SOCIAL MEDIA - May 16, 2013

Social Media is ...

SOCIAL

and it is about ...

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

ENGAGE

OFFER VALUE

SHARE

http://socialmediatoday.com/ninathewriter/1381091/how-use-social-media-build-high-quality-relationships-and-increase-sales

People do business with people they:

Like, Know, Trust, Respect and Relate to

Social Media can help you build the relationship that makes your business that business

with those people

www.facebook.comPosts 420 Characters/PostText, Photograph, URLSUser your Insights to help determine posting patternsCreate Schedules for Certain Types of Posts

- i.e New Product Fridays, Tip Tuesdays

InsightsDefinitions: http://simplymeasured.com/blog/2011/10/20/the-60-facebook-insights-data-definitions/

Custom Facebook URLs available after 25 likeshttps://www.facebook.com/username

Roles

www.twitter.comTweets - 140 Characters/Tweet

- includes Handles (e.g.@LdnCC), Hashtags (e.g. #LdnCC), Content and occasionally links (from twitter.com links don’t always count)- use less than 140 characters if you’re hoping for RT’s (Retweets)

- Always aim to respond to tweets in less than 24 hours

Hashtag- Starts with # and makes tweets searchable - #LdnOnt - London’s Hashtag, #FF is Follow Friday- You’ll see all tweets with this tag, not just tweets from people you follow

Responders- If you have multiple people tweeting from your account, identify responders

- e.g. ^SC or ^PM or ^SW - You’ll see this with @Rogershelps @PillarNN and other tweeters

Searches- Keywords relating to you or competitors, could offer opportunities- Keywords relating to your business (name, location, service) can also help you find people talking about you, to build, strengthen or repair

www.linkedin.comLinkedIn Status Updates700 Characters/Update

Profile Tips Professional Headline: e.g. Social Media Specialist | Marketing | Communication | Graphic Design | Social Media Training

- Will help make your profile more searchable

Endorsements Since the introduction of endorsements, people are endorsing people in the hopes of being endorsed in return. To hide the endorsements with no value:Edit Profile, Blue Pencil beside Skills & Expertise, Manage Endorsements

Connect with people you: a) know b) can offer value to c)s hare a connection with (person or group)- Include a message whenever possible (mobile doesn’t allow for this, web based does)- Unless solicited, messages to contacts should NOT be sales pitches. Build relationships and sales will come

www.hootsuite.com

www.tweetdeck.com

SOCIAL MEDIA DASHBOARDS

www.bufferapp.com

and many more ...

420 Characters per post

140Characters per post

700Characters per post

Dashboards allow you to post to multiple platforms at the same time but should you do it?

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn all have different character limits, not writing for each individual can be

problematic.

“there is this amazing, incredible new thing that you absolutely need to check out, but dont ...”

Scheduling Messages

Many Social Media Dashboards will allow you to schedule posts.

This can be helpful to keep your content on schedule, but scheduling too much can make your

content disingenuous.

If you are going to schedule:- Monitor content as it is posted, be available to

respond - Schedule at similar times but not exactly the same

time

plus.google.com

Google+ for your businesshttp://www.google.ca/business/placesforbusiness/

Creating a Google+ Page for your business ensures no one else can claim your business and post on your behalf. It can help with your Google Search TrafficIf you haven’t already added your business to Google Maps, this will claim your location

Tip From Shawn: Google your business! Once a month put your business name in quotations in a google search, e.g. “Superior Computers” and see what comes up and what people are saying about you.

www.pinterest.com

Digital Bulletin BoardsPin Your ProductsPin Tips and Tricks relating to your servicesPin Interesting finds that relate to your business

Pinterest is great for: Fashion, Decoration, Do It Yourself, RecipesDoes your business fit with any of these? Pinterest could be beneficial for you!

www.instagram.com

Stylized ImagesQuick and Easy way to stylize photos with automatic filters. Feeds to Facebook & Twitter

Unique Products or Services? Take a unique picture and share it with your followers on Instagram and the other Social Media sites you connect Instagram to.

www.foursquare.com

Geo-location Check-in App- Users are able to become the “Mayor” of a location (person with the most check-ins in 60 day period)- The Title Mayor can provide privileges

- Free appetizer, 10% off, etc. - When users check-in at a location tips are provided about that location and also what is nearby-Users can see where their friends go, it is word of mouth through social sharing-Foursquare Check-in’s can link to Facebook, Twitter, etc. and be shared there.

www.flickr.com

Photogallery for your businessShare pictures of your products and servicesShare pictures of events or projects your staff are involved withShare pictures of your four legged office helper

Pictures as they say are worth a 1000 words. They can share information about your business, your products and services, about the people behind the business

www.youtube.com• More than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month• Over 4 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube• 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute

• “How To” Videos are extremely popular• Videos that get shared are often informative, an awww or something to make

people laugh

How Long?• Top 10 - 4 minutes 11 seconds (2,513 total seconds - does not include “Kony

2012”)• 11-20 - 2 minutes 30 seconds (1,501 total seconds)• 21-30 - 3 minutes 5 seconds (1,849 total seconds)• 31-40 - 2 minutes 57 seconds (1,770 total seconds)• 41-50 - 1 minute 45 seconds (1,049 total seconds)• Top 50 - 2 minutes 54 seconds (8,682 total seconds - does not include “Kony

2012”)

URL ShortenersTakes Long, Detailed

URLs and makes them shorter for

Social Media where characters matter

goo.glbit.lyow.ly

URL BuilderTies in to Google Analytics - Campaigns- Can allow you to track campaign success across ad placements or posts

https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1033867?hl=en

QR Codes- Scannable Codes that redirect to webpages that are mobile friendly as most QR codes will be scanned on a mobile device. (Google’s URL Shorterner will generate QR Codes)

- Only use them they can be properly used- large enough- proper placement in ads (i.e. bus stop ad, can’t be small and at the bottom of the ad)

- always include the URL with the QR code incase someone can’t use the code

- By Pairing it the the URL Builder, you can create traceable codes that you can link to specific campaigns.

When to post? General ideas of when to post can be found here:

http://goo.gl/7BBBl

That being said Social Media works different for different people and different kinds of

businesses.

Use your analytics and insights to help you determine which posts get the most views,

responses and shares. This will help you tailor your posting schedule, as well as your

content, to suit your customers.

Handling NegativityPeople often Social Media to complain ...

You can let that scare you, or you can get excited by the opportunities that it could

present.

If people complain, they are giving you the chance to correct the problem and make things better. They are giving you the

opportunity to showcase your excellent customer service.

Turn the negative into a positive.

Deny that initial urge to DELETE the negative. Social Media gives you the opportunity to be

transparent and accountable, use it to your advantage

Resources ...

Two of my Favourite Booksthat talk Social MediaAuthor: Scott Stratten

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/http://mashable.com/

http://socialmedia.policytool.net/Created by local web company rTraction and David Canton of Harrison Pensa, who is

London’s source for Social Media legalities.

Presenters:Shawn Wright – Superior Computers

Patti Muldoon – Capitol Technologies

Sarah Carruthers – London Convention Centre

Connect with me on LinkedIn:ca.linkedin.com/in/sarahcarruthers/