Step 1: Establish goals

Anyone that has done business with me or even talked social media with me will know that I’m a huge proponent of setting goals. Rather than just blanket your social media content in every-and-all spaces, really think about what you’re trying to accomplish and how you’ll measure your goals.

Are you looking to increase brand awareness? Increase Facebook likes (and if so, what will you do with them once you’ve reigned them in?) Show yourself as an expert in your industry?

Set your goals and make sure they are measureable. And then, throughout the social media process, be sure to revisit your goals and keep careful tabs on analytics.

Step 2: Develop an industry source list

Sometimes, it’s better not to reinvent the wheel. When thinking about your social media content, you want to provide a good mix of discussion topics, industry articles (from your source list) and relevant information that comes from your own blog, website or other avenues.

Developing an industry source list makes it easier for you to keep tabs on what is trending in your industry and what potential customers are asking about, talking about and wanting to learn more about. Use information from other relevant sources in your industry to modify, develop and curate your own social media content that engages your specific audience.

Step 3: Set a timeline and determine appropriate channels

Social media is not one-size-fits-all. Choose channels that are appropriate for the audience you’re trying to reach. If you’re looking to connect with those in B2B, LinkedIn might be a great place to start. If you want to create a community around your brand and dig in to conversation, a great Facebook strategy can do wonders.

No matter the channel, you want to develop a timeline for posts. Consider your resources and ability to produce quality content. Should you post daily or multiple times a day? Is your audience interested in weekday posts or should you commit to a 7-day per week posting strategy?

Make your content stand out and commit to posting more than once a week (let’s be honest, one post a week on any channel isn’t going to create visibility for your brand).

Step 4: Put together a social media content calendar

This is the part I enjoy the most: Your social media content calendar. This is the tool that is going to help you keep it all together and become a rock star at producing social media content.

An employee of mine once likened a social media content calendar (http://alleecreative.com/blog/2012/04/12/marathon-training-calendar-meet-social-media-content-calendar/) to a marathon training calendar, and rightfully so. Most people don’t start out the gate running full speed ahead without a few bumps in the road. However, if you set a social media content calendar as your guide, you’ll have a wonderful tool to support you.

Key components of a social media content calendar include:

• Post date
• Key Words
• Social media channel (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube)
• Content you’ll post (including links)
• Author/responsibility
• Notes/holidays/other company events

Once your calendar is set, you can also set up third-party apps such as HootSuite, TweetDeck or SocialSprout to do some of the posting for you (although please don’t use the auto DM features or auto-comments. You do want to be real and conversational).

The bottom line is getting your social media content in calendar form like these examples: (http://alleecreative.com/blog/2012/01/04/how-to-manage-an-editorial-calendar/). Once you take time (either monthly, weekly or every few months) to set up a social media content calendar, you’ll get into a groove of regular posts and reap the rewards of social media ROI.

Step 5: Stick with it and be consistent

Consistency is key to ROI when it comes to social media. When your audience can depend on relevant, consistent content, you’ll engage in more conversation and generate more leads and discussion around topics that are pertinent to your audience. Likewise, you’ll garner more klout from search engines and various social media site algorithms (that, let’s face it, seem to change on a daily basis).

By setting yourself up with specific goals, identifying appropriate channels to be suit the needs of your customers and keeping a regular social media content calendar, you’ll move from “How can I manage it all?” to “I’m doing a pretty dang good job and keeping it together” in no time!

Article Guest Post By: Melissa Harrison is CEO and chief strategist at Allée, a marketing and creative services company outside the Twin Cities. Melissa’s areas of expertise include content management and strategy, branding, graphic design, PR and social media. This fall, Melissa will present “How to Organize Your Content Marketing Plan” at Content Marketing World in Ohio. Connect with Melissa online at www.alleecreative.com, on Twitter (www.twitter.com/alleecreative), Facebook (www.facebook.com/alleecreative) or LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/melissaaharrison) 

Before I tell you how this virtual summit will help your business gain more exposure, increase traffic, cultivate loyal fans and increase sales, let me share a story with you.

Proof social media marketing works:

In October 2009, Michael Stelzner started Social Media Examiner, a blog for marketers and small business owners. Almost overnight, his site became one of the top business blogs in the world.

He didn’t advertise, didn’t rely on the press and almost none of his traffic came from search engines.

Now, after two years, he has 600,000 unique people visit his site monthly, more than 132,000 email subscribers and 80,000 Facebook fans. His site has become one of the top 1000 in the United States.

His secret: create valuable content his audience loves and apply intelligent social media strategies.

Michael’s story is not unique. A significant 68% of business owners and marketers plan to increase their use of social media in 2012 (2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report).

What’s the connection? Your customers (and prospects) are using social media every day. Social media is a new marketing frontier because it bypasses all the costly middlemen and allows you to engage directly with your customers and prospects! You’ll never need to advertise. AND this presents an enormous opportunity for you.

So what’s this about??

Michael (and his team) have been working for months to bring the best minds in social media together in a fully online event called Social Media Success Summit 2012 http://bit.ly/ImWGaS

A significant 3,000 marketers and business owners from around the world attended his last Social Media Success Summit. Businesses were transformed. In fact, 98% of attendees said they’d attend again and invite their friends.

This summit’s focus is to empower you to implement successful social media marketing tactics, track and measure your social media ROI, and see how successful social media campaigns were executed.

Twenty-seven of the world’s leading social media superstars will be summit instructors, including: Jeremiah Owyang (Altimeter Group), Chris Brogan (author, Google+ for Business), Mari Smith (co-author, Facebook Marketing), Brian Solis (author, Engage), Jay Baer (co-author, The Now Revolution), Jason Falls (co-author, No Bullshit Social Media), Frank Eliason (author, @YourService), Michael Stelzner (founder, Social Media Examiner, author Launch), and experts from LinkedIn, Dell, Ford, Citigroup and Citrix

Plus join Jesse Stay (author, Google+ for Dummies), Mark Schaefer (author, The Tao of Twitter), Dave Kerpen (author, Likeable Social Media), C.C. Chapman (co-author, Content Rules), Kipp Bodnar (co-author, The B2B Social Media Book) and Amy Porterfield (co-author, Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies)–just to name a few.

Attendees at our last summit included well-known organizations such as General Mills, Microsoft, Kraft Foods, SAP, Tyco, 3M, LexisNexis, Disney, Mayo Clinic, Coca-Cola and Wells Fargo. But you don’t need to be a big business to benefit!

This is the world’s largest online social media event designed to empower marketers and business owners to master social media marketing. And the great news is it’s a live online conference you can attend from your home or office.

For a limited time, you can secure 50%-off tickets to this online event! Go here now to learn more. http://bit.ly/ImWGaS

Here’s to your success!
Eric Vogel

P.S. Twenty-seven of the most successful social media pros will show you how to use social media to market and grow your business. Remember, the experts teach the sessions live (and it’s all online). So you don’t need to leave your home or office! Go here to see how this works. http://bit.ly/ImWGaS

P.P.S. As a way of saying “thanks” for checking out the summit, there’s a gift just for marketers called “How to Hug Your Calculator: The 6-Step Process for Measuring Social Media” by Jay Baer (valued at $59) waiting for you. Go get it here (see yellow box on upper right). http://bit.ly/ImWGaS

It’s no secret that Pinterest is the latest and greatest in the realm of social media. In January 2012, Pinterest drove more referral traffic than Google +, LinkedIn, and YouTube combined. So what does this mean for your business’ social media strategy? Though Pinterest does not have dedicated “fan pages” like Facebook, or “company pages” like LinkedIn, it’s still a great way to develop your brand on online and connect with consumers in a unique and creative way.

Here are 5 tips for using Pinterest for business:

1. Stay True to You Brand: As a company, you should be well aware of your brand image and what that looks like. Make sure that your boards and pins relate to the kind of company you are and enhance that image. For example, a company that sells athletic shoes probably shouldn’t be pinning photos of stilettos and runway models.

2. Be Original – Since Pinterest is still sort of uncharted territory for companies, there’s opportunity to find new and original ways to engage your followers. Create contests and challenges, and take advantage of “group boards” and hash tags.

3. Mind Your Manners – Follow the Pinterest “Etiquette” – Be nice, credit your sources, avoid self-promotion, report objectionable content, tell them how to make Pinterest better. Avoid filling your boards with promotional content and advertising, instead be true to your community and repin and like other pins that suit your brand. This not only will make you a more interesting pinner, but also will increase your engagement with the entire Pinterest community.

4.  Drive Traffic to Your Site – When you create original pins, make sure that their “source” links back to your website. If you pin something that relates directly to your brand but isn’t on your website, include the URL in the pin description.

5.  Pin Quality – The appeal of Pinterest is being able to create a visual representation of your style and interests. Low quality pins that are pixilated or not lit nicely are much less likely to get repined. Keep in mind that pinterest is driven by visual creativity, so a nicely crafted, well designed or photographed pin will be much more popular than a low quality pin, even if it’s content and message are strong.

All Facebook pages will be changed to the timeline layout by March 30th.

The exact size for the Facebook Page Timeline graphic at the top of the page is 851 pixels wide and 315 pixels high.

Main Header Image: 851 pixels wide and 315 pixels high

Profile photo image: 125 pixels wide and 125 pixels high

Custom photo tab images: 112 pixels wide and 75 pixels high

Even though you can post larger photos, you can still drag and crop them to resize the banner. If your new uploaded banner image is less than the expected size, it will create a border on the sides and will give you the option to resize them by using the “DRAG TO REPOSITION COVER”

Facebook Page Timeline Examples:

Click the image below to view the full size.

Click the image below to view the full size.

To review the Facebook Timeline Graphic Sizes once again:

Facebook timeline header image size: 851 pixels wide by 315 pixels high

Facebook profile image size: 125 pixels wide by 125 pixels high

Facebook custom tab image size: 112 pixels wide by 75 pixels high

For more information visit these helpful resources on the new Facebook timeline layout:

www.facebook.com/help/pages/new-design
http://mashable.com/2012/02/29/facebook-brand-timelines-changes-marketing

In the video below you will learn how to increase traffic from your YouTube Videos to your website.

Key tips from video:

1. Add your website URL as the first link in your video description
2. Add clickable annotations to your videos (Click To Subscribe)
3. Add your website logo and url image at the end of your video

4. Keyword In Your Title (Think of what people would search for)
5. Sharing your video on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tubemogul, itunes podcast, ping.fm
6. Ask others to embed your website URL and your videos on their website (cross link)

1. Add a full size photo
- Personal Page Max Size- Width 180px X Height 540px
- Fan Page Max Size- Width 200px X Height 600px
- Thumbnail Image Size- Width 176px X Height 200px

2. Create a welcome landing page

- Use call to action arrows or directional design pointing to ‘Like’ button
- Maximum Size for landing page- Width: 520 pixels, Height: 760 pixels
- The Landing page can be set to be the very first page that shows when someone visits your Facebook Page who hasn’t clicked the ‘Like’ button.

3. Create a reveal landing page
- This page reveals what you are giving away from them clicking the ‘Like’ button on your Facebook Page
- Maximum Size for landing page- Width: 520 pixels, Height: 760 pixels
- If you would like a professional page created call us at (248) 382-8117

4. Create a Contact Us or How Can We Help Tab
- Use JotForm to create the HTML of the form
- After creating the form in jotform and copying the html code, insert it in your iframe html box
- If you would like us to create one for you contact us at (248) 382-8117

5. Come up with something of value to Reveal (give away)
- E-Book
- Video Tutorial
- Coupon
- Sweepstakes entry form
- Free Sample

To watch a video on demonstrating how some of the above customizations work, click play below.

So you’ve created a Facebook Fan Page for your company or cause. Now what? Check out our tips for increasing your page likes and keeping your fans interested and engaged.

1. Add a Like Box to your Website
Installing a “like box” on your website allows visitors to like your page directly from your site.

To create a Like Box for your website go to: www.facebook.com/badges

2. Suggest Your Page to Friends
Use the “Invite Friends” option to suggest your page to all of your friends. You can also remind people to share your content if they find it useful.

3. Create a Memorable URL
Once you’ve collected at least 25 fans, creating a simple and obvious URL for your page allows people to find it easily and quickly.

Example: www.facebook.com/vogelsocialmedia
Set yours up by going here: www.facebook.com/username

4. Tagging
If you’ve created a new partnership or are participating in an event with another company, be sure to create content that includes them, tag them in your statuses by using the @ symbol. You will know you did it correctly if the pages you tagged are blue and link to their page. This will show on your page wall and the other page walls that you have tagged.

5. Link, Link, Link!
If you’re on facebook, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re also on a number of other networks. Include the link to your facebook page on all of your networks, including your email signature.

6. Incentives
With facebook landing pages, it’s easy to offer incentives to new fans of your page. Reveal an exclusive video or a coupon code to new fans.

Examples: http://facebookfanpagecreation.com

7. Piggyback
Like other pages that have the same target market you do, and interact with them on a consistent basis, gaining fans along the way.

9. Utilize your Address Book
Send out emails to people in your address book with a link to your fan page, letting your contacts know that you’ll be posting good quality content regularly and that you’d like them to be a part of the community by clicking Like on your Facebook Page.

10. Create Quality Content
Create quality content! Use facebook as a promotional tool, but remember that you’ll attract more and better quality fans with content that allows for interaction.

Examples: Videos, Articles, Quotes, Photos, Questions, and Polls

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2011

ADMISSION: FREE

PRESENTED BY:

MISSION
Empower small business Detroit to revolutionize their success formula by showing them how to use email and social media marketing as well as (and maybe even better than) the world’s largest and best-known brands.

DESCRIPTION
In just a few short hours, this information-packed seminar will show you how email and social media marketing can help you drive your business success. Discover how communicating with your customers regularly can help you stay connected, and generate increased referrals, repeat sales, and unwavering customer loyalty.

SPEAKER: RON CATES
Presentations feature Constant Contact’s Ron Cates, one of the country’s leading email and social media marketing experts.
“Bar none, the best, most entertaining, most informative speaker I have ever heard.”
- Sylvie Putnam, SCORE e-Business Now

Session 1: Power of Email Marketing with Social Media
During The Power of Email Marketing with Social Media seminar you’ll learn best practices, tips and techniques for smart email marketing strategies:

• Building your email list the best way
• Identifying effective content for your emails
• Ensuring your emails are opened and forwarded
• Incorporating Social Media into your Email Marketing Campaign

Session 2: Social Media Marketing Made Simple
Social Media Marketing Made Simple will cover some of the strategies and best practices that can help you to get the most out of your social media activities. Topics include:

• Incorporating social media into your business without losing productivity
• Managing your social time
• Measuring your return on time invested
• How to gain visibility, develop relationships and drive sales
• Selecting the best social media outlets for your business

After each session and throughout the day, you’ll have plenty of time to ask questions, share your experiences, and network with your peers.

Special Session for Marketing Consultants, Business Coaches, and Marketing Service Providers
At the end of the day, we are hosting a special session for marketing consultants and service providers, small business coaches and educators to discuss how you can work with Constant Contact to continue the email and social media revolution for small business beyond today’s seminar.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD EVENT INFORMATION (PDF)

My last article about Facebook showed the benefits and basic set up of using Facebook Fan Pages.  A Fan Page is a tool for you to reach and connect with your target audience, or potential customers. After reading the last article, you should have set up a fan page or plan to. In this article, I’d like to discuss how to maximize your fan page.

I used the analogy of an office for Facebook, pointing out that if the internet were an office, Facebook would be the ‘water cooler’. Building a fan page for your brand allows you to make personal connection with your customers. At this point, you should have your fan page up and running, and actively gaining more ‘fans.’ As users are directed to your fan page, you can either direct them to your website or continue to engage them through your Facebook fan page.

I see several reasons why you can build a better connection by keeping them on your Facebook fan page.

The Water Cooler is a Great Location!

If Facebook is the ‘water cooler’ of the internet, then your website is equivalent to an office or conference room. By taking your network back to a formal environment, you lose the benefit of social connection; people instantly start interacting with you like a company.

Your network will become personally connected to your brand if you can engage them in an honest way and the longer you can do that, the better. Social settings are the best place for building relationships and Facebook offers that environment on the internet.

Familiarity

Facebook users spend an estimated 700 billion minutes on the site each month. The average user will access games, fan pages, photo albums, and applications. All of these different tools use the same Facebook interface and format. So, while every user participates differently, they are all used to the same format. Facebook consistently takes heat every time they change around tabs because users are so used to the look and function.

Keep users on the Facebook network where they are comfortable and know how to navigate. Their comfort level with Facebook will increase their comfort level with your brand!

Anatomy of a Fan Page

A familiar format has many advantages, one of which is easy access to information. People want information and they want it fast. The familiar format allows people to quickly access the information they want without having to orient themselves to a new format.

Information People Want

• Contact information and location
• Information about new products or sales
• How to find your blog
• Popularity of your brand
• Information about products, services, and the personality of your brand

You may have all this information on your website, and that’s great, but the fan page gives this information in an efficient and familiar way. The left coloumn includes the profile information for your brand and displays the above information and more. Because Facebook users are so familiar with scanning this information, they will learn everything they want to know before they even think about it! No more searching for an “about us” page.

Customization

The information provided on your fan page is customizable. Tabs allow users to flip through multiple pages on your fan page without changing the format. This is perfect if you have multiple ways to connect because you can customize your tabs according to your brand.

A few examples of how tabs can be used:

• Information on Promotions or Limited Time Offers
• Notes, the Facebook version of a blog post
• Photos of products and people who make the company run!
• Polls
• Tutorials
• Videos

The more personal and original you create your brand and fan page to be, the more brand loyalty you will create.

One Stop Shop

As the internet grows, it continues to evolve. Each new generation and new product changes how people use the internet. Internet users are looking for simplicity, instead of searching and running all over the internet, they want to find as much in one place as possible.

When people are searching for a new product, they are more and more likely to start that search on Facebook.

By converting your online presence from www.YourWebsite.com to www.facebook.com/YourFanPage.com you can take advantage of Facebook’s reach, instead of trying to compete with it.

Facebook users already spend an estimated 380 minutes per month on the site, how many of those minutes could be spent connecting with you?

Searchable

Public Facebook profiles and fan pages can be openly searched by any search engine including Google and Yahoo. So anyone looking for your product or company can find you through a normal search. An additional advantage is that Facebook offers its own internal search engine, just one more source of visibility.

The Facebook search engine uses the same SEO principles as other search engines, so your site content can increase your visibility and reach.

The facebook search for your brand will bring up a link to your fan page.

Image example

If you are willing to learn about social media tools and personally engaging your customers, your brand visibility is limitless. Facebook makes marketing affordable for even the smallest business. Facebook gives you the chance to build customer loyalty and brand identity in a way that is cost and time-effective!