Social Media and Networking: What it is & why it’s important Human interaction has not changed. It’s where it happens that’s changed. Kevin Woodward kwoodward@yahoo.com

Defining Social Media and Networking Social Media is the content, tools and services created and used by people online … such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs, groups, wikis and others.* Social Networking is the act of building interactive online communities of people with shared interests through communication and sharing of information.* * Wikipedia

What it’s about: The bottom line It’s not about the tools, it’s about the relationships. Somewhere, someone has something important to tell you. Listening isn’t a choice, it’s a strategy. A recent study found that not only can you quantify and measure social media engagement for the business, there is a direct correlation with the bottom line. The most actively engaged companies reported revenue gains of 18 percent on average in the last year, while those who didn’t reported average losses of 6 percent.* * ENGAGEMENTdb: Ranking the Top 100 Global Brands | July 21, 2009

U.S. monthly online activity usage Social media and networking sites have more overall usage now than text messaging … and growing

Who’s using social media today Boomers, Gen X are fastest growing user groups and may soon be largest, not Gen Y or Z

Reasons to using social media Generational differences more pronounced between social media adopters and social media expectants

The Big 3 social media for business Facebook – Biggest player with 250 million users, added 50 million in Q209. No. 1 for stickiness with average 4.5 hours time spent per user in June. Best for: Connecting with friends, public face for fans. Twitter – Micro-blogging in real time. Fastest growing, reported 19% growth in July over June, nearly 2000% YOY. World’s biggest focus group. Best for: Consumer services and interaction. LinkedIn – Grow your network exponentially. Not just for job seekers, 57% of employers registered and using. Identify key customer contacts, establish expertise and trust. Best for: Business services, brand.

Pros & cons: Facebook Huge user base Search tools Mashup apps “True” friends, fans Stickiness Simple business model Easy to create and manage targeted ads CONS Difficult to navigate Time intensive Opt-in requirement Must log in, less immediate “Thick” apps Somewhat limited capabilities for business

Facebook: West Marine retailer

Facebook: Girl Geek organization

Pros & cons: Twitter Broad reach Research, prospecting capabilities Immediate connection, direct engagement “Thin” overhead Hotness factor Flexibility Mobile phone options CONS Easy to abuse, spam Smaller, but dedicated user base 140-char message limitation Early stage of adoption More business services coming, but undefined

Twitter: West Marine retailer

Twitter: Politician

Pros & cons: LinkedIn Considered “must have” in business today Increase visibility and connectability Research clients, prospect for new ones, insight into competition Use your contacts for ecommendations and introductions Search engine optimization Controls, privacy features Groups CONS Controls, privacy features Must be savvy and use strategically Some slow to recognize business value

LinkedIn: West Marine retailer

LinkedIn: Company search

Blog: Engage with a purpose What is the message you want to communicate? Best practice is to avoid hard sell, focus on helping, sharing.

Blog: Integration and consistency Which is website and which is blog? Note cross links to other social media.

Other: YouTube, multimedia Video presence and hosting expands reach. New tools enable anyone to tell a story with sound and pictures. Other sites: Vimeo, 12seconds.

Social Networking Rules of Engagement A plan that includes measureable success criteria Listen to your audience and what it is telling you Define your brand and align with profiles If you don’t know, ask (or tweet) someone Focus and connect first with who you know best Actively engage with your customers Track and report on usage and results Review , analyze, update … and repeat Manage your time effectively Don’t be afraid to get your feet wet

Points to remember Everybody wants to be popular. While popularity can build share, you have to reach and engage the right customers to be successful. Control your emotions and focus on persuasion, empathy, trust (PET). Help don’t sell. Reach out and others will reach back. Be authentic … be consistent … and have fun. At the end of the day it’s better to have a great product than to be great in social media

Thank you … and stay connected KEVIN WOODWARD Email: kwoodward@yahoo.com Phone: 831-359-5419 (mobile, text), 831-662-3987 (landline) Social MediYeah! blog: http://kevinwoodward.wordpress.com LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kevincwoodward Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kwoodward Twitter: http://twitter.com/kevinwoodward