Social Media: Making It Work for Your Business Shashi Bellamkonda Social Media Swami

Online Tools Checklist for your 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

Prominent role to Social Networking 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 the sector now accounts for almost 10% of all internet time. 1 Facebook added its 200 millionth user on April 8, 2009. If Facebook were a country, it would be the fifth-largest in the world after China, India, the US and Indonesia. 2 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 the sector now accounts for almost 10% of all internet time. 1

Facebook added its 200 millionth user on April 8, 2009. If Facebook were a country, it would be the fifth-largest in the world after China, India, the US and Indonesia. 2

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

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/

Your Listening Plan Who is talking about your business, product or competitor? Are they Customers? Prospects ? Where are these conversations happening? Find a clue to what they enjoy doing? Clues to where you may find more customers What are they talking about? Is this feedback? More product features or a call for help? Do you need to be part of this conversation?

Who is talking about your business, product or competitor?

Are they Customers?

Prospects ?

Where are these conversations happening?

Find a clue to what they enjoy doing?

Clues to where you may find more customers

What are they talking about?

Is this feedback? More product features or a call for help?

Do you need to be part of this conversation?

Listening Tools Google Alerts Technorati Search.Twitter.com Backtype Radian6 Buzzlogic BuzzMonitor Buzzlogic

Google Alerts

Technorati

Search.Twitter.com

Backtype

Radian6

Buzzlogic

BuzzMonitor

Buzzlogic

Participate Comment On Blogs Participate in Forums/Community Boards Answer Linkedin Questions

Comment On Blogs

Participate in Forums/Community Boards

Answer Linkedin Questions

Contribute Tell your story Make videos of your expertise Talk about your employees Share exciting events/news

Tell your story

Make videos of your expertise

Talk about your employees

Share exciting events/news

Road to Success Referrals for your business Web Site /Blog Traffic Comments/Conversation with Customers /prospects Inbound Links Your own customer community

Referrals for your business

Web Site /Blog Traffic

Comments/Conversation with Customers /prospects

Inbound Links

Your own customer community

Google Juice Google results are from Social Media Profiles From 250 to 35,000

Google results are from Social Media Profiles

From 250 to 35,000

Online Positive Reputation Grows Network Solutions won the Society of New Media Communications and Research Award for Corporate Online Reputation Management

Network Solutions won the Society of New Media Communications and Research Award for Corporate Online Reputation Management

Earned Media

Best Practices Be authentic and Show your human side Be Familiar and get to know the turf Be careful – What you say could stay for ever Hold two way conversations No Self-promotion/No message blasts Refer to other sites Post interesting and original content

Be authentic and Show your human side

Be Familiar and get to know the turf

Be careful – What you say could stay for ever

Hold two way conversations

No Self-promotion/No message blasts

Refer to other sites

Post interesting and original content

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 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 if you need it

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

Small Business Success Index

http://GrowSmartBusiness.com

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

Web Community Network : http://www.LinkTogether.com

Small Business Network : http://www.MySolutionSpot.com

Personal Blogs:

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

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

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