This document provides tips for small businesses on using social media effectively. It begins by stating that many small businesses see no return on investment from social media. It then lists dos and don'ts for social media marketing. The dos include discovering your brand voice, treating platforms distinctly, inviting interaction, being generous with content, focusing on relevant networks, and thinking locally. The don'ts include lacking goals, duplicating content, abandoning channels, and treating channels in isolation. The document concludes by profiling a jeweler's social media use and providing recommendations.

1. Social Media SOS
What to do when your small business
social media efforts aren’t paying off
RJO Educational Series 2013
Covington, KY
@staceykgordon

2. We orchestrate your content
so you can strengthen long-term relationships and solidify your
brand’s value in customers’ minds.
Suite Seven is a
content strategy and
brand communications
consultancy in Oakland, CA.

6. “If you build it, they will come.”

7. “If you build it, they will come.”

8. Find and
interact with
consumers
where they
already
hang out
Build a foundation and framework
for providing a rewarding customer
experience, communicating your
value and meeting strategic goals.

9. Social
media
is the
#1
online
activity.
1of 5
minutes spent online is spent on social media
82%
of people age 15 and older have been reached
by social media globally
3 of 4
minutes spent on social media is spent on
Facebook

10. Have easier
two-way
conversations
(and more
emotional
connections)
with your
customers

12. Engaged customers become
brand lovers.
Bain Co., 2011
Customers who engage with
companies over social media spend
20% to 40% more money
with those companies than other
customers.
They also demonstrate more
emotional commitment to brands,
giving them a 33% higher Net
Promoter score,
a common measure of
customer loyalty.

13. Social
content can
improve your
search engine
rankings.

14. Social media
can actually
drive sales.
21%
of Pinterest
users
have purchased an
item they saw on their
Pinboards

15. Small business owners say
social media is important.
83% of businesses in 2012 agreed
that social media was important
to their business for:
• Building awareness
• Driving traffic to their websites
• Search engine optimization
Social Media Marketing Industry Report, 2012

16. 61% of small
businesses
say they see no
ROI from
social media
Manta, April 2013

17. Why isn’t it WORKING???

18. Companies aren’t telling
their unique stories.
58% of companies are now on social media.
Everybody’s fighting for the same eyeballs.
You have to differentiate yourself.

19. People expect a lot from you.
You have to entertain, excite, educate,
support or inspire them.
It’s your job to make them want to keep
engaging with you.
Companies aren’t giving
users what they want.

21. DOS of Social Media Marketing

22. Discover your voice and tell your
distinctive story.
DO #1:

23. THE STORY
MAKES YOUR PRODUCT BETTER

24. Treat each social media platform
distinctly.
DO #2:

26. What it’s good for:
• Building a community
• Engaging loyal fans
• Starting a conversation
Content should be:
• Visual
• Something people relate to
• Inviting people to talk back
• Shareable
What it’s good for:
• Sharing great finds
• Contributing to conversation
• Recognizing others
Content should be:
• Fresh
• Interesting
• Complimentary
• Generous
What it’s good for:
• Creating desire
• Letting people explore and
dream
Content should be:
• High-quality
• Beautiful
• Collectible
• Shareable
What it’s good for:
• Storytelling
• Entertainment
• Education/support
Content should be:
• Personal
• Captivating
• Useful
• Shareable
What it’s good for:
• Getting attention in less
crowded space
• Community-building
• Google rankings
Content should be:
• Visual
• Relatable
• Shareable

27. Invite people to interact with you
— and listen and engage.
DO #3:

28. Social media is a two-way
street.
“With everything you do in social media,
you have to participate in order to build
bridges that connect people and the
company.”
Brian Solis,
social media
strategist

29. Be generous.
DO #4:

30. 70%of your content should add value in some
unique or original way.
20%should be content you share from others
(curated content)
10%should directly promote your products
General rule
of thumb for
social media
content

31. Add
Value
Entertain
Inspire
Educate
Support
Connect

32. Focus on the social networks that
can get you the best results.
DO #5:

33. Small businesses:
Do a few things well
Think smarter

34. Think local!
DO #6:

35. Social media and
local marketing
go hand in hand
• Establish your Google business
page and business Facebook page
• Encourage “check-ins”
• Buy targeted Facebook advertising for your ZIP code
• Nurture Yelp! reviews and incorporate them into your
other online marketing
• Post content about local happenings and link to events,
other businesses, etc.

36. DON’T’S of
Social Media Marketing

37. Start doing social media until you
know what your goals are.
DON’T #1:

38. Social media
marketing
goals
should be:
S
M
A
R
T
pecific
easurable
ttainable
elevant
ime-bound

39. Post the same content on every
social network.
DON’T #2:

40. “If you duplicate the same content
across every social network because
‘you didn’t have the time or resources,’
you deserve whatever abuse happens to
come your way.”Jeremy Waite,
head of social
strategy at Adobe
EMEA

41. Post and run.
DON’T #3:

42. You have to be ready to talk
back.
42%of people who complain on social media
expect a response from the brand within 60
minutes
The Social Habit, 2012
24%of users who contact a brand on a social
network (about anything) expect a response
within 30 minutes

43. Abandoned
social media
channels can
do more to
hurt your
brand than if
you’d never
started at all.

44. Post for posting’s sake.
DON’T #4:

45. Frequency isn’t everything.
Relevance and authenticity are.

46. Tarnish your brand with social
media.
DON’T #5:

47. Your brand voice and
image need to be
consistent.
• Make sure everything you post — images, videos, and
text — are high-quality and reflective of your affluent
brand.
• Be authentic: don’t speak in a voice that isn’t truly
yours.
• Ensure that the person posting to your channels is
savvy enough to understand the difference between
appropriate and inappropriate (or offensive) content.

48. Treat your social media channels
as siloes.
DON’T #6:

49. Posts should complement each other to
tell different facets of your brand story.

50. Meet Our Jeweler on
Social Media

51. KE Butler Co.
Jewelers
Vidalia, GA
Profile
• Founded 1955
• Owners: Earl and Kathy Butler
• Located in Vidalia, GA: draw from
town and surrounding area, about
35,000-40,000 people
Customers and Products
“We target a wide range of customers. We have
people who will buy a $30 silver item all the way to
a $45,000 special-order diamond. But we’re rural
Georgia. We’re middle-end, but when we do sterling,
it’s a little nicer. We target people who will pay a
little more than they’ll pay at a department store.
We do quite a bit of custom design (promoted mostly
by word-of-mouth). We’re the only store in town who
has a jeweler on staff.”

52. Social media goals
“We see things that
are new and different
and we jump on them
early.”
“I like it as a
reinforcement of our
name – for when
people are ready to
buy.”
“We hoped to bring
new customers in the
door.”

53. Social media challenges
“I feel like I need to
keep doing it, but
don’t know if it’s
paying off a lot.”
“The frustrating part
is that we put a lot of
dollars and time into
it!”
“We post a lot of
coupons, and nobody
ever brings them in.”

54. Website by WR Cobb

55. Smartphone Apps

56. Facebook
www.facebook.com/KEButlerJewelers
635 Likes
14.62% growth in new fans
over past month
People Talking about This
(PTAT): 82
Engagement Rate: 12.9%
(considered very high)
1.8 posts per day average

57. Facebook: Funny, cute, friendly

58. Facebook: Gem and jewelry education

59. Facebook: Sales and promotions

60. Twitter
@KEButlerJeweler
303 tweets in nearly one year
225 following
147 followers
0.9 tweets per day (no tweets
since March)
5 retweets
0 user mentions
0 RTs of others’ content
0 replies
13 links
281 hashtags

61. Twitter: mostly jewelry facts/education

62. Pinterest
@kebutlerjeweler
12 Boards
200 Pins
18 Followers
1 Following

63. Pinterest: designers, custom pieces,
wedding inspiration

64. Google+
plus.google.com/114752085540331712258
5 people have them in circles
2 people in their circle
11 “plusses”

65. Google+: Fun, friendly, educational

66. YouTube
12 videos
3 - 48 views each
Average 1 “like” per video

68. Recommendations:
What’s Working

69. The impulse to educate and
entertain selflessly is RIGHT.
Frequency (on Facebook and
Google+) is on-target.
Great “voice” – friendly,
playful, helpful
Stay on course

70. Facebook:
The beginning of a community is
here. Nurture it!
Stay on course

71. Pinterest:
Sharing an aesthetic vision for
how you see the world, how you
curate products, etc. = the right
retailer strategy
Stay on course

72. Recommendations:
Room for Improvement

73. Suggestions
Make it easier for people
to engage
• Shorter posts (currently averaging
100-150 words) make it easier to
skim.
• Ask specific questions and invite
people to talk back.
• Use strong calls to action — tell
people exactly what you want them
to do next!
• Make the content relevant, fun and
emotional.

74. Content Relevance
LESS:
MORE:
Is a string of bad luck bringing you down? Alexandrite is
known for bringing fortune to its wearers— and it’s beautiful
to boot. Make today your lucky day!

75. Suggestions
Stay plugged in to local
events, news, topics
• The Downtown Merchants
Association is one of your biggest
online supporters.
• Inspire local pride.
• Talk about what’s happening,
promote events, schedule promotions
to coincide with things happening
locally.

76. Suggestions
Improve your image(s)
Blurry photos, pixelated text,
“clip art” style graphics
cheapen brand image.

77. Suggestions
Show off how you’re
different
• Highlight your custom designs — and tell
stories about them.
• Showcase the people who buy your
special pieces and their stories.

78. Suggestions
Tell more stories
• Don’t just talk about product specs – tell
stories behind the products
• Use video to bring personal stories into
your social media – people, events,
happenings.

79. Suggestions
Let Twitter fly the coop
• Focus your energy and resources on
places where you can build a community.
• Don’t post for posting’s sake.

80. Suggestions
Incentivize people to share
• Share coupons and promotions for
chance to win or special discount
• “Share if you agree”
• Submit jewelry stories every month
for chance to win

81. Suggestions
Cross-promote content
• Videos on YouTube, Facebook,
Pinterest
• Photos on Pinterest and Facebook
• Facebook/Pinterest on website, app

82. Be patient.
Try stuff.
Watch and
adjust.

83. Don’t
give up!

84. THANK YOU!
www.suiteseven.com/rjo13