This document discusses the importance of social media for small businesses. It notes that while most Australians and business prospects are active online, less than 30% of small Victorian businesses use social media. Having a daily social media habit can help drive traffic, build communities, increase revenue and create customer loyalty. The document recommends social media should be part of a business's marketing strategy and can be measured to track offline and online engagement. It provides examples of social media marketing products and services from The Marketing Network.

1. WHY SOCIAL MEDIA?
BECAUSE… “BUSINESS IS ABOUT TWO
THINGS AND TWO THINGS ONLY,
MARKETING AND INNOVATION.”
(PETER DRUCKER)
For: BNI Star Networkers (Williamstown)
By: Steve Hubbard, Marketing & Social Media Consultant
Date: 6/9/2013

2. IT‟S A COMPETITIVE MARKET PLACE
Number of actively trading small businesses1
Australia = 2,132,412
Victoria = 522,896 (84.7% are service based)
(City of) Melbourne = 30,500
Hobsons Bay = 6,650
Wyndham = 8,860
Brimbank = 12,530
Maribyrnong = 5,930
Yarra = 12,380
1 Ref. http://www.innovation.gov.au/SmallBusiness/KeyFacts/Documents/AustralianSmallBusinessKeyStatisticsAndAnalysis.pdf

3. YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE IS ACTIVE ONLINE
All but 14% of Australians aged 14yrs+ use the internet2
2 Ref: http://about.sensis.com.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/docs/Yellow%20Pages%20Social%20Media%20Report_F.PDF

4. YOUR PROSPECTS AND CLIENTS ARE ON
FACEBOOK, LINKEDIN, TWITTER TOO
65% of online Australians are using social media

5. AND YOUR COMPETITORS MAY (NOT) BE
Less than 30% Victorian small business use social media

6. FOR LEADERS AND CHALLENGERS
Only 5% of small businesses3have a daily ‘habit’
3 Based 18% of 30%

7. FOR THE BENEFITS
Advantages of a strategic social media habit include:
• Fun and creative: brilliant for sharing stories with words, photos and videos;
• More Connections: online networking with friends, fans & followers;
• Drives traffic: generating visitors to your website / front door;
• Builds communities: enables interests to be shared with clients and
stakeholders / suppliers in geographic areas or specific industries;
• Increased revenue: by turning prospects into paying clients;
• Creates loyalty: through closer more trusting relationships;
• Raising awareness: of your brand and business, what you stand for, who you
are & what you offer;
• Budget effectiveness: enables a far greater spread of marketing activities;
• Customer engagement: provides more and often better touch points to engage
with your target audience;
• Real-time feedback: direct and immediate communication 24/7.

8. TO ATTRACT & RETAIN CLIENTS
Social media should be part of your marketing house

9. AND MEASURED
Calculating your offline & online traffic, leads and revenue

10. SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PRODUCTS
• Social Media System Technical Set-Up.$990+GST
• Integrated account set up of five social media channels e.g. LinkedIn, Facebook
page, Twitter, G+, YouTube
• Upload of basic „about us‟ information
• Upload of brand imagery
• Add share and social media icons to website
• Social Media Optimisation (SMO) Strategy$1,500+GST
Brief development that (with the Content Marketing Plan) enables
strategic social media activities to be planned in advance, making it
easier to coordinate campaigns and grow reach
• Social Media Monitoring & Management
Quote following SMO Strategy from
$550+GST/month
REF: http://themarketingnetwork.com.au/services/promotion/social-media

11. THE MARKETING NETWORK
www.themarketingnetwork.com.au

12. SOCIAL MEDIA POWER TO CONNECT