Social media has swept the business world by storm. This guide will introduce the reader to essential concepts for building and growing a successful social media presence.

1. Social media has taken the business world by storm. It is no longer an optional marketing channel for
marketers - it’s a must do. In fact, today social media marketing on networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn,
and Twitter ranks equal in importance to online advertising, according to a poll of U.S. marketers conducted
by Gartner for Marketing Leaders.
As social media use among consumers continues to rise and new platforms constantly emerge, businesses
find themselves scrambling to keep up with the groundswell. So what’s the secret behind social media
success in business? Those who believe the number of likes and followers equates to social media success
are in for a surprise as bots and spammers amount to nearly 40 percent of accounts on social media
networks skewing the true number of your likes and followers.
The Insider’s Guide to Social Media
Twitter AccountPublishTwitter AccountSocial Media
Tip:
Harness the power of social
media as a part of your
successful business plan.
The secret to social media success is this… it isn’t a secret! Start small and build your social presence.
Businesses of all sizes and types can find success across all social networks by following five simple rules:
1. Monitor what people say about you – More people are turning to social networks to voice their wants,
needs, concerns, and opinions. Businesses need to stay up-to-date with what consumers are saying about
their brand, product, or service. Real-time insights into frequently asked questions, rapidly growing issues,
and praise for service well done help reduce customter servicing costs, raise loyalty, and catch problems
early.
2. Manage your social media presence – First it was Facebook, then it was Twitter… then came LinkedIn,
Pinterest, and Google+. But it doesn’t end there as new platforms continue to emerge (Instagram ring a
bell, anyone?). As businesses create new social accounts, they need to be sure they are optimizing each of
their accounts to contribute to their social media success. It's a good idea to start with one platform first;
master it, then move on to the next platform.
Note:
Social media,
ranks equally important as
online advertising.
Tip:
There is no secret to social
media success... just an
awareness of the steps
needed to make it happen.

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Email: info@viralheat.com
Web: www.viralheat.com
3. Engage with your audience – All successful relationships begin with two-way communication, and a
business relationship between brand and consumer is no different. Now that you are monitoring the social
web, you should be engaging with your audience. Brands can communicate directly with their audience
through social engagement. See a negative mention or comment? Reach out to defuse or correct the
situation. See a potential sales lead? Contact the user to set something up. See a positive comment? Thank
the user for their praise. Recommend a timeframe for responding? (2 hours)
4. Publish relevant content – The key to a successful social presence is shareable content. A common
mistake is to post an ongoing thread of messages that would tire even the most ardent fan. Successful
businesses know they need to share content that is interesting, entertaining, or useful to their audience.
Monitoring helps to figure out what topics are currently resonating with your followers and how they talk
about them. Before publishing, ask yourself if this is something you would share in your personal networks.
Recommend a publishing heuristic? (2-3x/wk for Facebook, daily for Twitter?)
5. Analyze the data – You can measure the success of your social media presence by looking at and
analyzing the metrics. Set some benchmark goals and take a look at changes in activity or data over the
course of a day, week, month, or year. Compare campaigns by platform or promotion and see which
tactics received the most traffic, comments, or mentions. You can then build future plans based on the
success or failure of previous ideas and use the results to adjust and optimize your campaigns. Often, the
insights gained from social promotions can be used in other marketing channels and can help stretch your
marketing budget by making those activities more effective.
Note:
Analytics say a lot about
your company’s social
performance over time.
Take notice of peaks and
dips to analyze the causes.
Tip:
Social media success is
just around the corner! 5
simple steps and you’re on
the way!
Tip:
Your audience is telling you
exactly what they want,
how they feel, etc. Engage
with them and let them
know you’re listening!
Following these five simple rules is essential to building and growing a successful social media presence.
The most advanced social media marketing suites offer businesses these five crucial components – monitor,
manage, engage, share, and analyze – within one comprehensive tool. Do your research when considering a
social media marketing service that provides an easy-to-use tool that grows as your business grows.
About Viralheat:
Viralheat is the social media marketing suite that makes it easy for you to manage social and put it to work for
your business. Trusted by more than 20,000 brands, Viralheat combines social media management and intel-
ligence in a single platform encompassing account management, monitoring, publishing, engagement, and
analytics. With its comprehensive platform and flexible pricing, Viralheat scales as your social programs
and business needs evolve.