This document provides an overview of social media and best practices for using major social media platforms. It discusses defining social media and reviewing tools like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and blogs. The goals and anatomy of each tool is explained. It also covers listening strategies, establishing voice and brand personality, engaging audiences and championing stakeholders. Best practices include listening, establishing voice, showing personality, engaging audiences and using available tools. The presentation was given by AJ Gerritson of 451 Marketing, based in Boston.

1. Part I:
Social Media 101

2. AJ Gerritson
Founding Partner
617.986.0224
aj@451marketing.com
linkedin.com/in/ajgerritson
@ajgerritson
www.451Marketing.com

3. Agenda
• Defining Social Media
• Review of Major Tools and Goals
• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Blog
• Social Media Best Practices
• Q&A

4. What is Social Media?

5. Communication is Changing

6. of people say that they trust
peer recommendations
…what has changed is where they get
their recommendations
(Qualmann, Socialnomics, 2010)

8. of marketers use social media for business
(Qualmann, Socialnomics, 2010)

9. Why Should Our
Brand Use Social
Media?

10. Demonstrate Value – Users See You
as Reliable, Responsive, Intelligent

11. Increase Sales, Loyalty and
Awareness

12. Gauge Your Audience:
The New, Digital Focus Group

13. Today We’ll Cover Four Major Tools

14. Social Tools Explained…
I’m eating a #doughnut
I ‘like’ doughnuts and doughnut-
eating groups
I have doughnut-eating skills and
expertise
These are my opinions and expertise
on doughnuts
…Using Doughnuts

15. (I’m eating a #doughnut)

16. January 15, 2009

19. > 200 Million Accounts
91% of active users
polled follow a brand
7.8 million brand
recommendations
each month
39% of companies
have acquired new
customers using Twitter

20. Goals for Using Twitter:
1. Engage Current Fans & Increase Awareness
2. Increase Traffic to Website
3. Customer Service
4. Marketing/Competitive Research

21. Anatomy of a Tweet
Handle Credit the Source
Content
@451Heat
Check out our latest blog post by @maxesilver
"Not -So-Quiet Riot: Why Boston’s #RubyRiot
Was a Success" http://ow.ly/4Zn3D
Link #Hashtag
≤ 140 Characters

22. What is a #Hashtag?
Twitter users use the # symbol,
called a hashtag, to mark keywords
or topics in a tweet.
Hashtags help to categorize the content
and context of Twitter messages.

23. Trending Topics
(Often comprised of #hashtags)

24. Twitter Interactions
Question
@Reply
Retweet With Context
Content

25. Opportunity to Extend Your Brand

26. Proven Ways to Get
More Followers
1. Show who you are – a complete bio
2. Stop talking about yourself – don’t be that guy
at the cocktail party
3. Identify yourself authoritatively
4. Avoid negativity - like sadness, aggression,
negative emotions and feelings, and morbid
comments
(Dan Zarella, HubSpot)

27. Who Should You Follow?
• People you want to engage with:
• Customers
• Potential customers
• People in your industry:
• Competitors
• Partners
• Industry influencers

28. (I ‘like’ doughnuts and doughnut-eating groups)

29. Over 800 Million Users
(if it were a country, it would be the 3rd most populated)
51%
of Facebook fans more
likely to buy from a
41%
company they of companies using Facebook
have acquired new customers
from it
40%
of users 35 years
or older

30. Goals for Using Facebook:
1. Branding and Loyalty
2. Increase Fans & Awareness
3. Sales (sometimes)
4. Customer Service

31. Anatomy of a FB Post
Author Content
Link
Picture
≤ 250Characters

32. Opportunity to Extend Your Brand

33. (I have doughnut-eating skills and expertise)

34. Over 131 Million Members
(a new member joins every second)
>880,000 groups
43 years old/
$107,000 annual income Women
42%
Men
58%

35. Goals for Using LinkedIn:
1. Network with Potential Clients
2. Build Profile and Network in Your Industry
3. Showcase Brand, Products, Thought Leaders

36. Optimize Profile

37. Engage in Community
AJ Gerritson

38. Leverage Groups

39. Set Alerts

40. (These are my opinions and expertise on doughnuts)

41. Companies With a
57%
have acquired a customer
through their blog
55%
more web traffic
70%
more leads

42. Goals for Using a Blog:
1. Increase Brand Awareness
2. Increase Traffic to Website, Online Visibility
3. Establish Brand/Corporate Figures as Thought
Leaders
4. Show Personality

43. Central place for content creation, establishing
voice, and positioning thought leaders

44. Opportunity to Extend Your Brand

45. Leverage Thought Leaders

46. Social Media Best Practice

47. Listen

48. WHAT are people saying about
your brand or product/services?
WHERE are people discussing
your brand or products/services?
WHO is discussing your brand
online?

51. Also Listen For…
Industry
Competitors
News
#TrendingTopics

52. Establish Your Voice

53. Depending on your brand, your voice
can take on different tone…
Conversational/Casual News Source/Formal

54. Show Brand Personality

55. Ask

56. Respond

57. Reward

58. Champion Your Stakeholders

59. Use Your Tools

61. Questions?

63. – Founded in 2004
– Based in Boston
– 30 Communications Professionals
– Partners Nicholas Lowe,
AJ Gerritson, and Tom Lee
– Named a 2011

65. AJ Gerritson
Founding Partner
617.986.0224
aj@451marketing.com
linkedin.com/in/ajgerritson
@ajgerritson
www.451Marketing.com

66. Part II:
Developing a Social Media Strategy
Thursday, March 22nd