Using Social Media for your Small Business

Using Social Media for your Small Business

Notes from Kemp EdmondsSocial Media Educator

BCIT

Kemp Edmonds (me)

• BCIT Marketing Graduate• SIFE BCIT• Spring Living Fair• Non-profits• BCIT’s Social Media Manager• Pragmatic Consulting & Hands-on Training• Social Media Educator

Some Reality

• 87% of Americans know of Twitter (Pew, 2010)• 7% have an account

• 88% of Americans know of Facebook• 30-50% have an account

• Your market may not widely use this tools• How much is one customer worth?• How about one customer who refers three more?

More Reality

• Is your website ready to receive and convert?• Do you have positive customer testimonials?• Do you have a company blog?• Do people pick up the phone?• How quickly do you respond to email?• Social Media often comes last and should.

Old Marketing

New Marketing

You know social media!

Do you use it for...

• Marketing • Recruiting• Public Relations• Communications• Business Development and Sales• Community Building• Press Releases

because you can.

How does it lead to Sales?

Is this social media?

What is Social Media?

• Social = sharing, Media = information

• People share interests & activities, or People are interested in exploring the interests and

activities of others.

• Social media services provide ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging.

See the power of Social Networking

Kris Krug’s Facebook Network Visualized

Social Networks V. Social Media

The Medium The Message

Why is it important to use and understand social media?

• Free (just Time) OR Inexpensive• It is where the people are• Build relationships• Build contacts• Build sales• Find a job• Find a mentor• Find advice• Build your business• Build your brand• Connect with your audience and customers

A typewriter is a means of transcribing thought, not expressing it. –Marshall McLuhan

A keyboard is a means of transcribing thought. Social

Media are a means of expressing it. –Me ;)

theconversationprism.com

Hubspot.com

Understand your target audience first

Quantcast Feb. 2010

What income level are you targeting?

Quantcast Feb. 2010

What level of education do they have?

Quantcast Feb. 2010

The Traditional Funnel

Hubspot.com

Hubspot.com

The New Funnel

25%PaidIgnored

75%Free+Traffic

SEO matters, Social Media helps

5 things everyone should know about Social Media

1. It’s called social media not social selling2. Don’t forget everything you already know

about marketing3. You’ve got to choose the right niche4. You have to engage5. You have to have goals

What’s Working for Small Business?

Connecting Authentically

Building real life Community

Trying new things

Being a hub

Actively engaging the community

How to effectively deliver your message on Social media

• Connect with people authentically• Be the Brand Evangelist not the Brand• Have a base of people to spread your message• Your message should match offline messaging• 80/20 Rule, Use it.

Free tools for Small Business

• Google Docs - Web-based Office Suite• Open Office – Free Office Suite• Dropbox – Online Storage• Mail Chimp – Email Marketing• Feedburner – Subscribe• Hootsuite - Social Networks • Doodle - Scheduling

FREE tools for online:• http://analytics.google.com• http://alerts.google.com • http://netvibes.com • http://slideshare.net • http://linkedIn.com • http://hootsuite.com • http://YouTube.com • http://Blogger.com OR http://Wordpress.org • http://bit.ly OR http://j.mp• http://search.twitter.com• Google URL Builder

Amplify your Social Media efforts:

• By building a fan base• Through friends and past customers• Syndicate, Distribute, Guest blog• Understand different audiences• Social networking advertising

Why to Use Facebook Ads

• Incredible Targeting• You get awareness for free• Great information about clickers• Cut through the clutter• Build brand awareness• Leverage your page - Friends of Fans

• Downside: The more bidders the higher the CPC

Tracking Example:Tools Used

• Google URL Builder• J.mp for link shortening and tracking• Facebook as the advertising medium• Google Analytics to track visitor behaviour

Google URL Builder

J.MP OR BIT.LY

Tracking Example: Facebook Ad

This is one variation of the ad. We used 8 different ads and 4 targets for the same campaign

Totals from Facebook

Totals from j.mp (Double tracking)

J.MP Geographic Stats

J.MP Referrer Stats

J.MP - Referrer Stats: Digging Deeper

The importance of MADTargeting <25 can be expensive and ineffective25% of clicks came from Farmville…

What does it all mean?

• You can track almost everything• Facebook users read ads and don’t click• The 1% rule• Putting a shortened URL in your ad helps• Fan pages allow you to leverage connections

Effective Management

• Set some time aside to setup your profiles• A lot a small part of your day (30 minutes)• Don’t let things languish• Twitter (once/day)• LinkedIn (once/week)• Facebook Page (depends on expectations)• Blog (set a schedule monthly, weekly…)

DO

• Share, create and discuss• Connect, network and build relationships • Give credit• Get help/advice from others• Measure, measure, measure• Experiment, try, test, fail, learn, succeed.• Return to human communications

DON’T

• Think you are alone• Think this is advertising or sales• Always talk about yourself• Think if you build it they will come• Let your content languish• Use others content without permission• Think social media can replace anything else

How content theft can kill your career

Make people want to show others

Why people share:

Blogs for community engagement and thought leadership

Creative Commons

Criteria to determine which if any social networks to get started with

• Understand your customer• Understand social network demographics• Do you have the resources?• Establish need• Are you busy with clients already?• Long-term neglect will hurt• You have to have goals

5 THINGS TO REMEMBER

1. Learn to teach yourself by doing & googling2. Shorten and track everything3. Respect your personal brand online4. Use this skill set as a competitive advantage5. Connect beyond the digital world

Find me online for more info

• http://kempedmonds.com • http://twitter.com/kempedmonds • http://slideshare.net/kempedmonds• [email protected] • Please Ask Questions…• This presentation