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The best social media marketing tips help establish lasting relationships between your business and your targeted market. There are two ways to use social media marketing to increase customer loyalty and ensure your business a customer for life: engagement and appreciation.

Making a habit of engaging with your customers and targeted market on sites such as Twitter or Facebook personalizes your business and gives your company a more relatable feel. When a current or potential customer knows they can reach out to you and receive a human response, a feeling of investment in the relationship is created. Rather than stewing about problems they may have had, a customer you interact with through social media is likely to comment on your company blog or direct message you on Twitter to make you aware of the issue, giving you an opportunity to really shine in offering a solution.

Once you have made a habit of engaging with your customers and clients, take advantage of the easy connection offered by social media marketing to offer targeted sales, products and special deals to your social media communities. You can select five random followers a month to receive a special coupon code, or offer “secret” sales just for Twitter followers. A customer who is invested in their relationship with your company, as well as one with a feeling that their business is truly appreciated, is likely to be a customer for life, no matter what competition moves into the neighborhood.

How I am using it

HootSuite allows me to monitor a lot of information in one browser window:

1. Both of my Twitter accounts
2. My Facebook page
3. My Facebook fan page
4. My LinkedIn network
5. Personalized Twitter searches so I can see when certain words are Tweeted
6. Twitter lists so I can monitor conversations of specific ‘Tweeters”

More than just monitoring

1. Save Time:  With HootSuite I can type one message and have it appear on all on my social networks
2. Keep it short:  Twitters 140 character limit is hard to stay within when you copy long website urls.  HootSuite will shrink those urls with a click on the mouse.
3. Timely:  Do you have information that needs to be provided on a particular day?  at a particular time?  Use the scheduling feature to schedule when you posts will be made on your various social networks.
4. Statistics:  HootSuite provides you with statistics on how many time your links were clicked on.  I have used bit.ly before to do this ( I still love bit.ly!)  But it is so convenient to have the tracking within HootSuite.
5. There is a lot more HootSuite can do, but those are the highlights that I am using right now.

Choice

There are other tools like this available, but HootSuite is quickly become my tool of choice.  Here are a few other tools to consider that I am using:

1. www.TweetDeck.com
2. www.Seesmic.com

What are you using?

What tools to you using to build stronger relationships, monitor your brand, or increase the effectiveness of your communications?

Steve’s 15 Minutes a Day LinkedIn Strategy

Who cannot find 15 minutes to dedicate to building and maintaining relationships?  It is a simple step.  Done for at least 90 days, it will become a habit.  It will take time before you see results, but not as much as you may think.  So let’s get started.

Step 1:  Preparation

Schedule 15 minutes a day on your calendar.  In order for you to be successful, schedule this on your calendar.  It is too easy to forget about it, or push it aside because something urgent (but maybe less important) came up.  Schedule it on your calendar for the next 90 days as a reoccurring event.

Step 2:  The Daily Habit

There are four things I believe you should do every day on LinkedIn:

1. Update your status.
2. Review your homepage for connection activities and respond as needed.
3. Respond promptly to any email you receive through LinkedIn.
4. Follow the daily tips below

Monday:  Make Connections

One great opportunity you have to provide value to your connections is to connect them.  Look at your personal connections or connections you have made through a LinkedIn group and join them.  It could be as simple as sending an email to both of them and how they could benefit each other.

You may not find a connection each week, and that is OK.  But keep up this discipline.  You will become more trusted and known as a resource to your network.

Tuesday:  Ask Questions

Ask a question in a group or to your network.  You will be surprised how many people will be there to support you.

I had met a social media intern about a year ago.  She was a master of this strategy.  She would ask questions to her personal connections and group connections about once a week.  Through out the week she would get some great responses.  The next week, she would send a thank you out to everyone with a summary of all of the answers that were given.  This provided her network with invaluable data in an area they cared about and encouraged her network to keep answering her questions.  I have complete trust in her today.

Wednesday:  Answer Questions

Review the groups that you are a part of and answer as many questions as you can in 15 minutes.  Answering questions is a great way to show you care and build up your creditability.

Thursday:  Gratitude

Send thank you’s to your connections for their assistance.  Thank you’s may be through email or even a personal note on a card.  Personal notes in your own handwriting are not as common as they use to be, but can create a lasting impression.

Friday:  Grow

This is the day to grow your connections and your contribution to your network.  First, look at all of the people you have met over the last week.  Should some of them be added to your network on LinkedIn?  Friday is also a great day to look at adding books you have read, blog posts, Twitter, or Slideshare presentations to your profile.

Make LinkedIn Rock

Are you ready to make LinkedIn rock? Try these recommendations for 90 days.  Let me know what kind of results you get.

Want ACCOUNTABILITY?  Post a comment letting me know you are trying this strategy.  We can connect on LinkedIn and hold each other accountable!

PRESENTER’S DIRECTIONS

Amount of time needed:  20 – 30 minutes

Divide participants into 3-5 small groups.

Give each small group a scenario page and a pack of “tool/activity” cards. Each card has an amount of points labeled at the bottom; this signifies how much needs to be invested (time, money, etc.) in the tool/activity (the maximum amount of points they can use is 10).

Each small group should complete the scenario page and be prepared to report back to the large group. Give them 5 minutes to discuss, fill out the scenario page and prepare to report back.

Have each group report back.   Set a 2-minute time limit for each group.

Once all the groups have reported back ask a number of the following discussion questions to the entire group – as time permits.

1. How did your small group discussions go?
2. How hard or easy was it to decide on which tools/activities to use? Why?
3. What did you think of the choices or rational of any of the groups?
4. What did you learn from this activity?

Various Scenarios

• Raising Awareness
• Fundraising
• Event Promotion
• Advocacy
• Thought Leadership

Social Media Card Deck

• Social Media Card Deck

Additional material from the Convening can be found on the Resilient Organizations Fund website.

• Home Page:  http://www.resilientnonprofits.org/
• Materials:  http://www.resilientnonprofits.org/materials/
• About the Convening:  http://www.resilientnonprofits.org/convenings/

Intro

• 30 Days of Social Media
• Are you ready to engage in social media?
• Social Media Tool Box
  
• Putting a Face on Social Media – Gravatars

Facebook

• Face It: Why You Need To Know About Facebook
• Facebook-Business
• Facebook Advertising is for Everyone

Social Bookmarking

• What the Heck is Social Bookmarking
  

YouTube

• Good Marketing is About Telling Stories – YouTube Can Help
• How To Setup Your YouTube Account AND My Famous 5 Minute Video Creation Secrets Revealed

Google

• Google Wants to Alert Your Business to New Possibilities for Free

RSS

• What is RSS and Why Do I Care

LinkedIn

• LinkedIn 101 Getting the Most From This Often Mis-Understood Social Network
• What Everybody Ought to Know About Connections On LinkedIn
• Do You Make These Mistakes

Inspiration

• A Little Shift Goes a Long Way
• If the White House Can Embrace Social Media Can Your Business
• Social Marketing Results in Less than 60 Minutes: One Great Example
• Do You Make These Mistakes With Your Customers

Local Search

• If You Are Not In Local Search Engines Now, You Will Regret It Later
• Getting Started With Your Google Local/Google Maps Listing
• Are You Ready to Take Control of Your Online Reputation

Blogs

• Don’t Be Too Quick To Decide a Blog Isn’t Right For Your Business
• Give Me 15 Minutes and I Will Give You The Formula To Blogging Success

Auto Responder/E-commerce

• Do You Get Better Service From An Auto-Responder At An E-commerce Store Than You Do In Person

Photo Sharing

• Create a Vivid Image – Finding the Right Photo Just Got Easier

Twitter

• Is Twitter For You
• Twitter for Your Business

Authenticity

• Do You Have an Identity Crisis

Email

• Do you know what the single most important ingredient is in your business

Protecting Your Information

• The Lazy Mans Way to Hack Into Your Personal Information and Passwords
• There Is A Quick Way to Secure Your Identity On Social Websites

Summary

• How Much Time Should You Spend on Social Media Each Week

What About Your Name on Social Websites?

Do you know if your business name, brand name, or personal name is available on the plethora of social media websites?  Many large corporations that are just starting to get involved in social media are hit upside the head with a big surprise.  They have lost their brand name in the top social sites.

On Twitter the name “McDonalds” is not owned by the famous clown – Ronald McDonald (www.twitter.com/McDonalds).  Verizon and Microsoft are also not owned by their brand name owners (www.twitter.com/verizon and www.twitter.com/Microsoft.)  Sprint and Google on the other hand do own their names on Twitter.

Impersonation Policy

Sites like Twitter do have an Impersonation Policy that says you cannot impersonate another person or companies brand.  That may not make it clear that someone other than you is representing your brand.  I could use the Microsoft name as my username to disparage the brand, as long as I disclosed that I am not Microsoft.  If you suspect someone is impersonating you or your company, here are a few places you can go:

• Twitter Impersonation Policy:  http://help.twitter.com/forums/26257/entries/18366
• FaceBook Policy:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/terms.php?ref=pf
• LinkedIn User Agreement:  http://www.linkedin.com/static?key=user_agreement&trk=hb_ft_userag

Most social media sites will respond to your inquires quickly; but you need to take action.

Should You Secure Your Brand In the Major Social Networks?

I think so.  But that can be time consuming.  So lets make it easy.  KnowEm (http://knowem.com/) checks the availability of your brand name, user name or vanity URL on 120 popular Social Media websites. It is simple and will tell you if your brand is being used by someone else.  Give it a try.

Got a comment?  Let me hear them.  I do respond to ALL comments.

Something happens when you get involved with social media.  You change.  You realize that the more you give – the better you feel – and the more you get back.  I am motivated to be even more active!

By the end of the week, I have created some terrific marketing materials that are customer focused.  I have also created a bunch of ineffective materials that will not work, but here’s the thing – my social community helps me determine what is good or bad based on the comments I receive, the number of times an article is retweeted, or the emails that I receive with questions on the articles or tweets.

So – 15 hours per week to develop marketing materials that educate and creating powerful relationships.  I think that is time well spend.  Would your marketing manager be more effective if he/she were to be active in social networks?

My Blog (1 hour a day)

• Write at least three blog posts per week based on research and conversations I have had on Twitter and on other blogs
• Respond to comments daily on my blog
• Write at least 1- 5 comment a day on other people’s blogs

Analytics  (1/2 hour a week)

• Review Google Analytics to identify trends and possible follow-up articles.
• Review click throughs with FeedBurner

Twitter  (1 – 2 hours through out the day)

• Daily- retweet at least one good idea or something enlightening
• Daily – write a response to at least one person I have not talked to ever before on Twitter
• Daily – scan twitter for relevant conversations
• Tweet my blog posts
• Recommend my most active followers on #followfriday
• TweetLater – schedule a #QOTD or #quote for each day
• Twice a Week – Review new followers and follow active Tweeters

Google Reader  (4 hours per week)

• Monitor Google Reader news articles for relevant blog content and Twitter posts
• Comment on relevant articles
• Bookmark with delicious articles for future blog posts and idea generation

Google Alerts  (15 minutes per week)

• Monitor Google alerts for relevant keywords and phrases

LinkedIn  (15 minutes per day)

• Daily- Update Status
• Daily – review friend (connections) status and comment on at least one
• Tuesday/Thursday – Scan group conversations and engage in topics when appropriate
• Wednesday – Ask one question in a group
• Friday – help connect two of my contacts together
• Friday – send one referral, ask for one referral

Slideshare

• Monthly – Upload a new presentation
• Weekly – Review comments on presentations

Facebook  (15 minutes per day)

• Daily – Update Status
• Daily – review friend status
• Daily – At least one non-business related comment to a friend
• Delete any messages that are spam-ish or any polls or applications sent to me
• Review photos of friends

YouTube

• Monthly – Review my videos
• Monthly – Review favorites
• As they happen – Add a new video to my blog

Delicious

• Daily – Book mark daily to share with clients, employees and twitter followers
• Weekly – review bookmarks to generate ideas for future blog posts or future projects

Email

• Check three times a day – morning, noon, and at the end of the day
• Respond to all emails – even if it just says “I will get back to you.”
• Clean up mail from last week and close any loose ends

Other Activities

• Weekly – engage in other social networks that I belong

There are a few other activities that my staff take care of through out the week that include:

• Managing two Facebook communities
• Managing two LinkedIn communities
• Publishing our e-newsletter
• Manage two additional blogs

What are your thoughts?  I would love to hear them!

Mistake #1:  Never Completing the Profile

By know you probably know that you need to get three recommendations to complete your profile.  What is stopping you?  There is no harm in asking for a recommendation.  So let me tell you a little secret on how to get recommendations…..”Give and you shall receive.”  Remember, networking is largely a give/get process.  Be proactive and give recommendations to some of your contacts before they ask.  A simple one or two paragraph recommendation is all that is needed.  Give it a try.  It feels good to praise others, and it will come back to you to fill you with more joy than you can imagine.  REMEMBER:  When someone gives you a recommendation, return the favor! 

Mistake #2:  Giving up

Any social networking site takes time.  There is no magic to making LinkedIn work other than this:  Offer small pieces of value frequently to your connections.  This one task will plant the seeds for a great harvest when it is time.

5 Ways to Creating Lasting Results

1. Be active.  Spend 15 minutes a day on Linkedin.  I have this scheduled on my calendar.  Throughout the week I want to accomplish three things on LinkedIn – help someone, post one question to get help, connect two people together.  That is my weekly goal.  And it only takes 15 minutes a day – 1.5 hours a week.
2. Give a recommendation.  Don’t just recommend anyone.  Start with the people you really care about.  Write one or two paragraphs from the heart.  If you think too much about it, you will never get it done.  If it is not a recommendation the person likes, they will tell you.  But they will always appreciate it.
3. Answer questions in a LinkedIn group.  Groups are magical in LinkedIn.  They connect you with people you do not know, but have a common need.  Be active in groups and become a subject matter expert.  (Did you know LinkedIn offers an EXPERT status?  They do.)
4. Change your status.  This is the simplest of all.  Change your status daily.  It lets people know what you are thinking.

Let’s end with a story

I got connected with an intern on LinkedIn back in December.  She was a recent graduate from college and was hired to be a social media intern.  Her first day on LinkedIn started with her joining a few groups and asking a few questions.  That is how I found her.  I answered a question that she posted.  After seeing her in similar LinkedIn groups, I thought that her and I should become connected.  At that same moment, I received a connection request from her.  It said something like:  “Steve, I have appreciated the help you have offered me.  I hope I can bring you some value also.  Would you mind if we became connections on LinkedIn?”  I agreed.  This last month, she has sent out questions to her 350 connections, received feedback, and gives the data away: something highly valued for which Forester Research would pay thousands of dollars.  The best thing about her is this:  She gives back to her connections.  She asks the right questions, and always give a summary back to her connections with what she learned.  Brilliant.  I love it.  I am glad she is a connection of mine.

ONE ACTION ITEM:  Go recommend someone today.  Don’t wait.  Do it now.  Write the first thing that comes to mind.  Don’t over think it.  Write it, send it, feel the joy.

Would you like a LinkedIn Checklist to ensure you complete your profile accurately? Just send me an email at “steve at vimm dot com” or subscribe to the blog updates via email and I will include the cheklist at the end of this 30 day series.  This is only the beginning! Take a sneak peak at what is coming up!

I have 178 1st level connections.  But I am connected to over 2.8 million people!  How can that be?  First level connections are those people to whom I am directly connected.  These people can see my entire profile, but also have their own connections whom I may not know.  These people would be considered second level connections.  These second level connections may also be connected a third level of people I don’t know.  The 2.8 million people includes not only my first level, but second and third level connections as well.  People that are not first, second or third level contacts are ”outside of my network.” 

So, is it about Size or Quality?

Anthropologist, Robin Dunbar, did research on the cognitive power of the brain and how it limits the “size of the social network that an individual of any given species can develop.”  He suggested that this number is around 150.  This number became famous as the Dunbar number.

Sure, you can create larger networks, but the effectiveness starts to decline.  Eventually, these just become a list of acquaintances.  Not very powerful.

Add Connections.

1. Upload your contacts from your email program or CRM (customer relationship management) software.  LinkedIn has a great tool for uploading the contacts and matching them with users that have a profile in LinkedIn.  Don’t worry, when you upload your contacts, they will not automatically be sent an invitation. This step can save you countless hours, but you can also add your contacts manually.
2. Write personal introductions.  Don’t use the automated responses.  By default, LinkedIn writes a brief message for you when you invite someone to become part of your network.  It says, “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.”  If you want people to join your network, you need to personalize that message.  This may take a little more time, but it is well worth it. It improves the response of those who accept your connections, as well as improves the quality of the connection itself. 

What about other connections?

Consider adding the following people to your network if you can each benefit:

1. People from past employment.  These are people who know you.
2. Clients
3. Vendors
4. College professors
5. Other people you are close to in your industry
6. Fellow members of a non-profit

REMEMBER:  It is the quality, not the quantity.  Up until 2008, many people were concerned about getting huge numbers of connections.  I believe 2009 will be the year of ‘de-friending.”  The year we look for quality in our relationships; and remove those that don’t add mutual value.

The Power of Groups

Groups are also another way to developing a powerful network.  When you join a group, you are connecting with people who have similar interests.  Many times, these are people you will want in your network.

Do’s and Don’t

• DO:  Create a specific email address for your LinkedIn account
• DO:  Archive unwanted or unknown connection requests
• DO NOT: Invite people you do not know to become part of your network.  If you get 5“I Don’t Know You” responces,  you can get in trouble with LinkedIn
• DO NOT: Invite everyone.  LinkedIn has a maximum of “3,000″ invitations allowed
• DO:  Personalize invitations or create your own templates. LinkedIn templates are boring
• DO: Let your connections grow slowly. A quality list doesn’t appear overnight

What if someone asks you to join your network, but you do not want to approve them?

Letting everyone in, starts to dilute the effectiveness of your network.  Let me tell you a story that happened to me.  I am passionate about Rotary International.  It is a wonderful organization that has brought a lot of good to the world.  Through one of my connections, I found a gentleman in Africa who has a lot in common with me.  I had communicated with him once about a presentation that he had done on clean drinking water,  so he really did not know me very well.  I sent him a connection email, and to my surprise he refused.  But he did it nicely.  He said, “Steve – I appreciate you asking me to be a connection.  I use LinkedIn to network with professionals in my industry.  If you would like to connect with me, please join the LinkedIn group entitled ‘xxxxx’.”  So I did.

Please remember that once you add someone as a contact, you can remove them also.  If you do remove someone, there is no notification sent.  Your information just does not show up on their connections list. 

We all want to stay top of mind.  Here are  four ways:

1. Status Updates.  Did you know that when you update your status update, that shows up on your connections home page on LinkedIn?  I use status updates to tell my contacts what I am thinking or questions I have about a topic.  Typically, I get 2 or 3 responses a day from my status updates.  Nice to know people care!
2. Photo updates, profile updates, or questions you answer will also show up on your contacts home page.
3. Add some spice to your “Professional Headline” or title.  Who says you can only put your boring title from your business card on your LinkedIn profile.  Here are some of the headlines that grabbed my attention and directed me to learn more:
   • Believer in the power of relationships
   • Change agent and catalyst – committed to adding value to donors, clients and partners
   • Chief Brain Auditor
   • Systems analyst who wants to help your company reduce costs and increase revenue through better business systems
   • LinkedIn Maniac
   • Author of “121 Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Business”
   • Chief Swomi at Society for Word of Mouth
   • Chief Velocity Officer, Tornado Marketing

4. Look at your profile.  Would you want to connect with you?  If not, rework it!

Make LinkedIn Rock! 

My contact settings say:  ” I would love to connect with you! All I request is that you do not use the canned LinkedIn response. Explain why we should connect. That way we can be sure that we can help each other. I look forward to connecting with you! “ 

Let’s get connecting!

What is LinkedIn

LinkedIn is an online network of more than 30 million experienced professionals from around the world.   When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your professional accomplishments. Your profile helps you find and be found by former colleagues, clients, and partners. You can add more connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you.  Your network consists of your connections, your connections’ connections, and the people they know, linking you to thousands of qualified professionals.

Today, lets take a look at creating your profile.

Create Your Profile 

1. Join LinkedIn and complete the overview information http://www.linkedin.com/  Make sure you include all the emails you use (personal and professional) as this is how other LinkedIn users you know will find you.
2. Complete your employment and education history.  Be as complete and accurate as possible. This is how colleagues and friends will search and find you…and how potential business partners will evaluate you in their search for customers and vendors.
3. Add a profile summary.  This is a great way to profile what your company does and what you do in it.  This can also include industry keywords.  When people are searching for you, these keywords can be helpful.  Make it interesting!  Don’t make is sound like everyone else’s resume.
4. Include your photo!  No excuses.  Your photo is how people recognize you and how you relate to your connections.  
5. Select an industry and add your specialties
6. Add your website(s)
7. Create a Public Profile URL.  Consider using your company name or your full name in the LinkedIn public URL you set for your profile. For example: http://www.linkedin.com/in/stephengasser  This is one of the most underutilized functions on LinkedIn.
8. Set your Contact Settings.  This is where you determine your contact settings (introduction only or introductions and emails), about what subjects you are most interested, and how you want to be contacted (some rules of engagement).  Consider adding your contact information in your contact settings description.

Tomorrow we will take things a step further, and I will provide you with a checklist to get the most out of your LinedIn profile.  For now – go to www.LinkedIn.com and build or enhance your profile with this information.  Small steps lead to big rewards!  Take this small step today.

Still need more information? 

On the top right is a  short video that will show you a few more tips and tricks to optimize your profile.

At the end of the 30 days, I will be publishing an action plan with additional details from the comments you provided. I will only be sending this action plan to the followers of this blog. If you want a copy, please subscribe in the “subscribe via email” box above. PS: This is only the beginning! Take a sneak peak at what is coming up!