provideTurn on your Join My List box so when people want

more info from you they can get it.



Discussions are a great place to start:

Listen

Start reading about what other business like you are asking about and taking action on.

Participate

Answer or comment on the information shared. Rate the value of the material.

Integrate

Post some answers or start a discussion that can promote your expertise.



Use the Business Directory to grow and network. Listen

Look at what kinds of businesses are listing themselves and what are they doing to self promote.

Participate

Create your business profile and make sure to add value to the community by creating discussions, answering questions and writing blogs.

Integrate

Turn on your “Join my Email List” function.

Use the share tools to populate your quality content to other networks.

Link to your external resources that highlight the scope of your work and skills.


Tools that Feed the Hubs

Blogs

■ WordPress

■ Movable Type

■ Blogger

Microblogging

■ Twitter

■ Pownce

Photos, Video, Podcasts

■ Flickr

■ YouTube

■ SlideShare

Social Bookmarking

■ Del.icio.us

■ Digg

■ Technorati

Do you need to use all of the tools?

No. Use what works best for your target audience, message, mission, and content you want to share.


Blogs

Blogs are journals of experts, small businesses or just passionate individuals that can be read by the outside world.

Listen■ Every topic imagined is covered, Google search.

Look for and follow:

■ Blogs that cover topics that interest you and relate to your business

■ Blogs that cover topics that would interest your customers/members and are already reading.

■ Note what has actual interesting and helpful information.

■ If you find helpful information or there are comments from readers on how helpful the content is? Keep Reading!

■ Sign up for RSS feeds on the ones you pick as a regular read to keep in touch with what is going on.

Be Aware: “Only 16% of people surveyed say they trust corporate blogs”- Consumers Don’t Trust Corporate Blogs, Forrester Research, 2008

Why?Too much self-promotion, product/service pushing, and little two way communications.


Blogs

Participate Like what you are seeing or have a tidbit to add? Considering posting comments.

Just as there is manners and protocol in business relationships,the same exists in the blogosphere. (Tech term about the blogs published and the people writing them.)

Bare Feet Studios blog post of “How and When to Leave a Blog Comment” http://www.barefeetstudios.com/2007/12/19/how-and-when-to-leave-blog-comments/

Good information and specifics■ When to comment

■ What to comment

■ Why to comment

■ How to comment


Blogs

Integrate Have your own message or information to share? Start writing your own blog.

Rules your blog should live by:

■ A blog is not a website, it is a social tool to extend your relationships.

■ People like people; people buy from people; keep it real and be their friend.

■ People (Readers) gravitate to what they like and the people who are like them.

■ Nothing makes an impact more than passionate people doing the things they love.

■ Let the content of your Blog feed and support the content of your email newsletters.

■ Do not compete but complement!

Details to Consider

■ Blogging is a commitment. If you do not update on a regular, predictable basis, you will lose readership.

■ Consider writing topics that complement your SEO strategy.

■ Create links back to complementary information on your website from relevant key words in a post.

■ Don’t over do it, only when there is a good match.

■ Cross promote your email newsletters in your Blog and your Blog in your newsletters.


Micro blogging/Twitter

Listen

Check out search.twitter.com for topics or companies you are interested in.

Participate

Did someone say something of interest? You can reply back to that individual’s comment.

Keep it short and sweet. (Only 127 characters)

Integrate

Did you create an email that is full of how to’s and practical hints? Share it with your followers by archiving the email and tweeting it.

Hint: Make the URL small enough to fit by using www.tinyurl.com


Photo, Videos & Podcasts

Listen & Watch

Search out images, videos or podcast (audio recordings) that match your interests and your customers’ interests.

Observe elements, get comments, marked as favorites or individuals who are an active producer of content.

Participate

Do you like or not like what you are seeing or hearing? Speak up! Use the rating tools to comments and start ratings.

Integrate

Start to post some of your own creative media. Promote your media to your email list and through your Social/Business Networks.


Social Book Marks

Listen

Is your readership young, a professional group or active on social networks? Yes? Watch what they are pointing out as useful, helpful and interesting. Pay attention to what is valuable to identify what these elements have in common.

Where do I look?

Del.icio.us

Digg

Bookmark sections of Social/Business Networks

Additional Resource Sections of Blogs

Can you describe what forward to a friend in email does? -Social Book Marks work in a similar way.


Social Book Marks

Participate Once you start looking around the web, social networks and blogs, you might encounter things you want to share via social bookmarks.

Pick your comfort level regarding where and how much you want to share:

■ Create your own bookmark entries and talk about why you find this valuable.

■ Rate others bookmarks on the value it provided for you.

■ Socialize the information through your own network of people how and where ever you connect.


Social Book Marks

Integrate Make the most of your content and continue its life. Archive the educational emails and make them accessible. Encourage people to share the archive via Social Bookmarks to increase your reach.

Note: Make sure to include the “Join My List” feature in the email design. When it is archived, people can reach you and ask for more.


Want more details on Social Networks?

Dave Gowel of Clearly Creative

[email protected]

www.clearlycreative.net


Questions?

Constant Contact's Power of Social Media for Businesses and Email Marketing

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