Social media provides businesses advantages such as driving website traffic, establishing expertise, and nurturing customer relationships to increase sales. Popular social media platforms in Ireland include Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. While social media allows no control over what others say, case studies demonstrate how interior design, directory, and pharmacy businesses effectively used blogging, Twitter, Facebook, and other tactics to increase sales and grow their brand. Social media engagement builds communities where customers interact and advocate for businesses.

1. Social Media For Business Purposes

4. Some Irish Social Media Stats: Facebook • 1,418,100 Facebook users in Ireland • 847,000 of these log in everyday • 83% log in at least once a week. • 73% penetration of the online population • 55 % of users are Men 45% are Female • 27% of users are over 35 years of age • 35% of users are 25 - 34 years of age • 91% of users are over 18 years of age (1,286,960)

5. Some Irish Social Media Stats: Linkedin • 25,000 Irish Linkedin accounts Twitter • 150,000 Twitter users in Ireland

7. Case Study – Feelgood Organic Hampers

18. Case Study – Garrendenny Lane Interiors Blog – January 2008

19. Case Study – Garrendenny Lane Interiors Blog – January 2008 “ 40% of my fabric and wallpaper sales came directly from my blog and improved SEO that year and I gained clients as far away as Westmeath and Sligo.”

20. Case Study – Garrendenny Lane Interiors Twitter – March 2009

21. Case Study – Garrendenny Lane Interiors Facebook – September 2009

22. Case Study – Garrendenny Lane Interiors Facebook & Twitter “… in Feb 2009, I had 2,500 unique visitors - these increased by approx 1000 a month to 10,500 in Dec 2009.” “ I have had about 30 online sales from Twitter/Facebook although there may be more from Twitter where I haven't made the connection. ”

23. Case Study – Garrendenny Lane Interiors Product of The Month

24. Case Study – Garrendenny Lane Interiors Freebie Friday

25. Case Study – Garrendenny Lane Interiors “ A little story from a couple of weeks ago, I was uploading new products and did a link from Facebook to a little silver bell that I had just uploaded. Within 20 minutes, one was sold along with another product to a Facebook fan. I went onto Twitter and tweeted that the bell had sold so quickly along with a link. Within ten minutes, another 2 were sold to 2 people who had read the tweet.”

27. Case Study – WhatsWhat.ie Twitter – January 2009

28. Case Study – WhatsWhat.ie “ Over the past year we have had on average 3 signups to the directory a week with the referrer as Twitter. They are free listings. We have had several companies take advantage of our €5 a month premium listings and have sold a few top ten slots too.”

29. Case Study – WhatsWhat.ie “ Whatswhat has found a sales person via Twitter and we are still on the look out for more plus I have made contact with someone who could be very important for our business through Twitter.”

30. Case Study – WhatsWhat.ie Blog – September 2009

31. Case Study – WhatsWhat.ie Blog – September 2009

32. Case Study – WhatsWhat.ie Facebook – September 2009

33. Case Study – Pharmacy Development Services

34. Case Study – Pharmacy Development Services

35. Case Study – Taleo

36. Case Study – Taleo

37. Case Study – Taleo

38. Where is Social Media Going? We embark on a social media campaign in order to interact with our customers, our staff, potential customers and other interested parties. When Social Media really begins to work is when our ‘community’ begins to interact with each other. Although this seems risky it allows your ‘tribe’ to become your advocates and your sales force.

39. Where is Social Media Going? Soon there will be no such thing as Social Media it will just be the way the Internet is.