Social media involves interacting with online communities to both listen and engage with others about topics of interest or related to a particular community. It allows sharing news, opinions, and recommendations. The major social media platforms available for businesses include Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, blogs and location-based apps like Foursquare. Social media can help businesses increase brand awareness, build trust, listen to customers, and potentially increase sales when used to engage customers and drive them to the business website.

1. Social Media

2. What is Social Media?
- Social media is a new way to use the web.
- It’s a trendy term to describe a new kind of mass media.
- It involves both listening, and talking.
- It’s about being there for friends as well as engaging strangers.
- It’s all done on a daily basis by thousands of people in your town.
- Be under no illusion…it’s where the people are.
- And it’s definitely NOT just for kids.

3. What is Social Media?
- Social Media is the interaction with a community either from a geographic or
product interest.
- It is about both listening and speaking.
- It is about advising and being advised about the community in general.

4. What are the the Social Media Platforms available

5. What are the social media platforms available?
Twitter, enabling users to exchange news and opinions mostly concerning specific
topics. Tweets are sent via short message with a maximum length of 140 characters
and can be subscribed to.
Facebook fan pages are public profiles which allows you to share business and products with
Facebook users and the general public. Fan pages are visible to unregistered users as well so
companies often have a link to their Facebook fan page on their website.
Foursquare is a location mapping and social networking service that allows users to let their
friends know what they are up to by checking in to different venues. This is great for
businesses as it helps them track consumers whereabouts as well as the things they are
saying about each venue.
WordPress is a widely used blogging platform and blog host.

6. What are the social media platforms available?
YouTube allows users to upload short video clips – everything from music videos to
movie trailers to TV show episodes and homemade videos.
Blogger allows bloggers to upload audio recordings from their phone to their blog.
Like similar services, Blogger lets members create and customise their own blog and
encourages them to update on a frequent basis.
Gowalla lets the users combine a personalised experience with a social network. Members use
their mobile devices to log in at locations. They can proclaim their presence, recommend an
establishment, or rave about the menu.
LinkedIn is a social networking website geared towards companies and industry professionals
looking to make new business contacts or keep in touch with previous co-workers, affiliates,
and clients.

7. Your Twitter Page, looks like....

8. Your Facebook Page, looks like....

9. So how does Social Media help your business?
Social media can help your business in a variety of ways:
- Increased brand awareness
- Creates trust with customers and prospects
- Helps you to listen to what your customers are saying about your products, your
market, your company
- Increased sales
The essence of social media is to integrate into your community, and to use it
to funnel those people to your website, where they wish to purchase your
goods or services from.

10. Is it for me?
Is social media for all?
That’s a tough call... All businesses should be looking at Social Media.
Are you in a service industry? Then yes, you should be in social media.
Do you have a shop? Then yes, you should be active with social media.
Are you looking to actively engage your clients? Then yes, you should be active with social media.
The negative aspect are it takes time,

11. Reasons to use Twitter for your business
Connecting Marketing
with your Brand Competition
customer Loyalty Update
Viral Branding
Market
Give Away
Customer Vouchers &
Feedback Increase
News Sales Codes

12. Reasons to use Facebook for your business
SERP’s Fan
Branding Page Easy to
Users Promote
Cool &
Viral Fun
Sending
Link to Personal Community
Updates to
FB Page Connection
Fans