Global Shea Alliance Conference 2013 — Abuja, Nigeria
Leveraging the Power of Social Media to Build Your Brand by Brandie Gilliam
“ We don’t have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it.”
-Erik Qualman
Agenda
✤ Benefits of Social Media
✤ Learning Social Media
✤ Finding Your Voice
✤ Right Platforms for Your Brand
✤ Getting Started
✤ Maximize Your Social Media
✤ Questions
Marketing Benefits of Social Media
✤ 83% of marketers believe that social media is an important tool for their business.
✤ 94% of marketers use social media for business purposes.
Source: University of San Francisco
Marketing Benefits of Social Media (cont’d)
✤ 59% of marketers are online socially for 6 hours or more per week.
✤ 33% of marketers are online socially for 11 hours or more.
Source: University of San Francisco
Marketing Benefits of Social Media (cont’d)
✤ Top benefits include:
✤ Increased exposure.
✤ Increased traffic.
✤ Greater marketplace insight.
Source: University of San Francisco
Marketing Benefits of Social Media (cont’d)
✤ Marketers plan on increasing their use of social media services in the near future.
Source: University of San Francisco
Marketing Benefits of Social Media (cont’d) ✤ Learn more than just Facebook and Twitter.
✤ Google+ and geolocation based platforms are important.
Source: University of San Francisco
Learn Social Media
✤ Read social media blogs.
✤ Take a social media training course.
✤ Attend a social media seminar or webinar.
✤ Jump in & learn as you go.
✤ Hire someone who is a social media expert.
Finding Your Voice
✤ Think of social media as a cocktail party instead of a business meeting or presentation.
✤ Plan before you post.
✤ Know your audience.
✤ Speak to the individual.
✤ Quality over quantity.
Source: Firespring
Which Platforms Are Right For Your Brand? ✤ Facebook — “ The Expensive Conference.”
✤ Twitter —“ The Business After-Hours Mixer.”
✤ Google+ — Longer threads & more engaging.
✤ Linkedin — “ 1 and 1.”
✤ Pinterest — Ideas & inspiration.
✤ Youtube — The show.
✤ Instagram — The picture story.
Source: Matt Report
Getting Started
✤ Be more concerned with finding what works for your brand rather than being on every social media platform.
✤ Know who you are and strategically select those platforms that w ill help to leverage your brand.
✤ Set clear goals.
✤ Build a plan and schedule.
✤ Adapt your voice.
✤ Tweak your plan along the way to maximize positive results.
Maximize Your Social Media
✤ Monitor feedback and insights.
✤ Know each platform’s free and paid offerings.
✤ Use correct grammar.
✤ Get privy to each platform’s “ rules.”
✤ Include short links back to site content.
✤ Use tools to help you manage your social media efficiently.
✤ Know how much your fans are worth.
Maximize Your Social Media (cont’d)
✤ For a given product, Facebook fans spend an average of $71.84 more than people who are not fans, according to social media management firm Syncapse.
✤ Do what works for your brand—no magic formula.
✤ Whether you spend 6 hours or 40 hours a week, you’ll see results.
✤ Do what you can maintain and sustain.
✤ Leverage your social media plan with purpose to build your brand.
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