Social media is just another marketing platform for you to promote your message and educate your consumer base. Have you thought about what platforms would work best for you? Do you know if the platforms you're on are the best places for your business to be? This deck will go over - Top methods for determining what social media networks work best for your business - Strategies for developing effective content for your social media efforts - Creating content around the lifestyle of your products or service - "How to" social media in a day

1. The ORIGINAL
Search Marketing Event
#SESMiami
Determining the Right Social
Media Networks for Your
Business
Victoria Edwards
Florida Blue
Digital Content Strategist

2. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Background information
• Working in Social Media/SEO/Content
Marketing for 9 years
• Digital Content Strategist for Florida Blue

3. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Where you can find me
• Twitter - @TallChickVic
• LinkedIn - LinkedIn.com/in/VictoriaLEdwards
• Email – Victoria.Edwards@FloridaBlue.com
• Website – Victoria-Edwards.com

4. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
When I am not working…

5. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Overview
• Best methods for determining what social
media networks work best for your business
• Strategies for developing effective content for
your social media efforts
• Creating content around the lifestyle of your
products or service
• "How to" social media in a day

6. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Why do I need social media?
• Increases brand awareness
• Increases traffic to your site
• Increases overall reach (target demographic)
• Helps with research your target demographic
• Great communication tool with your
customers/audience
• Your competitor is already there!
• Helps with SEO (search engine optimization)

7. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Which social media networks?

8. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Do NOT sign up everywhere
• You don’t have the time!
• It may not be where YOUR business
needs to be
• Start slow…

9. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Do your research
• Where are your competitors?
• Where is your audience?
• Where can your digital marketing goals be
met?

10. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Where are your competitors?
• Make a list between 5-10 competitors
• Go to their websites
• Find their social handles (should be on site)
• Look at the conversations
within social media

11. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Where are your competitors?
• Just because they are there, still does not
mean you should be there
• Your competitor list should help nail down
where to be

12. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Where is your audience?
• Which existing profile is getting the most
traction?
• How much engagement is occurring?

13. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Where is your audience?
• Take a peek into your analytics
• Where is your referral traffic coming from?
• Just because you’re not there doesn’t
mean it’s not of value

14. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Where is your audience?
• Are those networks sending you
VALUABLE traffic?
• Do they read your content?
• Do they convert?
• Or do they bounce?

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#SESMiami
Where can your goals be met?

16. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Where can your goals be met?
• Facebook can:
– Increase sales through advertising
– Increase brand awareness through content
promotion (promoted posts)
– Assist in customer service & retention by
creating a community hub

17. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Where can your goals be met?
• Twitter can:
– Increase sales through advertising
– Increase brand awareness through content
promotion
– Assist in customer service & retention by
creating a community hub

18. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Where can your goals be met?
• LinkedIn can:
– Increase leads through introductions
– Boosting client retention by maintaining
relationships
– Assist in company and personal brand
awareness

19. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Where can your goals be met?
• Instagram can:
– Increase brand awareness
– Increase conversion by promoting sales and
products
– Increase engagement (higher engagement
compared to Twitter)

20. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Strategies for developing effective
content for your social media efforts

21. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Plan, plan and plan some more
• What do you want the content to do?
– Generate leads
– Generate downloads
– Increase traffic
– Increase conversion
• Not all content will do everything, so have a clear
goal

22. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Develop Personas

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#SESMiami
Develop a content calendar
• Update it frequently!
– Title
– Author
– Persona
– Due date
– Publication date
– Platform

24. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
More research!
• Research your competitors:
– What type of content topics do they develop?
– What type of content do they create (video,
PPT, blogs, podcasts, whitepapers)?
– What’s the engagement like of that content?

25. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Develop “lifestyle” content
• Create content around your product or
service to educate and entertain

26. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Health care examples
• Health insurance 101
• Health care reform
• Health care innovation
• Fitness
• Wellness
• Recipes

27. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Look internally
• What content is develop within your
company already
• How can you repurpose this content?

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#SESMiami
Types of content to develop
– How to’s
– FAQ’s
– Case studies
– Interview experts in your industry
– Interview internal experts in your company

29. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
What is your audience asking for?
• Develop content around THEIR common
questions & statements

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#SESMiami
Ask your audience
• Surveys
• Emails
• Ask on social media
• They want to be heard!

31. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
“How to” social media in a day
• Look at the industry publications you get
emails from
• Look at the industry news your read
• Find 2 news items that you found of interest
• Find the authors & their Twitter handle
(usually next to their author byline)

32. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
“How to” social media in a day
• Then follow, share, like, tweet
• Tell the publication you appreciated the
content
– And / Or
• Tell the author the same thing

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#SESMiami
“How to” social media in a day
• Ask your social media community what
they thought of the article
• ENGAGEMENT

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#SESMiami
“How to” social media in a day
• Summarize the content in a blog post,
then link to the actual news piece or article
• Take that content and SHARE!
• Mention the authors when you do so!

35. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
“How to” social media in a day
• Monitor your comments
• If someone posted a comment on your wall, reply
• Listening Tools that are free:
– Google Alerts
– Tweet Deck
– Topsy
– Social Mention

36. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
“How to” social media in a day
• Use tools like Followerwonk to find people
or subject matter experts in your industry
• Follow them in social media and then send
a quick hello!

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#SESMiami
“How to” social media in a day
• Then rinse & repeat

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#SESMiami
3 Main Takeaways
• Research A LOT
• Learn from your competitors
• Focus on where your goals can be met

39. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Thank You!
• Twitter - @TallChickVic
• LinkedIn - LinkedIn.com/in/VictoriaLEdwards
• Email – Victoria.Edwards@FloridaBlue.com
• Website – Victoria-Edwards.com

40. @TallChickVic
#SESMiami
Resources
• https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/social-media-channels-business-
223554094.html
• https://www.123-reg.co.uk/blog/online-marketing/social-media-platform-
business/
• http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-tools/the-39-social-media-
tools-ill-use-today/
• http://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-engagement-rates-up-to-50-
times-higher-than-twitter-socialbakers-finds-2014-12
• http://www.problogger.net/archives/2011/09/03/52-types-of-blog-posts-that-
are-proven-to-work/
• http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/monitor-social-media-effectively