So far we’ve covered how to optimize your website and how to complete your local profiles to give you a great foundation for gaining more traffic online. Now it’s time to amplify your efforts by integrating solid social media strategies into your small business marketing plan.
Small Business Marketing Overview
Week 1 – How to Make Google Like Your Business
Week 2 – Beyond the Website – Optimizing Your Local Profiles
Week 3 – Using Social Media to Your Advantage
Week 4 – Creating Great Content & Using it as a Unifier
The tasks that we cover in the third week of the plan build on concepts learned in the first two sections of the series. It is recommended that you complete those tasks before incorporating social media into your online marketing plan so that you aren’t missing elements of a successful plan.
Week 3 – Using Social Media to Your Advantage
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1. #30DayPlan Week 3 – Using Social Media to Your Advantage
2. Series Overview Week 1 – How to Make Google Like Your Website Week 2 – Beyond the Website – Your Local Profiles Week 3 – Using Social Media to Your Advantage Week 4 – Creating Great Content & Using it as a Unifier
3. Week 3 – Using Social Media To Your Advantage Which social networks should you invest time to build? Defining your audience & goals Creating compelling content Build your audience View slide
4. Source: LAWeekly
5. Social Terminology Hashtag – (formerly known as pound sign) – organizes conversations on each channel to facilitate conversation Internet Meme – A picture, video, saying or trend that spreads throughout the Internet, often as mimicry. Channel – Each different social network is also referred to as a “channel” Cover Photo – The large image at the top of your own social profile Timeline* – The area that all of YOUR posts aggregate over time Newsfeed* – Updated to the minute with the latest or most popular posts from all of your connections or conversations that you’re following Engagement – Any action taken to interact with your post such as a favorite, like, share, comment, retweet, plus one, etc. *Not all social networks use these exact terms, but we will for the sake of simplicity of this presentation.
6. How Do I Choose the Social Network that is Right for My Business?
7. Day 15 – Define Your Audience Are you B2B or B2C? Who is your Customer? Job title, career path, family, gender, age, income, location, demeanor, communication preference What are their goals in their role? What are their challenges? What can your company do to achieve those goals? Overcome the challenges? What are common objections to buying your product or service? What type of messaging will resonate with this “persona?”
8. Persona Name: Mike Manager 35% Background Job? Career Path? Family? • Warehouse Manager/ Operations Manager • Married, 1-2 kids • Been with the company for several years, knows the ins an outs of business & acts as liaison between staff & owners Demographics Gender? Age? Income? Location? • Male • 40-50 • Suburban Identifiers Demeanor? Communication Preference? • Smart, personable, slightly stressed • Email, phone, live chat
9. Persona Name: Mike Manager Goals Primary? Secondary • Keep business operations/warehouse running smoothly • Retain employees Challenges Primary? Secondary? • Getting everything done with limited resources • Convincing Billy Owner to spend money on needed upgrades for the business • Determining how much shelving is needed for warehouse & what type What Can We Do …to help persona achieve goals? …to help persona overcome challenges? • Low-price guarantee, easy-to-follow video tutorials on setting up systems • Training videos, planning eBook, planning infographic, highlight benefits of upgraded shelving systems (to convince Billy Owner)
10. Persona Name: Mike Manager Real Quotes About Goals & Challenges • “We’re working with a small budget here and I need these installed in two weeks for a shipment we have coming in.” • “I need shelving that is heavy duty, but we don’t use pallets. Which type is best?” Common Objections Why wouldn’t they buy your product or service? • Not sure which solution is best (delays decision) • “Will it be too hard to set up?” • Expense Marketing Messaging Describe your solution to this persona. Sell your persona! • Easy assembly at the best price around. Plenty of resources to ensure you get what you need. • Our business offers our low-price guarantee for all of our industrial shelving solutions. Let us help you make the best decision for your business with our planning guides or live chat!
11. Where is my audience? Source: http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/social-media-user-demographics_b38095
12.Day 16 – Set Your Social Goals What do you want to achieve on each network? Who are you going to reach? How are you going to achieve those goals? Template: http://bit.ly/im-social-goals Photo source: Eric Addis
13. Day 17 – “Consistify” Your Brand Tools Canva.com ShrinkPictures.com PicMonkey.com
14. Day 17 – “Consistify” Your Brand Use your logo & branding scheme on all of your social networks Claim “Vanity URLs” like Facebook.com/IlluminousMarketing Consistent NAP Use Keywords in your company descriptions, but don’t be boring.
15. Creating Content That Creates Buzz
16. Basics of Good Content Features Timely & Frequent Humorous Answers a Question Promotional Succinct! Visually Appealing Shows Company Culture Types Article Shares Infographics Memes Videos Statistics Ask Questions Fill in the Blanks Caption this… Event Promotion Pictures How tos FAQs Community Updates Contests Share Customer Experiences Tips & Tricks
17. Golden Rule of Social Media 70% Informative + 20% Other People’s Posts + 10% Sales = 100% Awesome
18. Day 18 – Plan & Create Your Content! 1. Create a schedule for when you want to post • TIPS: • Try posting during non-business hours. Peaks are mornings, lunch, and evenings • Follow common social trends like #TBT or #MotivationalMonday • Make up your own trend like #TerriblePhotoFriday • Post several times a week, but not several times a day (unless you’re a news site) 2. Use easy tools to help you create great visual content • Canva.com • PicMonkey.com • WordSwag Mobile App • MemeGenerator.net • BigStockPhoto.com • Someecards.com • Liveluvcreate.com
19. Memes, Specials, Events, CTAs Almost anything can be turned into a visual post!
20. Oh, but your brand is boring?
21. Source: HIMSS
22. Source: HIMSS #SharkWeek
23. A Boring Brand Does Not Make it OK to be Boring on Social Media! Delight your audience! Make it personal. Participate in current trends by researching hashtags, trending topics on news sites like Yahoo! or popular sites like Reddit. Pro Tip: Use BuzzSumo.com to find topics & influencers. Make current events relevant to your business in creative ways. Don’t be afraid to be humorous, even if your business is serious (i.e. financial, healthcare, insurance, etc.) Participate in the conversation!
24. Day 19 – Follow Influencers • Follow your suppliers or major name brands in your industry • Search BuzzSumo.com for people & businesses that have high “authority” and follow them • Search for a particular hashtag on any social network and follow others who are talking about that topic • Follow your competition!
25. But why follow influencers? Build a relationship with them via conversation on topics relevant to your business. (Or keep an eye on your competition!) Use Influencers as a great sources of content to share on your profiles. You build credibility & visibility by sharing their content. Remember: Relevance + Authority = Visibility
26. Day 20 – Build Your Audience Announce your new profiles & invite your email list to follow you online Invite your social media friends to like your page Note: Invite people who you know will have an interest in your business. Publish your social profiles EVERYWHERE: business cards, email signatures, office signage, other social profiles Post engaging content so that your followers will share your posts and reach THEIR friends Promote your page & posts to seed your initial growth
27. Day 21 – Participate in Conversations • Make a list of popular Hashtags that revolve around your business • Note: Be sure you understand the context of the Hashtag you’re using!!! • Ask questions around those hashtags. This is perfect if you don’t already have a following because you can participate via existing conversations. • Retweet or Share posts that are happening around your industry.
28. Other Resources & Tips • FollowerWonk.com – Find out when your Twitter Followers are most active or use to do competitive research on your competition. • Input your social profiles in your Google Analytics Profile to track your social traffic to your website. • HootSuite.com – Schedule your social media updates, collaborate with others on social posts, organize all your social channels into one dashboard.
Questions? Contact Info: Gwen Robinson LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gwenrobinson/ Twitter: @IlluminousGwen Access this presentation: bit.ly/IM-30Days-Week3
