Social Media for Business – In Plain English (Thanks Prince William Chamber!)

I have the pleasure to present to a great group of business owners at the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce today. I find it exciting to chat with other business professionals about the potential of digital marketing and social media to expand their customer reach. I believe that engaging customers on a one-on-one basis is incredibly important for building trust and creating a “real” relationship. And social media makes that possible – if you know how and why you are using it. The presentation covered why and how businesses use social media and digital marketing and I’m hopeful that participants will take some of the ideas back to their desks to start connecting with customers and colleagues!

Here is a wrap-up of the presentation:

Where is Social Media Marketing Today?
At this stage of the game, social media marketing (SMM) has become commonplace in most homes and offices.

• Twitter has been in the news daily from Michael Jackson’s death to Iranian elections.
• Facebook hosts over 250 million users.
• AdAge reports that LinkedIn has 36 million members and is adding them at a rate of about 1 member per second (March 2009).

Social Media for Consumer Engagement & Outreach
Businesses are finding creative ways to leverage social media for consumer engagement and outreach.

• Zappos.com hosts a series of blogs devoted to topics like fashion, business news and employee good works.  Zappos.com CEO, Tony Hsieh, is an active Twitter user.
• Social Media for Consumer Engagement & Outreach
• The Ford Company’s reputation was ultimately saved by Scott Monty, its social media guru.  Personal attention, public engagement and community building helped rebuild trust in the Ford brand.
• Through photo sharing, socnets and forums, Whole Foods elevates its customer’s online experience.

What Practical Value Does Social Media Bring to Your Business?

• Increases traffic to your blog or website and improves search engine optimization.
• Encourages engagement between you and your customers.
• Builds brand trust.
• Creates a buzz about your company.

Twitter – microblogging platform that enables an immediate push of information in 140 characters or less.

• Customer service
• Industry / Brand research
• Share links / stories about interesting happenings in your community
• Public Relations – See what is being said about your brand

Facebook – one of the world’s largest social networking communities.

• Fan Pages for business news, contests, resources, blog feeds
• Market products by posting discounts and promotions
• Host contests to create buzz

LinkedIn – business network for professional connections.

• Groups for industry specific networking
• Promote events, job openings, company news
• Subtly self-promote by answering questions through the Q&A section

Social Bookmarking - Delicious , StumbleUpon, Digg

• Make your website a resource center (tag bookmarks accordingly)
• Occasionally submit your own articles, blog posts and news to increase traffic
• Make it easy for your users to share your content.

NING – a free tool for social community building.

• Community building for your target market
• Meet other business owners
• Event / Workshop organization
• Feed other social media profiles into NING

Photo Sharing- Flickr , Picasa , PhotoBucket

• Provides a way for stakeholders to share company and industry photos
• Creates breadcrumbs back to your website through tagging
• Creates content and visuals to integrate into your website, blogs and social networks

Blogging -WordPress.org,  WordPress.com, Blogger , TypePad

• Personal communication builds trust
• Open engagement with customers / public
• Use story-telling to reach people one-on-one
• Discuss industry trends
• Provide free, helpful info compelling to your customers
• Work through service / product issues

Video -YouTube, Vimeo

• Video testimonials
• How-to videos
• Video endorsements from experts in your industry
• Show how your product is used for “good” or in the community
• Video of your employees doing work in the community

Integrate Social Media with Your Marketing Plan
Social media marketing should be an integrated part of your overall marketing plan.

• Keep messaging consistent on all marketing materials.
• Include calls-to-action to your social media profiles on advertising and print materials. (ex. “Connect on Facebook”)
• Include calls-to-action to your social media profiles on all digital materials, like email. (remember, these people are already online!)
• Use social media tools to elevate your customer’s experience.
• Spotlight third party blog coverage in your press room.
• Your website, social media profiles, ads, printed collateral and advertising are all cogs in your marketing strategy.  They must work together in order to achieve maximum engagement and – ultimately – business growth.

Tagged as: Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce, social media, social media for business