Effective Social Media Lessons Learned
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This document provides lessons learned from Glenn Muske's experience with effective social media and online efforts. Some key lessons include testing different post titles to see which perform better, investing in social media specialists to handle complex analytics, and focusing online efforts as just one part of an overall marketing strategy. It also emphasizes the importance of defining goals, metrics, and success ahead of time in order to properly evaluate online efforts. Overall, the document stresses that while online presence is important, it is just one tool, and traditional marketing efforts like networking and word-of-mouth are still critical.
Effective Social Media Lessons Learned
- 1. Glenn Muske Rural and Agribusiness Enterprise Development Specialist Glenn.Muske@ndsu.edu November, 2016 Effective Social Media Online Efforts: Lessons Learned
- 2. Why my interest? 1. I can connect. 2. My work is stronger. 3. Develop my ability to support small-business owners going online.“Grandpa Techie” (Thanks Mike Hanson)
- 4. Success is: • Likes, hits and clicks – no longer sufficient • Know the language • Bounce, visitor, visits, pageview • Direct, referral, organic • Goals can be: • Getting people to take an action • Engagement • Adding value, stronger outcomes • Relationship building • Building knowledge “You don’t have to know everything as long as you know the people who do” – Harvey MacKay
- 5. Does It Matter? YES!! The Coming Digital Tipping Point. (2012) Mission Extension: The Weblog, Langcuster, J. https://missionextension.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/the- coming-digital-tipping-point/ Is Extension Ready to Adopt Technology for Delivering Programs and Reaching new Audiences. Diem, K. G., Hino, J., Martin, D., & Meisenbach, T. (2011) Journal of Extension, 49(6), Article 6FEA1 Extension’s Online Presence: Are Land-Grant Universities Promoting the Tripartite Mission? - Arnold, Shannon; Hill, Alexandra & Bailey, Nikki (2014) Journal of Extension, 52(4), Article 6RIB1. Internet Use for Small Businesses: Does It Matter? – Gallardo, Roberto & Jacobs, Austin. (2012) Journal of Extension, 50(6), Article 4RIB6.
- 6. My Story Multi-State Projects: Power of Business and eXtension “Entrepreneurs and Their Communities” Personal Trials
- 7. • GOAL - Strengthen and support entrepreneurs and small business owners • An extension of eXtension COP - Entrepreneurs and Their Communities • How do we enhance the business owners experience? • How can we engage the owners in the conversation?
- 8. 1. Chats with other business owners • Coffee-break sized chunks (15 minutes or less)
- 9. 2. Blog
- 10. 3. Social Media
- 11. 4. Curated Content Paper.li https://paper.li/UNLeShip/1319999929 Hashtags #foodpreneur #agritourism #etailing #powerofbiz Resources Newsletter - http://powerofbusiness.net/tips-and-resource- digest-help-for-entrepreneurs-small-business-owners/ Subscribe
- 12. A/B Title Testing Same Video, Same Hashtags, Same Time; Different Titles • The 7 Topics • Marketing • Networking • Megatrends • Living with Purpose and Meaning in Rural Areas • The Gig Economy • The Decentralized Marketplace • Time Management • Mobile Security • One topic per week • Each topic given 2 titles
- 13. Title Examples • Marketing – Title A: Standing Out From the Competition Through Marketing – Title B: Marketing and Your Small Business • Networking – Title A: Connecting with Others Brings Business Success: Are You Engaged? – Title B: Effective Networking: A Key Success Factor
- 14. Results Topic Launch Date Views - Pre 4/13/15 4/21/15 4/28/15 5/4/15 5/11/15 5/18/15 5/25/15 Total Marketing A 4/7/15 10 28 11 2 0 2 54 B 13 33 12 1 0 3 62 Networking A 4/13/1 5 13 19 3 2 2 39 B 12 44 7 2 5 72 Gig Economy A 4/21/1 5 11 30 4 12 57 B 10 17 6 5 37 Living with Purpose A 4/28/1 5 22 5 0 31 B 15 15 0 38 Decentraliz ed Mkt A 5/4/15 16 0 4 36 B 6 2 0 26 MobileA 5/11/1 5 3 26 29 B 4 36 40 Time A 5/18/1 5 B Downloads of PDF’s
- 15. Working Differently Example • Networking • 1 hour presentation - http://www.slideshare.net/glennmuske/networking-farrms-215 • 4 page fact sheet • To • 15 minute video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tmq_WiyPoQ • Traditional 2-page fact sheet • To • 5 minute video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCKynKVqzFg • 2 page bulleted fact sheet (Think infographic!!) http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cvicollect/3/
- 17. Lessons Learned • We learned how much we don’t know • Everything takes two or three times longer than expected • It’s important to have a team. • People - Tech experts, Graphic designers, Web Analytics • That is committed and ready to make project a priority. • Financial support and Time • Constant change of people raise havoc with schedule • Platforms – University software versus Industry standards • Transition from different platforms and that require “pro” versions to do what we wanted to do would have saved development time.
- 18. Lessons Learned • Millennials are great! • Time commitments – Clear out part of your calendar. • And it must be focused time • Allow plenty of lead time for creation of product and timeline • A/B testing - May have been better to have people randomly see either one or the other of the two titles. • Grants are nice but be prepared to wait for the bureaucracy to get them processed and the money actually in your hands.
- 19. Lessons Learned • Need to keep up with trends but not get taken in by “today’s” new tool • Team learning works • Need to learn to write and think differently • Universities aren’t as nimble as small businesses • Platform selection, wordpress.com versus wordpress.org, delayed use of Google Analytics • Effort showed how teams can become a “personal knowledge network” (PKN) • Not everyone’s priority just because it is yours
- 20. Paid Ads on Social Marketing Some Options Facebook Google Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram Pinterest Why?? 8 times greater click-through rate (mobile is higher)
- 21. Example 1: Facebook Ads – Lessons Learned • You can focus on your target audience • They work – New POB FB page – From 0 followers to 2000 in 2 weeks • The picture makes a difference • The wording makes a difference • The timing makes a difference • How long do you run them? Till you see a drop off in response
- 22. Example 2# Power of Business Facebook Postings Review January to Present, 2016
- 23. Lifetime: The total number of people your Page post was served to. (Unique Users) ermal ink Post Message Type Posted Lifetime Post Total Reach rmybusiness/posts/920968697987322 Are you a small business owner? Are you trying to encourage your customers to "shop local?" Are you practicing your message? Link 3/29/16 8:47 AM 153 rmybusiness/posts/942496469167878People won't know you are there unless you tell them. Link 2/11/16 11:55 AM 118 rmybusiness/posts/972513422832849Don't make the same mistakes. Learn from other business owners. Link 5/11/16 10:51 AM 97 rmybusiness/posts/929059140511611Entrepreneurs are made. See where you can go to get some help. Link 3/31/16 8:10 AM 91 rmybusiness/posts/953533631397495Learning from your peers. A great way to move your #smallbiz forward. Link 4/28/16 9:32 AM 90 rmybusiness/posts/945981678819357Missed Valentine's Day but the thought is still right on the mark. Photo 2/17/16 9:25 AM 87 rmybusiness/posts/992152540868937Finding help. Always difficult and may be even harder this year. Link 5/4/16 11:29 AM 72 rmybusiness/posts/982707571813434 Business owners need to know they are online. Third-party review sites are telling your story. So it is important that they get the entire story. Learn more about the process and what you can do. Link 5/9/16 11:24 AM 66 Top Posts (Top Reaching Posts)
- 24. 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 1/11/16 12:00 AM 1/31/16 12:00 AM 2/20/16 12:00 AM 3/11/16 12:00 AM 3/31/16 12:00 AM 4/20/16 12:00 AM 5/10/16 12:00 AM 5/30/16 12:00 AM Lifetime Post TotalReach (Total Number of People Your PagePost Was Served) Posts above the trend line are: 1. During the AM (9-11 am) 2. Mostly mention the words business owner/small business 3. 95% are links, not photos
- 25. Posting Recommendations - Split postings into two groups: AM & PM; - Most posts are AM right now; let’s see if we get a different response comparing AM to PM postings for 30 days - Morning posts: 9 to 11 am & links - Afternoon posts: 4 and 7 pm & links - Mention the words “Small business owners” more - Mention the words “small business” more - Use hashtag #SmallBusiness & #PowerofBusiness together in each post
- 26. 2nd Test
- 27. Posting Recommendations – 2nd Test - Views dropped by nearly 50% - Try more original content, more original pictures, fewer links. Maybe only do 2 posts per day.
- 28. • Invest in Social Media Specialists • Analytics continuously becoming more complex • Consider For-Pay Promotions and Analysis • A considerable amount of time was invested in promotion for very little return • PKNs work but having an expert guide the experience allows learning to move quicker • However you don’t have option to learn from your mistakes Future Recommendations
- 29. • Tools to Use for A/B Testing • Mail Chimp • Google Analytics Experiments • Optimizely $$ • Kissmetrics $$ • VWO $$ • 10 Unique Tests for Every Social Media Channel - https://blog.bufferapp.com/social-media-tests-ideas- strategies Future Recommendations
- 30. • Are we quick or nimble enough? • Do we have the support we need when we need it? Can and how do we compete with the private sector?
- 32. Social Media: It’s just part of an online effort. Your CORE is a website. Why? You have control.
- 33. Your Online Presence 1. Know who your audience is and where they can be found 2. Pick your platform - Develop a plan - Set goals 3. Build a following – ENGAGE!! 4. Make the most of your existing resources 5. Have a plan
- 36. How do you know if you have reached your goal? Define Success Ahead of Time • Know what you want to measure • Are you measuring the right thing • Who and how will you measure • Quantitative • Qualitative • Measure • Track • Measure • Analyze • Adjust
- 37. Google Analytics
- 40. Wordpress Stats
- 41. Evaluation and Analytics • Don’t forget to check out the research others post • Forrester Research – Today’s buyer is often 2/3 to 90% of the way through the decision making process before they ever interact with a person • Make comparisons: • Over time • Your data to data from others
- 42. “Lessons Learned” • Start small • Lurk - Watch, listen and learn before participating • Develop a strong profile, offline business card & elevator speech, and online (may be the “about us” section) • Find the key players – Don’t be afraid to “unfriend” • Learn the preferred connection methods of the key players and community and key players • Share and contribute – Add value • It’s a community!!!
- 43. More “Lessons Learned” • Be a good listener – 80% listen, 20% talk • Connect • Attract – Find a niche – Can’t be all things to all people • Changer focus from getting to giving • Acknowledge • Say thanks • Comment on others • Follow back • Share • Join communities • Offer help • Be a referral source
- 44. Keeping Time Under Control Set Aside a Time Post Ideas • Listen • Use stories – Real world issues • Use already answered questions • Engage with and repost from key experts • Make the most of existing resources • Have a method to capture material as you see it (i.e., Evernote) Evaluate and Assess https://blog.bufferapp.com/social-media-time-management
- 45. Final Thoughts
- 46. What analytics can’t do • Tell you WHY users interact with your content
- 47. You Must First be Found!!
- 48. And once found, YOU MUST STAY VISIBLE!
- 49. Trends and not individual numbers • Without context, metrics are meaningless
- 50. Traditional Online PR Paid Promotion Distribution Channels Customer Support Visual Mix One-on-one & Networking Word-of- mouth & Reviews Reputation YOU Online is just a part a larger effort.
- 53. Resources • 11 Content Marketing Statistics You Should Care About http://www.smartbugmedia.com/blog/11-content-marketing-statistics-you- should-care-about • Which Stats Matter: The Definitive Guide to Tracking Social Media Metrics https://blog.bufferapp.com/definitive-guide- social-media-metrics-stats • Google Analytics Academy https://analyticsacademy.withgoogle.com/course01/unit?unit=1&lesson=1 • Five Pyschological Examples of High Converting Websites http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235923 • Five Unique Ways to Measure and Evaluate a Social Media Campaign https://blog.bufferapp.com/how-to-evaluate-and- optimize-social-media-content
- 54. Resources • How to Increase Your Facebook Conversions Using Google Analytics http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/increase- facebook-conversions/ • Benchmarking Performance: Your Options, Dos, Don’ts and To-Die-Fors - http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/benchmarking-digital-analytics- performance-metrics/ • Four Online Marketing Metrics that Actually Matter http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2015/27590/four-online- marketing-metrics-that-actually-matter?adref=nlt050415 • Evaluating Your Social Media Activity in Extension Educational Programming https://learn.extension.org/events/1645#.VUeOmtjQPIV
- 55. Glenn Muske Rural and Agribusiness Enterprise Development Specialist Glenn.Muske@ndsu.edu November, 2016 Comments?? Questions??