Presentation on social media for small business, written for a private group in a light-hearted atmosphere.

1. SOCIAL MEDIA:
WHAT THE HELL????
A non-geek’s guide to social media in the small business world.

2. AGENDA
 What the hell???
 What are we really talking about here?
 Why the hell???
 Why should you care about this for your business.
 How the hell???
 Tricks, ideas, guidelines for SM and your business.

3. What the hell???

4. SO, YEAH…. WHAT?
 Social media means:
 Media for social interaction, using highly accessible
and scalable communication techniques.
 Social media is the use of web-based and mobile
technologies to turn communication into interactive
dialogue.
-Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media

5. SOME EXAMPLES
 Social media includes (NOT a complete list):
 Social networks (like Facebook, LinkedIn)
 Social bookmarking (like Del.icio.us, folkd)
 Social news sites (like Digg, Reddit)
 Blogging/microblogging (like Wordpress, Twitter)
 Reviews/questions (like Yelp!, Quora)
 Video/multimedia (like Youtube, uStream)
 Virtual reality (like Second Life)
… and 19 more categories. 

6. HOLY CRAP! UH… THAT’S A LOT!
 Now that I’ve scared the hell out of you…
 The most common avenues:
 Facebook
 LinkedIn
 Blogging
 Twitter

7. HERE’S THE TRUTH
 None of these resources are magic bullets.
 They are tools, not the answers.
 Tools don’t replace quality products and services,
but they can augment.
 Not every tool is ideal for every situation.
 What is true today will be different in 6 months.

8. Why the hell???

9. WHY DO I CARE ABOUT THIS?
 First of all, you are intrigued or you wouldn’t be
here. What is the potential?
 Inexpensive way to communicate with existing
and potential customers.
 Great way for small business to build their
community.
 Your customers WANT to be a part of something.

10. YEAH, THAT’S NICE. WHAT ELSE YA GOT?
 Done right, it helps you make money - for not a
lot of expense.
 Case studies:
 I’ve been asked about their value/legitimacy.
 Parameters are such that it’s hard to define.
 Extensive trackability exists, but how do you define
what single act or event a lead comes from?
 All case studies are written with some level of spin.

11. CASE STUDY: SMALL WALL
 http://bit.ly/hjGvmg
 Used Facebook to build brand awareness,
turned a “light bulb” idea into national success
and media attention.
 Lesson: people need content. Find influencers
who like your content and work them.

12. CASE STUDY: CRÈME BRULEE CART
 http://tcrn.ch/fbPmFH
 Uses Twitter and positive Yelp feedback to
amass a following by engaging with the
customers and making them feel special.
 Lesson: the mobility and flexibility of SM lets a
non-traditional business excel.

13. CASE STUDY: NOT JUST ANOTHER DENTIST
 http://bit.ly/eXTJjd
 Works in a building with hundreds of other,
more established dentists. Using Youtube,
Facebook, Twitter and Groupon to differentiate
themselves and build the practice.
 Lesson: differentiate yourself from the pack.

14. A Quick Aside…

15. AN ASIDE: GROUPON, WHAT THE HELL?
 I get a lot of questions about Groupon –
whether it’s a single deal or the virtual
storefront - is it worth it? http://b.qr.ae/iec5CX
 Short answer is – maybe. Great way to get your
name out there, but the margins can be tough.
 To make it effective, I believe you MUST use it
as a lead generator, not a money-maker.

16. GROUPON, WHAT THE HELL? CONT.
 “It's important for merchants to understand
that Groupon is a marketing channel, not a
sales channel.”
 “Do the math” http://nyti.ms/dYFIrV
 Yipit Webinar http://bit.ly/hzVcZ3

17. SEO AND SOCIAL MEDIA
 SEO = search engine optimization
 Google and Bing are the big dogs.
 Ofthose 2, Google is the leader by far
 Yahoo shares database with Bing
 Google redid it’s algorithm (again) and is
factoring in SM more than ever

18. “I HATE MATH”
 If the word “algorithm” sent a chill down your
spine, relax.
 You don’t have to know how to calculate it, just
recognize the rules and use them to your
advantage.

19. CONTENT IS KING?
 You will hear/see this phrase all the time. It’s
not exactly true, though.
 Quality, unique content is king.
 Copying content, posting syndicated content,
“linkfarming” and a host of other techniques, from
grey hat to black hat, are a great way to get burned.

20. WHAT IS A SEARCH ENGINE?
 Search engines were created to sort through
volumes of reference content.
 Because of this (and the huge variety of image
files), most only read text effectively.
 The Google-bots crawl the web constantly
seeking new content.

21. WHAT IS GOOGLE LOOKING FOR?
 New and unique content feeds the beast.
 Content that other people read and (especially)
comment on and/or link to makes the beast
very happy.
 This is how Google defines QUALITY content –
do other users find it useful? If so then Google
will bump it up the rankings.

22. How the hell???

23. THE BASIC FORMAT
 Think of social media like the Marty
Connection.
 Some folks you know well.
 Some people you kinda know.
 Someone new you don’t know, but you assume he’s
OK as he’s part of the group.
 That weird guy in the corner.
 Here’sa hint: if you can’t spot the weird guy, you ARE the
weird guy.

24. THE BASIC RULES
 At the Marty, would you walk up to someone
and “throw up” your commercial on them?
 (Hopefully, no.)
 Social media is the same deal. It’s SOCIAL
media, right? Watch the conversation, add to it
and work yourself in. Be yourself, only more
interesting. 

25. THE BASIC RULES, PART DEUX
 Sharing is caring… to a point.
 Add content, talk about relevant things.
 No one really cares about your cute pet or your new
Farmville crop or the hit you ordered on Mafia Wars
– not even your spouse. 
 Don’t just assume you know the rules to a new
site. They are all slightly different - ease into it.

26. AND THE NOMINEES ARE…
 The big players (right now):
 Facebook
 LinkedIn
 Blogging
 Twitter

27. FACEBOOK
 The 500 pound gorilla in social media
 More than 600 million active users
 Originally designed to let Harvard students
communicate
 Used for business long before it began to be
effective for business

28. FACEBOOK AS A BUSINESS TOOL
 The Page has become a primary website for
many businesses.
 3-4 million Pages
 Offers SEO power and a lot of tools without the
costs associated with a website
 Limits your flexibility – the rules are for the
masses, as opposed to your own website

29. THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGING
 Originally you could only interact as a person,
not as a business. This created confusion with
the marketing voice.
 Significant changes to the Page system in the
last few months have changed the game.

30. WHAT MAKES FACEBOOK ROCK FOR YOU?
 Interacting as a Page
 Upgrades to Facebook landing pages.
 Facebook Messages
 Facebook Places/Deals

31. DON’T JUST BE YOURSELF
 Facebook/Account/Use Facebook as Page
 By doing this you can post messages as your
business, not as you.
 Thisseparates you from your business on
Facebook, and that’s a good thing!
 Interact professionally. Typos matter, voice
matters, content matters.

32. FACEBOOK LANDING PAGES
 FBML is going away (again) and I-frames are
back in vogue with the mighty Facebook.
 Optional split landing pages – one landing page
until they Like you, then another page after
that. http://bit.ly/guBtUb
 Your fans see a more traditional Page and don’t
have to see the marketing message.

33. MESSAGES IN A BOTTLE
 Runs as a message thread, not a series of emails
in your inbox.
 Be aware of the differences when communicating
with customers using @facebook.com emails.
 Contact them and ask them to move you from the Other
folder (think Spam only more buried).
 Once they move you out, you will stay in the Message
thread.

34. PLACES TO BE, PEOPLE TO DO
 Foursquare and Gowalla were top dogs in
location-based apps. But Facebook Places
brings the 500 lb. gorilla to bear.
 iPhone, Android and Blackberry can check in.
This appears on their Wall (spreading the word
to their friends).
 Having a Deal tied to a checkin lets you reach
users who check in somewhere around you,
whether they Like your page or not.

35. LINKEDIN
 Facebook for business people
 90 million users worldwide, over 1 million
companies as well.
 Variety of tools available for a variety of
purposes.

36. LINKEDIN TOOLS
 Contacts
 Groups
 Jobs
 Messaging
 Companies
 Answers
 News (Beta)

37. LINKEDIN, GOOD GOD Y’ALL! WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR…
 Lead generation, meeting contacts
 Follow companies
 Find a job
 Answers
 News is the newest tool to drive more traffic

38. MEETING CONTACTS
 This is where LinkedIn got it’s start.
 You call on a business and are told you need to talk
to Joe Friday, VP.
 You go to LinkedIn; Joe is connected to your buddy,
Willy Gilligan.
 You reach out to your buddy and get introduced.
 Presto – you aren’t just another cold call in Joe’s
day. Willy is friends with you both and is referring
you to Joe. Instant connection.

39. FOLLOW COMPANIES
 A more recent addition to the LinkedIn arsenal
(late 2010 the pages were updated).
 If your business doesn’t have a page on
LinkedIn, then create it.
 Requirements are listed here.
 You can add content to Products and Services,
get followers, hire employees.

40. FIND A JOB
 Whether the free or premium version of
LinkedIn, it is a good tool to job hunt.
 Many people use the contacts tools to job hunt the
same way we mentioned before.
 Therefore, if you are hiring, you should be using
it to find top talent.

41. BE THE ANSWER MAN
 Pose a question on LinkedIn or answer one.
LinkedIn/More/Answers
 SEO value in having your links posted there.
 Be an (approachable) expert and people will begin
to look to you as a resource.

42. THE NEW(S) THING
 In an effort to get people to visit LinkedIn more
frequently, they launched News in Beta
recently. On your LinkedIn page, More/News.
 It’s a news aggregator; they pull news from
specific industries based on your profile and
what they think you will like.

43. BLOGGING
 Blog = web log
 Types of blog:
 Personal
 Corporate
 Genre
 Focus on a specific subject

44. BLOGGING – REASONS WHY
 Create a value-added resource
 Establishing yourself as an expert
 SEO value of new content
 Tools like Scribeseo.com

45. BLOGGING – COMMON REASONS WHY NOT
 “No one cares about what I would write”
 “I don’t have time to write a blog”
 “I am a terrible writer”

46. BLOGGING – YES, YOU REALLY SHOULD
 “No one cares about what I would write”
 You know your business
 You know the questions your customers ask
 If one person asks, others are wondering the same
thing (back to the Expert thing)
 Share your knowledge

47. BLOGGING – NO, SERIOUSLY
 “I don’t have time to write a blog”
 Once or twice a week, post 300-400 words
 Use real life conversations to develop content
 Answer questions via post, direct customers to
those posts

48. BLOGGING – GET THE IDEA YET?
 “I am a terrible writer”
 Spellcheck, baby
 Professionalism is important but you aren’t a
professional journalist
 Write from the heart and use a proofreader if
necessary

49. COMMENTS MAKE THE BLOGOSPHERE GO ROUND
 In order to get Google juice, you need what?
Say it with me now… Quality, unique content
 How does Google decide if it’s worthwhile?
 Contentthat other people read and (especially)
comment on and/or link to makes the beast very
happy.

50. MAYBE GOOGLE’S JUST NOT INTO YOU
 What Google wants (among other things) is for
people to react to new content, comment on it
and share it out.
 The more the better – there’s new content
coming online all the time. More
links/comments means more value.

51. WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO DO
 First of all, find and post comments on other
blogs within your industry.
 One technique here is to make your login on that
blog site, for example, Kansas City Marketing. That
lets Google tie the link to my site with the
keywords… Kansas City Marketing. DING DING!
 Trade guest postings, offer guest posting slots.
 Asking for comments is considered gauche - so ask
offline. ;-)

52. JUST AS AN EXAMPLE
 How many people are there in this room?
 If you all shared links to each other’s sites and
commented on each other’s blogs, you would
get substantial Google juice off of it.
 Yes, this really does work.
 Get a link on a high ranking site and you are styling.

53. THIS IS NOT AGAINST THE RULES
 There are groups doing exactly this all over the
world.
 You can expand it out to include bookmarking
sites, for example, and get additional juice.
 With bookmarking, you need to get Liked or shared
or whatever it is on that site within an hour or two of
posting.

54. TWITTER
 Microblogging tool – 140 character limit
 Derived from texting (160 characters with a 20
character allowance for the sender’s name)
 200 million users, 1 billion tweets/week
 Easier on the writer, harder to communicate big
messages

55. TWITTER IS NOT…
 …a great new customer acquisition tool. You
can get customers, but it’s a lot trickier.
 …a fast track to success.
 …that hard to manage.

56. TWITTER IS…
 …a fantastic tool for customer maintenance.
 …a timely communication tool.
 …a ridiculous time-suck if you let it be.

57. TWITTER, ALL IN ALL
 With 1 billion tweets a week, there’s a lot of data
in the stream.
 Repetition is key here; repeat the message,
change up the verbiage.
 Use search tools to find influencers, then respond
to and retweet their posts. Start talking and be
interesting; you will build connections from there.

58. HOW NOT TO BUILD A COMMUNITY
 You can buy followers on Twitter, just like most
other social sites.
 If you have 1000 followers in Asia, who gives a fig?
 You can follow a bunch of folks and hope they
return-follow you out of courtesy.
 Ifthey follow but don’t read your stuff or care who
you are, it doesn’t matter.

59. YES, IT’S JUST LIKE HIGH SCHOOL
 The best track record and most effective way I
know to build a real following is to find “the cool
people” and insert yourself in their
conversation.
 Get them to respond to you and their followers
may follow you as well.

60. GO BACK TO THE BASIC RULES
 Be interesting
 Don’t be a jerk
 Share, but don’t overshare

61. In Conclusion…

62. FIND YOUR CLIENTS
 You need to know who your target client is.
 If you want to pursue a new network, look for
people who fit your target. If they aren’t there,
you probably don’t need to be either.
 Worse than not being on a network is being
there and not following up on it.

63. FOLLOW THROUGH OR DON’T DO IT
 If you are on Facebook, for example, but never
post – people will wonder if you are still in
business. Why put that in their mind?
 The point is to respond to users and
communicate with them. If they post (good or
bad) and you don’t answer, they think you don’t
care or aren’t listening.

64. ONE STEP AT A TIME
 Don’t overcommit yourself.
 Don’t start FB and Twitter and LinkedIn pages at
once.
 Do your research, pick one and work it. If you
are comfortable and can add more, go for it.
 Use the right tools.
 Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, SproutSocial, etc.

65. WHERE DOES THE CONTENT COME FROM
 Communicate with other users
 Reply to messages
 Comment on blogs
 Answer questions singly, whether direct or indirect to
you
 Create your own content
 Take a customer question and turn it into a post
 Pose a question to other users
 Generate new information

66. YOU AREN’T OUT THERE ALONE
 There are great resources at your disposal:
 Online (among others)
 Mashable
 Social Media Examiner
 Chris Brogan
 Local
 Social media support groups like IMSMKC
 Social media businesses (I know this guy…)

67. SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS…
 Should you be on social media?
 A: Probably, but where on social media depends on your
market and your business.
 Can it be done without stopping the rest of your
world?
 A: Yes, done right.
 Will it help your business?
 A: Yes, done right.

68. INSERT GRATUITOUS APPLAUSE HERE
 Thank you, thank you, I’m here all week.
Please, try the veal!