Proven Methods To Enhance Your Brand Using Social Media

• Sara Tambascio, Online Editor, Today’s Garden Center magazine (@stambascio)

• Melodie McDanal, GardenHood, Atlanta (@melodiegardens)

• Larry Grossman, Grossmans Garden & Home (@GrossmansGarden)

What Can SM Do For You?

• Become “My Garden Center”• Make your fans into your evangelists• Make personal connections

• Photos• Events• Create conversations• Promotions

Facebook: Post Photos

• Photos of you and your product• Contest winners and events• Check out Buchanan’s Native Plants

Facebook: Photos

Facebook: Photos

Facebook: Photos

Facebook: Events

• Not only will fans follow, their friends see their events, too.

Facebook: Events

Facebook: Create Conversations

• Ask questions• Make it social• Check out Bordine Nursery

Facebook: Create Conversations

Facebook: Promotions

Notes On Facebook Fan Pages

• Be sure to include contact info• Use Favorite Pages for other local businesses• Allow people to write on your Wall• http://www.facebook.com/help.php?page=90

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• Share news (about you) that people will want to retweet

• Offer timely, local advice• Make it personal and entertaining• Use Twitter conventions

Twitter: Retweeting

• Forwarding your message• Greatest number of retweets

around 2pm

Source: The Science of Retweets, Mashable.com, Dan Zarella

Twitter: News To Retweet

Twitter: Local & Timely

Twitter: Local News

Twitter: Make It Personal

Twitter: Hash Tags

Twitter: #musicmonday

Twitter: #followfriday

Twitter: Lists

• Categorizes people you follow • Resource for your followers

(@BobsMarket/gardenpros)

Twitter: Promotion

Twitter: Promotion

Twitter: Promotion

Twitter: For Business

Notes On Twitter

• More than one account – one public-facing, one industry-facing

• Share information about social media• URL shorteners: Bit.ly, Ow.ly, TinyURL• http://help.twitter.com/

Integrating Social Media

• Ping.fm• HootSuite• TweetDeck• OpenID

Mobile Social Media

Social Media Tips

• Tell people about your social media, on the web and in person.

• Some on Twitter or Facebook, not both. Be everywhere and cover your bases.

• Cross promote your social media.• Mashable.com

Examples?

Today’s Garden Center on Facebook and Retailer Twitter list at http://

twitter.com/#/list/stambascio/retailers

Questions?

• Sara Tambascio, Today’s Garden Center magazine satambascio@meistermedia.com

• Melodie McDanal, GardenHood melodie@gardenhoodatlanta.com

• Larry Grossman, Grossmans Garden & Home larry@grossmans.com

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