2009 Annual Going Freelance! Seminar http://www.amerindywriters.org Social Networking and Your Business Shashi Bellamkonda

Online Tools Used by Small Business Network Solutions – University of Maryland Small Business Success index http://growsmartbusiness.com

Network Solutions – University of Maryland Small Business Success index http://growsmartbusiness.com

Majority of Web users participate in Social Networks This year, 59% of active Web users—those with access at least every other day—reported having a Social Networking profile Source:http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007232

This year, 59% of active Web users—those with access at least every other day—reported having a Social Networking profile

Social media is not going away, it’s becoming more prominent Social Networking has been the global consumer phenomenon of 2008. 1 Two-thirds of the world’s Internet population visit a social network or blogging site and almost 10% of all internet time. 1 Facebook added its 300 millionth user in 2009. If Facebook were a country, it would be the fourth-largest in the world after China, India, the US. From January to March 2009, people ages 26 to 44 made up the fastest-growing segment of the US Facebook population 2 1 http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/nielsen_globalfaces_mar09.pdf 2 http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007034

Social Networking has been the global consumer phenomenon of 2008. 1

Two-thirds of the world’s Internet population visit a social network or blogging site and almost 10% of all internet time. 1

Facebook added its 300 millionth user in 2009. If Facebook were a country, it would be the fourth-largest in the world after China, India, the US.

From January to March 2009, people ages 26 to 44 made up the fastest-growing segment of the US Facebook population 2

1 http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/nielsen_globalfaces_mar09.pdf

2 http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007034

What Skeptics Say About Social Media ? No way to measure? Is there any ROI? All these will pass They are not mainstream, nobody pays attention to them We cannot not control the message, lack of consistency, danger of going haywire Not effective and measureable Photo Credit : http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonnygoldstein/2546693421/

No way to measure? Is there any ROI?

All these will pass

They are not mainstream, nobody pays attention to them

We cannot not control the message, lack of consistency, danger of going haywire

Not effective and measureable

Social Media for Small Business Small Business can utilize social media to level the playing field against bigger, stronger competitors. Connect with Customers and Community Improve chances of being found online – more results Manage your brand and reputation online Get more referrals and customers

Small Business can utilize social media to level the playing field against bigger, stronger competitors.

Connect with Customers and Community

Improve chances of being found online – more results

Manage your brand and reputation online

Get more referrals and customers

Have you Searched for yourself lately

Your audience is everywhere

Business use of Twitter http://venturebeat.com/2008/12/15/twitter-has-made-dell-1-million-in-revenue/

http://venturebeat.com/2008/12/15/twitter-has-made-dell-1-million-in-revenue/

Even chips have their own page !

Network Solutions Swami ’ s - 3 Word Mantra Photo: courtesy: http://flickr.com/photos/metrojp/92038203/ LISTEN PARTICIPATE Photo Courtesy: http://flickr.com/photos/redcarpet/50339009/ CONTRIBUTE Photo Courtesy: http://flickr.com/photos/presta/129832836/

How Writers can use Social Networking Tools Get ideas, trends, buzz Find peers and network Easy distribution of content Greater reach New Clients

Get ideas, trends, buzz

Find peers and network

Easy distribution of content

Greater reach

New Clients

Listening Tools : Who is talking about you and what are the trends? Google Alerts Twitter Friendfeed Technorati BackType Buzzlogic BuzzMonitor SM2 by Techrigy.com Radian 6

Google Alerts

Twitter

Friendfeed

Technorati

BackType

Buzzlogic

BuzzMonitor

SM2 by Techrigy.com

Radian 6

Social Networks: Facebook Buzzwords Friend: Connect with someone on Facebook Wall message: Write, draw or post something on someone’s wall Tag: Add names to photos or videos Status update: What are you doing? Public timeline: List of recent activity Source: Ogilvy Twitter Webinar Profile Page

Friend: Connect with someone on Facebook

Wall message: Write, draw or post something on someone’s wall

Tag: Add names to photos or videos

Status update: What are you doing?

Public timeline: List of recent activity

Social Networks: LinkedIn for connecting 50 Million Worldwide Users Focused on Business Users Connect to your connections’ connections Taps the power of second and third degree of “six degrees of separation” Eliminates cold calling Applications bring in other web content

Social Networks: LinkedIn Buzzwords Connections: needs approval to become a connection Applications: Fun widgets / tools to interact and promote brand Answers: Space to ask / answer questions and polls Groups: Common Topics Contact Settings: You can customize what messages you want to receive Source: Ogilvy Twitter Webinar

Connections: needs approval to become a connection

Applications: Fun widgets / tools to interact and promote brand

Answers: Space to ask / answer questions and polls

Groups: Common Topics

Contact Settings: You can customize what messages you want to receive

Social Networking Tip #1 – Your Profile is a First Impression Share content from your other online presence Upload pics and videos related to you and your business Don’t put anything up there you wouldn’t be comfortable with Add your Web links Be fun and interesting Promote activities and events

Share content from your other online presence

Upload pics and videos related to you and your business

Don’t put anything up there you wouldn’t be comfortable with

Add your Web links

Be fun and interesting

Promote activities and events

Social Networking Tip #2 – Be a Connector Connectors are the people that introduce you to others Most powerful in a social network Give without expecting to receive anything back Don’t just promote you, promote others and they will promote you which is MUCH MORE powerful

Connectors are the people that introduce you to others

Most powerful in a social network

Give without expecting to receive anything back

Don’t just promote you, promote others and they will promote you which is MUCH MORE powerful

Social Networking Tip #3 – Go Where Your Audience Is Already Your audience is already online Many are on niche focused networks as well The minute a business gets a website they are global

Your audience is already online

Many are on niche focused networks as well

The minute a business gets a website they are global

Social Networking Tip #4 – Add Value Do you have any materials like the following?: Company information, brochures, web site, sales sheets Put it here: LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook Group Page, Blog Photos and videos related to sales, training and products Put it here: YouTube, Viddler, Blip.TV, Facebook, Flickr, Blog Articles, news and press releases, events, newsletters Put it here: Blog, Newsvine, Digg, Facebook, Fast PItch Presentations for training, marketing, sales and service Put it here: Slideshare, YouTube

Do you have any materials like the following?:

Company information, brochures, web site, sales sheets

Put it here: LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook Group Page, Blog

Photos and videos related to sales, training and products

Put it here: YouTube, Viddler, Blip.TV, Facebook, Flickr, Blog

Articles, news and press releases, events, newsletters

Put it here: Blog, Newsvine, Digg, Facebook, Fast PItch

Presentations for training, marketing, sales and service

Put it here: Slideshare, YouTube

III: Getting Started on Twitter

III: Getting Started on Twitter

Using Twitter: What the Heck is Twitter? Interesting Twitter Facts: Twitter has 27M+ users (as of Aug 2009) Twitter has 6 million UMVs, 27% of Twitter traffic are daily active visitors. Usage is 40% in the United States and of the remaining 60%, 39% of that is in Japan Twitter's largest age demographic is 35-to-44-year-olds who make up 25.9% of its users. Source: (This is from a March 2009 Nielsen report) Twitter is a microblogging platform to exchange short messages with your followers and the world

Interesting Twitter Facts:

Twitter has 27M+ users (as of Aug 2009)

Twitter has 6 million UMVs, 27% of Twitter traffic are daily active visitors.

Usage is 40% in the United States and of the remaining 60%, 39% of that is in Japan

Twitter's largest age demographic is 35-to-44-year-olds who make up 25.9% of its users.

Source: (This is from a March 2009 Nielsen report)

Using Twitter: Effective Business Uses Company news in short, manageable pieces. Special offers or discounts for your Twitter “followers” to drive sales. Events to provide real time updates. Questions or ideas about your business & get immediate feedback Seek out customers tweeting about good and bad experiences with your company. Thank your happy customers. Your customers might appreciate getting to know you as a real person, not just a brand. Share Your Experiences… And Make a Sale…

Company news in short, manageable pieces.

Special offers or discounts for your Twitter “followers” to drive sales.

Events to provide real time updates.

Questions or ideas about your business & get immediate feedback

Seek out customers tweeting about good and bad experiences with your company.

Thank your happy customers.

Your customers might appreciate getting to know you as a real person, not just a brand.

Using Twitter: Effective Business Uses Other Ways: Customer Relations Crisis Management Corporate Reputation Management Event Activation Issue Advocacy Product Promotion and Sales Internal Communication

Other Ways:

Customer Relations

Crisis Management

Corporate Reputation Management

Event Activation

Issue Advocacy

Product Promotion and Sales

Internal Communication

Using Twitter: Brand/Customer Monitoring Customer Service Customer Feedback Customer Outreach @netsolcares Network Solutions started @netsolcares in Sept 2008 to provide a new customer service channel

Customer Service

Customer Feedback

Customer Outreach

Using Twitter: Buzzwords Follow: To friend someone (or follow their updates) Direct Message (DM): Pseudo-email someone following you “ At” reply: Speak to someone directly in the public stream (@shashib) Re-tweet (RT): Repost content with credit Block: Restrict access to updates # (hashtags): a kind of tag or description – great for search Source: Ogilvy Twitter Webinar

Follow: To friend someone (or follow their updates)

Direct Message (DM): Pseudo-email someone following you

“ At” reply: Speak to someone directly in the public stream (@shashib)

Re-tweet (RT): Repost content with credit

Block: Restrict access to updates

# (hashtags): a kind of tag or description – great for search

Twitter Tip #1: Engage the Audience You can engage people on Twitter by doing the following things: SEE what other businesses are doing on Twitter USE Twitter search engines for keyword searches around brands, products and topic of interest. FOLLOW folks with similar interests to establish a brand presence within conversation START a conversation DEDICATE time to Twitter. Having more than one employee on Twitter will ensure an ongoing company presence. ASK questions and get feedback from your followers Source: Ogilvy Twitter Webinar

You can engage people on Twitter by doing the following things:

SEE what other businesses are doing on Twitter

USE Twitter search engines for keyword searches around brands, products and topic of interest.

FOLLOW folks with similar interests to establish a brand presence within conversation

START a conversation

DEDICATE time to Twitter. Having more than one employee on Twitter will ensure an ongoing company presence.

ASK questions and get feedback from your followers

Twitter Tip #2: Getting Followers the Right Way Retweet content Talk directly to people Link to outside content Live tweet from events Use hashtags Avoid using ALL CAPS Followers are the people that click the “Follow” button on your page

Retweet content

Talk directly to people

Link to outside content

Live tweet from events

Use hashtags

Avoid using ALL CAPS

IV: Blogging Basics

IV: Blogging Basics

Blogging Basics: ROI of this Module Learn what a blog is What business and corporate blogging is Who and why people are doing this What to write about Tips to Great Blogging

Learn what a blog is

What business and corporate blogging is

Who and why people are doing this

What to write about

Tips to Great Blogging

Blogging Basics: Definitions, just in case A Journal, usually updated frequently, sometimes categorized Usually links to other sites Can support comments and some interaction Provides ability to subscribe to site so reader gets updates without having to visit page.

A Journal, usually updated frequently, sometimes categorized

Usually links to other sites

Can support comments and some interaction

Provides ability to subscribe to site so reader gets updates without having to visit page.

Blogging Basics: Reasons to Blog Improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Gain Visibility as a Thought Leader Generate Real Conversations Display Brand Personality Perform Market Research Improve Customer Service Share Company Announcements

Improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Gain Visibility as a Thought Leader

Generate Real Conversations

Display Brand Personality

Perform Market Research

Improve Customer Service

Share Company Announcements

Blogging Basics: What to Publish Commentary on mainstream media articles, other blogs, news, events and relevant trends Company News Case Studies Ideal Blog Topics: Photos, Videos and Podcasts Conference notes Business Philosophy Tools, resources, tips, ideas, lists Awards, honors, PR, new employee, new vendor, new system

Commentary on mainstream media articles, other blogs, news, events and relevant trends

Company News

Case Studies

Blogging Basics: Blog Buzzwords Comment: Respond to blog post Link Love: Link to other blogs/sites (online currency) Tagging: Adding words to describe blog content Troll: Mean commenters (IGNORE THEM!) Blogroll: Links to favorite blogs Embed: Copy/paste media

Comment: Respond to blog post

Link Love: Link to other blogs/sites (online currency)

Tagging: Adding words to describe blog content

Troll: Mean commenters (IGNORE THEM!)

Blogroll: Links to favorite blogs

Embed: Copy/paste media

Blogging Basics: Getting Started Take 15 minutes a day to write a blog post Find a topic Keep it around 400 words or less if possible Write in short paragraphs. Not more than six lines of text. Write and embed any content (pictures, videos) Check copyrights and licensing and give attributions Preview Your Post Publish or Schedule It

Take 15 minutes a day to write a blog post

Find a topic

Keep it around 400 words or less if possible

Write in short paragraphs. Not more than six lines of text.

Write and embed any content (pictures, videos)

Check copyrights and licensing and give attributions

Preview Your Post

Publish or Schedule It

Blogging Tip #1 – Increase Linkability Blogging White papers Thought pieces Flash demos 2-way dialogue Remember, the key is to have content that “engages” others and makes them want to link to your site.

Blogging

White papers

Thought pieces

Flash demos

2-way dialogue

Blogging Tip #2 – Reward Inbound Links Who is linking to you and what are they saying? Track your inbound links Allow display of trackbacks Highlight people who write about you Engage in conversations on blogs that link to you November 8, 2009

Who is linking to you and what are they saying?

Track your inbound links

Allow display of trackbacks

Highlight people who write about you

Engage in conversations on blogs that link to you

Blogging Tip #3 – Engage Your Readers Write in an authentic, human voice Use meaningful titles Publish on a regular basis. Target once a week at minimum. Enable and monitor your comments Link to other sites Be Passionate Give credit where it’s due (pictures, text quotes) Syndicate and re-use text

Write in an authentic, human voice

Use meaningful titles

Publish on a regular basis. Target once a week at minimum.

Enable and monitor your comments

Link to other sites

Be Passionate

Give credit where it’s due (pictures, text quotes)

Syndicate and re-use text

Blogging Tip #4 –Tag and Bookmark Adding quick buttons to "add to del.icio.us“ Making sure pages include a list of relevant tags Adding tags to pages first on popular social sites A “tag” is just a word(s) that describe content. Tags that describe the content Easy to bookmark and add to Social Media Sites

Adding quick buttons to "add to del.icio.us“

Making sure pages include a list of relevant tags

Adding tags to pages first on popular social sites

Blogging Tip #5 – Put Policies in Place Put together some policies and guidelines like the following examples: Topics in which The Company is involved in litigation or could in the future: (i.e. policy, customer disputes, etc.) Non-public information of any kind about The Company, including, but not limited to, policies and strategy Illegal or banned substances and narcotics Pornography or other offensive illegal materials Defamatory, libelous, offensive or demeaning material Private/Personal matters of yourself or others Disparaging/threatening comments about or related to anyone Personal, sensitive or confidential information of any kind Understand that when you or someone is talking about your company, not only does this reflect on you but if there are not clear guidelines, you could be at risk . Great Post on Policies and Guidelines from Raj Malik http://blog.networksolutions.com/2009/sxsw-follow-up-corporate-social-media-guidelines/

Put together some policies and guidelines like the following examples:

Topics in which The Company is involved in litigation or could in the future: (i.e. policy, customer disputes, etc.)

Non-public information of any kind about The Company, including, but not limited to, policies and strategy

Illegal or banned substances and narcotics

Pornography or other offensive illegal materials

Defamatory, libelous, offensive or demeaning material

Private/Personal matters of yourself or others

Disparaging/threatening comments about or related to anyone

Personal, sensitive or confidential information of any kind

Understand that when you or someone is talking about your company, not only does this reflect on you but if there are not clear guidelines, you could be at risk .

Great Post on Policies and Guidelines from Raj Malik

http://blog.networksolutions.com/2009/sxsw-follow-up-corporate-social-media-guidelines/

Final Thoughts Listen first Conversation, not publishing or broadcasting Be a useful conversationalist Build relationships - one at a time Take a Leap of Faith and Jump In! http://www.flickr.com/photos/fwp-dawson/2821182851/ Photo Courtesy Fred Dawson on Flickr freds-take-on-the-world.blogspot.com/

Listen first

Conversation, not publishing or broadcasting

Be a useful conversationalist

Build relationships - one at a time

Take a Leap of Faith and Jump In!

Your Social Media Plan Setup Alerts Join and setup profiles in 3 social networks 15-20 minutes a day tracing the alerts and responding Choose 3 blogs on your field to read and comment Converse, don ’ t sell Answer questions and become an expert in your niche on LinkedIn 2 hours a week - Learn and write about the products you promote Measure your efforts How many times were you mentioned How many people read your posts Inbounds links Are your customers evangelizing Attend one local event a month|Ask for help from the community if you need it

Setup Alerts

Join and setup profiles in 3 social networks

15-20 minutes a day tracing the alerts and responding

Choose 3 blogs on your field to read and comment

Converse, don ’ t sell

Answer questions and become an expert in your niche on LinkedIn

2 hours a week - Learn and write about the products you promote

Measure your efforts

How many times were you mentioned

How many people read your posts

Inbounds links

Are your customers evangelizing

Attend one local event a month|Ask for help from the community if you need it

Built online relationships offline

Your Social Media Plan Setup Alerts Join and setup profiles in 3 social networks 15-20 minutes a day tracing the alerts and responding Choose 3 blogs on your field to read and comment Converse, don ’ t sell Answer questions and become an expert in your niche on LinkedIn 2 hours a week - Learn and write about the products you promote Measure your efforts How many times were you mentioned How many people read your posts Inbounds links Are your customers evangelizing Attend one local event a month|Ask for help from the community if you need it

Setup Alerts

Join and setup profiles in 3 social networks

15-20 minutes a day tracing the alerts and responding

Choose 3 blogs on your field to read and comment

Converse, don ’ t sell

Answer questions and become an expert in your niche on LinkedIn

2 hours a week - Learn and write about the products you promote

Measure your efforts

How many times were you mentioned

How many people read your posts

Inbounds links

Are your customers evangelizing

Attend one local event a month|Ask for help from the community if you need it

Thank you Shashi Bellamkonda [email_address] Twitter: @shashib Small Business Success Index : http://www.GrowSmartBusiness.com Network Solutions Blog : http://blog.networksolutions.com Women Entrepreneurs : http://www.WomenGrowBusiness.com Personal Blogs: Technology & Social Media: http://www.shashi.name Digital Thoughts: http://readythoughts.blogspot.com Restaurant Reviews: http://www.carryoncurry.com

Shashi Bellamkonda [email_address]

Twitter: @shashib

Small Business Success Index : http://www.GrowSmartBusiness.com

Network Solutions Blog : http://blog.networksolutions.com

Women Entrepreneurs : http://www.WomenGrowBusiness.com

Personal Blogs:

Technology & Social Media: http://www.shashi.name

Digital Thoughts: http://readythoughts.blogspot.com

Restaurant Reviews: http://www.carryoncurry.com