Social Media in Business
Sue IngramDirector of Information Technology Services
Missouri State University-West [email protected]
Social Media…• Designed to create and build relationships –
promote conversation, ask for feedback, and respond to questions and comments
• Not social media marketing, but social media engagement
• Should be part of your overall marketing plan• Tools may be free, but most require ongoing
attention
2Missouri State University - West Plains
Social Media Engagement• What are you trying to accomplish?• How will you measure your progress?• Will you commit to the time required?
3Missouri State University - West Plains
Getting Started• Create a Gmail account– Why?• Most social media sites require a login; use this email
account to keep business separate from personal– http://mail.google.com/mail
4Missouri State University - West Plains
Create a GMail accounthttp://mail.google.com/mail
5Missouri State University - West Plains
Google Alertshttp://www.google.com/alerts
• Find out what is being said about your company or product
• Keep up to date on a competitor or industry • Get results via email – you select the
frequency
6Missouri State University - West Plains
Google Alerts…http://www.google.com/alerts
7Missouri State University - West Plains
Google your business
8Missouri State University - West Plains
Why let others create your ad?Google Places
9Missouri State University - West Plains
Google Places…http://places.google.com/business
10Missouri State University - West Plains
Google Places…http://places.google.com/business
11Missouri State University - West Plains
Facebook• 500 million active users - 50% online on any
day• Google and Facebook – neck and neck• Go where your customers are!• Promote conversations and interactions• Share, don’t sell!
12Missouri State University - West Plains
Facebook…A post on Delvin Farms’ Page This is what a “fan” sees
13Missouri State University - West Plains
Facebook…• Personal profile (account)• Group• Page
• Create Facebook personal profile (account)– http://www.facebook.com – Review / change settings
• Log in, then create Facebook Page– http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php
14Missouri State University - West Plains
Facebook…Create profile (account) http://www.facebook.com
15Missouri State University - West Plains
Facebook Page…
16Missouri State University - West Plains
Facebook Page…
Create Facebook Pagehttp://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php
17Missouri State University - West Plains
Facebook Page…
Create Facebook Page
18Missouri State University - West Plains
Facebook Page…• Select a shortened link name (must have 25 “fans”)– Example: www.facebook.com/DSIFarm
• Add link to your business cards and other advertising• Add link to your Google Place and other online sites• Add link to your email signature • If you have a blog or web site:– Place links on your FB Page to your blog or web site
• On the Info tab• In the left column below your profile picture
– Place a link to your FB Page on your blog or web site
19Missouri State University - West Plains
Facebook Page Statistics…
20Missouri State University - West Plains
Facebook… AdvancedCreate a Facebook Landing Page
Set as default for all new visitors
Include a “call to action” such as clicking the Like button or signing up for a newsletter
21Missouri State University - West Plains
Facebook…coming soon• Facebook Places and Facebook Deals– Facebook’s answer to location-based social
networks such as Foursquare that allow users to check in and receive deals• http://www.facebook.com/help/?search=facebook+places • http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=18846
22Missouri State University - West Plains
Foursquarehttp://www.foursquare.com
• Users use their cell phones to “check in” to a business on foursquare to earn points, win Mayorships, unlock badges, and perhaps get discounts or specials
• Users’ “check-ins” are shared with their friends via Facebook or Twitter
23Missouri State University - West Plains
Foursquare…http://www.foursquare.com
24Missouri State University - West Plains
Foursquare…http://www.foursquare.com
25Missouri State University - West Plains
Foursquare…http://foursquare.com/businesses/
• Claim your venue• Use foursquare’s simple self-service tools to
create and manage different kinds of foursquare specials
• Promote your participation• Track check-ins via foursquare-provided stats
26Missouri State University - West Plains
Foursquare…http://foursquare.com/businesses/
27Missouri State University - West Plains
Foursquare…http://foursquare.com/businesses/
28Missouri State University - West Plains
Foursquare…http://foursquare.com/businesses/
29Missouri State University - West Plains
Twitterhttp://www.twitter.com
• Broadcast (tweet) information 140 characters at a time• About Twitter
– http://twitter.com/about • Twitter 101
– http://business.twitter.com/twitter101/ • Use Fast Follow to receive tweets as text messages
without a Twitter account– Text “follow [username]” to 40404– http://support.twitter.com/articles/218610-new-fast-follow – http://media.twitter.com/859/fast-follows
30Missouri State University - West Plains
Twitter…Create an account iPhone display
31Missouri State University - West Plains
YouTubewww.youtube.com
• Broadcast video• Edit and customize your channel– http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/ans
wer.py?answer=174555
32Missouri State University - West Plains
YouTube…
33Missouri State University - West Plains
More to ExploreLinkedIn – Professional networkingwww.linkedin.com
Yelp – Reviews of local businesseswww.yelp.com
34Missouri State University - West Plains
Legal Implications• Minimize risk: Five social media best practices for business
– http://www.westlawinsider.com/2010/10/minimize-risk-five-social-media-best-practices-for-business/
• Website terms and conditions: More important than you might think– http://www.westlawinsider.com/2010/10/website-terms-and-c
onditions-more-important-than-you-might-think/
• Social media for business: Legal issues faced by employees– http://www.westlawinsider.com/2010/09/social-media-for-busi
ness-legal-issues-faced-by-employees/
35Missouri State University - West Plains
Policies - Links• Should your business have a social media policy?
– http://mashable.com/2009/04/27/social-media-policy/ • Ten must-haves for your social media policy
– http://mashable.com/2009/06/02/social-media-policy-musts/• Setting technology policies that make sense in a Web 2.0 World
– http://thx4playing.blogspot.com/2008/09/setting-technology-policies-that-make.html
• IBM social computing guidelines– http://www.ibm.com/blogs/zz/en/guidelines.html
• Social Media Governance– http://socialmediagovernance.com/policies.php
36Missouri State University - West Plains
Conclusion
Building an external community on social networking platforms takes time and effort.The key is retaining this traffic and creating a social experience for the user that will (hopefully) lead to sales.
37Missouri State University - West Plains
Questions?
Sue IngramDirector of Information Technology Services
Missouri State University-West [email protected]
Missouri State University - West Plains 38
Recommended