How To Get Business With Social Media

Welcome to the CPCUG E&C SIG Washington DC Event 19th Sept 2009 How To Get Business With Social Media Shashi Bellamkonda Register for the first-ever GrowSmartBiz Conference! A Premier Networking Event for Entrepreneurs - SEPT 29, 2009 | Washington, D.C Details: http:// growsmartbusiness.com /small-business-conference

How To Get Business With Social Media Shashi Bellamkonda CPCUG E&C SIG - Washington DC -19th Sept 2009

Hi ! I am Shashi Bellamkonda (@shashib)
Head of Social Media Strategy at Network Solutions ( Unique title Social Media Swami)
I am the Network Solutions listening post in the Social Media
Helped Network Solutions win
2008 SNCR Excellence in New Communications Award for Online Reputation Management
2009 a Gold Quill Award of Excellence in Social Media from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).
Speaker - `How to Sell Social Media to Your Boss' and 'Social Media Tools for Small Business at SXSW, IABC, Affiliate summit and others

Today’s Discussion
Social media background
Strategy
Useful Tools
Q&A

Online Tools Used by Small Business
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

It’s 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

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/

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

Your audience is everywhere

Business use of Twitter
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/

Listening Tools
Google Alerts
Twitter
Friendfeed
Technorati
BackType
Buzzlogic
BuzzMonitor
SM2 by Techrigy.com
Radian 6

Participate :Comments, conversations & Guest Posts Blogs Media Podcasts Answers Forums and Niche Social Networks Video

Contribute
Tell your story
Make videos of your expertise
Talk about your employees
Share exciting events/news
Rohit Bhargava’s says in “ Personality Not included” to follow UAT formula – UNIQUE, AUTHENTIC, TALKABLE

Social Networks
Facebook
Create Business Pages
Post to your wall
Add links to profile
Post on network
Myspace
LinkedIn
Update your profile
Answer questions

Facebook Profile Page

LinkedIn Profile Answers Groups

User Reviews Take Ownership of your listing Encourage customers to review Thank and respond to reviewers

Opportunity to listen, participate and contribute in one place
140 characters is hard
Tool connecting humans
Recommend products
Provide feedback
Discuss ideas
Get Customer Service
Reply to all the people who @ you
Retweet or tweet interesting links
Join conversations
3 tweets a day keeps the doctor away

Press Release
Your story can now be headline news
Use free press release services
Pitchengine.com
Pr.com
PRlog.com
i-newswire.com
Prleap.com
24-7pressrelease.com
Make your own Newsroom

Blogging Basics: Reasons to Blog
Help others with your knowledge
Improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Gain Visibility as a Thought Leader
Conversations with your audience
Crisis Management
Customer Service
Share Company Announcements

Multi media
Flickr
Youtube
LiveStream
ustream.tv
TubeMogul
Seesmic
Oovoo
And hundreds of others

Social Bookmarking
Del.ico.us
Stumbleupon
Furl
Ma.gnolia
Blogmarks
Simpy
Popurls

Social aggregators
Digg
Mashable
Reddit
Easy to submit to multiple social bookmarking and aggregators
AddThis
ShareThis
AddtoAny

Document Share
Slideshare.net
Docstoc.com
Scribd.com

4 Point Social Media Strategy
Brand / Reputation Management
Connecting with Customers
Community Outreach
Get new business

Network Solutions Strategy : Changing Perceptions
First Half 2008:
Approximately 60 percent of Network Solutions social media conversations negative
Perception of Network Solutions as domain registrar only
Changing perception become critical for long term health

Planned Approach
Listen and engage customers directly
Online
At conferences
General participation
Respond to feedback, calls for help and knowledge
Build positive equity through valuable content
Community member

Twitter Conversations
Reply to all the people who @ you
Retweet or tweet interesting links
People like conversation
3 tweets a day keeps the doctor away

Built online relationships offline

Results : Online Positive Reputation Grows
Network Solutions won the Society of New Media Communications and Research Award for Corporate Online Reputation Management
2009 a Gold Quill Award of Excellence in Social Media from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

What Does the Future Hold
More community engagement
Events
Online monitoring
Content: Seeking to help small businesses, web companies during recession
Smart Business Success Index : GrowSmartBusiness.com
Continued blogging with new voices
Expanded offerings
Women Grow Business
Webinar
Small Business Conference

Training other advocates
Social Media
Twitter
Blogging
Bookmarking

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

A Premier Networking Event for Entrepreneurs - The first-ever GrowSmartBiz Conference! Register with the code POSTCARD to receive $100 off your ticket ! SEPT 29, 2009 | Washington, D.C. Keynote by Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired Magazine and author of The Long Tail and Free Register Today: www.tinyurl.com/gsbiz Follow us on Twitter: @Growsmartbiz
Proven strategies for growth despite the current economy
Executable, cost-effective ways to market your businesses
Advice for securing small business financing
Free domain, free business plan software, and more!
Conference Highlights:

Questions ?
Shashi Bellamkonda [email_address]
Twitter: @shashib
Small Business Success Index : http://www.GrowSmartBusiness.com
Network Solutions Blog : http://blog.networksolutions.com
Web Community Network : http://www.LinkTogether.com
Small Business Network : http://www.MySolutionSpot.com
Women Entrepreneurs : http:// www.WomenGrowBusiness.com

How To Get Business With Social Media

by Shashi Bellamkonda on Sep 19, 2009

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How To Get Business With Social Media — Presentation Transcript