social media for small business B Y N ATA L I E R O B I N S O N @thehomespin
social media for small business BY NATALIE ROBINSON @thehomespin Contents What is Social Media?...2 Why is social media especially important for socially conscious companies?...2 Why is it especially important for small, rural companies?...2 What are the social media platforms and what is each one good for?...3 Getting started exercises... Helpful tips #1... The Calendar... Helpful tips #2... What to say and how to say it... Advanced exercises... *Parts of this resource came from hootsuite.com. I use their social media management tool and I recommend it. 2
What is Social Media? Social media are computer-mediated tools that allow people to create, share or exchange information, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks. Social media is about sharing user-generated content on highly interactive platforms where individuals and communities co-create, discuss, and modify content. Social media introduces substantial and pervasive changes to communication between businesses, organizations, communities, and individuals. Why is social media especially important for socially conscious companies? Much of what we do on social media is learning this social learning can teach us how people are building a new, more equitable and sustainable economy We learn from people around the world We don t have to re-create the wheel We get to hear the story behind the product Why is it especially important for small, rural companies? Reputation is everything so share yours We can sell to the world from here using e-commerce or p2p sites like etsy Producers don t have to do all their own sales or marketing (think farmers in the OVFC) Online is the way to be found by tourists or visitors to the area Homespin works with small, rural, socially-conscious companies. Homespin does more than social media coaching. We offer complete marketing support including web and brochure design, strategic planning, organizational development and social media management services. 3
What are the social media platforms and what is each one good for? Google+ +TheHomeSpin Who uses it? Anyone with Gmail already has it Not super-popular but very simple to have a presence How people use it It s not an extra site to visit since it s connected to your email. You can have your other email addresses re-directed to Gmail so you only have one email account to check Google+ is best used to share articles, quotations and how-to s It s connected to any YouTube comments or videos you ve posted There are forums for posting about different interests/industries with your phone number and your location on the map (if you have a storefront) People without a website use it to ensure they re easily found and contacted Tips for success Learn to use all the services nested in your Gmail: calendar, shared calendars, video-chatting, document sharing Engagement is equally, if not more important than simply posting content. When you enter any new online environment, listen for a while. Then join the conversation, don t interrupt it Google+ conversations can turn into major boosts for your brand. Google+ is home to passionate Brand Ambassadors It s best for Ensuring you show up not only in Google search results but, even better, in the righthand column next to all the search results, 4
What are the social media platforms and what is each one good for? LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/pub/natalie-robinson/26/84a/5b2 Who uses it? A more educated and affluent audience How people use it This is a place to network Benefit from engagement with industry peers, prospective customers, strategic allies, potential new hires It s best for Keeping tabs on influencers in your industry Sharing media you ve produced Show the world your resume Tips for success Grow your reputation as an expert in your niche Find groups related to your industry where you can learn and share 5
What are the social media platforms and what is each one good for? Facebook www.facebook.com/thehomespin Who uses it? Almost everyone uses this platform It s very easy and almost necessary for business owners today How people use it Companies must work to get liked by friends and friends of friends OR pay to boost their posts and grow their audience Once someone has liked your company your posts MAY show up in their newsfeed IF posts consistently generate engagement. If your posts don t get comments you ll likely have to pay to be visible on Facebook Post company news on community boards or issue-based boards Post company news, with links, on the pages of news agencies, municipal government or other service organizations It s best for People who find it easy to engage friends on their personal page will have an easier time doing the same for their business. People who are good at engagement strategies such as contests, polls, questions or surveys will excel using Facebook for business Tips for success Post a combination of: popular content that others are posting, such as viral images, infographics or jokes; questions for your audience; and updates about what your company is doing. Add links, photos, and videos to all of your posts and invite your audience to share, like or comment Find companies that you re willing to endorse on Facebook and that are willing to endorse you. This ensures critical interaction and it can potentially double your audience size. Find new partners to converse with (or cross-promote with) regularly but don t forget the first one(s). This works on any social media. 6
What are the social media platforms and what is each one good for? Twitter https://twitter.com/thehomespin Who uses it? People ready to sort through a lot of news about their niche Professionals, public figures, government and news agencies Big companies communicate with customers and the public all day long using Twitter messages How people use it Twitter demands succinct but powerful messaging (140 characters) Use hashtags to participate in conferences, twitter chats or ongoing conversations Tips for success Attaching an image is the best way to get attention Focus on how your products and services benefit your customers In your 160 character bio, skip the mission statement and talk about the benefits you deliver Show some personality The advanced search let s you find local people, people talking about your region or people offering a similar type of product It s best for Find others in your industry so you can learn from them (about beekeeping, wildcrafting, marketing, farming, anything) Connect with people with similar interests outside your region 7
What are the social media platforms and what is each one good for? Instagram https://instagram.com/thehomespin Who uses it Instagram hit 300 million users in the fall of 2014, surpassing Twitter It is a younger audience How people use it Can only sign up and post from a mobile phone You share pictures and you can add captions and hashtags if you like Users tell an interesting brand story through images and captions Tips for success Treat Instagram like your brand s lifestyle zine Create a theme for your content and be consistent Take lots of photographs and make them aesthetically pleasing and creative Give your followers a reason to want to follow your brand on Instagram Engage with your followers. Comment. Follow. Like. It s best for Communicating the company culture through creative yet simple photos Taking a picture and sending it to all social media channels instantly *Part of this resource came from hootsuite.com. Homespin uses their social media management service and recommends it. 8
What are the social media platforms and what is each one good for? Tumblr https://www.tumblr.com/ Who uses it? 50% of users are under 25. For that demographic, Tumblr is bigger than Facebook People not trying to build big networks, but intimate ones How people use it Community is built around obscure hashtags. It s the anti-blog for obscure conversations and sharing between small groups of friends Tumblr is included here to remind us there are lots of networks, with new ones popping up regularly so the best ones for our businesses may shift over time 9
What are the social media platforms and what is each one good for? Pinterest www.pinterest.com/hopefieldlearn/homespin Who uses it? Used by 80% women Used mostly on mobile devices How people use it To get ideas for decorating, cooking or other DIY projects Planning vacations Finding ideal products for their lifesytle It s best for Great if you re in food or retail Perfect if you have an online store Tutorials and how-to lists get a lot of attention Help people find novel solutions to old problems Tips for success In your pins (posts) explain why the content is useful to your brand s customers and mention your brand s name and website URL in the caption Include a Pin It button on visually appealing items on your website Follow others boards, comment and invite them to follow you Promote your Pinterest account using your other social media 10
What are the social media platforms and what is each one good for? YouTube www.youtube.com Who uses it Everyone watches YouTube. You can easily start lists of videos your customers would appreciate Your own channel is a great way to grow awareness about your business, especially if you manufacture a product How people use it People use it to create educational videos, tell the story of how they got started, introduce a new product or answer FAQs YouTube is also used for running contests and collecting testimonials You can create a how-to video series and become known as helpful and knowledgeable Tips for success Make sure your calls to action are included in the video itself. Examples: contacting you for more information, subscribing to your YouTube channel, leaving you feedback, sharing your video or some other desired action Few people are going to click on a video called Product Demo. Instead, incorporate the content of your videos into your titles, such as 5 Ways to Make When you post a new video write a post the link on all your other social media Embed videos on your website, especially tutorials, and product demos It s best for Repurpose blogs or infographics into explainer videos Create short tutorials or product demonstrations Create a company culture or company history video Interview owners, staff, customers, or even yourself 11
1. Set your social media goals/objectives What do you want to achieve with social media? Do your social media objectives align with your overall company vision, mission and marketing strategy? Are your objectives S.M.A.R.T: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound? 2. Audit your current social media status What social profiles do you currently manage? Is control over the passwords centralized? Should any accounts be deleted? What is the mission statement of each of your social profiles? 12
3. Create or improve your social media profiles Are your profiles filled out properly and thoroughly? Are all of the accounts and profiles on brand? Would a new visitor follow you after seeing this profile? 4. Develop your content strategy What types of content do you want to post to each social network? Who is the target audience? How often will you post content and how will you promote it? Do you have a social media content-sharing calendar? 13
5. Use analytics to track progress and adjust your strategy as need be Have you established the metrics by which you ll measure social media success? Do you have an analytics or measurement tool prepared to track these metrics? How often will you analyze your results? Are you prepared to quickly change your strategy in response to these results? *Part of this resource came from hootsuite.com. Homespin uses their social media management service and recommends it. 14
Helpful Tips #1 Get the right size images for your cover image and profile image. Cover Image (use the same or recognizably similar images for each) Profile Image Facebook 851 x 315 180 x 180 (logo) Twitter 1500 x 500 400 x 400 (logo) LinkedIn Personal Page 200 x 200 LinkedIn Company Page 646 x 220 100 x 60 (logo) Google+ 1080 x 608 120 x 120 (logo) Instagram 180 x 180 There are best days of the week for each industry» 15
Examples of best platforms by industry: Retail Manufacturing Instagram YouTube Government Twitter Optimal times, when posts receive the highest engagement: Twitter Facebook 1 3 p.m. 1 4 p.m. Google+ 9 11 a.m. Pinterest 8 11 p.m. Instagram 5 6 p.m. TIP» Find other local businesses that are willing to endorse you online and vice versa. Look for marketing partnerships wherever possible, formal and informal. 16
The Calendar SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Google+ (up to 3x per day) Twitter (up to 3x per day) Facebook LinkedIn (up to a few times/week) Instagram (up to 3x per day) 17
Helpful Tips #2 Adapt the chart to reflect the channels you re using. Plan to use a link or an image with almost every post. Content with relevant images gets 94% more views than content without. Furthermore, the extra minutes spent finding or editing a great photo will pay off tenfold in social shares and page views. Decide how many times per day to post and at what hours. Switch it up until you find what works: at what times of day do you get the most response and what kinds of content get comments? Try different wordings for each piece of content. This allows you to see what type of language and tone resonate with your audience. It also allows you to stretch out the lifetime of that content. You can even use social networks as an A/B testing ground for blog or article headlines. Often a good Tweet will make for an equally good headline. The social media rule of thirds is posting these three kinds of content equally: information about what you re selling, interesting articles, posts or pictures from your network and questions or reflections for your audience. How do you maintain these accounts in a time effective way? Spend an hour planning what you ll post for the week so you re consistent overall but varying your approach throughout the week. What to say and how to say it Figuring out the common ground with followers is easy: chances are, if your company specializes in products that appeal to a certain lifestyle, your followers will share a passion for all things related to creating such a lifestyle Turn to your competitors for inspiration when it comes to what content gets the most engagement Use social media listening to see how you could distinguish yourself from competitors and appeal to the consumers your competition might be missing There s no better way to make friends with your followers than by engaging them in a discussion of things they love See how your target audience writes and strive to mimic that style Learn your followers habits, when they share and why, and use that as a basis for your social media marketing plan»» Join the conversation, don t interrupt the conversation 18
Advanced exercises, developed by Hootsuite Growing Your Online Community Name three online communities relevant to your business niche where you can meet like-minded people. When speaking to your community, it s important to have a unified voice for all of your communications. Write down 5-10 terms that describe how you want to come across to your community members, eg. friendly, funny, serious It s important to develop a guiding philosophy to aid your community building efforts. Write down three possible variations you can use for your business Encouraging your offline community to join you online is a great way to jump-start your community building efforts. Write down three ways you can incentivize current customers to follow you on social channels. Write down five search terms that are relevant to your company or your business niche. Perform a Twitter search and build a private Twitter list for each. You can use your company name, product names, a topic related to your business Research influencers in your industry. Write down five people with whom you d like to develop a relationship and two tactics you can use to accomplish this for each person Recognizing your brand advocates can reinforce positive relationships. Write down two ideas of how you can reward those who are consistently talking about your brand in a positive way, given your existing resources. Hosting offline events for your online community can be an exciting way to forge relationships with your community members. Write down two possible events your brand could host to bring your community together. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have unique environments that work best for different types of communities. Write down which network you think would work best for your brand s community and why. If someone was publicly complaining about your company or products, how would you respond? Draft three sample tweets for dealing with negative feedback Perform three Facebook Graph searches of your Facebook Page audience and write down the results. How can you use this information to connect with your audience better? Research Twitter chats in your industry and write down three chats in which your company could participate. 19
Natalie Robinson is passionate about citizen-led economic development. After earning an MA in Environmental Education and Communication, she designed Economics and Sustainability courses online for Algonquin College. Natalie started using social media as an educator and is now offering social media coaching for local business people through Homespin. We value your feedback on this ebook connect with us via social media: www.linkedin.com/pub/natalie-robinson/26/84a/5b2 www.pinterest.com/hopefieldlearn/homespin https://instagram.com/thehomespin