Getting the Buzz to Grow

Social Media Workshop

Workshop Basics

• Ask questions• Support each other• Happy to answer questions at end/by

email• Have a good time!• Help me keep to schedule

Ice Breaker – Join in Twitter Chat

Follow us live on twitter – go to Twitter and enter the #getthebuzz in the search box

Then use the tag in a tweet to say who you are and what you do – link to your website

http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23getthebuzz

Need to have an account – if not quickly set one up

Social Media:Good or Evil?

“if we had the power to reverse one modern technology advance, it would be the one which allows people to broadcast an instant retaliation to any situation. We refer to the culture of Facebook, bebo, twittering etc....we have often heard locally...how many problems are caused by kneejerk reactions .....or when someone puts out a vicious or spiteful story”

Arbroath Herald

“an army of 200 volunteers has sprung up in Dundee to help people trapped in their own homes....in just a few days 900 people have signed up to Facebook page for updates and 200 made themselves ready to spring into action.”

Dundee Courier

Objectives

• To understand ways to generate interest in your social media

• To increase followers and fanbase• ways to manage your social media• How best to use video content• To be able to manage your content

and accounts

Exercises:

• 1. Introductions – Your Profiles• 2. Listening in – What are people

saying about you?• 3. Engaging in the conversations• 4. Managing your conversations

It’s all about the conversation

• Who is talking about you• How are you engaging?• Publish content• Comment, interact, respond• Generate dialogue• User content – get people to do the talking

for you – advocates and evangelists

Why are you doing it?

• Generate traffic to your website• Create awareness of your business• Gain new business• Promote your product or service• Engage with customers/clients• Get others to tell others about you

Getting it to go Viral

• Few overnight successes• Work hard at it• Present your content again and again• Very few will just spread

Advocates & Evangelists

Rules of Engagement

• Post• Comment • Take part• Build relationships• Don’t just push sales messages• Be genuine• Have your own style/voice• Answer questions

Profile Check Exercise

• Information up to date• Is all information complete• Have you linked to website• Added email address to page• Pictures• Profile picture up to date• 100% linkedIn – can you get

recommendations to complete profile• Can others post to your wall

What are people saying about you?

• Google alerts – daily alerts• http://www.google.com/alerts• Google places – check reviews• http://places.google.com/business• Social Mention• http://socialmention.com/search?q=activ

+web+design&t=blogs

When to post

• Initially Facebook 1-2 times a day – monitor reactions

• Twitter – more regular

• Think about who you are targeting – people at work all day – post in evening

• Plan your posts at start of week

What to post

• Industry trends• Top 10 ....• Review products• Helpful books• Industry stats• Pros and cons of..• List of Web based tools• Myth buster• Series of posts• Picture• X for beginners

• To do lists• Price estimators• Games• Loan calculator• Blog posts• Content you already

have on your website – share it, promote it

• Content you have found elsewhere – source to owner

Building your fans/followers – Start with your engagement

Exercise:

Using Facebook or Twitter • find groups/pages of interest and

join/follow – in your area of interest/expertise if possible

Comment on the wall of some of these or tweet a direct message

Like some posts

Send some requests to friends and add a personal message

Generate action

Respond promptly

Thank your fans

Suprise them now and then – go off topic

Use the @ tag to put your name on their page – don’t over do it

Facebook fans promotion/competition

Start a discussion so the tabs not empty

Ask clients for a review

Exercise: Manage your accounts

• Download Tweetdeck• link all your accounts•

• Exercise: Schedule a post to go out at 2pm today

Monitoring your activity

• Use your insights from Facebook• Keep a check with google alerts and social mention• Software – Social Sprout (cost)• Monitor link clicking with google.gl

• Think no one is taking notice?

• Remember the 1-9-90 rule• 90% are lurkers who never contribute• 9% will contribute a little• 1% contribute most

Offline promotion

• Business cards• Packaging• Signage• Flyers• Email signatures• Email marketing

Using Video

Extra resources

http://blog.hubspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/marismith

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com

•One last thing

• If you enjoyed today please tell your friends on facebook, twitter, linkedin, blog about it, upload a picture etc etc

• www.facebook.com/activwebwendy

Thank you

You worked really hard!