Social Media Case Studies - Ara Topouzian & Rob Petty, MEDA Webinar

1. MEDA Social Media
Marketing
November 9, 2010

2. Overview
1. SEDP Background
2. Why Use Social Media?
3. Finding an Audience
4. Providing Content

3. SEDP Background
• Serving Shiawassee County, Pop. 72,000
• 501 (c) 6 Public/Private Partnership
• Annual Budget of approximately $200,000. 2 Full Time
staff members.
• Began Social Media Marketing in 2009. To date:
800+ following facebook, 300+ LinkedIn, Growing
Hometown Futures campaign facebook page 440+.

4. DISCLAIMER:
Social media are not a replacement
for current marketing efforts. They
are a supplement that can fill gaps
and strengthen your existing
strategy.

5. Why Use Social Media
• Opt-In nature leads to engaged audience.
• More frequent contact with audience,
including incidental contact.

6. Where to Begin?
What are you trying to achieve?

7. Target Audience
• Facebook reaches a broad
and generalized audience.
Good for public
relations/awareness.
• LinkedIn is professionally
centered. Another avenue to
communicate to clients and
business partners.

8. Adapt if Necessary
Always keep an eye on who is viewing your
page. The audience you planned for may
not be the one you get. Adjust your
messaging accordingly.

9. Building a User Base
• Invite personal contacts to join your group/“like” your
page.
• Every fan you add is another exposure point.

10. Social Media Advertising
• Sites offer advertising as an option to grow
your audience, such as Facebook Ads,
and LinkedIn’s “Direct Ads.”
• Set profile keys to target who views the
ads.
• Pay per click, and set a daily spending cap
to control costs.

11. So now they’re listening…
Social media can be
prone to noise. Be
sure your content has
value. This will keep
your audience
engaged.

12. Match Content to Crowd
Be aware of who is viewing you page, and what
information they might be interested to hear.

13. A Small Sample
SEDP’s main facebook page serves as an avenue to
increase public awareness of organizational activity, and to
show good news in the local economy.

14. A Small Sample (cont.)
Growing Hometown Futures is an SEDP marketing initiative to reintroduce
former residents to the communities they grew up in, and encourage them
to pursue future business opportunities in Shiawassee County.

15. A Small Sample (cont.)
SEDP’s LinkedIn page connects us to many local business
leaders, as well as connections in the finance,
development, and site selection worlds.

16. User Generated Content
• Allowing UGC opens opportunity for
synergies and improved communication.
• Allowing UGC opens opportunity for
criticism and solicitation.

17. User Generated Content
• If you allow user generated content, check
the site regularly to keep added
information beneficial.
• Some sites allow more control than others.

18. Examples
• www.facebook.com/sedpweb
• www.facebook.com/growinghometownfutures
• Search LinkedIn Groups for “Shiawassee Economic Development
Partnership”

19. Questions?

20. Contact
Brent Jones
Project Specialist
Shiawassee Economic Development Partnership
bjones@sedpweb.org
(989) 725-9241
…Or look me up on LinkedIn