Raising the profile of your business online All you need to know about social networking…

Did you tweet today? Have you updated your blog? What’s on your wall? Do you run a wiki? Did you podcast your blog? Should you - or is it yesterday’s news?

Did you tweet today?

Have you updated your blog?

What’s on your wall?

Do you run a wiki?

Did you podcast your blog?

Should you - or is it yesterday’s news?

Facebook MySpace Bebo YouTube Friends Reunited Flickr Slideshare Twitter LinkedIn Ecademy Wikipedia Technorati

Facebook

MySpace

Bebo

YouTube

Friends Reunited

Flickr

Slideshare

Twitter

LinkedIn

Ecademy

Wikipedia

Technorati

A Social Network is an online community, usually with a common interest or goal. All of them provide a method for visitors to interact, share information and connect with each other. All of these are Soc ial Networking websites.

A Social Network is an online community, usually with a common interest or goal.

All of them provide a method for visitors to interact, share information and connect with each other.

Social Networking Tools Popular mediums for social networking include blogs, podcasts, message boards, wikis, forums There are several forms of updating social media, which include text, audio (podcast), video and pictures.

Popular mediums for social networking include blogs, podcasts, message boards, wikis, forums

There are several forms of updating social media, which include text, audio (podcast), video and pictures.

Social Networking Features User generated content Discussion boards where customers can interact with your business Joining the conversation/debate Tools for customers to upload photos and reviews Posting business news Linking to your website They’re usually FREE

User generated content

Discussion boards where customers can interact with your business

Joining the conversation/debate

Tools for customers to upload photos and reviews

Posting business news

Linking to your website

They’re usually FREE

Facebook (discussion, connections) MySpace (music, connections) Bebo (writers, young people, connections) YouTube (videos, reviews) Friends Reunited (connections) Flickr ( pictures ) Slideshare (presentations, reviews) Twitter (micro-blogging) LinkedIn (business connections) Ecademy (business connections) Wikipedia (wiki, collaborating) Technorati (blogs, reviews)

Facebook (discussion, connections)

MySpace (music, connections)

Bebo (writers, young people, connections)

YouTube (videos, reviews)

Friends Reunited (connections)

Flickr ( pictures )

Slideshare (presentations, reviews)

Twitter (micro-blogging)

LinkedIn (business connections)

Ecademy (business connections)

Wikipedia (wiki, collaborating)

Technorati (blogs, reviews)

The New Internet Social Networks have changed the way we use the Internet From viewing static web pages/websites…. to joining in and becoming part of “the conversation” Web 2.0

Social Networks have changed the way we use the Internet

From viewing static web pages/websites…. to joining in and becoming part of “the conversation”

Web 2.0

Why should we use them in business? Connect with your customers every day Build a community around your product/service Put a human face on your business Engage with your audience by using rich media content such as video SEO – links back to your website New and quicker way of networking Join in or get left behind… They’re usually FREE

Connect with your customers every day

Build a community around your product/service

Put a human face on your business

Engage with your audience by using rich media content such as video

SEO – links back to your website

New and quicker way of networking

Join in or get left behind…

They’re usually FREE

Social Networking Websites for Business

Originally started for college students, now open to all over 13 with business pages becoming popular. FREE to join and participate in.

Originally started for college students, now open to all

over 13 with business pages becoming popular. FREE

to join and participate in.

Microblogging, “What are you doing now?” in 140 characters. Open to all over 13. FREE.

Microblogging, “What are you doing now?” in 140

characters. Open to all over 13. FREE.

Business network for professionals. You can now set up business profiles as well as personal profiles. Works on connections. FREE to join.

Business network for professionals. You can now set up

business profiles as well as personal profiles. Works on

connections. FREE to join.

Video sharing social network. Increasingly used by businesses to promote brands and products. FREE.

Video sharing social network. Increasingly used by

businesses to promote brands and products. FREE.

Online Encyclopedia – a collaboration of people all contributing to the website to share information. FREE.

Aren’t these for young people? Facebook has more than 175 million users (Its fastest growing demographic is people over 30) LinkedIn more than 30 million members Twitter more than 7 million users (1.8 million in the UK) YouTube and Google Video more than 3 billion visitors per month in the UK Wikipedia more than 9 million visitors per month

Facebook has more than 175 million users

(Its fastest growing demographic is people over 30)

LinkedIn more than 30 million members

Twitter more than 7 million users (1.8 million in the UK)

YouTube and Google Video more than 3 billion visitors per month in the UK

Wikipedia more than 9 million visitors per month

Tips Think about what’s interesting for your customer, not you Once you’ve started, don’t stop! They must be kept up to date Blogs preferably weekly - daily is best Twitter – daily Facebook, LinkedIn at least monthly, preferably weekly minimum YouTube, Flickr – as and when

Think about what’s interesting for your customer, not you

Once you’ve started, don’t stop! They must be kept up to date

Blogs preferably weekly - daily is best

Twitter – daily

Facebook, LinkedIn at least monthly, preferably weekly minimum

YouTube, Flickr – as and when

Who else is doing it?

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

Branding on YouTube

Viral Branding on YouTube

Pros Building relationships with customers Reaching new audiences Interactive Direct marketing opportunity Links Can be viral Low cost

Building relationships with customers

Reaching new audiences

Interactive

Direct marketing opportunity

Links

Can be viral

Low cost

Cons Very open! Getting the message right is still important Time required to manage these along with other marketing activity Must still be relevant to your business

Very open!

Getting the message right is still important

Time required to manage these along with other marketing activity

Must still be relevant to your business

Advertising on Social Networks Not FREE! But very targeted Usually added to social networking sites at some point Worth considering Pay per click or per number of impressions models

Not FREE!

But very targeted

Usually added to social networking sites at some point

Worth considering

Pay per click or per number of impressions models

Blogging Online journals Treated as important by Google Fresh content Informal style

Online journals

Treated as important by Google

Fresh content

Informal style

Aren’t blogs about people? Used to be Now used by businesses Positioning as experts Really add value to your clients - free information, tips, hints, surveys etc. Gather followers – pass opinion Must be relevant!

Used to be

Now used by businesses

Positioning as experts

Really add value to your clients - free information, tips, hints, surveys etc.

Gather followers – pass opinion

Must be relevant!

RSS What does it mean? Adding an RSS feed to your website Constant reminders to subscribers Linking back to your website to see news in more detail News immediately sent to interested parties

What does it mean?

Adding an RSS feed to your website

Constant reminders to subscribers

Linking back to your website to see news in more detail

News immediately sent to interested parties

Social Networking in Plain English…

Finally… Can you afford not to use some of these tools? Low cost means low or no barrier Web 3.0 – are you ready?

Can you afford not to use some of these tools?

Low cost means low or no barrier

Web 3.0 – are you ready?

Karen McNulty www.marketingpicture.co.uk Email : karenm@marketingpicture.co.uk Tel: 01778 338184 There’s never been a better time to make sure that every penny you spend on marketing works for you.

Karen McNulty

www.marketingpicture.co.uk

Email : karenm@marketingpicture.co.uk

Tel: 01778 338184