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Plan, Launch, Build Business Workshop® #502
Using Social MediaIn Your Business
About today
What is social media & how are businesses using it today?
Getting the right mind & skill sets
How to make it work for your company?
4 Ways to get more value from digital marketing
Avoiding 1st impression mistakes
Tim Berry’s 3-Marketing Truths
Results
Consistency
Real People Great Marketing
1. Great marketing beats great products
2. Real people beat real money
3. Consistency beats brilliance
Social Media Without the Hype
Don’t trust anyone who says they’ll reveal the “secrets of social media”
There are no secrets. Take away all of the names and social media is basically 3 major activities1. Listening
2. Connecting
3. Publishing
3 Things Social Media Does
Listening•Twitter Search•Google Blogserarch
Connecting•Twitter•Facebook•LinkedIn•OPEN Forum
Publishing•Blogs•E-mail•Flickr•YouTube
Social Media- 12/31/2010
What has it been?Social media have been the vehicles used to
connect people via the internet. The focus has been marketing and sharing stories?
The top 5 most important social-media platforms: ○ 1) YouTube- 23.6%○ 2) LinkedIn- 27.6% ○ 3) Blogs- 34.8%○ 4) Twitter- 40.0%○ 5) Face Book- 49.1%
Source: Summus, Ltd. & SmartBriefs
Top 5 Social Media Goals
Increase awareness of and interaction with our brand
Create a community for our customers and fans
Increase traffice to our web site
Identify and react to customer needs
Identify new business opportunities and leads
0.00% 50.00% 100.00%
Focus on the Big 5
The focus of most firms is on the five major platforms
There is a lower awareness of other sites including platforms such as Flickr with large numbers of users
Companies might be missing out on more niche groups that might fit their product/service lines
How Long Does It Take. . .?
At the 2-year mark, 25% of companies begin to confidently and purposefully use social-media for specific business objectives
50% have well developed strategies and utilize multiple platforms
Primary vs. Real Uses
Despite the primary goals of increasing brand awareness and building communities for customers and fans, the majority of companies survey use social media to broadcast information instead of creating two-way conversations
Who Is Leading the Charge?
Communications and PR agencies recognized the potential earlier than most
Advertising and PR firms have realized the potential of identifying and reaching audiences compared to other industries
Communications and PR firms are not the chosen source of advice or consultation by customers
The majority of firms are using internal resources for developing and implementing social media strategies
6 Biggest Obstacles Hindering Social Media for Business
I am not the decision maker
Confidentiality Issues
Not allowed to use social networking at work
Lack of knowledgeable staff
Not relevant to our market
Management resistance
0.00% 10.00%20.00%30.00%40.00%
Does Social Media Work?
Yes No Somewhat I Don't Know0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
Social-Media & Networking. . .Getting the Right Mind & Skill Sets
More & Better Connections
A skilled networker thinks about what they can do to network more effectively
When using social media, it is important to be thinking the right way:ListeningLooking for opportunityAsking for feed-back and referralsUsing incentives
Elements to Include in the Mind Set
The law of reciprocity “givers gain” Diversity in networking Your relationship based checking
account Activate the VCP process Sharpshoot, don’t shotgun Hold one-on-ones
Comparing Traditional & Social Media Networking #1Traditional Networking
Givers Gain-Avoid- I did this for
you, how what are you doing for me?
Social Media Networking
Social networking is about being able to engage, listen and learn about what your clients are saying and what they want.
Comparing Traditional & Social Media Networking #2
Traditional Networking
• Look for groups that don’t target people just like you
• Broaden your network of potential referrals and clients
Social Media Networking
• Look for online groups where what you have to offer might be of value
• Look at the variety of Linkedin groups
Diversify Your Networks
If you don’t know anyone and no one knows you, it may not be a bad place to be
Comparing Traditional & Social Media Networking #3
Traditional Networking It’s a long drawn out
process to go from seeding a field to harvest.
Relationships take time. You have to make the investment to yield results.
It’s a matter of trust.
Social Media Networking Social media creates a
real time demand for your business.
The process is still about relationships but it is quicker on the net.
There is not a lot of time for waiting on hold or delay in getting a response.
Farming Mentality- It takes a while
Comparing Traditional & Social Media Networking #4
Traditional Networking• You have to participate• Area of focus:
• Chamber mixers• Writing a column in
your newspaper• Sponsoring special
events and activities
Social Media Networking• You have to participate• Areas of focus
• Your web site• Your blog• Facebook• YouTube
• Share your opinions, but they must be credible
Activate Your VCP ProcessVisibility, Credibility & Profitability
Minimum
Comparing Traditional & Social Media Networking #5
Sharpshoot, Don’t Shotgun
Traditional NetworkingFocus on your top 2-3 areas
of expertiseTaylor your “areas of
expertise” to the networking group
If working with a team, identify what type of client you are looking for and better leads will be the result.
Social Media Networking• Make your website intuitive
and simple• Make it easy for your
clients to communicate with you.
• Actually read your emails at specific intervals during the day.
• Link electronic inquiries with sales.
Comparing Traditional & Social Media Networking #6
Hold “One-on-Ones”
Traditional NetworkingPersonally, speak with
clients or respond in person.Share something in each
category you discuss with your referral source.
Social Media Networking• Periodically, contact a
major referral or client (personally) and do a “GAINS” exchange.
• GAINS- talking about individual goals, objectives, interests, networks and successes.
• Look for areas where you have things in common.
Avoiding First-Impression Mistakes
Google & Learn
Much like an interview for a job, developing a meaningful relationship between your company and another relies on 6-basic elements.1. Find out information about the company
2. Find out about the company’s leadership – national or local
3. Get the latest news or analysis of the firm
4. Find someone who had done business with the firm and talk with them
5. Know your top objective
6. Know the information – but don’t show off
Do the Basics- It’s more about them than about you.
Know the CompanyLook at the company website, how does it
feel, what are their products/services?What do they do that could make you
important to them? Who are the Company’s Leaders?
Find an image, read a little about them.Do you know anyone who knows them?
Do the Basics- It’s more about them than about you.
What’s the latest news?Are they in the media and for what?
Who is connected in the company that you might know?Where did they go to school and when?What is their home town? Know anyone there?
What do you wish to accomplish with the firm?To quote someone famous. . .Begin with the
end in mind
Do the Basics- It’s more about them than about you.
Be careful how you use the information you have gathered. Be armed with the information so that you
can answer or direct the conversation.
What is Your Website’s Personality?
The Top 3 Considerations
1. Does it showcase the company’s advantage?What the company knows?What it can design.Durable products?Friendly service?Does the website effectively communicate
these capabilities?
The Top 3 Considerations2. Is Your Site User Friendly
Is the navigation intuitive? Does the format look neat and clean? Is it easy to read? Does it provide important information in a
concise manner? Is it appealing? Does it make the visitor want to browse
around to learn more about your company?
The Top 3 Considerations3. Is Your Website Personal?
Does the website express how the company can fill the client’s needs?
Is it apparent how to contact your company and whom to speak?
Does it evoke an emotional response? Does it make you want to get to know the
company personally?
Using your website to drive traffic
Having a strong, online presence and strategy is critical to being competitive
What are the ingredients? Start with a strong, professional website
you can manage on your own. Then use the following 6-step process
6-step, web traffic driving process
1. Have a Clean
DesignDo not clutter the
page with unnecessary information.
2. Optimize Your Site for Search Engines• Have
searchable words, images and page titles.
3. Make clients know how to get to you• Location, hours,
need to be up- front and clear.
• Add links to Google Maps
6-step, web traffic driving process
4. Shoppers Love Coupons• Use your site to
post coupons that are only redeemable at your store
5. Create an Event• People want to
interact. Use the website as a springboard to events at your store.
6. Use the Entire Web• Make sure you
use the entire web to drive traffic. Give your customers multiple opportunities to hear about your business
Frequently Asked Questions. . .Your Website’s Workhorse
FAQ- The unsung heroes of
your website Done right, the FAQ page helps to build
trust, educate and further relationships 6- Guidelines for their development:
1. Write answers, not descriptions
2. Don’t be afraid to answer tough questions
3. Avoid “Franken-speak”
4. Register your copyrights
5. Solve, don’t shill
6. Treat your FAQ page as a doorway
EmailOn-line Marketing’s Best Kept Secret
Email marketing
Email marketing is the most cost-effective ways to communicate with customers.
Ecommerce business owners can use email marketing for:Building brand loyaltyTo acquire/convert customersCommunicating promotional offers
Email marketing Why you should use email:
1. It require very little effort and cost to get started.
2. You don’t have to write that often.
3. There are hordes of people that want to hear from you.
4. It is a good way to do what you should be doing anyway – sharing your story!
5. Opt-in’s want to be on your list
Online SurveysTo IncreaseCustomer Loyalty
Why use online surveys
Surveys are great ways to show your customers that you value them. They enable you to stay connected and provide insight into how to run your business better. Here are 5 tips for creating better online surveys
5-tips for better online surveys
1. Be clear about the purpose of your survey.
Fuzzy goals lead to fuzzy results.
Start by asking yourself: What do you want to
accomplish?What decisions or actions will I
take as a result of the survey?
You will have a more successful survey if you take some time to identify your goals.
2. Keep the survey short and focused
Make sure to keep your survey focused on a single objective.
If it’s just a “nice to have” question, toss it.
Tell respondents, up front, how much time it will take.
5-tips for better online surveys
3. Keep your questions unbiased
Its easy to influence a question’s outcome, so take particular care to stay neutral when wording the question.
Many online survey tools have sample question to help avoid this error.
5-tips for better online surveys
4. Use open-ended questions sparingly
Open-ended questions are difficult to collate, analyze and react to.
Closed-ended questions take the form of yes and no, are multiple choice or use a rating scale.
Use open-ended questions as a supplement to provide color to your conclusions.
5-tips for better online surveys
5. Share the results with your customers
After analyzing your survey, share the results with your customers by sending them a summary e-mail or by posting the results on your website.
This helps close the loop and shows your customers that you truly value their feedback and keeps the communication links open.
5-tips for better online surveys