Social media is a powerful tool for businesses. Case studies show how Devonshire Tea, a small tea company, used Twitter to connect with an American supplier and gain a large new contract. Sitting Spiritually, a garden furniture company, uses video on social platforms to engage existing customers. Dogs Trust launched a new campaign solely on Facebook and Twitter that resulted in £100,000 in new donations in the first year. The document encourages businesses to use social media to connect with customers, gain referrals, communicate with impact, and more. Basic social media platforms discussed include blogs, microblogs like Twitter, video and photo sharing sites, and social networks.

2. Social Media is here to stay!

3. Case studies
• Devonshire Tea
– 2 person company founded a year ago, prolific use of Twitter has
resulted in a large contract in the USA – read more
Devonshire Tea Article Devonshire Tea Twitter Feed
• Sitting Spiritually
– SME providing high end bespoke garden furniture, using video to
add value to existing customers
Sitting Spiritually Youtube Channel
• Dogs Trust
– Started new campaign using solely social media resulting in
measureable new funds Dogs Trust Facebook Page
Dogs Trust Twitter Page
Click here to read more examples

4. Why use social media?
Gain new customers
Add value to existing customers
Social media can help you; connect with customers (new and old), gain
referrals from current customers, communicate instantly with impact, get
publicity for events, gain or give advice, create advocates for your
brand, help your search ranking, and much more!

5. How are YOU going to use it?
• Social media enables you to share your uniqueness
• If you are funny, don’t tell people you are funny, tell
a joke
• Social media is not about selling, its about helping
people to buy
Wendy Knee Blog

6. Basic Platforms
• Blog
• Microblog
• Video Sharing
• Photo Sharing
• Social Networks
(There are more but lets not get ahead of ourselves)

7. Blogs
• What is a blog?
– A series of entries to an online journal, posted in a
chronological order
• Where can you do it?
– Two popular free platforms are www.blogger.com and
www.wordpress.com
• How often should you do it?
– Regularly! (Can be daily, weekly or monthly)
• What should it contain?
– Relevant and interesting content with keyword rich titles
http://swict.wordpress.com/
http://complementarytherapyblog.com/

8. Micro blogs
• Fundamentally a blog, but smaller – most popular platform
being Twitter
• What can you use Twitter for?
– Searching (need reflexology)
– Following (key influencers)
– Reply and Retweet (repeat)
– Broadcasting your message
MMAP Design Twitter Feed

9. Video Sharing
• Very simple to use, free account, upload from computer or
phone
• Huge variety of content available
• Being used as 2nd
most popular search engine worldwide
• Product reviews
• Videos can be embedded onto own website
• Learn about
– How to lay a patio
– How to cheat at Mario
– Watch lectures from Cambridge

10. Photo Sharing
• Easy to upload and categorise
• Specific access control
• Share successful events through images
• Give a more visual grasp of a product
• Most popular platform has over 7 million users
Artsome 9
Somerset Community Food

11. Social Networks
• Social networks bring people together
• The network gathers around a shared interest
• Instant sharing of information and news
• Can be used to turn customers into advocates
Selling driftwood sculptures on ETSY
Connecting volunteers with charities
Connecting with other Businesses
Finding friends

12. Facts and Figures
• Every minute 24 hours worth of video is uploaded to YouTube
• People watch 2 billion videos every day on YouTube
• Twitter had 400,000 tweets posted per quarter in 2007, 100 million per
quarter 2008 and 2 billion per quarter 2009
• February 2010
– Twitter users were sending 50 million tweets per day
– In the first quarter of 2010, 4 billion tweets were posted.
– As of June 2010, about 65 million tweets are posted each day,
equalling about 750 tweets sent each second, (numbers from Twitter)
• More than 133 million blogs are being written
• 77% of internet users read blogs
• LinkedIn has over 50m users worldwide
• 4 billion pictures hosted by Flickr at the end of 2009

13. Devonshire Tea - http://twitter.com/DevonshireTea
Duo get a tea break thanks to Twitter links in America
A Devon tea company has started to sell to America after social media site Twitter helped it
to build relationships with a US online supplier.
Devonshire Tea, which is based in Mannamead, Plymouth, was launched last year by Gavin
Sheppard and his partner Debbie Kay.
The business has been using Twitter for the last year, and has become followers of businesses
and individuals in the tea sector, who, in turn, follow Devonshire Tea. It now has just under
1,400 followers.
Instead of using the social media tool as direct sales tool, Gavin and Debbie began having
conversations with industry contacts which resulted in the Pennsylvania-based English Tea
Store offering to stock the tea.
"At first they said that they don't buy direct but they liked the Plymouth connection and the
Devonshire brand and, after a little while, they came back to us and said they would like to
buy from us so we're the only tea they buy direct," said Gavin.”
View the full article

16. Dogs Trust
Started new campaign in April 2008 on both Twitter and Facebook,
in the first year two members of staff ran the campaign and they
reported that in from April 2008 – April 2009 they gained an extra
£100,000 donations directly from the two new channels