The document provides an overview of how to use social media for business purposes. It discusses using social media for lead generation, sales development, and complementing traditional media campaigns. It also covers creating an online personal brand and separating professional and personal lives online. The document then discusses truths about social media engagement, content going viral, and how people are using different social networks both personally and professionally. It provides best practices for social media use and building a company or personal brand online.

1. Social Media
Using it to Your Advantage
David L. Smith
Marcus Pratt

2. Why We’re Here Today
Learn how you can use Social Media to:
Create lead generation and sales development
Complement traditional media campaigns
Create a powerful online personal profile and brand
Separate your professional life from your personal life
Let’s talk about using Social Media for Business
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3. Don’t Worry, We’re Experts
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4. 5 Truths About Social Media
1. Engagement can't be seen in dollars
2. Social is similar to PR; money can't buy everything
3. Facebook isn't a megaphone, Twitter’s not a podium
4. You're being watched – by your competitors, customers,
prospects, employees & co-workers
5. Content rarely goes viral
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5. How are People Using Social Media?
Clear difference between personal and professional networks
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6. Personal vs. Professional Networks
Content expectations vary depending on type of network
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7. But:
What is a Professional Social Network?
and What is a Personal Social Network?
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8. OVERVIEW OF SOCIAL
NETWORKS

9. Best for personal use
Friending is two-way
Fun, lighter to connect with
individuals
Huge Scale
Rapidly changing platform
requires adaptability and
attention
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10. Twitter
Offers 1 on 1 connection
1 way connections – you
can follow anyone with a
public account
Ability to align with topics or
content via linking
Following experts can
create a personal news feed
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11. Twitter
Large repository of
information via search
Very real-time, and very
public
Anyone can follow you; non-
followers can see your
tweets too
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12. Built for Business
Good platform to establish
leadership on a topic
Excellent for light-touch
networking
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13. In some ways a Rolodex
that updates automatically
Best tool for recruitment
Allows you to know
something about those you
haven’t yet met
Look up clients, prospects,
potential employees
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14. Compelling imagery is a must
Unique in suburban female skewing audience that kick-
started the fastest growing social network (ever)
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15. Popular among
design/fashion/art crowd
Strong platform for brands
with visual content
Full of products; great for
driving retail traffic
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16. Brands, firms, and individuals finding use for Google Hangouts
group video chat feature
• Support & troubleshooting
• Collaboration
• Mini Virtual Conference
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17. Organization of contacts into
“circles”
Allows for posting of one
thing to a professional group,
and another to close friends
Lacking broad stickiness
now, but always keep an eye
on Google
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18. Other Social Networks
Longer form content and thought leadership
Newer, focus on sharing with close connections
Locations and check ins
For foodies
Major revamp in the works
Corporate social environments
Blog hosting, with Twitter-like features
Who knows?
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19. THINGS TO DO
THINGS NOT TO DO

20. Best Practices
Set goals & pick the best tools
for you
Keep the broader relationship in
mind
Know who might see your
posting – is it public or private?
Remember “traditional” media
tie-ins
84% of Smartphone owners use
their phones while watching TV
(Nielsen)
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21. Best Practices
Be transparent – affiliations, name, photo create trust
Be human & be yourself
A picture is worth 1,000 words
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22. Worst Practices
Unneeded or unfounded
negativity
Chiming in with nothing new
to say
Irrelevant yet controversial
topics
Ignoring customers is a no-
no
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23. HOW TO

24. You are probably already
on Facebook
Check privacy settings
– who can see what?
Are you showing your
birthday only, or year?
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25. What brand pages have
you liked? Clients?
Prospects?
Keep it personal, clean,
and remember this is for
friends
Understand how pages &
posting work
Familiarize yourself with ad
products
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26. Twitter
What are you here for?
Following/reading?
Getting a message out?
Finding new contacts?
Tracking customers?
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27. Twitter
Choose your handle &
profile carefully
Consider linking to content
you like or find interesting
Don’t feel obligated to follow
Don’t spam with @replies
or Direct Messages
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28. More important than a resume
Make your profile complete
Get recommendations
Look at your company page
Increasingly a good source of
trends and news with
“LinkedIn Today”
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29. Use the search function:
• Anyone you’re meeting
• Look at & follow companies
you’re tracking regularly
• Larger network = better
results
Think of a connection as a small
endorsement
Add those you are
meeting/doing business with
Consider pro account
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30. Do you need to contribute?
What categories do you want to
align to?
Know what your clients are
doing on Pinterest
If an avid Pinner, consider a
browser plug-in
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31. You may have a profile you don’t know about?
Hooks into Google products
Set up a profile, even if not used
Consider traction gained in photography community
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32. What’s Your Ranking
Klout & Kred aim to
measure social
influence
Systems are imperfect,
but trend data can be
used to track goals
Friend and follower
counts are not
everything

33. BUILDING A BRAND

34. Building your Company’s Brand
Does your company
have a Social Media
policy?
Do you know what it is?
Know what you can
share
We are all brand
ambassadors
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35. Building your Company’s Brand
Keep up to date on news
What posts can you amplify?
Corporate PR
News and views
Success stories
Launches
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36. Building a Personal Brand
Align with your existing brand
Decide how you want to
position yourself within each
network
(Audiences do cross over)
Provide updates to friends and
relatives
Curate important information
and updates
Photos, photos photos
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37. Generating Leads
Recognize the difference
between finding prospects and
generating qualified leads
Don’t be too pushy on social
channels
Use proven tools to establish
contact - okay to pick up the
phone or send an email when
selling
Identify companies with a need
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38. Thank You!
Slides will be posted to Slideshare:
http://www.slideshare.net/mediadls
Follow us on Twitter:
@mawkus
@mediadls
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39. APPENDIX

40. Sources & Additional Resources
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/15/showbiz/tv/second-screen-tv-our-
mobile-society/
http://info.spredfast.com/rs/spredfast/images/Spredfast-Engagement-
Index-Benchmark-Final.pdf
http://pinterest.com/pin/124693483403750740/?utm_source=sendgrid.c
om&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_pin
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/15/showbiz/tv/second-screen-tv-our-
mobile-society/
http://pelfusion.com/twitter-2012-latest-statistics-infographic/

41. Where do Consumers Engage with Brands?
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