This document summarizes a presentation about leveraging social media for startups, entrepreneurs and organizations. The presentation discusses common mistakes businesses make with social media, the importance of goals and strategy, and evaluating tools for the right reasons. It also outlines six ways social media can improve business by expanding conversations, developing influencer relationships, and discovering hidden knowledge.

1. Social Media:
Opportunity for Startups,
Entrepreneurs and Organizations
Madison Public Library, March 8, 2011
Wendy Soucie Consulting
25 years + experience B2B - manufacturing / professional
service firms.
Unique focus - technical products and engineering.
Based in the Midwest with national reach.
© Copyright 2009 Wendy Soucie
Consulting LLC - All Rights Reserved
Monday, March 7, 2011 1

2. In this presentation…
3 common social media mistakes
businesses are making
Understand why business goals and a
social media strategy is important
Evaluate social media tools for the right
tactical reasons
Consider 6 ways social media improves
“business as usual”
© Copyright 2009 Wendy Soucie Consulting LLC - All Rights Reserved 2
Monday, March 7, 2011 2

3. What is social media?
social media:
conversation via the Internet
used to create shared value
for participating consumers and
businesses
It’s about connecting with people
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4. 105 4/09
30,500 02/11
Website
LinkedIn
Directory
Twitter
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5. More ways to connect to each
other
Source: HubSpot
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6. The Internet changed the
rules
Most of us go online to:
Check online groups
Read blogs
Collect feedback
Read product reviews
Educate ourselves
Compare products
People are taking control
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Monday, March 7, 2011 6

7. 3 Common Social Media Mistakes
Common business blunders:
Not answering the question of “why” -
[Understand the social media landscape]
Using social media as free advertising -
[there is no easier place than social
media to unfriend, delink, disconnect]
Asking the first available person to do
“something” - [did you really want to
trust your $xx business to a college
intern?]
There’s a better way
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8. Social media landscape
Social networking and blogging sites are
now the 4th most popular activity on the
Internet
67% of global online users visit social
network and/or blogging sites
Time spent online is growing at 3
times the rate of overall Internet user
growth
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9. Social media landscape
228 Million in US using
74.1% of US Pop.
130 M social network
users
Ave age of user is 32
yrs
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10. Build a Social Media Business
Goal
16,000 ft Strategy
Strategy
Tools
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11. A Process
Assess
Identify
Apply Model Goals &
Objectives
Measure & Develop
Track Strategy
Select Identify
Channels & ways to
Tools engage
Engage the entire
organization
SocialMedia-academy.com/methodologies/htm
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12. Goals for your brand?
Build professional network
Create buzz
Thought leadership
Extend geographic reach
Awareness
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13. Know your goal, build a strategy
Listen & respond
Put human face on business
Entertain
Tell your stories
Create community of evangelists
Collect ideas and customer input
Drive targeted and qualified traffic
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14. http://bit.ly/hmCudD How to Leverage Social Media Optimization
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15. Understand your audience
Technographics
Demographics
Influencers
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16. Understand Your Audience
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17. Identify Influencers
FaceBook
Blogs
YouTube Yahoo,
Delicious,
other niche
Twitter sites
LinkedIn
http://www.wendysoucie.com/social-media/citrixwebex-social-media-assessment-by-social-media-academy-alumni/
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18. Free Assessment Tools
Itunes search Google Alerts
Compete.com Google Reader
TweetDeck Search Google Analytics
Search.Twitter.com
Trendrr
Addictomatic
Socialmention
Technorati
List of 26 tools http://www.socialmediatoday.com/SMC/155299
http://www.dreamgrow.com/46-free-social-media-monitoring-tools/
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Consulting LLC - All Rights Reserved 18
Monday, March 7, 2011 18

19. What business owners need
Take a strategic
approach
Business Brand Marketing
Goals • Extend Strategy
• Clarify • Tactic
Tools:
Advertising
Public relations
Direct mail
Social media, etc.
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20. Goal Strategy
Be realistic – What resources?
Get training – Do you know how to apply the
tools?
Define success – Can you agree on
measurement?
Business Brand Marketing
• Clarify • Extend • Tools
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Monday, March 7, 2011 20

21. The investment pays off in
loyalty
Engage in conversation
Share knowledge
Build awareness
Grow network
Generate ideas
Create brand evangelists
Earn trust
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22. After strategy/planning pick your tool
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23. Time, tools and tactics
Listening Participation
Generate Buzz Share Content
Social Networking Community building
30
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15
8
0
Time
Source: Beth Kantar
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24. Tool Hierarchy
Micro
Blogging Easier
adoption for
Social
Networks
SMB
Social Bookmarking
Video /Photo Sharing
Travel/Review Sites
Social Directory Search
RSS Feeds
Blogging / Wikis/ Forums / Content Generation
Website as your home base
Adapted from John Jantsch, Duct Tape Marketing, Microsoft Live
Office
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25. Websites
What?
• Home for all information and place to send people
• Silos of content/ information
• Search optimized , site map submitted
• Makes it easy to do business
How?
• Decide business goals
• Ease of use for audience first
• Design second
• Submit site map to Google/Yahoo
Where?
• Html, Open Source – PHP, content management
• Flash - NO
• Integrated - Cloudprofile.com, Hubspot.com
• Templates - some just need your content.
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Monday, March 7, 2011 25

26. Blogs
What?
• Web logs (sites) where entries or posts are listed in chronological order.
• Blogs allow for readers to engage with comments.
• Free and hosted sites
• Easy WYSIWYG editors for adding text, photo, video
How?
• Fast and inexpensive (can serve as website and blog)
• Search engine friendly.
• Interactive.
• USG
Where?
• Blogger.com (Google) (7) – networkmindshare.blogspot.com
• Wordpress.org (17) – wendysoucie.com, endresultmarketing.com
• Typepad – techpr.typepad.com
• Posterous.com – smbmadison.posterous.com
• Cloudprofile.com wisocialmedia.cloudprofile.com
• MerchantCircle - directory, review site, blog and social networking connections
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Monday, March 7, 2011 26

27. Search Engines
What?
• Web pages that list websites, images, video and other information
• Search based on user input - key words.
• The results are based on an algorithm – certain sites feed others.
How?
• Search Optimize pages for key engines /target audience
• Local search campaign important
• Key data terms on every page
• Focus key content on different pages
Where?
• Google.com (1)
• Bing.com (9*)
• Yahoo.com (3)
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Monday, March 7, 2011 27

28. Social Networking
What?
• On-line community that builds social relations among
people, with shared interests
• Profile is required to see or participate
How?
• Connect with people
• Contribute content of value to your network
• Participate through comments, questions, answers
Where?
• FaceBook.com
• LinkedIn.com
• Fastpitch.com
• Ecademy.com
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29. Measuring Social Media ROI
Traffic - # of unique visitors
Interaction - # of comments, sales,
downloads
Sales – ecommerce onsite conversion
Leads - # generated
Search Marketing - # of calls using
trackable phone #’s
Brand Metrics
PR – placement, mentions, stories,
visibility
Customer Engagement – sharing,
evangelism
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Monday, March 7, 2011 29

30. The investment pays off in
dollars
Improve customer support
Retain customers
Generate leads
Increase sales
Expand markets
Develop new products
Gain market share
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Monday, March 7, 2011 30

31. 6 ways social media can improve
“business as usual”
1) Expanding the conversation before and
beyond the sale
2) Developing relationships with online
influencers
3) Discovering hidden knowledge to
increase online effectiveness
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Monday, March 7, 2011 31

32. 6 ways social media can improve
“business as usual” (cont.)
4) Sharing valued-added content in
multiple ways across multiple channels
5) Collecting timely feedback from current,
potential, past and lost customers
6) Understanding important issues relevant
to your target audience
Stay nimble
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33. Examples
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34. Louis E. Page Fencing
• OBJECTIVE: Generate
awareness, drive
traffic to website
• STRATEGIES: Listen,
participate, entertain
and inform, add
knowledge
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35. Louis E. Page Fencing (B2B & B2C )
B 2 C & B2B
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36. ProjectGirl.org (NonProfit)
• OBJECTIVE: Educate
trainers and parents,
be trusted, Drive
votes for winning
grant
• STRATEGIES: build
profiles where adults
hang, share content
from kids, entertain
and inform, ask for
the vote, encourage
registration
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37. ProjectGirl.org (NonProfit)
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38. Matrix Product Development
• OBJECTIVE: brand
awareness for key
products/services,
lead generation
• STRATEGIES: Extend
reach in B2B space,
create RFID product
recognition, share
knowledge about
RFID industry
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39. 39
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40. We provide:
Technical Product Expertise
Manufacturing experience
Social media assessments
Marketing best practices
Thought leadership strategies
Questions
Social media building blocks
Training on tools and strategy
Implementation help and coaching
Network . Contribute . Participate
Social web links: http://xeesm.com/wendysoucie
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41. Strategic Alliances
• Wendy Soucie Consulting
• End Result Marketing
• Nurture marketing, research, social
media
• Social Media Academy
• Certified Social Media Consultant
• Founding Gold Member and Alumni
• Black Diamond Consultant
• Social Media Academy Faculty 2011
• Xeesm – Social CRM
– Business Partner – Wisconsin
• Photo credits Istock Photo
• AdzZoo Local Search Marketing
• Integrated Alliances Certified
LinkedIn Trainer
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