Social Media
What is Social Media?
Social media is online content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies. Social media is a shift in how people discover, read and share news, information and content; it supports the human need for social interaction with technology, transforming broadcast media monologues (one to many) into social media dialogues (many to many). It supports the democratization of knowledge and information, transforming people from content consumers into content producers.
Here are some amazing stats about social media:
• 3 out of 4 Americans use social technology
• 2/3 of the global Internet population visit social networks
• Visiting social networking sites is the 4th most popular online activity –actually ahead of personal email
• Time spent on social networks is growing at 3x the overall Internet rate, accounting for 10% of all Internet time
• Social media is shifting the power away from the editors and the publishers. You are in control!
• Estimated 100,000,000 videos are viewed on Youtube per day
• 13,000,000 articles are available on Wikipedia
• 3,600,000,000 photos has been received on Flickr since June 2009, that’s 1 photo per every two citizens of this planet
• 1382% is the monthly growth rate of Twitter users from January to February 2009
• 5,000,000,000 minutes spent on Facebook each day
• Total amount of time spent on Facebook increased by 566% between December 2007-December 2008
• Facebook’s greatest growth in global audience numbers has come from people aged 35-49
• If Facebook were a country, it would be the 8th most populated in the world (Mark Zuckenberg)
• 93% of social media users believe that a company should have a presence in social media
• 85% of social media users believe that a company should interact with its customers in social media
How Do You Find the Right Social Media Outlet(s)?
Many organizations today stand in front of a dilemma how to use social media and which outlet(s) is the best for them. Social media is changing and progressing as fast as any other aspect of your business. For a small organization, selecting the right outlet means better results and also important time savings. However, choosing the right social media can be overwhelming.
Daily, we read about other organizations using Twitter, Facebook, Digg, MySpace, YouTube, LinkedIn, Blogger and the list goes on….We also read about their successes using these outlets. Being a public relations professional at Stylee PR and Marketing, I am almost forced to use them all, but you as an individual or a small organization can pick. How do you select the latest and most effective from all new media that will assist you in marketing and growing your business?
First, you need to recognize your needs, what content you want to share, and find your target audience. Then you find the right outlet and devote a regular portion of your day to it daily. How do you find the right outlet(s) for your business or product? The first step is to research. Take a look at all of them; see what your competition is using. See if their tools are benefiting them. Do people know about them? Are they growing? Read blogs that mention similar products or services that you are trying to promote. Get educated about what’s out there.
Think about your content. Do you have a lot of photos to share? You may want to set up a Flickr account. Do you have a lot of video? You may want to create both YouTube and Vimeo (better quality video) accounts. Do you want to share your updates quickly with a large group of people, get on Twitter. Use a TweetDeck to manage your updates. Do you want to share your video, photos and updates with a group of friends or customers, set up a Facebook account. Facebook is also great for sharing events and fundraising as you can invite a large number of people to your events (no printing cost). Are you starting a band, get on MySpace. If you are writing articles, you need a blog. If there are articles written about you, Digg them. Need to find other professionals in your field, set up a LinkedIn account.
The possibilities are pretty much endless, but you have to keep in mind that just creating an account is not enough, you have to diligently check it and update it. Your goal is to create a conversation, to set a trend. You can only achieve this if your message is relevant to your followers. You also need to devote time to any social media outlet that you select. Many businesses now use PR professionals to help them get set up and started. My advice to you is to check out all social media outlets, play with them, and give them a try. Remember that whatever you do, social media is supposed to be fun.
Simple Steps to Create a Word of Mouth Marketing Campaign:
I have seen the industry changed significantly in the last few years. Although, what many call the PR 2.0 really just launched with the introduction of the Web 2.0 applications, major changes started happening almost 10 years ago.
When it comes to word of mouth, there are certain rules that apply. Either we are talking about traditional PR or PR 2.0 which today heavily involves social media. Word of mouth marketing campaigns are based on the principle that people love to talk; and it doesn’t matter if they are having a face to face conversation or this conversation is happening on social networks. Companies still have to develop unique stories about their products and services in hopes that these will inspire people to talk. Having an interesting new product or thinking outside the box are a couple of good reasons why people will talk. One thing to keep in mind is that happy customers talk, but unhappy customers will certainly share their unpleasant experience.
Giving your customers tools to make their conversations easier is where social media and its accessibility come in play. Sharing links, photos, videos, and up-to-date information on blogs are the fastest ways to spread news and create word of mouth. We see many companies today that engage customers through free offers on their websites. Large corporations especially have incredibly interactive websites that pull you in. A good example is Ethan Allen or Ikea that allow you to create your own designs.
When creating a word of mouth campaign for my clients, we focus on targeting “talkers.” It’s not hard to find them as we all know that one person who is up-to-date on every new product or happening. These people are our talkers that will help us spread the word. Inviting them to special events, launch parties, or sending them free samples is great way of engaging them.
Although companies were always encouraged to join the conversation, it has never been easier than today. Social media is a new tool that allows us not only to listen to conversations happening online, but also take part in them. My clients use Twitter Search or Google Reader to keep track of these conversations and take part in them when it is appropriate. Be careful to avoid spamming.
The very last and important part of a successful word of mouth campaign is tracking the results and understating and measuring what people are saying.
How to Start a Successful Blog?
One of the first questions that I get when talking to my potential Stylee PR clients is: “How do I start a blog?” According to a recent study from Hubspot, who canvassed 167 small to medium sized business owners and executives, one of the most effective marketing practices includes a successful blog.
Starting a blog is very simple and it is also free, you do not need to buy a domain, just simply pick your blog name on one of the popular blog hosting sites like blogger or wordpress. Here are five tips to get you started on the road to creating a successful blog.
1. Create great content – this is the most important thing you can do. Great content is what attracts users, and keeps them coming back. A blog with great content is also more likely to be discovered in search engines.
2. Pick a niche – picking a certain topic to blog on will ultimately be better for your blog in the end. It brings targeted readers are more likely to spend more time on your site and more likely to come back. If you advertise on your blog, targeting specific users will benefit you.
3. Don’t advertise too much – while advertising can be profitable for you, too much advertising can drive many readers away from your blog. Advertise, but don’t overdo it.
4. Create a schedule – posting on a schedule is good for two reasons. First, your readers know that you will be posting new content regularly. Secondly, it helps you stay committed and motivated in what you are doing.
5. Experiment – and have fun with it. It is your blog, it does not belong to someone else. You are free to do whatever you want with it. Don’t be afraid to try new things. There is no specific approach to blogging. What works for someone else may not work for you.
Want more tips on creating a successful blog? Go to http://www.blogging-in-action.com/
Resources:
Nielsen, Global Faces and Networked Places, 2009
Forrester, The Growth of Social Technology Adoption, 2008
DiggitalBuzzBlog.com
EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcus_Johnston
Wikipedia.com