Paul Kortman of Connex Social, a digital marketing agency, gave a presentation on social media for startups. He discussed definitions of social media and growth hacking, objectives for startups like acquiring customers and knowledge, content strategy considerations like frequency and platforms, and tactics for different social media platforms like posting daily on blog and using visual content and hashtags on Twitter. The presentation provided an overview of using social media effectively for startup goals like customer acquisition, learning, and growth.
5. Differences in Social Media for Startups
Uncertainty
Customer Dev.
Growth
Scrappy
Unknown
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What makes Social Media different for startups?
Uncertainty
Focused on Customer Dev, learning, learning
Designed for Astronomical Growth
Scrappy/Creative
You are Unknown, no brand/product awareness
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THIS IS HARD!
Social Media = anything where a conversation can be had in digital format (aka comments or replies) (IRC, BBS, Email)
Social Media takes time, resources and genuine effort. You will have to work very hard to stand out.
Email and SEO are just as important if not more.
7. GROWTH HACKING
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Growth Hackers utilize
analytical thinking
product engineering
creativity
to significantly increase their company’s CORE METRICS.
9. Objectives
Acquire Customers
Acquire Knowledge
Acquire PR
Acquire Funding
Customer Service
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Objectives - have to align with business objectives.
Acquire Customers (sales/conversions)
Acquire Knowledge (Customer Development)
Acquire PR
Acquire funding
Customer Service (dealing with complaints)
10. Acquire Customers
Ads
Search
Fan Activation
CTA
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Objectives - Acquire Customers
Ads
Search
-->Hijack Conversations/hashtags
Viral/Fan Activation
-->Brand/product awareness
-->Contests/Incentives
What is your Call to Action?
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Imagine you’re standing with strangers in an airport. What would you say to them to get their attention and get them excited about what you’re
doing?
12. Customer Development
Pivot
Acquire Knowledge
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Objectives - Acquire Knowledge
Customer Development
Customer Discovery
Where is the problem
Who has the problem
How bad is the problem
What are they doing today to solve the problem
Are people willing to pay you to solve their pain.
Do they believe you're solving their pain?
Customer Validation
Do they like your product?
Customer Creation
Scale sales funnels
Company Building
Scale internally
13. Acquire PR
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Objectives - Acquire PR
Follow/Interact with influencers, bloggers, media etc.
HARO
Respond to what writers are writing, @mentions comments and the like are huge flattery
14. Acquire Funding
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Objectives - Acquire Funding
Are you Crazy?
No one ever acquires funding via social media *wink*
Leverage network for popularity funding contests (Kickstarter/StartGarden)
Get introduced
Get customers, have traction? then funding=easy
15. Customer Service
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Objectives - Customer Service
Monitor your mentions and proactively respond.
ex: https://twitter.com/HeleneScott/status/369980080401158144
16. Objectives
Acquire Customers
Acquire Knowledge
Acquire PR
Acquire Funding
Customer Service
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Objectives - have to align with business objectives.
Acquire Customers (sales/conversions)
Acquire Knowledge (Customer Development)
Acquire PR
Acquire funding
Customer Service (dealing with complaints)
19. Frequency?
Content
PlaceTime
Creation or Curation?
Sources?
Topic? Voice?
Market Influencers?
For;at?
Memes?
Incentives?
Contests?
Cross-‐net8ork?
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Content Strategy
Frequency?
Creation or Curation?
Sources?
Topic?
Voice?
Market Influencers?
Format?
Memes?
Incentives or Giveaways?
Contests?
Post Cross-network?
20. PlaceTime
Content
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Content Strategy
Give people a reason to care.
There's a million start-ups now days... why should I take the time to look at what you're doing?
Tell a story.
Invite people into your story, have fun, be funny. Don't control the conversation but influence the relationship. More like party planning, versus
advertising.
Provide Value
What's in it for the viewer?
Share your content across all networks
People will miss it, you need to use all available means.
24. About your opinions
About the market
About problem solving
Using Info-graphics
Summarize another’s blog
Respond to an influential blog
About questions the market has
Blog
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Post Daily
Comments - seed
Full RSS feeds
Link to influential blogs
Guest Post everywhere
29. Wednesday, August 28, 13
Quora / Yahoo Answers / Stack Exchange
Answer often
Ask weekly if you have a valid question
Great for Customer Development