Dennis unit 1 ip
- 1. Social Media and Southern Technologies An introduction to social media options, and how to incorporate them into your corporate philosophy.
- 2. Social media: The definition Social media is an web based communication platform that allows users to: connect, comment, share, and discuss, any topic, story, idea, or image, anytime of the day or night in real time.
- 3. Social Media: Your options Facebook: Started in 2004, currently has over 900 million users, allows private and public chats, photo and video sharing. (Wikipedia:Facebook) Technorati: This search tool is currently tracking over 133 million active online blogs by individuals or companies. Can be used for real time feedback about products and customer service discussions. YouTube: Allows the sharing of video and music clips around the globe. YouTube has over 800 million unique users per month. Over 60 hours of new video is uploaded every minute. (Wikipedia:YouTube)
- 4. Social media and corporations Although these platforms launched between 2003/05, they were used primarily by individuals until late 06, and early 07. At that time limited corporate activity began, and it has been snowballing ever since. Zappos.com uses a social media platform to provide customer service. Customers can actually chat with Zappos CEO. This builds a bond between customer, brand, and company never seen before.
- 5. So who else is using Social media? In 2011, only 21% of marketers were “very or fully engaged” in Social Media. For 2012, 32% of marketers were “very or fully engaged” in Social Media. For 2013, its estimated that 53% of these marketers will be “intensely engaged” with Social media. Of those surveyed, 97% will be involved to some extent in 2013. (Hosford)
- 6. The Benefits Social media promotes relationship building with investors, employees, customers, and the media. Social media assists with improved credibility, and real time communication between invested parties. The internet runs 24/7, 365 days a year. Not every customer can contact/purchase between 9 am to 5pm. Promote/share your message across multiple platforms, to the masses or specific groups/areas.
- 7. Seeing the benefit Traditional marketing uses surveys, interviews, and content analysis to determine the success of a campaign. With slight variations, these can be used with social media as well. Since every click is traceable, data mining can be used to see every bounce, download, click, and purchase. Analytical tools can determine where a visitor came from, which pages were viewed and for how long, what items were downloaded, videos viewed, the viewers browser and screen resolution, and create a “visitor profile” to see if the message is reaching the target audience.
- 8. Some examples KINSMAN, MATTBOTELHO, STEFANIE. "New Frontiers: Case Studies In Social Media Marketing." Folio: The Magazine For Magazine Management 40.9 (2011): 38. Associates Programs Source Plus. Web. 5 Aug. 2012.
- 9. Next steps Consider the information presented today. Explore some of the social media sites, and see what others are doing. Create a free individual account, and explore the site. Assemble a list of questions, possible ideas for use, and even concerns. We will all meet again in two weeks, and compare notes, answer questions, and brainstorm ideas.
- 10. Works Cited Wikipedia contributors. "Facebook." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 4 Aug. 2012. Web. 5 Aug. 2012. Wikipedia contributors. "YouTube." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 3 Aug. 2012. Web. 5 Aug. 2012. HOSFORD, CHRISTOPHER. "'Btob' Study Shows Surge In Social Media Marketing." B To B 97.5 (2012): 1. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 5 Aug. 2012.
Editor's Notes
- #3: These platforms are available 24/7. Most are free to use, and a person or company can sign up and get started. Since they are NOT hosted on your server, there are almost no IT issues to contend with. This allows for ease of use, even by non-techies.
- #4: These are just three examples, from a collection of over 100 active and popular sites. No matter how small or large the social media project, there are numerous options to work with Southern Technologies.
- #6: This data shows that the question is no longer IF we should employ social media. The question now is how will we employ social media to promote our message, brand, products, and services/
- #7: Many companies have began conducting business on the internet via a website. The next logical step to stay ahead of the competition would be implementing social media, to build a stronger, more intimate connection with the consumer, and let the customer be your spokesperson. An unsolicited post about a superior product/service from your company will carry more weight than any promo/offer sent through traditional channels.
- #10: I am hoping that this subtle call to action will motivate some talk and ideas among the staff at Southern Technologies. I am not asking for a follow up meeting, we are scheduling it now. I would suggest having an employee meeting to announce that the process is beginning, and we want your ideas and input, to create buy in.
- #11: I know that wikipedia is not the most reliable source, but I used it to garner some basic info such as start dates and usage.