Not sure how to spread your message "across platforms"? Are you a novice to intermediate "social media expert?" View the following presentation to understand the fundamental tools to creating an effective social media campaign by using a newsletter, blog, Facebook and Twitter. Examples, sources and further reading included.

1. Presentation for TriState AMP April 26, 2010 Integrate Your Message: tools to uniting your newsletter, blog, Twitter & Facebook Stephanie Lynch Director of PR & Marketing Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau Web/Twitter/Facbook/YouTube @VisitCape Want more? Follow me here: @capeslynch(All things Cape) @theslynch (All things Single Mom)

2. Step 1: Find the “Experts” Let’s find out how well we know the social media landscape. I’m referring to: Social networking (Twitter, Facebook) Blogging (Wordpress, Blogger) Video sharing (YouTube, Vimeo) Photo sharing (Flickr, Photobucket) Online chatting (AIM, Yahoo Messenger!) Gaming Social bookmarking (digg, Delicious) Presentation sharing (Slideshare, Slide) Interactive content (Hulu, CNN—you name it!)

3. Step 1: Find the “Experts” What’s your score? Give yourself a hashtag (#) for each of the following:

4. Step 1: Find the “Experts” And, since we’re here to learn from each other. Let’s see the scores. If you scored at least 5, raise your hand. Keep your hand up if you scored at least 10. Keep your hand up if you scored at least 20. 30? 40? 50?

5. Step 1: Find the “Experts” Now that we know who the top scorers are, let’s assume that these people know more about social media than say, your average “tweep”. Know them. Sit next to them. Ask them questions. Share knowledge. Consider it networking for virtual networking. Tweep --noun Conjuctionof Twitter and Peep resulting in tweep, is commonly used to refer to the Twitter followers of someone. For example, “Word up to my tweeps! Thanks for the RT.”

6. Step 1: Find the “Experts” Don’t feel like an expert? DON’T WORRY. Social media “experts" are now breeding like rabbits.

7. Step 1: Find the “Experts” Make it work for you.

8. Step 2: Know Your Apps For today’s purposes. Let’s look at a few apps, what they do and how you can use them—easily and affordably. Email Newsletters Provide a method of sharing your information Most email newsletter apps provide archiving so that each newsletter becomes a stand-alone URL. This means that every time you email a newsletter you are creating a web presence. Provide a method for storing your information Once your newsletter is web-based you can publish the link on your web site, blog or social media feed—indefinitely.

9. Step 2: Know Your Apps All of these newsletter apps have webinars, help wikis, toll free numbers or an online chat sales force. Don’t rely on regular email! Use an app and the features it can provide!

10. Step 2: Know Your Apps If you’re not sending out email newsletters to clients or customers through an app like these—you’re missing the boat.

11. Step 2: Know Your Apps Email is NOT dead. According to a recent study, more than 7 out of 10 email users preferred communicating with friends and family via email rather than social networks. Source: http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007626

12. Step 2: Know Your Apps They might miss your Facebook or Twitter update. But, if you email them a newsletter and then publish a link to your newsletter on your blog or web site—they can always access it. Especially, if you keep reminding them to do so.

13. Step 2: Know Your Apps Which reminds me…have you blogged today? Blogging Provides a method of sharing your information Blogs create dynamic content. Which means that users will come back for more. Which means that users will begin to think you have something to offer. Provides a method for storing your information Remember those email newsletters—publishing a link to the newsletter on your blog is a great way to store your info.

14. Step 2: Know Your Apps Let me give you an example… http://www.capeSF.blogspot.com The Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival Online Press Kit is actually a blog. Not only is it a blog. It’s a FREE blog. Due to time and budget constraints, the 2010 festival was unable to create a blog on their web site. (capestorytelling.com) But, with a few clicks, a FREEblog on blogger.com was born. What’s so great about that?

15. Step 2: Know Your Apps Let me give you an example… Content was generated almost daily and published on the blog as a press release. This included photos, videos, a link to online ticketing, as well as links to Twitter, Facebook, etc. Every time an email newsletter was published, the individual stories were published on the blog and the newsletters were archived.

16. Step 2: Know Your Apps If someone missed the newsletter via email, they could be directed to the blog. Including all media outlets.

17. Step 2: Know Your Apps Do I really need a Facebook page? Facebook Provides a method of sharing your information Facebook pages give you another method of pushing your content to people who WANT it. Remember they opted in to “like” you. Every time you blog, post a link to that blog article on Facebook. Provides a method for storing your information Facebook is really just another means of storing content. It remains an interactive record for not only what YOU said but also what OTHERS said.

18. Step 2: Know Your Apps Let me give you an example… www.facebook.com/capeSF capeSF has (as of today) 727 friends who “like” the festival. This means that 727 people will receive status updates from capeSF—including blog postings, photos and other relevant content.

19. Step 2: Know Your Apps Twitter rocks my world—and I’m hoping yours, too. Twitter Provides a method of sharing your information Twitter gives you yet another method of pushing your content to people who FOLLOW you. Every time you blog, post a link to that blog article on Twitter. Generating followers is a game. You can’t play the game if you never use it. So, tweet regularly and learn how to play. Provides a method for storing your information Twitter is yet another nifty storage site. However, the beauty of Twitter is its simplicity, its timeliness and the ability to start a conversation with people you would not normally be able to access.

20. Step 2: Know Your Apps Let me give you an example… www.twitter.com/capeSF capeSF has (as of today) 92 followers. Although it’s a small following—Twitter has great potential!

22. Instant news releases

23. Engagement with press and media

25. Step 3: Combine, Convey, Connect What’s the difference between email newsletters, blogs, Facebook & Twitter? But they each do it differently. Combine your message and spread it “across platforms” (yuck) Translation: make your message heard on the social media sites you are comfortable with Convey your message to compliment your brand Including implementing good design Connect your message with others Generate feedback Learn from “experts” Share what you know so others will “trust” and engage

26. Step 3: Combine, Convey, Connect Will it work? Let’s look again at the Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival as an example:

28. Final Thoughts Jack Handy is my co-pilot… Most of us are just swimming upstream—juggling communications on a constant basis. It’s almost as if we cannot escape it. If I hear my phone beep a tweet at 2AM again, I’m going to throw the thing out the window. I’m just not that important. Neither are you. WRONG. Your message is just as important as anyone else’s message.And, if you don’t deliver it. Someone else will.

29. Final Thoughts Word to the wise… Interested in Online Press Kits? Learn more about SMNR (social media news releases from these folks): http://www.pressitt.com http://www.pitchengine.com http://www.mutualmind.com Social Media Publications (standard must-reads): http://www.mashable.com http://www.socialmediatoday.com Unsure of who to follow on Twitter? These guys chat up most things social media: http://www.twitter.com/ChrisBrogan http://www.twitter.com/prsarahevans http://www.twitter.com/jayrosen_nyu

30. Thank You Tristate AMP! I hope you enjoyed my presentation. See slide 1 for contact information. Presentation at Port Cape for Tristate AMP April 26, 2010.