Social Networking – The Ways and Means Rosey Broderick May 2011

Introduction Brief Introduction What is Social Media Why Social Media is important for you How to use social media Conclusion influence inspire connect

by Rosey Broderick – WebResults.ie Social Networking – The Ways and Means Involved with web for 12 + years Set up web based business HomeWise.ie (Irelands home and garden search engine) in 2006 – currently over 120,000 monthly visits Set up WebResults.ie in 2007 – We work with organisations to build their profiles and get results from the web

Social Networking and Social Media Web-based social networking occurs when users share content, interact and develop communities around similar interests. Social Media is the collection of tools and online spaces available to help individuals, groups, teams and others interact, share information and connect.

Why is social media important?

Over 3 million people are connected and sharing at least one social network YouTube Video Consumption across social networks Facebook 46.2 years of video watched a day MySpace 5.6 years of video watched a day

Why are people on social media? To stay up to date with their peers To connect with like minded people To educate and promote initiatives To exchange ideas Become part of a community

How do I use social media

To benefit from social media you have to be social

Social Media Goals Generate participation and discussion Create relationships among students, athletes, coaches & professional sports people and get them active for you Provide members with “inside” information and product promotions Drive membership numbers

Which Media?

2011 in Ireland

77% of all Irish internet users use Facebook (Comscore) 90% of those aged 15 – 24 years use Facebook, and two thirds of those use it every day. (Ipsos MRBI)

Key considerations Need an address to set up a page Name your page based on core subject /to reflect what you are doing. UL Sports Decide on type of presence you want on facebook group or page Get a core team of people to contribute Build community through joining relevant groups

Groups or Pages? Facebook Groups are “for members of groups to connect, share and even collaborate on a given topic or idea” Facebook Pages “allow entities to broadcast information to their fans.

What should you use? Facebook Pages used by brands and large organisations to share information. Eg. College Clubs and Society Facebook Group used by communities to build an interactive social media space. Share ideas with friends and communicate among the group. Eg. For individual Clubs and Societies.

Facebook Group V Pages

Create an Account

Create a Page

Building your Page

Different features of Facebook Advertise any events / accomplishments Post relevant pictures Discussion Forum Start by posting a thoughtful question/comment Post a Video. Reviews (comment on yours or someone else’s page or business) Wall : Only your fans can write on your wall

Measuring and monitoring Facebook activity Facebook Insights Fans Interactions Page Views Demographics

Estimated number of 150,000 users in Ireland Number is growing worldwide, with 460,000 new accounts per day on average. Mobile users up 182% Over 70% of all Twitter users are either in College or are College graduates (source : 2010 – digital surgeons)

Join Twitter

Starting on Twitter Jump In Choose an account for your organisation Personalise your profile with a photo Follow the Top Twitter Users in your category for ideas Search and see who is talking about your keywords Engage/talk to people Follow people who follow you (at the start) Communicate with your members regularly Publish Helpful Content Use Twitter for events. Use hashtags for others to follow

Social Media Apps Create a suite to manage your accounts Use TweetDeck or HootSuite One centralised location which automates your tweets and social posts. Time efficient

HootSuite

YouTube YouTube lets you set up a channel dedicated to your organisation. A medium where people can watch videos about your organisation and interact. It acts as a great networking tool and is free and easy to set up. edded

Stay ahead of the Curve Once you master the basics, Facebook and Twitter, look to the future Social Networking is constantly changing Need to be flexible and see opportunity Where will your audience be in 12 months time? The Geo-location space The rise of mobile. QR codes

Geo Location 46% of Irish mobile users browse the internet on smartphones The age group are spending more time on mobile social media than ever before Geo Location can be used for seeing where your friends are, checking into places, search for nearby merchants and deals. Use this to raise awareness of your events and whats happening locally.

FourSquare

Key Social Media Points Get the basics right Listen & identify the influencers Let fans know that you hear them Be proactive in your approach Only publish what you know people want to read

QR codes - barcodes When you scan or read a QR code with your smartphone, you can link to digital content on the web; activate a number of phone functions including , IM and SMS; and connect the mobile device to a web browser. =player_embedded =player_embedded

Conclusion Social Media is NOT a fad: It’s a trend Takes time An excellent way of interacting Now a vital tool in raising your profile Keep ahead of the curve Enjoy it.

by Rosey Broderick – WebResults.ie Social Networking – The Ways and Means Like us on facebook Follow us on twitter