Social Media - What's In It for Me?

Social Media – What’s in It for Me?

The March Freelance Forum event “Social Media – What’s in It for Me?” proved to be both enlightening and entertaining. The panel (Stephanie True-Moss, Stacey Dougherty, and Dawn Gartin) was very knowledgeable and moderator Teryl Jackson was well-armed with topics. The open format with Teryl directing was apropos and information flowed freely.

The event began with Teryl presenting the topics to the panel and each member weighing in on it according to their area of expertise. By the third topic the rapport between the audience and the panel members had been well established–the sharing of information became electrifying with questions and answers exchanging at an astounding rate.

The prevalent theme was the premise that social media is meant to be sociable–adj. 1: liking companionship: FRIENDLY 2: characterized by pleasant social relations. In other words–FUN! The idea is to not to sell your stuff (there are other venues for that), but to present your business in a positive, informative light.

Below are some representative questions that the panel discussed.

How can my LinkedIn profile help new me get new clients? 

LinkedIn is the new business Rolodex: when someone Googles your name, your LinkedIn profile is typically the first place to come up. Use keywords in your personal profile/business description to help identify your area of expertise and business specialty. Edit every section that can be edited (experience, education, etc.). Link to your portfolio or blog, join groups and answer questions. The idea is to present your self as an authority and a resource.

Can LinkedIn be used as a connection to other social media?
Yes, LinkedIn can be used to link to other social network programs. It takes about two minutes to do using your dashboard. You can add websites, Facebook, Twitter, books, apps in the box, slideshows, certifications, etc. You should have a strategy before you start.

What shortcuts can you share about managing social media?

To create shortcuts you have to register all accounts for which you want a shortcut for. You do that through your dashboard. The dashboard is how you control your accounts. Dashboards are available for free and also to purchase. Some free dashboards are: Seesmic, TweetDeck, Hootsuite (also has a dashboard available for $6/month). Twitter has its own app. SocialOomph is a dashboard available for purchase.

How can Twitter help me get new clients?

Twitter can help you get new clients by promoting you without promoting you, that is, by not selling directly. You can educate possible clients about who you are and what you have to offer through your tweets. Create a tweet that includes a brief description of your services included with information that has value and content relevant to your audience. The idea is to build up your credibility in your field of expertise. Tweet it about 6-10 times per event, changing the wording a little each time to freshen the tweet.

Join groups; create a group, or follow someone. Start out by following everyone to find the best fit. Use Twitter as a resource, retweet tweets you find interesting and informative, thereby expanding your outreach–always give credit to the original tweeter. You can set up twitter alerts to find out what other people are saying and tweet on the topics. The idea is to engage Twitter on all levels.

Why should I have a Business page on Facebook?

There are 620 million Facebook members. A personal page has a 5,000 friend limit; a fan page is limitless, and you need a business page to have fans. Go where the people are. It’s not about you, there has been a shift in the way people communicate these days. Consider a business Facebook page as another tool you can use to reach potential customers and educate them about who you are and why they need you. A Facebook ad can be use to deliver your message to a unique niche, in a given zip code (i.e. 50 year old women who play tennis in the 30066 zip code).

Do I need a social media policy?

Yes, it should be a part of your overall marketing strategy. Determine what you want to accomplish and where your efforts are best served. Questions to consider: Where and how is my market communicating? How can I maximize my efforts? Utilize the same information you use for traditional marketing.

How much time will it take to do social networking?

That is determined by how many channels you are involved in and how often you engage. Once you have determined your strategy you will have a better understanding about how much time it will take. LinkedIn is project-oriented: most of your time is used in initial set up and occasional updates, while Facebook could consist of posting items 2-3 times a day. Twitter can be on-going throughout the day, tweeting, checking tweets, responding to Twitter alerts, retweeting, etc. Twitter happens in real time.

How much effort do I plan on putting into my social media campaign?

The real question to ask is how successful do you want to be? Once again the amount of effort is determined by the extent of your campaign. With a little knowledge you can plan out your efforts in advance and have automatic tweets and post.

Other key takeaways:

• “Twitter is like a cocktail party, there are conversations that go on before you arrive and after you leave.”
• Think about what your clients want to know.
• To create two-way communication, add a question.
• It’s all about how consumers or clients want to be reached.
• 25 “Likes” on Facebook gives you a custom URL.
• Facebook page iteration allows you to post your fan page on their fan page (B2B).
• To keep up-to-date on Facebook, subscribe to Mashable, Mari Smith and The Social Examiner.
• You don’t own social media
• Build first to make sure you have backup.