When it comes to social media there can be a lot of questions. Such as, when should I ask people to "Like" my Facebook Page? How much content should I have before I share my social account with the world? How do I measure success? How often should I post? These are some of the questions we’ll answer about the work you do before you launch your new social page. Join us as we provide a roadmap to making your social media efforts the best they can be right from the start.

2. The Fundamentals of Your
Social Media Strategy
Derek Overbey
@doverbey
Sr. Social Media Manager
VerticalResponse

3. Agenda
• Facts about social media networks
• Social media for small business
• Doing it wrong
• Set up a strategy
• Create a plan
• Some tactics
• Resources
• Q&A

4. Some Big Facts to Remember
• 72% of all internet users are now active on social media.
• 71% of users access social media from a mobile device.
• Instagram has an engagement rate 15x higher than Facebook.
• 53% of people on Twitter recommend products in their tweets.
• 93% of shoppers’ buying decisions are influenced by social media.
• 90% of consumers trust peer recommendations and only 14% trust
advertisements.

5. Our Recent Small Biz Survey
• 60% of small businesses are
spending less than 6 hours a
week on social media.
• 88% of small businesses use
Facebook
• More than 50% have a
company blog.
• 35% use YouTube as part of
their social media activities.

6. Companies are doing social media
wrong. Instead of connecting with
people and starting conversations, a
lot of companies are participating in
one-way conversations…
Ed O’Boyle
Harvard Business Review

8. ~ Ted Rubin @tedrubin

10. Before You Start…
• Social media might not work for every business.
• Is social media best suited to your biz objectives?
• Why is this good for my business?
• Are your customers already on social media?
• Don’t be afraid to ask for advice or borrow ideas.
• Do what you can really do!

11. Ask Questions As You Build
• Who is your target audience?
• What do you want to achieve
with social media?
• How much time are you able
to devote to social media?
• Be efficient and use tools.
• How will you track the
results?

12. Building Connections on Social
• Invite friends and family to connect, follow and like
your business social accounts.
• Occasionally share your business accounts on your
personal social channels.
• Comment on comments, tweets, pins, etc.
• Tag or @ where appropriate.
• Share other content.
• Involve your community in your social activities.
• Use the 80/20 rule.

13. Create Your Social Voice
• By creating a unique voice on your Social Media Platforms,
you give your brand an inviting human touch.
• “Dialogue not a monologue” – Entertain, communicate,
and gain trust.
• Make it personal – connect with your community with
sincere posts, humor and thought sharing.
• Ask questions and engage.
• Offer solutions & be helpful. Don’t sell.

14. Source Content
• Make a list of all your resources for content (blogs,
website, pictures, articles about industry topics/
your preferred publishers).
• Determine what content you can create.
– Should you publish more of your own blog posts?
Can you do 1 per week? Per month?
– Should you assign a photographer at your next
event? Outing?
• What else can you share? (We’re a lumber yard –
Can we share home remodeling stories? DIY?)

15. Understand the Basics
• Learn About Social Media for Business.
• Anyone can have a Facebook account, but not
everyone can execute a Social Media Business Plan.
• Being an expert requires constant self-education.
• Subscribe to blogs with helpful tips.

16. Create a Plan
• Determine which networks you will be active on
and how often.
• Here’s an example:
• Set a reminder each month to track success.

17. Some Tactics

18. Use Humor

19. Evoke an Emotion

20. Show What Your Organization Does

21. Relay Culture Through Visuals

22. Get Involved With Trends

23. Highlight Donors or Customers

24. Resources
• http://www.verticalresponse.com/blog
• http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com
• http://kimgarst.com/blog/
• http://socialmouths.com/blog
• http://razorsocial.com/blog
• http://www.ducttapemarketing.com
• http://allfacebook.com
• http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/