A basic guide to using social media

Social MediaA basic guide

This PowerPoint presentation is intended as an overview to teach the basics of social media. Please do not copy content without my consent. Elana Bowman 2011

Importance of social media:

By 2013 most companies/businesses will have social media accounts.

The biggest and the most important drive/factor is building community online and driving awareness of your business (product or service).

Organisations (no matter what size) are becoming Internet savvy and trying to reach people in alternate ways such as shopping, blogs, Twitter and Facebook and using these accounts for business purposes.

It is critical for all brands and businesses to be socially active online

You will be hearing the term:

Adapt or Die.

In a few years time, all children/young adults will be learning about Internet, computers, blogging and online social skills at school.

And the rest of us; must learn to adapt ...

Use Facebook for:

You can like, share, comment on link, add content, check in and make great use of this social networking platform.

You can reunite with old friends, make and stay in touch with new friends.

Once you like a business page you can communicate with a page, see information, pictures, videos. You can make suggestions, ask questions and really connect and communicate with brands. So use this *wisely!

Need a Guide to Facebook?

Mashable (a brilliant resource for all things social media) has an excellent guide as well as helpful suggestions and tips on using Facebook.

If you are using Facebook for business purposes, update at least every second day to keep people interested in your business/service.

Twitter :

Think of Twitter as a newspaper.

When you log in and connect, you have access to any information from anywhere. You can find, follow and ReTweet and reply to anyone in a public setting.

You can promote and market yourself and your business and read the latest news, find info and resources on anything.

Here’s a funny guide to Twitter for beginners. It will give you an idea of where to begin.

Use Twitter to:

Chat (Reply, Retweet, Respond)

Learn

Find out info

Share info

‘Meet’ people

Connect

Teach

Encourage

Assist

Market, promote/publicise your business

Use Twitter everyday (for business purposes) – Tweet between 1- 25 times a day to build a community and network.

Blog:

Blogging is publicising a personal/business journal online.

Blogging can be done by anyone of any age using Blog platforms.

Blogging can be used to inform, guide, teach, share, invite, explain, show and promote/market.

I love and use Blogger but there are plenty of others to choose from.

Use Blogs for:

- adding content such as pictures, advertising, marketing, videos.

- links

- suggestions

- surveys

- tips

- service (details of what you do)

- events, happenings, functions

- relationships with other services and providers (their events, seminars, workshops etc)

Blog once a week or at least once a month to gain traction.

On Blogging:

Here are a few guides to Blogging and using blogs:

1) Guide to Blogging site – loads of helpful resources

2) 10 Steps to Blogging

And a free eBook

Use all social media accounts for:

- suggestions

- tips

- links to other communities you have a relationship with

- surveys to participate in

- photos

- videos

- happenings, events, news, funding, launches, announcements if you are using social media for work purposes.

Here is a list of current social media accounts :

I train clients on:

LinkedIn – for professional networking

Twitter, Facebook and Blogs but do I recommend that people use:

YouTube – for videos (more and more companies/businesses are vlogging, videos are a very valuable resource – and sends a great message to businesses if done well)

And find:

• Like minded people• Events, things to do • Reviews (hotels, restaurants, travel, books, bars etc)• Content of any kind, from blog posts, news articles

guides and personal accounts• People you love (admire) to learn from, gain

knowledge from, share with, respond to and build a community with.

• News, information, resources, content on anything you can possibly imagine

‘Social Mediaquette’:

- All content becomes public.

- Each social media account that you use has rules, please adhere to them.

- If you are using pictures, links or information, please state the person you have shared the content from and list where you found the picture.

- Everything is online, be mindful what you say and share.

- Be nice to each other.

More (Tiquette):

- Be kind to each other.

- Try to be as positive as you can.

- If you have a problem with a person, business, or company please contact the person/company via email (telephone or fax!).

- If you are using social media for work in an organisation or business, use a social media policy.

- Look at the legal requirements regarding your brand and business.

Even More:

- Respect people’s opinions.

- Moderate your business page, account and blog, delete spam comments, delete spambots, delete negative, racist, anti inflammatory content. (Read some guidelines )

- Monitor your accounts DAILY. That means you can respond to people, answer questions, thank people, share, Retweet, get ideas for posts, find content.

- And remember: Social Media is always about people. A real person just like you.

Social media is not changing how or who we are.

It is simply enhancing our online journeys.

We can do so much online and THIS gives small businesses, entrepreneurs, students, mothers, teens, seniors and people who work from home a chance to connect with, interact with and be more transparent with a huge global community.

Social Media will increase, just Google a new social network called G+ and see how quickly this medium has grown.

We all communicate, just please do it wisely.

Learn More:

It’s time to learn more. With Social Media it means that businesses/organisations/small businesses and entrepreneurs can use social media accounts/networks 24 hours a day.

So make Google (or any other web search) a good friend of yours and stay up to date on the latest information.

(I am a social media advisor/trainer and I still learn and do research everyday on this industry ... It is growing incredibly quickly)

If you want to learn more about social media and receive training on each account and how YOU can use social media *wisely.

By *wisely I mean, enhance your own experience online while respecting others.

Then find me (Elana Bowman – Social Status):

Site:

Twitter:

Facebook:

Blog:

Email:

Coyright Social Status 2011

This PowerPoint presentation is intended as an overview to teach the basics of social media. Please do not copy content without my consent. Elana Bowman 2011