Social Media for Business Breakfast Seminar 24 th June 2009 Presenter: Anne Wilkinson Managing Director Executive Playground ® Conversations in multiple forms with Prospects, Customers, Suppliers, Investors, Business Groups, Colleagues, Associates and...... Friends

1. 2. 3. What 3 business challenges would you like to address/improve using Social Media?

Today’s Agenda What Social Media is Why it’s successful and unstoppable A review of the top social media networks The impact on management – challenges & opportunities Examples of companies with Social Media strategies How using Social Media effectively can transform your business relationships

What Social Media is

Why it’s successful and unstoppable

A review of the top social media networks

The impact on management – challenges & opportunities

Examples of companies with Social Media strategies

How using Social Media effectively can transform your business relationships

Why is Social Media so successful? We used to interact more in workplace community structures Now more of us work in isolation It helps to attract and connect easily with like-minded people In the main we like to help and share with others We are ‘social’ beings – our natural ‘state’ is enjoying successful relationships and learning from our interactions with others It can be fun to connect and helps us feel good

We used to interact more in workplace community structures

Now more of us work in isolation

It helps to attract and connect easily with like-minded people

In the main we like to help and share with others

We are ‘social’ beings – our natural ‘state’ is enjoying successful relationships and learning from our interactions with others

It can be fun to connect and helps us feel good

How does it benefit business? Isn’t it just a big time waster? Doesn’t it encourage staff to take their eye of the business? Surely it’s mainly for techies and geeks? How can it help us find new clients, increase sales or improve service? What about the security risks? And who is there to help us learn how to use these tools effectively?

Isn’t it just a big time waster?

Doesn’t it encourage staff to take their eye of the business?

Surely it’s mainly for techies and geeks?

How can it help us find new clients, increase sales or improve service?

What about the security risks?

And who is there to help us learn how to use these tools effectively?

Review of the top social networks * Source CNET based on UV Jan 09 LinkedIn 11 million * Twitter 6 million * Plaxo 2.5 million (Plaxo) Xing 5.8 million (Xing) Ning 6 million * Facebook 69 million * MySpace 58 million *

LinkedIn 11 million *

Twitter 6 million *

Plaxo 2.5 million (Plaxo)

Xing 5.8 million (Xing)

Ning 6 million *

Facebook 69 million *

MySpace 58 million *

Impact on Management - Challenges Command and Control vs Open and Trusting Ability to set clear objectives and guidelines Performance management and discipline issues Wide spectrum of ‘mindset’ and internet skills within the team Ageism Recessionary pressures – “we don’t have time for this”

Command and Control vs Open and Trusting

Ability to set clear objectives and guidelines

Performance management and discipline issues

Wide spectrum of ‘mindset’ and internet skills within the team

Ageism

Recessionary pressures – “we don’t have time for this”

Impact on Management - Opportunities Quieter times provide opportunity to develop a successful Social Media strategy Opportunity to develop an edge in the marketplace Appointing an int/ext Social Media Champion If you don’t fully understand the SM territory no problem – you’ll still know more than many! Many of Social Media tools are FREE or low cost - SaaS

Quieter times provide opportunity to develop a successful Social Media strategy

Opportunity to develop an edge in the marketplace

Appointing an int/ext Social Media Champion

If you don’t fully understand the SM territory no problem – you’ll still know more than many!

Many of Social Media tools are FREE or low cost - SaaS

Impact on IT department! What are the extent of their skills and knowledge? They may feel threatened and even no longer in control They may assume control and that’s not always a good thing ‘ Techies’ often don’t understand business needs Develop a policy with strategic vision and guidelines even if you are a small company Question, question, question

What are the extent of their skills and knowledge?

They may feel threatened and even no longer in control

They may assume control and that’s not always a good thing

‘ Techies’ often don’t understand business needs

Develop a policy with strategic vision and guidelines even if you are a small company

Question, question, question

Developing your Social Media strategy

POST Social Media Strategy P eople O bjectives S trategy T echnologies

P eople

O bjectives

S trategy

T echnologies

People Who is your target audience? Include customers, suppliers, investors, business colleagues, associates and other influencers in your thinking Think ‘big picture’ so you don’t have to change the message Create a visual ‘map’ of chosen strategies Schedule time each day/week/month to do something Appoint the best person to do it – or the only person! Be strategic and be interesting

Who is your target audience?

Include customers, suppliers, investors, business colleagues, associates and other influencers in your thinking

Think ‘big picture’ so you don’t have to change the message

Create a visual ‘map’ of chosen strategies

Schedule time each day/week/month to do something

Appoint the best person to do it – or the only person!

Be strategic and be interesting

Objectives What is the purpose of your Social Media strategy? Listen to your customers? Talk to them? Support them? Energise them to evangelise you? Embrace them and engage them in ideas? To make savings on the cost of sales and marketing (yes you can!)

What is the purpose of your Social Media strategy?

Listen to your customers?

Talk to them?

Support them?

Energise them to evangelise you?

Embrace them and engage them in ideas?

To make savings on the cost of sales and marketing (yes you can!)

Strategies Plan for how your relationships will evolve/ change as a result of your Social Media strategy Joined up thinking – Social Media should support your business plan and sales forecasts and provide a return on investment It should reinforce your relationship with customers as a Supplier, Industry Expert, Consultant, Strategic Partner Be really selective about the technologies and networks you use Keep it simple and work within your skills level

Plan for how your relationships will evolve/ change as a result of your Social Media strategy

Joined up thinking – Social Media should support your business plan and sales forecasts and provide a return on investment

It should reinforce your relationship with customers as a Supplier, Industry Expert, Consultant, Strategic Partner

Be really selective about the technologies and networks you use

Keep it simple and work within your skills level

Technologies Blogs/Microblogging/Service network: Google, (Google Wave), Twitter, Yammer Publishing: Podcasts, Vodcasts, YouTube Social Bookmarking/Linking: Digg, Del.ic.ous, RSS, Stumbleupon Sharing: Slideshare, Friendfeed, Last fm Social Networks: LinkedIn, Ecademy, Facebook, MySpace, Xing, Ning, Plaxo Meeting: MeetUp Choose the technologies that take you closer to achieving your goals

Blogs/Microblogging/Service network: Google, (Google Wave), Twitter, Yammer

Publishing: Podcasts, Vodcasts, YouTube

Social Bookmarking/Linking: Digg, Del.ic.ous, RSS, Stumbleupon

Sharing: Slideshare, Friendfeed, Last fm

Social Networks: LinkedIn, Ecademy, Facebook, MySpace, Xing, Ning, Plaxo

Meeting: MeetUp

Choose the technologies that take you closer to achieving your goals

Keep it simple.....

Transform your business relationships Your focus should be on: Strategy Sharing Collaborating (most often freely) Giving often without (immediate) return Open approach More ‘Humanness’ and even Humorous! (Blendtec) Embrace new ways of communicating your core messages Less ‘limiting’

Your focus should be on:

Strategy

Sharing

Collaborating (most often freely)

Giving often without (immediate) return

Open approach

More ‘Humanness’ and even Humorous! (Blendtec)

Embrace new ways of communicating your core messages

Less ‘limiting’

Resources See your delegate pack for a list of useful resources for your Social Media journey One to watch: visit Birmingham Social Media cafe: http://www.birminghamsmc.com/ Next meeting Friday 26th June 10:00AM Where: Coffee Lounge, 10/11 Navigation Street, Birmingham, B2 4BS – Sign Up online

See your delegate pack for a list of useful resources for your Social Media journey

One to watch: visit Birmingham Social Media cafe: http://www.birminghamsmc.com/ Next meeting Friday 26th June 10:00AM Where: Coffee Lounge, 10/11 Navigation Street, Birmingham, B2 4BS – Sign Up online

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