This document provides guidance on developing a social media strategy. It defines social media as online conversations through words, images and video. Social media has changed how problems are solved, strategies developed and decisions made in the workplace. It allows for proliferation of social interaction and instantaneous sharing of content by users. The benefits to businesses include increased visibility, thought leadership, competitive insights, goodwill and humanizing brands. Key trends for IT buyers show high usage of social media for job tasks. The document outlines ShoreTel's use of blogs, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to engage customers and prospects. It provides tips on listening, planning, engaging and measuring social media strategies as well as guiding principles and best practices.

1. Social Media Strategy
Marketing
Tuan Loc Nguyen

2. What is social media?
An online conversation
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in words
images video
& sound

3. What is social media?
• Defining activities that integrate
• Technology
• Social interaction
• Shared knowledge
• Thought leadership
• Where communities are shifting
their attention
• Where customers and partners expect our presence
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Ignore them and they will leave us behind

4. Social media in the workplace
Has changed the way
problems get solved,
strategies get built
and decisions get made
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5. Social media in the workplace
• Workers using social media can
• Seek expert advise
• Get recommendations
• Share feedback
• Exchange ideas
Can enrich our brand, grow our
stature and increase adoption
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6. Proliferation of social interaction
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Converse with anyone, anywhere, anytime
Returning control to individuals and consumers in
unprecedented ways

7. Proliferation of social interaction
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A new set of tools that allow us to do
what we love most
Tell stories, connect and share feelings with each other

8. Proliferation of social interaction
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Instantaneous aggregation and creation
of content
By the people, of the people, for the people
On the social Web

9. What is social media?
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Social Media IS
People-driven
Transparent
Engaging
Inclusive
Sincere
Social Media is NOT
Controlled
Impersonal
Exclusive
Formal
One-sided

10. Business Benefits
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Increase Visibility:
Improve SEO using keywords defining your
brand to facilitate searches.

11. Business Benefits
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Thought Leadership/Consideration:
Provide a source of relevant expertise,
building credibility and future consideration.

12. Business Benefits
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Competitive Insights:
Stay aware of industry and competitor conversations.
Join in and contribute.

13. Business Benefits
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Goodwill:
Identify opportunities for engagement with all your
target audiences, heightening brand loyalty.

14. Business Benefits
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Humanize Brand:
Showcase your company’s
personality through direct
engagement with customers.

15. Business Benefits
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Early Warning:
Hear about customer
concerns and address them
quickly.

16. Key trends with IT buyers
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Percentage of hours per week of online media consumption
Social media/user generated content:
Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
Editorial media: Information Week, CNN,
WSJ.com, etc.
Vendor content: Vendor produced
whitepapers, webcasts, etc
45%
26%
29%

17. Key trends with IT buyers
How does social media help you do your job better?
Solve problems in the workplace through
experience-based advice
Stay current and learn what my
peers know
Make better decisions based on insights
from like minded professionals
Evaluate vendors and products
Build professional reputation and
advance career
Social media does not help me do my
job better
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64.4%
64.3%
55.6%
39.2%
33.4%
14.6%

18. Social media at ShoreTel
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19. Blogs
• A blog is a different kind of communications channel,
engaging readers in a two-way conversation with
global reach – the blogosphere.
• A blog is the central hub of a social media presence.
• A blog can be a website or part of a website.
Usually maintained by an individual with regular entries
of topical interest.
• Visitors can leave comments and even message each
other on blogs. This interactivity is how they differ from
static websites.
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20. Blogs
of companies increased investments in
social media in 2011.
of companies have acquired a customer
through their blog.
of daily internet users read blogs.
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54%
57%
65%

21. ShoreTel Blog
• Over 10,000 people have
visited the ShoreTel blog
so far in 2012.
• The most popular post is
ShoreTel 12 – UC
Simplified.
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22. Twitter
• 39% of B2B companies
using Twitter have
acquired new customers
from it.
• Leads generated via
inbound marketing tactics
like blogging and social
media cost 62% less.
• Blogging can increase
your Twitter reach by
75%

23. @shoretel
• Over 14,000 followers
• Communicating with
customers, prospects,
partners, analysts and
more.

24. Facebook
• Facebook Page:
Mini-website to share information, grow a fan base, offer
multimedia content, announce events and updates.
Enhances brand awareness and loyalty by keeping
customers and prospects informed and bridges the gap
between generations.
Facebook users are comfortable there. It’s not about
conducting business, it’s about being accessible – easy for
customers to find.

25. Facebook
of U.S. adult Internet users are on
Facebook.
of B2B companies using Facebook have
acquired new customers from it.
of Facebook’s active users are over the
age of 35.
87%
41%
40%

26. Facebook

27. LinkedIn
• Sharing free, relevant content online helps search engines &
prospects find you.
• Email usage is declining by as much as 59% across all age
groups.
• U.S. Internet users spend 3X more minutes on blogs and
social networks than on email.
• LinkedIn is perfect for B2B organizations. Functionally similar
to Facebook, LinkedIn focuses on education, work history,
companies and professional interests; aligning with B2B
companies looking to market to specific business niches and
demographics.

28. LinkedIn

29. How to participate
Listen
Monitor conversations
track brand mentions
and identify influencers
Plan
Map out objectives,
goals strategies and
tactics
Engage
Develop consumer/
influencer engagement
plan and content
strategy
Measure
Assess conversation
impact and monitor
sentiment

30. Guiding principles
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Set clear goals
Be specific and keep objectives in mind for every initiative.
Enlist team members
It’s all about real-time response and continuously updated information.
Know what’s popular with your targets
Research and focus resources where your audiences are.
Stay transparent
Always offer complete information and admit vested interests.
Keep it conversational
Write like would to a friend - ask questions and solicit opinions.
Write what you know
Stick to issues regarding your organization and position yourself as an expert.
Admit mistakes
Be the first to admit your wrongs and make them right.
Do

31. Guiding principles
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Dive in before you’re ready
Define objectives, goals and metrics for success and accountability.
Confuse social media with advertising
Keep your brand personal on social media sites.
Feel you have to use every social media site
Research which sites your customers visit and how they consume content.
Forget that social media is part of the brand
Posts, pictures, images, tweets status updates can stay online forever.
Make an audience feel uncomfortable
Being negative can deter an audience from engaging with you.
Ignore criticism
Respond respectfully, with objectivity. It can turn critics into supporters.
Be fake
Be yourself. Don’t employ “flogs” (fake blogs to promote a service or product.
Don’t

32. Customers
ShoreTel is already making waves in social media.
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