Social MediaGaining a Voice without Yelling

Would you like to be this ostrich and just ignore it? You can’t.

Social media has revolutionized how we communicate. Look at how it has changed the way we receive the news. Once only the domain of newspaper reporters and broadcasters, today anyone can be the reporter and the broadcaster. Print media has transitioned from off line to online – just to survive.

Social Media by the Numbers• Consider these astounding numbers:• Skype – 560 Million• Facebook – 515 million (100 million added in past nine months). If it was a

country – it would be the 3rd largest in the world.• Twitter – 175 million• LinkedIn – 80 million• eHarmony – 20 million users in 191 countries – responsible for 236

marriages per day in the US. One in every 8 couples met through social media

• Delicious - 8.5 million• YouTube – 2 billion videos are being uploaded every day – ranked as the #2

search engine• In 2010 Gen Xers (born from the 60’s to early 80’s) out number the Baby

Boomers and 96 percent of them have joined social networks.

Facebook will soon outnumber Google for the number of visitors.

Smart Phone Use is Climbing

According to Neilson, there are currently 60 million users. In 2012 we expect 80 million more.

Circle of Trust

The sales & marketing funnel isn’t linear and it’s not a funnel. With the online community – a circle of trust has been created.

Circle of Trust

It’s more like concentric circles of participation, conversation, affinity, awareness, community and trust.

At the recent 2011 CES Show, Chief Executive of Comcast, Gary Shapiro admitted “the consumer is king”

A brand is no longer what a company says it is. It’s what their customers say it is. Companies still need to influence their brand though. How do they do that? Not by interrupting your customers with brand-making promises, delivered as advertisements. You influence a brand by encouraging people associated with that brand – forging direct relationships, relationships built on action and experience . . . and CARING.

“Likeonomics”In 2011, the power and reach of individual affinity will leads to the rise of Likeonomics. Likeonomics describes how personal relationships, individiual opinions, powerful storytelling and social capital are helping brands and their products or services become more believeable. . . . And likeable

Advantages of Social Media

• Improves organic search results (SERP’s)

• Builds brand engagement

• It’s fast and easy to monitor results

• Ability to listen & see what others are saying

• Inexpensive

From Marketing 101

Why prospects become your customer• Their experiences• Your product or service benefits• The value they receive• Your trustworthiness • Easy, safe, secure transaction• Solve their problem

The best metaphor for social media is that social media is a giant cocktail party. No one is going to listen and stay engaged with someone that only talks about themselves. If you want to take something meaningful away in terms of a relationship, the rules are exactly the same: get involved, listen emphatically, and look to give more than you get. The returns are really the same as well: lasting, loyal relationships that can make a difference to your business and your happiness.Bottom line: To build a new relationship, you need to be serving, not selling. Having a conversation – not yelling BUY ME.

Making Connections

Strangers FollowersTrue

Friends & Fans

In this “Age to Engage” it’s all about making connections. Taking strangers – moving them to followers and creating true friends and fans. Find topics people are passionate about and make real connections. It’s not all about numbers. Think quantity over quality.

70 – 20 - 10The idea is that 70 percent of what you’re sharing is helpful, pertinent referrals; the great blog you read, product you bought, or restaurant you ate at. Twenty percent is original content that you produce. Hopefully this is content that helps people solve problems. And 10 percent is just you being you, letting your audience get a peek at your day-to-day triumphs and tribulations.

“Social media is not about quantity, it’s about quality. . . . . . Rather is begins with a sincere desire to grow and nourish a genuine relationship and with doing whatever it takes to ensure they happen.

If you do this, the money will follow.”Mitch MeyersonOnline Marketing Guru

Teen SexGoogle’s Analytics Evangelist Avinash Kaushik said “Social media is like teen sex. Everyone wants to do it. Nobody knows how. When it’s finally done, there is surprise it’s not better. “

State of MindFirst – think about your state of mind. You may think you are in the business of selling tickets – little paper stubs granting entry to live entertainment events. You’re in the entertainment business and guess what you are selling – EXPERIENCES. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT. People love it – they are entertained, they can brag to their friends, I’d argue that you are in a really cool business. What other industry has so many raving fans? People come to your venues because they want to be entertained. Think about how many people envy your access.

The Age to Engage

#1 – Use Online Communities for PR

Blogging

Facebook & Twitter are Word of Mouth on Steroids

#2Focus on Facebook

#2. Focus on Facebook

Facebook Pages can serve as a great hub for fans. For venues, it’s great to get people to like you, become “fans” and hopefully follow you, becoming engaged in your site. AND becoming a part of the community you are creating. People want to feel like they belong. It’s a basic human need.

Building a community

Who knew “a little birdie told me” could get so big? My #3 is Twitter.

Use Twitter as a broadcast medium to post interesting content and to share. It is a great way to post quick messages. You can share content quickly and easily. It’s also a great medium to listen.

#3. Use Twitter to share great content

For broadcasting

For Listening

Twitter can be used for customer service.

Guy Kawasaki shared a story about someone who was aboard Jet Blue. They were really thirsty but couldn’t get a drink. The tweeted this to Jet Blue, and provided his seat number. Someone on the ground responded and radioed the flight crew. Lo and behold, a drink was delivered to the parched customer.

Guy Kawasaki decided to try it. He tweeted that he needed a soda to Jet Blue and told his seat number. Someone at Jet Blue tweeted back – just ring the call button for flight attendant. He had to laugh.

Media Tool

#4. Listen to your customersboth on- and off-line

Dave Carroll’s YouTube video “United Broke my Guitar” has over 9 million views.

Tools like HootSuite , Tweetdeck and Google Alerts make listening easy

#5. Have a Response Plan

Can you add value?

Evaluate the purpose

Respond in kind & share

Thank the person

Unhappy Customer?

DedicatedComplainer?

Comedian Want-to-Be?

NegativePositive

Yes No

Do you want to respond?

No Response

No

Yes

Take reasonable action to fix issue and let

customer know action taken

Are the facts correct?

Gently correct the facts

No

No

No

Yes

Are the facts correct?

Does customer need/deserve more

info?

Yes

Explain what is being done to correct the

issue.

Yes

Is the problem

being fixed?

Yes

Let post stand and monitor.

No

Yes

NoYes

Yes

Assess the message

#6. Use Social-only Exclusives

#7. Leverage Linking Strategies

Promote cross-linking:• Your website• Email Campaigns• Facebook page• Blog• Twitter feed• Email signature, etc.

#8. Leverage Off-line Marketing Opportunities

Encourage people to follow you via:• Advertisements• Signage• Promotions• Use QR codes for quick links

#9. Test location based social media

• Foursquare/Gowalla• Facebook places• Groupon

Tactic Date Comments Completed

1. Tweet 2-3 times daily

2. Update FB status daily

3. Post weekly YouTube video

4. Make new blog post 3X week

5. 60 minutes researching new content

6. 30 minutes connecting with people

#10. Social Media Calendar

Top 10 Social Media List

1. Use online communities for PR2. Focus on Facebook3. Use Twitter as a well rounded tool4. Listen to what consumers are saying5. Have a response plan6. Reward fans with ‘Social-only’ exclusives7. Leverage linking your social media sites8. Use offline marketing to drive social media9. Test Location based social media10. Just do it. Use a social media schedule

Advice for 2011

This is the Age to Engage!

More information

• Email: jyerzik@tickets.com• Twitter: jyerzik• LinkedIn : janyerzik• Facebook: ProVenue• www.ProVenue.com• Slideshare (visit our ProVenue Facebook page)