A thorough presentation on using social media and designing an effective profile by Astek employee's John Armstrong and Rachel Yeomans. It contains advice for businesses to save time and money on Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

1. Social Media:
For Your Business
Rachel Yeomans - @rachelyeomans
John Armstrong - @johnequatro
Astek - @astekweb

2. Basic Themes and Theories
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Tools
Measurement / Analysis

3. Social media is…
FREE

4. Time is money…
“I keep my mind on my money,
my money on my mind.”

5. “Where did the day go?”
• Information research
• Image and video creation
• Reading articles
• Reading community posts
• Getting approval from the boss
• Writing and publishing posts
• Replying to your community

6. Time Savers
• Technology and tools
• A schedule
• Content strategy
• Attainable goals
• Interns
Still, like a good crème
brulée, good social media takes
time.

7. Clever promotion is primarily
how businesses make
money on social media.
B2B social media is a top-of-funnel channel
through which you offer value to, and
converse with, a customer.

8. Let’s repeat…
Social media is only useful if
you’re having a
Hint: I couldn’t make that font any bigger…
way conversation.

9. An apple a day…
…keeps your audience from dwindling away.
•Consistency sets expectations of value
•Brings customers back on their own volition
•Reduces the need for promotion
•Less promotion leaves room for more value
•Makes important promotions MORE POWERFUL

10. Otherwise…

11. Focus, Focus, Focus
Choose the most relevant platform and…
master it.
•Practice takes time
•Time builds experience
•Experience builds confidence
•Confidence breeds authenticity
•Authenticity builds audiences
•Audiences buy stuff

12. Let’s get started…

13. LinkedIn

14. Why LinkedIn is Important
Personal Branding:
• An optimized profile means optimized Google results
• Stand out among others in your field
• Show you’re an “expert”
- Recommendations
- Group and Discussion Involvement
Result:
The next time someone searches using industry keywords, they
find YOU – and when they find you, they’ll be impressed.

15. Why LinkedIn is Important
• Networking
– People use LinkedIn for professional growth & development.
They are looking for you!
– More importantly, you may be looking for them and their
connections as well.
• Result 1:
– Search
– Connect
– Enforce Relationships
• Result 2:
– Existing Connections
– Introductions

16. Why LinkedIn is Important

17. Why LinkedIn is Important
• Education
– LinkedIn boasts the largest professional
Question and Answer forum
– Ask questions and get them answered
– Answer questions and become recognized
• Result:
– When your connections receive their LinkedIn Activity
emails, you’ll be near the top above everyone
else, therefore reminding them of you and your
business

18. The Profile Makeover

19. Your Headline

20. Personalization

21. Contact Info
Choose “Other” for
websites to label
them properly!

22. Fill Everything Out
• Keywords, keywords, keywords!

23. Sections
Skills & Expertise: List them!
Choose specific phrases that people would actually
search for and understand…
Avoid duplicates or closely related-terms.

24. The Order of Things
• Summary
• Contact Info: Twitter, Blogs, Business Websites
• Choose Skills & Expertise
• PDF, whitepapers for any job you’ve held
• Video that shows your expertise or projects
• Publications (if applicable)
• Experience
• Volunteer Experience & Causes (if applicable)
• Recommendations
• Education
• Additional Information
• Personal Information
• Patents

25. The Routine of Things
• Update your status daily
• Post and/or comment in at least one group daily
• Ask for recommendations after every project
• Write recommendations for others (reciprocate)

26. To-Do List
• Update your headline
• Personalize your website/contact information
• Personalize your LinkedIn URL
• Fill in your Profile
• Ask for recommendations

27. Time Management

28. Yes, You Do Have Time…
• All it takes is 10 minutes
– 5 minutes: Post one Profile status update
– 5 minutes:
• Comment on one Group Discussion post
• Post one Group Discussion post
• Like someone’s post or comment on it

29. Status Updates

30. Status Updates
• Links to informative industry articles
• Links to your business’ blog
• Opinions/questions about a work topic
• Breaking news of any kind
• Business Thank Yous
• Links to press about your company
Well thought out opinions are powerful avenues to
credibility and awareness!

31. Status Updates
•Place the link URL in the status box
•Edit the website description that appears below (if needed)
•Delete the URL in the status box.
•Write your own thoughts in the status box
•Hit “Enter”

32. Groups

33. LinkedIn Groups
• Extend relationships with existing network
– Alumni group, Association, Company, or Non-Profits
• Gain Awareness and Credibility
– Offer knowledgeable opinions
– Start an important discussion
– Comment on and Like good posts
– Use one-on-one networking opportunities
• Reply privately
Above all, provide value to an audience.

34. Groups
Use the dropdown menu to…
- Find your groups
- Create a new group
You can find existing groups to join in the search field.

35. Example Group: eMarketing Association Network

36. Search
It’s a powerful function that allows you
search LinkedIn’s 200,000,000 profiles by:
• Job titles
• Industry keyword
• Name
• School
• Company
• Groups
• Email contacts
• Relationship
• Company
• Location
• Past Company
• Groups
• Years of Experience
• Degree
• Interested In…

37. LinkedInQuestions?

39. Impact!
There’s 1.2
billion people on
Facebook…
Beat through
the noise!

40. Your Strategy / Goals
What immediate actions do you want from your
audience? Who is your audience? What do they
want? VALUE.
• Example – A Restaurant
– Stronger brand relationship
• Yummy imagery
• Casual conversation
• Community connection
– Coupon use
– Share with friends

41. Your Strategy / Goals
• Example – A Roofing Contractor
– Gain Trust
• Employee Stories
– Return often for info
• Post Articles/Papers
– Consider referrals
• Tag collaborators
• Converse with others

42. Your Profile: Cover Image
Emotional – Impact – Bold – Direct – Simple
Value added – Relevant – Accessible
It’s the most impressionable element on your page – use it wisely.

43. Another Example
accessible – supportive – family – warm
experts – valuable – inviting - understanding
Facebook goal: To be a supportive communication channel for patients

44. Your Profile: Logo
• It’s square!
• Because the logo is place over the cover image, the
cover image must be designed with it (and its colors) in
mind
• It doesn’t have to be your logo!

45. Your Profile: About

46. Your Profile: Milestones
• Tell your company’s story…

47. Your Profile: Apps/Links
This blurb is
limited to 200
characters, and
an important block
of text. Place
contact info here
as well.
These are customizable images and links:
• Photos is a fixed element
• The second box is a custom app for a contest
• Other social links are a popular use
• Can have up to 9 apps/links

48. Nutz-n-Bolts… Content Strategy!
• What’s your goal?
– Personalize your company: Accessibility/Trust
• Employee events
• Inter-office activities
• Blog articles from employees
• Business mentions from the nearby community
• What’s for lunch?
• Who’s at the ballgame?
• A review of a play that stars the HR assistant
• What’s playing on the radio?
• Funny memo titles
• What does Kevin’s hat say today?

49. Nutz-n-Bolts… Content Strategy!
• What’s your goal?
– Be a Resource: Thought Leadership
• Post from conferences
• Blog articles about the industry
• Links to partners and colleagues information
• Breaking news in the industry
• What newsletter are we ready today?
• Share posts from other industry accounts
• Comment on other organizations’ posts
• Case studies
• Professional materials

50. Nutz-n-Bolts… Content Strategy!
• What’s your goal?
– Entertain: Humanize and build a unique voice
• Industry jokes
• Funny, but relevant videos
• “Thoughts From the Water Cooler”
• Best office vacation photos
• “Caption that Photo”
• Odd signs from the delivery route
• Sarcasm and snark in small doses can win the day

51. Nutz-n-Bolts… Content Strategy!
• What’s your goal?
– Promotion: Careful now…
• It must be couched in value!
– Entertainment
– Employee/office news
– Impactful imagery
– Insightful
– Storytelling
• Remember, don’t be Waldo…
Please.

52. EdgeRank
Your page is secretly ranked by Facebook
to determine its value to the internet.
Your ranking determines HOW MANY
PEOPLE see your posts.

53. Great Posts:

54. Great Posts:

55. Great Posts:

56. Great Posts:

57. Great Posts:

58. Great Posts:

59. FacebookQuestions?

61. Before We Begin…
Traditional Marketing
Public Relations
Editorial
Social Media

62. Set Your Expectations…

63. With That Being Said…
• 37% of Twitter followers are more likely to convert to being a customer
upon following a brand account
• Compare that to 27% of email subscribers & 17% of Facebook followers
Twitter Followers are the Top Brand Purchasers
• 33% of Twitter followers recommend brands they follow
• Compare that to 24% for email and 21% for Facebook
Twitter Followers are also Top Brand Supporters
• Information!
• 38% of Twitter followers want information about upcoming products
• 31% want information about your company & industry
What Twitter Followers Want from You
MarketingCharts.com

64. Twitter for Business is:
A marketing funnel with bite!

65. Now Let’s Get To It…
Set-Up
Tools
Speaking Twitter
Be…Be…Be Influential
“ROI”

66. Set-Up

67. The Process
Create a Twitter Account
Update Your Settings
Make It Pretty

68. The Process

69. The Process

70. The Process

71. The Process

72. The Process

73. The Process

74. The Process

75. The Dimensions
Profile:
500x500
73x73
48x48
31x31
Header:
1252x626
Background:
1600x1200
2560x1600

76. The Process

77. The Process

78. The Process
Password Reset
Where in the world is…
Don’t protect your tweets
How can Twitter contact you

79. The Process
Think securely!
Attach mobile phone option
Need current password

80. The Process
Download the app
Text to tweet
Password reset option

81. The Process
Check accordingly
Uncheck
Uncheck

82. The Process
Header
Website
Location
NO FACEBOOK!!!!

83. The Process
…or make your own!
Pick your background…

84. Speaking Twitter

85. Twitter Language 101
Term Definition
@ Account Handle (@AstekWeb)
# Hashtag
Reply To respond to the individual who
posted that tweet
RT To repost/quote an entire tweet to
your audience
DM To send a private message to an
individual on Twitter
Follow You subscribe to have this Twitter
user’s tweets show up in your Twitter
feed

86. Twitter Language 101
Term Definition
Lists You can add a Twitter user’s tweets
to a public or private Twitter list
(Examples: Friends, Colleagues,
Competitors, Clients, Food,
Fashion…)
Favorite You can mark a tweet as a Favorite;
that user sees a notification that you
Favorited the tweet
This. A Twitter term that emphasizes that
the article or link included in the
tweet is a “must read”
MT An RT that has been edited (usually
due to character length

87. Yes coffee IS healthy; @NYTimes
says so! http://t.cojk.com
RT @FitzTheCat: Dear Mom, thanks for the new cat
tower. But I find your head to be a much more
comfortable nap space
Attention #Chicago Brown Line riders! MT @WBEZ:
Train derailed at Armitage brown line. No trains
going 2 Loop. Shuttle buses from Belmont
Hey #RockinEvent2013 attendees – no
Starbucks line at the South Corridor. RUN!

88. Twitter Baby Steps
1. Listen
2. Retweet (ideally with a comment)
3. Share
4. Post

89. TwitterQuestions & Answers?

91. Why?
• Fast growing platform
• Google runs the world
• Communities
• Beautiful images
• Savvy users
• Google reviews
• Google Hangouts
• Super easy to use
• Authorship

92. What is it?
• Posting process is like Facebook
• No ads, better interface and less settings
• You reach ALL of your followers (circles)

93. Strategy
• Content strategy is similar to Facebook
• The tone is a balance of LinkedIn and FB
• Audience is more likely to engage with a
industry content
• Industry conversations are easier to find
• Consumers are not yet on the platform in
mass (many are online less than one
hr/week.
• Highly visual platform
• Top-of-funnel platform – difficult lead-gen

94. Posting
+1s are “likes”
in Google+
They are not
related to
SEO, but soon
could be.

95. Events

96. Circles

97. Communities

98. Communities
•Forums are by invite or open to the public
•Well-policed for blatant link promotion
•Used for conversation
•Authenticity is important
•Post as an individual instead of a company:
“+Pat Kopeki, John here from Astek,
I totally agree that the discussion
regarding online lead-generation starts
with the user-experience. When we
analyze websites for improvements, we
look at how the layout and content is
directing our attention. That path
should be obvious, simple to follow and
driven by one or two overall marketing
goals.”

99. Reviews

100. Hangouts
• Easy video conferencing and
recording for 10 people
• Live stream it to anyone
• Easy to invite others to join a
conference
• Send files, media and text mid-
call

101. Google Authorship
It’s a bit complicated initially to set up, but…
If you install an Authorship plugin or code
in your blog and connect it to your Google
Plus personal page, the more articles you
write, the more likelihood that your articles
will appear higher in search results.
It’s Google’s way to measure your online
influence.
Find more at https://plus.google.com/authorship

102. Profile Setup
• Cover Image (needs to be very large)
• Logo
• About sections
• Contact
• Links
• Choose a brand page (for many offices)
• Choose a business page (for one location)
• It must connect to a personal Google+ account
• So create faux personal account for businesses
• Many Google products will be attached to this
account

103. About

104. Other Tid-Bits

105. G+Questions & Answers?

106. Tools

107. Your Social Arsenal…

108. Argyle or Sprout
Argyle Sprout Social
Entrepreneur – Small/Medium
Business
Medium/Large Business
Best social posting integration One of the better social posting
integrations
Bookmarklet Bookmarklet
Singular URL Works with bit.ly
Scheduling/Random Scheduler Scheduling/Random Scheduler
Deep analytics dive Medium analytics
Social listening confined to Twitter
searches
Social listening
Conversion tracking No conversion tracking
Not-so-pretty in-depth reports Pretty high-level reports
Not cheap but high quality Cheap for the quality

109. “Analyze”

110. Measure: Tools/Software

111. Measure: Google Analytics

112. Measure: Facebook/Twitter

113. Be Accountable
1. What’s working?
2. What’s not?
3. What needs to be changed?
4. What are others doing?
5. Next steps

114. Oh Yes, and Have Fun!