Social Media Best Practice:Building Buzz with Online Networks

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415-259-5638

Social Media – Your Newest Sales Channel

• Web 1.0 – Internet billboard> Passive medium

> Drive traffic and hope it sticks

> One-way communication

• Web 2.0 – Internet conversation> New forms of interaction and exchange

> Contributing to larger social interaction

> About building viral buzz through community

• Conversation to Conversion – Your Newest Sales Channel

The Power of Social Media

Traditional Marketing

Social Media

Marketing

Source: Forrester Research

Defining your Social Media Objectives

• What are your social media objectives?• How do they align with your business

objectives?• What is your positioning?• Who are your customers?• What are they interested in? Where to they

gather online?• Where can you contribute to the

conversation?• How do you measure success?

Social Media – Join the Conversation

• Identify Forums/Outlets where your target customers live

• Engage in discussion/forums• Post comments to blogs and on relevant

sites• Develop online presence through LinkedIn,

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.

Social Media Feedback Loop – the Three Cs

• Content> Add to the conversation – insight =

attention> Lose the sale pitch – subtle sells

• Conversation> Find the forums where your customers

“hang out” online> Add insight and stimulate discussion> Brand and sales support follows from

conversation thread

• Community> Build a following and offer leadership> Give them a reason to follow you and they

will recommend you to their friends> Turn conversations into sales -

CONVERSION

Social Media – Community Leads to Conversion

• Develop your own online following> RSS feeds

> Twitter

> Updates to profiles and status lines

• Create your own online forums> Blogging

> Podcasting

> Fresh content on your corporate web site

> Use LinkedIn and other feeds

• Drive traffic for conversion> Point community back to your web site

> Offer white papers, newsletters and other value-added content

> Uber-opt-in – create brand evangelists, not just prospects

CONVERSION

Social Media – Content is King

SALES

PITCH

The Social Media Process

The Holy Trinity of Social Networking

Feeding the Social Media Beast - Blogging

• Start with a corporate weblog • Why?

> Provides a focal point for your social media strategy> Shows your domain expertise – creates context

unique to your brand> Lets you control the message and the content – lead

the conversation rather than follow> Promotes SEO and searchability, RSS feeds, etc.> Provides credibility for your brand – another way to

show you are an industry influencer

Sources for Blog Content – Your Online Backyard

• Sources for content> Events within the organization – new customers, new

products, new initiatives> Observations – client meetings, conversations, family

life (keeps it personal and real)> Online sources – other blogs and stuff you read.

• Getting it written> DIY blogging – write, edit, and post> Outsource – find a writer who can give you a voice> Group think – guest bloggers and contributors

The Power of Blogging – Example 1

Result: Spike in Blog Traffic and More Social Media Fodder

The Power of Blogging – Example 2

Result: Spike in Credit Union Web Traffic

The Blog Is the Seed for Social Media Outreach

Social Media at Work – LinkedIn

• Think of it as a branding destination, not for job search

• Create a corporate profile that speaks to the brand

• Use LinkedIn status to promote blog posts and content that talks to your brand

• Use LinkedIn Forums to post queries, post blog insights, comment on threads, generate buzz

• Use LinkedIn connections to build your network

Social Media at Work – Twitter

• Mini surveys to answer questions• Promote new blogs and found content• Share articles, resources, tips, ideas• Learn about new topics of interest to your

network• Discover useful blog posts and resources

(tweetscan) for commentary and crosslinking

Social Media at Work - Facebook

• A corporate gathering place for brand watchers• Online bulletin board to communicate with your

community – share new ideas (blog posts)• Outlet to promote viral marketing

> Blog posts and online content> News releases> Webinars and activities

• Use Facebook for online events and discussions• Supports SEO and web traffic

Social Media at Work – Comments, Crosslinks

• Seek out like-minded blogs/content> Technorati

> BNET

> Entrepreneur.com

> GigaOm

> Pick your outlet

• Search and subscribe> Google blog search

> BlogTopSitescom, BlogSearch.com

> Wordpress, Typepad, Blogger

• Review and comment> Thoughtful and relevant response

> Add cross links as appropriate

Social Media: Part of an Integrated Sales Strategy

• Webinars• White papers• News releases• Direct marketing• Trade shows and events• Partner programs• Other sales and marketing activities

All feed the social media machine to drive leads

Social Media Machine at Work

10 Secrets of Social Media Success

1. Establish clear objectives and metrics2. Bring new thinking – collaboration, not sales3. Clarify your positioning – a clear, concise position

that spans all touch points4. Identify spheres of influence5. Listen before you launch6. Integrate with other programs and SEO7. Engage with customers, employees, partners8. Be transparent and be honest9. Define metrics according to business objectives10.Fail quickly, fail cheaply, and correct course

About Woolf Media & Marketing

TOM WOOLF

Public Relations, Marketing Communications, Social Media

Tom Woolf has more than 20 years of experience in public relations and marketing communications experience.

Since 1989, Tom has been working with technology startups, software companies, enterprise hardware

companies, SaaS companies, and other technology companies helping them build differentiated brands and drive

sales through effective communications.

Tom started his career as a trade journalist, reporting and writing for magazines like Video Trade News, The

Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers Journal, Satellite Orbit, VideoSat News and LAN Technology.

Drawing from his background reporting on technology, Tom gravitated to public relations, working with enterprise

technology companies in the then emerging local area networking arena. Over the years he as represented

technology innovators and market leaders such as Advanced Computing Corporation, Agile Software Cirrus

Logic, Hummingbird Communications, Integrated Systems Inc., Netopia, Saratoga Systems, Selectica, SGI, and

Ubiquity Software, as well as dozens of start-ups.

Tom also has worked as a marketing and public relations executive for companies such as Keynote Systems,

Moai Technology, and Siemens Microelectronics. He has also supported the technology practices of public

relations firms such as Allison & Partners and Upstart Communications.

415-259-5638

Tomw@woolfmedia,com