Synotac Lunch and Learn: Social Media

Lunch and Learn:Facebook, Twitter, & LinkedIn"how to": tips, tricks, and best practices

ObjectivesDuring todays Lunch and Learn we will discuss: ● Why use social media ● How to leverage social media for your business or organization ● Best practices for using Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn ● How to manage your social media accounts

WHYWhat should we care about social media?

Why should businesses care about socialmedia?22% of all time spent online now is on social networking sites http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/global/social-media-accounts-for-22-percent-of-time-online/52% of Facebook users and 33% of Twitter users engage with the platformdailyhttp://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Technology-and-social-networks/Summary/Findings.aspxThe overall number of people using social media sites has nearly doubledsince 2008http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Technology-and-social-networks/Summary/Findings.aspx

The Big Boys of 2011 in the U.S.

GOALSWhy use social media?

Goals for using social media as a businessWebsite optimization ● Increase traffic to your website & boost SEOIncrease awareness of your company / service ● Promote brand awareness ● Attract and engage potential customers (virtual "word of mouth") ● Better manage and monitor your brand and online presence (keep an ear out for what people are saying about you)Connect with your customers ● Provide customer support ● Solicit feedback ● Establish your industry expertise and provide valuable resources

HOWBest practices for using Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

Making the most of social media ● Integrate social media into your existing marketing efforts ○ Include social media links in your email signature, website, blog, email newsletter, etc. ● Amplify existing content ○ Publicize existing content such as blog posts, email newsletters, and upcoming events ● Streamline your social media processes ○ Reach wide audiences with minimal time expenditure

Facebook vs. Twitter vs. LinkedInFacebookPersonal and professional online network based around "friends" and "fans"TwitterPublic "microblogging" site for instant communication and informationsharingLinkedInFocused business networking

Facebook

Facebook: Setting up a page for your business ● Profiles are for people, pages are for businesses ● Characteristics of pages: ○ Always public ○ Can designate multiple admins ○ Can choose an appropriate page "category" ○ Dont need approval to become a fan ● Groups vs. pages: Groups are for communities of people with a common interest, pages are for brands or entities with "fans" ● Places: Location-based marketing (use "check-ins" at your location)

Choosing a page category ● Helps you rank in more relevant searches ● Cant change a category after youve created a page ● Each category has different fields on the Info sub-page

Facebook for Business (facebook.com/business) ● Access tips for business page optimization ● Ads enable you to target specific demographics

Best practices for using Facebook ● Create engaging content: Use applications like YouTube video box to enhance your page, add photos and videos, create contests and polls, or pose questions ● Develop a network: Interact with fans, "like" other businesses and they may "like" you back ● Connect to your other digital platforms: Link your email signature, website, blog, email newsletter, Twitter, Slideshare, YouTube, and more to your Facebook page

Facebooks EdgeRank AlgorithmThe more engagement your posts receive, the more recent the engagement,and the greater the affinity between user and "edge" creator, the greater thelikelihood that your posts appear in your fans newsfeeds.

Example of a strong Facebook page

Twitter

Twitter Glossary ● Tweet: A post or status update of 140 characters or less ● Mention: Can mention someone elses account with an @ symbol (e.g. "lunch and learn hosted by @synotac") ● Retweet: Click Retweet below someone elses message, and you can share it with your followers (e.g. retweeting a useful article) ● Hashtag: Use a # symbol before a word to create categories (e.g. "keep updated with Synotac lunch and learns http://bit.ly/pVXZau #lunch") ● Message: Start your tweet with DM or D to send a private message to someone (e.g. "DM @synotac what is the lunch and learn topic?")

Example of a Twitter Reply

Example of hashtag use

Twitter for Business (business.twitter.com) ● Access resources such as tweet and follow buttons ● Opportunity for advertising through promoted tweets, etc.

Best Practices for using Twitter ● Create engaging content: Establish a consistent voice, share links and resources, ask questions, use hashtags, use photos, use geolocation, and more ● Develop a network: Comment on others tweets and retweet what others have posted, find potential leads and regional tweets with Advanced Search ● Connect to your other digital platforms: Link Twitter to your LinkedIn account and to your blog, website, eNewsletter, and moreAdditionally: ● Use Twitter Search to monitor whats being said about your organization or product

Helpful tools for using Twitter ● Use Tweetdeck to streamline your twitter activity and get realtime updates when someone tweets a phrase or topic youre following (allows you to monitor your brand and seize opportunities) ● Use a URL shortening tool like bit.ly ● Find people in your industry on twellow.com (like a Twitter phone directory by industry) ● Use twittergrader.com to evaluate your Twitter influence

Best Practices for LinkedIn ● Create engaging content: Offer educational content in your profile, use applications such as Slideshare or ReadingList by Amazon, link to your blog, products, etc. ● Develop a network: Lead or join a "Group" to discuss industry-related topics, update your status frequently, and use the Question and Answer function to engage in industry-related conversations. ● Connect to your other digital platforms: Link your email signature to LinkedIn, and link to your website, blog, etc.

Example of a strong LinkedIn profile

Managing your social media presenceMonitor ● Scan Google Alerts for your name, brand, and products ● Use Social Mention or Topsy to monitor your online presenceUpdate ● Streamline and automate your updates using Hootsuite or by linking your accounts ● Write blog posts and push out to all your social media accountsEngage ● Scan LinkedIn questions, Facebook conversations, etc. and spend a few minutes responding

MORE TOOLSTools for monitoring and managing your social media presence

Hootsuite.comStreamline your social media process and schedule future posts

Topsy.comReal time search for the social web

SocialMention.com ● Monitor your "mentions" in social media ● Can receive social media alerts via email

Google Alerts (google.com/alerts) ● Get email alerts of the latest Google results on a specific word or topic of your choice

ExamplesBusinesses effectively using social media

Matthew Weiss

Matthew Weiss Specific Techniques1. Regular, relevant and timely content on his blog2. Using Facebook and Twitter to amplify the reach of his new content byposting links to new articles3. Following Twitter topics (hashtags) that his prospects will use, and directmessaging them valuable resources

Spohn Ranch Skateparks

Bramble Berry

Questions & Answers

ActivityPick a tool: Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedInPick one or more techniques: ● Create engaging content ● Develop a network ● Connect to your other digital platformsDevelop a social media strategy using the tool and technique(s) youvechosen.

Resources1. Social media in plain English (Video) - http://bit.ly/nvuWjM3. Best business social media tools (Inc.) - http://bit.ly/nQK0xl5. Twitter overview and lexicon - http://bit.ly/opwm006. URL shortening tool - www.bit.ly

Additional resourceswww.synotac.com/lunch - weekly lunch & learns on digitalmarketingwww.synotac.com/resources & www.synotac.com/blog - resourcesrelated to digital marketing

Synotac Lunch and Learn: Social Media

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