The document discusses strategies for expanding social media presence and engagement. It recommends listening to existing conversations on social networks to understand customers and where they interact online. Based on what is learned, a business can decide how to contribute and participate in conversations without direct selling. The document also discusses creating an online niche community, noting it requires ongoing costs like community management. Tips are provided for joining and participating in existing communities to expand reach and influence.

1. Expand your social media strategy and create conversations Beyond Blogging

2. Stella De Zotti Australian Businesswomen’s Network

3. Suzi Dafnis Australian Businesswomen’s Network

4. Anne Bartlett-Bragg Headshift

5. Agenda How to listen to conversations? How to engage with existing social networks? How to create an online niche community ?

6. What is your market saying about you? about your product? “ Listening”

7. What is your market saying about you? about your product? “ Listening”

8. How to “Listen” What do you already know about your customers? Where are your customers (target market) "hanging out"? Fish where the fish are! What are they talking about? What are they sharing?

9. How to “Listen” Build a radar - not simply Google analytics / click throughs "Listen" to understand "Listen" to determine how and where to engage - OR NOT!

10. How to engage with existing social networks How do you expand your reach and influence in existing social networks? Based on the knowledge gained from listening.. you now have a stack of information about where, when and with who - your customers/target audience are interacting with... Now you have to decide how you'd like to contribute and participate in these conversations. NB: Remember - this is a conversation - it's not a direct selling opportunity!

11. Why start a new community, if there's already existing ones? Only creates dilution ... What's involved in your own community? Cost = design + build + time + ongoing costs How to create an online niche community

12. Ongoing Cost = community management eg. a small community requires 25 - 50% FT role What does a community manager do? It depends but.. roles such as: * content writer/editor * design action-oriented activities * moderate member contributions * aggregate information from external sites - perhaps make commentary * make connections - facilitate and integrate * ensure distribution to other existing places * monitor & respond to the radar How to create an online niche community

13. Tips for Implementation