Harnessing the Power of Social Media MARKETING

Assessing and understanding social media resources.

-Laurie Morse-Dell, Center for Technology & Business

Understanding Social Media Resources

1. Know what Social Media Marketing is  Use of web-based and mobile

technologies to turn communication into interactive dialogue with ability to share

  It is still MARKETING

What does that mean for small businesses? It means you can do it.

2. Understand that Social Media is Real Life  Bring it back to real life & be authentic

  Would you say or do what you are proposing to do on social media in “real life”?

If not, don’t do it.

Photo by purplemattfish

3. Follow the Informal Rules of Social Media Each social media tool has it’s own social guidelines.  Facebook = a pub: bring a friend  LinkedIn = trade show: bring business card  Twitter =cocktail party: bring a hostess gift  Blogging = keynote presentation: bring a leave-behind

4. Be Realistic  Social media is just another tool.

  It is not the silver bullet for your marketing problems

 Not every brand is going to do as well as Starbucks or Nike

 Time is money, make the most of it  Can’t set it and forget it, social

media marketing requires interaction and conversation

What does that mean for small businesses? Set achievable goals so you don’t burn out.

Assessing Social Media Resources

Should I Use Social Media for my Small Business Marketing?  Should my business be sharing who we

are and what we do with the public? If you want more and more customers to

find you, buy from you and share how much they love you…

Yes.

Impact of Social Media on Marketing Efforts

Prospects Awareness Leads Customers Evangelists

Sale

s C

ycle

So what tools should you use for your small business?   It depends on what you want to

accomplish…

Find Prospects - Listen  Listening for potential

customers at their point of need allows you to identify and make them aware

 ANY size business should listen

 You never know what you might hear…

Photo by tomhe

Listening Tools

 Google Alerts  Google Reader  Hootsuite

Listening Tools

 Google Alerts  Google Reader  Hootsuite

Listening Tools

 Google Alerts  Google Reader  Hootsuite

Create Awareness  Building meaningful content and sharing it

builds a relationship with prospects  This is NOT about pushing sales or

advertising

Awareness/ Relationship Tools  Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn

Tips for Small Businesses  Recruit your current customer base first  Put your Facebook address on your

off-line promotional materials  Form alliances with other companies

for joint giveaways – it will help bring their likers to your page, and vice versa.

Generate Leads   Identify interested buyers  Provide direct contact

Lead Generation Tools  LinkedIn  Facebook  Blogs  E-newsletters

http://youtu.be/B6kbHR403JU

Lead Generation Tools  LinkedIn  Facebook  Blogs  E-newsletters

Tips for Small Businesses  Set up your personal profile first, then your

business  Add your current contacts  Give recommendations  Get involved in groups  Use advanced people search to find

more contacts  Ask for introductions

Customers  Support: Keep the customers you gain.

What else can you offer them to make them evangelists

 Research: Poll your followers for ideas on product improvements or new services

  Incentives: Give them coupons/special offers

Customer Support Tools

You don’t have to be a big business to go the extra mile for your clients.

 Facebook: Support, Market Research

 YouTube: How to videos  LinkedIn: Market

Research  E-newsletters: Incentives

(mailchimp.com)

Tips for Small Businesses  Offer the same great customer service

on-line as you do off-line  Be personable’  Ask for feedback, it can only help

Evangelists  Allow fans to tell your story  Give them as much information and

assets as possible  You never know what they are going to

create for you   It will be authentic because it will be in

their words

Tools to Support Evangelists

 Twitter  Facebook  LinkedIn  YouTube  Blogs  List is

endless!

Tips for Small Businesses  Don’t be afraid to let customers talk

about you, they want to help you

So now what…  Remember to

  Start with a consistent message that you share on and off line

  Find where your audience is by listening   Share the consistent message and engage

the audience   Create evangelists   Measure, ask your customers where they

heard about you

Start with LinkedIn! linkd.in.com/in/lauriedell