-Social Media-Networking’s best

friend

Presented by: Nicki Laycoax

Squish DesignsMarketing 3.0

@nickilaycoax on Twitter

Ask yourself these questions:

• How often do I log in to my Facebook, Smaller Indiana, Twitter, or MySpace account?

• How often do I look at my company website?

• How often are my clients and potential clients looking at my website? Is it at least once daily, or at least as frequently as I look at my website? Probably not…

Even if you don’t want to…

Common complaints• I don’t have time• It’s useless• I don’t know how• What am I supposed to write

about? • It’s just for teenagers

• Twitter is dumb…

Response to that complaint• Spend just 30 minutes a day

• Thousands of people will be aware of you.• Do you know how to email?• What do you talk about? What do you

read?

• Less than 13% of Facebook users are under 18. 43% are 18-25, and 45% are 26 and up!

• Maybe so, but it’s growing at insane rates. Feb 08-Feb 09, Twitter has seen 1,382% growth from 475,000 to 7,038,000 users. Age demo? 19.6% ages 25-34. 41.7% ages 35 – 49.

Once you get started…

Do’s• Post a current picture of yourself• Reach out and add to discussions and make

connections• Take the online interaction offline• Post a complete profile so visitors can get

the full effect of who you are and what you do

• Use proper grammar and spelling• Post good info. Most folks don’t really care

what you’ve had to eat… Unless you’re eating something extra exotic or informing others of who you are meeting with. It helps to connect folks. Most times, I post who I’m meeting with, at least one person will reach out and ask how I know that person… Small world!

• Set up Google Alerts to stay in the know about what it being said about your company.

Don’ts • Post a picture from when you were in

high school-unless you just graduated• You must interact-It’s a two-way street;

if you don’t give you won’t get(It’s not a lecture, it’s a conversation-Firebelly)

• Be a hard-core salesperson. You will not be well received.

• Post confidential or reputation compromising content

• Be a jerk. You will get a bad reputation, and it will transfer to offline and is a reflection of your business

• Copy what others have said and not give them credit. That is a HUGE social media faux pas.

Who do you trust more? The organization selling you their product and services or your friends, family, and network that has had experience(s) with that organization? Think about this-You have a great experience at a restaurant, or you just bought an awesome new widget. What do you do? Tell people. Whether it’s in person, on the phone, via email, or … social media, you usually tell your network about the experience-good or bad. So do others. If it’s your company they are talking about online, and you are out there and aware of what they are saying, you have the advantage of being in control of that publicity. If it’s bad, you can address it. If it’s good, you’ve learned of a new evangelist of your company! The beautiful thing about social media, is that there are several platforms that make it easy to spread the word!

What is Twitter?• Twitter is a microblogging platform. • Send short updates of 140 characters or less. • Very versatile-Tweet from your desktop, 3rd party app such as Twhirl

or Tweetdeck, and you can even Tweet from your mobile device! • Include text and/or URL’s to other sites. This is great for sharing

news, blog posts, events, or anything you’d like to share-especially info leading back to your company!

• URL too long? Use a URL shortening service. (Here’s 90+ to choose from: http://ow.ly/2KVb)

• The shortened URL that I shared is a service from HootSuite and provides you with click stats as well so you can see how many times it’s been viewed.

Twitter is over capacity… Oops! Fail whale telling us that there’s too many folks on Twitter right now… Just check back and refresh in a few seconds…

Ways to use Twitter• Networking• Learning about new trends• Up to the minute news happenings• SEO-For those that use Twitter, the traffic generated from social networks-Twitter

specifically-they see at least 30% of traffic to the URL in their profile than paid and dedicated SEO tactics.

• Updating specials that you are having. For example, I use Twitter to notify folks of Ike & Jonesy’s weekly specials and special events they are having. Using widgets, we have the updates going into their website so that one doesn’t to visit Twitter to see the specials. Also, on their mobile site, the Tweet is displayed at the top of the page.

• Fundraising • Research• Customer service-If your customers know you are there, they will reach out when

they have a problem. It may even save you a client or two! Sprint, Zappos, and Comcast are 3 very well known “Twitter for customer service” users.

• Personal! If you want to, set up a personal account just for fun! Get some of your friends and family to sign up and watch how much fun it can be to keep up with one another!

QUESTION: Why do you use social media?

• KLFLegal@NickiLaycoax I use social media to meet new, interesting people whom I otherwise wouldn't meet...simple as that!9 minutes ago from TweetDeck in reply to NickiLaycoax

• whalehunters@NickiLaycoax SocMedia help establish brand, reputation, authority, reach--& sometimes lead to biz, friendships, opportunities10 minutes ago from TweetDeck

• ignitehr@NickiLaycoax Toknow what's happening NOW&have amazing ability 2communicate w/any1 at any level instantly-breaking untold barriers wide open10 minutes ago from web in reply to NickiLaycoax

• bcreativeimages@CindyHartman @nickilaycoax @beckypruitt I use social media to get free tix to the #indiana flower and patio show ;)12 minutes ago from TweetDeck in reply to CindyHartman

• bcreativeimagesTo get newer business in public eye RT @NickiLaycoax: Why do you use social media? I'd like to include your response in my presentation...13 minutes ago from TweetDeck

• Hazewalker@NickiLaycoax It allows me to stay in communication with people in my network it enhances my face to face networking13 minutes ago from TweetDeck in reply to NickiLaycoax

• CindyHartman@NickiLaycoax To take adv of vast opportunity 2 meet people I'd otherwise not know & 2 promote biz 'immediately' rather than outdated print16 minutes ago from TweetDeck in reply to NickiLaycoax

I asked this question on Twitter, and within 8 minutes, I had 9 responses.

Included, you’ll see the person that responded, their response, how long ago they responded, and what application they used.

Facebook is more than just old friends and pictures…

• Personal profiles, Groups, Fan Pages, and Causes. • Personal profiles are intended for … personal use. • Groups are best suited for groups like Chambers, NOWIB, etc… Fan pages are

great for businesses, non-profit organizations, and products. Causes are for fundraising purposes.

• Benefits of Facebook-Event notification and recruitment, photo recaps, uploading videos, sharing links to press releases, blogs, company news etc…, sharing of your organization from one friend to the next, and #1: Making the population that uses Facebook aware that you are out there and what you are doing.

• It’s great for keeping up on your network, family, and friends. We send holiday, birthday, new birth, graduation, and other types of greeting cards, gifts, and emails… Using Facebook shows you the side of your network that you might not know because they just aren’t going to call you up and tell you everything they’re doing. Constant contact.

Ways I use Facebook• AAF Indianapolis-the Indianapolis Ad Club: Group and Fan Page for

videos, events, pictures, and other updates• Komen Indy: Fan Page for breast cancer education videos, photos,

updates on Race for the Cure, and community interaction• Ike & Jonesy’s: Group for photos, events, community interaction, and

feedback.• Indy Lunchtime: Indy area folks that meet up and eat together once a

month!• And, last but not least, keeping up with my friends and family.

• Over 5,300 members• Most are within 100 miles of Indy• Special interest groups that meet offline

• LinkedIn• Known as the online business network. • It essentially serves as an online resume with the opportunity to receive

recommendations from your network• Great for seeking out contacts within an organization to help with getting

past the “cold call” stage.• Groups, discussions, status updates, events, link sharing, job board, and

more… It’s not the most social of the social networks.

Thank you!Dear NOWIB Social Media Sales SIG attendee,

I want to thank you for attending this session. I hope that I have been able to help you understand a few things about this craze that everyone is talking about, but more importantly, using daily: Social Media.

If you would like to contact me after this session, my contact info is as follows:

Nicki Laycoaxnicki@squishdesigns.com317.627.8860 www.squishdesigns.comOr LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Smaller Indiana.

Thank you!

Nicki

Sources & Resources• http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/02/02/fastest-growing-demographic-on-facebook-wom

en-over-55/ (Facebook demographic data)

• http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2009/01/creating-your-organizations-social-media-strategy-map.html (Different ways to spread diagram)

• http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/twitters-tweet-smell-of-success (Twitter demographic data)

• Twitter: www.twitter.com• Facebook: www.facebook.com• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com• Smaller Indiana: www.smallerindiana.com• Twhirl: http://twhirl.org/• Tweetdeck: http://www.tweetdeck.com/beta/• Google Alerts: http://www.google.com/alerts • Twittergrader: http://www.twittergrader.com• WeFollow: http://www.wefollow.com• HootSuite: http://hootsuite.com