This document provides an overview of social media and its uses for businesses. It introduces Andy Thompson who teaches social media for businesses. It describes social media as being like a publishing company where businesses can make their own news rather than just reading it. It then discusses specific social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and LinkedIn and how businesses can use each one to connect with and inform customers.

2. About me
 Andy (Fluffy) Thompson
 Newtricks for Business Ltd
 Lectured in IT/Social Media
 Social media teacher
 Social media for Business Advisor
 Social media believer
 Social media ‘do-er’
 Run #eastdevonhour - see you all tonight at 8pm

3. “…why should we as business owners
waste our valuable time fiddling
around on social media?”
“Connect & Inform”

6. What is it? - Think of it like this…
 Social media is the newspaper
 The headlines is Twitter
 The content of the stories is Facebook or Blog
 Pictures are in Facebook/Flickr albums
 Video on YouTube…
 Your company details is LinkedIn
 You are your own publishing/marketing company
 Not just reading the news, but making it!

7. “Social Media Perceptions”
 “Who’s sleeping with whom?”
 “What so-and-so is having for breakfast?”
 “Which footballer has said something he shouldn’t have?”
 “What is Stephen Fry doing today?”

8. The Platforms

9. Twitter – “so useful”
It is full of information
 Find train delays…
 Find breaking news…
 Find answers…
 Advise and Advice
 Stay in touch
 Connect and inform

10. Twitter – “Headline screamer”
 Needs an email address not associated with any other
account
 Each account name is unique
 Get your business name in the account name
 Set it up
 Interact with customers, suppliers, experts, etc
 Post links
 Use photos & video (Vine)
 Put a hashtag (#) in front of key words and phrases
 Get the app!
 Connect and inform!

11. “Facebook is the Social Network”
• Launched Feb 2004 – “Bigger now than the
whole internet in 2004”
• www.thefacebook.com
• A closed community of around
1,200,000,000 users +++++++++
• 2010’s revenue = $2Bllion
Mark Zuckberg (co-founder)
– the World’s youngest Billionaire

12. Facebook – So what!?
 The Facebook Business Page
 Promote your businesses activities using photos,
competitions, information, events & ideas
 Post URL’s eg from your blog or website
 Build bridges with other pages - search
 Make contact/keep contact – interact!
 Get customers to post/comment – pot of gold!
 Connect and inform

13.  Give your ‘Page’ a purpose
 Tell visitors why they should go to your page
 Keep business and pleasure apart
 Keep a page focused on one subject
 Make more pages if you need
 Facebook domains
 Be involved
 Don’t link Facebook & Twitter!
 Connect and inform
Facebook – Do’s and Don’ts!
Why?

14. Facebook more important than
life's necessities
“Facebook rank higher than basic necessities in a list of fifty
things that the British public said they cannot do without”
Quote: Accura Cast News

15. “Blogs” – under the hood
“Blog (a blend of the term web log) An interactive online
platform. A web-platform which allows comment,
commentary, feed-back, a commentary of, tales of, a diary
of, a moan”
Newsletter, help pages, daily soap-box, connect and inform

16. Where do I blog?
 Wordpress.com

17. Blog Uses
 The company newsletter
 A company diary
 A company information dissemination platform
 The company ‘Feed-back’ platform
 An interactive part of your company's output
 Connect and inform

18. What we’re saying is…
 “We are accessible”
 “We are listening and available”
 “We value your opinion”
 Connect and be informed

19. Get More With A Blog!
 You can customise the Blog’s look
 Blogs have ‘Widgets’
 ‘Widgets’ could be ‘recent posts’, a ‘Twitter time-line’, a
‘Textbox’, a ‘sign-up’ option
 Every ‘Post’ has it’s own address
 Copy it and Tweet!
 Copy it and Facebook it!

20. More?
 In business? Get on LinkedIn

21. Can I help anyone?