How to (and not to) Use Social Media to Build Your Brand

Why Social Media? Understand the Tools Create Your Roadmap Get Started Best Practices Build Your Success Agenda

Why Social Media?

Understand the Tools

Create Your Roadmap

Get Started

Best Practices

Build Your Success

Why Social Media?

Why Social Media: Time Spent 2/3 of the Internet population visit a social network Accounts for almost 10% of all internet time 37% use social networking sites daily Mass audience that is pre-segmented

2/3 of the Internet population visit a social network

Accounts for almost 10% of all internet time

37% use social networking sites daily

Mass audience that is pre-segmented

Why Social Media: Time Spent Social networks/blogs now 4th most popular online category Twice the growth of other most popular sectors

Social networks/blogs now 4th most popular online category

Twice the growth of other most popular sectors

Why Social Media: Time Spent Time spent on social media growing 3x faster than overall online time Facebook time increased by 566% in 2008

Time spent on social media growing 3x faster than overall online time

Facebook time increased by 566% in 2008

Why Social Media: Technographics Use technographics of target market to create strategy

Use technographics of target market to create strategy

Why Social Media: Engage Consumers Don’t intrude on social space – become a part Provide value Users are not passive Co-creators of content Focus on building relationships Word-of-mouth

Don’t intrude on social space – become a part

Provide value

Users are not passive

Co-creators of content

Focus on building relationships

Word-of-mouth

Understand the Tools

Understand the Tools Social Networks Blogs Video Podcasts Ratings & Reviews Social Bookmarking Social Media

Understand the Tools: Social Networks

Understand the Tools: Social Networks Pros: Direct communication with consumers Monitor buzz in real time Interact with consumers where they spend time Build relationships Cons: Lack of control Messaging can be perceived as intrusive or pushing

Pros:

Direct communication with consumers

Monitor buzz in real time

Interact with consumers where they spend time

Build relationships

Cons:

Lack of control

Messaging can be perceived as intrusive or pushing

Understand the Tools: Social Networks

Understand the Tools: Blogs 25% of online consumers read blogs 14% comment on blogs 36% think more positively about companies with blogs

25% of online consumers read blogs

14% comment on blogs

36% think more positively about companies with blogs

Understand the Tools: Blogs Pros: Informal messaging Monitor buzz in blogosphere Blogger outreach & engagement Improve brand image Cons: Less of a two-way street Lack of control

Pros:

Informal messaging

Monitor buzz in blogosphere

Blogger outreach & engagement

Improve brand image

Cons:

Less of a two-way street

Lack of control

Understand the Tools: Social Bookmarking

Understand the Tools: Social Bookmarking

Understand the Tools: Social Bookmarking

Understand the Tools: Social Bookmarking Pros: Monitor community Consistent engagement Increase traffic Internal use Cons: Not a great tool for direct selling Less of a two-way street Lack of control

Pros:

Monitor community

Consistent engagement

Increase traffic

Internal use

Cons:

Not a great tool for direct selling

Less of a two-way street

Lack of control

Understand the Tools: Video Sharing 29% of online consumers watch user-generated video

29% of online consumers watch user-generated video

Understand the Tools: Video Sharing Pros: Personalizing the brand Increase brand loyalty Creating a dynamic personality Cons: Lack of value can backfire No comment control Can be difficult to measure ROI

Pros:

Personalizing the brand

Increase brand loyalty

Creating a dynamic personality

Cons:

Lack of value can backfire

No comment control

Can be difficult to measure ROI

Understand the Tools: Ratings & Reviews 18% of online consumers participate in discussion forums Number of reviews has a positive impact on sales 76% of customers use online reviews when making purchases

18% of online consumers participate in discussion forums

Number of reviews has a positive impact on sales

76% of customers use online reviews when making purchases

Understand the Tools: Ratings & Reviews

Understand the Tools: Ratings & Reviews

Understand the Tools: Ratings & Reviews Pros: Positive effect on sales Use customer enthusiasm Brand community Leverage with manufacturers Cons: Risk of bad reviews

Pros:

Positive effect on sales

Use customer enthusiasm

Brand community

Leverage with manufacturers

Cons:

Risk of bad reviews

Understand the Tools: Podcasts 11% of online consumers listen to podcasts

11% of online consumers listen to podcasts

Understand the Tools: Podcasts Pros: Ease of use for consumers Personalize the brand Provide value to consumers Cons: Minimal conversation

Pros:

Ease of use for consumers

Personalize the brand

Provide value to consumers

Cons:

Minimal conversation

Create Your Roadmap

Create Your Roadmap 1. Assess business goals & objectives 2. Decide how social media can be used to achieve goals 3. Designate appropriate social media tools Based on: capabilities, pros/cons, target audience 4. Outline tactics for engagement Begin by spending time in the community

1. Assess business goals & objectives

2. Decide how social media can be used to achieve goals

3. Designate appropriate social media tools

Based on: capabilities, pros/cons, target audience

4. Outline tactics for engagement

Begin by spending time in the community

Get Started

Get Started Get comfortable Dedicate 15 minutes each day Learn about each tool See how users interact in communities

Get comfortable

Dedicate 15 minutes each day

Learn about each tool

See how users interact in communities

Get Started Week 1: Apply Social Media to your personal interests Sign up for one or two media sites Begin reading/visiting/using the tools as they apply to your life

Week 1: Apply Social Media to your personal interests

Sign up for one or two media sites

Begin reading/visiting/using the tools as they apply to your life

Get Started Week 2-4: Listen Set up Alerts in Google Reader Your company name Your competitors names Anything you are interested in Spend a few weeks just monitoring what people are saying

Week 2-4: Listen

Set up Alerts in Google Reader

Your company name

Your competitors names

Anything you are interested in

Spend a few weeks just monitoring what people are saying

Get Started How to begin Google Alerts www.google.com/alerts Request emails with certain keywords (ex: company name) Delicious Bookmark any relevant emails Google Alerts sends you Begin searching to monitor buzz of your brand search.twitter.com, facebook.com, blogpulse.com

How to begin

Google Alerts

www.google.com/alerts

Request emails with certain keywords (ex: company name)

Delicious

Bookmark any relevant emails Google Alerts sends you

Begin searching to monitor buzz of your brand

search.twitter.com, facebook.com, blogpulse.com

Get Started Stepping Up Claim your name Register your personal name and corporate name at all social networking sites When you are ready to begin, they’ll be there Begin engaging Respond to tweets or questions Post a blog Comment on others posts about you

Stepping Up

Claim your name

Register your personal name and corporate name at all social networking sites

When you are ready to begin, they’ll be there

Begin engaging

Respond to tweets or questions

Post a blog

Comment on others posts about you

Best Practices

Best Practices: Define Your Personality What's best for your business? Match your goals Maintain cohesive personality across social media platforms

What's best for your business?

Match your goals

Maintain cohesive personality across social media platforms

Best Practices: Pitfalls to Avoid Thinking of social media as a “campaign” Fake profiles One-way conversation Not responding Ex: Motrin

Thinking of social media as a “campaign”

Fake profiles

One-way conversation

Not responding

Ex: Motrin

Best Practices: The Smartwool Experiment Consumer was dissatisfied with her socks Began a blog: The Smartwool Experiment “ Charting the wear and tear on four pairs of Smartwool socks.” Blog ranks #1 on Google for search “how long do smartwools last” Smartwool response read like a press release & blamed consumer

Consumer was dissatisfied with her socks

Began a blog: The Smartwool Experiment

“ Charting the wear and tear on four pairs of Smartwool socks.”

Blog ranks #1 on Google for search “how long do smartwools last”

Smartwool response read like a press release & blamed consumer

Best Practices: The Smartwool Experiment Competitor Darn Tough followed through with a package of four pairs of socks for blogger Now receiving packages to review from other competitors

Competitor Darn Tough followed through with a package of four pairs of socks for blogger

Now receiving packages to review from other competitors

Build Your Success

Build Your Success: Publicize Link to your social media presence On your homepage In email communication with customers On every social media profile

Link to your social media presence

On your homepage

In email communication with customers

On every social media profile

Build Your Success: Define & Measure Success What does success look like for your brand? Measuring ROI Increase in brand loyalty (repeat customers) Stronger brand image and customer relationship Increased buzz about product or brand Traffic from Channel to Site Many web statistics tools are incorporating social media into their offerings Number of fans/followers/subscribers Increased conversions Increase in registrations Google Page rank

What does success look like for your brand?

Measuring ROI

Increase in brand loyalty (repeat customers)

Stronger brand image and customer relationship

Increased buzz about product or brand

Traffic from Channel to Site

Many web statistics tools are incorporating social media into their offerings

Number of fans/followers/subscribers

Increased conversions

Increase in registrations

Google Page rank

Build Your Success: Comcast on Twitter

Thank You