Sales Guide to Social Media(Version 1.2)

II Luminex Software, Inc.

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© 2015 Luminex Software, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or disclosed to third parties in any form or by any means, graphically, mechanically or electronically, including but not limited to photocopying, recording or taping without the prior written permission of Luminex Software, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: While every effort has been made to ensure the technical accuracy of this manual, Luminex makes no warranties or representations, either express or implied, with respect to the contents herein. Further, should the procedures set forth in this manual not be followed or be misapplied, Luminex disclaims any warranty for damage to the product or any other liability.

Sales Guide to Social MediaDocument version 1.2

Luminex Software, Inc.871 Marlborough AvenueRiverside, CA 92507

Phone: +1 (951) 781-4100Fax: +1 (951) 781-4105

info@luminex.comwww.luminex.com

November 2015

Sales Guide to Social Media III

Table of Contents

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................ 1

2. Principles of Social Media: The Dragonfly Effect ................................................................................... 2

2.1 Wing 1: Focus .......................................................................................................................... 2

2.1.1 Principle 1: Cultivating a Personal Approach .................................................................. 2

2.1.2 Principle 2: Set Goals ..................................................................................................... 2

2.1.3 Principle 3: Testable ......................................................................................................... 3

2.1.4 Principle 4: Clarity............................................................................................................ 3

2.1.5 Principle 5: Passion .......................................................................................................... 3

2.2 Wing 2: Capture Their Attention ............................................................................................. 4

2.2.1 Principle 1: Get Personal ................................................................................................. 4

2.2.2 Principle 2: Deliver the Unexpected ................................................................................ 4

2.2.3 Principle 3: Visualize Your Message: Show, Don’t Tell ................................................... 4

2.2.4 Principle 4: Make a Visceral Connection ......................................................................... 5

2.3 Wing 3: Engage ....................................................................................................................... 6

2.3.1 Principle 1: Tell a Story ................................................................................................... 6

2.3.2 Principle 2: Empathize ...................................................................................................... 6

2.3.3 Principle 3: Be Authentic ................................................................................................. 6

2.3.4 Principle 4: Match the Media ........................................................................................... 7

2.4 Wing 4: Be Engaging ............................................................................................................... 8

2.4.1 Principle 1: Make It Easy .................................................................................................. 8

2.4.2 Principle 2: Make It Fun .................................................................................................. 8

2.4.3 Principle 3: Tailor ............................................................................................................ 8

2.4.4 Principle 4: Be Open ......................................................................................................... 8

3. Social Media Platform Guide ......................................................................................................................... 10

3.1 Primary Focus .........................................................................................................................10

3.2 Secondary Focus .....................................................................................................................10

3.3 LinkedIn .................................................................................................................................11

3.3.1 YourProfile ......................................................................................................................11

3.3.2 Find New Contacts in Your Industry ...............................................................................11

IV Luminex Software, Inc.

3.3.3 Find Groups to Join ........................................................................................................ 12

3.3.4 Types of Publishing ........................................................................................................ 12

3.3.5 Examples of Content to Publish .......................................................................................13

3.3.6 Write Recommendations for Coworkers .......................................................................13

3.3.7 Comment on Blog Posts ..................................................................................................13

3.4 Twitter ....................................................................................................................................15

3.4.1 YourProfile ......................................................................................................................15

3.4.2 Find Accounts to Follow ..................................................................................................15

3.4.3 What to Publish ...............................................................................................................16

3.4.4 Constructing an Effective Tweet ....................................................................................16

3.5 Google+ ...................................................................................................................................17

3.5.1 ProfileEnhancements ......................................................................................................17

3.5.2 Circles ..............................................................................................................................17

3.5.3 +1 .....................................................................................................................................17

3.6 Facebook .................................................................................................................................18

3.7 Best Times to Post ...................................................................................................................19

3.7.1 LinkedIn ..........................................................................................................................19

3.7.2 Twitter ..............................................................................................................................19

3.7.3 Google+ ...........................................................................................................................19

3.7.4 Facebook .........................................................................................................................19

Sales Guide to Social Media 1

1. IntroductionThe sheer volume of daily users on social media platforms presents an extraordinary opportunity for connecting, cultivating relationships and selling Luminex products and solutions. Consequently, there can be pressure to master social media. Fortunately, with a basic understanding of the principles of social media, you can use these platforms effectively as another tool in your selling process. You don’t have to be an expert!

Social media is an effective and powerful tool for sales representatives and SEs to demonstrate their expertise and build trust. Today, many customers prefer to conduct online research and tap into their social networks prior to engaging a vendor and making a purchasing decision. Social media provides you an opportunity for greater visibility and accessibility through credible connections to customers, prospects and partners, where you can be viewed as a trusted advisor.

Consider this guide as your playbook for incorporating social media into your sales process. Developing the right social media connections will give you greater access to individuals and organizations in an environment that is often more open and relaxed. Making the right connections will help you develop a deeper relationship and understanding of the person and organization. Social media gives sales professionals new avenues to your target audience.

Thisdocumentisdividedintotwoparts.ThefirstisPrinciplesofSocialMedia,whichfocuses on the considerations involved in understanding, engaging and creating content for your target audience. The second is a social media Platform Guide, which provides platform-specifictipsandguidesforusingLinkedIn,Twitter,Google+andFacebook.

2 Wing 1: Focus Luminex Software, Inc.

2. Principles of Social Media: The Dragonfly Effect

The following guide is derived from The Dragonfly Effect, a popular book on proven strategies for harnessing the power of social media. In this guide, the strategies have been tailored to facilitate the effective use of Social Media by the Luminex Sales Team within the mainframe market.

Using The Dragonfly Effect we will focus on the four major points, or Wings, that will help you to be more effective online. These four wings go from focus, to capturing attention, to engagingandfinallytakingaction.

2.1 Wing 1: Focus

2.1.1 Principle 1: Cultivating a Personal Approach

Before you begin to actively involve and communicate with industry members in your network you will need to understand and connect with them as individuals.

� What are they like? � Most likely they are very similar to yourself in age, socioeconomic status and

demographics � What intrigues them? What keeps them up at night?

� What does your audience fear, need, speak about the most? What stirs and starts a conversation?

� What do you want followers/connections to see or know about you and your professional career? How do you want to brand yourself?

� Statethisclearlyandmakesureyouranswerissomethingthatfillsaneed(i.e.dataprotection,costsavings,security,efficiency,etc.)

� What would drive them away? � What will keep customers from adopting your message? You will need to identify:

� Shared experiences � Shared business values � Shared professional goals

2.1.2 Principle 2: Set Goals

This principle is centered on focusing on realistic and measurable goals for online marketing initiatives whether they are for an individual or collective purpose.

� Definealongtermgoalthatencompassesaproblemorgapthatyouaretryingtoclosebyconsidering:

� The brand you are promoting � What personality or unique characteristic you want your audience to see? � What do you want your audience to do after connecting? More importantly, what do

Sales Guide to Social Media Wing 1: Focus 3

you want to accomplish with them? � How much time are you willing to put into these goals and how much time will it take

your audience to review and utilize these platforms? � Defineashort-termgoalthatissmall,achievableandmeasureable,forexample:

� Increase your number of followers and audience interactions (like, reposts, etc.)

2.1.3 Principle 3: Testable

This is to ensure your goal is measureable; take note of your starting point of followers, tweets, connections, how much/when you are posting and continue to monitor them as time goes on. This also includes taking critical note of other people sharing, liking, following and startingaconversationwithyou.Althoughyourgoalshouldbespecificandconcrete,youneed to be able to adjust and tweak it as necessary along the way based on what you learn as you monitor your progress.

� Closely monitor/observe � Think about measures such as the number of people following/connecting, liking,

commenting, retweeting and re-sharing � Make a note of which content you publish attracts the most attention and from whom?

� Listen � Understandthespecificaudienceandidentify“segmentsofdiscontent”;surveysarea

great tool � Utilize forums and groups on social media platforms and look at the topics of recent

discussions

2.1.4 Principle 4: Clarity

Whenwearebombardedwithmultiplesourcesofinformation,itisimpossibletofilteroutwhat is irrelevant. In order for the audience to be able to identify your messages you have to be clear and concise.

� Make sure you consider what you are re-posting and sharing. Put thought into it, justclicking“share”or“retweet”hasthepotentialtobeadisasterifyoudon’tfullyunderstand what that content is.

� Make sure your private messages and public content don’t seem like spam � Don’t overdo it, treat interaction on platforms as a casual conversation

� Focus on being strategic on one pursuit or platform at a time � The social media environment changes from minute to minute, but this does not mean

you have to operate as quickly in order to be effective � Stay focused on what is understandable and manageable to you

2.1.5 Principle 5: Passion

If you are motivated by something, others will be too. More meaningful goals are likely to excite your audience and yourself.

� Taketimetoreflectonwhatisimportanttoyouprofessionallyandpersonally.Whydoyou feel this is important?

4 Wing 2: Capture Their Attention Luminex Software, Inc.

2.2 Wing 2: Capture Their AttentionThe greatest challenge is breaking through the incessant noise your audience receives, intentionally or unintentionally, from the media, the internet, work and elsewhere. A key to capturing attention is knowing that people may not trust a company or brand, but they trust each other, then use that notion to your advantage when setting up your personal platforms.

2.2.1 Principle 1: Get Personal

Differentiateyourselfbyconstructingmessagesthatreflectyourbrand’svirtuesandcultivatefeelings of personal relevance. This can capture the attention of your customers in different ways:

� Tagging is the process of including a reference to an individual or account name to link themtoyourpost(Twitterexample:“@LuminexSoftware”).Itsendsdirectnotificationsto the individual and is included in searches associated with that account, providing the potential to be seen on news feeds by others.

� Bringattentiontothingsthatyoufindimportantorinterestingthatothershaveposted.Youcanalsotagsomeoneinapostwhoyoubelievewouldfinditofinterest.

� Respond to any comments made to your posts � Content relating to how people spend their time will often resonate with your audience.

By referencing time, sales representatives can tap into more areas of interest and get the target audience more engaged.

2.2.2 Principle 2: Deliver the Unexpected

It can be hard to break through and reach your target audience. However, by being a little different you can draw more attention. When it comes to online sales campaigns and other content, strategies and tactics should avoid predictability.

� Lead with what is important to your audience � What is the most important message you want to leave your audience with? And why

should they care? � Start with an unusual fact or a unique viewpoint on a well known fact � Begin with a question

� Open-ended questions command an audience’s attention and strike their curiosity � Let it be thematic with the overall goal but be ambiguous or mysterious

� Here’sanexampleofatitlefromaverywellattendedsessionatSHARE:“WhatdoAppleWatch,coffeeandplaneticketsallhavetodowithamainframe?”

� Employ humor, but strategically and carefully

2.2.3 Principle 3: Visualize Your Message: Show, Don’t Tell

We remember 85 to 90 percent of what we see, but less than 15 percent of what we hear. Don’t underestimate the importance of visual identity.

� Pictures trump words in terms of capturing attention, photographs are a construction of memory

� Attaching your message to powerful visuals gives your audience the ability to think in a

Sales Guide to Social Media Wing 2: Capture Their Attention 5

deeper manner about your message and how it can relate to them � Expressing your message with visuals will increase memorability

2.2.4 Principle 4: Make a Visceral Connection

Design your campaign or personal strategy so that it triggers the senses: sight, sound, hearing or taste. Music can help tap into deep, underlying emotions.

6 Wing 3: Engage Luminex Software, Inc.

2.3 Wing 3: Engage This is the most challenging wing because engaging is more of an art than a science. You maybeanexpertinyourfieldwithvaluableadvice,opinionsandinsights,butifyoudon’tchallenge or intrigue your audience, they won’t pay attention.

A sense of community can lead to prolonged engagement. For example, participating in “idea”pagesorspecialgroupscanhelptoestablishyourselfasatrustedpartofacommunityrather than just another user.

2.3.1 Principle 1: Tell a Story

Most people don’t think of themselves as storytellers. Put thought into how stories are made. Howmanyofusseethebenefitofstoriesbeyondentertainment?Creatingsomethingthattruly resonates with an audience involves uniting an idea with an emotion.

� Think of your story in arcs; events need to build one after another � Start wide, then boil down to the essence. Don’t bore your audience with information they alreadyknow,ordon’tneedtoknow.Focusonfindingandprovidingrelevantcontentthatwill be interesting and appeal to a wide audience.

� Don’t over explain

2.3.1.1 Showcase Your SuccessesShare anecdotes that underscore how you have helped a customer solve a problem, cut costs or improve operations. These personal, real world examples will demonstrate your expertise atprovidingsolutionsforsituationsyouraudiencefindsrelatable.

2.3.2 Principle 2: Empathize

Keep in mind that people will become engaged with you and your content if they feel personal relevance.

� What is important to them? How does this relate? � Have you created a campaign where you can continuously listen to your audience? Will

they respond to your messages? � Consider current events when crafting your message

2.3.3 Principle 3: Be Authentic

You can only engage your audience with something that engages you.

� Share your own unique personality � Be organic in your interactions: introduce, get to know, explore opportunities to provide

solutions, etc. � Simplyputtingyourname,aphotoandafewpersonalfactsinyourprofileswillresultin

increased engagement � Your content should be relevant to you and, by extension, your audience

Sales Guide to Social Media Wing 3: Engage 7

2.3.4 Principle 4: Match the Media

Some people are Facebook people, some are Twitter people. Each person has his or her own media preferences. It helps to mix up the media you use and coordinate efforts to drive people to the social media that enable them to act most.

� What form of online social media are you most comfortable with? � Which are you least comfortable with? � Do you like writing? � Do you like visuals?

Characteristics of Highly Engaging Campaigns � Transparency: brand shares news as it happens � Interactivity:informationflowsbetweencommunityandbrand � Immediacy: information needs to be sent out in a timely manner, but is needs to be validatedfirst

� Facilitation: act as a caretaker of brand development rather than trying to control it � Commitment � Cocreation: ideas and the implementation of those ideas are likely to come from the

community and from the brand itself. � Collaboration: producers and consumers working hand in hand to develop the brand and

achieve a goal � Experience: the consumers and company view their products or services as offering

experiences, not just a purchase � Trust

8 Wing 4: Be Engaging Luminex Software, Inc.

2.4 Wing 4: Be EngagingYour online persona and content should motivate your particular audience to interact with you.

2.4.1 Principle 1: Make It Easy

By minimizing the time and effort needed to engage, your audience is more likely to read and take action on your posts.

� Provide links to shared content � Provide a visual reference when possible: we can recognize concepts quicker from images

than from text

2.4.2 Principle 2: Make It Fun

The whole reason why social media and online marketing is so useful and important is because it can be fun!

� Craft your content in a way where it will be interactive with the audience � Game play, such as trivia questions, may tap into a sense of competitiveness and a desire

for recognition

2.4.3 Principle 3: Tailor

By referencing content that matches your audience’s particular talents, skills and interests, you provide an opportunity for them to demonstrate their expertise or perspective on the subject matter. This can be an effective way to encourage people to participate, contribute, and continue to do so.

2.4.4 Principle 4: Be Open

Embrace your own leadership, however, remember to permit and encourage others to embrace their own leadership. Remember its about creating relationships and connections, notthespecifictechnologies.Createacultureofsharing,respectandtrust.

� Create a platform that other people can add to, take from or alter for themselves � Demonstrate transparency in all related activities

Sales Guide to Social Media Wing 4: Be Engaging 9

Engineering ViralityAdapted from an article written by Robert Scoble—blogger and co author of Naked Conversations: How Blogs Are Changing the Way Businesses Talk With Customers

� Don’t get caught up in the tools; they’re just tools � Get caught up in the story, make sure you think about your story, but then act quickly,

learn and iterate � Focusonyourmostactive,influentialandpopularconnections

� When you want your message spread, focus on the really active people, the connectors. Let them tell everyone.

� Build networks inside a company � Start with one person you know, and have him or her refer you to another, who will

refer you to another and so on. You can also use social media in that way: start by getting in touch with a friend who happen to be on to three degrees of separation away from someone you would like to know. This is more powerful than just going to the person directly.

� Use social media to build your brand and cultivate the right culture � To help personalize the corporation as well as communicate a brand message

10 Primary Focus Luminex Software, Inc.

3. Social Media Platform GuideAmong the many social media platforms currently available, some are better suited to engaging customers, partners and prospects in the mainframe industry. To begin incorporating social media into your sales process, it is recommended that you begin with just one or two platforms. Below are recommendations for where to start.

Asyourexperiencegrows,youmayfindmoreandgreateravenuesforreachingourcollectivetargetaudience.Remember,socialmediaisaboutsharinginformation.So,whenyoufindsomething that may be valuable to your fellow sales reps, be sure to share that knowledge.

3.1 Primary FocusThese platforms are recommended for your day-to-day social media activities. If you’re just getting started with social media for selling, your time is best spent here as you begin to develop a style and pattern of use.

� LinkedIn � Twitter

3.2 Secondary FocusThe following platforms may provide additional value to you. Both have communities or groups that could be useful for gathering information or monitoring the pulse of our industry. While it isn’t recommended that you create unique content for these services, it takes minimal effort to re-post content from your primary platforms here.

� Google+ � Facebook

Sales Guide to Social Media LinkedIn 11

3.3 LinkedIn UsingLinkedIncanhelpyoumakevaluable,qualifiedandstrategicconnections.Thinkofitasavirtual“meetandgreet”tomakeprofessional connections. It’s an opportunity to present yourself to others in your industry and share your professional endeavors.

3.3.1 Your Profile

Yourpotentialaudienceislikelytoreviewyourprofilebeforeconnecting with you. Whether they are responding to a connection requestdirectlyfromyou,orfromLinkedIn’s“inyournetwork”recommendations,thisistheirfirstimpressionofyou.Makeitcount.

� Photo: Make sure it is a professional head shot with a clean background � Headline: Many people choose their professional title, which is good. However, you haveanopportunityheretousespecificandcompellingkeywordsthatmakeyoumorediscoverabletoyourspecificaudience.

� Summary: Make it short and compelling. This is your way of pulling connections in so thattheyviewyourprofilefurtherand,perhaps,reachout.

Besuretocompleteyourentireprofile.ThisisthebiggestmistakeprofessionalsmakeonLinkedIn.Itdoesn’ttakelong,soyoushoulddothisthefirst(ornext)timeyoulogin.Then,continue to improve and update it as you go along.

� Let your distinctive traits shine through � List all of your accomplishments, but apply your unique voice � Show personality, but maintain a professional demeanor

Here are some examples of effective and complete LinkedIn accounts:

N Oscar Rodriguez, Sales Engineer, HDS N Christopher O’Malley, CEO, Compuware

3.3.2 Find New Contacts in Your Industry

First, connect with your colleagues, partners, customers and other well established contacts in your industry, then look for similar acquaintances. LinkedIn will always provide an updated listforconnections“youmightknow”orbeinterestedin.

If you are open to sharing your contacts with LinkedIn, you can jump start the process by uploading your email contacts into LinkedIn to seed your network and use it as your new address book.

1. Go to Connections (top of page) 2. Click add connections 3. Select either

a. the email provider that you use, or

12 LinkedIn Luminex Software, Inc.

b. “Importfile,”ifyouhavea.csv,.txt,or.vcfexportofyouraddressbook

Note: Make sure you select the option to NOT send all email contacts a generic invitation to connect

3.3.2.1 Start a Conversation with Your New ConnectionsOnce you have made a new connection, especially a prospect, you’ll want to develop a rapport. Consider the following starting points:

� Introduce yourself � State a goal and request input � Ask a question � Share information on current events or industry developments

You may want to set a goal for the number of new conversations you can start per month to exercise this skill.

3.3.3 Find Groups to Join

Join groups that focus on your areas of expertise or interest. This will enable you to be a partoftargeteddiscussions,stayuptodatewiththehappeningsinyourfieldandfindmoreconnections.

Tostart,youcanidentifygroupsthatothershavejoinedbylookingatthe“Groups”sectionneartheendoftheirprofiles.Inadditiontoyourexistingconnections,alsolookatwhichgroups your competitors, partners, customers and prospects have joined.

Beforeyoujoinagroup,doyourresearch.Reviewthe“Admins”and“AboutThisGroup”sections in the group’s description, and review some of the most recent contributions to give you a sense of its intended purpose and potential value to your objectives.

When you do decide to join a group, engage! Introduce yourself, describe your professional background and what you want to get out of the group.

Examples of groups to join:

N Mainframe Experts Network N IBMMainframe-UnofficialGroup N Storage Enthusiasts - Mainframe / SAN Technologies

3.3.4 Types of Publishing

LinkedIn provides multiple ways to publish your own content. Each of these can be accessed fromyourhomescreeninanarealabeled“Shareanupdate/Uploadaphoto/Publishapost”and are described below.

Sales Guide to Social Media LinkedIn 13

3.3.4.1 Status UpdatesA status update is short and succinct, and is most effective when you share an opinion, fact or a provoking question. You can also include images in your updates by clicking on the photo iconinthestatusentryfield.

3.3.4.2 Upload a PhotoThis is identical to a status update, except that you are immediately prompted to select an image to upload prior to entering your message.

3.3.4.3 Blog PostsBlog posts are typically longer and more in-depth than a status update. They also provide much more control over the formatting of the content, allowing for a more polished and professional presentation.

More tips and information on writing LinkedIn blog posts:

N How to Write Your First Blog Post on the LinkedIn Publishing Platform N 9 Tips to Writing Posts That Get Read on the LinkedIn Publishing Platform

3.3.5 Examples of Content to Publish

Posts are opportunities to start a conversation or demonstrate your relevance to your target audience. Below are examples of content you may want to publish on LinkedIn.

� Market updates � Company announcements � Job opening � Upcoming launches, events, conferences � Major announcements involving partners � Blog posts that you or someone else from your company has written � Great content that you have found related to your focus

When you publish content, it’s recommended to include some kind of relatable visual to increase its appeal.

3.3.6 Write Recommendations for Coworkers

Writing recommendations increases the likelihood that others will reciprocate and endorse your skills and write recommendations on your behalf.

3.3.7 Comment on Blog Posts

Youmaynotknoweverythingaboutyourfield,butcommentingonotherpeople’sblogposts can increase your credibility and visibility. Blog posts enjoy greater promotion by LinkedIn,eitheronuser’shomescreensorinemaildigests,whentheyreceivealotoftrafficfrom reading and commenting. Having your voice included in a popular post provides an opportunity for exposure to a larger audience.

14 LinkedIn Luminex Software, Inc.

Blueprint for the Perfect LinkedIn Status Update

N Source: Salesforce

Sales Guide to Social Media Twitter 15

3.4 Twitter TwitterisamorecasualplatformthanLinkedIn.Posts,or“tweets,”arelimitedto140characters,whichencouragesbrief,efficientmessaging. Abbreviations and shorthand are expected and accepted in the pursuit of brevity. Twitter can be used for personal or business purposes. In comparison to other platforms, it’s easy to set up different accounts if you decide to keep business and personal content separate.

3.4.1 Your Profile

You only get 160 characters, so you’ll need to be brief. Focus on what you do and add a personal detail that compliments your position in your industry.

� Show,don’ttell:“WhathaveIdone?”ismorepowerfulthan“WhoIam” � Answerthefollower/readersquestion:“WhyshouldIfollowyou?” � You should set yourself apart but still be approachable… bonus points for humor here! � Addadisclaimerattheendofyourbio,forexample:“Opinionsaremyown”

Include a picture of yourself. It doesn’t have to be a professional headshot, but it should be either a photo of your face or an avatar that gives viewers a peek into your personality or your purpose.

Yourprofilecanbefurthercustomizedwitha“header”photoofyourownoronesthatareprovided to you through your company.

3.4.2 Find Accounts to Follow

To begin building a list of accounts to follow, look for people and organizations in your industry with whom you are already familiar. For instance:

� Industry leaders � Industry bloggers � Industry publications � Partners � Customers � Competitors

Youcanalsotypeinsearchtermstofindaccountsdiscussingtopicsyouarealsointerestedin.

Onceyoufindafewaccountstofollow,youcanseeifthoseaccountsfollowothersthatwould be of interest to you. An example would be to follow @LuminexSoftware, then click onthe“Following”linkintheprofilesummary.

N List of accounts Luminex is following

16 Twitter Luminex Software, Inc.

3.4.3 What to Publish

According to research conducted by Twitter, the most positively received tweets are those which ask their followers questions, share useful information, and let people know about new content. Remember, Twitter is a real time network.

Consider your purpose when creating a professional account, for example:

� Is your purpose to share important updates to customers and clients? � Is your purpose to attract potential clients?

3.4.4 Constructing an Effective Tweet

Though most social media platforms are about sharing information and connecting with others, each requires a different approach. When posting content to Twitter, keep the following principles in mind:

� Know the difference between voice and tone. Voice doesn’t change but a business’ tone should change depending on the situation.

� Talk with people, not at them. Reply to @mentions and address both positive and negative feedback. If it is a business account, don’t keep followers waiting, transparency is key.

� Keep tweets conversational. Be professional without being overly formal. Ask questions or opinions.

� Incorporate humor, inspiration and newsworthy content to draw in followers. Think about how your content will be consumed by followers.

� Shortening the links you include means more space available for your message. N Google URL shortener

� Use hashtags (i.e. #mainframe, #zsystem, #bigdata, etc.) in your posts when you have a buzzworthy topic. By repeatedly using hashtag keywords that relate to your industry, you can increase the reach of your message.

An example of an account that demonstrates the effective use of these principles is HP:

N https://twitter.com/HP

Sales Guide to Social Media Google+ 17

3.5 Google+Many of the principles presented in previous sections also apply to Google+, including:

� Completeyourprofile � Find accounts to follow � Find groups to join � Publish compelling content

If you are just starting out with social media, it is recommended that you focus on LinkedIn and Twitter. However, if you are looking to increase your visibility, you can easily re-post content from other platforms on Google+.

Below are further details on features or concepts unique to Google+.

3.5.1 Profile Enhancements

You can create links within that introduction content that link back to different pages on your site. Use just a few carefully chosen anchor keywords. Make sure you link your page with Luminex’s website and the company’s social media platforms. It is also important to add clearly visible links to your professional social media platforms.

3.5.2 Circles

Circles provide a mechanism for segmenting your audience. This allows you to publish contenttospecificgroups,thusallowingpersonalandbusinesscontenttobekeptseparate.This can be useful if you only want to maintain one Google+ account and use it for multiple purposes.

3.5.3 +1

“+1”isGoogle’sequivalenttoa“Like”onotherplatforms;themoreyouhave,themoreyouincrease your visibility and credibility.

18 Facebook Luminex Software, Inc.

3.6 FacebookMany of the principles presented in previous sections also apply to Facebook, including:

� Completeyourprofile � Find accounts to follow � Find groups to join � Publish compelling content

If you are just starting out with social media, it is recommended that you focus on LinkedIn and Twitter. However, if you are looking to increase your visibility, you can easily re-post content from other platforms on Facebook.3.6.1 Privacy SettingsFacebook is the most widely used platform today, with over one billion users globally. Many new people you meet in your career will perform a Google search on you before meetingsorinterviews.YourFacebookprofileislikelytocomeupinthesesearches,soitis recommended that you review your privacy settings regularly, whether you intend to use Facebook for business or not.

While you may have already set your Facebook Privacy Settings to restrict access to friends, there are also ways to make certain content available to the select groups of contacts. This allows you to use Facebook for multiple purposes.

Some examples of privacy options to consider include:

� Set up lists to differentiate between friends, family and professional acquaintances N Using Facebook Friends Lists For Interests Or Circles

� Makesureyourdefaulttimelineprivacysettingistoacustomgroup,suchas“FriendsOnly”

� Makesurephotos,photoalbumsandapplicationsare“FriendsOnly”orviewablebysomeother appropriate group

� Be aware of the apps you use and their permissions � If you allow an app to register you through Facebook make sure you edit the information theyletyournetworkseebeforeyouallowthemaccesstoyourprofile

� Review posts you’re tagged in before they go public and manage the visibility of past posts

3.6.1.1 SettingDefinitions � HideFromTimeline:Thismeansthispostwon’tbevisibleonyourprofilesTimeline.

However, you are still tagged which means people can still associate the picture with you. � Untag: Untagging removes your name and connection to a photo

For more useful tips regarding Facebook tools and settings:

N The 5 Best Hidden Facebook Tricks You Should Make Use Of

Sales Guide to Social Media Best Times to Post 19

3.7 Best Times to Post � 86% of posts are published during the work week, with engagement peaking on Thursday

and Friday

3.7.1 LinkedIn � Best days: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday � Best hours: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. (business hours) � Most clicks and shares: Tuesday from 7 a.m.–8 a.m. and 5 p.m.–6 p.m. � Worst days: Monday and Friday

3.7.2 Twitter � Best days (B2B): Monday through Friday � Weekdays provide 14% more engagement than weekends � Best days (B2C): Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday � Best hours: 12 p.m.–1 p.m. (lunch breaks) and 5 p.m.–7 p.m. (during the commute home

after work) � Most clicks: 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. � Most shares: 5 p.m.

3.7.3 Google+ � Best days: Monday through Friday � Best hours: 9 a.m.–11 a.m.

3.7.4 Facebook � Best days: any day of the week � Best hours: 9 a.m.–7 p.m. � Peak usage is during early afternoon � Most shares: 1 p.m. � Most clicks: 3 p.m.

N Source: Hubspot