An overview of social media for attendees at a pop-up shop event held in Wellington, Telford.

1. Social Media – how can it work?
Jan Minihane
www.thenetadvantage.co.uk

2. Overview
• The Social Media Landscape
• Thoughts on the main social networks
• Maximising Online & Offline Marketing efforts
• Building an Online Marketing strategy
• Mixing it up
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27 November 2013

3. The Social Media landscape
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27 November 2013

4. The Social Media landscape – the reality….
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27 November 2013

5. Social Media: just for kids?
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27 November 2013

6. Social Media: where are users most active?
Facebook ….
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27 November 2013

7. What do you look like online?
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27 November 2013

8. Why is Social Media so important?
It’s HUGE … and growing rapidly still:
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27 November 2013

9. Why is Social Media so important?
It’s HUGE … and growing rapidly still:
-67% of the world’s population use social media
-1 billion+ Facebook users
-800m monthly users on YouTube
-728m Google+ accounts, 340m active users
-600m Twitter accounts, 240m active users
-Over 200m blogs
-200m LinkedIn users
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27 November 2013

10. Thoughts on the main social networking sites
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11. Thoughts on Facebook & Twitter
Facebook
•Still the ‘best’ for community (Google+ is trying hard)
•New news feed means visual more important than ever
•Reach of a Facebook post = 15% (1 million+ likes) to 40% (small no. likes)
•Why? News feed algorithm (fka Edgerank)
•What can you do?
– Create more compelling, regular, engaging content
– The reality – advertising has to play a part in your Facebook efforts
www.thenetadvantage.co.uk
27 November 2013

12. Thoughts on Facebook & Twitter
Twitter thoughts
•Twitter as a communication tool
•Twitter as a tool to create conversations with visitors in realtime
•Twitter as an audience/market research tool
•Twitter as a media relations tool
•Tweet weighting
•Funnel to Facebook/Google+
www.thenetadvantage.co.uk
27 November 2013

13. Social Media: Is Google+ the next big thing?
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27 November 2013

14. Social Media: Is Google+ the next big thing?
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However:
– SEO – public cposts
– Hangouts
– …and Google Authorship…
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27 November 2013

15. Social Media: is Pinterest the next big thing?
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27 November 2013

16. Maximising your online and offline Marketing
efforts
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17. Maximising your reach on Social Media
Checklist – have you:
•Included (relevant) social media presence on your business
cards/flyers/banners all offline marketing materials?
•Added icons at ‘pause points’ around your premises?
•Added a REASON for people to follow/like you?
•Made it easy for people to follow you (e.g. URL, QR Code, page/profile name)?
•Asked your target audience what they would like to see from you online?
•Recycled blog posts into e-newsletters?
•Used e-newsletters to point to your social media presence?
•Used blog posts to highlight other pages on your website?
•Linked each online presence to all other online presence?
•Add a like box/follow button to your website?
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27 November 2013

18. Building a Social Media Strategy
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19. Step 1 - Do a social media audit
UNDERSTAND:
-Your organisation, product/service & your USP
-Your online & social media objectives
-The major social media sites
-The time commitment to doing it WELL
DECIDE:
-Where you want to be online
-Where you have the time to be online
-Who is going to be involved
-How you are going to monitor it
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27 November 2013

20. UNDERSTAND – your business
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21. Social Media Objectives
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Drive traffic to website
Raise brand profile
Promote events
Become a knowledge leader
Connect with peers
Connect with existing customers
Connect with potential customers
Connect with past customers
Connect with/find stakeholders
Connect with journalists
Reinforce offline marketing
Provide real-time customer service
Create a social environment for your customers
Increase positive sentiment about your brand
www.thenetadvantage.co.uk
27 November 2013

22. How long does it take?
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27 November 2013

23. Social Media Objectives – let’s try again
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Drive traffic to website
Raise brand profile
Promote events
Become a knowledge leader
Connect with peers
Connect with existing customers
Connect with potential customers
Connect with past customers
Connect with/find stakeholders
Connect with journalists
Reinforce offline marketing
Provide real-time customer service
Create a social environment for your customers
Increase positive sentiment about your brand
www.thenetadvantage.co.uk
27 November 2013

24. Step 2 – discuss it with staff
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How are you/they going to use it
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When are you/they going to use it
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Do they really have an appetite for using it? If not it will show!
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Communicate your vision, mission & objectives to your staff
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What are the rules (if any!) for:
– Staff using social networking accounts during work time for their own personal use
– Staff using their social networking accounts during work time for business use
– Staff using official social networking accounts during/out of work time for business
use
www.thenetadvantage.co.uk
27 November 2013

25. Step 3 – build your working strategy
1. Establish/review your goals & objectives
2. Research your industry online
3. Find your industry influencers
4. Choose which platforms you will use and how
5. Connect the offline with the online
6. Build an editorial calendar
7. Start engaging
8. Build relationships - on and offline
9. Measure
10. Review & evolve
And finally, have fun with it (seriously)
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27 November 2013

26. Let’s mix things up a bit….
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27. What can you offer that’s a little bit different?
An exclusive/meet and greet event for your
faithful social media followers….
Why?
•Compelling reason to follow you
•Makes followers feel ‘special’ – stronger brand advocates
•More likely to remain a fan
How?
•For Facebook only
•Use Facebook events & advertising to followers only
•Once or twice a year
www.thenetadvantage.co.uk
27 November 2013

28. What can you offer that’s a little bit different?
Crowdsource what your ‘fans’ want to see
next re: special events/displays
Why?
•Makes followers feel part of the process
•Delivering what visitors want
•More likely to remain a fan
How?
•Works across all platforms, esp. Twitter, Facebook, Google+,
Pinterest
•Make it a seasonal annual event
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27 November 2013

29. What can you offer that’s a little bit different?
Never underestimate the power of the call to action….
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27 November 2013

30. What can you offer that’s a little bit different?
Never underestimate the power of the call to action….
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27 November 2013

31. What can you offer that’s a little bit different?
Create your own hash tag on Twitter…
Why?
•Makes your best content easy to find
•Shows a more ‘giving’ side to the brand
•Demonstrates expertise
How?
•Works for Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest
•One tip/piece of advice/picture per day with the hashtag – 7 days
a week
www.thenetadvantage.co.uk
27 November 2013

32. What can you offer that’s a little bit different?
Think conversion – to email or actual visits
Why?
•Email marketing is still more effective than social media
•Social Media will not be the main source of visitors
How?
•Twitter – Funnel potential fans into Facebook
•Nurture community on Facebook
•Use a Facebook app e.g. Splashpost for email
conversion
www.thenetadvantage.co.uk
27 November 2013

33. What can you offer that’s a little bit different?
Use Google+ hangouts to give your
audience access to key people
Why?
•Gives followers access to their influencers
•Up to 20 will be able to talk to the host directly
•Streams to YouTube for others to view after the event
How?
•Either regular or adhoc hangouts
•Invite circles, individuals or make it public
•Promote on other social media presence
www.thenetadvantage.co.uk
27 November 2013

34. What can you offer that’s a little bit different?
Your audience is divided – some want
broadcast, some want engagement (!)
Do you:
•Just broadcast?
•Just Engage?
•Mix of both?
•Have one account or several on each platform?
Considerations:
•Do less, better
•Mix of both, consider separate Facebook page for special event
www.thenetadvantage.co.uk
27 November 2013

35. What can you offer that’s a little bit different?
Give your audience exclusive content behind the scenes, day in the life of…
Why:
•Compelling reason to follow you
•Makes them feel more part of what you offer
•Easy content fillers
How:
•Engage members of staff from around the museum to contribute
•Post regularly so followers learn to expect it
•Video tour behind the scenes
www.thenetadvantage.co.uk
27 November 2013

36. What can you offer that’s a little bit different?
Maybe, just maybe, scale down your social
media presence (!)
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27 November 2013

37. Final Thoughts
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Do less, better
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Do your homework
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Find out where/if your target audience want to talk to you online
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Think hard about how to stand out from the crowd – nice economy
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Make sure what you’re doing online works with your offline efforts
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Measure, monitor & evolve
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ENJOY IT!
www.thenetadvantage.co.uk
27 November 2013

38. Let’s carry on the conversation….
twitter.com/janminihane
facebook.com/jan.minihane
uk.linkedin.com/in/janminihane
gplus.to/janminihane
pinterest.com/janminihane
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