Social media and social networking are a growing trend that will shape the future of
many business transactions. If you find getting started intimidating, or if you’ve explored
social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn or
Twitter and want to use them in your business, bring your lunch and join us for this timely
presentation by Kate Koziol of K Squared Communications. She’ll walk us through the
steps and share a lot of helpful tips.
Theses are the four major sites you really need to worry about.
Time on social media up by 82% Last year 3 hours, this year 3.5
Public Health
Veterans Affairs
Business Implications
Set up Your Profile, no Matter What Social Networking site You Go With People won’t know to contact you or why they should include you in their network until you fill out your profile. Enter as much data as you can. The data you enter is what the system uses when someone does a search. Add a photo. Statistics show that profiles with photos get a better response than those without them. Keep the profile updated. Don’t let it get stale. Here’s an example of a Facebook Profile Highlight “edit my profile” under the Home page photo Basic information Personal Information Contact Information Education and work Photos, school,
Profile
facebook
Facebook - Blue top nav bar – friends – on drop down menu Find friends Keep searching for friends Use the search functions Look in groups and networks Observe the “People You May Know” Use the tools available to search your e-mail: hotmail, gmail, online e-mail accounts, even Outlook Facebook – under Friends and then “We’d like to help you find your friends.” In LinkedIn – Add Connections – Import Contacts – Choose either Search Outlook or Search Webmail Contacts Don’t be afraid to search for contacts you have in your databases or whose business card you have If you are using Facebook: make sure you keep things you don’t want business contacts knowing from seeing personal photos, stories, etc. Use the limitations that are there on Facebook. Photos – under edit info Notes – bottom of page, drop down menu
Here’s a completed Fan Page. Now, load it up. Distribute “nuggets” of knowledge in your area of expertise via “notes” which is very much like a blog. Post photos of your office, the people in your office, and show what you do. Post videos of events, charity work done by the company, or whatever you want. Encourage fans to comment on what you post, but monitor the comments.
“ Wiggly Wigglers” out of the UK. They sell composting kits that use worms to devour garbage and household waste and then the worms produce a rich fertilizer that can be used for gardeners. Several years ago the company decided to do away with almost all of its “conventional” advertising. They cut their ad budget by 80 – 90 percent and turned to podcasting and Facebook. They have seen continued success and greatly reduced spend due to their successful maintenance of their social networking endeavors. Their group is maintained by the company, but customers interact with other customers, answering questions, providing advice to others using the products, and by uploading their own photos, videos and telling their success stories. It’s almost hands-free for the company
Here’s the Wiggly Wigglers group page
Let’s head out to LinkedIn. If you already have an account, go ahead and sign in. If you don’t go ahead and fill out that form to the right there and sign up.
Here’s what your profile looks like on LinkedIn. On LinkedIn, in particular, what you put in your profile is what people find when they do searches. Make sure you put your interests, your jobs, and other things that you want people to find you for in your profile. Left Nav bar – profile
In LinkedIn – Add Connections – Import Contacts – Choose either Search Outlook or Search Webmail Contacts to add friends and make contacts in LinkedIn
Posted a question
Left Nav Bar – Inbox ARTICLE
Upload a presentation! You can add a presentation even to Facebook. Apps such as AuthorStream SlideQ – which turns presentations into the Flash format. Slideshare In LinkedIn you can do so via apps such as Google Presentation Slideshare Twitter can link to a presentation you put on your website or on any of the other sites that allows public access.
Click on Contacts in left nav bar, click on a name, Choose recommend this person Under your Contacts and then next to each contact you will find a link that says “Recommend this person.” Write a recommendation for these people, explain why someone would want to work with them and the work you have done with them.
From your profile, look to the left side of the page and click on “Groups”
(scroll down on screen slightly to get the “how youre connected to Brian” scrren I want to meet Brian Hoyt – I know 4 people that are connected to him
Business consultant he worked with saw a twitter feed that a pastoer was having trouble getting help on booking 20 to india – he alerted Geof – made the connection and made a $40,000 sale and the potential for future business. Doug Risser – Also belong to linding in groups such as TAM and American Express – and they get advice, sees pent up demand.
When using Facebook keep watch on your customer’s and friends birthdays! It’s a good and easy way to stay in touch and remind them of you by leaving birthday messages on their walls. Facebook provides these updates to you, keep an eye on them! The notification is on your main Home Page, in the lower right. Keep an eye on those notifications It spreads word-of-mouth and people will check out the fan page or join the group. Just keep at it. Keep participating in discussions and groups on both Facebook and LinkedIn.
Debbie William example – show my postings of Crains artilce in facebook,and linked in levy group. Also show posting at end of Crains article. May need multiple slides to show elements.
The more you keep at it, the better the results It takes time. Keep posting, keep guiding people to your profiles and pages Keep making the pages and profiles interesting – Make People Want to Come back
Clutter “ Friends” will send you applications and other items that – if you accept all of them – will clutter your page and make your page complicated to use and view. Be picky about what you’ll accept, and keep your page neat and tidy. Time Vanishing SET CLEAR TIME LIMITS! Facebook will suck all of your time if you let it – so set limits and stick to it. It can be a major time-sink because it connects people so well, allowing them to keep all of the people they care about in one location. Hard Selling Doing this you will lose and alienate “friends” quickly. However, social sites are meant precisely for that: socializing. Keep it informal, fresh, and soft. Facebook is meant to help you engage with your customers to find out what they think about your products and services and to give them a heads-up on news and events at your company. Play nice. Not Updating Keep your page up-to-date, even if it is just updating your status or leaving a comment. Too Personal/Impersonal It is an art to find the right balance between too personal, and too impersonal. Don’t need to hear about your wild martini weekend in Vegas with your college buddies. Do let your “friends” know that you ARE indeed human and have a life. Keep your profile personal in nature (No one wants to interact with a sales pitch!) They want to interact with people who share the same hobbies, goals, health problems, type of pet etc…
Fishing image – lures, hooks, tackle box, something. Photo shop out the worth1000.com if possible