Introduction to Using Social Media in Small BusinessAnne Mims Adrianblog.anneadrian.comaadrian@auburn.eduJuly 15, 2009

“Today, if you're not staying current with Web 2.0 technologies' impact on business, then you're just not staying current. Period.”Sarah Perez of ReadWriteWebflickr.com/photos/rambleon/2384382498/in/set-72157604099911780/

Where to begin? Pick 1, 2, or 3.

Social media is not about tools & technologyflickr.com/photos/nycarthur/2489426482/

Social MediaOnline technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives with eachother.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social media

Wikipedia75,000- active contributors 13 million– number of articles contributors have worked onthefuturebuzz.com/2009/01/12/social-media-web-20-internet-numbers-stats/ 49 Amazing Social Media, Web 2.0 And Internet Stats& thefuturebuzz.com/2009/07/10/future-marketing-trends/Future Marketing Trends – By The Numbers

Wikipedia~57 million 2008monthly visitors~65 million 2009 monthly visitors thefuturebuzz.com/2009/01/12/social-media-web-20-internet-numbers-stats/ 49 Amazing Social Media, Web 2.0 And Internet Stats& thefuturebuzz.com/2009/07/10/future-marketing-trends/Future Marketing Trends – By The Numbers

YouTube70 million– videos (March 2008)95.4 million – videos (May 2009)thefuturebuzz.com/2009/01/12/social-media-web-20-internet-numbers-stats/49 Amazing Social Media, Web 2.0 And Internet Stats& thefuturebuzz.com/2009/07/10/future-marketing-trends/Future Marketing Trends – By The Numbers

Blogosphere346 million– people read blogs (comScore March 2008)900,000 - average number of blog posts in a 24 hour period77% - active Internet users read blogsthefuturebuzz.com/2009/01/12/social-media-web-20-internet-numbers-stats/49 Amazing Social Media, Web 2.0 And Internet Stats

1 trillion- unique URLs in Google’s indexthefuturebuzz.com/2009/01/12/social-media-web-20-internet-numbers-stats/49 Amazing Social Media, Web 2.0 And Internet Stats

Facebook200 millionactive usersblog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=72353897130

FacebookFacebook is the largest social networking site, passing MySpace in 2008www.mashable.com

FacebookWomen older than 55 make up the fastest-growing age group on Facebookcnn.com/2009/TECH/04/13/social.network.older/

Twitter stats3 million- Tweets/day (March 2008)Tuesday – most popular dayWednesday – close 2nd popular day techcrunch.com/2008/04/29/end-of-speculation-the-real-twitter-usage-numbers/sysomos.com/insidetwitter/Inside Twitter An In-Depth Look Inside the Twitter World

Twitter stats2.62 billion- number of Tweets as July 14, 2009 Twitter is the fastest growing (752% increase in 2008!)http://popacular.com/gigatweet/www.mashable.com

What is the point?http://www.flickr.com/photos/skipnclick/2945026921/

Go where the people areflickr.com/photos/mcgarry/111003432/

Listenflickr.com/photos/joyoflife/23724427/

Google Alerts What is being said on the webgoogle.com/alerts

Know what people are saying search.twitter.com/Twitter Searches

Connect & build relationships

Try Explore LearnParticipate by DOINGflickr.com/photos/aafromaa/3027002824/in/set-72157608631840641/

Define your goals blog.k1v1n.com/2008/10/defining-freerange-enterprise.htmlflickr.com/photos/tomoski/2688883653/

Facebook’s strength lies in its ability to help people connect and stay connected.(www.iconspedia.com , Jeremy Roux)

Create an accountwww.facebook.comAdd friends (Must have friends to connect, converse, learn and have fun).Search Facebook for high school and college peers and by location.

Facebook

Facebook listsDivide friends into categories

Facebook privacyIs a relatively “closed” network, BUT:Adjust privacy settings.Anything electronic is portable. (Nothing electronically is entirely private, i.e. copy and paste works for everyone).

Facebook pages and groups Groups interaction or discussion (planning high school class reunion). Pages usually for an organization. much like an individual’s account.

Facebook group

Facebook page

Facebook page

Facebook page

Facebook pagesCreate as a stand-alone account and then assign administrators (who must have their own login accounts, i.e. individual accounts).ORCreate from your individual account, making your account the page owner.Do NOT let an employee create a page from their individual account without making more than one trusted, senior associate or owner an admin for that page.

Facebook pagesThose who follow a page are “fans”—not “friends”.Page administrator does not see individuals’ updates, only what theycommenton your page updates or write on your wall.Change settings for what areas of your page your fans can write on.Promoteyour page to your friends, get others to share it, put a badge on your website, and/or buy paid ads in Facebook.

Example Facebook badge

Facebook advertisements

Facebook pagesUpdate to a page fairly frequently without annoying fans.Page fans are most likely to be strong acquaintances, customers, and others with a strong feeling about your organization.

TwitterStarted in 2006. Based on the architecture of SMS (text) messages.Messages are 140 characters or less, generally visible by anyone.Jack Dorsey, twitter founder (www.wikipedia.com)

TwitterUpdates public by default.Play around and learn on your own.Only a loose “network”. Those you “follow” don’t necessarily follow you back and vice versa.

What is the point?http://www.flickr.com/photos/skipnclick/2945026921/

TwitterTwitter is great for …searching listeningconversing …to large groups of people you may not know in small sound bites. (www.iconspedia.com , Jeremy Roux)

TwitterKeep up with friends, customers, potential customers and news.Learn.Followconsumer brands and competitors.Facilitatefeedback to brands, media and celebrities.Ask questions.Answer questions.Converse in the small sound bites.It’s fast!

Twitter searchVery fast – are close to real time.Use twitter search to find out what people are “buzzing” about.Trending topics shows the most popular keywords appearing in the Twitter timelineClick on a keyword to get a refreshable timeline.

Create a Twitter account www.twitter.comAccount comes pre-populated with some others you’ll be following – feel free to unfollow any of those.Make some updates before adding people.

TwitterThose you follow will get a message that you are following them. And likely they will:Look at your ratio of “followers” to “following”.Read some of your posts.Look at your biographical info.Then decide whether to follow you or not.Unlike Facebook, it’s acceptable to follow people you’ve never heard of.

TwitterFollowing is notnecessarily reciprocal.Don’t be offended and don’t feel obligated.Avoid spam/”robot” twitter accounts by not following them and block them. My personal rule of thumb, I don’t block anyone who seems like a real person – what’s the point? (but “to each his own”)

TwitterTwitter is very open.Don’t post anything sensitive at all. Anyone in the world can read it; searches will find your messages.

TwitterSet up an organizational account like an individual account. There are no “admin” account settings; use a company e-mail or a free web account, not an employee’s personal account.

Twitter#tags facilitate search.

Twitter @ replies Indicate a reply or a reference to someone.Create a sort of “conversation”.

Twitter @ replies Make your message show up in a special kind of search by user. Creates a sort of ‘conversation”.

Twitter @ replies Make your message show up in a special kind of search by user. Creates a sort of ‘conversation”

Twitter direct messagesAre private (still electronic). Must be following each other to send them.

Example of effective use

Example of effective use

Example of effective use

Example of effective use

Example of spam account

Twitter applicationsUse different applications to keep the flow in small bits through out day and on different devices. Send and receive SMS (text messages).iPhone and other mobile phone appsuberTwitterTiny TwitterTweetieMobile browser version

3rd Party desktop applicationsTweetdeckTwhirlTweetie(There are many and more keep getting developed so this list will change).

Twitter tips for businessPush Twitter updates to Page or Status updates

Integration of communitiesTwitter Facebook LinkedIn

Local Twitter examplesSandy Toomerstwitter.com/toomerscoffeeHeath Catestwitter.com/heathcates

Other considerationsExample your web page.Do you offer ways for people to keep up with information about products and services?Do you have ways for customers to comment?Is your web information mobile accessible?Look for other groups, forums, social networks that are being used by your customers.

Collaborate smarter

Sharing

Blogs & Microblogs

Podcastsflickr.com/jschneid

Instant Messaging

Feed (RSS) Readers

Textingflickr.com/jswaby

What is the point?http://www.flickr.com/photos/skipnclick/2945026921/

Choose the right tool.flickr.com/photos/geishaboy500/100043823/

Google me Anne Adrianblog.anneadrian.comaadrian@auburn.eduTwitter: aafromaadelicious: aafromaaAIM: aafromaaSlideshare: aafromaaFlickr: aafromaaYouTube: aafromaa

ResourcesSocial Media Marketing Guide. How To Use Twitter, Facebook, YouTube And MySpace To Grow Your Internet Marketing Businesssmall-business-articles.com/social-media-marketing-guide-how-to-use-twitter-facebook-youtube-and-myspace-to-grow-your-internet-marketing-business/Ohio Farm Bureau Social Media Guide ofbf.org/uploads/social-media-guide.pdf10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Knowhttp://www.allfacebook.com/2009/02/facebook-privacy/

ResourcesHow to Use Twitter for Business flyte.biz/resources/newsletters/08/06-twitter-for-business.phpTwitter Guide: How to, Tips, and Instructions mashable.com/guidebook/twitter/Deciding who to follow in Twitter (and Friendfeed) and who to friend in Facebookblog.anneadrian.com/2009/07/decide-who-to-follow-in-twitter-and.html

ResourcesRSS in Plain English, a video introduction to using news readers from Common Craft commoncraft.com/rss_plain_englishUse a newsreaderblog.anneadrian.com/2007/05/how-to-use-news-reader.html

ResourcesClay Shirky "It's not information overload. It's filter failure" at Web 2.0 Expo NY web2expo.blip.tv/file/1277460/Not information overload--filter failure blog.anneadrian.com/2008/10/not-information-overload-filter-failure.htmlMisconception about web technologies blog.anneadrian.com/2009/06/misconception-about-web-technologies_26.html

ResourcesEngaging Communities on their on Turf: Secrets of Social networkers hconnect.extension.iastate.edu/p79426457/Feeding FrenzyeXtension 30-Minute recording by Beth Raney, connect.extension.iastate.edu/p51525211/Beginner’s Guide to Social Media in Extensioncollaborate.extension.org/wiki/Beginners_Guide_to_Social_Media_in_Extension

ResourcesPoscente, Vince. The Age of Speed.Aral, Sinan and Van Alstyne, Marshall W., "Network Structure & Information Advantage: Structural Determinants of Access to Novel Information and Their Performance Implications" (January 18, 2007). Available at SSRN: ssrn.com/abstract=958158Hampton, K. (2002). Place-based and IT mediated “community.” Planning Theory and Practice, 3(2), 228-23.Hampton, K. & Wellman, B. (2003). Neighboring in Netville: How the Internet supports community and social capital in a wired suburb. City and Community, 2(4), 277-311. Ellison, N. B. Steinfield, C., and Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook “friends”: Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites. Journal of Computer Mediation Communication, 12(4), Article 1.

Introduction to Using Social Media in Small BusinessJuly 15, 2009Anne Mims Adrian, PhDAlabama Cooperative Extension System at Auburn Universityaadrian@auburn.edublog.anneadrian.comThis work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this license, visit creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.