Harnessing the power of social for your business
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Harnessing the Power of Social for your Business Contact details: [email protected] @socialgo facebook.com/socialgo owners.socialgo.com
Transcript of Harnessing the power of social for your business
Harnessing the Power of Social for your Business
Contact details:[email protected]
@socialgofacebook.com/socialgoowners.socialgo.com
We are
● UK provider of cloud-hosted community software
● Over 300,000 communities created since 2008
● Passionate about the power of online communities in bringing businesses and their customers together
Let's face it: people love social
83% of
18-29 year olds do it
70% of
30-49 year olds do it
51% of
50+ year olds do it
Source: http://www.slideshare.net/HubSpot/social-media-is-a-lot-like-sex
And we don't need to tell you about Facebook's growth!
Millions of Monthly Active Users
Source: http://www.insidefacebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/image.jpeg
You can harness the desire to communicate for:
● Creating awareness of your business
● Broadcasting your message to (potentially) millions
● Engaging your key influencers and turning them into evangelists and loyal, satisfied customers
But what does it mean for business?
● Social is here to stay
● People want to engage in meaningful conversations
● You just need to provide the campfire
There's no denying it
● Nearly half of all SMBs are using Social Media - awesome!
● Facebook is great for establishing a social presence for your business
● Twitter is great for real-time visibility and speedy customer service
● Both provide access to millions of potential customers, suppliers, partners etc.
Small businesses are taking advantage of Facebook & Twitter
Source: http://redspotmarketing.com/how-many-businesses-are-using-facebook/
But they're not ideal for building campfires...
... and campfires drive engagement!
Limitation #1: Information decays rapidly in users' activity feeds
The average Facebook user has...
80 pages
130 friends
The average Facebook user likes...
The average Twitter user follows...
102 Twitter accounts
Source 1: http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/social-media-statistics-stats-2012-infographic/Source 2: http://www.beevolve.com/twitter-statistics/
Limitation #2: You're at the mercy of their Terms of Service
Source: http://www.facebook.com/Intelligent.Armour
Limitation #3: You don't own the data
no email
no address
no contact permission
Limitation #4: It's 1-to-many or 1-to-1, but not easily many-to-many
"I'd prefer 1,000 followers, friends, and fans that actually meant something, rather than 10 million that weren't engaged."
- Jared Leto
What's the solution?
A dedicated online home to start your campfire
● A format that is built for many-to-many interaction● Affordable off-the-shelf technology so you can focus on
the community rather than the code● 100% control of branding and design● Archivable content● Data ownership
The proof is in the pudding: Niche communities are on the rise
http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/trends/social-networks-being-in-with-the-niche-crowd/4004590.article
http://socialmediatoday.com/christian-arno/822096/fragmented-market-rise-niche-social-
networks
5 things you can do right now
!
1. Find your story
What do you want to engage people with?
Profession
Gender
2. Define your ideal member
Age
Who will your community be built for?
Keep these 'sharer types' in mind
AltruistsHelpful
ThoughtfulEmail
HipstersCreativePopular
Cutting-edge
ConnectorsRelaxedPlannedEmail/FB
CareeristsValuableIntelligentLinkedIn
BoomerangsReaction
EmpoweredFB/Twitter
SelectivesCareful
InformativeEmail
Source: NYT Psychology of Sharing study http://nytmarketing.whsites.net/mediakit/pos/
3. Choose your technology
Forum? Chat room? Social Network? ...
4. Recruit founding members
Which customers/suppliers/friends couldhelp you get the conversation started?
5. Start creating content
www.kidstartconnect.co.uk
Check out the case study video for more
on how KidStart built their community
Think of what interests your community, and start creating!
Here's your checklist
1. Find your story2. Define your ideal member3. Choose your technology4. Recruit founding members5. Start creating content
THANKS FOR JOINING!
Join us on Thursday to learn more about how toUse Social to Grow & Engage your Community
Contact details:[email protected]@socialgofacebook.com/socialgoowners.socialgo.com
