It's no secret that social media is helping businesses grow. Facebook and Twitter have taken over mainstream media; however, jumping into social media without any kind of plan is not going to show results. Our Rasmussen College subject matter expert, Dana DeLapi-Haesemeyer, shows you how to strategically use social media to boost marketing efforts, customer service and spur sales.

1. Online Networking
Using Social Media To Grow Your Network

2. Social media is a way of interacting. This encompasses any
platform, website, community, forum, etc. that allows the user to interact, engage and
share with others within the same space.
• Social Bookmarking (Delicious, Blinklist)
• Social News (Digg, Propeller, Reddit)
• Social Networking (Facebook, LinkedIn)
• Social Photo and Video Sharing (YouTube, Flickr, Pinterest)
• Wikis (Wikipedia, Wikia)
WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?

3. The ones you know
– Facebook (personal profiles)
– LinkedIn (professional profiles)
– YouTube (video sharing)
– Flickr (photo sharing)
– Twitter (communication–updates on life)
COMMON SOCIAL NETWORKS

4. SOCIAL MEDIA’S IMPACT ON OUR CULTURE
Facebook
350M+ users
50% of users login every day
Average user has 130 friends
3.5B+ pieces of content shared/week
Twitter
Projected 26M users in 2010
40% retention rate for users
50% of updates are published with mobile
and web-based tools
Blogs
Sites with blogs gain 55% more traffic
77% of Internet users regularly read blogs
133M+ blogs indexed by Technorati
YouTube
51% users visit weekly
52% of 18-34 year-olds share videos with
friends/colleagues.
85M unique visitors worldwide

5. Social networking focuses on building and reflecting
social relations among people. Most social network
services are web-based, and supply a way to interact
through the Internet independent of geography and
“face-to-face” limitations.
COMMON SOCIAL NETWORKS
• Familial and business relationships
• Friendships
• Interests and hobbies
• Values
• What else?
Social networks connect people who share some common bond:

6. Recruiting
• Recruiting new, valuable team members. LEVERAGE your social communities!
– Interact with niche communities where you can find talented candidates
• EX: Meetup.com
– Build relationships with niche bloggers who can promote job opportunities
• EX: wikio.com/blogs/top/technology
HOW CAN WE APPLY THIS?

7. Managing Remotely
• Social media can allow us to interact with team
members/clients remotely and more effectively. It is all
about building relationships, and social media helps
enhance those relationships.
– Video–Video chats or conferences via Skype
– Google Docs–create lists that can be updated
and shared across the team
– RSS Feeds–ensure your team sees what you see
HOW CAN WE APPLY THIS?

8. Thought-Leadership
• Everyone wants to be a leader and expert in
their field. Social media helps prove to your
audience that you know your stuff!
– Tweeting articles
– Writing blogs
– Sharing links
– Creating a polished presence
– Contributing to the community
HOW CAN WE APPLY THIS?

9. Every single minute, more “stuff” is being sent your way. Emails, text messages, voice
mails, instant messages, Twitter messages, Facebook posts, etc.
• Identify what you want to “hear”
• Harness RSS feeds for news and blog updates (Google Reader)
• Utilize social aggregators that allow you to update a single time to multiple platforms
• Prioritize your social media time
TIPS AND TACTICS TO MANAGE THE “NOISE”

10. MAKING SOCIAL MEDIA FUN AND EASY

11. • Customize your profiles
– Include pictures, job information, interests, etc.
• Connect with a varied community
– Family, friends, co-workers, professional
associates, companies
• Find a niche
– Provide interesting content updates that include links
• Promote others
– “Scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours”
BUILDING A STRONG SOCIAL PRESENCE
Rules for Communication:
• Am I telling a story?
• Do I really believe this to
be true?
• Is this valuable?
• Would I want my
mother/father to see
this?

12. • Identify your niche and needs
• Zero in on platforms that will fulfill those needs
• Understand your audience
• Set metrics and goals
• Make it a time priority
• Divide and conquer
CREATING AN EFFECTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN

13. QUESTIONS?
Michelle Keyser, Regional Marketing Manager
michelle.keyser@rasmussen.edu
Dana Haesemeyer, Online Community Manager
dana.haesemeyer@rasmussen.edu
Chris Kent, Community Development Manager
chris.kent@rasmussen.edu