Success Strategies for Business Owners Getting Started with Social Media v

Success Strategies for Business Owners Introductions Show of hands: – Company size (1-10, 10-20, >20?) – B2C business? – B2B business? – Government? – Who has a personal social site? – Who has a company social site? – How many social media sites are there?

Success Strategies for Business Owners About SCORE Successful and experienced executives acting as volunteers. National web site, provides useful information and resources for small business. Seminars and workshops Free Mentoring – One-on-one – mentoring Contact Manasota.SCORE.org Manasota.SCORE.org

Success Strategies for Business Owners In today’s session, we will cover Technology helped me boost sales What are the practical steps to integrate social media into your business. Overview of social media How to think about your social content A framework for getting started Key takeaways and next steps

Success Strategies for Business Owners What is social media

Success Strategies for Business Owners What is social media? Wikipedia: The social interactions among people in which they create, share or exchange information and ideals in virtual communities and networks. – Social media is about conversations and relationships Your customers/clients have opinions and questions about your business – As a business owner you want to be a part of those conversations Today, those customers/clients speak with you face-to-face or via phone Because social media is digital, you’re now able to have those same conversations with a much broader customer/client base – Your customer/client reach expands dramatically – These conversations are happening in front of the public, not in private

Success Strategies for Business Owners Popular social media platforms LinkedIn 90 million users Social Networking > Target your audience by age, gender, seniority, geography, or job function > Pay per click or by impressions > Stop your ads at any time Facebook 500 million users Social Networking > Connect with more than 500 million potential customers > Choose you audience by location, age, and interests > Test simple image and text- based ads and use what works Twitter 175 million users Microblogging > Connect with customers and quickly share information > Gather market intelligence and insights > Build relationships with people that care about your company YouTube 2 million daily views Online Video Community > Promote your content > Share promotional videos and customer testimonials > Target audience by keyword Google+ Business Finder > Be found by your customers > Stand out by engaging customers with photos, offers, and public responses > Get insight on your listing to make smarter business decisions Blogs 126 million internet blogs Online Conversation > Word of mouth > Communicate promptly > Obtain feedback on products, service, trends, and industry

Success Strategies for Business Owners What’s old is new again

Success Strategies for Business Owners Social media is an aspect of your (digital) marketing plan A website is mandatory for your business Customers can’s find you without it Social media serves as a more dynamic amplifier Brand reach Higher level of engagement Website traffic … Having both increases your search engine rankings The end result More qualified leads Reduced marketing spend Increased brand awareness …

Success Strategies for Business Owners More than 60% of Fortune 1000 companies with a Website will connect or host some form of social network or online community to build customer relationships in the upcoming year. BUT, more than 50% will fail to establish mutual purpose with customers. Source: 2010 Gartner, Inc. study  Being a part of the conversation is your ticket of entry. You must participate in the communication, collaboration, and networking  Find creative ways to share information and bring communities together  Content is king Marketing 101: Who is your target audience?  What social media platforms do they frequent?  Google: “demographics of key social networking platforms”

Success Strategies for Business Owners How to think about social content

Success Strategies for Business Owners How are small businesses using social media?

Success Strategies for Business Owners Get active and build your community! Start two way conversations (free) – Publish relevant and useful content – Listen and respond to posts Spend some $$ – Facebook/LinkedIn ads – Promoted posts – Highly targeted Measure your results against your objective(s) – Don’t be afraid to change course or approach

Success Strategies for Business Owners What are things you can measure? Number of content likes and shares Number of followers/fans Redeemed coupons and promotions B2B sales leads tracked through a sales funnel Number of customer inquiries/comments responded to Candidate applications and employees hired

Success Strategies for Business Owners Try to avoid these mistakes Rush to action without a measurable plan – You can waste a lot of time Not posting on a regular basis Not responding to all comments – both positive and negative Deleting a negative review Being overly promotional Purchasing “likes” and “followers”

Success Strategies for Business Owners How to structure your social activities

Success Strategies for Business Owners Here’s a framework for how to start

Success Strategies for Business Owners Key takeaways What’s old is new again Do your planning!! – focus on the top social media platform for your audience – create a process – execute that process with discipline Stake your claim – Facebook, LinkedIn (personal and company), Google+, Twitter If you haven’t already, create a LinkedIn Personal page If you get stuck/frustrated, google your question Send me a LinkedIn invite: Don’t follow “woo woos”

Success Strategies for Business Owners If you want to learn more … A good compare and contrast of social media options – Google: “get started building your social media presence” – Nice overview published by Constant Contact How to create a Facebook Company page – – Go to “Blogs” and then “Marketing Blogs” – Search: “how to create a Facebook page in 5 simple step” How to create LinkedIn Personal and Company pages – – Go to “Blogs” and then “Marketing Blogs” – Search: “the ultimate cheat sheet for mastering LinkedIn”

Success Strategies for Business Owners Here’s a quick reference guide

Success Strategies for Business Owners Workshop in Review What did I learn today? Overview of social media How to think about your social content A framework for getting started Key takeaways and next steps

Success Strategies for Business Owners Do You Have A SCORE Mentor? Fill out the online request for free, one-on- one mentoring. – Right after this session! – manasota.score.org – click the Mentoring tab manasota.score.org – A mentor will be assigned in about a week – Mentor will call you to setup a mentoring appointment Ongoing phone and/or face-to-face guidance to aid completion improvement plans Mentor will be available for an ongoing relationship Take advantage of this free service to help you make the best decisions as you grow and improve your business!

Success Strategies for Business Owners Visit manasota.score.org for Schedules and Registrationmanasota.score.org SCORE Workshops Specialized Workshops Building Your Business Plan Utilizing Websites to Boost Sales Internet Marketing and Social Media for Business Grow Your Business ! Create Innovative Marketing Strategies Attract More Customers - Increase Your Sales Improve Your Cash Flow and Profits Improve Internal Operational Effectiveness Simple Steps for Starting Your Business Start-up Basics Business Concept Marketing Plan Financial Projections Funding Sources Next Steps

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