Navigating the Social Media Maze

Suzanne E. HenryFour Leaf Public Relations LLC

www.FourLeafPR.com

The Maze

Social Media Strategy

Being There Strategy

Social Media Campaigns Include

Deploy robust content

Over the right channels

With high engagement

Getting Started

•Blogs•LinkedIn•Facebook•Twitter•YouTube

Getting Started

•Blogs – Op/ed page gone wild▫Industry competitors▫Industry evangelists

•LinkedIn•Facebook•Twitter•YouTube

Getting Started

•Blogs•LinkedIn –Resumes on steroids

▫Groups to join▫Personal network▫Questions to answer

•Facebook•Twitter•YouTube

Getting Started

•Blogs•LinkedIn•Facebook – Family reunion/cocktail

party/scrapbook sharing▫Business to consumers▫Business branding

•Twitter•YouTube

Getting Started

•Blogs•LinkedIn•Facebook•Twitter – Instant messaging on steroids

▫1/3 retweeting, 1/3 sharing resources, 1/3 banter

•YouTube

Getting Started

•Blogs•LinkedIn•Facebook•Twitter•YouTube – If it can be filmed, it is

▫How-to videos▫Home movies▫News casts▫Entertainment

•Sounds like too much work/ time constraints• I don’t understand/ afraid of change•Disinterest in dialogue with

customers/clients•Lack of control over message/lack of privacy• It’s just for kids/lack of business successes

• Sounds like too much work/time constraints▫ Yes. But soon certain channels will replace others▫ Yes. 20 hours a week

• I don’t understand/ afraid of change▫ But, the competition does and is not afraid

• Disinterest in dialogue with customers/clients▫ But, the competition is very interested

• Lack of control over message/lack of privacy▫ Hall monitor▫ Two person team – message master/tech evangelist▫ Learn the privacy controls

▫ It’s just for kids/lack of business successes▫ Not anymore.

All Generations are Using Social Media• 78 million baby boomers (born before 1964)

▫ 60% of baby boomers consume social media – Source: Forrester 

• 79 million Generation Xers (born between 1964 and 1982)▫ Gen X, especially those who are 30-43, are the ones leading the charge

for social computing over Generation Y – Source: Forrester 

• 70 million Generation Y - New Millennials - Echo Boomers (born between 1982 – 2001)▫ 69% of students reported having a Facebook account, typically logging

in twice a day – Source: Howe and Strauss▫ 34 % use the Internet to get their news – Source: Howe and Strauss

Business Uses of Social Media• People: Finding a job / finding employees / connecting with

others with similar interests / putting a face on your business / collaborating

• Knowledge: Getting smarter about industry / marketspace / building credibility

• Exposure: Make it easy to spread your messages / giving an easy way for people to find you

• Monitor brands: your own and others’

Be Prepared To:•Develop content and disseminate it

• Monitor your brand -what is being said about you & competitors

• Connect your content (press releases, video/audio, white papers, etc.)

• Engage in dialogue with the world

Business Use of Social Media

Ultimately the social media environment drives targeted brand exposure

for you and your company

ROI is based on brand, not business development

Developing Social Media Strategy•What is client’s appetite for social media?•Why does a client want to get involved?•Who is going to be the evangelist/content

provider?

•Who and where is the audience? What are they doing?

•What is the competition doing?•What is the relevant content available?

Message?

Getting Clients Started• Basic education

▫ Be realistic▫ Be patient▫ Know the bare minimum/maximum that a client/you can handle

• Monitor the competition’s blogs▫ Choose just a few at first▫ Look for a personal blog to monitor

• Sign-up for a Twitter account▫ Follow the competition▫ See who they are following

• Get on LinkedIn• Complete a profile▫ Answer/monitor a few questions in the Answers section▫ Join relative groups

• YouTube▫ Look up something of interest▫ Look up competition

Social Media Strategy• Have a plan

• Know what you want to do• Know how you are going to connect your channels

• Determine goals▫ Sales?▫ Awareness?▫ Branding?

• Determine early:

▫ Channels (e.g. FB Twitter, YouTube, etc.)▫ Understand what tools you will use (e.g. Tweetdeck)▫ Tone of voice▫ Content development/posting duties▫ Timing of content▫ Measurements

• Work with them for a given period of time▫ Turn over updating, tweeting, writing at some point in time

Social Media Campaigns

© Outdoor Power Equipment Institute

TurfMutt in Cyberspace

•Website and blog: www.TurfMutt.com•Facebook•Twitter•YouTube

TurfMutt: The Caped Crusader

Lessons Learned• Need an evangelist on staff – preferably more

than one• Determine tone of voice• Commit to a few channels that can cross-

pollinate• Commit to robust multi-media content• Monitor how people are finding you• Monitor the competition – always!• Practice high engagement – yourself, your fans,

your followers