The document discusses how to transition a business to become a social business. It explains that becoming a social business fundamentally changes how a business operates by incorporating social interactions and data from social channels. It also requires changing the business mindset from a focus on sales and influence to serving customers better. The steepness of the curve depends on the size and stage of the business. Established businesses need to invest in social media strategists, create social media policies, and train all employees. Examples are provided of how customer service and product management would change to incorporate social media. Final tips encourage focusing on customer education over short-term gains and leveraging competitive advantages.

1. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
Open Social Media Education
A Captive Touch Initiative
Host: Sherry Nouraini
Founder/President
Captive Touch

2. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
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3. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
Topic of Our Workshop Today
What Does it take to be a
Social Business?

4. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
What does it mean anyway?
• Fundamentally change the way you do
business
• Incorporate social interactions and data from
social channels in every aspect of your
business
• Fundamentally change your mindset about
why you do what you do.

5. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
What do I mean by a new mindset?
• Traditional sales and marketing:
How can I influence people so they would
buy from me?
 Focus on getting paid
• Social sales and marketing:
How can I communicate with people so I can
serve them better, and be fairly compensated?
 Focus on serving

6. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
How steep is the curve?
It depends on the size and stage
of your business.

7. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
How steep is the curve?
• Before conception: They have it best
Set aside some of your seed money
and hire a good social media strategist.
Build social components into your new
concept.
Caution: Being active in social media
channels does not mean you know how to
use it to build your business.

8. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
How steep is the curve?
• New business/startup:
Short on cash/staff
Short on time
 Invest in a good social media
strategist who is also willing to provide
industry-specific training
 Be laser focused
Networking, Market research and
Raising capital should be your main
focus
 Keep customer issues in help forum
and be responsive

9. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
How steep is the curve?
• Solopreneurs:
 You are the product, or an affiliate
 Short on staff (maybe on cash,
depends)
 Invest in a social media strategist
 If implementation of the strategy is too
time consuming, consider outsourcing
 Caution: It’s different from hiring an
accountant, you need to stay involved
 Think of it as bringing in a business
partner

10. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
How steep is the curve?
• Established small business with
employees (up to 100):
 It’s a whole new ball game!
 Invest in a good social media strategist
 Develop a social media policy
 Train your employees, all of them
 Invest in a community manager, either
hire or outsource
 Meet with your community manager
regularly, and have them give your
employees periodic training

11. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
How steep is the curve?
Big business:
• They have the steepest curve
• Invest in a good social media
strategist (senior level)
• Create a social media policy
• Train all employees, from CEO to
shipping and handling
• Get together Leaders of each department
and create a plan to implement your
strategy
• Modify your org chart. No more isolated
departments.

12. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
Big or small business:
•Caution: Don’t hire a social media specialist,
and isolate them into their role
• Hold regular social media training for your
employees:
 Case studies for other businesses
 Equivalent of a Journal Club
 Case studies for your own company
 Learn from your own experiences

13. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
What will your business operations look like:
Example #1:
1. Customer Service Rep (CSR) detects
an unhappy customer via SM listening
tools (product delivered damaged)
4. CSR responds assuring they’ll take care
of the issue
6. CSR feeds information to product and
shipping manager of the issue
8. A new shipment is sent, customer is notified
publicly that their issue has been addressed
10.Customer is happy, raves to friends about
good service, sales go up!

14. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
What will your business operations look like:
Example #2:
1. Community manager detects a conversation
from a customer who says: “I wish product X
had feature Y”
4. Community manager notifies product manager
of the conversation
6. Product manager works with team to add
feature Y
8. Community manager notifies the user that the
feature is now available b/c the company listened
• User is happy, tells their friends, sales go up

15. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
Final tips, examples
Putting short-term gain before serving well:
“ We know accumulating irrelevant Facebook
fans is useless, but we do it because that’s
what the customer wants”
Don’t forget your competitive advantage:
Pfizer trying to recruit patients for a clinical trial for
a drug that really had to added value to what is
already available
Just because you build it, and they come, does
not mean they’re going to buy.

16. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
Final tips, examples
Investing in your customer’s education:
Pfizer has developed a website focused on
Aging, and improving quality of life in general
www.getold.com I’ll share screen to demonstrate.

17. Open Social Media: Where we tell it like it is
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