Social Media Revolution

Be There and Care

By Arketype Inc.

•“Social media is about ordinary people taking control of the world around them and finding creative new ways to bring their collective voices together to get what they want.”

•-– Paul Gillin

Social Media = Personal Publishing

More Quotes

• “In a fascinating twist, you’ll soon realize this brave new world abides by the same rules of socialization that have governed humans for thousands of years.”

– Maggie Fox, CEO of the Social Media Group

• “the people in social media are not playing the role of consumers with purchase intent; rather, they are just being social with each other.”

– Joe Marchese.

Making the Case….

Many Companies Fear a Loss of Control

•But social media gives them a way to react to customer feedback faster

Social Media Campaigns Are an Investment

- You ensure constant Contact with Clients / Target Audience

- You are building your own marketing channel. Higher quality of posts means greater outreach to potential customers

- You are making the statement that you are moving with the times and are not afraid of innovation

Social Media Markets Are by Definition Small (Niche Markets).

This enables better targeting of customers

Some General Strategies…

Once you have identified your niche and established yourself as an expert, you should not talk AT people, but WITH people!

People use social networking sites to connect with people, not brands

– the individual is at the center of the community, and that connection is sacred

Social networks make connections a by-product of everyday activities

People used to separate “me time” and “connect time,” but now social media brings the two together

Make it a dialogue and let those who respond know how their input affects

your decisionsOld New

• Traditional marketing was trying to intercept customers while they were doing something else to deliver a grabby message

• - television ads• - banner ads outside• - newspaper and

magazine ads

• Social media should create a dialogue that is sustainable and interactive

• - Blogs with forums• - Facebook Fan Pages

that trigger dialogue• - MySpace music

sharing• - Twitter Hashtags

engage, don’t sell – ditch the pitch.

Not only are customers no longer listening, they are sneering at sales pitches – it’s about forming relationships that lead to long-term repeat business

•contact with the customer is no longer expensive so we don’t have to squeeze it into economically constrained soundbites anymore

•keep it simple, make it personal, and give people a reason to pass it on

• search engines don’t appreciate a well-turned phrase

• think about how users will look for content (Search Engine Optimization – SEO)

• Google is the great Equalizer: You are potentially as important as the New York Times

• Write like you speak

Giving up control is the best way to keep the upper hand in a conversation – you actually gain credibility

Allowing customers to review your products on your website enhances credibility and improves customer retention

Facebook Strategies•Engage audience through questions•Post links that relate to area of expertise• Invite customers to evaluate your products• Include pictures and videos•Use a personal tone•Consider using contests and rewarding

people with product-related gifts for commenting or submitting ideas (this could be expensive and time-consuming)

•Always be there and care about what’s posted

Twitter Strategies

•Seek out companies and individuals that have similar interests

•Continuously grow your follower base, but make sure your followers match your area of expertise (quality over quantity)

•Use Hashtags, Replies, and Retweets•Stay away from promo – be informative,

fun, and most of all, CARE!

Blog Strategies

•Have company blog to supplement the more formal format of a website

•Consider rotating employees to update blog to add variety (but make sure writers really care, don’t force anyone to write)

•Keep it informative and make sure posts relate to products/services/expertise

•Provide RSS feeds, search options•Syndicate blog through Twitter,

Facebook, and ezine marketing•Link to related blogs in your blogroll

Measuring Results

•tie your campaign to short-time goals•page views•returning visitors•pages per visit•RSS subscriptions•Referring sites•Search engine placement•Search terms•Post-quality

Celebrating Change

•Social media is disruptive; it fundamentally challenges how marketing departments interact with their customers

•Innovation and service are the only sustainable advantages. That means businesses have to be in constant contact with their markets.

•Marketing must redefine its value around stewardship of the customer

Books

•Paul Gillin: Secrets of Social Media Marketing (2009)

•Rick Levine: The Cluetrain Manifesto: 10th Anniversary Edition (2009)

•Clara Shih: The Facebook Era (2009)

•Dan Zarella: The Social Media Marketing Book (2010)

Brainstorming

•What is your area of expertise?•What kind of voice would you like to

represent you online?•Which sites are especially relevant for

your business?•Who should be in charge?•How will you measure your success?