1. SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
BASICS

2. About Kristin Warner
 13 years of agency and corporate branding,
advertising & PR experience.
 Co-founder of FirePath Communications, a social
media marketing agency.
 Worked with start-ups to public corporations on
communication, social media & brand strategy.
 Social media strategy & execution since 2006.

3. About the Class
 Build a social media foundation.
 Interactive.
 Ask questions.
 Have fun!

4. Today’s Agenda
MORNING AFTERNOON
Social Media Review: Definitions & Uses YouTube 101
Social Media by the Numbers LinkedIn 101
Social Media Best Practices Promoting Your Social Media Profiles
Types of Social Media Tracking & Measurement
Blogs 101 Strategy & Phases of Engagement
Facebook 101 Social Media Tools
Facebook Exercise Q&A
Twitter 101
(10-minute break at 2pm)
(10-minute break at 10:30am)
12pm-1pm: LUNCH

5. What is Social Media?
Online tools that people use to share content, profiles,
opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives and media itself,
thus facilitating conversations and interaction between groups
of people. These tools include blogs, message boards,
podcasts, micro blogs, bookmarks, networks, communities, wikis,
and vlogs.
(from WebProNews.com)

6. Social Media is NOT
 A bulletin board for marketing & PR
messages.
 One-sided.
 Immediate.
 A strategy in and of itself.
 The answer to your prayers.

7. Social Media Uses for Business
 Awareness.
 Word-of-mouth.
 Promotion: Build a sales funnel.
 Website visitors from social media stay TWICE as long and
view 3X more pages than organic and PPC visitors.
 Customer satisfaction.
 Research & Insights.
 Recruitment.

8. Social Media Today
 Social networking accounts for 11% of time spent
online in the US.
(comScore)
 89% of online shoppers read consumer reviews
before making a purchase.
 93% of people believe companies should have a
presence in social media.

9. Social Media Today
 133 million – The number of blogs on the Internet.
(BlogPulse)
 50 million – Number of tweets on Twitter per day.
(Mashable, Feb 2010)
 14.6 billion – Videos viewed per month on YouTube.
(TechCrunch, June 2010)
 20 million users become fans of Facebook Pages
each day.
WHY DOES THIS ALL MATTER?

10. Social Media Today
It gives you the opportunity to speak with your
customers everyday by going to them in the places
they gather online, instead of working harder to
bring a small percentage of them to you.
BUT…You must be RELEVANT & USEFUL to break
through the clutter.

11. Social Media Myths
MYTH: Social media is free.
TRUTH: Many sites and tools are currently free, but you still need to invest in
advertising to drive traffic. Also plan to invest time…and time=money.
MYTH: Social media will give my business an immediate boost.
TRUTH: For almost all businesses building a loyal following takes time.
Monetizing the following takes even longer. Plan on no monetization for at
least 6-12 months.
MYTH: Your number of Fans and Followers matters.
TRUTH: Quality, not quantity, means business. Just because you have a large
number of followers doesn’t mean they are engaged.

12. Social Media Myths
MYTH: If you build it they will come.
TRUTH: Just like a website, until you promote and drive traffic to your social
communities, your content is a ‘tree falling in the forest.’
MYTH: Social media isn’t measurable.
TRUTH: There are a variety of tools and methods to measure mentions,
sentiment, comments, traffic and click-thrus to your website, among others.
MYTH: Social media killed traditional marketing.
TRUTH: People still watch TV, visit websites, read email, etc. You need these
media to to promote your social media profiles.

15. Join the conversation.
Mission: ENGAGEMENT

17. Do…
 Listen.
 Respond.
 Give.
 Keep it real.
 Think like your followers.
 Make sure your website is current.
 Think about what’s next.

18. Do Not…
 Be a robot.
 Sell. Sell. Sell.
 SPAM.
 Abandon your audience.
 Put up a social media outpost without content.
 Believe if you build it they will come.

19. Types of Social Media
It’s more than just Facebook.

20. Social Networking Sites
Websites that allow
users to build online
profiles, share
information and
connect with people
who share interests.
Sites usually consist of a
profile/homepage for
each user, links, photos
and other info.

21. Blogs
Short for ‘web log’, a
blog is an online diary
—a small website
maintained by an
individual that features
regular entries of
commentary,
descriptions of events,
or other material such
as graphics or video.

22. Microblogs
Like blogs, microblogs are
platforms for people to post
thoughts about topics but on a
much smaller scale. A
microblog entry could consist of
nothing but a short sentence
fragment, or an image or
embedded video. It’s like a
personal news ticker.

23. Social Bookmarking
Sites where a user can
share, organize, search,
and manage
bookmarks of web
resources. Unlike file
sharing, the resources
themselves aren't
shared, merely links that
reference them.

24. Video & Photo Sharing
Websites or software
that allow users to
share and distribute
video clips and
photos. Videos/
photos can be
associated with a
“channel” or “album”
by user or company
name.

25. Forums
An online message board or an online discussion
site where users gather to discuss subjects or topics.
There is usually a moderator that sets guidelines for
posting.
 Examples: Fodors, The Fashion Spot, Mac Rumors,
Bodybuilding.com

26. Review & Opinion Sites
A site where users can
post product or service
reviews and share
personal experiences
they’ve had with
companies.

27. Wikis
A website that allows
the easy collaborative
creation and editing of
information on a topic,
list or any number of
interlinked web pages
via a web browser.

28. The Big 5 (Right now)

30. Blog Platforms
Wordpress
Posterous
TypePad
Blogger
Tumblr
LiveJournal
Moveable Type
TIP: HOST your own.

32. Blogging 101
 Think value.
 Have an opinion.
 Offer something unique. Find a niche.
 Do it regularly.
 Find a voice and be an authority.
 Be transparent. Reveal sources & partnerships.
 Use keywords (tags) for every entry.

33. Comments
 Allow comments
 Don’t delete negative comments—it’s okay if
people have a different opinion than you.
 Respond.
 Comment on other blogs (& include a link to yours).

34. Blog Promotion
 Find good keywords and topics using Google
Trends and Google Keyword Tool.
 Submit your blog to Technorati, Blog Catalog and
other blog directories so it can be found.
 Include an RSS feed.
 Link from your other social outposts.
 Link from your homepage.

35. Case Study: Harry Potter Theme Park
 Universal sought to communicate the new theme park to ensure
acceptance and buy-in by the loyal fan base.
 Identified top 7 webmasters & owners of the biggest Harry
Potter fan sites and message boards.
 "Secret" email invited them to a live webcast at midnight with
Scott Trowbridge, SVP of Creative Services at Universal, and
Stuart Craig, production designer of the Harry Potter movies
for an announcement.
 After the webcast, news spread immediately across fan sites,
online news sites, blogs and social media. This intensified after
the original participants received video highlights.
The results:
• Over 1,000 pieces of coverage within 24 hours
• More than 18,000 blog posts
• 350 million impressions
All from 7 bloggers.

36. Case Study: Wal-marting Across America
In 2006, a blog called Wal-Marting Across America was
born. It featured the journey of Laura and Jim, a couple on
a trip in an RV, capturing lives and stories as they journey
across the US, and park for free at Wal-Mart stores.
Jim turned out to be a photographer for the Washington
Post. Laura was a writer.
The blog was funded by a fake organization created by
Wal-mart's PR agency.
Bloggers called them out. The media crucified them. Stories
appeared in Business Week, Fortune, Washington Post,
Associated Press, Advertising Age, Media Daily, PR Week,
Dow Jones and more.
The agency behind it, Edelman, had their membership in the
Word of Mouth Marketing Association placed in review. “Last week, Wal-Mart took a hit when bloggers on the
Internet attacked the behemoth’s effort to burnish its
They have since started a real blog, but it took years to image via its own bloggers, who were receiving
compensation from the retailer for their efforts. The
gain back credibility with their influencers and consumers in
episode may turn out to be an even bigger public
social media. relations disaster for Edelman, the retailer’s PR
firm.” [Business Week, 10/17/06]

37.  Now the No. 1 site on the
Internet. Google is No. 2.
 600 million active users.
 120 million local businesses
have Pages.
 50% of users login every
single day.
 Avg. user spends 55 minutes
per day, and becomes a Fan
of 4 Pages per month.

38. Facebook Pages
 Profiles are for people.
 Groups are for causes.
 Communities are out of your control.
 Pages are for businesses.
If you create a Profile for your business and Facebook
finds it, they may delete it.
If you use your personal Profile to market your business,
Facebook may delete it.

39. Page Best Practices
 Create good content before promoting your Page.
 Photos, videos, blog feed, links, discussions, polls, etc.
 Pick your Page name wisely…you cannot change it
after you have more than 100 fans.
 Set username at facebook.com/username.
 Make it memorable, simple & searchable.
 Absolute Resorts vs. Absoluteresortsthailand
 Brand Tango vs. Brand Tango a marketing, technology firm

40. Settings
 Edit Page (left nav) to add Apps, change settings,
add Admins.
 Use Facebook ads to drive traffic and add Likes
(Fans).
 Use Insights to learn about your Fans and their
actions.
 Create custom Welcome page.
 Like & Add Favorites.
 Claim your local business on Places.

42. Facebook Best Practices
(for businesses)
 Post engaging content regularly. Your goal is
interaction.
 Respond to questions in a timely manner—within
hours or 1 day at most.
 Use contests, sweepstakes, exclusive offers and
coupon codes.
 Ask questions. Use polls & surveys.
 Don’t go dark on the weekend—It’s typically the
best time for interactions!

44. Facebook Apps
 Polls for Pages
 YouTube for Pages/Video
 Twitter for Pages
 Events
 Social RSS
 Payvment Ecommerce Storefront
 FBML (html for Facebook)
 Wildfire, Context Optional or Votigo: For
contests, sweepstakes, coupons

45. Facebook Plug-ins
 Use to syndicate your Facebook Page interactions.
 Use to connect Facebook to your website.
 Find at http://developers.facebook.com/plugins

46. Facebook FAIL.

47. Facebook SUCCESS!

48. Exercise
Brainstorm 5 Facebook Page Wall posts. Would
you become a Fan?

49.  Over 105 Million
Registered Users
 300,000 New Users/ Day
 190 million Unique Visitors
per Month—some use it
only to consume media

50. Tweeting
 Message length: 140 characters or less including spaces.
 Using numbers instead of spelling out is ok.
 Abbreviations are common.
 Always cite your sources.
 Casual conversation.
 Provide value.
 Use shortened URLs (bit.ly, ow.ly, tinyurl).

51. Twitter Cadence
Tweeple, Tweeps, Twitterers: People using Twitter
Tweet: A message or status update
Via: Used to site sources. Used as “via @username”, “via
Company/Name” or “via website URL”
Visit: http://business.twitter.com/twitter101

52. Twitter Cadence
(the language of Twitter)
RT=Retweet
Resend a tweet from another user out to your followers.
@username
Message to a user or citing a user, which will show up in your feed and theirs.
#: Hashtag
Calling out a topic for others who may be searching for that topic. Great way
to attract new followers.
D: Direct message
A message that goes to another user’s inbox. It will not show up in their feed so
no one else will see it.

53. Twitter Best Practices
 Listen first.
 Follow the leaders.
 Converse, don’t just broadcast.
 Thank users for Retweets.
 Monitor your brand, industry, competition with saved
searches and lists.
 Complete your profile!

54. Do’s and Don’ts of Twitter
 DON’T focus on number of followers.
 DO respond.
 DO follow back IF they are of interest to you.
 DO leave room for a Retweet (less than 140
characters).

55. Make the most of Twitter with…
 Saved Searches
 Lists
 Organization tools like HootSuite and Tweetdeck
 Directory listings in WeFollow, Twellow, JustTweetIt,
TweetFind

56. Twitter Apps & Tools
 Bit.ly: URL shortener with tracking
 twtpoll.com: Create Twitter surveys
 Social Oomph: Autoresponder and schedule tweets
 Social Identities: custombackgroundsfortwitter.com
Find 1000s more at http://twitter.pbworks.com/w/page/1779726/Apps

57. Twitter FAIL.

58. Twitter SUCCESS!

59.  Second largest search engine.
 420 million unique visitors every month.
 20 hours of new video uploaded to YouTube
every minute.
 Google likes videos.
 The avg. Internet user watches 182 online
videos per month.

60. YouTube Channels
 Channel is your branded
profile on YouTube.
 Background/colors can be
customized.
 Tag EVERY video. Use the word
“video” in your tag.
 Find favorites to fill out your
channel.
 Use YouTube Insights (in your
profile) to view user stats.
 Complete your profile!

61. YouTube SUCCESS!

62. Exercise
What could you SHOW your customers that
would add value to their lives and showcase your
business?

63. Case Study: United Breaks Guitars
 Musician Dave Carroll said United Airlines’ baggage handlers broke his $3,500
Taylor guitar.
 He went through the proper channels to be compensated but three employees he
dealt with showed complete indifference.
 His fruitless negotiations with the airline lasted 9 months.
 So he wrote a song and recorded a video for YouTube.
 The YouTube video amassed 150,000 views within one day and over 8 million by
March 2010. United contacted Carroll and said it would do the right thing.
 Attempting to put a positive spin on the PR nightmare, a United spokesman called the
parody "excellent" and asked Carroll's permission to use the video internally for
training. They also issued a public apology to him and paid him $3K.
WATCH THE VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo

64.  Largest B2B social networking site. Used for finding:
 Jobs
 Strategic partnerships
 Clients
 80 million users in 200 countries.
 A new user joins every second.
 Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are on
LinkedIn.

65. Your LinkedIn Profile
 Use keywords to highlight skills, accomplishments.
 Include professional photo – no beers or
sunglasses.
 Stay current.
 Ask for Recommendations.
 Use apps to connect to other social media profiles
like Twitter, blog.

66. LinkedIn Best Practices
 Be transparent. Tell them who you are and why
you are connecting.
 Don’t oversell. Think mutual benefits.
 Be professional. This is a different tone than
Facebook.
 Add Company Profile.

67. LinkedIn Groups
 Find your customers and business partners in
Groups.
 Daily or weekly alerts via email that show
excerpts from discussions within the group.
 Start and participate in discussions.
 Post events.
 Find new connections.
 Start your own niche Group.

68. LinkedIn Answers
 Discussion board where users ask questions in
different subject categories.
 Establish yourself as an expert.
 Find people who need your services (or need a
good partner).

69. Niche Sites
 Find hyper-targeted audiences on industry or topic-
specific social sites.
 Find them at http://www.Traffikd.com

70. RSS
 Really Simple Syndication
 Content in. Content out.
 Subscribe through a feed reader like
Google Reader, My Yahoo, NewsGator
 Your best friend because it:
 Automates content distribution
 Brings you good content

71. Promote Social Media Profiles
 Widgets/Links on your website & blog.
 Links in email signature.
 Cross pollinate: Links on all social outposts to your
other social outposts.
 Links in email newsletter.
 Promote in-store.
 Use in traditional ads (print, TV, radio, etc.).
 Like & Share buttons on every website page.

72. Strategy Basics
 Social media strategy should support your
overall business goals.
 Social media should support other marketing
efforts.
 Define what you want and how success will
measured.
 Own a concept, and think value.
 Write a 12-month plan with timelines.

73. 3 Phases of Engagement
 PHASE : Building
 Create value through content
 Create awareness (links in)
 3-6 months
 PHASE 2: Interaction
 Build trust & report
 Use contests, polls & other interactive tools
 6-9 months
 PHASE 3: Conversion
 Ask for sales & feedback
 9-12 months

74. What to Measure
 Traffic
 Comments
 Shares
 Offer code redemption
 Engagement / Interactions
 Sentiment (positive, negative, neutral)
 Buzz volume (how much conversation, is it up or down)
 Conversions (sales, leads/inquiries, downloads, subscriptions, calls, etc)

75. Tracking & Conversion Tactics
 Google Analytics
 Landing pages with unique URLs. (Google Analytics, Bit.ly)
 Offer codes that you ONLY use in social media.
 Website Sales & Traffic Stats—compare to social
media activities…
 Unique visitors
 Length of stay
 Page views per visit
 Average sale
 Repeat customers

76. Measurement & Monitoring Tools
(Free)
 Alexa.com
 Compete.com
 Google Alerts
 SocialMention.com
 Klout
 Heardable
 HowSociable
 Blogpulse

77. Organization Tools
 Hootsuite
 Tweetdeck
 CoTweet
 EchoPhone (iPhone)
 TwiDroid (Android)
 Objective Marketer

78. Other Great Tools
 Mashable.com: The best info on social media
 SM Monitoring Tools (paid): Radian6, BuzzMetrics,
Sysomos, Sentiment Metrics, BuzzLogic, Guest Pulse
(restaurants)
 Smart Brief (news curator)
 Alltop (news curator)

79. 5 Key Takeaways
 Provide value.
 Have a strategy & plan.
 Always ask, “what do I want them to do?”
 Use the social sites that provide the best
opportunity for return.
 Use a couple sites regularly rather than many
sites inconsistently.

80. Q&A

81. FirePath Services for Small Businesses
3-month Social Media Boot Camp One-on-One Strategy Session
-1-hour call per month Half-day, one-on-one counseling session where we will review your
business and give you the tools and guidance you’ll need to easily
-Unlimited email support – your “help desk” for social media
create your 12-month social media strategy & plan. We will analyze
-Basic technical assistance setting up social media tools your business goals and generate ideas for social media promotions
and tactics that support them.
-Support in creating annual strategic plan
In the session we will:
-Guidance on social media content, promotions
-Select the right social media platforms for your business
-Updates on latest social media techniques, tools and technology
-Create a content topic list with ideas for blog entries, article topics
-Ongoing assistance in analyzing results and optimizing your efforts
$735 ($585 for students) -Review the essential components of the social media plan
-Write social media goals for your business
-Create specific tactics for your business to achieve the goals
After you create your plan we’ll review it and provide feedback to
help you refine it and solidify your plan.
$645 ($485 for students)
Social Media Audit
We’ll look under the hood of your existing social media program and analyze your profiles, content, videos, photos and all other
assets you currently have in place. Then we will create a report with critical findings, recommendations, optimization and
enhancement opportunities. We’ll present this report with you in detail in an hour-long consultation call where you can ask questions,
voice concerns or gain insights into social media.
$425 ($375 for students)
http://www.firepathinc.com/services

82. Presented
by
13830 Oneida Dr. Suite F2"
Delray Beach, FL 33446"
561.404.1097"
www.firepathcommunications.com"
kwarner@firepathinc.com"
Twitter: @firepathinc"
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinwarner"
LinkedIn Group: Social Media Thinktank"