Social Media for Business Growth

Business Link in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon and Somerset
Social Media for Business Growth

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.

60% of European Consumers now engage with Social Media on a regular basis
64% of UK Companies say they have experimented with Social Media
However…

This leaves some important questions unanswered…
What is Social Media?
Is it just another fad?
Is anyone making any money?
Where do I start?

What is Social Media?

“Media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques.”
Wikipedia Definition - Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media

or
“...it’s how people access,
discover and share
information.”

“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/

Social Media Marketing is about using Social Media to engage with online communities to generate exposure, opportunity and sales

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?
Technology
Society
Computing Power
Processor Power
Internet Speeds
Digital Cameras
iPods
Smartphones
iPhones / iPads
Generation Y / Millennials
Out of Town Shopping
E-commerce
Longer Working Hours
Migration & Immigration
Erosion of Community Centres
The Age of Spin

The Technology

Social Media Platforms
File Sharing Sites
Blogs
Social Networks
Review Systems
Live Streaming
Forums
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?statistics

An Average user…
38 years old
130 Friends
Spends 55 minutes on the site per day
Is connected to 80 pages, groups &events
Creates 90 pieces of content each month
Adds 25 comments to content each month

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
37% access via a mobile device
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

Developing a Strategy

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

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

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

Is anyone making any money?

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 Line
In 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
500% increase in turnover in 4 years

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 Started: Your First 3 Steps

Your first 3 steps...
Start monitoring
Improve your current marketing
Build your online network

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

1. Start Monitoring
Set up your alerts:
Google Alertshttp://www.google.com/alerts
Social Mentionhttp://www.socialmention.com

2. Improve your current marketing
Try ‘Passive Marketing’
“Don’t tell them you’re funny, tell them a joke”
“Get more bang for your buck”

“Get more bang for your buck”
You’re delivering a presentation to a group of customers. Why not...
Upload the presentation online?
Broadcast the event live over the internet?
Live-blog the event?
Add all the guests as new contacts on online networks?
Upload photos of the event?

3. Build your online network
Professional Networkinghttp://www.linkedin.com
Social Networkinghttp://www.facebook.com

3. Build your online network
Connect with your existing contacts first
Add new connections to your network as you meet them
Don’t push your sales message at your contacts
Don’t rush to speak, listen first
Encourage debate among your network

Last few words... summary
People (Communities)
Interaction (Dialogue)
Information (Accessibility)
Technology (Integrated)

Getting more support...

More info: Free 28 page ebook available for download

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

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Social Media for Business Growth

by Aren Grimshaw on Sep 14, 2011

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Social Media for Business Growth — Presentation Transcript