The document discusses several myths and perceptions around social media use for economic development professionals. It finds that over 70% use LinkedIn and over 50% use Facebook. While over 60% say Twitter has little applicability, over 50% say LinkedIn is good for the profession. It concludes that economic developers should start with a social media strategy tailored to their objectives and audience, and consider metrics like engagement, sentiment, influence, and activity to measure success.

1. Social Media
Myths/Perceptions
By
Mark J James, CEcD
ED Solutions, Inc.
mark.james@solutionsED.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/edsolutions
http://twitter.com/EcoDev
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Objectives
• How do I begin?
• Are our audiences on Social
Media?
• Does it take too much time?
• Is Social media only for
broadcasting messages?
• This stuff can’t be
measured…
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3. Atlas Primary Research, October 2009
• Estate Inc., New Mexico • Moran, Stahl & Boyer LLC, Florida
• Mike Barnes Group, Inc., Texas • Sherwin-Williams Co., Georgia
• Colliers Location Agency & • Trione & Gordon/ONCOR Intl.,
Incentives Practice, Indiana
I ti P ti I di Texas
T
• McCallum Sweeney Consulting, • Colliers International, Toronto
South Carolina CANADA
• Koll Development Company, • Little & Associates Architects, North
Texas Carolina
• CB Richard Ellis, Washington • Palm Inc – Sunnyvale, California
• Studley Inc., Pennsylvania • Visa – San Francisco, California
• Greenfield Development • Foote Consulting Group – Glendale
Glendale,
Company, North Carolina Arizona
• CB Richard Ellis, Arizona
• The RSH Group, California
Source: Atlas Advertising
What social networks or tools,
if any, do you use?
71 % use
1
LinkedIn,
and just
over 50%
use
facebook.
facebook
Source: Atlas Advertising
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4. How frequently do you use
each?
72 % use
2
some form
of Social
Media at
least
weekly.
weekly
Source: Atlas Advertising
What is the applicability of
Twitter to your profession?
63.6%
63 6% say
Twitter has
no/very
little
applicability
to the site
selection
profession.
Source: Atlas Advertising
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5. What is the applicability of LinkedIn to your
profession?
52.6% say
LinkedIn has
good
application to
the site
selection
profession.
profession
Source: Atlas Advertising
What is the applicability of
LinkedIn to your profession?
“I have used it along with Hoovers to check who is LinkedIn and contact people for
business meetings.”
“I think it has good application. I have gotten proposals through this tool.”
“Pretty low rated.”
“It’s okay.”
“I already have the contacts I need in my email – how is this different?”
“Not much”
“Good for seeking independent information.”
“Good for finding contacts, and to keep in touch with peers.”
“More of a business site”
Useful networking tool
Don’t know yet.
Source: Atlas Advertising
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6. Just What does all this say to
the practical economic
say development
professional?
no
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What does all this say to
the practical economic
development
professional?
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7. Depending on organization,
a reasonable inclusion
of SOME
social media applications
What does all this say to
the practical economic
development
professional?
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The Practical ED’r Starts with a
Social Media Strategy
• Consider-
– Objectives
– Identify your audience-key leaders, stakeholders, etc.
– What calls to action will you use?
– Identify some benchmarks
– Keyword/SEO analysis
– How Will You Measure Success?
• Vi it
Visits
• Followers
• Return on conversation?
– (Last) Best Tools for You
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8. Some Typical ED Goals
• Brand awareness
• Program/
practitioner
credibility
• Drive traffic to web
• Create community
• Connect resources
• Lead development
Mission: Greater Spokane Inc.
• Increase membership and profile in the
community y
• Position GSI as an expert in matters relating to
business, economic development, and public
policy
• Reach out to business owners and site selectors
to position the Spokane region as an ideal
location for business.
• Does not replace face-to-face interaction
• Cost-effective
• Convenient
• Creates Visibility
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9. What’s Yours?
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12. Lots of aggregation!
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Lots of aggregation!
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13. ?
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Measures-
• Engagement
• Sentiment
• Influence
• Activity
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14. Engagement -
• LinkedIn Groups-
– Existing Businesses
– Industry Associations
• Twitter Followers-
– RichmondJobsnet
• Virtual Tourist
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Sentiment -
• Organization-
• Place-
• Program
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15. Influence-
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MetroDenver.org
GreaterOklahomaCity.com
Greaterspokane.org
TreoAZ.org
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16. Activity-
• Driving traffic to Web • Connect
• Retweet • Sign up for events
(Eventbrite)
• Invest
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What
is the
i th ROI
of your
y
telephone?
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17. Social Media Metrics
• Not mature yet- things like;
– Return on Conversation
– F ll
Followers
– Impressions
• There are a few things
which you can and should
do
– Monitor what’s being said
g
about your community
– Measure the numbers
– Regularly go back to the
strategy
Social Media Metrics
• Some interesting metric tools-
– Compete.com
– Google Alerts
– Xinureturns.com
– Bit.ly
– search twitter com
search.twitter.com
– Twittercounter.com
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20. mark.james@solutionsED.com
And
sdunnigan@grpva.com
Thanks for your attention!
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