This presentation was presented to the Paul VI Alumni Business Networking Group. It was designed to give attendees a chance to hear about why social media is important, how to use it correctly for their business and some tips on creative ways to incorporate out-of-the-box thinking.

1. Using Social Media to Grow Your BusinessNichole Marie DevolitesCEO - Conversa Group Lessons Learned from the Front Lines of Social Media

2. Brief Background – Nichole Devolites Technology marketing since 1999 Government and technology marketing since 2003 Microsoft since 2004 Launched social media efforts in 2009 Blogger since 2009 Luxury retail marketing since 2010 Conversa Group since 2010 Writer for Washington Life Magazine since 2010

3. Brief Background – Conversa Group Launched company (unofficially) in 2009 to meet the needs of Microsoft partners in the Federal space Became a full-time employee of this company in 2010 Content development Social media Marketing strategy/”roadmapping” Campaign development

4. Agenda What is Social Media? Who is using Social Media now? Why is Social Media so “hot”? Why does Social Media matter? Engaging your customer How do I use it to grow my business?

5. What is Social Media Wikipedia: Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, which allows the creation and exchange of user-generated content."[1] A common thread running through all definitions of social media is a blending of technology and social interaction for the co-creation of value. 1. Kaplan, Andreas M.; Michael Haenlein (2010). "Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media". Business Horizons 53 (1): 59–68.

6. The Spectrum of Social Media

7. Who is using Social Media? EVERYONE

8. Why is Social Media so “Hot”? The ability to share your message with billions of potential viewers Most social media tools are free at their basic level Innovation and thought leadership Constantly connected every minute of every day The applications of these tools are limitless

9. Why does Social Media Matter? Because… Your customers are talking about you even if you aren’t talking with them Your competitors are engaging in conversations and building loyalty even if you’re not Your brand has a presence in social media even if you don’t know it You have a seat at the table even if it’s empty…

10. How do I Engage my Customer Through Social Media? Am I consistent in posting? Am I posting often enough? Am I posting compelling messaging? Do my posts offer a call to action? Am I creative in my thinking when utilizing these tools? Do I offer incentives to my audience to visit my pages again?

11. What Happens When I Engage with Customers?

12. Case Study in Motion: Microsoft Federal No previous social media strategy, prior to 2009 In need of showcasing thought leadership and mindshare Utilized Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter GovLoop, blog and Blogtalkradio Efforts still ongoing today

13. Case Study in Motion: Tysons Galleria No previous social media strategy, prior to 2010. Became thought leaders in luxury retail and high fashion Event attendance went up Fan base grew by 300-500% a month on both Twitter and Facebook “Tysons Galleria now has a voice in the fashion world.” – Michael Clements, Senior Editor of Washington Life Magazine Their social media fan base continues to grow, as customers rely on the news for the latest in fashion updates

14. When Done Right, Social Media has a High Impact “Social media is not a big bet, placed once, with a hope for a large payout immediately. Social media is made up of “little moves made every day that eventually add up to a major shift” (Jay Baer).

15. Eight Social Media Facts According to Social Media Examiner: Marketers place high value on social media: A significant 90% of marketers indicate that social media is important for their business. Measurement and integration are top areas marketers want to master: 1/3 of all social media marketers want to know how to monitor and measure the ROI of social media and integrate their social media activities. Social media marketing takes a lot of time:The majority of marketers (58%) are using social media for 6 hours or more each week, and more than a third (34%) invest 11 or more hours weekly. Video marketing on the rise: A significant 77% of marketers plan on increasing their use of YouTube and video marketing, making it the top area marketers will invest in for 2011.

16. Eight Social Media Facts, cont’d Marketers seek to learn more about Facebook and blogging: 70% of marketers want to learn more about Facebook and 69% want to learn more about blogging. The top benefits of social media marketing: The number-one advantage of social media marketing (by a long shot) is generating more business exposure, as indicated by 88% of marketers. Increased traffirankings (62%) were also major advantages. The top social media tools: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and blogs were the top four social media tools used by marketers, in that order. Facebook has eclipsed Twitter to take the top spot since our 2010 study. Social media outsourcing underutilized: Only 28% of businesses are outsourcing some portion of their social media marketing.

17. Innovative Tips for a Better Customer Experience Offer live events on Facebook: It provides additional value and fresh ways for your fans to interact with you, periodically conduct live chat sessions or live webinars or teleseminars. Research what your customers are saying:“Stop reading the success stories and best practices to model your social media strategy. Use them for inspiration, but my best advice to you is to go figure out what your opportunity is first Meet people in real life: Have bi-monthly meetup events Invest in social media after you do your research Share the knowledge of experts with your audience: “Get experts involved with your content. Determine who the experts are in your industry. Then go to them and offer to interview them about their hottest new project. During the interview, be sure to ask plenty of questions your audience would like to know the answers to.

18. How do I use it to grow my business? Treat it as a marketing plan but don’t over-market… Engage with an Expert Form a Strategy Set Objectives Create Action Plans Choose your Channels Build Experience Be Authentic

19. I’m here to Help… Nichole Devolites Founder and CEO, Conversa Group 571-232-2354 ndevolites@conversagroup.com http://www.conversagroup.com http://www.visualcv.com/ndevolites http://sociallady.wordpress.com http://www.twitter.com/conversagroup http://www.facebook.com/pages/Conversa-Group/189907703458