Using Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to Grow Your Business.

“The great French Marshall Lyuatey once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow growing and would not reach maturity for 100 years. The Marshall replied, “In that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon.” ‐ John F. Kennedy

Social Networking What Is It and Why Should I Care?

A New Way of Thinking Social Networking vs. Sales Marketing Why Now? Economics Technology People

The Strategy 1. Who are your Clients? Prospects? 2. What are they interested in? 3. What do you want to hear from them? 4. What do you want to talk to them about? 5. Segmentation 6. What value can you offer? 7. What are your goals?

The Basics 1. Change Your Thinking 2. Take a Good Look at Your Website 3. Figure out what you want to say, how it makes you different, and who you want to say it to. 4. Start the Discussion

Only 14% of People TRUST ADVERTISEMENTS 78% TRUST the Recommendations of OTHER CONSUMERS

Implications • A New Paradigm for conducting business • Companies no longer in control of their Brands • People depending on other people for the information that informs their buying decisions. “Human beings listening to human beings, not ads”

Caution • It is not about the technology • It is about how to build the relationships USING the technology • Tactics vs. Strategy • Teens and Young Adults

P.O.S.T. • People • Objectives • Strategy • Technology

“but really, what IS it?” (in a nutshell)

It is…. • Blogs Micro‐Blogging • • Discussion Groups and • Viral Video and Photo Forums Social Networking Sites • • Wikis Social Bookmarks • • RSS • Widgets • Podcasts • Virtual Worlds

From Soup to Nuts

“I don’t have time for all that. I have a business to run…”

SOCIAL NETWORKING IS NOW MORE POPULAR THAN EMAIL According to Nielsen Online’s 2009 study, 66.8% of Internet users have used social networks, while only 65.1% have used email.* *Mashable.com 57% of U.S. Adults have a Profile on a Social Networking Site.

How Long Does It Take To Reach 50 Million People? Facebook 2 years Internet 4 years Television 13 years Radio 38 years

You Can’t Afford To Ignore Social Media

“so how do I get started?”

BLOGGING 101 There are 200,000,000 blogs on the Internet. 73% of Online users have read blog posts, even if they aren’t aware of it.

Blogging Why It Is Crucial to Online Marketing 1. Achieve Expert Status in your field 2. Promote Your Name, Brand, Product/Service 3. Deliver Traffic to your Website 4. Increase Your SEO Rankings 5. Develop a Community of Prospects and Brand Ambassadors

“wait, you want me to give away FREE advice?”

Blogging How To Get Started 1. Search – by keyword on Technorati, Google blog search 2. Read – learn the language, choose wisely 3. Subscribe – via RSS feed, read daily 4. Choose and Commit – build a Top 10 list 5. Comment – add useful/informative comments, link‐ backs where applicable 6. Write – start your own blog, write weekly/daily

Blogging How To Get Started 7. Build a Custom Blog using Template Software a. A web designer and/or programmer can easily customize your blog to meet your needs, without having to recreate the wheel 8. Incorporate Subscription and User Tracking Tools 9. Post informative, quality info to position yourself as an expert – this is not a sales pitch 10. Develop a community – allow comments and respond to them 11. Comment on influential blogs in your community, industry, complementary industries, and prospective client’s markets.

Corporate Blogging • Hosted by GM Executives • Showcases “cars of the future”, the company’s move toward energy- efficient vehicles, and videos of prototypes. • Allows consumers to become part of the conversation. • Includes “Fact or Fiction” commentary

Who’s Blogging about YOUR brand? • Grassroots effort to expose wrongdoings at Wal-Mart • Includes a “Call For Activists”, “Tell Your Friends”, and “Request for Employee Whistleblowers” • Encourages supporters to feed via their websites • Goal: To inspire real, lasting change in Wal-Mart Communities

Who Do You Want to Talk To? Blog For Mom’s, Written by a Mom • 5 million monthly views • Featured on Oprah • Advertisers include: • Sears • Weleda • Hoover • Dish Network • Seventh Generation • Moms listening and sharing with moms – product reviews, stories, real-life experiences, community

LINKEDIN 101 LinkedIn users tend to be more senior: 46% are Management or Executive Director/VP Level and above. The majority (66%) are decision makers or have influence in purchase decisions at their companies.

LinkedIn • The First step to joining the Social Network • Connect with past contacts, new prospects, industry insiders, referral sources • Stay in touch with your network of contacts as they transition; be the first to know of new moves, promotions, career changes • Make introductions within your newly expanded network

LinkedIn Continued Discussion Forums • Status Updates • Event Listings • Links – to blog, website, articles, books, etc. • Job Posting and Job Search • Referrals •

Status Updates: let people Target know what Advertising you’re by job title, doing location, size of firm, etc. Incorporate Complete your Blog your profile to 100%

Discussion Forums • Research: Industry Groups, Competitor Groups, Industry and Market Information • Prospecting: Networking Groups, Prospective Client Groups, Specific Audiences and Target Markets • Education: Organizations and Affiliations, Learning Tools, Workshops and Seminars

Email Updates HomePage Network Updates Delivered via LinkedIn and Email • Every update is delivered to your network, recommendations are delivered to BOTH parties networks, as are event attendance notifications, links, articles, books, videos, presentations, etc. • Share your message without saying a word.

FACEBOOK 101 Facebook has grown from 100 million to 200 million users in less than 8 months. If it were a country, it would be bigger than Brazil.* *Mashable.com

Facebook Statistics The fastest‐growing demographic is the 25+ age group. • Facebook is the sixth‐most trafficked site in the United States. • Users spend an average of 20 minutes on the site daily. • Over 1,800 applications have been built on the platform. • The number of US women over age 55 using Facebook grew • by 175.3% since September 2008, making mature females one of the fastest growing demographic groups on the social network, according to usage statistics released by independent blog Inside Facebook. • Visitors to the sites who are age 35+ have increased 23% in February 2009 compared with February 2008.

Facebook • “It’s Not Just For Your Kids Anymore” • Participate, don’t sell. Facebook is a social community and users will be turned off to anything that sounds like a “pitch”. • The “Cocktail Hour” of online networking • Build your community, participate in discussions, update your status regularly with new projects and comments. • Where applicable, provide links to your blog, new projects, upcoming events. Build a company Page, and link to it from your personal profile – work on developing a fan base there.

Creating a Facebook Business Profile • Advertising: Target Ads by Demographics, Geography, and PSYCHOGRAPHICS • Community: Discussion groups and fan messages, allow fans to “write on your wall”, creates a strong community. • Showcase: Upload photos and videos of your work, link to charity and industry events, send invitations, link to website, link to PR articles and company news, and more….

Facebook: Ernst & Young

Facebook: Victoria’s Secret

Facebook Analytics

VIRAL MARKETING 101

Viral Marketing • Viral = to spread quickly across multiple access points • How sites such as YouTube and Flickr have transformed the media industry, advertising, and the way consumers access messaging. • The elimination of a cost barrier to advertising • Case Study: Comcast • Case Study: BlendTec

TWITTER 101 Twitter currently has 7 million unique monthly visitors. If it keeps growing at [a consistent] rate, it’ll have nearly 100 million visitors same time next year.* *Mashable.com

Twitter Statistics • Twitter experienced 1,382% year‐over‐year growth in February 2009, with the number of total unique visitors increasing from 475,000 in February 2008 to seven million last month, according to Nielsen Online. • In February 2009, adults ages 35‐49 had the largest representation on Twitter, with nearly 3 million unique visitors from this age group. This comprises nearly 42% of the site’s audience.

Twitter • Similar to Facebook, but provides a more immediate, straight‐forward approach. • Allows you to update your network from a mobile phone or computer, with short, concise messaging and direct links – immediately showcase the new project you’ve completed, research study you’re promoting, or exciting news in your industry. • Reach is expanding, now being used by Congress, Executives, and the Media to announce updates and gather feedback.

Even the Boston Police are tweeting…

How To Tweet 1. Listen!!! 2. Follow and Be Followed 3. Say Something worth listening to. Nobody wants to hear your sales pitch. 4. LINK 1. To your blog 2. To an article you published 3. To an article someone else published 4. To something funny or interesting 5. To info. that supports your case 5. Street Cred and “Giving Props” 6. Track everything, brag to your boss.

Great Twools and TwApps Search Applications Tools

DISCUSSION GROUPS, FORUMS, & USER REVIEWS

Industry Forums and Discussions • Join the Community! • Use these networks as a place to bounce ideas off industry counterparts, generate interest, ask and answer questions, gather feedback. • The more questions you answer, the more you will be seen as an expert. – Experts receive incoming sales calls. – Experts don’t have to haggle over their prices. – Experts don’t cold call.

User Reviews • Users are 7 times more likely to believe a review written by a customer than to believe the company’s claims. • Easily found in the search engines. • Monitor conversations, understand user experiences, resolve problems immediately. • Example: hotels.com

“ok, so how will this work for me?”

Tying it All Into Your Online Strategy Blog – utilize RSS tools to subscribe to multiple posts, and automatically update LinkedIn and Facebook profiles with your updated blog posts.

Tying it All Into Your Online Strategy • Ping – one‐stop updating for your Blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn updates • Priorities of these programs should be to deliver qualified traffic to multiple areas of your website, generate exposure for your brand, and leverage yourself. • You can’t personally talk to everyone, but you can use these tools to simulate 1 on 1 conversations.

Social Networking at it’s Finest November 2008 John McCain Barack Obama • Facebook Fans: 620,359 • Facebook Fans: 2,379,102 • Twitter Followers: 4,603 • Twitter Followers: 112,474 • YouTube Views: 2,032,993 • YouTube Views: 18,413,110 • MySpace Friends: 217,811 • MySpace Friends: 833,161 Winning The Presidential Election = PRICELESS

How To Run a Grassroots Campaign & Win An Election

Tying it All Into Your Online Strategy • By increasing your presence online, and utilizing a targeted Keyword strategy to build traffic back to your website, all of these campaigns will work together to INCREASE YOUR RANKINGS IN THE SEARCH ENGINES. • Increase Exposure and Reach • Join, and lead, the conversations. • Make it easy – download the available applications for your Blackberry or iPhone, upload desktop applications, and update from anywhere.

Community, Blog Brand Awareness, Sales Facebook Website & Search Engine Rankings Reviews Twitter Forums & LinkedIn Discussions

Contact Us • Blog: www.discoverycomm.com/dcgblog • LinkedIn – George Wallace – Melissa Albano • Facebook – Search: The Discovery Communications Group • Twitter – @DiscoveryCG – @MelissaDCG – @GEW

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Using Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to Grow Your Business.

by George Wallace on May 14, 2009

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Using Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to Grow Your Business. Presentation Transcript