Social media is not a fad. It is not something that will pass you or your company by. Social media has far reaching effects that will permeate into every business, reaching all job roles. It is worldwide and pervasive. So you need to consider your strategy and how you plan to engage with your customers. Having an effective plan to bring social media into your marketing campaigns and grow your audience reach can help you to gain an advantage over your competitors and grow your market share.

1. The Impact of Social Media Eileen Brown Amastra Ltd. http://eileenbrown.wordpress.com http://twitter.com/eileenb

2. 96% of generation Y have joined a social network

3. Social Media A category of sites that is based on user participation and user-generated content. They include social networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook, social bookmarking sites like Del.icio.us, social news sites like Digg and Reddit, and other sites that are centred on user interaction. Search Engine Watch

4. Social Media A category of sites that is based on user participation and user-generated content. They include social networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook, social bookmarking sites like Del.icio.us, social news sites like Digg and Reddit, and other sites that are centred on user interaction. Search Engine Watch

6. 34% of bloggers post opinions about products or brands Do you like what they re saying about your brand?

7. 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations Only 14% trust advertisements

9. Authenticity Consumers value interaction person, team, or organisation Direct connections with consumer. Traditional marketing: PR spokesperson briefed in corporate messaging Ensures correct brand image is communicated. Everyone becomes a spokesperson. Anything you say is perceived as "official company line" Be cognisant of guidelines for social media Intel, IBM, Telstra, ESPN

10. 80% of Twitter usage is on mobile devices Update anywhere - anytime What does that mean for bad customer experience?

11. Reputation Management US Air Force and MySpace “The danger with MySpace is we got to the point where we weren't real comfortable with the potential for inappropriate content to be posted [on the page of] a friend of a friend. We didn’t want to be associated with that … and tarnish our reputation.” Col. Brian Madtes, chief of the Recruiting Service’s strategic communication division

13. People will read what you write

14. The customer is now in charge.

15. Social media won’t make you a better company or make people love you, unless…

16. Helping you find a better way... Thank you eileenb@amastra.co.uk 07764 359 905 http://eileenbrown.wordpress.com