At
Instant E-Training we recently concluded our popular “
Social Media for Business” WebConference and Certification
event. We had over 23 live Social Media training sessions conducted by
over 18 leading social media experts. Understandably, there were some
pearls of wisdom thrown by all our experts over the course of 6 weeks.
So we thought to compile what we thought were 12 key takeaways from our
Social Media WebConference event. You can implement these for your
business right away. So here are 12 key Social Media takeaways by 12
Social Media experts:
1.Act – If you aren’t getting pushback then you aren’t pioneering –
Erik Qualman
Don’t
be afraid to try new things and get reactions. Every pioneer makes a
bold statement which not everyone always agrees to initially. Often
people will hesitate to try new things, but don’t let that discourage
you. Act, make bold choices and interact with your audience.
2. It’s not about creating accounts, It’s what you do with them –
Krista Neher
There
was once a time where companies and organizations created accounts just
to say that they had them. Now, it is imperative to use them to connect
well with your audience. Make your company one that can be personable
and one that people can connect with.
3.Collaboration is necessary for Social Media success–
Chris Barger
“No other business strategy executes independently; social shouldn’t either”.
All
of your social media efforts should align themselves with the same
purpose and remain consistent. Along with that, your whole team should
also be on the same page with what their role is in order to work
together effectively. Involve your legal team, build social media
policies, and keep everyone in the know.
4. Life is not about being liked it’s about being effective –
Chase McMichael
The
goal with Facebook and social media is not just for people to merely
nod their heads in agreement and throw a thumbs up, but to take action.
It’s about getting your customer to be actively engaged with your
product or organization through social media. You need to have the right
content to facilitate the greatest interaction. Find the common
interests that your brand’s audience shares and give them what they
want. The goal is that through their engagement people would have a
great sense of what your company is about and choose you when given the
opportunity.
5. Content Isn’t Great Until It’s Shared –
Lee Odden
Give
your audience something worth talking about. Create content that is
music to their ears. You can create this share worthy content via a blog
and re-purpose it in many fashions. Participate in the conversations
that form and engage the growing network to motivate your audience to
share.
6. Twitter Golden rule – Give before you get –
Hollis Thomases
You
need to give your followers things of value to them. Don’t just ask for
a sale – instead give them thoughts, ideas, and tweets worth
re-tweeting. You want to give your audience information that is of value
to them. It is then that they will pay closer attention to what you
have to say. Just don’t expect to receive anything, and give, give,
give. If it is done right, you will start to naturally get the attention
you want.
7. Figure Out Your Customer’s Dream & Sell them –
Brian Carter
Remember
that the medium is the message. Something that you might share in an
email might not be as well accepted as it would be on a Facebook wall.
Whatever it is you share, you want it to be memorable. Selling the dream
doesn’t mean the product itself, but rather what it represents for your
audience. Sell them awe, connection, belonging, fun, happiness.
8. For small business owners, Word Of Mouth Starts With You–
Sima Dahl
For
a small business owner, no one is going to retweet for you or share
your posts like it usually is the case with big brands. So the
conversation starts with you ….Creating memorable moments starts with
you. Select a social media channel, assess your content, start a
conversation, and be creative. Be a real person with real honest
opinions. Find people, engage them, and tell them what you are up to.
Encourage the conversations that proceed.
9. Our networks are our most important assets –
Neal Schaffer
Our
personal and professional networks are the most important assets we
have and so we should treat them as so. LinkedIn is a great way to
access and form that network. Our network provides us with credibility
and possible opportunities. On LinkedIn you can join groups, participate
in events and even be introduced to new people that your friends and
colleagues know. We have a platform to listen, engage, and connect. It’s
simple and a great way to tap into one the most important assets you
have.
10. Online Video can help captivate, engage, and stimulate your audience –
Bob Tripathi
Videos
are great because they captivate the viewer’s attention and stimulate
their senses via sight and sound. They keep the viewer engaged. In most
cases emotion is easily conveyed and thoughts are easily spread. It can
be consumed on a variety of devices, making it also easily accessible.
People are able to engage with this media by liking, sharing, and
commenting, making this a valuable tool in persuasive efforts.
11. What can be found, can be optimized –
Bob Tripathi
If
there is any content found on the internet, there is a way to enhance
its searchability via the web. Whether it be a blog post, video, or a
website be sure to use the right keywords, tags, and phrases to ensure
those who go searching will find you. Know what your audience is
searching for and how they go about looking for it. There is always a
way to enhance your content by way of optimization whether be it your
web site, videos, images, or any other digital asset.
12. You cannot qualify a gain without the ability to measure it –
Marshall Sponder
Not
all social media marketing efforts lead to a ROI. You might need to
examine your goals and modify them in order to measure your ROI. Figure
out your goals and determine how you will measure progress. The ROI
comes from tracking what was invested to execute your plan against the
results as outlinedby way of Social Media Key Performance Indicators
(KPI’s). Find a practical way to measure and qualify your gain.
