Basic Introduction to Social Media for Small Business | Introduction and Follow Up | Focus on San Francisco

1. S O C I A L M E D I A 1 0 1
F O R S M A L L BU S I N E S S
Marina & Cow Hollow
S E S S I O N 1 | INTRODUCTION

2. WHY SOCIAL MEDIA MATTERS
• Find new customers Help new
customers find you
• This is NOT pay-per-click advertising
• Connect and learn from your existing
customers
• Promote new products or services,
events, sales, and community or
business partnerships

3. WHY SOCIAL MEDIA MATTERS
Think of a company website or printed newspaper as
a one-way conversation

4. WHY SOCIAL MEDIA MATTERS
Think of social media as a
three-way conservation:
your business,
the customer who visited your
store,
and…….. the rest of the public
all listening in
You Potential
Customers
Current
Customer

5. SOCIAL MEDIA | JUST ONE PART….
• Social Media won’t solve all your problems
challenges.
• Social Media is another way to engage with
current and NEW customers
• Social media doesn’t have to cost a lot of
$$$ or a lot of time.
There is no one-size-fits all solution, but
there are some BASIC steps you can take
to help new, and old customers, that forgot
about you, get to know about your business
Local Economy
Storefront Appeal
Reputation
Branding
Social Media
Selection & Service

6. WEBSITES VERSUS SOCIAL MEDIA
Customers have to find your website.
They typically have to already know your website address
OR
Find your website easily on search engines like Google,
Bing, or Yahoo.
Not always easy to do.

7. WEBSITES VERSUS SOCIAL MEDIA
• Websites are not always easy to keep up to date,
and too many small businesses spend too much
$$$ on them
• You can actually do well without a website,
BUT, there are some free and low-cost website
services out there so don’t give up yet.
But let’s focus on some basic social media tools first….

8. THE PRIMARY SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS
Nearly every business should consider using the following:
• Map Websites | Google, Yahoo, Bing
(getting on map websites is different from search results on website search sites)
• Reviews | Yelp & Foursquare (map sites too!)
• Outreach | Facebook & Twitter | Events, Gossip (intel), Reviews

9. OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS
• Instagram | Photo Sharing Site
• LinkedIn | Social networking site designed for professionals.
• Pinterest | A site to collect and share thoughts (photos, ideas)

10. THE PRIMARY SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS
“But, Omar, my business is just a simple neighborhood store, &
everyone knows me already.”
That may be true, but remember:
New people are moving in……
and some of your customers are moving out of the City.

11. THE PRIMARY SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS
“But, Omar, my business is just a simple neighborhood store, &
everyone knows me already.”
That may be true, but remember:
There are new competitors moving in
like home grocery delivery.
And if you succeed, you can be a
key part of what makes a neighborhood
feel fun, safe & inviting
Amazon Deliveries by Drone?

12. How are online mapping
sites a social media tool?
They often integrate reviews
about a business and help
reinforce your overall web
presence.
Map websites show: location,
hours of operation, reviews,
website links, & business
categories

13. BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH 1.0
Have customers find you and details that
matter:
Why details matter | Example:
Your store is open later than your
competitor’s store, but no one knows
because they can’t easily find your store
hours on their computer or smart phone.

14. STEP ONE | ARE YOU ALREADY ON GOOGLE MAPS?
This local business doesn’t show up when a customer searches for
“appliance repair” in the Cow Hollow area on their iPhone. ?

15. STEP ONE | ARE YOU ALREADY ON GOOGLE MAPS?
This local business doesn’t show up when a customer searches for
shoe repair on their iPhone, even when standing in front of the
store
Only a competitor,
New Marina Shoe Repair
shows up…

16. STEP ONE | GET ON GOOGLE MAPS
• If you have a physical location open
to the public, adding your business
to Google Maps is a major first
step (& Yelp/Bing Maps too).
• It’s easy, it’s free, and it allows new
customers to find you using their
home/work computer AND their
smartphones.

17. STEP ONE | ARE YOU ALREADY ON GOOGLE MAPS?
First, check and see if your
business was already listed by
someone/customer.
Chances are the information
(hours of operation or address)
is out of date, or the little marker
is in the wrong location!

18. STEP ONE | ARE YOU ALREADY ON GOOGLE MAPS?
You can also see reviews by
customers on Google Maps
And you can add Up-to-Date
photos!

19. STEP ONE | BASIC GOOGLE MAPS LISTING
• There’s the basic information you
should have:
Address, hours of operation, phone
number, type of business
• But, you also need to know how
customers can find you based on
products or services, not just your
business name…

20. STEP ONE | BASIC GOOGLE MAPS LISTING
If you learn nothing else from this
course, know that taking the time
to think about the business
categories you are listed under
can make a big difference in how
customers find you.
Business Type Possible Keywords
Sit Down Restaurant Restaurant, Cafe,
Ethnic Food Type
Bar, Wine Bar, Coffee
& Tea
Cafe
Restaurant, Cafe,
Coffee Shop, Ethnic
Food Type
Bar, Wine Bar

21. STEP ONE | BASIC GOOGLE MAPS LISTING
Techies have their own language
Tend to create groups that may
not match the way you or I see a
business
Take control, tell your story, what
you focus on!
Business Type Possible Keywords
Sit Down Restaurant Restaurant, Cafe,
Ethnic Food Type
Bar, or Wine Bar
Wellness Center
Health & Beauty
Yoga
Massage
Hair Salon Hair Salon, Barber

22. STEP ONE | BASIC GOOGLE MAPS LISTING
If you learn nothing else from this
course, know that taking the time
to think about the business
categories you are listed under
can make a big difference in how
customers find you.
Business Type Possible Keywords
Dry Cleaner Alterations
Tailor
Laundry
Upholstery Repair
Wedding Dresses

23. STEP ONE | BASIC GOOGLE MAPS LISTING
Example: You own a small corner market near
Fisherman’s Wharf with typical small grocery
items, but you also sell fishing rods, fishing bait,
and other supplies.

24. STEP ONE | BASIC GOOGLE MAPS LISTING
Fishing Supplies
If you added a category field of “fishing supplies”
then a tourist visiting SF, using a map app (e.g.
Google/Bing/Yahoo Maps) on their smart phone
or hotel computer, can find your market by
searching for “fishing supplies” near them!

25. STEP ONE | BASIC GOOGLE MAPS LISTING
Tip: If you don’t have time to create a
website, you can always create a custom
link using twitter or Facebook to create
an imitation website to use instead for
many sites
(e.g. www.facebook.com/torinogrocery)
Fishing Supplies

26. STEP ONE | YELP LISTING
Yelp Strengths & Challenges:
Used by a large number of folks to find and rate businesses
Claiming your page and getting updates shown can take time
Challenges with having few reviews then receiving a bad review
Yelp more likely to remove a review because the information appears false or fake,
but not just because the review seems “mean.”

27. STEP ONE | YELP LISTING
Yelp allows folks to find a business based
on type of business, then look closer to
see:
If the business is still open
Search by things like price range
(make sure your price range is correct)
Wheelchair accessibility
Whether you take credit cards

28. STEP ONE | YELP LISTING
Make sure your “category” is correct. El Patio Restaurant
does offer Latin/Mexican dishes, but it’s primarily a
Salvadoran (Country = El Salvador) restaurant.
With the wrong category they may for example miss out
on folks who want to try some lesser known Latin foods
other than cuisine of Mexican origin

29. STEP ONE | YELP | RESPONDING TO BAD REVIEWS
Acknowledge | Admit if anything could have been handled better. Even better, indicate if
you made a change in response to the customers review.
Re-invite | Ask them to come back and let you know when your coming.
Other People | Everyone else will see your response. Many will respect you if you respond
back politely. Plus many folks will really respect you if you respond sincerely to someone
whose review isn’t just bad, but also bullying or mean spirited.
People like rooting for the underdog!
If it looks like the bad review included false information, ask them to help you improve your
business by providing more details; as you’re having trouble tracking down the experience
(lack of proof that they had a service done or bought a product or dined there).

30. STEP ONE | YELP | RESPONDING TO BAD REVIEWS
Remember that Yelp is more likely to remove a false review, not a mean one.
Don’t reveal personal/confidential financial or medical information in your post. If sensitive
ask them to contact you privately.
Consider comments as free research. Sometimes you can’t help the complaint, but you can
find a related problem that’s easy to solve (e.g. bad signage/communication)
Remember, people in SF like “sassy” responses by owners, not “rude” responses

31. STEP ONE | BASIC FACEBOOK FAN PAGE
Facebook has different types of pages,
such as:
Groups
(usually for an ongoing issue/topic discussion)
Events
(for a one time event)
Fan Page (good for a business)
Facebook Strengths & Challenges:
Easy way for customers who already know you
to hear about events, specials,
new products/services
Not an easy way for most folks to find
your business for the first time
Recent advertising changes make it
harder for small business

32. BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH 1.0
An up to date listing & photos on Google Maps, Bing Maps, and Yahoo Maps
A basic Foursquare & Facebook (fan) page
A Yelp Listing
Check out the website www.townsqd.com It’s a networking site just for small/
medium businesses in a certain area (like a neighborhood commercial area of SF)

33. BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH 1.0
• Committing to checking your reviews at least twice a month
• Committing to posting new photos or information too!
Friday after payroll should be your social media checkup day!

34. BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH 1.0
• Tell your story!
Does your deli offer a great ethnic food dish that most
people don’t know about. Is there a story behind why you
make the dish, such as a family member that passed
down the recipe?
• How about putting up a poster telling your story…

35. BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH 1.0
• Add fun photos of three types:
+ New dishes/products
+ Customers actually enjoying products/services
+ Cultural, Fun, Local events,
or Informational Stuff
+ For a small ethnic restaurant maybe you and
your co-owner standing in front wearing
traditional clothing?
Don’t let the main photo customers ssee,
be one a customer took and posted on
Yelp or Google Maps
on a cloudy/foggy day define your
business

36. BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH 2.0
Staying fresh!
Google Alerts!
Meetup. com & LinkedIn. com

37. BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH 2.0
• Keeping a fresh look to your pages/listings.
As the seasons change, such as Summer, are you highlighting new products/services?
• Are there ways to promote your business in connection with events, concerts,
festivals, Sunday Streets (where the City closes down a City street for people to
walk and relax), holidays, and neighborhood issues
• At the very least, putting up new photos of your business and products from time to time

38. BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH 2.0
• Setting up Google Alerts so that you receive an email automatically anytime your
business name or business address is mentioned on a website

39. BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH 2.0
• Setting up Google Alerts so
that you receive an email
automatically anytime your
business name or business
address is mentioned on a
website

40. BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH 2.0
• Place quotes around a multi-part
word in the search box
if you are looking for more
specific results
• “The Enchanted Crystal”

41. BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH 2.0
• Consider hosting small events or Meetups

42. Social Networking Site for Professionals
Find Jobs
Find Potential Employees
Follow Companies & Non-Profits
Considered by some a more mature version of networking compared to Facebook
(postings are often about economy or work place trends).
Great tool for those who provide professional services/consulting (attorneys, accountants,) by
following certain local groups

43. Key Tips:
You can create a profile for yourself AND one for you as the business
(with a custom name instead of a bunch of letters)
You can ask clients of yours to give you or your business a recommendation
You can post basic advice or answer questions in LinkedIn groups as a way to showcase your
knowledge to potential customers

44. BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH 3.0
• Looking up local bloggers. Nearly every SF neighborhood has a local blog that loves
to tell stories about local businesses, events, and sponsorships
• Getting a merchant’s association or other similar businesses to link to you on their
website (this helps you move up on search engine listings for Google, Bing, and
Yahoo).
Example: You own a shoe repair place and at the bottom of your website, place a
link to a chiropractor’s office down the street that you recommend to customers,
and the chiropractor lists your shoe repair place. This helps both businesses move
up in rankings of how easy they are for customers to find online!

45. BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH 3.0
• Use sites like twilert.com to see what people are saying about your business on
Twitter, even if your business is not on Twitter
• Set up a Twitter Account
• Search Twitter for search terms such as “Union Street,” “Cow Hollow, “Marina
Remember to use quotes around a multi-word phrase!
And choose the “Near You” option on the left hand side of the page for
more local tweets about a subject.
• A basic website, OR a simple blog that requires NO computer programming skills

46. BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH 4.0
Finding community assets, groups, events;
• Check the SF Planning website neighborhood groups map and contact list.
Subscribe to newsletters/e-mail lists.
If you are on/near a neighborhood commercial street like Union Street, create a
Google Alert based on “Union Street” and “Union Street event”
• Sign up for newsletters from your local County Supervisors and neighborhood
police station.

47. BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH 4.0
• Google+ accounts, while not as popular as Facebook, help you move up in search!
• Consistency Matters! Using the same business name and address
(St. versus Street) makes a difference in the way search engines “rank” your
business in terms of being relevant/real!
Some websites like Google will “draw” information from smaller, lesser known
websites like UrbanSpoon.com, YellowPages.com, and allmenus.com.

49. S O C I A L M E D I A 1 0 1
F O R S M A L L BU S I N E S S
Marina & Cow Hollow
S E S S I O N 2 | F O C U S O N G O O G L E M A P S & Y E L P

50. GOOGLE MAPS
• Look up business
• Is information missing/
accurate
• Notice how the photo
is taken from
Google StreetView?
• Choose “Are you the
business owner”

51. GOOGLE MAPS
Google will call you, or
send a postcard so you
can update your listings

52. GOOGLE MAPS
• Information is already
online for this business
• Is this information correct?
Address (st vs. street), phone number,
hours, category of business, location
marker, photos

53. GOOGLE MAPS
• Search:Google Local Add Business
to add a business not already listed

54. GOOGLE MAPS
• Information is already
online for this business
• Is this information correct?
Address (st vs. street), phone number,
hours, category of business, location
marker, photos

55. GOOGLE MAPS
• Notice how the business is listed as
a “Gift Shop” type on Google Maps
and a “Jewelry Retailer” on Yahoo

56. GOOGLE MAPS
• Some less popular sites will also
reviews
• It takes time and work but
these reviews may be
opportunity to thank
customers and build new sales
by letting them know of other
new products/services/sales of
interest

57. GOOGLE MAPS
• Some sites pull reviews from other
providers….like Yelp

58. GOOGLE MAPS
• While your at it, check Google and
Yahoo to see what other sites
mention your business.
• Check for websites that offered a
review of the business

59. • While your at it, check Google and
Yahoo to see what other sites
mention your business.
• Check for websites that offered a
review of the business
• Is the content still relevant?
Photos? Items for Sale?

60. GOOGLE MAPS
• You can even add a range (miles)
for deliveries
• Remember to add photos of
products/items AND people
enjoying those products/items
• Also add a photo of storefront

61. • While your at it, check Google and
Yahoo to see what other sites
mention your business.
• Or search for websites that
mention “Union Street” shopping.
Consider partnerships with local
business (e.g. hotels)

62. YELP

63. YELP
• Some reviews get filtered out
Too long winded and negative
Too nice with 5 stars and a user
that has few reviews for other
businesses
Review language that appears
scripted

64. YELP
• Looks good, but you may want
one of the sample photos to
show folks enjoying the place

65. YELP

66. YELP

67. YELP
• Are there other related categories
beyond home decor?

68. YELP
• My co-founder Brian told me an interesting story about a hotel he stayed at in Ireland. He
chose the hotel for its excellent reviews on TripAdvisor, and his stay at the little hotel
lived up to the hype. Upon checkout, the proprietor asked him if he enjoyed his stay. Brian
replied that his stay was fantastic, and it lived up to the reviews he had seen online. The
proprietor thanked him, and politely asked that if he truly enjoyed his stay, to please leave
a kind word on TripAdvisor. The request wasn’t pushy, and was very respectful. Naturally,
Brian left an excellent review.
• Today the hotel has nearly 500 reviews on Trip Advisor, with a 97 percent approval rating.
• The hotel owner, besides being a savvy business owner, used a technique that marketers
have been using for ages: the norm of reciprocity. Humans are wired to return benefits
when they’ve been helped, and will reply with hostility when they’ve been hurt. Brian was
compelled to leave a pos

69. YELP
• But thanks to the rise of Yelp, travelers are compelled to check online customer reviews and try out local
small restaurants rather than Mickey D's. When someone sees that a local eatery has four or five stars
on Yelp, they’re more likely to bypass McDonald’s and go there instead, according to Forbes columnist
and economics professor Panos Mourdoukoutas.
• Research confirms this. In their recent book Absolute Value: What Really Influences Customers in the
Age of (Nearly) Perfect Information, authors Itamar Simonson and Emanuel Rosen look at research by
Harvard business professor Michael Luca of the revenues of Seattle restaurants between 2003 (pre-
Yelp) and 2009 (post Yelp’s introduction), which found that a one-star increase in Yelp rating raised a
restaurant’s revenues by 5 to 9 percent. Luca also found that consumers gravitated away from large
chains like McDonald’s and Applebee's as Yelp usage grew in Seattle. “I find that there is a shift in revenue
share toward independent restaurants and away from chains as Yelp penetrates a market,” Luca wrote.
• While much of the research has been limited to restaurants, there’s good reason to believe Yelp—and
Angie’s List, Google Local reviews and all the other online customer review sites—can boost
consumer confidence in small companies.