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Leveraging the Power of

Social Media for your

Local Business Clients.Presented by: Craig Cannings

Social Media – Huh?

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QUESTION

What two factors are

crucial to the success of

any local business?

TRAFFIC GOOD REVIEWS

Case Study: Tealicious Teas

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Case Study: Dominos Pizza Chain in Chicago

@interactiveamy

Common Social Media Objections from Local Businesses.

How many people in my town and specifically in my target audience

are actually using Social Media?

I don’t have time to Tweet, blog or Facebook – I am running a

buisiness!

I’ve tried it for a couple months and it doesn’t work – we haven’t

seen an increase in customers through our doors since we started

tweeting.

I already advertise in the local paper and radio and that seems to be

doing just fine for us

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How do you overcome these common objections?

Competitor Review – Show them what their competitors are doing (if

applicable).

Case Examples – share some success strategies of how you have

helped local businesses with social media.

Eye-Opening Presentation – offer a short presentation on the “Five

Reasons Local Businesses must leverage Social Media in 2010.”

8 Reasons Why Local Business MUST be using Social Media

1. Local Search (thanks to mobile marketing) is growing exponentially

in 2010.

• Many business overlook the value of setting up local profiles in the

main search properties.

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7 Reasons Why Local Businesses MUST be using Social Media

2. Social Streams are now indexed are listed in Google and Bing.

Negative reviews can hang around the Search Engines a long time!

7 Reasons Why Local Businesses MUST be using Social Media

3. Social Media Sites generate high local listings in the Search Engines.

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8 Reasons Why Local Businesses MUST be using Social Media

4. The proliferation of Social Media and the Mobile Web is changing the

way consumers find things.

“Over time the single greatest

opportunity is to rule the local

search landscape. 20-30-year-

olds go straight to their mobile

browser or Google Maps to find

everything – shoes, food,

insurance, a dentist, you name it.

If they don’t find you by doing that,

then you don’t exist.”

John Jantsch, February 2010

8 Reasons Why Local Businesses MUST be using Social Media

5. Ability to build relationship with an audience (even before they visit

the business).

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8 Reasons Why Local Businesses MUST be using Social Media

6. Your competitors are connecting with “YOUR” prospective

customers in the Social Media realm.

8 Reasons Why Local Businesses MUST be using Social Media

7. Social Media Marketing is way more cost-effective than traditional

advertising channels.

Targeted

Personable

Engaging

Cost-Effective

Viral

Fastest growing medium (Ie. 500k new members at day on Facebook)

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8 Reasons Why Local Businesses MUST be using Social Media

8. Location-Based Social Networks (LBSN) will grow in prominence in

2010 and beyond.

General:

Niche:

Profound Statement from @ajbombers

“We (local businesses) have the ability

to engage our clients at the point of

experience.”

Joe Sorge, Owner of AJbombers

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Step One – Set up Business Profile in Local Search Engines

It is essential to make sure your clients are set-up in the following

local search engines:

http://www.google.com/lbc

http://www.bing.com/local/

http://local.yahoo.com

Step One – Set up Business Profile in Local Search Engines

“bella napoli” in New York

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Google Local Business Center

Google Local Business Center

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2. Set-up Facebook Fan Page

Local Ideas for Facebook Fan Page

• Visually appealing Welcome Page (video, images)

• Funny photos and videos from local business. (lots of multi-media)

• Surveys and contests (once approved by Facebook).

• Offer helpful tips.

• Promote discounts and specials. (Print Coupon)

• Solicit feedback for new products. (“Create Your Dream Wedding

Dress”)

• Post events & happenings. (Specials)

• Strategically use Facebook Social Ads.

• Send fan updates to particular location.

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2. Set-up Facebook Fan Page

Build Geo-Targeted Twitter Presence

Twitter is an ideal tool for building community and finding local leads!

How to geo-target in Twitter?

1. Local Twitter Search Tools:

2. Advanced Twitter Search (http://search.twitter.com/advanced)

3. Twitter Local Trends (available to certain locations)

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Promote local events and specials through Twitter.

Promote local events and specials through Twitter.

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Promote Coupons and Specials through Twitter

Local Twitter Role Models

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Local Twitter Role Models

Tweet-ups and Meet-ups

• Ideal for connecting with Professionals and Colleagues.

• Effective in building strategic networking potential by leveraging

the power of “Face to Face.”

• Need to assess the fit with your local client.

Example: Jane starts a tweet-up or a regular meet-up group for

wedding event planners. (ie. Picking the right pew bows)

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Tweet-ups

Meet up Groups

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Meet up Groups

Locally Optimized Profiles in other Social Networks

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Connect and Network with Local Bloggers

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

SOCIAL MARKETING 2010 TRAINING PROGRAM:

http://www.vaclassroom.com/socialmarketing2010/

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