Use of social media and other communication tools

Interactive session How many are using social media? Which channel? When? How? Why?

Introduction to social media According to Wikipedia: Social media is the social interaction among people in which they create, share or exchange information, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks. The power of social media now resides in your hands and everyone can express themselves to the world and carve out and create their own corner of influence.

Facts about social media 18-29 year olds have an 89% usage The 30-49 bracket sits at 72% 60 percent of 50 to 60 year olds are active on social media 70% of brands have a presence on social media Research done indicates 83% of marketers say that social media is important to their business 23% of Facebook users check their account at least 5 times a day.  4.2 billion people access social media sites via mobile devices with 189 million Facebook users being ‘mobile only’.

Facts Cont’d 91% of mobile Internet access is for social activities with 73% of smartphone owners accessing social networks through apps at least once per day. 60% of Google+ users login at least once a day. Despite privacy concerns, only 25% of social media users utilize privacy settings. Around 46% of web users will look towards social media when making a purchase. The average social user has 195 friends.- potential customers

Before you get started Basics of social media marketing Why do you want to get into it? Clearly define your purpose on social media? Which channels do you want to use? What suites you best? How many have access to the channels? Control measures Look around, research, peek at what others are doing Refrain from personal/confidential information

The Agribusiness Social Media Movement Why Social Media? increases brand visibility, engagement and conversations. Direct relationship with your customer Its mobile Its multimedia rich Its free Build networks Opens up business opportunities

Why social media? Cont’d Increase in sales Reputation management Free market research It’s the cheapest way to advertise-reduce marketing expenses Increased business exposure Competitive advantage-everything happens in real time Strengthens customer loyalty Increased website traffic

The Do’s and Dont’s Practical session Interactive session and group work Lessons learnt The Do’s and Dont’s

Social Media Policy Who is responsible for the posts? Who is coordinating between channels? Who is allowed to post to each channel? Who is contributing the information to be posted? What topics work? What doesn’t? For those allowed to post, what type of things should they be posting about? What topics require approval before posting? What topics shouldn’t be discussed?

Best practises Have a complete profile Take time before responding to posts Don’t pick a fight, respond to your mistakes Empower your employees Keep it simple Be authentic Be careful when sharing information Be responsible for what you write and share 3Rs, Retweet, Repost, Respond, (Responsible) Offer value-give people a reason to follow or like your page

Best practises cont’d Respect copyrights, give credit where its due Interact, ask questions, LISTEN Exercise good judgment-Refrain from comments that can be interpreted as slurs, demeaning, inflammatory, etc. Build trust, Earn respect Content is ‘King’-content will determine how you get traffic, how you will keep your customers/clients loyal and happy Maintain your presence-be active-post regularly

Way Forward Be yourself, Stand out Cross promote on networks Know the difference between tone and voice Interact and respond Be helpful Have an attractive profile Always remember that what you say is permanent…the internet remembers, its public space HAVE FUN!