Social media marketing best practices for the EDO Mark W. Schaefer Schaefer Marketing Solutions

Today Social media impact on EDO’s Best practice case studies Starting and sustaining your social media initiative

About me … Have worked in global marketing for 27 years Consult to small businesses and EDO’s Marketing Social media Web development Teacher, Speaker, Author!

About me … mschaefer700@gmail.com Have worked in global marketing for 27 years Consult to small businesses and EDO’s Marketing Social media Web development Teacher, Speaker, Author! mschaefer700@gmail.com Content bonus

Assume you realize the social web is … Transformational Wildly popular Influential And … Content bonus

OVERWHELMING!

How is this impacting the EDO?

2004 site selection process Site visits Journals Newspapers Brochures Trade Shows SIX MONTHS City City City City City City City City City

2009 site selection process SIX WEEKS 85% of initial search = Internet

Implications First step in the site selection process is gone If you’re not online, you don’t exist. You must “populate” the search with useful content Huge economic shift Expensive media Television Glossy magazines Journals Trade shows “Free” media Internet Viral marketing Social media … requiring a new approach Content bonus

The social web model: Systematically create an info eco-system Employers Site selection EDO website Local stakeholders Entrepreneurs

Let’s see this in action …

Websites have a crucial NEW role 2004 view of the world: Website is the destination, an online brochure

Websites have a crucial new role Old view: Destination New view: Content Engine Website is no longer just a means to an end. Content traffic hub Content bonus

Twitter: Roanoke, VA Twitter seems to have most traction for EDO’s Innovative viral contest to promote regional entrepreneurship Denver: People “tweet” on different topics Columbus: Segment by audience and message Content bonus

Blog: Denver Three benefits: In-depth content Authority SEO

Flickr: Boise

YouTube: Calgary Academic presentations on development issues Lifestyle Testimonies Property tours

Ning: Nashville

Slideshare: Austin Re-purpose presentations Cross-link to other social media sites

Linked-In: Site Selection Groups Professional connections Discussion and support groups Interest Groups

Facebook: Richmond Leverage existing content Discussion area Fan pages Enormous community Highly-indexed site drives traffic to traditional website

A social web mini eco-system for jobs Content bonus

Results for Richmond 112,00 page views More than 1,000 registered job seekers 1,500 Twitter followers (growing >100/month) 6,331 job-related Twitter posts Measurable success “This is where I found the posting for the job I got!” “Your work helped us close that candidate” “Awesome twitter feeds on jobs in Richmond!” “The folks at Richmond Jobs Net sincerely care about finding Richmonders jobs in the community.”

Results? From 2005 to 2009 … Increase in overall awareness 38% to 51% Increase in “good” or “excellent” place to do business 21% to 34% Potential site for relocation and expansion from 23% to 34%

Getting started: Essential best practices

Care and nurturing of your social media initiative Plan and align with strategy Listen before you leap Focus and experiment Engage stakeholders Leap Measure

1) Integration and alignment Before your have a plan, you must have an overall STRATEGY for your EDO. Don’t make it a “project.” Develop internal sponsorship Content bonus

2) Listen before you leap Understand the channel Learn the language and culture Variety of free or low-cost tools Google alerts Real-time Twitter search Paid services: Radian6, Hexagon

Seesmic, a free “listening” tool

Twitter search Be attentive and responsive. Effective social media marketing is opportunistic!

3) Focus, start small, experiment A time soak, so choose wisely! Most popular: Facebook (74 percent) YouTube (65 percent) Twitter (63 percent) LinkedIn (60 percent) Content bonus

4) Engage your stakeholders Coordinate centrally, then deputize. Involve your community Blogs Testimonials Photos Videos Involvement creates engagement, support and enthusiasm.

+ 5) Now, it’s time to leap! Formula for success on social media: Connections Meaningful content Authentic helpfulness + Content bonus

5) Leap: Building connections Content bonus

5) Leap – Building connections

5) Leap: finding your “voice” Use a “dinner party” mentality. You need quality AND quantity Commit!

6) Measure SM measurement easy and free What behavior are you driving? Awareness? Engagement? Registration? Watch measures against event timeline Content bonus

Questions?

Continuing the conversation! Email mschaefer700@gmail.com Phone 865-456-1939 Web www.businessesGROW.com Twitter @markwschaefer Blog http://schaefersolutions.blogspot.com LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/markwschaefer