This document provides an overview of using social media to boost a small business. It discusses developing a social media strategy using the P.O.S.T. framework: defining the target People, setting Objectives, developing a Strategy, and choosing appropriate Technologies. The key phases of a social media strategy are to listen to customers, engage by building relationships and cultivating followers, respond to feedback, persuade customers through valuable content, and measure results. Social media can increase brand awareness, build relationships, and potentially increase sales in a very cost-effective manner for small businesses.

1. Social Media 101- Boost Your Business

2. Agenda Introduction. The Recap. Small Business Week. Social Media and Small Business. Social Media ROI - Video – Erik Qualman. Have a Strategy - P.O.S.T. Listen , Engage , React, Persuade, Measure. Conclusion. Q&A.

3. Introduction Richard Bolton Chair – Marketing and Communication Committee -Milton Chamber of Commerce. Microsoft Certified Software Advisor. 15 years experience in software consulting. Centricity360 Software Consulting. Customer Relationship Management – Sales, Marketing and Customer Support. Social Media – Consulting, Monitoring, Strategies, and Software Application Implementation.

4. The Recap What is social media? Definition. Social media describes the online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives. Social media can take many different forms, including text, images, audio, and video.

5. The Recap Social Media is used for: Public Relations. Customer Service. Loyalty-Building. Collaboration. Networking. Thought-Leadership. and yes, Customer Acquisition.

6. The Recap Social Media Tools: What are the benefits Blog – free, able to customize, great for centralized thought leadership, no competition, can syndicate. Ezines/News articles – great for search engine and link building, syndication, external RSS. Micro Blogging – link building, create following, interactive, found on most social networks, quick updates. Bookmarking – link building, reach wider audiences, syndicating, not good for SEO, developing a wider following. Video/Audio Casting – your commercial, creates credibility, easiest on user, great viral potential. Forums – simplified version of blogging, encourages simple and more frequent audience participation. E-Newsletters – an enabler: brings people to your social media, reinforces the brand, builds potential loyalty. RSS Feed – losing popularity in N. America, good for syndication of content Wikis – like a forum except significantly more diverse, great for creating an interactive and focused network. Open Networks – encourages a loyal following to grow, becomes self perpetuating. Closed Networks – exclusivity, privacy, confidentiality, encourages exchange of thinking, targets audience.

7. Why Social Media for Small Business? What are the benefits? Why? Very cost effective way of marketing your business. Referrals. Competition monitoring. Crowdsourcing. Listening to what’s being said about your product or service. Becoming more accessible, more personable, and maintain long term connections. Monitor experts in your field and what your potential customers are saying. Benefits Increases Awareness. Better Communication. Builds Relationships. Evokes Trust. Increases Sales.

8. Social Media ROI Video – Erik Qualman.

9. A Four Step Planning Process P.O.S.T. P eople Customer Profile, Target Audience. Assess your customer social activity. O bjective Decide what you want to accomplish. Listening, talking, marketing, generating sales. S trategy Plan for how relationships with customers will change. Do you want your customers to be more engaged? Blog Centric. T echnology Decide which technologies to use. Once you know your people, objectives, and strategy, then you can decide with confidence which technology to use. Ref. Groundswell

11. The Phases of Social Media: Listen. Use social media for research and to better understand your customers and competition. Engage. Using social media to spread messages about your company. Build a following with customers. Cultivate relationships. Respond. Respond to both negative and positive discussion. Energize word of mouth. Persuade. Influence prospects and customers by providing value and engaging them with your products or services. Measure. Have a conversion process. Track and Monitor. Listen , Engage , Respond, Persuade, Measure.

12. Why Listen? People are talking and they are using the social web - blogs, social networks, wikis, forums, and video - as their mouthpiece. What are we listening for? Customers and Prospects. Need! Our Brand. Compliments/Complaints. Competitors. Strategies and Customer Views. Our Company name or personal name. Key Industry Terms and Experts.

13. How to Listen? Keywords Google Alerts: www.google.com/alerts Social Mention: www.socialmention.com/ RSS Feeds (Really Simple Syndication ) Netvibes: www.netvibes.com Google Reader: www.google.com/reader/ Blogs BlogTalkRadio: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ Google Blog Search: http://blogsearch.google.com/ Technorati: http://technorati.com/search/

14. How to Listen? Bookmarks Delicious: http://delicious.com/ LinkedIn Questions and Answers. Advanced Search for clients. Groups http://www.linkedin.com/ Twitter Tweet Deck: www.tweetdeck.com Twitter Search: http://search.twitter.com/ Advanced: Radian 6

15. Engaging Using social media to spread messages about your company. Build a following with customers. Cultivate relationships. Blogs LinkedIn Facebook Twitter

16. Blog What is it? A blog is a website maintained regularly by an individual for the purpose of commentary and opinion on matters that are relevant to followers. Wordpress and Blogger. www.wordpress.com Culture. B2B, B2C, C2C any audience. Benefits. Brand Building. Direct Communication with followers. Low cost relational marketing. Positions you as an expert. Did you know: Google gives ranking preference to Blogs! Example http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/ http://centricity360.wordpress.com/

17. LinkedIn What is it? LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site . Exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of professionals. Culture. B2B, Professional. Benefits. Grow your network, grow your business. Incredible research tool. Increase your visibility and connectability. Ask for advice, 50 million professionals. Position yourself as an expert.

18. Facebook What is it? Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life. Mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected. Users can add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Culture C2C, B2C Benefits Social Capital. Fans. Branding. Drive web traffic. Customer Engagement, Acquisition and Lead Generation. Revenue. Example http://www.facebook.com/pages/Milton-ON/Brent-Pilgrim-Photography/75262228238 http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Robert-Duvall-Consulting-Inc/179980468920?ref=ts

19. Twitter What is it? Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service. Users send and read other users' updates known as tweets. Culture B2B, B2C Benefits Branding. Research tool. Collaboration and networking. Build Blog audience or Website traffic. Direct traffic. Online water cooler. Example http://twitter.com/ http://twitter.com/Hilton_Niagara

20. Final Phases Respond, Persuade, Measure. Respond Positive discussions should be used as testimonials and pushed across your network. Negative mentions, have a plan on how to address. Take offline. Remember your network will support. Persuade Building relationships with customers by gaining their insight in product or service development to win over. Measure Webtrends Google Analytics Radian 6 - Advanced Reporting Social CRM - Conversion Process

21. Conclusion Have a Strategy – People, Objective, Strategy, and Technology. Phases: Listen , Engage , Respond, Persuade, Measure. Do your homework: Start listening, read Groundswell. Social Media is fun, So have fun!

22. Share your Stories Since Social Media is about sharing knowledge and content, why not share your experiences……. Step up!

23. Q & A

24. Richard Bolton 905-691-0652 [email_address] www.centricity360.com http://centricity360.wordpress.com/

25. Thank you!