1. Use the power of social media to promote your business & yourself!
THE VALUE OF PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING,
SOCIAL MEDIA & ONLINE PORTFOLIOS
PICK ME!
By Rachel A. Adler, Business Development Manager,
Fairfax County Economic Development Authority
2. 2
The Greater Merrifeld Business Assoication (GMBA), a non-profit organization formed in 1984 to bring together businesses in Merrifield, is a
networking group, a community advocate, and a place to promote how people live, play, work, eat, and shop in Merrifield. Enjoy fine dining, watch a
movie or take in a concert on the oversized outdoor screen, enjoy a short commute to work, shop at specialty stores, or attend one of our fun
festivals. Merrifield has it all.
Membership in GMBA offers a variety of benefits to anyone who desires to promote their business. Additionally, there are volunteer and
sponsorship opportunities available.
We invite you to contact any of our board members, or attend our next luncheon or mixer to get to know us and learn more. .
For more information, call GMBA at 703-208-1161 or email at Secretary@GreaterMerrifield.org
The Greater Merrifeld Business Assoication (GMBA)
3. Agenda
• Social media platform overview
• Creating a personal brand
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Digital portfolios
• Homework
• Final thoughts
4. Rachel A. Adler Adler is a Business Development
Manager at Fairfax County Economic Development
Authority.
You can find me at:
@RachelA_Adler
I am Rachel A. Adler
Hello!
5. “Don't post anything online that you
wouldn't want published on the first
page of the New York Times.”
6. 6
As social media usage continues to grow at a steady
rate it’s essential that entrepreneurs and marketers
implement a social media marketing strategy for
their business - and a key part of any successful
strategy is understanding the stats and trends that
can affect the outcome of your efforts.
How we use social media daily:
• Communication
• Building relationships
• Reputation management
• Customer service
• Information
• Entertainment
81%
81% of Millennials check
Twitter at least once per
day
76%
Facebook Users
visit the site daily in
2016- up 6% over
last year.
17 Min
The average LinkedIn
user spends 17
minutes on the site
per month.
Social Media?
WHY
7. Social Media Usage Statistics
• Ninety-five percent of online adults
aged 18 to 34 are most likely to
follow a brand on social media. Think
about your existing audience and
who else you would like to reach.
Figure out what social networks
those people are most likely to use
and create social profiles on those
networks. (Source)
• There are 1.65 billion active mobile
social accounts globally with 1
million new active mobile social
users added every day. There’s no
question about it. Your social media
campaigns should be optimized for
mobile because that’s how a majority
of users will view your content.
(Source)
• Seventy-one percent of
consumers who have had a good
social media service experience
with a brand are more likely to
recommend the brand to
others. Social media is an
effective customer service tool
and can be used to increase
brand awareness to win over
potential new members. (Source)
• Visual content is more than 40
times more likely to be shared
on social media than other
types of content. Social media is
a visual platform, which means
it’s important to create visually-
appealing content in addition to
innovative and interesting copy.
(Source)
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8. 8
TOPS OF 2016: DIGITAL
The Stats
Digital Media
Surprisingly, the heavy social media user
group isn’t Millennials. In fact, Generation X
(ages 35-49) spends the most time on social
media: almost 7 hours per week
versus Millennials, who come in second,
spending just over 6 hours per week.
They’re female, 25% of their time online is
spent on social media (vs.19% of males),
and they reach across cultures. They’re
likely to be on Facebook on Sundays via
smartphone, while watching primetime..
9. ONLINE ADULTS AGED 18-34 ARE
MOST LIKELY FOLLOW A BRAND
VIA SOCIAL NETWORKING (95%).
Think about your audience and see where they are most likely to follow your
brand. (Source: MarketingSherpa)
10. 150 Million People use Pinterest Every
Month
A jump of 50 percent in 12 months indicates something happening on the platform that all companies—small businesses and behemoth brands
alike—can pay attention to
$35 BILLION
Social media ad spending is likely to exceed $35 billion in 2017, representing 16% of all digital ad spending globally.
$750,000 per day
Snapchat’s Sponsored Selfie Filters, which could cost up to $750,000 per day, are forecasted to reach 16 million viewers daily
12. YOU NEED TO THINK AND
ACT LIKE YOU’RE RUNNING A
START-UP: YOUR CAREER.
Reid Hoffman, Linkedin co-founder, Author of The Start-Up of You
13. How Are You Perceived?
Online Reputation
• When is the last time you Googled yourself?
• What do search results say about you?
Professional Relationships
• What do your colleagues & managers say about you?
Personal Relationships
• What do your friends and family say about you
**Audiences tend to trust people more than corporations**
14. Creating a Personal Brand
What are Your Goals?
• Gain awareness (be
visible)
• Build trust (be consistent)
• Earn loyalty (be valuable)
3 Steps:
1. Discover who you are
I. Your USPs (Unique Selling Points)
II. Your passions
III. Your skills
2. Create your identity
I. Consistency is key
3. Make it visible
15. Facebook
Create a Facebook Fan Page (Public
Figure if you are your brand)
And Contact information to CTA (Call to
Action)
Add Social Media Accounts as Fan page
tabs
Create an Instagram & Facebook – if you
have a product.
If you are using Facebook – use Facebook
For Business: Facebook Business gives
you the latest news, advertising tips, best
practices and case studies for using
Facebook to meet your business goals.
https://www.facebook.com/business
16. HOW TO CREATE A FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE
Step 1: Choose a Classification.
To begin, navigate
to https://www.facebook.com/pages/cr
eate.php. This page will showcase six
different classifications to choose from:
Local Business or Place
Company, Organization, or
Institution
Brand or Product
Artist, Band, or Public Figure
Entertainment
Step 2: Complete Basic Information.
Finish “About” Section
Upload Profile Picture
Add Favorites
Reach more people.
17. HOW TO CREATE A FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE
Step 3: Understand the Admin Panel
In the top navigation, you'll see an option
for "Settings." Click that. Along the left
side, a vertical navigation bar with
different sections should appear. We'll
focus on three core ones now:
Page Info: This is where you can add
additional details about your
business. This section will also unveil
different fields based on the
classification you chose in Step 1.
Notifications: This section allows you to customize when
and how you'd like to receive Page alerts. Set a frequency
that fits your social media marketing schedule.
Page Roles: Whether or not you'll be the main manager
of the Page, there may be others at your organization
who need access to your Facebook Page. Here, you
can invite other colleagues to make changes to your
Pages. Some common use cases here include:
A public relations manager who needs to respond to any
delicate questions.
A support representative who can assist those asking
technical questions.
A designer tasked with uploading new photo creative to the
Page.
Step 3: Populate Page with Content
Plain text status
Photo with caption
Link with caption
Video with caption
Event page
Location check-in
18. HOW TO CREATE A FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE
Step 5: Measure Your Growth
Facebook has embedded in some
decently helpful metrics for us to
take advantage of. Simply click the
"Insights" option in the top
navigation to see the following:
Overview: This tab shows a 7-day snapshot of your metrics
such as Page Likes, post reach, and overall engagement.
Likes: This tab shows your overall fan growth and losses. If
you're employing paid efforts, you'll be able to see the
breakdown of paid versus organic growth.
Reach: This tab highlights the raw number of people your
Page is reaching every day. If you notice spikes on a specific
day, try cross-checking what you posted that day to see if you
can replicate that reach.
Visits: This tab indicates where on Facebook your viewers
are coming from. You can see the difference in visits on
Facebook Timelines, your information tab, reviews, and
others.
19. A Quick Note About Facebook
Companies use Pages, so can individuals
Think you’re private? Think again.
• Manage privacy settings
• Be comfortable with what you post
Read more: Being Professionally Personable on Facebook (Harvard
Business Review)
20. What is
Instagram?
Free smartphone app used to capture
and share the world’s moments
Fast, beautiful & fun way to share
your life with friends through a series
of pictures and videos
21. Why Use Instagram?
Consumer change
Consumer behavior and shift towards visual content
80% of the brain is dedicated to visual processing
“Content is king, distribution is queen, and she wears the pants,” said Jonathan
Perelman, VP of Agency Strategy at BuzzFeed
Instagram allows you to create and publish content easily
Source content
Get influencers and locals (including photographers) to help build your content bank by
introducing your own #hashtag
Republish content (and give credit) to your content creators (when they use your # or give
you approval)
Highly engaged community
22. Taking
People
With You
Instagram is great for
showing a moment or a
snapshot
Great Instagram accounts
take their followers with
them…
On the road
Behind the scenes
Sneak peaks into
new products or
events
Think Instagram is just for
younger consumer
audiences? These B2B
brands can make you think
again.
24. Using Instagram
Newsfeed just like Facebook where you’ll find
images from the instagrammers you follow
Explore find instagrammers and topics using
#hashtags
Take a pic or video, upload an existing image or
video file
Your notifications See who’s followed, liked or
commented on your pics
Your profile See your bio, followers, who you’re
following, your pics & pics you’re tagged in
25. Hashtag = Content Distribution
Use ones relevant to your destination (research in www.iconosquare.com )
Add popular hashtags to relevant images to grow audience & engagement
#qotd
#instagood
#photooftheday
Add a unique hashtag to source content and build a community
Communicate your hashtag in your profile
#CalmYourFarm too many hashtags or ones that don’t make sense will
be ignored (especially in the 1st comment)
27. SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING BUDGETS
HAVE DOUBLED WORLDWIDE OVER
THE PAST 2 YEARS—GOING FROM $16
BILLION U.S. IN 2014 TO $31 BILLION IN
2016
But despite this growing investment in social advertising, 46 percent of B2B marketers say they’re
unsure whether their channels have generated any revenue for their business.
29. Twitter Shorthand
RT – Retweet
MT – Modified Tweet
# - Hashtag
@ - Tweet directed to
specific user
.@ - Tweet directed to
specific user that your
followers can see
30. Build Your Profile
160 CHARACTERS
BIO WITH USE # AND @
PROFESSIONAL PICTURE
HANDLE THAT MAKES SENSE
BRANDED HEADER PHOTO
31. Build Your Profile
• Header photo (1500 x 500 px)
• Profile photo (400 x 400 px)
• Name
• Bio (max 160 characters)
• Location
• Website
• Theme color
• Birthday
33. Create/Subscribe to Lists
Lists are curated groups of Twitter users – create your own or
subscribe to ones created by others
Useful for reading tweets, not tweeting to a specific group
34. How to Tweet
140 character limit (includes
text & spaces)
Twitter counts the
characters for you
If you have more to say
Quote a tweet / Retweet
Try abbreviations to fit limit
Links & images take up no
characters
Retweeting lets you repost to
your followers or comment
35. What & When to Tweet
What?
Look at trending topics
Mix of professional & personal
Source attribution
When?
Depends on your audience
and geographic location
Live tweet events or TV shows
Participate in Twitter chats
Schedule it!
36. What is a Hashtag?
Word or phrase beginning with a # symbol with no spaces or punctuation:
#tbt #dcjobs #GRAMMYs #entrepreneur
Hashtags group conversations about topics making them easier to find,
follow, and join
Extend your own brand and distribute your content to certain interests and
groups
37. Writing Great Tweets
Know the difference
between voice and tone. Voice
doesn’t change, but a business’
tone should vary based on a
situation. If a follower did not have
a positive experience, a business’
tone may be more sympathetic and
understanding.
Talk with people, not at
them. Reply to @mentions and
address both positive and negative
feedback. It’s a real-time network,
so businesses shouldn’t keep
followers waiting too long.
Keep Tweets conversational.
Be professional without being overly
formal. Avoid business jargon when possible.
Think about how your content will be
consumed by your followers. Would they
want to retweet it or pass it along to others?
Incorporate humor, inspiration and
newsworthy content to draw followers in.
Need more help? Twitter’s downloadable
#MtgKickstart resource.
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38. Crafting the Perfect Tweet
Use hashtags & links
together
Don’t hashtag overload (2 =
ideal)
Tweet longer (120+
characters work best)
Clear Call to Action (CTA)
Urgency
Tweet frequently (1-5 times
per day)
Use pictures (2x
engagement)
Read more: 10 Tips for
Crafting the Perfect Tweet
40. TWEETS WITH IMAGES
RECEIVED 18% MORE CLICK-
THROUGHS, 89% MORE
FAVORITES, AND 150% MORE
RETWEETS.
Buffer (Source: https://blog.bufferapp.com/the-power-of-twitters-new-
expanded-images-and-how-to-make-the-most-of-it)
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41. Share a Variety of Content
Read more: How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Brand on Social Media
42. Twitter Tools
Publishers
Tweetdeck
Hootsuite
Buffer
Sprout Social
IFTTT (if this then that) – triggered actions, not just for Twitter
Analytics
Twitter Analytics
SocialBro
Twitonomy
Content Discovery
Klout – curates articles based on your interests, allows you to schedule
and improves your social influence
Nuzzel – discover what your friends are reading
44. Complete Your Profile
Professional photo
Descriptive headline
Experience, education,
certifications
Organizations, volunteer work
Publications (articles, videos,
photography)
Header Image
Images and video make your profile stand out.
The large header image is like a billboard where
you can utilize that real estate to brand yourself.
Currently, the image size is 1400 x 425. When
the new desktop redesign rolls out, which you
can expect anytime the image size will be
changing to 1536 x 768.
Video is driving social media engagement
across all social platforms. You can upload a
video to your profile such as a company video
and you can post videos in your status updates.
45. LinkedIn Profile Checklist
• Photo: Professional, high quality
• Headline: Tell people what you’re excited
about now & what you want to do in the
future.
• Vanity URL: Make yourself easy to find.
• Summary: A few short paragraphs of what
motivates you, what you’re skilled at, and
what’s next.
• Experience: Jobs you held and
accomplishments at each. Include photos,
write ups, or videos.
• Recommendations: Ask managers, peers,
or co-workers to write a recommendation.
This gives authority to your strengths and
skills.
• Education: List all of your educational
experiences, including summer
programs.
• Courses can show skills & interests
you’re most excited about
• Volunteer Experience & Causes
• Skills & Expertise: Add 5+ skills you
want to be endorsed for.
• Honors & Awards: Don’t be shy to brag
about your accomplishments.
• Projects: Showcase digital campaigns
or projects.
• Interests: Add anything else about
yourself; helps with search!
• Organize sections
46. LinkedIn 2017 Updates
• Explore the homepage
• Tour the Me section
• Get to know search
• Messaging
• Recruiters
• Check out Notification
Transform Your LinkedIn Profile for
2017
• Make a list of anything that has changed in the past
year.
• Write about who you are at your best.
What accomplishments have you made in the past
year
Update your headline
• Highlight those experiences and skills your target
audience wants.
• Focus on what makes you unique.
• Create an informative headline.
• Optimize the summary section (SEOO/SEM)
• Update your recommendations
• Add new media including your header image
47. LinkedIn Publishing
Way for members to contribute
professional insight
Long-form content becomes
part of your profile
Searchable on and off LinkedIn
Added to Pulse section (if
content is relevant)
For more information on how
to get started please see
SlideShare.
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48. Make Connections & Find News
Join groups based on
your…
Area
Industry
Interests
Start and join discussions
Use Pulse to find news
Comment
Share with your network
51. BrandYourself.com
Mission: help people take back
control of their own lives online
Look better in Google results
Digital resume
Social stream
Links to additional projects
52. Why You Need to Build a Website
A website isn’t static; it’s dynamic
Having a website makes you more
findable
Not many people have one – having
a website can help you stand out.
You gain some new skills
Top Free Personal Website
Builders:
Self-Made/Self-Hosted
Tumblr
Flavors.me
Weebly
Wix
EnhanceCV
Re.vu
Enthuse.me
Designedyou.com
54. Guest Blogging
Blogging is one of the best ways to
build your visibility, credibility, and
brand message online.
Recruiters and hiring decision
makers routinely search the
blogosphere when they're vetting
candidates.
Do some research before diving in:
Look for blogs relevant to your
expertise and/or industry.
Find out which blogs the recruiters
and hiring decision makers you
want to attract are visiting.
Some ideas to find the right blogs:
Consult with your professional
network.
Do a Google search of relevant
key words for your industry/field
and your areas of expertise.
Use the LinkedIn Groups search
feature to connect with relevant
professional networks.
Look at the blogrolls
55. Canva.com
Canva makes graphic design
amazingly simple for everyone.
Ready to get creative? Everyone
is designer.
1. Know Your Key Messages
2. Keep It Simple
3. Be Consistent
4. Use Purposeful Hierarchy
5. Consider Text Formatting
56. Recruiting: Finding & Vetting Candidates
LinkedIn Recruiter
Powerful search capabilities
Contact candidates through InMail
Track & manage talent to hire now or in the
future
Twitter Searches & Chats
Participate in chats (ongoing or create your
own)
Follow hashtags used by job seekers
#hireme
#needajob
#resume
#unemployed
#MBA
#jobhunt
Facebook Directory
Search pages, groups, users
57. Digital Brand Scorecard
• Strategically Aligned
• Believable/Instill Trust
• Sounds Like a Person not a brand
(This is for personal branding)
• Distinctive & Visual (Remember
Canva.com is your best friend)
• Engaged & Responsive
• #HugYourHaters
• Consistent
• Frequency
• Audience Growth in followers &
conversations
• Integrated across platforms
Regularly assess your digital presence. Rate each component (1-
5). Add them & divide by 10 for your score.
58. Align Social Media With Business Goals
• Be intentional
• Be distinctive
• Add value, not noise
• Apply best practices
• Be visible & visual
• Have a consistent voice
• Be time, energy & resource
efficient
• Monitor, measure, refine
Identity
Visibility
Credibility
59. Automate Everything – But be HUMAN
You have better things to do than
execute the same repetitive tasks
over and over again. When it comes
to social media marketing,
automation is everything. Here’s a
short list of some of the tasks you
can automate now and no longer
waste your time on:
Following people back when they
follow you
Retweeting interesting messages
on Twitter
Mentioning other users in your
messages
Responding to direct messages
Automating posts from another
expert’s website
Posting to LinkedIn ,Twitter,
or Facebook from another network
60. Final Thoughts
• Personal branding is a way to:
• Establish credibility
• Grow your network
• Attract opportunities
• Before you post, ask yourself...
• Is it valuable?
• Does it fit with my personal brand?
• Did I include source attribution?
• Did I add relevant hashtags?
61. Your Homework
Create or update your LinkedIn profile
• Goal: connect with 30+ people by end of
month
• Post or share an update at least
once/week
• Leave and request a recommendation
from colleague/manager
If Twitter is right for you…
• Create/update your branded profile
• Have a conversation
• Share news/relevant posts to your
audience
From new digital devices coming to the market (and grabbing headlines) to the growing interest in virtual reality thanks to new apps, 2016 was a big year for digital..
In 2016, Facebook again took the lead as the top smartphone app. The social networking app had more than 146 million average unique users each month, a growth of 14% from last year. Facebook Messenger came in second with over 129 million average unique users each month, followed by YouTube with more than 113 million average unique users each month.
Among the top 10 smartphone apps, the apps with highest year-over-year change were Amazon App and Instagram, with 43% and 36% growth in users from 2015, respectively.
http://marketingland.com/pinterests-monthly-user-base-hits-150-million-people-50-last-year-194668
The actual number is $35.98 billion if you want to get technical. That represents an increase of almost $13 billion in just two years. Not only that, it means that social media will have maintained consistent growth (of about $6 billion every year) for nearly half a decade. Often these trends rise rapidly for a year or two and plateau. If social media advertising spend continues on this curve, there’s no telling how the industry and tools will evolve.
But that kind of spending must reflect just how expensive the ads themselves are, right? Well, actually…
EVERY DAY
•60 million photos are uploaded
•84.4 million comments are posted
•1.6 billion likes on photos
Source: http://www.slideshare.net/homehelper/visual-creative-thinking-1260733 & http://www.socialmedianews.com.au/social-media-statistics-australia-february-2014/
Twitter is not just for posting about your company or industry – show your true self with a mix of professional and personal tweets.
Who to follow appears on the right side of your timeline
Click through to searchable area
Find friends also available under Settings
Verified account – blue check mark indicates an authentic identity https://support.twitter.com/articles/119135-faqs-about-verified-accounts
Trending topics showcase the most popular conversations happening on Twitter. Using these hashtags or contributing to the topic gives you exposure to a group of people you may otherwise never reach.
How To Write The Perfect Tweet Blueprint https://marketingthink.com/how-to-write-the-perfect-tweet/ via @GerryMoran
Wow! Check out this incredible post from @phenomenalseo on http://phenomenalseo.com. http://phenomenalseo.com/successful-tweets/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2016/12/10/how-to-update-your-linkedin-profile-for-2017/2/#2348553045fd
Write about who you are at your best. When accomplishing your goals, earning recognition, or feeling energized about your career, what qualities, skills, knowledge, and experiences are you leveraging? Sketch that out for yourself. The trick, of course, is really focusing in and having the self-awareness to present an accurate portrayal.
Highlight those experiences and skills your target audience wants. This is the “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM) rule of marketing. Keep in mind that people need to quickly realize what value you offer them, so think about who you want to reach — recruiters, potential clients, peers — and how you can communicate what is most relevant to them.
Focus on what makes you unique. Assume that anyone reading your profile can pull up a list of dozens of professionals with qualifications similar to yours. Find a way to establish your credibility by demonstrating that you possess the essential qualifications required to achieve your goal without blending in with everyone else. Pay attention to how your distinct combination of attributes will achieve your objectives.
Create an informative headline. The 120 characters that appear just under your name on your profile is critical space. Most people list their current job title or a vague description of the type of work they do. But think about who you want to find you and why and imagine you had only 120 characters to convince them to consider you. You’ll probably use this space a bit differently now, won’t you?
Optimize the summary section. Many people don’t use this space, or if they do, insert a bulleted list or a few sentences filled with buzzwords and clichés. As with your headline, consider how you can use this space strategically. Macpherson recommends a first-person, conversational narrative.
The bottom line is this: the more you automate, the more time you have to manage other aspects of your business or create great content for your posts. Simply put, it’s a must do for active business owners.
A word of caution: automation is necessary, but being human is still important. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that because you have your systems and processes automated, you don't have to actually authentically participate or engage with people in real-time anymore. Strive to automate while still keeping things personal.