LinkedIn / Facebook / Twitter Best Practices for Construction Markets

©2010 Construction Marketing Advisors. All Rights Reserved.CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT

LinkedIn / Facebook / Twitter Best Practices — Construction

February 15, 2011


Welcome

Moderator/Speaker:

Neil Brown

Chairman

Construction Marketing Association

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Webcast


Welcome

Panelist:

Brian Reuhl

Social Media Manager

Construction Marketing Association

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]




Agenda/Content

1. Why consider Social Media?

2. Construction Industry Survey Results

3. LinkedIn• Basics• Advanced features• Examples

4. Facebook• Basics• Advanced features• Examples

5. Twitter• Basics• Advance features• Examples

6. Questions


Why consider Social Media?1. Social media increases search engine authority and rankings (social

posts can rank higher than company websites).

2. Social media is the fastest growing marketing medium, with a growing body of success stories (lead generation, research, recruitment).

3. Construction brands can gain a competitive advantage with social media by deploying faster than competitors.

4. Social media opens new marketing channels, and niche verticals that would be cost-prohibitive to target via other marketing or media.

5. Editors and journalists embrace social media, and use it for research and information; augments your PR distribution channel.

6. Social media is inexpensive relative to other marketing or media.

LinkedIn / Facebook / Twitter Best Practices


Construction Industry Survey Results

1. Which social media platforms do you use ?

2. Beyond your personal profile, how do you use LinkedIn?

3. Does your company or brand have a Facebook business/brand page?

4. How does you company use Facebook?

5. How does your company or brand use Twitter?



Why LinkedIn?

1. 90+ million users worldwide

2. 2.98 million LinkedIn users just in the construction industry– construction, building materials, architecture & planning, civil engineering

3. Best professional social media site

4. Great for business development

5. Networking

6. Content sharing

7. Marketing your business



Profile Best Practices

Other Important Profile Features

1. Be sure to complete your profile 100%

2. Show Groups (50 max)

3. Applications

4. Contact Information

5. Content

6. Do not clutter



Basic Walkthrough



InMail Best PracticesOther Important

InMail Features

1. Great way to conduct research (poll)

2. Invite people to a company event

3. Invite to follow your company on LinkedIn

4. Invite to LinkedIn Group

5. Thank someone for connecting

6. Be careful about spam



Other Company Page Features

1. Ask for recommendations from past and present clients.

2. Share services in relevant groups

3. Great call to action

4. Lead generator

Company Pages Best Practices



Groups Best Practices

Other Group Features

1. When someone joins a your group, you capture their email.

2. You can connect with anyone you are in a group with.

3. Long term engagement

4. Great for event announcements

5. Posting industry relevant content



Answers Best Practices

Other Answers Features

1. Answer industry relevant questions

2. Subject matter expert

3. Pose thought provoking questions

4. Light industry research

5. Networking



Application Best Practices

Other Application Features

1. Profile Extension

2. Attention Getting

3. Avoid Clutter

4. Highlight Company Strengths and Personal Strengths



Business Development on LinkedIn

Best Lead Generating Techniques on LinkedIn

1. Connect through groups

2. Connect with old and new clients

3. ‘Get introduced’

4. Advertising

5. Company

6. Advanced search



Why Facebook?

1. 500+ Million Users

2. Fastest growing Social Network

3. 50% of users log on to Facebook any given day

4. Average user is connected to 80 community pages, groups and events

5. An average of 10,000 new websites integrate with Facebook every day

6. Business Improvements- Images- Video- Engagement- Brand conversations (NEW)

7. Mobile Reach



Facebook Basics

Other Basics1. Fill personal profile

out 100%

2. Follow Facebook given directions while creating your page

3. Choose a quality profile picture.

4. Be Professional



Why is Having a Brand Page Important?

1. Easy customer contact

2. Automatic notifications

3. 50% of Facebook users log in daily

4. Brand search

5. Brand to customer interaction

6. Customer service



Brand Page Changes

Old Version

New Version



Content Posting Best Practices

Other Posting Best Practices

1. 420 character limit

2. Link Blog to Brand Page

3. Add photos of your work

4. Post 3 - 4 times a week!



Best Content Practices on Facebook• Status updates• Photos• Videos• Events• Articles• Downloadable collateral • Location updates• Promo’s / offers• Contests• Links

• Industry tips and tricks• Custom tabs• Answer questions / give

feedback• Check daily for customer

interaction• Ask customers questions

for engagement



Build your Facebook Page Likes – Best Practices

1. Ask all employees to ‘Like’ the page and start to engage

2. Have employees invite friends and family to the page

3. Add company page to your email signature

4. IMPORTANT: add the page to your website home page

5. Add Facebook logo to all business collateral materials to raise awareness of your Facebook presence

6. Ask page members to suggest the page to their friends

7. NEW: invite other page members to ‘Like’ your page

8. Email blast

9. Cross-pollinate (invite from LinkedIn and/or Twitter)

10. Advertise



Facebook Search Best Practices



Facebook Insights Best Practices

Other Insights Best Practices

1. Monitor unsubscribers

2. Change timeline

3. Traffic Metrics




Why Twitter?

1. 195 million registered users

2. 270,000 new signups each day

3. 70 million page views a day

4. 110 million Tweets per day (+65% in past 3 months)

5. 40% created from mobile devices

6. Twitter users spend more money online

7. Editors and Journalists are heavy Twitter users


Account Set-Up Best Practices

1. Can set-up as a brand, person, or topic

2. Choose a good twitter username

3. Custom background

4. Fill out your profile 100%



Twitter Basics

Other Basics

1. URL shorteners

2. Retweeting

3. Direct Messages

4. Hashtags (#construction)




What Can Twitter be Used For?

• Source of news – up to the minute construction news• Knowledge source – industry articles and white papers• Topic or keyword specific• Engage in conversation• Send traffic to your website• Search for topics (green building, OSHA, construction)• Promo’s / offers• Track conversations• Link sharing


How to Grow your Twitter Account

1. It’s about building a relationship

2. Find an influential account (wefollow.com)

3. Start Following relevant accounts

4. Limits 2,000 (1,000 a day)

5. Post daily content

6. Use Applications

7. Website Icons

8. Email Signature



Application Best Practices

1. TweetDeck and Hootsuite

2. Schedule tweets for later

3. Manage multiple accounts

4. Track conversations

5. Easy search features

6. Both integrate with Facebook

7. Multiple users (Hootsuite)

8. You have to install TweetDeck



Integrating LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter

1. Integrate LinkedIn to:– Twitter– Website– Blog – SlideShare

2. Integrate Facebook to:– Twitter– Website– Blog– YouTube

3. Integrate Twitter to:– Facebook– Website– LinkedIn



1. Social media should be a top construction marketing priority because it supports search engine authority, delivers sales leads, provides a competitive advantage, opens new channels, supports PR and is inexpensive!

2. A majority of construction marketers use LinkedIn for Groups, Discussions and Biz Dev.

3. 55% have a Facebook and Twitter page; 55% never use YouTube

4. LinkedIn is the most popular professional platform with growing advanced features and applications for biz dev and marketing

5. Facebook is the fastest growing platform with many new business features and robust metrics

6. Twitter is an excellent platform for PR, news and targeting niche verticals; Twitter builds search authority

7. Leverage social media by integrating with your website, blog and platforms

8. Social media training important to gain corporate buy-in

Summary


Q&A


Thank You!

The Construction Marketing Association (CMA) is a network of marketing managers and executives in construction-related fields. CMA provides professional development and training, resources and information, networking and recognition.

Find us:

http://www.ConstructionMarketingAssociation.org

www.ConstructionMarketingBlog.org

Twitter.com/ConstructMarket

Facebook.com/ConstructMarket

LinkedIn.com (Construction Marketing Association Group)

Next Webcast: Channel Promotions – Tuesday, March 15, 2011

http://www.ConstructionMarketingAssociation.org/

http://www.ConstructionMarketingBlog.org/

http://www.twitter.com/ConstructMarket

http://www.facebook.com/ConstructMarket

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=3064537&trk=anet_ug_hm


Panelist Bio’s

Brian Reuhl is currently responsible for managing and implementing all social media initiatives for the Construction Marketing Association, and Construction Marketing Advisor’s clients. He is in charge of coordinating and implementing all blogs, Facebook business pages, Twitter accounts, YouTube channels, and LinkedIn targeting strategies for company pages and personal profiles. In addition, he conducts all social media reports and analysis. Brian earned a BA – Integrated Marketing Communications from Illinois State University in 2010 which included course material such as Creative Strategy and Design, Social Media, and Marketing Management.

Neil Brown is Chairman of the Construction Marketing Association. He has been CEO of numerous marketing consulting and creative agencies for the past 15 years, managing some of the biggest brands in the construction sector including Emerson Electric, USG and Bosch Tools. Prior to the agency-side, Brown was a brand manager at electrical products marketing powerhouse IDEAL Industries, and later CMO of an architectural metals manufacturer. Neil is a frequent speaker, author and contributor to BtoB magazine, Advertising Age, Marketing Week and the Construction Marketing Blog. He holds a BS–Marketing from Southern Illinois University, and an MBA from Northern Illinois University.

LinkedIn / Facebook / Twitter Best Practices for Construction Markets

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Transcript of LinkedIn / Facebook / Twitter Best Practices for Construction Markets