3. Blogs…Social Media… and
g
You... OH MY!
Following the Yellow Brick
Road to Social Media Success
4. Think of the Internet as OZ
Potentially
Dangerous
but full of
rewards
5. Social Media in the Land of OZ
Social
Media will
help you
connect
with the
with the
right
people :
•Writers
•Editors
•Publishers
6. You can be the Wizard!
Gain
Friends
and share
ideas
7. Why Social Media?
y Soc a ed a?
• Social Media helps you:
– Connect with
• Editors
• Writers
• Publishers
– Drive Traffic to your Income Producing Blogs and
Drive Traffic to your Income Producing Blogs and
Websites
– Helps establish you as a thought leader in your
Helps establish you as a thought leader in your
Niche
8. Stats on Social Media Marketing
Community and Social Networking Tools Employed and Planned
(% of Respondents)
Anticipated Timing
Network or Tool Today Next 12 Months Beyond 1 Year No Plans to
Employ
p y
Facebook fan page 86% 10 3 1
Twitter 65 19 7 9
Customer reviews 55 26 13 6
Blogs
g 55 25 12 8
Viral videos 50 22 13 15
Facebook connect 43 31 10 16
Social listening 36 31 19 14
Q & A 29 20 25 26
Community forums 27 18 23 32
Product suggestion box 19 26 20 35
Source: e‐Tailing Group, September 2009
9. Stats on Social Media Marketing
Top 3 Sites or Tools Expected to Yield Greatest Sales Increase
(% of Respondents)
Social Media
S i l M di or Tool
T l Total
l % R k 1 % R k 2 % R k3
Rank Rank Rank3
Response
Customer reviews 100 78% 14% 8%
Q&A 43 16 49 35
Facebook fan page 39 13 36 51
Viral videos 34 18 44 38
Community forums 33 6 45 49
Blogs 30 10 47 43
Social listening 22 14 27 59
Facebook connect 19 26 32 42
Product suggestion box 17 41 24 35
Twitter publishing 14 7 57 36
Source: e-Tailing Group, September 2009
10. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
The vast majority of respondents said social
The vast majority of respondents said social
media did not influence their travel or vacation
decisions, but there is evidence that travel
companies can do well among the 23% who said
they were influenced by social media.
11. Stats on Social Media Marketing
Though sales
declined 6.7% in
2009, eMarketer
predicts US online
leisure and
unmanaged business
travel sales growth
travel sales growth
will begin to
accelerate this year,
accelerate this year
peaking at 7% in
http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R 1007654
http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007654 2012, when sales will
hit $105.4 billion.
13. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
Social media sites fall into different
categories:
t i
Social “bookmarking” sites such as:
bookmarking
a) Digg
b) reddit
c) StumbleUpon
d) del.icio.us
16. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
Identity-based sites are totally based on
de t ty based s tes y
who you are and the type of business you’re
in (freelance writing) and are based on
connecting with networks of friends
friends,
associates and contacts you know.
17. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing – Linked In
ed
18. Soc a ed a a et g aceboo
Social Media Marketing - Facebook
19. Social Media Marketing - Blogging
Your own Blog is an identity-based social media site if
you open up comments.
http://www.southwestwashingtonzest.com/
20. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
Message boards, forums, and
newsgroups (such as Yahoo! Groups and Google Groups)
g p
21. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing - Twitter
tte
22. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
Today we will discuss:
1. The importance of Creating a Social Media Plan
2. Blogging and Travel Websites
3. Social Media Networks
1. FaceBook
2. Linked In
3.
3 Twitter
23. C eat g Social ed a a
Creating a Soc a Media Plan
If you enter into social media
without a plan, you will fail.
ith t l ill f il
Period.
http://outspokenmedia.com/social media/social media planning/
http://outspokenmedia com/social‐media/social‐media‐planning/
24. C eat g Social ed a a
Creating a Soc a Media Plan
Understand your audience:
1. What is your niche?
2. What does your niche need?
(Describe their needs NOT what you offer)
(D ib h i d NOT h ff )
3. What are your reader’s pain points?
(List all of your reader’s pain points)
(Li t ll f d ’ i i t)
4. What emotions are evoked by their big pain?
5. What do you do? (How do you solve your reader s problems?)
5 What do you do? (How do you solve your reader’s problems?)
6. Who are your competitors?
7. What differentiates your writing from the competition?
7 What differentiates your writing from the competition?
25. C eat g Social ed a a
Creating a Soc a Media Plan
Niche Example:
Myrna Oakley’s Beat is the Pacific Northwest
Within her beat she has created several
niches:
• Bed And Breakfasts
• Small Inns
• Small Towns & Big Towns
• Live Local Theater
• Historical Places
• Small cafes, coffee shops, and
bakeries
b k i
26. C eat g Social ed a a
Creating a Soc a Media Plan
Once you have Decided on your Niche:
Create your brand!
Secure your brand!
27. C eat g Social ed a a
Creating a Soc a Media Plan
Brand Examples - Ronda Roaring
http://www.ilovethefingerlakes.com
28. C eat g Social ed a a
Creating a Soc a Media Plan
Brand Examples: Jan Jackson
http://www.countrytraveleronline.com/
29. C eat g Social ed a a
Creating a Soc a Media Plan
Secure your brand http://knowem.com/
30. C eat g Social ed a a
Creating a Soc a Media Plan
Determine how you will measure your
success
Blog comments ?
Conversions ?
Links ?
Links ?
Twitter talk ?
Better brand recognition ?
31. C eat g Social ed a a
Creating a Soc a Media Plan
Understand your readers;
hang out where they hang out
out.
Are they on:
Facebook?
Linked In?
Twitter?
Why the need to follow your readers?
You want to know what your readers want and
place yourself ahead of the competition
32. C eat g Social ed a a
Creating a Soc a Media Plan
They could be somewhere more niched:
http://www.exploroo.com/
http://www exploroo com/
33. C eat g Social ed a a
Creating a Soc a Media Plan
Or:
http://www.passportstamp.com/
http://www passportstamp com/
34. C eat g Social ed a a
Creating a Soc a Media Plan
Additional Social Networking Travel Sites:
Additional Social Networking Travel Sites:
TravBuddy: http://www.travbuddy.com/
Travellerspoint: http://www.travellerspoint.com/
WAYN: http://www.wayn.com/waynsplash.html
CouchSurfing: http://www.couchsurfing.org/
CouchSurfing: htt // h fi /
Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/
35. C eat g Social ed a a
Creating a Soc a Media Plan
What about the Editors and Publishers?
Where are they hanging out?
Where are they hanging out?
www.woodenhorsepub.com
36. C eat g Social ed a a
Creating a Soc a Media Plan
What about the Editors and Publishers?
Where are they hanging out?
Where are they hanging out?
http://www.demandmedia.com/
http://www demandmedia com/
37. Ways to Make Some Money
ays a e So e o ey
Once you have created your plan,
check out some of these income
check out some of these income
producing sites:
http://www.helium.com/
If you are tired of having to read publishers’ minds for query letters that get
g fy f g y f p
ignored or if you want to break into freelancing but don’t have a body of clips
to show yet, Helium’s Marketplace is for you.
http://yousaytoo.com/
YouSayToo.com is great place for communication, discussions, meeting new
Y S T i t l f i ti di i ti
friends, liberalizing, getting famous on the web, making posts on YST and
earning money from Google AdSense ad rotations!
38. Ways to Make Some Money
ays a e So e o ey
More Sites that pay YOU for Content:
http://www.xomba.com/
Xomba is an online community for people to share ideas make friends
is an online community for people to share ideas, make friends
and get paid to write. Xomba has been designed for people looking for
information and aspiring writers who are trying to get published.
http://www.flixya.com/
A social network that puts 100% ad revenue in your pocket. We’ve built
p y p
the tools for you to share your videos, photos, and blogs. Your place to
make friends, earn money, network and more.
39. A Word o Affiliate Marketing
o d on ate a et g
Affiliate marketing is a marketing practice in
which a business rewards one or more affiliates
hi h b i d ffili
for each visitor or customer brought about by
the affiliate's marketing efforts.
h ffili ' k i ff
Examples include rewards sites, where users are
E l i l d d i h
rewarded with cash or gifts, for the completion
of an offer, and the referral of others to the site.
f ff d h f l f h h i
http://www.affiliateideafactory.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affiliate_marketing
p // p g/ / g
40. A Word o Affiliate Marketing
o d on ate a et g
The industry has four core players:
1.Merchant (also known as 'retailer' or
1 Merchant (also known as 'retailer' or
'brand')
2.Network (an Intermediary)
3.Publisher (also known as 'the affiliate')
4.Customer
4 Customer
http://www.affiliateideafactory.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affiliate_marketing
41. A Word o Affiliate Marketing
o d on ate a et g
The market has grown in complexity to warrant a
secondary tier of players, including affiliate
secondary tier of players including affiliate
management agencies, super‐affiliates and
specialized third parties vendors.
specialized third parties vendors
44. Blogging
ogg g
The Blogger is the Main Character
e ogge s t e a C a acte
Your Social Media efforts should lead
people back to your website or blog
45. SO, What is a Blog?
at s og?
• Short for Web Log.
• A blog is a type of Web site with regular entries of
commentary, descriptions of events, or other material
such as graphics or video.
p y g
• Entries are often displayed in reverse chronological
order.
• Some blogs contain commentary or news on a particular
Some blogs contain commentary or news on a particular
subject, where other blogs function as more personal
online journals. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
j p // p g/ / g
46. Blogging Platforms
• http://www.blogger.com/
p // gg /
(Free hosted)
• http://www.movabletype.org/
(Free download)
• http://www typepad com
http://www.typepad.com
($5‐$30/month)
• http://www wordpress org
http://www.wordpress.org
(Free download)
– They provide templates or you can use your own
They provide templates, or you can use your own.
47. Blogging Platforms
The Best Blogging Platform
http://www.wordpress.org
htt // d
• Pro’s
– Considered industry standard by web marketers so it is easy to find support
– Highly customizable, but will need the support of a programmer
– Ready made themes and widgets available
– Active community support in forums
– Get help from real users from the open source fraternity
Get help from real users from the open source fraternity
– Easy to set up a forum along with the blog, directory support
– TAGS are supported by search engines hence more traffic
– Easy to use widgets like related posts, popular posts, recent comments etc.
• Con’s
– Difficult to set up by yourself
– You will have to pay for the hosting and domain (if bought separately)
ll h f h h dd (fb h l )
49. Tips for Bloggers
Make sure to give your blog post a
captivating title. The title will appear as
l h l ll
part of the name of the page.
Examples:
Need Sunshine in Oregon? No way!
(Write about the benefits of the rain in Oregon)
Popeye Muscles Help Find Hood Canal Mussels
(Write about the hard to find spots for digging mussels)
50. Tips for Bloggers
Set up an easy category structure for archive
purposes.
A Category Structure within a Blog on the
Pacific Northwest might be:
• Bed and Breakfasts
• Small Inns
• Small Towns
• Big Towns
• Live Local Theater
• Historical Places
51. Tips for Bloggers
Post to your blog on a regular basis.
Link to pages on your site from your blog using
appropriate link text. Example:
http://seotrainingnw.com/seo‐essentials‐workshop
52. Tips for Bloggers
While most blog posts tend to be short,
there are benefits to longer blog posts
(interviews with newspapers; blog posts
being published in books, etc.).
p blished books etc )
53. Tips for Bloggers
As a Travel Blogger, include images that
support your post
post.
54. Tips for Bloggers
If the post is long, use the “more” feature
to show only a portion of the post on the
page.
55. Tips for Bloggers
Mary Bowling and Carrie Hill
from Blizzard Internet Marketing
f l d k
Mary Bowling
wrote an excellent whitepaper
on SEO for WordPress Blogs.
Download the PDF file at this
URL: Carrie Hill
http://www.blizzardinternet.com/seo-for-wordpress-blogs-free-marketing-
whitepaper
56. Tips for Bloggers
You’ll often find that your blog is one of
the most visited areas of your site by
the search engines.
You’ll often get found under numerous
highly competitive keyword phrases
from your blog entries.
To Retrieve this information, make sure
to set up Google Analytics on your Blog.
57. Tips for Bloggers
Once you have your Social Media Plan in
Order, and your blog is up and running,
it is time to get your content out to th
i ti t t t t t t the
world through Social Media Marketing.
Let’s take a look at:
58. Social Media Marketing
Soc a ed a a et g
Finding the heart and
soul of people and
their businesses
h i b i
59. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
This is
what your
visitors see
visitors see
when they
visit your
page
60. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
When people
Wh l
connect with
you, you will
receive requests
q
61. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
You can search for
friends and
Facebook offers
friend suggestions
62. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
The Wall is a
compilation
of activity
generated by
you and your
friends
63. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
Be sure to select
Be sure to select
your custom
username.
Use your Brand.
64. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
Help Causes that
Help Causes that
are important to
you with the
Causes app.
Support causes
that support
your niche.
your niche.
65. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
Promote your
y
Cause by sending
emails to your
subscribers
66. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
Create a Group
around your
niche
67. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
•Considered more social than business
•Lots of Quizzes
•Lots of Quizzes
•Can add your Twitter Feed
•Fan Pages
Fan Pages
•Lots of Apps
•Can organize your friends in categories
•Writers
•Publishers
Edit
•Editors
•Family, etc.
68. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
Ways to build your presence on
Facebook
•Create a Cause
•Develop a Group
Develop a Group
•Post Videos, Photos and Links
•Design a quiz
•Post your Events
•Create a Community or Business Page
E ti it bl t h
•Every time you write a new blog post, share
it on Facebook
83. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
•Considered for business networking
•Great place to find jobs
Great place to find jobs
•Develop business
•Promote projects and opportunities
•Keep track of your competition
•Ways to market a business on Linked In
•Start a Group
J i G
•Join Groups
•Complimentary
•Directly related
y
•Post your Events
•Answer Questions
•Ask for recommendations
•Post updates
85. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
Sharing ideas
Sharing ideas
140 characters
at a time
86. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
Hash tags allow you to search for topics on which people
are tweeting and for which you are interested
87. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
Direct Messaging allows you to
communicate with only one person directly
88. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing Tools
You can see who
is talking about
you and reply
back to them
89. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing Tools
Automate
your
tweeting
i
90. Soc a ed a a et g
Social Media Marketing
•Considered a micro-blogging network
•Great place to research trends
d f l f h i id
•Wonderful for sharing ideas
•Excellent for getting the word out about what you do
•Ways to market a business on Twitter
•Be sure to follow the 80/20 rule when tweeting.
•Craft an appropriate Twitter Policy, and encourage your employees to
sign up for accounts on Twitter.
g p
•As the owner of your business, register your @companyname and use
it for all your tweets.
•Use Twitter Search to find and respond to tweets about your products
or your brand.
or your brand
•Ask for feedback on your products and then follow up with the
responses you get.
http://webcommunityforum.com/2008/09/21‐ways‐to‐market‐your‐business‐on‐twitter/
92. Soc a ed a Opt
Social Media Optimization
at o
Rules to guide your thinking:
• Increase linkability
(write content that people will want to link to)
• Make tagging easy
(include tags as well as links to social media sites)
• Reward inbound links
(link back to people who link to you)
• Help your content travel
(include a bio; mention your content to others)
93. First Steps
st
• Focus on the Basics
• Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing
– Establish your goals for Social Media and develop
y
your profile and content around that goal (see:
p g (
http://www.chrisbrogan.com/starting‐a‐social‐
media‐strategy/)
– St t ith
Start with one platform and become comfortable
l tf db f t bl
before adding another
– Employ the 80/20 rule: 80% content that will help
p y / p
others, 20% or less self‐promotion
94. Next Steps
e t
• Focus on the Basics
• Social Media Marketing
– Share specials on Writing Conferences, Travel Material
and Guide Books
– Incorporate terminology on your profile that is
optimized for:
ti i d f
» travelers
» fellow freelance writers
» editors
di
» publishers
– Form a group for your writing niche and invite
colleagues to join
ll t j i
– Add upcoming events being held in your field and share
them with your “friends”
95. Next Steps
e t
Implement a Social Media Listening Tool
• Google Alerts
– Google Alerts is the steady rock in the sometimes white water world
Google Alerts is the steady rock in the sometimes white‐water world
of monitoring. You can easily target keywords that are important to
your brand and receive streaming or batched reports—choose your
own adventure.
• Technorati
– Billing itself as "the leading blog search engine," Technorati has been
helping bloggers and those with their fingers on the blog pulse stay
informed for years.
• Jodange
– Tracking your brand or a product is one thing, but turning that
tracking into a measure of consumer sentiment about your brand or
product is something completely different. For that, Jodange has
TOM (Top of Mind), which tracks consumer sentiment about your
( p ), y
brand or product across the Web.
http://www.marketingprofs.com/9/essential‐social‐media‐listening‐tools‐mcdaniel.asp
96. Final Word
a o d
• Focus on the Basics
–R
Remember, Social Media
b S i l M di
is about helping others
– Make sure to temper self
Make sure to temper self
promotion with a
healthy dose of useful
information for your
information for your
friends. It will pay off in
the long run!
(
(You don’t want to be
viewed negatively
by promoting
yourself too much.)
yourself too much.)
100. Contact
Information
Colleen Wright
info@seotrainingnw.com
g
www. seotrainingnw.com
101. Get a copy of the Presentation
py
at
http://www.slideshare.net/sheenalena
http://www slideshare net/sheenalena
info@seotrainingnw.com
info@seotrainingnw com
www. seotrainingnw.com
Twitter: @sheenalena