How small businesses can use social media to promote their Brands OPM 40 Oct 19 th 2009

Social Media is a set of online tools and activities that people use to collaborate and connect on the web. In other words: it’s a fancy way to describe the zillions of conversations that people are having online.

Social media really is about tearing down the artificial walls between customers and the individuals who work at companies.

People don’t want to be shouted at by companies. Instead they want to be listened to and to be able to have a conversation.

Think about how you can get through the noise and carve your own niche Essentials: Awareness of your specialty Your reputation Trust factor Stand out from a crowd

Essentials:

Awareness of your specialty

Your reputation

Trust factor

Entrepreneur Event Industry Leader Crazy Networker Natural Connector Passionate Marketer Social Media Insider Leverage my Strengths:

Entrepreneur

Event Industry Leader

Crazy Networker

Natural Connector

Passionate Marketer

Social Media Insider

Its simple: People like working with those they admire and trust

WHAT'S A BLOG? A Business blog is a place where you can post your thoughts, observations, ideas, crow about your accomplishments and tell the world about your brand. People can subscribe to your blog and comment on your post and even ask questions.

blog topics can also be found on how small biz use social media. YOUR BLOG IS WHATEVER YOU WANT IT TO BE

GREAT NEWS! ALL OF YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITIES HELPS TO DRIVE TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE!

Make sure your profile to date Connect with vendors, partners, suppliers, & customers. Check references on people you may hire or do business with. Ask for recommendations and share the love by doing the same for others. Learn about people you would like to do business with. Join groups that you are interested in and participate. Become an expert. Share your business accomplishments. Upload presentations using Slide Share. Review competitors’ information. Virally market tips, ideas, articles. Great way for people to get an impression of you and interact with your company

Make sure your profile to date

Connect with vendors, partners, suppliers, & customers.

Check references on people you may hire or do business with.

Ask for recommendations and share the love by doing the same for others.

Learn about people you would like to do business with.

Join groups that you are interested in and participate.

Become an expert.

Share your business accomplishments.

Upload presentations using Slide Share.

Review competitors’ information.

Virally market tips, ideas, articles.

Great way for people to get an impression of you and interact with your company

Used facebook to build an army of supporters May have won cause he knew no one answered landline!

Your blog posts can appear right on the page. Lots of fans means your company is popular Your fans will see everything you post on their feeds. Your fan’s friends see your company name. Great for web traffic because they are indexed by search engines

Gain respect in what your passionate about Meet people thru social media Engage with people who can help you Build your brand with your followers Carve a niche for yourself Drive traffic to your blog New visitors to your website Don’t forget to give value back! 85 % PBS and 15% QVC- Elizabeth Beskin Twitter is first and foremost a place to connect, learn, and listen.

Gain respect in what your passionate about

Meet people thru social media

Engage with people who can help you

Build your brand with your followers

Carve a niche for yourself

Drive traffic to your blog

New visitors to your website

Don’t forget to give value back!

Small Business Twitter Frustration Sometimes you give up without talking to anybody because the sheer numbers are overwhelming. Amongst the business people that I discuss Twitter with there appear to be two types of discouraged small venture owners who give up on Twitter at rapid rate. The case of the large cocktail party where you know no one

The kid in the candy store- she sees only opportunites

Terms to know Newbie -anyone who is new to twitter and just learning. Tweet : A Short Update of what you are doing for about 140 characters. Followers : People who are subscribed to your updates or tweets Direct Message (DM) : Sending a Direct Message to your followers.(privately) At (@) : You can use this when you are referring to someone’s tweets in your updates. You can also use this to reply publicly if the person is not following you. Re-tweet (RT)-highest form of flattery- if someone re-tweets what you tweeted-they are saying-”I like what you just said and I’d like to pass it along to my followers. Hashtag(#)- are phrases or keywords that can be used to monitor who is saying what about a particular topic. Standards for hashtags are one word (#Conference) and can be used for tweetchats to follow an entire conversation. Followfriday (#FF)- tradition of recommending good tweeters you follow to your following on fridays! URL Shortener- Since Twitter only allows 140 characters, every single character counts. URL Shortener allow you to post weblinks more efficiently and some will even offer tracking capability that you can see how many twitter followers click on the link. TinyURL , Bit.ly are some popular URL Shorteners.

Tweekdeck (mashable version)

Live twitter feeds during events #oak09 For this program the hashtag was #opm40

Its networking in your sweats! 3 E’s-Educate ,Engage & Entertain Be helpful Be polite, say thank you when someone does something nice like #RT or #FF follow those back that follow you-this is how you grow your network Don’t make your tweets private-defeats the whole purpose of twitter Talk about others and they’ll talk about u How many people you follow is less important than the amount of people who you converse with Final twitter thoughts:

Its networking in your sweats!

3 E’s-Educate ,Engage & Entertain

Be helpful

Be polite, say thank you when someone does something nice like #RT or #FF

follow those back that follow you-this is how you grow your network

Don’t make your tweets private-defeats the whole purpose of twitter

Talk about others and they’ll talk about u

How many people you follow is less important than the amount of people who

you converse with

Which 1 social media site is best for your biz needs & learn that? start off slow everyday use is best to develop real relationships

Which 1 social media site is best for your biz needs & learn that?

start off slow

everyday use is best to develop

real relationships

Develop your OWN brand marketing plan Determine what makes YOU different Follow your PASSION LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN, before you talk Embrace your INNER AUTHOR Build out your NETWORK Be ENTREPRENEURIAL, think outside the box SHARE 85% of the time, PITCH 15% of the time Be SELF-AWARE, not self-involved ROI is RETURN ON INFLUENCE TAKE AWAYS

Develop your OWN brand marketing plan

Determine what makes YOU different

Follow your PASSION

LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN, before you talk

Embrace your INNER AUTHOR

Build out your NETWORK

Be ENTREPRENEURIAL, think outside the box

SHARE 85% of the time, PITCH 15% of the time

Be SELF-AWARE, not self-involved

ROI is RETURN ON INFLUENCE

Social media Is not a one night stand… It’s a long term commitment !

@photobiz @albumboutique www.fifthavenuedigital.com/photography-blog