Practical Tips for Using Social Media in a Small Business Anita Campbell Editor, Small Business Trends http:// smallbiztrends.com Twitter: @smallbiztrends

How to Use These Tips Not a hard and fast formula Not every tip fits every situation – not everything will be right for you and your business My goal: trigger ideas

Not a hard and fast formula

Not every tip fits every situation – not everything will be right for you and your business

My goal: trigger ideas

Align with Biz Strategy Your “marketing needs” tell you which social activity to do. Goals: Generate leads? Increase brand awareness? Drive website traffic? Listen to your markets and customers? Develop expert status and authority? Reputation management? Other?

Your “marketing needs” tell you which social activity to do. Goals:

Generate leads?

Increase brand awareness?

Drive website traffic?

Listen to your markets and customers?

Develop expert status and authority?

Reputation management?

Other?

Yelp Very important for retail, hospitality, consumer services Respond to customer complaints Monitor quality issues Reputation management Use Business Owner’s Guide at www.yelp.com/business

Very important for retail, hospitality, consumer services

Respond to customer complaints

Monitor quality issues

Reputation management

Use Business Owner’s Guide at www.yelp.com/business

Yelp –Business Owner’s Guide

Facebook Unique mixture of personal & biz Beyond the Personal Profile: Use Groups as a microcommunity; publicize events; discussions Use Fan Pages to establish microcommunity – some say overtaking Groups Advertising available App craze fading See www.facebook.com/advertising

Unique mixture of personal & biz

Beyond the Personal Profile:

Use Groups as a microcommunity; publicize events; discussions

Use Fan Pages to establish microcommunity – some say overtaking Groups

Advertising available

App craze fading

See www.facebook.com/advertising

Facebook – Business Pages

Twitter Combination of broadcasting & 1-to-1 Fast intimate way to connect with customers and public – relationship builder! Customer support channel – “listen” Develop brand visibility Announce specials Drive traffic to a blog

Combination of broadcasting & 1-to-1

Fast intimate way to connect with customers and public – relationship builder!

Customer support channel – “listen”

Develop brand visibility

Announce specials

Drive traffic to a blog

Twitter – Personalize, Engage!

LinkedIn Great for corporate market and job hunters Go beyond the profile Ask and answer questions to display expert status, drive traffic Start or join a Group See www.linkedin.com/answers

Great for corporate market and job hunters

Go beyond the profile

Ask and answer questions to display expert status, drive traffic

Start or join a Group

See www.linkedin.com/answers

LinkedIn – Groups

LinkedIn – Answers

Voting Sites – Digg, Tip’d Build traffic to your website Great if you have blog content Submit your content Be a good social citizen and vote for others’ content Discover content for newsletters and your own blog See www.bizsugar.com for SMB site

Build traffic to your website

Great if you have blog content

Submit your content

Be a good social citizen and vote for others’ content

Discover content for newsletters and your own blog

See www.bizsugar.com for SMB site

Voting Sites - bizSugar

Bonus Tip Be Authentic! Distinguish yourself from the bots and fake accounts and spammers Be YOU! There’s only one YOU

Be Authentic!

Distinguish yourself from the bots and fake accounts and spammers

Be YOU! There’s only one YOU

What else would you like to know?

Thank you! Anita Campbell http:// smallbiztrends.com Twitter: @smallbiztrends