I presented this to a local networking group in Harrisonburg. They were familiar with social networks but desired more direction on creating a strategy and how to more effectively engage.

2. !
Successful
local
shop
!
Compe/tors
nearby
!
Good
traffic
and
sales
!
She’s
on
Facebook
and
Instagram
!
Working
for
repeat
business
!
Thinking
of
opening
a
second
loca/on

3. “Virtual
Voice”

5. The
Big
Bang!
How
to
begin…
• Understand
social
networks
and
your
business.
– Visual?
Informa/ve?
Tutorial?
Feedback?
– Are
you
a
B2B
or
a
B2C
business?
• Where
is
your
customer
or
poten/al
customer?
– How
to
they
get
news?
Connect?
Search?
• How
are
they
using
their
chosen
network?
– How
much
/me?
What
days?
What
hours?

6. Strategy
" What
is
your
purpose?
– Announce
a
new
service
or
product
– Target
a
geographical
area
for
growth
– Increase
traffic
for
a
specific
/meframe
– Create
and
niche
exper/se
(say
it
first!)
#1 know your business well!
#2 know your customer
better!
" Divide
and
conquer
– Choose
a
social
network
and
follow
your
purpose!
– Are
you
using
the
networks
strength?
– Allow
one
person
to
focus
on
one
network
" Do
you
look?
-­‐ Audit
your
social
media
status
-­‐ Use
analy/cs
to
track
progress
-­‐ Compare
website
analy/cs
to
gauge
traffic
direc/on
" Content
– Is
your
content
suppor/ng
your
purpose?
– Are
you
selling
or
engaging?
– Is
your
engagement
suppor/ng
your
strategy?

7. #
Choose
a
specific
purpose
•
Write
down
3
goals
for
your
business.
Ex:
building
credibility
is
different
than
increasing
aWendance
to
an
event
#
Analyze
your
current
Virtual
Voice
(social
standing)
•
Which
content
is
most
engaging?
•
How
do
you
compare
to
your
compe/tors?
•
Are
your
followers
the
right
demo?
•
Search
for
your
biz
incognito!
#
Set
a
goal
&
/meline
•
Success
of
a
direc/on
needs
to
be
tested
#
Put
content
to
work
•
What
type
of
content
will
support
your
purpose?
•
How
o[en
will
you
post?
•
Who
will
create
the
content?
#
Use
dashboards
to
track
progress
•
Who’s
responding,
sharing
or
commen/ng?
•
What
site
is
the
diving
board
to
your
website
traffic?
#
Adjust
your
strategy
if
necessary

8. Comment!
RePin!
Ac#vity
without
engagement
=
White
Noise
ReTweet!

9. “Communicating well enough that the audience pays attention”
– Jason Falls
Basic
requirements
for
engagement:
Be
Authen#c
Be
Consistent
Build
Trust
Respond!
1. Content
needs
to
be
informa/ve,
interes/ng
or
entertaining!
2. Be
real,
but
stay
on
point.
3. Provide
content
that
is
about
your
brand!
If
you
sell
coffee,
than
90%
of
your
content
should
be
about
about
coffee.
4. Focus
less
on
providing
content
that
you
want
your
audience
to
know
and
focus
more
on
what
you
want
your
audience
to
share.

10. LIKES/FAVORITES
Shows
there
is
ac/vity
that
is
no/ced.
These
are
a
sign
you
are
headed
in
a
good
direc/on
that
followers
like.
COMMENT
Great
to
show
engagement
and
opens
the
door
for
you
to
open
more
one-­‐to-­‐one
communica/on
and
offer
help.
SHARE/RETWEET
Golden!
These
engagements
show
investment
and
allow
your
content
to
reach
beyond
your
followers.
Organic Engagement

11. # Pick
a
Day!
#
Video,
3
or
8
rule
#
Contests,
Games
or
Giveaways
#
Iden#fy
influences,
and
target
them
#
Fan/Tweet/Pin/Follower
of
the
Week
#
Give
love!
Link
to
other
sites
#
Are
you
following
other
businesses
#
#Hashtags
#
Video,
video,
video!
Sometimes
you have to $$
to play!

13. Be Ready to Learn and Listen!
Each business is different and every social
landscape is evolving.
There is no“One Way”
You must continue to learn, try and evolve your own
brand to learn what works and what doesn’t.

14. Do:
Find
the
right
social
network
to
match
your
goals.
Don’t:
Create
a
profile
on
a
network
and
let
it
set
without
ac9vity!
Do:
Keep
your
post,
tweets
or
comments
brief!
Don’t:
Sell,
sell,
sell!
Do:
Share
great
content
of
others!
Don’t:
Forget
the
picture!
Do:
Know
the
best
9mes
to
engage
your
followers.
Don’t:
Obsess
about
geBng
the
largest
number
of
followers!
Do:
Find
the
balance
between
professional
and
personal
Don’t:
Neglect
responding!!
Do:
Have
a
goal.
Don’t:
Avoid
a
network
in
fear
of
nega9ve
comments