Free Tools to Create Conversations
with your Customers
Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce
Women’s Information Network
Caffeineighted • June 11, 2009
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.

Quick introduction
• Kirsti Scott, Founder and Creative Director at Scott Design
• 20 years of experience in design and marketing
• Scott Design creates integrated marketing programs
• Our clients are technology and B2B companies
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.

Online Marketing
• Websites – can cost from $1,000 to $250,000
• E-mail, banner ads, video, Flash demos – design costs
• Social networks – no hard costs, just the time to write
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.

Benefits of Social Media Marketing
• Lets you control online information about your company
• Drives traffic to your website through links
• Improves your search engine rankings, especially LinkedIn
• Lets you join the conversations already going on online
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.

Social Networks Overview
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Social Networks
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Top free tools – these provide a great foundation
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Blogs
• Google Local Business Center
• Yelp
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.

LinkedIn
A business network with 41 million members
in over 200 countries and territories
around the world.
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LinkedIn
Profile
• Online
resumé
• Send
messages or
add members
to your
network
• Ranks high in
search
engines
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LinkedIn
Company
• Brief
company
overview
• Lists your
employees
who have
profiles
• You and
customers
can find
each other
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LinkedIn
Answers
• You can ask
questions
and answer
others
• Great way
to interact
with your
peers and
potential
customers
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LinkedIn
Group
• People
with a
common
interest
• Join in
discussions
or share
news and
events
• Get a daily
e-mail with
discussions
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Facebook
Facebook helps you connect and share
with the people in your life.
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Facebook
Profile
• For work
and/or
personal use
• Connect with
“friends”
• Posts on your
wall appear
on your
friends’ walls
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Facebook
Group
• A place to
join in
discussions
or share
news and
events
• Posts
appear
on all
members’
walls
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Facebook
Fan Page
• For a
company,
celebrity,
or product
• Post
events,
news,
discussions
• All posts
appear on
fans’ walls
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.

Twitter
Twitter is a service for friends, family, and
co–workers to communicate and stay connected
through the exchange of quick, frequent
answers to one simple question:
What are you doing?
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.

Twitter
Profile
• Post short
messages
• Follow
messages
from
others
• Share links,
news, and
events
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Twitter
National
• Connect
with
customers
through
discussions,
service,
product
news,
contests,
tips, and
more
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.

Twitter
Local
• Announce
specials,
location of
their food
trucks
• Expanded
local
business
and now
going into
other cities
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.

Twitter
Charity
• Raise
awareness
• Created
event that
raised
$250K in
one day
• Share
videos of
drilling wells
in Africa
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Blogs
A website, maintained by an individual or
organization, with regular entries of commentary,
descriptions of events, or other material
such as graphics or video.
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.

Product
Blog
• Announce
products
• Share
photos and
videos of
events
• Write
articles
• Tip: Use a
Cruzio
blog
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Service
Blog
• Share expertise
in their industy
• Provide links to
website and
information of
interest to their
potential clients
• Allow users to
subscribe to
their blog via
e-mail or RSS
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.

Google Local Business Center
Help customers find you on Google.
Create a business listing to be sure
local customers find you.
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Google
Local
• A map-based
listing
• Location,
website,
phone
number,
coupons,
photos, and
videos
• Users can
provide
reviews
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.

Yelp
The fun and easy way to find, review, and
talk about what’s great – and not so great –
in your area.
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.

Yelp
• Listing with
info about
you
• Add coupons,
photos, and
videos
• Users can
provide
reviews
• Good reviews
push you to
top of the list
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.

Getting Started
What do I do now?
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.

5 Quick steps to get online
• Sign up for LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, a Cruzio blog,
Google Local Business Center, and Yelp
• Fill out the basic information (you can add more later)
• Join groups of peers and/or customers
• Listen and get a feel for discussion etiquette
• Get social by joining into conversations
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Thanks!
www.hotdesign.com
blog.hotdesign.com
© Copyright Scott Design Inc.