Rural Focus: An Introduction to Social Media for Businesses

Focus on Social Media

Before we get started… Who Am I?Aren Grimshaw ‐ Consultant & Trainer• I help businesses, organisations & individuals use innovations in technology and business to enhance their growth• I’ve worked in sales, media and marketing roles for over 10 years• I believe in the power of communities – co‐founding Cornwall Social Media Cafe and establishing Cornwall’s first Twestival.• My clients include companies big and small within the private and public sectors.

86% of B2B & 82% of B2C companies are using social media.[1]83% of companies reported that they expected social media investment to increase over the next year.[2]However, this leaves some pretty important questions unanswered...

• What is Social Media?• Is it just the latest marketing fad?• What can it do for my business?• How can my business take advantage of it?

What is Social Media?

What is Social Media?“Media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques.”[3]“Tools that allow the sharing of information and creation of communities through online networks of people.”[4]“How people read, discover & share information”

Social Media Marketing“Using Social Media to engage with online communities in order to generate exposure, opportunity and sales.”

“People are searching for answers and directions, not messages or sales pitches.”“The tools are just extensions of you...” Source: Engage, Brian Solise ‐ http://www.briansolis.com/2010/01/engage/

Some Key Aspects & Terminology• Web 1.0, 2.0 & 4.0• Real Time• Viral • Authenticity / Transparency• User Generated Content (UGC)• Consumer Generated Media (CGM)

Putting it in context – Why now?Society Technology• Generation Y / Millennials • Computing Power• Out of Town Shopping • Processor Power• E‐commerce • Internet Speeds• Longer Working Hours • Digital Cameras• Migration & Immigration • iPods• Erosion of Community • Smartphones Centres • iPhones / iPads• The Age of Spin

Social Media & Your Business

The Planning Process Research Community Targets Aims & Objectives Resources Available Concept Approach or StrategyImplementation Technology to be Used

Your Community• Customer (the decision maker) A person or organisation that purchases goods or services from you• Influencer A person or organisation that may influence another person or organisation’s decision to purchase from you• Partner (an ally) A person or organisation that supports yours, or your customers’, aims & objectives

Defining Objectives• SEO: Link building, content factors• Marketing: Promote organisation, brand awareness• PR: Manage reputation, get news out• Sales: New contact routes, increase sales• Engagement: Increase loyalty, foster word of mouth• Research: Identify trends / niches, consultation• Management: Collaboration, knowledge sharing

Buying Processes & Lifecycles Inactives Suspects Brand Prospects Advocates New Regular Customers Customers Awareness Knowledge Consideration Selection Satisfaction Advocacy

Allocating Resources• Time• Money• People• Skills• Business As Usual Activity (BAU)

Your Approach ‐ Needs• Visibility ...you need to be visible to your target audience• Credibility ...“Don’t tell them you’re funny, tell them a joke”• Value ...establish a “What’s in it for me?” factor• Personality ...everything should be consistent with your brand profile• Responsiveness ...are you setup to deal with responses

Your Approach – Practical Elements• Content Marketing• Aggregating / Curation• Networking & Events Marketing• Community Engagement• WOM / Advocacy Programmes

The Tools & Technology

Social Media Platforms Blogs Social Networks File Sharing Sites Forums Live Streaming Review Systems Geo‐tagging Wiki Sites Aggregators

Facebook• Launched 2004 • 750m+ Active Users• 30m+ users in the UK• 50% of registered users are between 25‐49

Facebook • 50% log on in any given day • 250m+ access via mobile devices (and are twice as active) • 250m+ people engage with Facebook on external websites • 900m+ objects that people interact with (pages, groups, events & community pages) Source: http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statisticsSource: http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

An Average user…• 38 years old• 130 Friends• Is connected to 80 pages, groups &events• Creates 90 pieces of content each month• Adds 25 comments to content each month Source: http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

Facebook Deals @arengrimshaw

Blogs & Blogging• 133m+ blogs• 77% internet users read blogs• Two thirds of bloggers are male• 60% are 18 – 44 years old• 75% have a college education or above• 50%+ are married• 50%+ have kids

Blogs & Blogging• 56% say their blog has helped their company establish a position as ‘thought‐leader’• 58% of bloggers say they’re better known in their industry as a result• B2B companies that blog generate 67% more leads per month than those who do not. • 94% of bloggers reported measurable SEO benefits within 12 months

What is Twitter?• Micro‐blog• Social Network• Search Engine • Focus Group• News Wire

Twitter• Launched 2006• 200m registered users• 100m active users per month• 50m log on at least once a day• 200m+ tweets per day• 400m+ unique visitors per month

Twitter• 1.6bn search queries on Twitter per day• 55% of active users are active on their mobiles• 75% of traffic via third‐party applications

Average user…• Is 39 years old • Has 126 Followers• 53% are female• Only 11% aged between 12 to 17

What is LinkedIn?• ‘Professional Network’• Founded in 2003• 120m+ members• 150 industries• 200 countries – all 7 continents• Gains 1 new user per second• 47m+ monthly unique visitors

Some Statistics• 11m users in Europe• 4m UK users• Average user age of 44• 70% of visitors over 35 years old• 75% of visitors college educated or above

Foursquare• Community: Over 10 million people worldwide• Over a billion check‐ins, with millions more every day • Businesses: Over 500,000 using the Merchant Platform https://foursquare.com/about/

Foursquare Specials @arengrimshaw

Case Study: UKNetWeb

UKNetWeb Limited• Small to Medium Enterprise• Based in St.Agnes, Cornwall• Primary services: – Web Development (Ecommerce) – Internet Consultancy – Social Media Integration

Social Media Activities• Blogging & Micro‐Blogging• Social Networking• Professional Networking• File‐Sharing• Webinars & Other Events

Results – Web Traffic

Results – Bottom LineIn a 6 month period:• 500% increase in new business enquiries through social networks• 2/3 of all enquiries through social networks• 100% increase in average order values• Opened up UK & international markets

Results: More Examples• Dell – $7m Twitter Sales • Twestival (2010) – SW / Wales Region approx. £20,000 to date – UK £62,000 to date• Surfers Against Sewage – New members, increased activity

Getting Practical

Monitoring“Just because you leave the room, it doesn’t mean that those left behind aren’t talking about you.”

Monitoring ToolsSet up your alerts: • Google Alerts http://www.google.com/alerts • Social Mention http://www.socialmention.com

Research• Use Google Search Options www.google.com• Try ‐ site:<platform url> <search query>• Use the platforms themselves

Extend reach & engagement• Passive Marketing “Don’t tell them you’re funny, tell them a joke”• Repurpose Content “Get more bang for your buck”

Share your storyFree Blogging Platforms:• Wordpress https://en.wordpress.com/signup/• Tumblr https://www.tumblr.com/

“Get more bang for your buck”• You’re having an open day... – Blog / tweet about the event – Broadcast the event live over the internet – Add all the guests / invite guests to connect via online networks – Upload photos of the event

Building fans & followers• Twitter http://www.twitter.com• Facebook http://www.facebook.com• LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com

Building fans & followers• Ask yourself ‘Why would they want to connect?’• ‘....and stay connected over time?’• Start with the people you already know• Add new people as you meet them• Don’t push your sales message• Be interested first, interesting second• Encourage participation

Measurement• Link to your objectives• Benchmark at the start• Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)• Review regularly • Tweak your approach accordingly “Not everything that counts can be measured. Not everything that can be measured counts.” Albert Einstein

Social Media Specific KPIs• Click‐Throughs• Fans / Followers• Interactions• Mentions• Sentiment• Reach• Influence

Sign Up: www.hootsuite.com

Sign Up: www.twittercounter.com

Built into Facebook Pages

Register your location at www.foursquare.com

Go to: http://search.twitter.com

‘Posts by Everyone’ in Facebook

Create Alerts at: www.google.com/alerts

Create Alerts at: www.socialmention.com

Go to: www.TweetReach.com

Sign Up: www.klout.com

Summary: 4 Themes• People (Communities)• Interaction (Dialogue)• Information (Accessibility)• Technology (Integrated)

Need more help?

More info: Free 28 page ebook available for download http://ow.ly/7f8F6

Getting in touch Search for “aren grimshaw” on Google Or Tel: 01209 311057 Mob: 07598 242212 Email: info@arengrimshaw.co.uk Web: www.arengrimshaw.co.uk

Rural Focus: An Introduction to Social Media for Businesses

by Aren Grimshaw on Nov 03, 2011

Accessibility

Categories

Tags

Upload Details

Usage Rights

1 Embed 64

Statistics

Rural Focus: An Introduction to Social Media for Businesses — Presentation Transcript