NEPA BlogCon 2013 - Building a Professional Network in the Digital Age
NEPA BlogCon 2013 - Social Media for #SmallBiz 101
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Social Media for #SmallBiz 101 By Tim Sohn Website: SohnSocialMediaSolutions.com Blog: Editortim.tumblr.com Twitter @editortim
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14-Sep-2014 -
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Social Media for #SmallBiz 101 Presented By: Tim Sohn Track: Business Session Format: Single Presenter Session Description: Owners of small businesses are typically very busy people. They have many responsibilities — from worrying about finances to running day-to-day operations. Sometimes they’re so focused on the daily “to-do” list that they don’t make marketing a priority, whether it’s through word-of-mouth, direct, digital or social-media marketing. Or they just don’t have the time. In this session, Tim will cover tools that make social media easier for business owners, as well as case studies and examples of successful social media strategies in action.
Transcript of NEPA BlogCon 2013 - Social Media for #SmallBiz 101
Social Media for #SmallBiz 101
By Tim SohnWebsite: SohnSocialMediaSolutions.com
Blog: Editortim.tumblr.comTwitter @editortim
Don’t Be Shy!
• Live-tweet: Hashtag #NEPABlogCon
• Take lots of photos
Should I Use Social Media?
Probably
• Who are your customers and potentially future customers?
• Do they use social media?
Social Media: The Investment
• Mobile device(s) and/or computer.• Agencies and/or employees.• Business owner’s time.• Social media software that’s not free.• Social media advertising.
How Can I Measure ROI? It’s Tricky.
• Coupons and Exclusive Offers: DD National Coffee Day.• The Grotto at the Zaloom House
• Call Tracking Phone Numbers for Social Campaigns. • Facebook Conversion Measurement.• Google Analytics: Analytics Academy• Compare to Before Using Social Media.
What Platforms Should I Use?
• Depends on your audience – what are they using? Ask!
How Many Platforms Should I Be On?
• Less is best.– Facebook: More than 1 billion active monthly users.– Google+: More than 300 million monthly active users.– Twitter: More than 200 million monthly active users.– LinkedIn: More than 225 million registered users.
• Focus on quality, targeted posts. Quality is better than quantity.
Outsource?
• Factors to consider:– Budget– Trust– Time– Expertise
DIY
• Community college.• Online course provider.• Chamber of Commerce.
DIY Tools
Social Media Management
• HootSuite• Kuhcoon • Tweetdeck• SproutSocial
Analytics
• Facebook Insights• LinkedIn Insights• Twitter Analytics• Google Analytics
Mentions• Google Alerts• http://www.icerocket.com• http://socialmention.com
Social Media Posts Should …• Ask questions.• Get customers
involved.• Have personality.• Be about more than
your company.• Be visual – photos
and videos.• Include exclusive
content on each platform.
Specifically for Small Businesses
• Share posts from other local businesses and nonprofits.
• Share industry information from journals and associations.
• Share posts from the Chamber of Commerce if your business is local.
Customer Service
• If your business is using social media, you MUST answer questions on Facebook, Twitter, etc…
• Reply in a timely manner.• If necessary, offer to take the conversation
offline.• Keep a professional tone.
Don’t Be Shy … Again
• Tell people to like your social media pages– Signs outside your business.– Links on your website, blog.– Cross-link your social media pages.– Add social media sharing buttons to your blog.
Social Media Advertising
• Native vs. display advertising.
• Is effective because you can target potential customers by demographics, location, other factors.
• Facebook sponsored posts, display ads.
… Social Media Advertising• Twitter promoted accounts, tweets.• LinkedIn sponsored updates.
Coming soon: Advertising on Foursquare, Instagram, Pinterest (promoted pins).
Case Study: What the FORK Truck
Chef Mario Bevilacqua
Questions?
