Slide 1: Social Media as a Marketing Tool
Angela Coulter President, AboutFace Marketing
Women Business Owner’s Networking Group Friday, November 14, 2008
Slide 2: What is “Social Media”?
• A shift in how people discover, read, and share news and information and content • It's a fusion of sociology and technology, tranforming monologue (one to many) into dialog (many to many) • “Web 2.0”
Slide 3: Former Communications
Slide 4: Today’s Communications
Slide 5: Effect on Business World
• Perception: “Social media” is a playspace for teens, young adults, and technogeeks with very little application in the rest of the business world • Reality: These practices have now begun to permeate the entire business world, much like how the Internet did in the late ’90s.
Slide 6: Pros
• You can easily reach a large number within your target market(s) • Much of it is free to enter • There are a lot of options and many combinations you can integrate into your business • Information is disseminated more quickly than ever before!
Slide 7: Cons
• You must be willing to embrace social media as part of your business, or it won’t work • It can be overwhelming • It can be very time consuming • The “shiny” predicament
Slide 8: Where to Start?
• • • • Become familiar with the elements Assess your business’ marketing plan Set your social media goals! Your Website is KEY Take it ONE STEP at a time!
Slide 9: Typical Social Media Goals
Increase the activity around: • Website traffic and user behavior • Conversion and sales tracking • Page views, ad exposure • Growing brand awareness • Creating/maintaining positive brand association • Business development, broader customer reach
Slide 10: Some Basic Elements
Key: Be as interactive as possible! • Blogs/Vlogs/Discussion Boards • Events/meetups • Social networks/Microblogging
Slide 11: Blogs/Vlogs/Discussion Boards
• Basic, first step to your efforts! • Most are free and/or part of Web hosting programs (though the originals are still great: WordPress and Blogger) • Search engine friendly, out-of-thebox • Link to other related sites/blogs • Make sure you register with Technorati • Write about something your target market(s) would care about that is related to your business (but don’t always make it a direct sell!)
Slide 12: Events/Meetups
• Create a group with common interest that is related to your business • Have an open house – or better yet, set up a virtual open house! • Webconferencing/ Webcasting
Slide 13: Social Network Websites/ Microblogging • Create/expand a community of supporters • Improve your customer service • Again, find relevant topics of interest (and cross-link!)
Slide 14: Summary
• Look at what’s out there (see Resources page) • Play in it! See where it’s relevant to you and your business • Look at/update your Website – make sure it’s presenting the right brand for your company • In accordance to your business plan, see where social media might fit in – make a plan (it can be graduated!) • Start doing!
Slide 15: Homework!
• Check out listed Resources • Create a Twitter account (my ID is AngelaCoulter… Twitter me!) • Get onto Facebook, create an account (if you don’t already have one)
Slide 16: Beginning Resources
• Me! ☺
• How to Leverage Web 2.0 & Social Media Sites to Market Your Brand & Control Your Message • A List of Social Media Marketing Examples
• The 22 Step Social Media Marketing Plan
Slide 17: Questions?
Angela Coulter acoulter@aboutfacemarketing.net +919 605 0580 Twitter: AngelaCoulter Blog: http://aboutfacemarketing.blogspot.com/
