soc med 10for10_2010

Social Media for BusinessWaste of Time or Winning Ticket?

10 for 10 Series, Fredericksburg CofC

Do We Have Time For This?

Riding Technology Waves

Tip #1: Google Your Company

Choices, Choices, Choices

Have you heard this one?

•“Social media is a fad. Like CB Radio.”

•“Our CEO wants a blog.”

•“Make sure our employees can’t access Facebook. Or YouTube. Or LinkedIn.”

•“We need a Facebook fan page.”

•“Just put it out there, they will use it.”

•“Which of you whiny, ungrateful $#@ posted this?!”

Tip #2: Check Into These

Tip #3: Watch for Snake Oil

Apply Credibility Tests to Enthusiasts, Vendors

Run Away!• “EVERY business needs a <Twitter> presence.”

• First you need a blog…• Let’s get you going in Facebook & Twitter & MySpace & SecondLife & Delicio.us & Groupon & LinkedIn & YouTube & _____ & …

More Like It• “Let’s see how traffic flows through your website.”

• “Who are your best customers?”• “Who are the opinion leaders in your industry?”

• “What are we trying to accomplish?”

• “What are you doing with eMail?”

• “Is your website ready for the traffic?”

Tip #4: Website First

Tip #5: Pick ONE Target First

• Employee collaboration

• Status updates

• Knowledge management

• Employee engagement

• Executive communications

•Word of Mouth Marketing

•PR

•Customer service

•Recruiting/HR

•Professional networking

Inside the company

Outside the company

Tip #6: Let Your People Help

Don’t prevent your employees from participating

“Social software is a trend that cannot be ignored. It is bringing about fundamental change to the way people expect to communicate with one another.

Companies cannot use social tools with their customers and not also allow their employees to utilize them.”

Jakob Nielsen, Nielsen Norman Group

Tip #7: Create an Influence Map

Tip #8: Communicate Guidelines

Tip #9: Tell Your Stories •Re

•We were founded!

•The Geniuses who founded us!

•Our savvy investors got on board

•Our business is featured in WSJ

•Our business is featured on Oprah

•Our company goes public

•Our company is acquired!!!

Tip #10: Maintain Your Pace

Check and participate:

•Water cooler times

•Not too much at once

•Once a week at least

•Claim your profiles

•Be authentic - REAL

•Jump in and try it, small steps

•Have goals and a simple plan

•Pilot, fail fast

•Share juicy content

•Get help with training & strategy

•Make sure someone closes the loop

Twitter: @firecatsue

LinkedIn: susanprice

Facebook: http://profile.to/susanprice

firecatstudio.com

email: susan@firecatstudio.com

QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION

Thanks for inviting me!