Webinar SeriesSocial Media Engagement and You:

It’s More Than Just Saying “I Do”

Heather Taylor

Explaining Social Media With Donuts

Businesses know they need social media accounts… but why, exactly?

• 1. Facebook is the most visited website (of all websites)• 2. Facebook shares have the greatest influence on Google search rankings in the U.S.• 3. 53% of people recommend companies and products on Twitter.• 4. There are 800 million active users on YouTube that spend an average of 15 minutes/day on YouTube

5. The average consumer mentions brands 90 times/week with family, friends and co-workers.• 6. There are 5 million images uploaded to Instagram every day• 7. The average user spends 89 minutes/month on Pinterest• 8. 56% of people check Facebook daily

9. There are 120,000 tweets sent every second10. 64% of Twitter users and 51% of Facebook users are more likely to buy the products of brands they follow online11. The Google +1 button is used 5 billion times per day.

• 12. 83% Of Pinterest Users are women, the most popular categories include clothes, crafts, and food.• 13. The average user spends 21 minutes/week on LinkedIn

14. WordPress is the highest ranked blogging platform on Google including Blogger and Tumblr15. 50% of shoppers have made a purchase based on a recommendation through a social media network

• *taken from Yahoo! Small Business Advisor’s 15 Social Media Statistics Every Business Needs to Know

Once the Accounts are Created, What’s Next?

• Team needs to be in place to manage accounts (42% of companies have only one person who works on social media. 40% have 2 or 3.)

• Postings need to be frequent, if not done on a daily basis (58% of companies post on social media at least once a day.)

• Content needs to be relevant to audience, engaging and inspire action!

• Time, manpower, and funding needs to be put aside in order to best engage the newfound audience [For companies, these roadblocks clock in at time (65%), manpower (63%), and funding (41%)]

• Above all… social media is a genuine priority and not a fad on its way out.

All statistics courtesy of “How Other Companies Manage Social Media” on entrepreneur.com

How to Engage: FacebookThe 5 Rules of Thumb• Daily postings – recommended

amount is 3 times a day for morning, afternoon, and evening

• Stay relevant• Include photos that are easy to

relate to or go with the message – statuses containing photos cause 33% more in engagement!

• Ask questions• Showcase your company – share

milestones, get employees liking, include Instagram “behind the scenes” photos and offer up sneak peeks to big announcements before they happen

How to Engage: TwitterThe 5 Rules of Thumb• Always include a link!• Use a modified tweet (MT) as

opposed to a retweet (RT)• Know your hashtags – and think

before you tweet!• Be responsive and timely as

possible – encourage DMs for more personal follow-ups

• Avoid Twitter elitism – be the brand that follows your followers!

How to Engage: LinkedInThe 5 Rules of Thumb• Engaging your company page vs.

your personal page – know the difference between the two!

• Make great use of your company page by sharing updates, posting jobs, and filling out the “services” section

• Send out personalized connection invitations

• Seek out recommendations and fill out your personal profile as much as you can

• Create a PURL (personalized URL) for your personal account

How to Engage: Blogging (Wordpress, Tumblr, Blogspot, etc.)

The 5 Rules of Thumb• Make your blog easy to navigate

with relevant tags and categories in place to help find your articles faster

• Bring on guest bloggers, conduct interviews, make videos and create podcasts!

• Avoid self-promotion• Showcase great information but

in a conversational tone• Include photos with posts, but

make sure you have the right to use them (or permission granted beforehand!)

Avoid These Engagement Turn-Offs!

• Spelling/grammar/@ mention/hashtag flubs that go uncorrected

• #hashtagging #all #the #words #and #adding #irrelevant #ones #for #more #visibility #purposes #like #zebra #and #popsicle

• Pulling a disappearing act• Conducting public tweet

arguments• Nonstop bragging, humblebrag

or otherwise

“Hey, it’s been awhile and my brand’s pages are still not growing fast enough,

what do I do?”

• Don’t refer to those following you as followers

• Reconsider your brand’s needs and goals – you might need more or less social media sites targeted to what you do i.e. YouTube, Pinterest

• Exercise patience in growth• Know your audience and what

they want or expect• Look into contributing in other

outside blogging outlets to grow your brand name and your own

• Stay committed – it’ll pay off!

My Social Media Mottos?Quality over quantity, every single time.

Always engage others.Have fun with it!

Works CitedArticle References• 15 Social Media Statistics That Every

Business Needs to Know (yahoo.com): http://bit.ly/OI5wik

• How Other Companies Manage Social Media (entrepreneur.com): http://bit.ly/16SCJmc

• 10 Tips on Facebook Engagement (socialmediaweek.org): http://bit.ly/17pguTj

• Customizing Your Public Profile URL (LinkedIn.com): http://linkd.in/yvCovR

• 21 Business Blogging Tips from the Pros (socialmediaexaminer.com): http://bit.ly/SdNBFU

• 9 Cringe-Worthy Social Media Bad Habits (lunametrics.com): http://bit.ly/10LleRo

Photo Credits• “Social Media” in a nutshell donut:

http://bit.ly/ZyeYuq • Community Management:

http://bit.ly/11e8JyS • Everybody! likes this:

http://bit.ly/100AYgi • Oreo Cookie Superbowl Twitter

Tweet: http://bit.ly/11hvHm2 • 200 Million Members LinkedIn

Infographic: http://bit.ly/Zyf4Ci • Some Facts About Tumblr:

http://bit.ly/YvMt0i • Batman Foursquare:

http://bit.ly/13jt1ei • Tom Haverford Bedtime Routine:

http://bit.ly/Z3Ygqn • Social Media: http://bit.ly/OI5wik

For more information, visit www.mbwomen.org.

About Heather

Heather Taylor is a social media manager for MyCorporation.com, freelance writer, and blogger who writes and muses on social networking, business, fashion and the occasional combination of all three. She has had her written work published with Yahoo! Shine, Forbes, Social Media Today, BettyConfidential.com, HelloGiggles.com, The Huffington Post, and more. Contact her on Twitter @howveryheather or email howveryheather@gmail.com.