1) Social media such as blogging and Twitter can benefit businesses but require changes in thinking and behaviors. It involves losing some control over your brand and engaging in two-way communication. 2) When starting out, businesses should listen to conversations, identify influencers in their industry, and start using tools internally before engaging externally. 3) Content should solve problems for customers, be digestible, and highlight your sustainable competitive advantage and expertise. Goals and metrics should align with your overall business strategy.

1. Social Media: Blogging and Twitter for Business Some considerations, tips and discussion on the benefits and challenges of blogging and twittering in your business www.symphony3.com/social-media 1

2. Introduction Fergal Coleman, 15 years experience in internet, IT industry Assisting organisations across a range of industries with social media, including manufacturing, professional services, distribution, local government Master of Business and IT, Melbourne University Developed a social media framework and methodology available at www.symphony3.com Slides available at http://www.symphony3.com/Glen-Eira-Women-In-Business @symphony3think Facebook.com/symphony3

3. Social Media (inc. blogs) is about change Is social media/blogging for you? Have you embraced Web 1.0? The tools are easy to use but change is difficult – changing your own behaviours is often more difficult than changing clients’ employees behaviours Are you prepared to change your ways of thinking? Are you prepared to lose control of your brand? It’s about leadership, if you're not prepared to change why should your team?

4. Why blogs are different to websites More informal – you can provide information in the first person – more personal Provides authenticity Easy to use Blogs are two-way communication mechanisms Blogs work well with search engines

6. What are people saying?

7. About you and your products?

8. About your customers?

9. About your competitors?

10. What information can give you an edge?Monitor Competitors and Industry Leaders What do customers think of your product? 5

11. Find the Influencers 7 to 750 million Picked seven bloggers to attend a top secret “Midnight Webcast” They told tens of thousands of fans Mainstream media listened and reported Estimated 350 million people heard the news within 24 hours 2008 Who are the influencers in your community? Listen, comment, provideopinion using the social media they use www.symphony3.com/mindshop

12. Start using the tools internally (or in a safe environment) How can you communicate more effectively within your organisation? On projects and client engagements? How can you use to the tools to innovate and streamline processes and service delivery? Sharing Ideas and communication with Yammer and Central desktop 7

13. Policy: What are the rules? How are employees expected to behave in a social media/blogging context? What are you going to reveal about your organisations? What are employees allowed to reveal or not reveal? How will you respond in different situations? Provide parameters not strict rules

15. Who are they?

16. How niche ?

17. Who would have thought there was a market for a bagpipe tuner? www.bagpipetuner.com

18. Remember the Long Tail

20. Why do customers do business with you? What is your sustainable competitive advantage(SCA)? What is it that your customers most value? Why do they choose to do business with you over your competitors? Do you want to be blogging about issues the customers most value? Discuss with table/partner Target market Your SCA What strategic goals would a blog help you achieve?

21. Creating your own blog Is Easy Wordpress.com Blogger .com Tumblr.com Many CMSs have built in blogging engines

22. Content: The Sweet Spot In Pairs: Ideas & examples on how best to hit the sweet spot. What could you post that hits the sweet spot with your customers? Thanks to James Atkins at www.vantagemarketing.com.au Solve Problem Digestible SCA/Expertise

23. Measure Social Media is Measureable Set clear KPIs Relate them back to the business – leads, prospects sales

24. Best Australian blogs Best Australian Blogs http://www.stylingyou.com.au/ http://www.bikeexif.com/about http://www.smartcompany.com.au/internet/20100914-australia-s-25-top-business-blogs.html http://naomisimson.com/2011/08/12/three-online-branding-lessons/ http:///www.problogger.com.au http://www.deloittedigital.blogspot.com/ http://www.jenlist.com.au/_blog/James_Blog

25. Some Tips and Ideas Don’t overcommit – quality over quantity Have guest bloggers and offer to guest blog Say what you think/believe? Ask questions of the readers? They might answer! Choose your keywords to suit your SEO strategy Include interactive content (video, images) Link and reference other blogs Allow others to easily share

26. Twitter Like blogging it’s a conversation Listening can be as powerful as talking

27. Syndicate

28. Train and Educate Train your staff Educate your customers Raise Awareness Remember the tools are easy - changing behaviours can be much more difficult

29. Social Media Framework Logical Boxes People Needs Who are you Serving? Where are they? What are they doing online? What drives them to engage with you? Customer Segment A Customer Segment B Employees Customer Segment A Customer Segment B Employees Why We Exist Mission Strategic Goals Core Values Vision Financial Profitability Improved Customer Service New customers More Efficient Processes Lower Costs Lower Customer Churn More $ per customer How We Do It Make (Services delivered) Communicate Engaging / Energising Talking / Informing Supporting Activities Supporting Listening Building Blocks Finance (Budget) 20 People Leadership Culture Skills +Training Data and Information Standards and Policies Social Media Policy Response Guide Risk Mgmt Technology (Tools)

30. Get Involved! Change is happening very quickly Think Get involved! But think long term http://www.symphony3.com/Glen-Eira-Women-In-Business Questions??