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The 7 Worst Social Media Mistakes — and How to Avoid Them

The 7 Worst Social Media Mistakes — and How to Avoid Them. Joanna L. Krotz Multimedia journalist & small-business expert January 24, 2013. BROUGHT TO YOU BY. social media gets around. Text. Hashtag (symbol #) was named 2012 “ Word of the Year ” by the American Dialect Society. 2.

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The 7 Worst Social Media Mistakes — and How to Avoid Them

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  1. The 7 Worst Social Media Mistakes — and How to Avoid Them • Joanna L. Krotz • Multimedia journalist & small-business expertJanuary 24, 2013 BROUGHT TO YOU BY

  2. social media gets around Text Hashtag (symbol #) was named 2012 “Word of the Year” by the American Dialect Society 2 BROUGHT TO YOU BY

  3. Text • An up-to-date look at current options to build your • social media platform, including: • crafting a strategy • choosing channels • engaging & monitoring • the power of storytelling • calculating ROI • AND the 7 critical mistakes to avoid what we will cover BROUGHT TO YOU BY 3

  4. crafting a strategy • Figure out: • - What drives your business • - What drives revenue • - What drives your organization • - What audiences are you trying to reach • - Are you dedicated for the long term Almost 2/3 of companies (64%) are now beyond the experimental phase, up from 54% the year before. They have moved on to thought-out and integrated engagement. — eConsultancy, The State of Social Report 2011 4

  5. crafting a strategy Establish objectives. Do you want to: • provide company information & news • improve customer service & retention • develop thought leadership • launch or build brand buzz • find investors or donors • develop media relationships • drive sales & prospect for customers • monitor competition • recruit talent • drive traffic to website or blog Source: Eugenie Sills, TWT Media

  6. choosing channels • What channels do you want to use? Why? • Are these channels easily accessible any time of day? • Do you have time and energy required for the channels?  • Follow competitors to see what they’re up to In 2013, a fifth (20.5%) of small businesses plan to increase their ad spend on social media networks, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. — Ad-ology Research survey of 1,438 SMBs 6

  7. every day • choosing channels • Facebook targets consumers & launching search function • LinkedIn attracts C-suite and professionals • Twitter hosts thought leaders to pop commentary • YouTube now No. 2 search engine • Pinterest often drives retailer traffic

  8. every day • choosing channels myMOLESKINE user • Visual channels like Instagram & Pinterest can be used creatively, even for offline brands like Moleskine designer paper • Integrate channels: Instagram postings also appear on Twitter • Use subgroups to segment audiences

  9. every day • choosing channels Based on your objectives, decide on postings: • storytelling, news, updates • deals & business changes • helpful links • polls or surveys • interviews, chats, debates • live tweeting or video streaming events • offers, discounts, contests, sweepstakes • entertainment • job recruitment

  10. engaging & monitoring every day No. of employees within organization dedicated to SM Source: Altimeter Group • Spend 30 minutes daily on social outreach • Post frequent updates • Figure out incentives for loyalty • Rely on cross section of staff, not just marketing

  11. engaging & monitoring every day As of July 2012 • Stay tuned to real-world events • Measure traffic and referrals; or use 3rd party software • Use a Web analytics program to track site traffic • Refine efforts to improve results • Keep at it until you have an impact

  12. the power of storytelling

  13. calculating ROI • Choices include tallying the number of times: • critical keyword appears • brand name appears • competitor brand appears • Twitter DMs (Direct Messages), Facebook comments • click-throughs on shortened, trackable URLs (bit.ly type) • related hashtag used • specific anecdote or content that resulted in sales • completed calls to actions - event or email registration, coupon redemption, info request, completed survey, etc.

  14. Turning up the volumewithout monitoring the dials • MISTAKE NO. 1 • What happens in social media stays on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Pinterest… • Invest time in learning • Avoid automated postings • Don’t use form postings

  15. Using too many social media channels • MISTAKE NO. 2 • SM use among small businesses up to 53% in 2012, but remains impulsive, according to SMB Group survey • “It’s all about identifying the best ways to engage with your customer base and how to best manage your time.”—Taylor Aldredge, Grasshopper

  16. Ceding control to “digital natives” • MISTAKE NO. 3 • Make sure young SM aficionados are trained & mentored by senior staff • Knowing how to use the tools does not equate to brand management • Vet every posting before it goes live

  17. Creating content that’sall about you • MISTAKE NO. 4 • Don’t shout or promote—engage • Don’t pitch products—share information • Optimize content for mobile users • Leverage infographics, photos & visuals • Fit your postings to your brand image & products • Stay alert to NSFW (Not Safe for Work) postings

  18. Ignoring customerswho raise their hands • MISTAKE NO. 5 • 3 out of 4 complaining customers satisfied by reply • Respond to negative posts with online apology • Investigate problem, take conversation offline • Reward positive engagement with incentives Source: Maritz Research

  19. Letting employees sabotageyour social media goodwill • MISTAKE NO. 6 • Draft policy for increasing “profersonal” linkages • Get educated about legal ways to recruit on SM • Establish written mandatory SM policies • Ask employees to post disclaimers on personal accounts Source: Joy Butler, “The Cyber Citizen’s Guide Through the Legal Jungle”

  20. MISTAKE NO. 7 Giving up too soon • Give it time and patience • Success comes from commitment

  21. social media: the takeaway • Think through your goals • Develop a thought-out, consistent, transparent strategy before engaging in social media. “SMBs that use social media strategically are more satisfied with the results than ad hoc users….. SMBs that use social media as part of a planned corporate approach are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to anticipate revenue growth than ad hoc users.” — SMB Group, Sept 2012 survey

  22. Joanna L. Krotz author of • online at: • muse2muse.com • online at: joannakrotz.com BROUGHT TO YOU BY 22

  23. got questions? BROUGHT TO YOU BY 23

  24. Thank you for attending.For more small-business information, visit Business on Main: businessonmain.msn.com BROUGHT TO YOU BY 24

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