Presentation on the do's and don'ts of Social Media for Business given at the Southwater Business Show on 18th September 2011 by Pete Waller Digital Marketing Consultant from WSI4BusinessSuccess.

1. 1 Social Media for Business Stall D4 18th Sep 2011 WSI4BusinessSuccess : Pete Waller

2. DM Core Foundations

3. DM Core Foundations

4. Key Questions : Social Media for Businesses Why would small businesses invest time, effort and money in social media? When is the best time for your business to engage in social media? What are the do’s and don’t when using social media as a business vehicle?

5. Introduction toThe Digital Presence Revolution What It Is, Why It’s Important, & How To Take Control of It 5

6. 6

7. 1.0 1.0+ 2.0 2.0+ Social Networks Micro Blogging Websites Blogs Usage Few skilled web developers (html) Semi-skilled consumers (no html) Anyone with friends Anyone who can type 140 characters Friction Private, real-time conversations Static, one-way Dynamic, two-way Frictionless broadcasting Publishing goes up exponentially as friction goes down! Publishing Revolution

8. Why Is It Important? Businesses Have: static website & one way to be found They Need: fresh Web Presence & many ways to be found Your sites Local Directories Social Media Content Sites More Quality Content Published in More Places = More Customers

9. Content created by You… Sites & Pages Directory listings Real-time updates Photos Videos $ Offers Products Comments Thanks Replies Thanks Content created by others!! SHARE www WoM Links Reviews Referrals Shares & Likes Comments What is Quality Content?

10. Quality Content Drives Web Presence

11. What are the Benefits?

12. Consumers are online 12

13. Is Social Media a fad? 13 Socialnomics

14. repeat social marketing SIGN-UP/CLAIM YOUR PAGES passwords passwords tools repeat POST NEW UPDATES time Create Content fans repeat SEO repeat research repeat time repeat directories MONITOR & RESPOND reviews SEO LOAD YOUR CONTENT repeat analytics repeat KEEP TRACK OF IT ALL tools repeat leads followers reputation management I need to run my business What are the Challenges?

15. 15 So Why might you need a Social Presence? Affordable Marketing There’s no need for a large budget to conduct social media marketing Viral Nature Users can easily share your messages with their friends andcontacts with a click of a button Enhances Brand Through social media you can build and enhance your online reputation (brand reputation management) Builds Credibility User generated endorsements are more credible than traditional advertising Increases Traffic A well-planned social media strategy will drive more traffic (and potential clients) to your website Engages Customers Connect with your customers and respond to their feedback in real-time

16. Why UK Companies Use Social Media 16

17. 17 Why People Follow Companies on Social Networks

18. UK Ad Spending on Social 18

19. 19 Tips before you begin.. We always recommend (if you have employees): You have a social media policy in place You identify staff to train up and act as leaders (if appropriate) You Document your training and turn it into your own Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) You Register your brand and trade marks if you haven’t already? As part of the implementation.. Define your social presence ‘look and feel’ Create Company Branded Templates…

20. 20 Social Networks

21. 21 Social Networks

23. Facebook

24. YouTube

25. Twitter

27. Social Media Do’s and Don’ts 24 Profile Creation Community Building Video and Image Sharing Status Updates & Messaging Blog Posts & Comments Privacy & Confidentiality

29. Provide a company biography on your profile and list your industry or service expertise

30. Have a company logo or professional photo for your profile picture and use a consistent picture across the social portals

32. Use your personal contact details as this looks very unprofessional. Use your company branded contact details

33. Use the same profile for personal and business use. Keep them separate

35. Follow or add business contacts to your community that choose to connect with you

36. Ensue you are engaging yourself in other people’s social networks

38. Neglect to manage your followers. Block those that are not business appropriate.

39. Assume people will find you. Actively search for social network users relevant to your company

41. Upload any inappropriate pictures to your gallery or photo albums

42. Try to optimise any videos you upload with relevant keywords (title tags, video descriptions, etc.)

44. Ensure your posts are engaging and entice a conversation

45. Ensure your messages are relevant to your audience and followers

47. Post any messages that are unprofessional or do not provide value to your audience

48. Post messages at a frequency that would be considered SPAM

50. Ensure that all content associated with you is consistent with your work and with you company’s values and professional standards

51. Provoke meaningful conversation in a professional, non-criticising manner

52. Have a monitoring process in place for comments on your blogs

53. Write what you know and post about your areas of expertise

55. Create a content plan for your blog and ensure consistent frequency in your blog posts

56. Share content that’s open-ended and invites response and encourages comments

58. Over moderate your comments. Allow for both positive and constructive comments to be posted

59. Start a conversation without being ready to respond and contribute to comments

60. Take your company brand for granted. Acknowledge that it’s your privilege to be promoting your company brand across the social networks

62. Create a blog post without considering search optimisation techniques (ie; use keyword rich content, titles and descriptions)

63. Lose focus on the topic you are writing about

65. Respect brand, trademark, copyright, fair use, trade secrets (incl. Process and methodologies), confidentiality, and financial disclosure laws

66. Be smart about protecting yourself, your privacy, and your company’s proprietary and confidential information. Ultimately what you publish is widely accessible and will be online for a long time

68. Post anything that makes you the slightest bit uncomfortable. Pause, take a moment to review and discuss with a PR advisor if necessary

69. Publish or share any customer specific information (testimonials, quotes, case studies, etc.) without their prior permission

71. Have the Key Questions been answered Why would small businesses invest time, effort and money in social media? When is the best time for your business to engage in social media? What are the do’s and don’t when using social media as a business vehicle?

72. Social Media Strategy Guide 40 Social Media Policy Social Media Do’s and Don’ts Social Media and PR On-line Reputation Management Measuring Social Integrated on-line Strategy Visit WSI4BusinessSuccess on Stall D4

73. 41 Social Media for Business Questions WSI4BusinessSuccess : Pete Waller

74. 42 Social Media for Business Thank you Visit us at D4 for Free WebscanTM Mobile: 07794 461987 WSI4BusinessSuccess : Pete Waller