One pixel away from your customer SO…

Using Social Media to Market your Best Digital Asset – You!

Our New Reality?

The Story of the Chicks

Patricia Alicia

A Non-intimidating and fun approach to online marketing

About A Couple of Chicks Saving Websites since 2005

Founded by Alicia Whalen and Patricia Brusha to provide non intimidating approach to online marketing for hotels and tourism

Now home to 14 virtual “Chicks” across Canada and the US

Recognized as an authority in e-marketing in the tourism industry and beyond

Producers of Online Revealed – the Online Canadian Tourism Conference now in its 7th year

ACOC Clients:

Destinations: Hotels: Other:

Our Team:Patricia Brusha Hold on! We’ve got

ourselves a wide turn here!

Lovingly referred to as he “other” Chick

Wait for me! Wait for me! This is a This is a

necessary pit necessary pit stop!stop!

Wait for me! Wait for me! This is a This is a

necessary pit necessary pit stop!stop!

ThatThat’’s me!!!!!!s me!!!!!!ThatThat’’s me!!!!!!s me!!!!!!

Our Journey

Caribbean

Canada

Building the business

Good Website Content providing Value to our target audience

Focus on Search Engine Optimization for our target keywords

Our Blog: ideahatching.com

eNewsletters with valuable free information

Workshops and training sessions

Wrote articles and commented in Forums + guest posted on industry websites

We pushed out optimized Press Releases (Shameless Self Promotion all the time! Do it! + Google loves content!

We ran a Conference!

THEN…the cocktail reception went online!

Then there was Social Networking…

The 1st Twitter Inquiry!

If a Couple of Chicks can do this…

We got a big

coop now!!!

Brad

JamesKathi

StephanieSandie

Steve

Laurie

Anne

Christy

Patti

Those Chicks

are late again!

Jane

The Evolution of the Brand

It’s All About Integration & Management of all Digital Assets

Facebook

Twitter

Chicks Blog

LinkedIn Company Profile

YouTube

Digital MarketingWhat you need to know:

Social Networking

• By 2014 at least 2/3 of the internet population or about 164.9 Million people will be regular users of social media

Social Networks: Changing the face of Marketing

YouTube is the 2nd Largest Search Engine Behind Google

24 Hours of Video uploaded YouTube every Minute!!!!

Going Mobile

• Mobile App Downloads To Reach 25 Billion By 2015 (Juniper research 2010)

• iPhone and iTouch have over 60 million users that consume 200 million + apps per month

iMarketing: Marketing for iPhone, iPad and Tablets

Apps and a NEW kind of Digital Search Behavior:

• 62% find apps by searching for a specific type of app (Travel, Lifestyle etc.)

• 60% browse through the App Store charts

Brands must ensure they are visible across all Digital Platforms

So What now?

It's all about Customer Engagement!

Focus on how you can best reach your target Customer online

-Is your target audience Tweeting?

-Are they spending time on Facebook, LinkedIn?

-Should you be Blogging as an expert in your field?

Digital Marketing Must Do’s

• Google Yourself! • LinkedIn is a must• Start with one network at a time. • Update Often with correct contact info and updated

information • Make sure your web strategy includes Mobile• INTEGRATE and use Tools to make it easy to manage

You must make the time – your brand is living online whether you are ready or not

Digital Marketing Success StoriesWhat made them work?

Le Germain Hotels on Twitter 3 Goals:1. Listen to Guests to continually improve customer service2. Extend Customer Service online3. Cultivate an interest in potential clients

Why It Worked:

1. Use Twitter to extend customer service

2. Identify core audience – personifying customer as Bruce Wayne

3. Twitter tone or personality becomes one of Alfred – Bruce Wayne’s Butler!

The Audience: The Brand:

Alphabet Photography: YouTube, Facebook ++ 3 Goals:1. Drive Traffic and Sales 2. Cultivate Interest in potential clients and differentiate themselves among competitors3. Generate Media and Buzz

32,100,056 Views!!!!!

Driving TrafficBack to the Website= Cash Register

A “listening post” to monitor your brand, competitors and industry trends

Drive traffic to blog and website

Generate new business leads, sales and referrals

Collaborate and share innovative ideas and insights

Create conversation with your community

Promote events and relevant company news, discounts etc...

Build visibility, credibility and positive recognition for your brand

Why Social Media for your Business?

Tools to make it easy

• Hootsuite.com to manage multiple Social Media

• Integrate communities (feed Tweets to LinkedIn)

• Manage channels from your SmartPhone – on the go

• Keep up to date with emails, SMS messages, BlackBerry messenger, Tweets, Facebook messages - all on the go – communicate with customers all the time!

Smart Marketing: Going Social

• Don’t sit back and watch

• Don’t look at Digital Marketing in isolation

• 20% ++ of overall marketing budget to Digital

• Have a Strategy

Twitter Task Checklist for Step One

Define specific goals: ie. business benefits such as driving traffic to a blog or to reach media)

Confirm primary target audience (who are you talking to?)

Conduct Social Media Audit (for competitors and other communities you can engage with)

Create compelling backgrounds: LinkedIn Profile, Twitter or Facebook Page for your business – it is a key extension of your brand beyond your website

Add a photo or photos and Video where possible to create connection

Have a plan and engage your audience

Chick Tips on Social Media Marketing:

Other Digital Marketing: Must Do’s

• Website = Cash Register

(creative, good content, ecommerce functionality, search engine visibility)

• Email newsletters

• Blog

• Google Local for Bricks and Mortar Business a must

• Watch the ‘Reviewosphere’ – we are no longer in control of our brand messages – Consumers are

• Measure using tools like Google Analytics, Google Alerts and Twitalyzer.com

What Makes a Successful Digital Campaign?

1. Strategy

2. Authentic Voice

3. Relevancy

4. Know your Audience

5. Engage with Like minded Communities

6. Humour and Emotion

7. Take a Risk

8. Don’t Sell

9. Commitment

10.Have FUN!!!!!!!

Alicia Whalen

Co-Founder | E-Strategist

www.twitter.com/acoupleofchicks

www.facebook.com/acoupleofchicksonlinemarketing

www.acoupleofchicks.com