This document provides an overview of social media and how businesses can utilize various social media platforms. It discusses the most popular platforms like blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. For each platform, it provides statistics on usage, reasons for businesses to use the platform, and tips on how to engage on each channel. It emphasizes that social media is about engaging customers and that businesses need to monitor metrics to measure return on investment from their social media efforts.

1. Social Media
“Plugged In and Turned On”
Or... I have a twitter account,
now what?
by
Christy Williams
@christycantsell
VividPoint Interactive
www.vividpointinteractive.com
@vividpointweb

2. Word-of-Mouth Goes Virtual
The most three most trusted forms of advertising are:
Recommendations from people I know - 90%
Consumer opinions posted online - 70%
Branded websites - 70%
What Social Media has done is make the traditional two-way word of mouth
marketing accessible and available to everyone with a computer (or phone).
FROM THIS TO THIS
The question is, how do we engage the guy with the megaphone?

3. What is Social Media?
def (Wikipedia) - Social media is media designed to be disseminated through social
interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques.
Social Media IS NOT
A fad
A replacement for traditional advertising
The first step
The magic bullet
FREE
All about YOU
Social Media IS
A big deal
Going where your customers already are or where they want to be
Applicable to most companies in some way or another
Time-consuming
All about THEM

4. Socialnomics Video

5. The BIG FIVE
Blogging
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Youtube
The Stats - The Why - The How

6. Blogging
def (wikipedia.com) - "A type of website with regular entries of commentary,
descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video."
The Stats
Approximately 200 million blogs
90% of blogs fail in the first year
The majority of web users interact with blogs every single day

7. Blogging
Why blog?
Constantly updated content
Gives visitors a reason to check out your site again and again
Become an EXPERT in your field
Search Engine Optimization
ENGAGEMENT with customers

8. Blogging
How blog?
Common Blogging Platforms
Blogger, Blogspot, Wordpress
Minimum of 2x per month
1000 words or less per entry
Blogs are NOT press releases
EACH post should have some interactive/multimedia element
Polls
Video, Photos
Links to other relevant sites
Lists
Enable comments and only filter them if they are explicit or spam
Integrate all of your other social media platforms
(“Add to Any”;“Tweetmeme”; “Meebo”)

10. Facebook
AKA THE BIG ONE
The Stats
400 million users
The average U.S. Internet user spends more time on Facebook than on
Google, Yahoo, YouTube, Microsoft, Wikipedia and Amazon combined.
Average age is 38
#2 visited site (after Google)
The New Oxford American Dictionary voted “unfriend” as the 2009 Word of
the Year.

11. Facebook
AKA THE BIG ONE
Why Facebook?
The stats speak for themselves
Mix of paid (Highly targeted)
And unpaid (permission marketing)

12. Facebook
AKA THE BIG ONE
How to Facebook?
EVERYDAY – Respond to inquiries, add fans, post on other
pages, share links.
WEEKLY – Feed your blog posts.
Use the paid advertising
Friend pages are for individuals; Fan pages are for businesses.
Don't sell, sell, sell
Lighten up

13. LinkedIN
Your Virtual Resume
The Stats
50 million+ users
The largest truly business-oriented site
Average age is 44

14. LinkedIN
Your Virtual Resume
Why LinkedIN?
No brainer
The best Rolodex ever
Lead generation

15. LinkedIN
Your Virtual Resume
How to LinkedIN?
Make a personal page for everyone in the company. Link them to your
company profile.
EVERYDAY
Followup on messages/requests; Check in on your contacts;
Post a status update.
WEEKLY
Feed your blog posts; Answer questions; Make recommendations;
Join groups.
Use the search feature for lead generation.
Get serious

16. Twitter
It’s not about what you had for breakfast. Ok, maybe sometimes.
def - The platform that allows users to send a receive 140 character messages known
as tweets. You opt in to follow users whose content you want to receive.
The stats
“Twitter” was the top word of 2009, according to the Global Language
Monitor.
Average age is 39
100 million-ish users
Only about 20% are active

17. Twitter
It’s not about what you had for breakfast. Ok, maybe sometimes.
Why Twitter?
Users in the prime spending period of their lives.
Smaller amount of users, but VERY ENGAGED and CONNECTED.
Real time search capabilities for lead generation and customer service
Twitter results now turn up on the front page of Google.

18. Twitter
It’s not about what you had for breakfast. Ok, maybe sometimes.
How to Twitter?
DAILY – post links, “retweet” content, share your blog.
Engage prominent personalities.
Feed your blog
Press release distribution
search.twitter.com
If you're not going to make a committed effort to use a twitter account,
don’t make one.

21. YouTube
Cute kittens everywhere get their 15 minutes.
The Stats
2 billion videos watched daily
The number two search engine after Google

22. YouTube
Cute kittens everywhere get their 15 minutes.
Why use it?
For the visual learners
Search Engine Optimization

23. YouTube
Cute kittens everywhere get their 15 minutes.
How to use it?
Post at least quarterly; share other Youtube content monthly.
Invest in a video camera, hire a video production company, or use "photo-
based" video software.
How-to tutorials, video tours of your office, event wrap ups.
Post videos as "replies" to already existing and related content.
Integrate into your blog with embed feature.

24. Trends for the Future
Mobile. Mobile. Mobile.
Google Buzz
Geolocation
Corporate policy & procedures
Diaspora
The end of email marketing?

25. What Does A Social Media
Strategist Do?
Work closely with your already existing marketing staff to understand your marketing
strategy and goals.
Research the most appropriate social media channels for your business.
Help you set up your accounts.
Determine with the best tools to manage those accounts.
Train internal staff how to manage those accounts using the tools.
Develop metrics and institute tracking devices to gauge return on investment.
Advise on how to deliver promotional content and campaigns through the channels.
Monitor changes in social media technology, channels, and tools and make
adjustments and provide training.

26. What Does A Social Media
Strategist NOT Do?
Write content
Manage the day-to-day uploading of content
Take the place of a true brand and marketing strategist

27. What do I do next?
(10 steps)
1. Formalize your brand strategy.
2. Put together a comprehensive marketing plan.
3. Take a critical look at your current website.
4. Set benchmarks
Google Analytics; Alexa
“How did you hear about us?”
SEO Ranking
5. Make a decision on time investment.
6. RELAX!
7. Set up your accounts.
8. Take some time learning the tools and the lingo.
9. SHARE
10. CARE

28. Return on Investment
“Half of my advertising spend is wasted, but I don’t know which half.”
What is your time worth?
DIRECT SALES
Example:
$250/week
(5 hours/week x $50/hr)
$500/year
(Average client spend)
2% closing ratio
(Through the website – WITHOUT an incentive)
100 visitors/month
(Approximate increase in site traffic to break even)
Are your social media efforts bringing 100 extra site visits/month?

29. Return on Investment
“Half of my advertising spend is wasted, but I don’t know which half”
PROMOTIONAL EVENT
Example:
$2,500 overall event budget
$750.00 spent on social media advertising
(15 hours x $50/hr)
$500/year
(Average client spend)
10% closing ratio
50 attendees
(Amount needed to break even)
Did your social media efforts bring 50 attendees or more?

30. Return on Investment
“Half of my advertising spend is wasted, but I don’t know which half”
OTHER METRICS WORTH MEASURING
(BESIDES DIRECT SALES)
SEO Ranking
Media Placements
“Buzz” – Retweets, followers, comments, Facebook page activity,
channel subscriptions, pingbacks
Customer retention/referrals

31. Additional Resources
Mashable.com
Slideshare.net
Technorati
SocialMediaToday.com
Chris Brogan
And, of course, Blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and
Youtube.