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Why Businesses Use Social Media
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We will cover a lot of great topics, strategies and concepts,but also want to provide you with great resources you can go and learn on your on time as well.Check out Constant Contact’s Social Media website at www.SocialQuickstarter.comIt is a free resource that covers the basics of Social Media tools, discussing why businesses use these tools, how to use them and best practices.Find out what is the difference between a Facebook personal page or business page What is Twitter, why do people tweet, what to tweet, and best ways to use twitter.Have you heard of a QR Code –if not a great place to learn more about QR codes.Also a wealth of FREE resources for business at WGC, www.willgladhart.com.
Constant Contact did a Survey to see where small businesses are marketing. Here is the break down.NOTE: These stats are changing everyday. As you can see from the graph, 96% of small business owners are using Facebook. ‘Likers’ of content on Social Media allow Facebook &Twitter become your brand ambassadors, endorsing your business and building long-lasting positive buzz.You can shape the dialogue by reaching and influencing your next purchaser or donor.Think of Facebook as an extension of your website. Facebook is the most relevant SMM channel to small businesses today, some studies have said it is 2-3x more relevant than Twitter. Your Facebook Timeline Fan Page is evolving to have the same functionality as your website,but with the added benefit of two-way conversations with your customers. Source: Constant Contact Fall 2011 Small Business Attitudes & Outlook Surveyn=1972; 30%; B2B = 859, B2C = 1,113*B to B and B to C were analyzed separately, but combined for market-level analysisApproximately one-half of all respondents are either a sole proprietor or have 1-4 employees.
Why are we using these New tools? These non-traditional tools have changed the way marketers FIND new customers. Social marketing creates an opportunity to both find new customers, but also KEEP and nurture relationships with your current customers…those that generate repeat revenue andultimately grow your bottom line.“How many people have ever looked at a website like TripAdvisor.com to see what people are saying about hotel or destination prior to planning a vacation?” Or“How many people have read through customer testimonials on Amazon.com before buying an item?”We have reached a point where only 14% of people trust ads, but 78% of people trust consumer recommendations (Nielson).Note: just because you are using SM doesn’t mean you do not need a great SEO and mobile optimized website. If SM eg. FB goes away, you no longer have access to your 2K ‘Likes.’You do not own those, but you can capture info on your website or into your email list.
Best Practices for Social Media MarketingBoils down into 3 “C’s” -- Connections, Content& ConversationsConnections: Kick start your followingand use content that inspires engagementEngaging Content:Creating a presenceConversations: Practical monitoring & measurement
Set reasonable goals and expectations.As a business owner, set reasonable goals that match expectations and investments of resources and time. The more time and resources you devote to Social Media Marketing, the greater your yield!Weekly: Recommend 30 minutes Posting, 30 minutes reading/ researching SM, 30 minutes listening to your customersAccept that Social Media Marketing is not instantaneous, typical traction happens about the 5-6 month mark of consistent online use/ building content. You need to invest some time and resources before you reap rewards, and not all of your customers will engage. However, you can:Drive engagement (action/commentary/feedback/sharing) with your base of passionate customersEncourage repeat businessEncourage referralsGet online endorsementsReach new customers through online, word-of-mouth marketing
Ask customers when they are at your store to learn how you can better serve them content, connect with them and help them.Find out what they like to use onlineWhen they check their online communications (or on what type of device)What do they hope to receive of learn from you?Ask them what you can do better for them aka WIIFM Principle (What’s In It for Me)You can also do an online survey to learn from your customers if you do not see them face-to-face
FB Timeline Details & Dimensions, pinterest.com/pin/63613413456868734/www.facebook.com/ShattoMilk
Re. VideoKeep in mind that a video does not have to be a “high quality” or over-produced production. Shatto makes fun of themselves stating “More High Quality TV” as part of the captions. Video Guide30-40 seconds for a short info clip about businessMake it light, entertaining, catchy, about something you do well or a product. 2-3 minutes max for a product/ service video featureInclude your website and a CALL TO ACTION at the end of the clip.Call us, visit our website to learn more, like us on FB, etc.
Re. VideoKeep in mind that a video does not have to be a “high quality” or over-produced production. Shatto makes fun of themselves stating “More High Quality TV” as part of the captions. Video Guide30-40 seconds for a short info clip about businessMake it light, entertaining, catchy, about something you do well or a product. 2-3 minutes max for a product/ service video featureInclude your website and a CALL TO ACTION at the end of the clip.Call us, visit our website to learn more, like us on FB, etc.
Re. VideoKeep in mind that a video does not have to be a “high quality” or over-produced production. Shatto makes fun of themselves stating “More High Quality TV” as part of the captions. Video Guide30-40 seconds for a short info clip about businessMake it light, entertaining, catchy, about something you do well or a product. 2-3 minutes max for a product/ service video featureInclude your website and a CALL TO ACTION at the end of the clip.Call us, visit our website to learn more, like us on FB, etc.
79% of customersare looking for you with an immediate need on a MOBILE DEVICE or SmartPhone. Be Foundwww.google.com/placeslearn.linkedin.com/company-pageswww.facebook.com/businesswww.manta.comwww.yelp.com
Search for keywords onlineNews,Blogs,Web,Discussions, VideoUse “ “ around keywords to group them together, otherwise you will get results for every word in the search. Can send to your email or create an RSS feed you can monitor in Google Reader, www.google.com/reader
Considerusing visual icons to help customers self identify their needs.
Sell, Sell, Sell You Will FailDon’t always be selling. Have you been at a networking event and every time you see FRED he is always trying to sell you his insurance…what do you do the next time you see him…you run away fast80% educate/ 20% sell or better yet 70% educate, 20% promote, 10% Share a personal peek on you and your employeespeople like to connect with others and other LIKE PEOPLE. Try to share something so folks can learn about you personally and connect with you if they are a mother, pet lover, love to exercise, enjoy music, volunteer, etc. Me, Me, Me Will Part the SeasHad a friend that all they do is talk about themselves?Do you enjoy those conversations?The next time you see them you just want to run and hide or avoid a conversationEmpower, Engage & Educate…People want you to be social with them or engage with them, empower with great information that will protect them, help them, save them money, protect their kids, keep their car longer, know what to ask before they purchase. The more you empower and educate them the more they will know, like, and TRUST YOU.Give & You Shall ReceiveBusinesses say “I don’t want to give them too many of my tricks or expert advice, they won’t want to use me” or “will just take the info and go somewhere else.” Really I find that the more I give away in terms of free info and resources, the more I GET BACK because people look at you as an expert, start to trust you, and they think…if he can give me that much information in an email or speaking event…what do you think I can learn from her/him in an hour one-on-one.Share, Care, & Be ThereShare your tips, tricks, strategies, and expert advice. Care about your customers, be transparent, be real, don’t be a robot. Listen to then, ask questions, make sure you reply to their comments or likes. Tell them thank you. STORYHave you ever called an office or place of business and the phone just kept ringing?Pretty frustrating and it leaves you with a bad impression you start thinking the business does not care or they are out of business. You need to answer the phone…which is the same thing as you need to reply to customer’s online comments and likes…show them you care. No comment means you don’t care…people will think you are only pushing out info. Reply, Thank, & Take Care of Negative CommentsPeople often ask, “Can I delete the negative comments about my business?”My Take: Use Social as customer service optionCompanies used to have to pay big money to agencies to find out what customers thought, now we can let customers share their thoughts online.You need to address the issues and say, “I am sorry about your experience or how can we make it better.” Know the difference between VENTING & ComplainingYou may need to take the concern and address it off line …use the telephone if needed or email. You can learn from a negative experience and improve your process so it doesn’t happen again. STORY 1An auto mechanic saw on his Facebook wall a customer posted that “he was frustrated with the mechanic’s business hours.” The mechanic asked the customer, “What could I do to better meet your needs?”The customer stated “I work from Monday–Friday and don’t get off work until 7PM…you close your place Monday-Friday at 6:30PM. Evaluation: Being open on Saturday would help the customers that work early or late? The mechanic opened on Saturday and his revenues went up and so did the customer count!And, he shortened his hours during the week to 5PM, so he could be open on Saturdays, but not give up extra time. STORY 2Auto mechanic…saw on his Wall a customer said, “I am so upset that I no longer can come to your shop, I loved your service.”The owner asked, “why can’t you come to my torn up to your store, it takes me forever to get there with the traffic and orange barrels.”He asked, “What can I do to make it better or easier for you to get here?”She said, “It would be great if you can drive to my house drop me off a loaner and then take my car to the shop.” He hired a “driver employee” and that pickup/ drop off customer service is part of his business plan….has many happy new customers and increased his revenues again…enough to pay for the new employee and hire a part time one. Use social to engage, listen, tweak, and learn from your customers. Social is customer service on steroids and many other customers are watching how you interact with your customers, take care of your customers, and respond to your customers.What Happens in Vegas Stays in VegasIt may stay in Vegas, but what happens on the Internet will be seen by your great, great, great, great grand children.If you don’t want to go down in history with a online argument, comment or posting something controversial…be prepared for people to bring it up for a long, long time (or block you). First Impressions Make Lasting ImpressionsThe phallic art storyWGC had a prospect that wanted to work with me on her SM projects and improve her company website. I said, “Well, send me your website link, social media profiles and photos of your business since you are out of state.”As I was looking through the business materials, there were several office photos which contained a picture which clearly had a large phallus in it…it was subtle, but THERE!Obviously, this imagery was not part of the business brand!The prospect was aghast and had simply really liked the painting and thought it was “cool!”Not the branding or image that the business wanted to convey, so we made changes to the imagery and removed the photos from her website/ online pages. Eg. If the UPS trucks were dirty, dented and the drives looked shabby/ dirty what type of impression would that leave on you?You are wondering, “How will they really care for my business packages?”
FAQ:Frequently Asked Questions…questions you get often from your customers.SAQ: Suggested Asked Questionseg. you may be selling carpets and you want to teach customers what to look for when buying a carpet especially if they have animals or kids. What type of carpet is best for them, what the want to make sure they are getting in the warranty.Google Alerts Set a search for content and then share with your customersStory: I have a green construction company owner that does the sales, calls, proposals, bids, design planning plans, and the demolition.When does he have time to create content? But we set up Google Alerts to search for “Best Construction Projects” or “10 Ways to Improve Your Bathroom”“What is Green Construction” “What is Sustainable Construction” “How do I save home energy costs”Technorati Directory of blogs that can show you the top trends, conversations, topics or help you point your customers to helpful resources, tips, strategies, and articles.Wondering what kind of starter content you can use to populate your profiles, today?Information, tips, and practical adviceQuestions asked by your customersOr links toArchived Email Marketing newslettersPolls and SurveysEvent Homepages and registration pagesBlogs (yours and others)Websites (yours, and others in your area of expertise)Product or service reviewsThought-provoking discussions that inspires debate and dialogueRich media: relevant videos, photos, podcasts
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You can build your social network in a variety of ways,both online and offline. In short: be creative and visible everywhere your customers are!Send an invitation to your Email ListAdd interactive Social Icons to YourWebsiteEmail Campaigns (in a sidebar, in the footer)Outgoing Email SignatureBusiness CardPrinted Collateral: mailers, flyers, invoices, etc.Put a sign in your storefront windowAdd a message to your voicemailInclude a note on Point of Sale receipts and house or discount coupons
You can build your social network in a variety of ways,both online and offline. In short: be creative and visible everywhere your customers are!Send an invitation to your Email ListAdd interactive Social Icons to YourWebsiteEmail Campaigns (in a sidebar, in the footer)Outgoing Email SignatureBusiness CardPrinted Collateral: mailers, flyers, invoices, etc.Put a sign in your storefront windowAdd a message to your voicemailInclude a note on Point of Sale receipts and house or discount coupons