This presentation covers social media fundamentals for the economic development organization, including case studies and best practices and ideas to start, sustain and measure an initiative.

1. Social media marketing best practices for the EDO Mark W. Schaefer Schaefer Marketing Solutions

2. Today Social media impact on EDO’s Best practice case studies Starting and sustaining your social media initiative

3. About me … Have worked in global marketing for 27 years Consult to small businesses and EDO’s Marketing Social media Web development Teacher, Speaker, Author!

4. About me … Have worked in global marketing for 27 years Consult to small businesses and EDO’s Marketing Social media Web development Teacher, Speaker, Author! mschaefer700@gmail.com Content bonus

5. Assume you realize the social web is … Transformational Wildly popular Influential And … Content bonus

6. OVERWHELMING!

7. How is this impacting the EDO?

8. 2004 site selection process Site visits Journals Newspapers Brochures Trade Shows SIX MONTHS City City City City City City City City City

9. 2009 site selection process SIX WEEKS 85% of initial search = Internet

10. Implications First step in the site selection process is gone If you’re not online, you don’t exist. You must “populate” the search with useful content Huge economic shift Expensive media Television Glossy magazines Journals Trade shows “Free” media Internet Viral marketing Social media … requiring a new approach Content bonus

11. The social web model: Systematically create an info eco-system Site selection Employers EDO website Local stakeholders Entrepreneurs

12. Let’s see this in action …

13. Websites have a crucial NEW role 2004 view of the world: Website is the destination, an online brochure

14. Websites have a crucial new role Old view: Destination New view: Content Engine Content bonus

16. Twitter: Roanoke, VA Twitter seems to have most traction for EDO’s Innovative viral contest to promote regional entrepreneurship Denver: People “tweet” on different topics Columbus: Segment by audience and message Content bonus

17. Blog: Denver Three benefits: In-depth content Authority SEO

18. Flickr: Boise

19. YouTube: Calgary Academic presentations on development issues Lifestyle Testimonies Property tours

20. Ning: Nashville

21. Slideshare: Austin Re-purpose presentations Cross-link to other social media sites

22. Linked-In: Site Selection Groups Professional connections Discussion and support groups Interest Groups

23. Facebook: Richmond Leverage existing content Discussion area Fan pages Enormous community Highly-indexed site drives traffic to traditional website

24. A social web mini eco-system for jobs Content bonus

25. Results for Richmond 112,00 page views More than 1,000 registered job seekers 1,500 Twitter followers (growing >100/month) 6,331 job-related Twitter posts Measurable success “This is where I found the posting for the job I got!” “Your work helped us close that candidate” “Awesome twitter feeds on jobs in Richmond!” “The folks at Richmond Jobs Net sincerely care about finding Richmonders jobs in the community.”

26. Results? From 2005 to 2009 … Increase in overall awareness 38% to 51% Increase in “good” or “excellent” place to do business 21% to 34% Potential site for relocation and expansion from 23% to 34%

27. Getting started: Essential best practices

28. Care and nurturing of your social media initiative Plan and align with strategy Listen before you leap Focus and experiment Engage stakeholders Leap Measure

29. 1) Integration and alignment Before your have a plan, you must have an overall STRATEGY for your EDO. Don’t make it a “project.” Develop internal sponsorship Content bonus

30. 2) Listen before you leap Understand the channel Learn the language and culture Variety of free or low-cost tools Google alerts Real-time Twitter search Paid services: Radian6, Hexagon

31. Seesmic, a free “listening” tool

33. 4) Engage your stakeholders Coordinate centrally, then deputize. Involve your community Blogs Testimonials Photos Videos Involvement creates engagement, support and enthusiasm.

34. 5) Now, it’s time to leap! Formula for success on social media: + + Content bonus

35. 5) Leap: Building connections Content bonus

36. 5) Leap – Building connections

37. 5) Leap: finding your “voice” Use a “dinner party” mentality. You need quality AND quantity Commit!

38. 6) Measure SM measurement easy and free What behavior are you driving? Awareness? Engagement? Registration? Watch measures against event timeline Content bonus

40. Questions?

41. Continuing the conversation! Email mschaefer700@gmail.com Phone 865-456-1939 Web www.businessesGROW.com Twitter @markwschaefer Blog http://schaefersolutions.blogspot.com LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/markwschaefer