914 Inc. Westchester Magazine Business Breakfast and Social Media Discussion

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This morning I spoke on a social media panel at the 914 Inc. Westchester Magazine Business Breakfast and Social Media Discussion. Here are some of the questions we discussed and some of my business insights on the recent Facebook changes, social media for your business today and more! Thank you to Dave Donelson for a great job moderating the panel discussion, as well as all of the other panelists.

914 INC Magazine Social Media Panel Kristen Ruby CEO of Ruby Media Group

Why do small businesses need social media?

Small businesses need social media because it is a cost-effective way for any company to market to a highly-targeted audience for a fraction of the cost of traditional print advertising. Social media is important to businesses because people are talking about your business. It is better to have a voice and opinion then to ignore what people are saying about your company altogether. Social media is important for businesses today because it is an integral part of business.

Social Media Vs. Traditional Media: How does it differ? 

Social media differs from other forms of promotion in that it is, in essence, not supposed to be promotional. Social media is truly brand building. People today don’t realize just how important brand building is for their business, and instead think forms of direct marketing or advertising are more powerful then other types of promotions.

Social media marketing differs from traditional marketing in that it does not focus on immediately establishing the value of your services or products, but rather it is about establishing you as an icon and thought leader in the industry- to create an awareness of your name and brand.  It is not a specific advertisement for a given product or service- it is about brand engagement.

How much does social media marketing cost? 

Social media is not free. On average, it takes anywhere between 25-40 hours per month to integrate your social media and public relations campaign. We wrote a great guide on the cost of social media marketing services for further information on this topic. Social Media is an extension of corporate branding.  As a client, you are paying for the ability to utilize modern electronic techniques to get in front of a targeted audience.  Social media is not an advertisement and it is not a banner ad.  Social media is inherently about branding to a focused audience.  It is about the ability to quickly get in front of prospects, current clients and leads, and to establish an online relationship with them and build customer engagement.  The type of results you should expect are similar to what you would expect from a long-term branding campaign.  Social media marketing is essentially a global awareness and branding campaign that takes time to develop.

How do you measure social media campaign results? 

You know if you are getting results from a social media campaign based on several different KPIs including community awareness of your brand, an increase in press mentions, an increase in brand identity (positive brand identity), or an increase in new leads.

What are the key factors to measure success of a social media campaign? 

The most important factor to be successful with a social media campaign for your business is to have clients who are willing to make the commitment to work with you on content creation. If you are going to represent someone online (similar to how a Hollywood agent represents an actor) then the agent needs to be in fairly frequent communication with that actor. The same is true for social media. In order to represent what your clients are doing in real-time, you need to be in frequent contact with them so what you are posting about their lives represents what they are doing. If you have a client that is impossible to get in touch with or only wants you to make up stories about what they could potentially doing, the campaign will never truly be a success.

What is the top social media marketing mistake to avoid?

The one thing you should never do in social media is to be too promotional, and yet we are all (myself included) guilty of it. Once you have committed this crime, it is best to disappear off the Facebook radar for a little while so you redeem yourself, or you can try 30 days of positive posting and make sure none of your posts include the words “Me” or “I” in them and are only informational, sharing posts that have nothing to do with you, your clients, or your company. Here are 10 Social Media Mistakes your Business is Making and here are 5 Reasons why your social media marketing campaign bombed for further reading on this topic.

Growing your audience on social media is important, but how do you get started?

Any media, social or otherwise, needs an audience. You get an audience by branding yourself as an opinion leader and expert in your field. Take your knowledge that you have in a specific niche market and start sharing it with friends and family to begin building the audience. If they like what you have to say, they will then start sharing your posts with their friends and family, and it can eventually lead to you developing your own unique audience.

Given the limited audiences of most social media, how does a business justify it?

I disagree with the premise of the question. According to recent statistics, Facebook has 800+ users and Google+ has 43 million users. Definitely not a “limited” audience.

Social Media Strategy or Execution: Which comes first?

1.  Social Media Strategy should always come first.

2.  Once you have chosen the appropriate channels for your strategy and business goals, you can then choose which networks work for your company.

The Future of Social Media: What’s the newest thing in social media?

  • The new Facebook Timeline will revolutionize your Facebook experience, but it also has the potential to drudge up everything from your entire Facebook history (from 5+ years ago that you thought was gone forever.)
  • On Sept 30th, everyone’s Facebook profile will go through a drastic change and everyone will have the Facebook Timeline. This change will be mandatory.

 “Rather than just displaying your most recent activities, your profile will become a scrapbook documenting your entire life, all the way back to your birth. Facebook will become a record of your existence: All your memories, your victories and your defeats, your loves, your losses and everything in between. You’ll be shocked, as I was, when this change is made. Suddenly your life is laid out before you, the highs and lows somehow pinpointed by Facebook’s algorithms.” Pete Cashmore, CNN “You’ll Freak When You See the New Facebook” 

  • Users will have more control over what shows up on their newsfeed. You can unsubscribe from people’s updates as opposed to de-friending. Additionally, you can control how much of what you see from their updates
  • Hulu and Spotify are now integrated directly into Facebook. You can actually watch and play music directly from Facebook. Additionally, you can share what you’re listening to and comment directly on what other people are listening/watching as well.
  • You don’t have to just “Like” something anymore; you’ll be able to use any verb through “Facebook Gestures.” I wonder if this will change the premise of “Liking” a fan page and how this will impact business fan pages?

BENEFITS FOR FACEBOOK USERS AND FANS

What are the benefits of being a fan of your business on social media?

Branding: A Facebook presence is the perfect way to develop a strong brand identity. Social media posts will help fans recognize the corporate values of the company. A social media presence is also a great way to promote your brand identity by sharing new blog posts, comments, pictures, videos, statuses and other recommended resources on your website. Ruby Media Group will help your brand create an enhanced online professional presence with cutting-edge marketing technology to show you are digital first and social media savvy. This also helps to show potential customers how business is conducted and that you actively respond to consumers online.

Social Media Strategy for Facebook Business Pages

Before launching a new Facebook page for your business, you need to understand the intended outcome for your audience. What are you looking to communicate to current and prospective customers? Why should someone follow or like your business on Facebook? What will they gain from this interaction? 

Boost your social media strategy

News & PR Updates: Fans will have access to an accessible forum for any news or updates relating to the company such as contests, press placements, upcoming events, member perks, VIP access, and more. Some incentives will only be made to active subscribers and clients, encouraging others to ‘like’ the page to participate in member-only events. 

Business Articles: Fans will gain access to tips and informative updates on business trends via posts from the Facebook page. The page will feature a concentrated stream of rich media assets that will provide your target audience the information they need to stay ahead in your industry. For example, if you are a small business, this could entail featuring business trends or social media tips. If you are a co-working space, this could entail co-working news, commercial real estate trends, or recent transactions and deals closed.

Community Engagement: The team will communicate directly with fans in real-time to foster community engagement. The Facebook page is an opportunity for all members of the coworking facility to communicate directly. Fans of the Facebook page will be like-minded individuals and will enjoy networking with others like themselves who may provide support and advice on topics of interest. 

Feedback and Support: Facebook page fans will have a direct line of communication with the company at all hours. This is why it is critical to engage an outsourced social media marketing firm such as Ruby Media Group to respond to all consumer complaints as they arise. An open dialogue means opening your company up to risk and possible litigation. Customers can voice their opinion, leave suggestions, or discuss their positive experience. But this also means they can voice a negative experience and cancel your company, leaving you open to continued risk if your social media presence is not properly managed. 

Events: Invite fans and customers to events created on Facebook, generating hype and publicity for public relations events relating to corporate marketing and communication initiatives. You can also make public events to allow fans to invite friends who may not already be aware of your brand, which helps to promote your company events in a cost-effective way.

Local Business Affiliations: The Facebook business page for your company can like local businesses that may, in turn, return the favor. This way, they will be able to see updates via the Facebook fan page, and vice versa. Ruby Media Group can reach out to pages through direct messages or tagging strategic partners in posts to facilitate a new relationship. This PR tactic can help your brand garner and develop new strategic partnerships in the future. Also, any mention made of the affiliated businesses will appear on their page for respective fans and potential clients to see.

Reviews: The Reviews tab will enable your brand to gauge customer satisfaction and serve as a critical source of third-party trust to prospective buyers. The reviews tab is a great promotional tool, as it will provide a good image of the company to any visitors of the site who may be trying to decide whether to utilize your company’s services.

ABOUT RUBY MEDIA GROUP

Ruby Media Group offers a range of services to help Westchester County businesses grow their online presence, including social media management, search engine optimization, public relations, and content creation. Kris Ruby is the CEO and founder of Ruby Media Group. She has over 15 years of experience in social media marketing, and has worked with a variety of clients to grow their online presence. Kris Ruby is passionate about helping businesses succeed through creative and strategic digital marketing solutions.