Taking Advantage of Social Media the Right Way

What’s the Point of Social Media?• To gain website traffic and online attention that ultimately

leads to a conversion.• A conversion can be:• A lead• A sale• A like/follow• An email subscription• A sign up• And more

Social Media is Great For:• Constant customer communication

• Building trust among potential and current customers

• Building a loyal following inside and outside of your local area

Social Media is NOT Great For:

• Specific industries, products, and services

• Constant sales, discounts, or promotions

Social Media Requires SMART Goals

SMART Social Media Goal Example• “We aim to increase leads by 10% over a 6 month period using Facebook

advertising campaigns and lead tracking metrics.”• Specific — Every aspect of the goal is detailed.

• Measurable — Can easily measure the increase in sales from the start of the campaign to the end of the campaign.

• Attainable — It is possible to achieve this goal. If the time constraint was shifted to 6 days, that would be another story.

• Relevant — The goal is relevant to the entrepreneur’s business goals.

• Timely — The goal has a realistic end date, creating accountability.

Channels Available to Small Businesses• Facebook• Twitter• LinkedIn• Pinterest• Instagram• Google+• Snapchat• Slideshare

• YouTube• Tumblr• Vine• Reddit• Periscope• Flickr• Soundcloud• And More

Does This Mean Your Business Should Use Every Social Media Channel Available?

You Don’t Need to Use Every Network• In fact, it’s better if you choose a handful of networks and

stick to them!

• Where is your audience online?

Facebook• Great For:• Connecting with customers• Providing valuable content• Reaching a majority of your audience• Targeting specific segments of your audience• Posting relevant content that ignites a conversation

• Not Great for:• Constant sales/discounts/purely promotional content• Certain industries such as manufacturing, utilities, and more

Twitter• Great For:• Distributing content such as blogs, articles, press, videos,

infographics, and more.• Quickly connecting with customers.• Acting as a customer service outlet.• Answering customer questions/needs in a timely manner.• #Hashtags and hashtag searches

• Not Great For:• Minimal posting/sharing• Specific industries such as manufacturing, utilities, etc.

Pinterest

• Great For:• DIY Content• Home/Garden/Crafts• Sharing High Quality Imagery

Content• Not Great For:• Extremely professional industries

such as accounting, attorneys, etc.• Non-visual contents

LinkedIn

• Great For:• Professional networking• Sharing content within your industry• Developing sales through B2B

connections• Not Great For:• Fun, laid back content and imagery• Connecting with your audience • B2C industries

What and When to Post

Follow the 80/20 Rule for Posting

•80% of your published content should be informational/intriguing/entertaining/relevant

•20% of your content should be promotional/sales oriented.

• Any more or any less of either will hinder your ability to accomplish a goal with social media.

When to Post?

• Several tools will tell you when the majority of your audience is online, including:• Facebook Insights• Tweriod (Find out when your Twitter audience is online)• Twitter Insights for Business• LinkedIn Company Insights

• Frequency?• Test it out! No more than 1-2 Facebook posts and 3-5 Tweets in a

day. Any more is excessive and irritating to your audience.

Do I Really Need to Advertise on Social Media?

YES!

Organic Reach is Dead

• Facebook killed Organic Reach a while ago, and Twitter just rolled out an algorithmic feed. • Advertising will put you in front of the audience that

NEEDS your service and that you WANT as customers. • Regular social media posting does not have the power to

help you accomplish your goal.

Recap

• Social media efforts need to accomplish a SMART goal.• Social media is great for some industries, and terrible for

others.• You don’t need to use every social media network

available.• Use the 80/20 rule for posting content and schedule posts

for the appropriate times. • Advertise!

Any Questions?

Free Social Media AnalysisCall us at 615-890-3600 and mention this seminar for a free

analysis of your social media marketing efforts.