Getting started in social media

Getting Starting in Social MediaPeter Hodges, Integrated Marketing AnalystBellco Credit UnionTwitter: @bellco_cu & @pjhodgesEmail: [email protected]

@gapingvoid – Hugh MacLeod – Austin, TX

Places to connect are exploding

Brian Solis

San Francisco, CA @briansolis

The horse has left the barn…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8739016@N07/5462955488/

The Samsung RF3289 Refrigerator

(Introduced in January 2011)

…and is going to end up in your kitchen May 2011.

Social media played a huge role in the Egypt

Revolution of 2011

http://mashable.com/2009/03/09/social-networking-more-popular-than-email/

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/01/social-media-po.html

Listening is your first step

You can pay a number of companies to do this for you

Until you need to pay for professional expertise, you can run your own basic social monitoring for free

with Google

Your Google Reader will become your dashboard for keeping track of all the information

you’re interested in

Really Simply Syndication (RSS)

• RSS allows you to be alerted to any new changes to a website

you’ve subscribed to.

• Anytime you see this orange icon, you can subscribe and have

updates sent to your Reader account.

Here’s how to add a blog subscription to your RSS Reader:

Why should I take time to

listen in on what’s being said?

You break it, you bought it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/giovannigaryurgelles/4019632083/

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=68493997.blog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo

Aflac Strikes Back

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/14/gilbert-gottfried-tweets-_n_835553.html

http://www.cnn.com/2011/BUSINESS/03/14/georgia.aflac.duck/index.html

• When you listen in, someone is going to say

something sooner or later that will need a reply.

• The Air Force has developed a great flowchart to walk

you through what to think about before posting your

response.

http://www.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-091210-

037.pdf

The two best places to start for businesses (right now)…

What’s the point of Twitter?

• Twitter likes to you say you can use their site to “discover what’s happening right now, anywhere in the world.”

• They’re not kidding if you know where to look…

http://mashable.com/2011/05/02/live-tweet-bin-laden-raid/

Getting started on Twitter

• So…what are you doing right now?• Have to keep it short – you have 140

characters• Can be one way – people can follow you

without you following them back. (Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)

“Taxi” by nromagna – www.flickr.com

Where did this whole idea come from anyway?

Isn’t it all just a lot of noise?

Why should I care?

I don’t need to know what cereal you ate for breakfast.

In the beginning, it can be confusing.

But, if you stick with it, all of those tiny updates…

…paint a great picture.

What to do next?

• Create profile• Username (Grab yours today to avoid

confusion)• Bio: Add a few “tags” about yourself

• Social media• Plumber• Broncos Fan

• Don’t forget a photo. Nothing screams “I DON’T GET IT” like…

(This is the default placeholder for all new accounts.)

Using Twitter• Use your cell phone and post on the go – (40404).• Smartphones – There are tons of Twitter apps.• Tweets are added to the public site and your

profile. EVERYONE gets to see it.

Find People to Follow

• Twitter is opt-in – You have to choose to follow someone’s updates.

• Search for people in your industry, areas of interest or because they’re famous.

• Briefly check out people who follow you before automatically following them back, but more followers, the better (if your goal is reach).

Who should I follow?

•Visit search.twitter.com every morning (even

weekends) for two weeks

•Type in something that you’re interested in

•Social media (you’ll find a bunch)

•Pork green chili

•Woodworking

•Denver Broncos

•Wild flower photography

For a while, participating in Twitter is going to feel like this:

Crowd by James Cridland – www.flickr.com

Get the right tools to listen to the crowd and you’re in business

• Subscribe to the RSS feeds for important terms from search.twitter.com.– Your name– Your business name (with different variations).

• Bellco vs. Bellco Credit Union vs. Bellco CU– Industry terms (direct marketing, auto repair, etc.)– Names in your company (not just executives)

Listening to the real-time nature of Twitter is a free, worldwide focus group

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/02/02/sports/20090202_superbowl_twitter.html

2008 Super Bowl related

Twitter posts

This shot is right after the

Cardinals scored to take the

lead at the end of the game.

(Pittsburgh later won at the

last second).

Choose a Twitter desktop application that allows you to group information.

I like TweetDeck (www.tweetdeck.com)

Choose a Twitter app for your smart phone.

I like Twitter for iPhone

The Republic of Facebook

1 China 1,333,370,000

2 India 1,169,850,000

600,000,000

As of April, 2011

3

Population

4      United States 307,635,000

Facebook has been come a daily part of many lives around the world

• More than 600 million active users.• 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day. • More than 30 billion pieces of content (web links, news

stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) are shared each month.

• Average user spends a total of 55 minutes each day on the site.

• Average user has 130 friends on the site. • Average user is connected to 80 community pages,

groups and events.• More than 200 million active users currently accessing

Facebook through their mobile devices.

So what the heck do I say?

Social media works best as an ongoing conversation

• It’s a place to continue the dialog you are having with consumers and clients.

• Invite people to facebook.com/yourbrand or twitter.com/yourbrand as a part of the call to action in a direct mail piece, at the bottom of your newsletter, in email signatures, etc.

• Watch the Hard Sell! Think of Facebook and Twitter as an after hours party for clients. No one likes to be cornered by “That Guy.”

On the other hand…

• Your followers did choose to receive your updates by liking your Facebook page or following your Twitter account.

• Have a point of view• Guy Kawasaki, a former Apple exec,

author and social guru, puts out a large volume of tweets and if you don’t find them valuable, he invites you to “unfollow.”

• Notice the number of tweets. Yikes.

It not just what you say but how you say it

• Of course you should interact professionally but ALSO be authentic and sound like a real person.

• If your stuff sounds like PR/corporate-speak, that may be worse than not having a point of view.

• Consumers are too smart. They have developed an incredible ear for B.S. and expect people to sound real in social media

Make it fun to be a part of your online community

• Review the rules for giveaways and contests on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.php

• Add photos and video (it’s easy)• Be an expert and share interesting content in

your field.• Ask for feedback on products, ads

campaigns, new ideas, etc.

What to do next:

• Just get started. TOMORROW.– Get an RSS reader (reader.google.com)– Visit search.twitter.com

• Run some queries and subscribe to the good ones.– Sign up for Twitter

• Start the two week follow plan.– Sign up for a Facebook account

• Look around and become a fan of other businesses, non-profits, universities, etc.

• Start interacting in your personal social media accounts first to become familiar with things

How Not To Be Boring

• Make “mudane” details helpful– “Eating lunch” (This is as boring as you think it is.)– Talk about what you had and whether it was tasty; the

qualify of the service; if the specialty of the house is actually special, etc.

– These area all things that could add value to my life the next time I’ve got to select a lunch time destination.

Curating content for your audience is a great strategy

• 2% of the collection at the Denver Art Museum on the wall at any one time.

• Use your RSS Reader to keep track of your industry blogs and websites.

• Share the best bits that you find on your Facebook or Twitter accounts.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22240293@N05/3845692998/

•If you wouldn’t be comfortable seeing your

post published in the middle of Times

Square, don’t send it out.

•Why? Google never forgets. An

embarrassing picture or inappropriate joke

will be out there FOREVER. Ask Gilbert

Gottfried.

•Think about your first meeting with the in-

laws. You want to be interesting and fun but

also be on your best behavior to make a

great overall impression.

Thank you!

Questions?

Peter Hodges, Integrated Marketing AnalystBellco Credit UnionTwitter: @pjhodgesEmail: [email protected]