DriveThe New Social Media & Virtual Marketing

Your BranD

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Here’s tHe plan

part 1: the social Media revolution ............................................. 4

part 2: strategic social Media ...................................................... 11

part 3: linkedin: some practical applications .............................. 16

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William Paolillo is a business strategist who provides strategic consulting services in the construction, technology and energy industries. Formerly Vice President of Sales at McGraw- Hill Construction, he directed an organization of 160 professionals focused on the adoption of McGraw-Hill construction products within the $4.6 trillion global construction industry. His sales and operations responsibilities included the MHCNetwork, Analytics Products, Product Document Management software solution (PDM), ENR, 12 monthly publications, Digital Media, over 100 custom publications and events. Over his career, Mr. Paolillo served in senior general management, marketing and sales positions in several national and global firms, including: AkzoNobel/ICIPaints, Black & Decker and Procter & Gamble.

He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton. He has attended leadership programs at Harvard University and the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, NC. He has served as a Board Member of the New York Chapter of the ACE Mentor Program, and he is an active member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services.

Renee Sacks, Ph.D. is president and founder of Sacks Communications, Inc. and its subsidiaries, Renee Sacks Associates, Inc. and the Conference Center, Inc. For the past 25 years, Renee Sacks has applied an integrated marketing approach for resolving her clients’ challenges. A respected business consultant and communications specialist, she has developed numerous signature programs—corporate identity, public relations, strategic marketing, sales training and crisis communications—all focused on strengthening her clients’ market position and increasing their ability to communicate their message. She also serves as a consultant to McGraw-Hill Construction in developing special events and publications. She is Executive Director of the Women Builders Council.

Renee Sacks earned her doctorate in Applied Linguistics from New York University. Prior to founding her firm, she was Director of Communications at NYU’s School of Professional Studies, where she developed programs in film, creative writing, business communications and communication technology and managed a 100-person educational staff. Before joining NYU, Dr. Sacks was Assistant Professor of Communications at Hofstra University’s School of Business where she was named ‘Outstanding Teacher’ by Citibank. She has authored numerous books, articles and research in business and communications.

presenters

William J. Paolillo Consultant and Business Strategist www.williamjpaolillo.com www.linkedin.com/in/williampaolillo

Renee Sacks, Ph.D. President, Sacks Communications, Inc. www.sackscom.com; www.conferencecenterpresents.com Executive Director, Women Builders Council www.wbcnyc.org www.linkedin.com/in/reneesacks

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Social Media is transforming the way we will communicate, the way we will develop business, the way we will brand our companies and the way we will differentiate ourselves from our competitors

What is social Media?Social media are media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media use web-based technologies to transform and broadcast media monologues into social media dialogues. They support the democratization of knowledge and information and transform people from content consumers to content producers that allow the creation and exchange of user generated content.

What’s the difference BetWeen social Media and industrial Media?One characteristic shared by both social media and industrial media is the capability to reach small or large audiences; for example, either a blog post or a television show may reach zero people or millions of people. The properties that help describe the differences between social media and industrial media depend on the study. Some of these properties include:

social Media vs. traditional Media

reach: Both industrial and social media technologies provide scale and enable anyone to reach a global audience.

accessiBility: The means of production for industrial media are typically owned privately or by government; social media tools are generally available to anyone at little or no cost.

usaBility: Industrial media production typically requires specialized skills and training. Most social media does not, or in some cases reinvents skills, so anyone can operate the means of production.

tiMeliness: The time lag between communications produced by industrial media can be long (days, weeks, or even months) compared to social media which can be capable of virtually instantaneous responses; only the participants determine any delay in response.

PerManence: Industrial media, once created, cannot be altered. Once a magazine article is printed and distributed changes cannot be made to that same article. Whereas social media can be altered almost instantaneously by comments or editing.

tHe social MeDia r e v o l u t i o n

Part 1:

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tHe social MeDia r e v o l u t i o n

social MeDia is a powerful Business DevelopMent tool

Andrew Keen criticizes social media in his book, The Cult of the Amateur,

writing, “Out of this anarchy, it suddenly became clear that what was

governing the infinite monkeys now inputting away on the Internet was

the law of digital Darwinism, the survival of the loudest and most

opinionated. Under these rules, the only way to intellectually

prevail is by infinite filibustering.”

Part 1:

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Digital reputationBen franklin, said, “it takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”

In the new world of Social Media communication anyone can post a comment about you or your company on the internet – your reputation can be ruined in a single post.

Warren Buffet says, “it takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it. if you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

Recently, we learned of a company that was denied a government contract because of a single false posting on the internet – a news interview from a small regional paper came up through a blog and appeared on page one of this company’s Google search. The post said that the company did not pay their employees a fair wage. One of the reasons the claim was given merit was the lack of information on the web about this company.

Wikipedia says, Reputation is “the result of what you do, what you say, and what other people say about you…” One study found that a good reputation added 7.6% to the price received. The web is permanent, and anything you say is etched into a digital presence that isn’t easily removed. More than half of adults google each other.

the future Buzz says, “The Web doesn’t forget.”

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Digital reputation instant Messagesthe old rules In about 30 minutes, the old rule of thumb translated into a person who had a bad experience would tell six to ten people about it. Usually, the medium was a telephone or an in-person meeting.

the neW rules Now messages are instant and create an infinite geometric progression of listeners. Your message is resonating, even if you didn’t want it to. Now when you want it to, you have the potential to reach a larger audience than ever before.

an illustrationIf you accept and assume that 10% of the people following someone will pass the message along, you increase the geometric progression of followers that will only continue to grow.

Social Media needs to have a very well-thought out plan that will allow you to distribute your message, but to also control its interpretation by your unknown audience. Very scary stuff, unless you’re planning, projecting and controlling content and timing.

Ron Worth, CEO of SMPS, a community of marketers and business developers, deploys Twitter very effectively to promote his brand and his business goals. If Ron has 4402 followers his effective reach is 43,860. On a daily basis, Ron is effectively getting his message out.

15-20+ Million Unique Users (U.S.) 1,882% Growth

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More than 100 Million videos played daily

100,000 New videos added

exponential MessagesSearch is broken down into two meaningful verticals — one is video — the other is real time search. YouTube.com is now the second largest search site online. YouTube generates domestically over 2.52 billion searches per month. It’s a bigger search destination than any other site except Google.

The Google team got this one right when they bought You Tube. The first thought I had with the purchase was they are moving into media – in hindsight — its media but more importantly to Google — YouTube is search. They figured out that video search would allow their users to find, watch, and share.

You Tube is clearly a very different search experience to Google.com and the search user is rewarding them for that experience. You Tube searches grew 114% year over year from November, 2007 to November, 2008. This is significant as the data shows very little overall gain in the search numbers. Web search shares numbers moved up for Google — as AOL, Yahoo and others went down, one percentage point here or there. The YouTube share shift demonstrates a significant shift taking place in the search market. Video search now represents over 25% of Google’s total search.

Source http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2009/1/US_Search_Engine_Rankings

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exponential Messages faceBookFacebook is presenting another option for consumers and many consumer based companies who want to reach personal purchase decision makers. While it may not make sense for business-to-business opportunities, many companies know that Facebook has extensive market reach and rely on it to communicate.

Facebook must be evaluated as to whether it is the best and most appropriate medium for your brand and your communication strategy.

Source http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2009/1/US_Search_Engine_Rankings

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Who’s in on it?At this point, LinkedIn plays host to 60 million member profiles, which comprise such information as a member’s employment history, education, statements of recommendation and a cadre of contacts, the professional equivalent to a Facebook Friends List.

According to Fortune Magazine’s Jessi Hempel, the average LinkedIn member is a college-educated, 43-year-old making $107,000; over a quarter of its members are listed as senior executives; and every Fortune 500 company is represented.

Why do it?One reason LinkedIn is so effective is its access to so-called passive job candidates: these are talented, experienced recruits, who just so happen to be happily employed. So while a site like Monster.com might do a decent job of letting employers know who’s looking, LinkedIn provides direct access to the people employers would most like to find, information which, until recently, has been the bread and butter of the $8-million recruiting industry.

Especially prevalent among older generations is the reticence toward advertising oneself in the form of social networks or blogs, but as the trend of mining the web for prospective job candidates evolves into standard procedure, the advantages of privacy are outweighed by the disadvantages of hermitism.

What you could doPresenting one’s skills, experience and expertise online has

become both an opportunity and an obligation. Luckily, if you aren’t Britney Spears or Barack Obama, you can probably control your internet presence such that anyone researching your background will see only what you want them to see. This is an enormous occasion to provide an enticing and comprehensive resource to prospective employers or collaborators; imagine the advantages of an in-depth profile versus a commonly terse résumé.

Just as likely as you are to Google potential employers, you can expect they will Google you. The difference is that those companies have hired a marketing agency, whose primary responsibility is grooming their client’s online presence. And you haven’t.

how you can do itAfter establishing a LinkedIn account, do a thorough job of completing your profile, using keywords to highlight your skills. Be sure to ask former co-workers for recommendations. Joining groups and expanding your contacts list will increase your visibility by opening outlets through which employers can find you.

But, you might ask, how do I finally land a job? Despite the help that LinkedIn and other such networks provide, the answer still lies heavily on you. Social networking through the web is an efficient means of reaching out to the people you know, and it’s also a way to find out who they know. Just as you would do in a crowded room, you make your network work for you.

60+ Million Members with expectations to reach a Billion

2010 Revenue: $200+ Million

wHere will You get Your next joB?Between the surge in online social networking and the burst in the economic bubble, employers have increasingly turned their backs on the old, costly means of searching out potential hires, toward more effective online professional networking platforms, namely LinkedIn.

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Social Media Communication tools

• the evolving Web

• Smart Communications

• turn the Page

• if they Could See You now

strategic social MeDia CoMMuniCation toolS

Part 2:

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web 1.0 web 2.0 web 3.0

Websites have changed. They have transformed from static electronic brochures and company introductions to vibrant and interactive channels of communication that will allow you to introduce your firm and maintain communications.

tHe evolving weBsocial Media coMMunication tools:

www.sackscom.com

www.infoinasnap.com/qbs/latest

www.navigatingopportunities.com

www.theconferencecenterpresents.com

www.hellmanelectric.com

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“I have 1,990 printed brochures in a box.”

“I have 1,990 envelopes in a box. And I need to make changes!”

New electronic page turners and e-book formats are replacing print brochures. The new technology is replacing print since it’s less expensive and changes can be made instantaneously. Flash and other advance motion graphics can be inserted into the pages and readers can receive material in an e-mail instant.

social Media coMMunication tools:

turn tHe page online

http://192.220.12.204/brochure www.sackscom.com/Sciame/Supplement

www.sackscom.com/gwicwww.sackscom.com/qbs

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Online newsletters, e-alerts and other news communicate more than information. They communicate your brand: • The medium is the message. • You are sustainable, immediate and easily accessible.• You are instantly a known-firm. • You have authority and expertise. • You have information others need. • You are interested in your clients and what they need to know.

sMart coMMunications – newsletters, news alerts, wHite papers anD More….

www.zdlaw.com/leaderspeaking/

NECA New York e-alert

NECA New York Green

WBC FYI

social Media coMMunication tools:

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if tHeY coulD see You now! sMart coMMunications – newsletters, news alerts, wHite papers anD More….

New internet broadcast formats are transforming the way we will communicate online. Editorial and graphic content is one way. Internet video provides the next generation of broadcast opportunities. Your options will be to use internet broadcasts to introduce your firm, launch new products and services, train and educate and more. The opportunities are endless and the communication is immediate, entertaining and usually more memorable than print.

www.sackscom.com/energyforum

www.sackscom.com/build_safe

http://tinyurl.com/2cur225

www.sackscom.com/101/video

www.sackscom.com/qbs/swineflu

www.groundbreakingwomen.com/impact

social Media coMMunication tools:

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how should you be using social Media in your firm?

In the world of Digital Reputation, “A good offense is the best defense….” In order to have a good offense you need a play book or a Social Media Policy. Currently we are seeing a resistance from companies to allow their employees to participate in Social Media.

In a white paper sponsored by the Society for Marketing Professional Services, the research showed : “One of the barriers to the use of social networking is that many firms maintain IT and personnel policies (or practices) to actively discourage social networking. Sixty-seven percent of the firms block employees from viewing social networking sites while at work. Only 14 percent encourage employees to become part of social networks. Nine percent have proactively established practices outlining how employees should engage in social networks outside of work. “In the same White Paper over 50% of the respondents said the reason they do not use Social Media is they are unsure of the fit or appropriateness.

At Coca Cola they take a different approach to Social Media communication -. When faced with the challenge on developing a Social Media policy, the Coca-Cola Company used the opportunity to create both competitive advantage and employee engagement. Coca-Cola developed an Online Social Media Principles document that serves as a guideline for all the employees at Coca Cola. The policy states the primary purpose is to help empower their associates to participate in the new frontier of marketing and communications – Social Media.

linkedin: soMe practical applications

www.thecoca-colacompany.com/socialmedia

Part 3:

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1. increase your visiBilityBy adding connections, you increase the likelihood that people will see your profile first when they’re searching for someone to hire or do business with. In addition to appearing at the top of search results (which is a major plus if you’re one of the 67,000 product managers on LinkedIn), people would much rather work with people who their friends know and trust.

2. iMProve your connect-aBilityMost new users put only their current company in their profile. By doing so, they severely limit their ability to connect with people. You should fill out your profile like it’s an executive bio, so include past companies, education, affiliations, and activities. You can also include a link to your profile as part of an email signature. The added benefit is that the link enables people to see all your credentials.

3. iMProve your GooGle PaGe rankLinkedIn allows you to make your profile information available for search engines to index. Since LinkedIn profiles receive a fairly high Page Rank in Google, this is a good way to influence what people see when they search for you. To do this, create a public profile and select ‘Full View.’ Also, instead of using the default URL, customize your public profile’s URL to be your actual name. To strengthen the visibility of this page in search engines, use this link in various places on the web. For example, when you comment in a blog, include a link to your profile in your signature.

4. enhance your search enGine resultsIn addition to your name, you can also promote your blog or website to search engines like Google and Yahoo! Your LinkedIn profile allows you to publicize websites. There are a few pre-selected categories like ‘My Website’, ‘My Company,’ etc. If you select ‘Other’, you can modify the name of the link. If you’re linking to your personal blog, include your name or descriptive terms in the link, and voila! instant search-engine optimization for your site. To make this work, be sure your public profile setting is set to ‘Full View.’

5. don’t cut and Paste your resuMeLinkedIn hooks you into a network, not just a human resources department. You wouldn’t hand out your resume before introducing yourself, so don’t do it here. Instead, describe your experience and abilities as you would to someone you just met. Also, write for the screen, in short blocks of copy with visual or textual signposts.

6. exPlain your exPerienceHelp the reader grasp the key points. Briefly say what the company does and what you did or do for them. Picture yourself at that conference again. After you’ve introduced yourself, how do you describe what you do, what your company does? Us those clear, succinct phrases here and break them into visually digestible chunks.

7. Write a Personal taGlineThat line of text under your name is the first thing people see in your Profile. It follows your name in search hit lists. It’s your brand. (Note: your e-mail address is not a brand!) Your company’s brand might be so strong that it and your title are sufficient. However, you might need to refine your professional personality into a more eye-catching phrase that describes who you are at a glance.

8. ask and ansWer questions “BecoMe the exPert”Thoughtful questions and useful answers build your credibility. The best ones give people a reason to look at your Profile. Make a point of answering questions in your field to establish your expertise, raise your visibility, and most important, to build social capital with people in your network. You may need answers to a question of your own down the road.

9. Put your elevator Pitch to WorkGo back to your conference introduction. That 30-second description, the essence of who you are and what you do, is a personal elevator pitch. Use it in the Summary section to engage readers. You’ve got 5-10 seconds to capture their attention. The more meaningful your summary is, the more time you’ll get from readers.

10. Point out your skillsThink of the Specialties field as your personal search engine optimizer. It is an avenue to refine the ways people find and remember you. This searchable section is where that list of industry buzzwords from your resume belongs. This is also the place to display particular abilities and interests, the personal values you bring to your professional performance, or even a note of humor or passion.

10 tips to BuilD a strong online profile

*Ten Tips on Building a Strong Profile, , p.38, Help Section of LinkedIn. LinkedIn.custhelp.com/.../std_adp.php?

Part 3:

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1. helP your teaMLinkedIn puts your network to work for your whole team, when you and your team members connect with each other. Suppose one of your salespeople is calling on a new prospect. She searches for the company on LinkedIn and sees that one of your connections knows the Vice President of purchasing. She can leverage the trust of that connection to build her relationship with the customer. Net result: You accelerate your business.

2. ManaGe the deMands for your tiMeSomeone wants to meet with you to pitch a service. A group wants you to speak at an event. Is that person or group relevant to your needs? Are they legitimate? Are they a good contact for you? LinkedIn makes it easy to check them out before committing. A quick search reveals anyone you know in common, gives you a capsule impression, and helps you allocate that valuable time.

3. hire sMarterLooking for new talent? The best people aren’t always looking; they may already be employed. As a result, some of your best hires come from referrals, from people you and your employees trust. With LinkedIn you can leverage your employees’ networks to find more talent. After all, great people know other great people.

4. check references With one clickThe best time to check out potential hires is before you meet them. Do it afterwards and the tendency is to use references to validate the decision process. Validate the

pool of applicants before they jump in by searching for their LinkedIn Profile. You can also run reference checks the candidate, just by searching for people who have worked at their previous companies. By the way, reference checking also comes in handy when you’re considering an acquisition

5. find and reach exPerts fastLinkedIn is a rich directory of experts that you can tap into when you’re looking for a critical skill set or need to perform market research. By using the advanced search page you can find a specialist on almost every topic, industry or company. LinkedIn’s InMail messaging system allows you to reach out to them directly.

6. Gather coMPetitive intelliGenceContacting former employees of a company is a great way to conduct competitive research. Perform an advanced search for company name and uncheck the ‘Current Companies Only’ box to find people who used to work at a company. This is also a good way of recruiting employees with experience at particular companies.

7. Gain insiGhtUse LinkedIn Questions to solicit input and gain perspective from your connections or from the broader LinkedIn community. Learn how others approach new markets, revamp processes, and resolve problems. You can also use it to find funding, question industry experts and draw on the collective knowledge of your trusted connections and their connections.

waYs ceos use linkeDin By dan nye, ceo, linkedinThere are over 145,000 CEOs on LinkedIn with executives from all 500 of the Fortune 500 companies. CEO’s on LinkedIn have an average of 28 connections.

CEOs are getting more effective hires, more efficient sales, and better use of their networks. This is because LinkedIn makes it easier to manage relationships. They can check out prospective partners, find experts, close sales, identify potential employees, contact media, and research competitors-and spend less time doing it. They control who sees their connections, their questions, and their experience.

If you are a CEO, here are seven tasks LinkedIn can help you do better:

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cHeck out tHese resources• Ayers, Phoebe, Charles Matthews, Ben Yates. How Wikipedia Works: and how you can be a part of it. California: No Starch

Press, Inc., 2008.

• Blood, Rebecca. We’ve Got Blog, Massachusetts: Perseus Publishing, 2002.

• Burrows, Terry. Blogs, Wikis, MySpace and More. Illinois: Chicago Review Press, Inc., 2007.

• Bruns, Axel. Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life, and beyond: from production to produsage. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 2009

• Connell, Regina M.; Shuck, Barbara D.; Thatch, Marion (2009). Social Networking for Competitive Advantage (SMPS Foundation White Paper). New York, NY: SMPS Foundation.

• Fitton, Laura, Michael E. Gruen, Leslie Poston. Twitter for Dummies. New Jersey: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2009.

• Gardner, Susannah. Buzz Marketing with Blogs for Dummies. New Jersey: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2005.

• Hall, Robert E. Digital Dealing. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2001

• Israel, Shel. Twitterville. New York: Penguin Group, 2009.

• McFedries, Paul. Twitter Tips, Tricks, and Tweets. Indiana: Wiley Publishing, 2009.

• Mezrich, Ben. Accidental Billionaires. New York: Doubleday, 2009.

• Micek, Deborah, Warren Whitlock. Twitter Revolution: How social media and mobile marketing is changing the way we do business & market online. Nevada: Xeno Press, 2008.

• Qualman, Erik. Socialnomics. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2009

• Sahlin, Doug, C. Botello. YouTube for Dummies. New Jersey: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2007.

• Schwartz, Evan I. Webonomics. New York: Broadway Books, 1997.

• www.mashme.info

Women Builders Council is one of the 2010 M/WBE Leadership Association organizations that are funded by the NYC Council to provide certification assistance, business support training and technical assistance to M/WBE firms in conjunction with SBS .

Your corporate identity is a carefully crafted perception.

What people see is not what people see.

It’s what they think they see. And, it’s what they remember!