Getting Started with Social Media for Your Business

Getting Star ted!

Simply Social Media A5.indd 1 1/03/12 10:37 AM

Published by Portner Press Pty Ltd
© Portner Press 2012

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introduction
Imagine being at the forefront of the social media revolution, understanding the ins and outs of
the online platforms to optimise your business outcomes. In such a fast paced environment it can
be difficult not only to keep up with the latest trends, but more importantly, to understand if and
how they will work for your business.
Simply Social Media is your guide to navigating the social media space. It will set you
on a path for success by providing you with information relating to research, strategy,
implementation and measurement.
The information contained within this report will introduce you a place where you will
be able to understand and engage with your audience on a level you may never have
thought possible.

About the author
Kate Telfer is the founder of Rewire Group, a PR and Social Media agency based in
Melbourne. A strategic PR guru, Kate works with organisations, taking them on a journey
from A to B by choosing the most efficient and effective media to communicate their
message.
Prior to establishing Rewire in 2010, Kate worked just about everywhere expanding her
skills and knowledge to successfully run campaigns, develop and execute PR direction and
strategy and manage internal and external stakeholder relationships.
Kate is also a board member of non-profit company Awards Victoria.

About the PUBLISHER
Portner Press is a Melbourne-based business-to-business publisher which specialises in
producing easy-to-understand handbooks, newsletters and other information resources for
the Australian SME sector.
Our products cover a wide range of topics that affect small to medium businesses, such as
employment law, human resources, taxation, occupational health and safety, online media
and more.
All of our publications contain up-to-date, relevant, unbiased material and our writers and
contributors are all experts in their fields.
For more information, please visit our website: www.portnerpress.com.au

SIMPLY SOCIAL MEDIA: GETTING STARTED 1


2 SIMPLY SOCIAL MEDIA: GETTING STARTED


CONTENTS
What is Social Media?�� 4

Why Social Media is good for YOUR business�� 6

Deciding WHICH Social Media is right for your business �� 8

How often should you post TO social media? �� 9

Platform Overview: Facebook �� 10

Platform Overview: YouTube �� 12
�

Platform Overview: LinkedIn �� 14
�

Platform Overview: Twitter �� 16

Social Media for Business Networking�� 19

why your company should have a social media policy�� 20
�

Content – the key �� 22

Identifying your target audience�� 23

Measuring and Monitoring your Social Media ACtivity�� 24

Budgeting for your social media efforts �� 26

Social Media as part of the marketing mix �� 28



What is
social media? an umbrella term that
includes web-based
Social Media is tion
ed to turn communica
and mobile technologies and is us os
h words, pictures, vide
into interactive dialogue throug
l media is that it
and audio. A key characteristic of socia
content.
involves user-generated
forms
4 popular social media plat
a include:
currently very popular in Australi
Social media platforms that are

ing
Instagram is a free photo shar
l
Arguably the most well known socia application that allows users to:
networking site, Facebook allows you to:
ƒƒ take photos;
company;
ƒƒ create a profile page for your
ƒƒ apply an ar tistic filter; and
and
ƒƒ add other users as friends;
ƒƒ share the photos on Instagram
ƒƒ exchange messages. or a variety of other social
ications networking platforms such as
Facebook provides automatic notif
update their profile. Facebook and Twitter.
when friends

ice LinkedIn is a social networking
Twitter is a micro-blogging serv
site mainly used for professional
that enables users to send and
networking.
read text-based posts of up to ect
Users create a profile and conn
140 characters, known as ‘tweets’. with others they have connected
default,
Tweets are publicly visible by with or wish to connect with on
a
however, senders can restrict message
business level.
delivery to just their followers.



5 benefits of using social media for your business
For a business, no matter how large or so why not respond and take advantage of
small, social media is not just another the two-way engagement of social media?
marketing channel. Social media is about
engaging in two-way conversations with Loyalty building
stakeholders and building relationships. Social media can provide brand loyalty
benefits for both customers and companies
Some of the many activities social media
by bringing brand evangelists or advocates
can assist with include:
and brands together. Brands can engage
n Public relations with advocates and reward them for their
loyalty quickly and easily via social media.
Media releases can be distributed via
Others will see a brand’s activities online and
Twitter in 140 characters, but if you are
wish to be a part of the brand as a consumer
not quite ready for new age PR, post the
and engage online with the brand.
link to a media release via your company’s
social media platforms. Social media can
Collaboration
also provide a platform to connect with
Social media broadens the scope of a
journalists and other media connections.
business and its activities and opens up
Customer service opportunities to collaborate with other
complimentary brands and businesses.
Social media is the perfect platform for
customers to ask questions about products,
Thought leadership
policies and gain customer service
assistance in real time. By providing information and thought
leadership around the industry a business
The Boingo example below is a good case operates in, the brand gains credibility in
of how to deal effectively with feedback consumer’s minds. Social media provides
while maintaining a good reputation. Your the platform to spread this information
customers will discuss your products and to your target audience and build your
brand online without the company’s input, brand’s profile. 

Example Boingo
Boingo has created thousands of WiFi hotspots across the globe
in places that people need the internet, such as airports, shopping
centres and coffee shops. Boingo runs both free and paid hotspots
and connects to all WiFi compatible devices.
Boingo excels in its use of social media for customer service. Boingo representatives scan
the web looking for customer mentions and feedback. Kind words are often re-tweeted
and/or the individual thanked. When a representative comes across negative feedback on
social media, they connect with the person and try to resolve the issue.



Why social media is
good for your
business
Social media is essentially today’s listen, share, collaborate, recommend
and complain, both personally and about
most transparent, engaging and
business.
interactive form of public relations
Social media today has taken away the
(PR), combining real time content traditional business transaction and made
with two-way communication. it about building human relationships
Often referred to as ‘modern PR’, social both online and offline. Gone are the days
media is changing the way we interact when a company could only respond to
and engage with people, on both a social an irate customer in a closed environment,
and corporate level. Modern PR is offering such as by telephone. Today, if a customer
individuals more tools to: is unhappy, it isn’t long until their
dissatisfaction is posted on their Facebook
ƒƒ expand their reach; page or mass emailed to their network.
ƒƒ engage with their audience; and
ƒƒ strongly deliver return on investment (ROI). Important
Businesses unfamiliar with social media
Australian internet users spend more time
and its benefits will look to the negatives
visiting social networks and blogs than any
other country in the world, averaging 7 hours of brand damage and customer
and 17 minutes per person per week, dissatisfaction, but what they should
according to a recent report by Neilson, be focusing on is the power it provides
State of the Media: The Social Media them to connect and engage with their
Report Q3, 2011. audience like never before.

At the end of June 2011, the Australian
Bureau of Statistics revealed there
were 10.9 million internet subscribers
5 reasons why social
in Australia, excluding internet access media is good for
through mobile devices. This represents business
14.8% annual growth.
Strengthen customer service
With so many people online and many Answer your customer’s questions and
engaging with social media tools, every concerns in real-time and increase
web user has an opportunity to learn, customer satisfaction.



E
stablish your brand and tell Whether you are researching for an existing
your story product, a future product, or information on
If you want to build a community online, the competition, social media will provide
your customers must first understand your you with a wealth of knowledge, directly
story: from the consumer.
ƒƒ Who are you? L
ow cost, big return
ƒƒ What do you stand for? For a small to medium business, social
ƒƒ What value do they receive from being media is a cost effective marketing
associated with your brand? communications tool. With many of the
platforms free of charge, the real cost to
Grow your personal business is in time. 
relationships
A platform such as LinkedIn provides a Important
wonderful tool to build your business contacts
To truly take advantage of social media
and reputation within your industry.
in business, companies need to embrace
Conduct market research transparency and engage with customers
One of the great things about social media whenever, wherever and with whatever
is that you won’t be short of opinions. they are talking about.

SOCIAL NETWORKING AROUND THE WORLD
AUSTRALIA: Among Nielsen’s 10 Internet- JAPAN: FC2 Blog – the top social networking
metered markets, Australian internet users spend site in Japan during May 2011 – was visited by
the most time visiting social networks and blogs, over half of active Japanese internet users
averaging 7 hours, 17 minutes per person
SPAIN: Spanish internet users spend the most
BRAZIL: Orkut is the #1 social networking and total time on #1 site Facebook. They average the
blog site in Brazil, visited by 30.3 million Brazilians most time per person on #4 site Tuenti
in May 2011, 11% more visitors than #2 site (4 hours, 42 minutes per person)
Facebook
SWITZERLAND: Social networks and blogs
FRANCE: Nearly a quarter of active French reach 60% of active internet users in Switzerland
internet users - 9.6 million - visited #2 social
U.S.A.: Blogger is now the number #2 social
networking site Overblog
networking and blog site in the U.S. with
GERMANY: German internet users spend more 50.1 million unique U.S. visitors, up 17% from a
time on social networks and blogs than they do year ago
any other online category of sites, a total of 12.7
U.K.: Internet users in the U.K. viewed 229.6 million
billion minutes during May 2011
pages on Tumblr, the second most page views
ITALY: Italian internet users spend nearly one- on any social network or blog in the country after
third of their time online visiting social networks Facebook (20.2 billion page views)
and blogs (31% of total Internet time)
Source: Nielson



Deciding wh ich social media
is right for your business
consumers
approach extension into social media where
Put simply, there is no cookie-cutter
is unique. Even can read about their perspectives.
to social media. Every business
ices
if you sell the same products or serv Rule #4: Listen first
as another, you will certainly have your own are saying
Find out what your consumers
approach to branding, marketing, etc. about you online, if anything.
Impor tant: Effective social media
4 rules of social media tegy,
marketing involves research, stra
on
Rule #1: Don’t follow your competiti planning and measuring.
a
Just because your competition has
Twitter account or blog, doesn’t
mean Checklist: Developing a
you need to have one. If you become too social media st rat egy
n is doing,
focused on what your competitio Before you blindly apply marketin
g tactics
engage
you may miss the oppor tunity to without a sound social media mar
keting
with your own audience. strategy, ask yourself:
right from
Rule #2: ot all social media is
N ** What do you hope to achieve
for you social media?
may currently
While a platform such as Instagram ** What does your online audience
be the latest social med ia application, it know about your business?
business.
doesn’t mean it is right for your ** How does your audience use
social
e is
The biggest mistake you can mak media?
to jump into social media without first orms will
sphere. ** What types of social media platf
understanding your audience in this Twitter,
you use? For example, Facebook,
and
For example, you could invest time LinkedIn, Instagram, Flickr, blogs.
money into setting up a Facebook page
ely ** How will you measure success?
when your audience is actually activ media
Finally, be open to change. Social
conversing in a niche blog. l media
is changing every day. Every socia
resources
Rule #3: One of your most valuable platform is different and your
audience is
is your customer service team likely to move around. Be open
to changing
something
Your customer service team are the your tactics and admitting when
rs on a
individuals dealing with your consume doesn’t work.
as an
daily basis. Use these conversations



How often should you
post to social media?
Some companies will post on or talk about your products/services for the
sake of it. A post that lacks applicability to
social media non-stop throughout
your audience will discredit you when you
the day, while others will limit the come to having something useful to say.
amount of posts they make in fear
of overloading their audience. So, Don’t aim to post on a
particular day
how often should you post?
It’s great to have a plan, but don’t
You may be surprised to know that once restrict yourself to certain days of the
a week to once per month is all the week. It is unlikely that your audience
consumer is looking for. According to a is waiting around for your post, nor are
2011 study undertaken by ROI Research they consistently sharing or commenting
and Performics, 28% of online consumers because of it. People don’t share on a
surveyed indicated that hearing from certain day of the week, they share a post
businesses once per month or less was that evokes an emotion or empowers them.
ample. A further 26% of those surveyed
indicated once a week was sufficient. What’s in it for them?
Every time you go to post, ask yourself
HOW TO: When should what value your audience will derive
from the content? If you can’t answer this
your company post? question, don’t post. 
Editorial schedules will vary from business
to business depending on how much
information you have and want to share TIP
with your online community. You don’t always have to share content
generated by you, e.g. in a blog post.
With so much information and resources
DEFINITION available online, it’s a great opportunity
to share some of your favourites.
Editorial Schedule
An editorial schedule is a calendar of
items you will post, linked to dates and
times of posting. TIP
For a small business it’s best to keep it
Post to help your customers simple and follow the rule of only posting
when you have something useful to say,
Answer your customers’ questions, and join
or share.
the conversation about your own products/
services. Don’t push marketing messages



Platform Over view: Facebook

s succeeded in surpassing
No other social networking site ha
d by Facebook. Facebook
the number of active users reache
ure phenomenon with
has become a worldwide pop-cult
ry 2012.
800 million active users as of Janua

Groups can be:
Individual Profiles
ƒƒ secret – only members can see the
Users must register for a Facebook account
group and what members post;
using an email address as a username
and selecting a secure password. Once ƒƒ closed – everyone can see the group but
this is completed, a new user can create a only members can see posts; or
personal profile where they can: ƒƒ open (public) – anyone can see the
ƒƒ add photos and videos; group and what members post.
ƒƒ add personal information;
ƒƒ make ‘status’ updates, including location Pages – ideal for business
‘check-ins’; and most importantly, Facebook pages are a different type of
ƒƒ connect with other users by adding Facebook profile specifically designed
them as Facebook ‘friends’. for public figures, organisations, brands,
products, institutions and causes.

Groups Users can share their stories and develop
meaningful dialogue and engage with
Facebook groups allow like-minded people
their target audience. Just like individual
to connect with each other via Facebook
Facebook profiles, Facebook pages allow
by creating a dedicated space for sharing.
users to share rich content such as photos,
Any Facebook user can create a group and
videos and links and also measure and
common types of groups include family,
optimise target audience interactions.
sports teams and co-workers.



When supporters and followers share a
company’s Facebook page content with their
Facebook friends, the company’s exposure is
significantly increased.

Benefits of using Facebook for
your business
Facebook pages provide an online social
platform that:
ƒƒ enables users to promote and market a
brand, product, company, individual or cause;
ƒƒ allows interaction and relationship building
with target audiences in real time through
content sharing;
ƒƒ enables events to be created and promoted;
ƒƒ permits competitions to be run;
ƒƒ allows polls to be conducted; and
ƒƒ helps customer service to be delivered in
real time. 



Platform Over view: You ube
T

website, on which users
YouTube is a social video-sharing
s. YouTube displays a
can upload, view and share video
eo content, including
wide variety of user-generated vid
eos, as well as amateur
movie clips, TV clips, and music vid
d short original videos.
content such as video blogging an

Individuals have uploaded most of the Unregistered users can watch videos, while
content on YouTube, although media registered users can upload an unlimited
corporations are involved in partnerships number of videos and create their own
with YouTube and many other businesses YouTube channel.
that have created their own branded
By setting up an account on YouTube,
YouTube channels.
users can subscribe to YouTube channels of
interest by adding them to their homepage.
By creating an account, users can also
TIP upload their own videos to share.
Users can upload, comment, favourite or
like a video and broadcast all actions to
KEY TERMS
their Facebook and Twitter accounts for
friends and followers to see. Search on YouTube
YouTube videos can also be easily When browsing YouTube for content, search
embedded into blogs and websites for keywords are used just as they are used on
further sharing. Google. Users can also filter search results
by searching specific topic categories.



YouTube channel
benefits of using YouTube
YouTube channels are homepages for
YouTube accounts. Users can customise the for business
appearance of their YouTube channel by There are many benefits for businesses that
adding background imagery, displaying their build a presence on YouTube, including:
account information and showing others what
ƒƒ customer engagement;
their favourite videos from other users are.
ƒƒ customer interaction;
YouTube brand channel ƒƒ brand awareness;
Brand channels allow marketers to create
ƒƒ product awareness;
bespoke interfaces, customising the look
and feel of their presence on the site. By ƒƒ product launches;
creating a destination page on YouTube, ƒƒ reputation management; and
brand channels provide the opportunity
ƒƒ audience targeting.
to create persistent relationships with
consumers.
Paid opt ional ext ras
Trending terms
for business
The tag cloud at the bottom of a category
page shows the popular keywords that For businesses looking to optimise
users are searching for on YouTube at that YouTube through paid promotion, the
very moment. following functions are worth considering.

Favourite User targeting which includes:
When a user finds a video they like, they add ƒƒ demographic, geographic, language
it to their favourites. This bookmarks that targeting;
particular video in their account so they can ƒƒ interest category marketing;
return to it easily for repeat viewing.
ƒƒ remarketing;
Queue ƒƒ keywords targeting;
As users find more videos on YouTube they ƒƒ video category targeting; and
like, they can add them to a queue, which
ƒƒ video targeting tools.
will appear at the bottom of their screen. This
queue keeps track of the videos to view later. Content targeting which includes:
ƒƒ buzz – targeting advertising via the most
Playlist
popular videos;
Users can add individual videos to a
playlist, or create a new one. Queues can ƒƒ promoted videos;
also be turned into a playlist and saved to ƒƒ brand channels;
return to later, or share with friends.
ƒƒ TrueView video ads;
Annotations ƒƒ YouTube homepage advertising;
Annotations let users add text links to their ƒƒ call to action overlays; and
videos (these can be linked to other videos, ƒƒ YouTube partnerships. 
channels and playlists). Users control what
the annotations say, including when and
where they appear on the video.



Platform Over view: LinkedIn

portant aspects of business.
Networking is one of the most im
twork can greatly improve
A broad and active professional ne
l prospects in addition to
an individual’s career and persona
enhancing business success.

LinkedIn is a social networking platform LinkedIn assists not only with career
targeted at professionals, for the purpose opportunities and the maintenance of
of boosting online professional networking client relationships but provides users
and allowing individuals to project their with the tools to build their professional
career identity into the online space. reputation via a reputable platform.
With over 120 million members, LinkedIn
allows users to: TIP
ƒƒ connect with trusted contacts;
To get the most out of LinkedIn, users
ƒƒ exchange knowledge and ideas; and should ensure their LinkedIn profile is
ƒƒ most importantly, broaden professional completed to 100%.
networks.
This means that all information in the
By connecting with business contacts through user’s profile is completed in detail and
LinkedIn, users can keep up-to-date with the user has recommendations from
people in their network when ‘connections’ connections. Think about how your
change jobs and move locations. profile projects your personal brand
when people view it.
Essentially, LinkedIn makes it easier to
maintain connections over time and allows
users to re-connect with old contacts.



LinkedIn Jobs LinkedIn Company Pages
Through LinkedIn, users can browse jobs LinkedIn Company Pages allow companies
currently being advertised on LinkedIn, search to:
for roles in specific industries or with specific ƒƒ tell the company story;
companies. Users can also post job vacancies
ƒƒ highlight products and services;
to their broader professional network.
ƒƒ engage with followers;
LinkedIn Search ƒƒ share career opportunities; and
LinkedIn’s search function provides an effective ƒƒ drive word of mouth.
tool to assist users in finding the right person,
For individual LinkedIn users, company
expertise or knowledge. Users can:
pages provide a resource for:
ƒƒ search for people on LinkedIn by name
ƒƒ exploring companies of interest;
or other distinguishing characteristic;
ƒƒ finding out the latest company updates
ƒƒ use the advanced search tool to target
and industry news;
specific skill sets or find subject-matter
experts; ƒƒ researching products and services; and
ƒƒ conduct reference searches on potential ƒƒ learning about job opportunities. 
job candidates and business partners;
ƒƒ quickly and easily search their inbox for
important messages and information; and
ƒƒ find the right jobs, knowledge, or groups.

LinkedIn Groups
Any LinkedIn user can create LinkedIn Groups
which allow users to engage in conversations
and keep up-to-date with various professional
groups within their network.
Top influencers in a group are identified
so users can be notified when these ‘top
influencers’ make comments in their groups.

LinkedIn Today
The LinkedIn Today feature sources news
from throughout the LinkedIn network to
provide:
ƒƒ the top articles shared on LinkedIn and
Twitter by people in a user’s network;
ƒƒ details of the users who shared the
article and what they said about it; and
ƒƒ a customised homepage dashboard
featuring news from the user’s industry,
network, and areas of interest.



Platform Over view: Twitter

twork that allows people
Twitter is a real time information ne
on, referred to as tweets,
to share short snippets of informati
rspective, Twitter allows
with other users. From a user’s pe
about topics of interest.
you to find the latest information

Tweets are a maximum of 140 characters in
length and usually include links to videos, TIP
photos, music, other media content or
When linking to content online, fitting
webpages.
the URL into 140 characters or less can
If you aren’t quite ready to starting be challenging. There are many URL
tweeting yourself, you can still derive shortening services available including
excellent value from this platform. Twitter Bitly and Tiny URL to make life easier.
can be used as a search engine by These services collect, organise and
searching keywords or topics of interest. shorten links.
Users can sign up for these services
KEY TERMS and doing so will also receive analytics,
including click-through rate information
Direct message (DM) (the number of times an individual has
A DM is a tweet that is a private message clicked on your link). These analytical
between the sender and the recipient. features are especially useful for
business users.
Favourite
To ‘favourite’ a tweet means to mark it as a
favourite by clicking the yellow star next to the Followers
message. This will group all your favourites in Followers are people who receive a user’s
a place that makes them easy to find. tweets in their Twitter stream/timeline.



Following have to follow a Twitter handle to include
Following someone on Twitter means a user them in one of their lists.
is subscribing to the other Twitter user’s Twitter users can also follow/subscribe to
tweets as a follower. When following another the lists created by other users.
user, the followed user is given permission
to send the follower direct messages.
Benefits of using
Hashtag Twitt er for business
A hashtag is a topic with a hash symbol (#) Businesses can use Twitter to:
at the start to identify it, e.g. #socialmedia.
ƒƒ quickly share information;
Hashtags help Twitter spread and organise
information. ƒƒ gather market intelligence and insights;
and
ƒƒ build relationships with their target
TIP audience.
Hashtags are a great tool for
conferences and event organisers, but Twitter mentions
also make it easier for all users to find Twitter users can mention other users in
and search topics on Twitter. their tweets by using the ‘@’ sign and then
the user’s Twitter handle. This message will
then appear in their feed.
Retweet (RT)
Retweeting is how Twitter users share
interesting tweets with their followers from Twitt er resources
the users they are following. for business
A retweet gives credit to the original person Twitter offers many resources that help
by including ‘RT’ plus the originator’s businesses spread the word about their
username at the beginning of the tweet. Twitter account. These include:

Trending topic ‘Follow us on Twitter’ button
A subject algorithmically determined to be A widget that can be embedded on the
one of the most popular on Twitter at that user’s website running a stream of the latest
very moment. tweets from the business.

Twitter handle ‘Tweet’ button
A user’s Twitter handle is simply their Allows people to easily share website
username and the accompanying URL. content on Twitter.

Twitter lists Promoted tweets
Twitter users can organise other Twitter You can use promoted tweets to amplify
users into groups known as lists. your message with targeting options that
When a user views one of their lists, they allow you to reach the right target audience.
will see a stream of tweets from all the users Promoted tweets reach users when they
included in that group (list). A user does not search for their interests on Twitter.



Promoted trends

8
Promoted trends can be used to drive
conversations and interest around a brand
ADVANTAGES of
or product by capturing attention on using Twitter for
Twitter. your business
Promoted accounts 1. Share: Share photos and behind
Use promoted accounts to quickly up- the scenes business information
scale a follower-base of advocates and about products, projects and events.
influencers for your brand.
2. Listen: Regularly monitor the
Advertiser analytics comments about your company,
brand, and products and respond
Twitter offers two layers of analytics to
and provide customer service where
advertisers, providing in-depth insight into
appropriate.
both paid and unpaid activity on Twitter.
3. Ask questions: Ask questions
Promoted tweets, trends and of your followers to glean valuable
accounts dashboards insights and show that you are
These dashboards display the fundamental listening.
metrics of campaigns as they happen,
4. Respond: Respond to
including:
compliments and
ƒƒ impressions; feedback in real time.
ƒƒ retweets;
5. Reward: Tweet
ƒƒ clicks;
updates about special
ƒƒ replies; and offers, discounts and
ƒƒ follows (promoted accounts). time-sensitive deals.

Enhanced profile pages 6. Demonstrate industry
thought leadership: Reference
Brands can use corporate branded
articles and links related to your
backgrounds to enhance Twitter profile
business to focus on building a
pages to increase engagement and drive
personal brand online by being seen
business goals. 
as a thought leader in a particular
space.

7. Champion stakeholders:
Retweet and reply publicly to great
tweets posted by followers and
customers.

8. Establish a voice: Represent
your brand on Twitter by creating an
individual voice for the brand.



Social media for
business networking
Social media is changing the about the people, or personality of
the company. This includes connecting
way many of us do business by
and engaging with their customers and
enhancing engagement and suppliers making it more about ‘engaging’
creating transparency like we have and less ‘selling’.
never seen before. With social media
Real time
comes a new way of connecting
Online networking provides a faster
with others both personally, and for
and more efficient way of making initial
business, providing an acceptable contact with an individual or group. In
alternative to meeting in person or addition, social media provides a means for
picking up the telephone. communicating in a real time manner by
allowing you to track conversations online
Maintaining a vast array of business through alerts, allowing you to respond.
contacts can be challenging. Social media
has provided a forum for finding and Community
connecting with business contacts in a Building a community online takes time,
simple and easy way. but once established, creates a bond
through news, events and assistance from
5 ways social media others. Social media provides an excellent
forum to create positive influence for
can enhance your companies looking to engage.
business networking
Transparency
Visibility
People want to do business with
One of the most important aspects of
companies that are open, honest and
business networking is visibility. Increasing
transparent. The traditional forms of
your visibility online, particularly in the
marketing, e.g. advertising and public
areas you specialise, i.e. online networking
relations, while still very effective, share
groups related to your profession/industry,
the voice of the company only. Social
will ensure you are kept on the radar.
media provides a platform for a new
type of communication that provides an
Connecting
opportunity to forge genuine and direct
The best brands online tend to talk less connections with customers. 
about their products/services and more



Why your company
should have a
social media
policy
Unless there’s only one person who
will be handling your social media
5 reasons to create
a social media policy
efforts, it’s a good idea to set some
People are more comfortable when they
guidelines to ensure everyone is on know the rules. Here are a handful of the
the same page when it comes to benefits of creating social media guidelines:
bringing you success online. 1.
Sets standards for communication by
providing a way to implement your
The rules for how a company’s social media
strategy.
presence is managed and how a personal
social media presence is managed are very 2. Protects your company’s reputation.
different. So while your employees may be
3.
Educates your team by setting
enthusiastic, young and savvy about social
expectations using clear and easy to
media, it’s important that they are trained
understand language.
and educated about things such as:
ƒƒ legal terms; 4. Minimises confusion about legal issues.

ƒƒ global implications; and 5.
Makes it easier to respond to your
ƒƒ inappropriate comments. audience in times of crisis.



Social media guidelines, whilst set up to …… Set your online values
protect your organisation, should not only Create a set of values that your employees
list the restrictions, but help employees should have in mind when representing
understand how they can use social media your company online.
to achieve better business outcomes.
Examples of online values include:
ƒƒ be transparent in every social media
TIP interaction;
Ensure you include information on how ƒƒ respect copyright laws; and
employees can best comment on blogs ƒƒ be responsible and use common sense.
or other social media platforms to boost
brand awareness and drive traffic to your …… Set expectations for online
website. spokespeople
Expectations for online spokespeople are
for the employees in your team who are
Checklist responsible for posting and responding to
How to develop your social content online.
media policy Areas to consider when creating your
When it comes to drafting your social company’s expectations include:
media guidelines, keep it simple. ƒƒ following the code of business conduct;
Some areas to consider when developing ƒƒ being mindful that they represent the
you social media policy include: company; and

…… Editorial guidelines for specific social ƒƒ being transparent.
media platforms A set of well defined and easily understood
Your tone of voice, approach, the way social media guidelines, in addition to
you post comments, photos, etc. will vary good judgement and an understanding
from platform to platform. Having editorial of social media, will see your company’s
guidelines for each platform will help your online strategies on the right track for
team build stronger communities on each success. 
platform.

Useful resource
57 social media policy examples and resources
http://davefleet.com/2010/07/57-social-media-policy-examples-resources/

Company example
Intel Social Media Guidelines
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/legal/intel-social-media-guidelines.html



Content – the key
In today’s social media age, content …… Know your target audience and why
they do, or would want to, follow your
is king. Good, smart, fun and
business online.
relevant content is the foundation
…… When your audience connects with you
of any successful social media and
– connect back! No one likes not being
online strategy. Good content must spoken to so make sure you are always
reflect the brand and be relevant to engaging in two-way conversations.
the target audience. …… Make all of your content shareable
– the best thing about great content
is the need to share it. Ensure your
TIP audience has the ability to easily share
Before embarking on social media, if content with their social networks. 
you don’t do anything else, take the
time to build a solid content strategy.
EXAMPLE
Without an outline and guide for what
will be posted online, you run the risk of AMERICAN EXPRESS OPEN FORUM
missing the mark and failing to engage American Express Credit Card
with your target audience. Company has taken the term ‘content
is king’ to heart and developed
To use the crowded online space OpenForum.com – a business and
effectively, you must create and distribute money expertise site targeted at
content that attracts and continues to entrepreneurs and small business.
interest your target audience. Open Forum provides tools and
Types of content that work best include: information for businesses through
ƒƒ how-to articles and videos; regular innovative posts. It engages
the likes of experts from Inc Magazine,
ƒƒ QAs;
online and social media website
ƒƒ photos; and Mashable and other guest bloggers to
ƒƒ videos relating to your business and get the best angle on every story and
consumers. provide truly individual and valuable
content.
Checklist
The project has been so successful, the
Key points to remember when community almost has a brand of its
creating great content own as a place for the cultivation and
…… Know your brand’s voice and ensure all discussion of innovative business ideas.
content aligns with it.
www.openforum.com
…… Schedule content appropriately. Align
promotions with key events you can
leverage from, e.g. Christmas.


Identifying
your target
audience
One of the biggest challenges Checklist
when first embarking on the social Getting to know your audience
media journey is understanding Answer the following questions regarding
your online audience. Without your audience to learn about their online
doing the adequate research habits:

you will fail to adequately inspire, …… Where do they hang out online?
connect and engage. …… What types of conversations are they
having?
While you may understand how Twitter,
…… What is the tone of the conversation,
Facebook and the like work, do you really
i.e. casual, professional?
know who you are directing your social media
efforts towards? And does this audience …… How will connecting with you online
change dependent on your message? help them better their business, or
improve their efficiencies?
To truly understand your audience you
have to take the time to listen, learn, test …… What is your competition up to? Is your
and retry if needed. It is important for you audience engaging with them also?
to understand not only what channels your …… Who else are they talking to online?
audience resides in (e.g. Twitter), but how
…… How do the various platforms differ, e.g.
they interact with that channel.
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn?
…… How are they engaging with your
TIP business offline?
A great way to get to know your audience ‘Content is king’ and when it comes
online is by becoming familiar with how to online it is no different. Creating
Google Analytics works. Google tracks compelling, relevant, valuable content
every interaction with your company’s is what will set you apart from the rest
website, including if the referral source is and assist you in discovering what your
social media. audience wants to see. 



Measuring and
monitoring your
social media
activity
Whether you are just starting
out in social media or are a
seasoned veteran, it is important
to understand that measuring and
monitoring your brand online will
be the key to your success.


While there is no shortage of social media calculating the ROI of social media. Instead,
monitoring tools available online, each has you must look back to your objectives of
its own unique differences. It’s important to social media, measuring specifically against
understand that the ever changing world these.
of social media does not have an agreed
upon metric for monitoring or measuring. Checklist
How to measure and monitor
your social media activity
DESCRIPTION
…… Define why you are monitoring
Social media monitoring
Is it because you want to be able to respond
Otherwise known as ‘listening’, social
quickly to your customers online, in real
media monitoring is key in assisting
time? Or perhaps you want to identify
you to:
people in need of your product or service?
ƒƒ monitor your brand in real time;
…… Decide where you are going to monitor
ƒƒ listen to conversations; and
Unfortunately, unless you have a large team
ƒƒ learn with the aim of engaging,
working on your social media efforts, it is
assisting and collaborating with your
difficult to be everywhere at once.
audience online.
Where you decide to monitor (listen)
online should be where your current and
Social media measurement prospective customers are hanging out.
Specifically designed to measure metrics, …… Decide what you are going to monitor
social media measurement will look at
how areas of your social media presence Are you going to focus on keywords
perform over a specified period of time, relating to your brand, e.g. name of
e.g. click-throughs to your website. your company, product/services, and
competitors? Or specific taglines relating
The million-dollar question continues to to your most recent campaigns?
be asked; what’s the return on investment
(ROI) of social media? The problem with …… Choose the right tools
this question is that there is no stand-alone With so many options to choose from,
metric to measure its success. We often look identify the tools that will give you
at social media as the end outcome, rather the results you are looking for without
than the journey to the end outcome. exceeding your budget. 
For example, we use social media to
drive traffic to our websites as a form of
lead generation. If the end outcome is to TIP
generate a sale, the initial awareness and
lead actually came from social media but There are many free tools available
there is little way of knowing if an individual depending on the level of monitoring
arrived at their decision as a result of clicking and measurement you require.
through from your social media page to
your website, only that they clicked through. A couple of favourites worth exploring include:
Another example is using a business card Hootesuite: www.hootesuite.com
of which most of us have. Calculating the TweetDeck: www.tweetdeck.com
ROI of a business card is just as accurate as



Budgeting for your
Social Media
EFFORTS
In 2012, it will be important for of priorities based on maturity level of the
company.
companies to allocate appropriate
resources to social media. While the The key areas for spending fell across three
areas:
majority of resources will be based
around time, monetary spend may 1. nternal system and process – staffing
I
resources, education and training,
be necessary and companies should
research and development.
budget dependent on their social
2. ustomer interaction and initiatives –
C
media maturity level.
spend on social networks.
According to the Altimeter Group, who 3. Integration – brand monitoring, social
surveyed 140 corporate social strategists, CRMs. 
spending in a company varied greatly
between three maturity levels:
1. Novice DEFINITION
2. Intermediate Customer Relationship
Management (CRM)
3. Advanced
Customer relationship management
In 2011, novice social media programs systems are used by businesses to track
focused on getting internal systems and document all interactions with
and processes geared for social media, customers and potential customers.
intermediate programs focused on online
customer interaction and initiatives, and
advanced programs focused on integrating Important
social media throughout the company and
A core focus should be on adequately
into the marketing mix.
resourcing your social media activities
Of those surveyed, 52% identified their by investing in staff to manage your
maturity level as intermediate. The table on social media programs.
the following page provides an overview



Match Your Spending Priorities to Your Social Business Maturity

Novice Intermediate Advanced

Internal Priorities Appoint an ‘Open Leader’, Organise into a Hub and Empower stakeholders (for
the Social Strategist, to forge Spoke model to scale Spokes) to deploy on their
the program own

Initiate an education Launch a formalised ‘Centre Weave social business
program to train of Excellence’ into standard employee
stakeholders education

Create processes to hold Leverage solid graph in Ad Seek guidance from
internal stakeholders and Marketing spend Boutique Agencies with
accountable specialised expertise

Customer-Facing Develop a rapid response Identify and empower Launch formalised Advocacy
team influencers and customer programs
Priorities
advocates

Work with existing agencies Leverage the crowd by Integrate social networks
to deploy initial programs launching a Community onto the corporate website
Platform

Technology Invest in brand monitoring Invest in SMMS to manage Look ahead to Social
and appropriate workflows increasing customer CRM: Begin to aggregate
Priorities
and processes demands disparate customer data

Source: Altimeter

Checklist: What is your social media maturity?

Maturity Stage of social media program TICK

Novice Testing and experimenting with social media

Setting initial goals and objectives

Assessing social media platforms and relevance

Audience research and development

Development of social media policies and procedure

Deployment of training and education programs

Exploring investing in social media monitoring tools

Intermediate Dedicated person(s) responsible for implementing and driving social media activity

Investment in building an online community; empowering customers to engage online

Focused on fostering word of mouth referral

Investment in social media management systems

Exploration of outsourcing to a social media agency to assist in campaign development
and management

Advanced Allocation of a social media team to manage and drive social media activity

Change to a social business implementing social CRMs

Buy in from the entire company, each department integrating social media into their
operations



Social media as part of the
marketing mix
Social media over the past 5 years as such should be integrated into the way
we do business. Social media is more than
has turned from an opportunity
another marketing tool.
to share pictures with families and
friends to a powerful word of mouth Checklist
platform, assisting companies in Integrating social media into
connecting with their consumers, your marketing mix
building brand awareness and It’s more than setting up a Facebook
page and sharing a few links, answer the
communicating with potential
following questions to assist in integrating
customers and markets. social media:
…… Why is it that you want to use social
media, and what does a successful
DESCRIPTION social media campaign look like to you?
Marketing Mix For example, do you want more leads
The marketing mix is a company’s tool to your website?
to market their products and services. It …… What marketing messages do you want
focuses around the ‘4 Ps’: to convey? Is it a special offer, or a great
1. Product new product launch?

2. Price …… Like other marketing tools, do you have
a strategy in place? Ensure you have
3. Promotion some set goals and objectives.
4. Place …… Where is your target audience online?
Where do they hang out and what are
they talking about?
As more and more people adopt the
use of social media, marketers are …… How are you going to resource the
forced to recognise the potential this management and engagement of
communication tool has, and integrate it social media?
into the marketing mix. …… Have you thought about measuring
Gone are the days of blasting your your success? Even if there is little to
audience with marketing messages and no upfront costs (aside from time) to
expecting long-term growth. Social get started on social media, doesn’t
media allows for two-way communication mean it shouldn’t be treated like any
between a company and its consumer and other marketing tool, appropriately
measured. 



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