social media and networking: what it is & why it’s important
DESCRIPTION
Social Media and Networking: What it is & why it’s important. Human interaction has not changed. It’s where it happens that’s changed. Kevin Woodward [email protected]. Defining Social Media and Networking. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
HUMAN INTERACTION HAS NOT CHANGED. IT’S WHERE IT HAPPENS THAT’S CHANGED.
Social Media and Networking: What it is &
why it’s important
Kevin [email protected]
Defining Social Media and Networking
Social Media is the content, tools and services created and used by people online … such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs, groups, wikis and others.*
Social Networking is the act of building interactive online communities of people with shared interests through communication and sharing of information.** Wikipedia
What it’s about: The bottom line
It’s not about the tools, it’s about the relationships.
Somewhere, someone has something important to tell you. Listening isn’t a choice, it’s a strategy.
A recent study found that not only can you quantify and measure social media engagement for the business, there is a direct correlation with the bottom line. The most actively engaged companies reported revenue gains of 18 percent on average in the last year, while those who didn’t reported average losses of 6 percent.** ENGAGEMENTdb: Ranking the Top 100 Global Brands | July 21, 2009
U.S. monthly online activity usage
Social media and networking sites have more overall usage now than text messaging … and growing
Who’s using social media today
Boomers, Gen X are fastest growing user groups and may soon be largest, not Gen Y or Z
Reasons to using social media
Generational differences more pronounced between social media adopters and social media expectants
The Big 3 social media for business
Facebook – Biggest player with 250 million users, added 50 million in Q209. No. 1 for stickiness with average 4.5 hours time spent per user in June. Best for: Connecting with friends, public face for fans.
Twitter – Micro-blogging in real time. Fastest growing, reported 19% growth in July over June, nearly 2000% YOY. World’s biggest focus group. Best for: Consumer services and interaction.
LinkedIn – Grow your network exponentially. Not just for job seekers, 57% of employers registered and using. Identify key customer contacts, establish expertise and trust. Best for: Business services, brand.
Pros & cons: Facebook
PROS
Huge user baseSearch toolsMashup apps“True” friends, fansStickinessSimple business
modelEasy to create and
manage targeted ads
CONS
Difficult to navigateTime intensiveOpt-in requirementMust log in, less
immediate“Thick” appsSomewhat limited
capabilities for business
Facebook: West Marine retailer
Facebook: Girl Geek organization
Pros & cons: Twitter
PROS
Broad reachResearch, prospecting
capabilitiesImmediate connection,
direct engagement“Thin” overheadHotness factorFlexibilityMobile phone options
CONS
Easy to abuse, spamSmaller, but
dedicated user base140-char message
limitationEarly stage of
adoptionMore business
services coming, but undefined
Twitter: West Marine retailer
Twitter: Politician
Pros & cons: LinkedIn
PROSConsidered “must have”
in business todayIncrease visibility and
connectabilityResearch clients,
prospect for new ones, insight into competition
Use your contacts for ecommendations and introductions
Search engine optimization
Controls, privacy featuresGroups
CONSControls, privacy
featuresMust be savvy and use
strategicallySome slow to recognize
business value
LinkedIn: West Marine retailer
LinkedIn: Company search
Blog: Engage with a purposeWhat is the message you want to communicate?Best practice is to avoid hard sell, focus on helping, sharing.
Blog: Integration and consistencyWhich is website and which is blog? Note cross links to other social media.
Other: YouTube, multimediaVideo presence and hosting expands reach. New tools enable anyone to tell a story with sound and pictures. Other sites: Vimeo, 12seconds.
Social Networking Rules of Engagement
1. A plan that includes measureable success criteria
2. Listen to your audience and what it is telling you
3. Define your brand and align with profiles4. If you don’t know, ask (or tweet) someone5. Focus and connect first with who you know best6. Actively engage with your customers7. Track and report on usage and results8. Review , analyze, update … and repeat9. Manage your time effectively10.Don’t be afraid to get your feet wet
Points to remember
Everybody wants to be popular. While popularity can build share, you have to reach and engage the right customers to be successful.
Control your emotions and focus on persuasion, empathy, trust (PET).
Help don’t sell. Reach out and others will reach back.
Be authentic … be consistent … and have fun. At the end of the day it’s better to have a
great product than to be great in social media
Thank you … and stay connected
KEVIN WOODWARD
Email: [email protected]: 831-359-5419 (mobile, text), 831-662-3987 (landline)
Social MediYeah! blog: http://kevinwoodward.wordpress.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kevincwoodward
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kwoodward
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kevinwoodward