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Holly Berkley. The Social Media Advantage
THE SOCIAL MEDIA ADVANTAGE. An Essential Handbook for Small Business
1. Why Social Media Marketing is Essential for the Success of Today’s Small Business
The Time To Get Started Is Now
Where Do I Start?
Getting Company “Buy-In”
The First Step
2. Finding your Target Audience Determining the Best Social Network for your Business
Never Interrupt. Instead, Foster Dialogue
Understanding Key Influencers Within Your Target Audience Group
Finding New Employees On Linkedin
Reaching Your Goals With Twitter
Who’s On Facebook?
Getting To Know Generation Y (Your Future Employees/Clients/Vendors)
Why Blog?
Differentiate Your Social Strategies
3. Amplifying your Communication Efforts
Practice Patience When Starting Your Social Media Campaign
Participate Unselfishly
Make the Most of Your Offline Assets
How Often Should You Tweet, Post, Comment…?
Consider The Benefit Social Media Plays Into Your Google Ranking
A Look At Amplification Strategies By Social Network
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
YouTube
Blogging
Google+
Yelp
4. Engaging Your Most Valuable Asset: The Role of Employees and Customers Play in Your Social Media Strategy
Identifying Internal Social Media Collaborators
Strength In Numbers
Keep Marketing Goals in the Forefront
Employee Training
Choosing the Right Employees to carry the company Voice
Recommended Employee Guidelines
5. Expert Positioning
Investing In Multiple Thought Leadership Roles Within Your Company
Become a Part of the Conversation
Building your Fan Base
Using a Blog for Expert Positioning
Leverage Existing Thought Leaders’ Blogs, to Promote your Own Ideas
Get Conversations Going on Your Own Blog
Optimizing your Blog for the Search Engines
Promoting your Blog post on other Social Networks
Self-promotion on Facebook and LinkedIn
Ideas for Saving Time on Content Creation
6. Building and Nurturing Communities
Key Benefits of Building an Online Community
Building your own Social Networking site
Designating a Community Manager
Online Communities Need Loyal Members
7. Evaluation Strategies
Defining the Health of Your Online Community
Tracking Social Listening
Google Analytics
Measuring Search Engine Optimization
Tracking through URL Shorteners
Facebook Insights
8. The Future of Social Media
Growth of Location-Based Social Networking
The Reputation Economy Is Coming
The Critical Role of Influencers In Your Social Media Strategy
How Social Media Will Impact Journalism
Further Customization of Social Networks and Tools
More Connected Buildings and Spaces In the Future
9. Glossary
About the Authors. Holly Berkley
Amanda Walter
Notice to Readers
Self-Counsel Press thanks you for purchasing this ebook
Contents
Отрывок из книги
Social media is not just a marketing tactic. It’s a social phenomenon that is here to stay. It is the way consumers find new products and services as well as receive the input they need to make that final purchase decision. Whether it’s trying a new restaurant or seeing the latest summer movie, consumers have always relied on personal recommendations. Social media takes these recommendations to the next level. It makes what was once between two people, public. It puts word of mouth recommendations, both good and bad, out there for the whole world to see. While the voice of social media is personal, the reach is massive. And depending on what your customers are saying about you, can literally make or break your business.
To be successful in today’s world of smart phones and constant connection, even small businesses need a social media strategy. The right strategy can not only help catapult your business ahead of your competitors, but also prove critical in avoiding detrimental business decisions. Social media puts the power back into the consumer’s hands. And when consumers have that much voice, businesses need to listen, and act accordingly.
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It is important to note that social networks are not just for the young. Internet users between ages 34-44 are dominating the social media space, becoming the fastest adopters of social media use. This audience represents the incoming wave of industry leaders since they will be the 50-year-olds likely running larger corporations and in charge of making major company purchasing decisions in 10 years. From our conversations with such industry folks, they understand that using social media helps them reach a variety of business goals efficiently, from positioning themselves as knowledgable, to finding new clients, to keeping a pulse on what is happening in the their industry.
While the large social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Google+) can provide great reach and access to many people, small businesses are learning that the more niche, topic-specific social networks can actually provide better access to potential clients directly seeking their services. For example, CosMed Plastic Surgery Center (www.cosmedclinic.com) frequently posts answers to community health questions in plastic surgery and weight loss online communities: MakeMeHeal.com and ObesityHelp.com. People who participate on these forums represent a core audience for the plastic surgery center and allow them to build a more personal connection with potential customers who may hesitate to share health concerns on a more public forum such as Facebook.
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