SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST SALES 12/16/08

Why social networking? Increase your visibility online Improve your professional network Find hidden connections Make first meetings go smoother Deepen relationships with customers Find new prospects and make them customers

Increase your visibility online

Improve your professional network

Find hidden connections

Make first meetings go smoother

Deepen relationships with customers

Find new prospects and make them customers

Top social networking sites Myspace Facebook Flickr LinkedIn Fastest growing: Twitter, Tagged, Ning

Myspace

Facebook

Flickr

LinkedIn

Fastest growing: Twitter, Tagged, Ning

Social media even more important in the travel, tourism and hospitality business!

Social media even more important in the travel, tourism and hospitality business!

Today’s focus LinkedIn.com Facebook.com Others to explore on your own: Myspace.com Twitter.com Various travel related socnets

LinkedIn.com

Facebook.com

Others to explore on your own:

Myspace.com

Twitter.com

Various travel related socnets

Social networking fundamentals Profile Content Contacts/friends Search Understand your key words/search terms Know where to search (e.g., Twitter searches on Summize.com) Other functions vary by socnet

Profile

Content

Contacts/friends

Search

Understand your key words/search terms

Know where to search (e.g., Twitter searches on Summize.com)

Other functions vary by socnet

Maximizing LinkedIn Make the most of your profile Showcase your professional expertise and personality Upload your address book contacts to expand your network

Make the most of your profile

Showcase your professional expertise and personality

Upload your address book contacts to expand your network

LinkedIn profile tips Be concise, interesting and informative Use key words people may search on, such as safety or PPE Add every new contact you meet to your network

Be concise, interesting and informative

Use key words people may search on, such as safety or PPE

Add every new contact you meet to your network

More LinkedIn profile tips Recommendations add interest to your profile Add hobbies and interests to uncover hidden connections with existing or new contacts

Recommendations add interest to your profile

Add hobbies and interests to uncover hidden connections with existing or new contacts

Advanced LinkedIn tips LinkedIn Answers Post questions or answers Showcase your expertise Search answers to find and make new contacts LinkedIn Groups Search for keywords such as meetings, travel, tourism, meeting planning 375 groups on “safety” alone Join groups to make new contacts

LinkedIn Answers

Post questions or answers

Showcase your expertise

Search answers to find and make new contacts

LinkedIn Groups

Search for keywords such as meetings, travel, tourism, meeting planning

375 groups on “safety” alone

Join groups to make new contacts

LinkedIn groups search

Facebook search

Niche social sites Tripadvisor IgoUgo Virtualtourist.com Chowhound Guidespot GoSeeTell Yelp MyTravelGuide RealTravel Epinions DontGoThere.org

Tripadvisor

IgoUgo

Virtualtourist.com

Chowhound

Guidespot

GoSeeTell

Yelp

MyTravelGuide

RealTravel

Epinions

DontGoThere.org

Online reputation management Show your best face online How are you connecting? How much is too much? Define role and value of social media for you as well as your brand Know that what you say online to one person, one time… you’re saying to everyone, all the time

Show your best face online

How are you connecting?

How much is too much?

Define role and value of social media for you as well as your brand

Know that what you say online to one person, one time… you’re saying to everyone, all the time

GETTING STARTED

Joining the conversation: Listen Observe online communities where your brand is actively discussed Participate in conversations as if with someone in real life whom you respect Pay attention to how community members interact with each other Reach out to people as a human being, NOT as a marketer or salesperson

Observe online communities where your brand is actively discussed

Participate in conversations as if with someone in real life whom you respect

Pay attention to how community members interact with each other

Reach out to people as a human being, NOT as a marketer or salesperson

Joining the conversation: Engage I. Listen IV. Evaluate III. Contribute II. Participate

Create content Make it easy for people to connect to you Participate in larger conversations Integrate into social networks Provide a valuable application Build relationships on and off-line Contribute to the community

Create content

Make it easy for people to connect to you

Participate in larger conversations

Integrate into social networks

Provide a valuable application

Build relationships on and off-line

Benefits of social media Deeper relationships with visitors/guests Increased awareness for brand Better communication with audiences Broadening of professional network Search engine prominence Increased web or blog traffic

Deeper relationships with visitors/guests

Increased awareness for brand

Better communication with audiences

Broadening of professional network

Search engine prominence

Increased web or blog traffic

QUESTIONS? [email_address] @LaraK on Twitter Blog at www.larakretler.com 614-383-1618 (w) 937-271-9151 (c)