Five Ways to Increase Engagement and Build Community with Social Media Mack Collier – The Viral Garden http://www.flickr.com/photos/artemfinland/

Remember that my view might not match yours

Keys to Increasing Engagement and Building Community Creating valuable content Fish where the fish are Give others a voice Spotlight your contributors Join your community

Creating valuable content

Fish where the fish are

Give others a voice

Spotlight your contributors

Join your community

Create valuable content Think about the people you want to reach, and what content they are looking for Find the ‘bigger idea’ Don’t view social media as a direct promotional channel

Think about the people you want to reach, and what content they are looking for

Find the ‘bigger idea’

Don’t view social media as a direct promotional channel

Don’t blog about cameras, blog about photography

What Graco Did: Graco positioned its blog as being written by parents, for parents Prior to blog’s launch, 68% of all mentions were positive, now it’s 83% After 18 months, total online mentions of the company had almost doubled

Graco positioned its blog as being written by parents, for parents

Prior to blog’s launch, 68% of all mentions were positive, now it’s 83%

After 18 months, total online mentions of the company had almost doubled

Fish where the fish are Interact with the people you want to reach in THEIR space, not yours Connecting with people away from your blog/site builds awareness The best way to grow your blog, is to leave it

Interact with the people you want to reach in THEIR space, not yours

Connecting with people away from your blog/site builds awareness

The best way to grow your blog, is to leave it

Because you can’t interact with people from here… http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaronescobar

By visiting, commenting on and linking to other blogs and sites, you are creating trails back to your own…

Encourage feedback, and act on it Ask for comments, questions and feedback If you act on feedback from others, that will prompt more interaction Others will promote your efforts

Ask for comments, questions and feedback

If you act on feedback from others, that will prompt more interaction

Others will promote your efforts

Put the spotlight on your contributors and active members Make sure contributions and content created is acknowledged Showcase active members, encouraging others

Make sure contributions and content created is acknowledged

Showcase active members, encouraging others

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cameronparkins Join Your Community

"We're really just a part of our community...If our community starts to rebel against us, or if they decide that we're not going to be around anymore, then we're gone. And if that happens, then we know that we deserve it." - Jeffrey Kalmikoff, Chief Creative Officer, Threadless

When You Join Your Community… Their wants and needs become your wants and needs What’s good for the community, is good for you Your community sees that what’s good for you, is good for them

Their wants and needs become your wants and needs

What’s good for the community, is good for you

Your community sees that what’s good for you, is good for them

Keys to Increasing Engagement and Building Community Creating valuable content Fish where the fish are Give others a voice Spotlight your contributors Join your community

Creating valuable content

Fish where the fish are

Give others a voice

Spotlight your contributors

Join your community

Mack Collier – Social Media Consultant Stay in touch with me here: Blog – http://www.theviralgarden.com Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/mackcollier Email – mack.collier@gmail.com