Social Media Experts Emphasize Strategy

Put together three social media experts who talk very fast, and you are certain to get two things: exceptional information on using modern communication tools to connect to clients, friends and family, and about three hours’ worth of advice, suggestions and spot-on expertise in under 75 minutes.

The Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce recently presented “Connecting with Your Clients: Building Your Social Media Strategy,” a free program to help individuals and businesses get the most out of their social media efforts.

"Most businesses fail with social media,” says Kristin Kane, Director of Social Media & Recruiting for Kane Partners’ new Social Media Division in Lansdale and one of the morning’s panelists.

That’s because, she avers, they get into social media with “no plan or reason other than ‘we have to,’ no policies set in place or expectations, no training on how to optimize social media, and no measuring tools” so they know if what they’re doing is working for them.  

Kane was joined by Mark Glidden, principal of Stone-Glidden, designers of home entertainment and automation solutions, and Rick Toone of Shoot Better Video, who has shot video for more than 1,000 commercials and other corporate messages.

The panel was moderated by Maria Evans of Martino Evans Clear/Concise/Communication, a strategic marketing and public relations firm.

The panelists’ pointers were delivered succinctly — and briskly. All questions were answered completely — and with no wasted words. The 40 people who attended left with a boat-load of tips and ideas for where to start if they are relative newbies on the social media scene, to what they need to do next if they’re already using social media but want truly impressive results.

Kane, who provides services from developing a custom strategy to training in social media skills, often posts content from her features on “Survive and Thrive” on NBC10 with consumer reporter Tracy Davidson.

“It has to be a part of what you’re doing.”

Kane gave these tips:

• What are your social media goals? Public relations, news, brand loyalty, networking, marketing and more.
• Who exactly is your audience? Be specific about geographical location, age, income, interests, gender, industry, etc.
• When and where does your audience go online? Determine when your target audience is most likely to be online and what sites they visit.
• Engage your audience with creative content, using links, video, even content created by other professionals.
• Use measuring and tracking tools, such as Google Analytics, a free program that counts and times visitors on your site, and Bit.ly, which shortens URLs and allows you to track and share the links.
• And finally, create a social media plan so you know what tasks you will spend your time doing – including time to create and time to post your content.  

Mark Glidden likes experimenting with new technology.

“I’m more of the crash-test dummy of social media," he said.

Glidden’s company doesn’t do traditional advertising. Instead, “we can take the information from sources and repackage that.” When they receive a lot of positive responses to a good tip, “we know we’ll be regarded as trusted advisors. I know that at some point, people will refer business.”

Glidden puts news and other information on his Facebook fanpage, and saves money in advertising – while reaching his target audience more effectively. He uses Facebook’s administrator feature, which shows “on a day-by-day basis how many people were there.”

He also believes that “asking questions is more engaging that giving information.”

Rick Toone, who uses his considerable video skills extensively with social media, says, “Video matters in that people get a sense of who you are. All things being equal, people want to do business with friends.”

He points out that the best editing program “is whatever’s on your computer. Start small: it’s not worth your time and trouble to learn the most advanced and expensive program. It doesn’t have to be perfect for Facebook and YouTube.”

And while shorter videos are generally better, Toone is quick to say that “ten minutes is not long enough for a really compelling video.”

Some other random tips from the experts:

• Tag people’s photos with their website URL.
• Develop a compelling custom landing page so visitors return.
• Always reply to responses with Facebook or Twitter: treat it like a dialog.
• Don’t set up a Facebook fanpage unless you have the time to make it engaging.
• Negative feedback can be a great opportunity: “It’s not the problem, it’s the way you respond to it.” (Glidden)
• Sign up for free Google Alerts to let you know any time your name comes online anywhere. “You’ll be surprised what comes across.” (Toone)
• Regarding LinkedIn: use it to search for clients. “Join groups. Set up your Profile. Connect.” (Kane)
• Mind your manners. (The same rules apply for social media as for real life.” (Glidden)
• “Maximize your time on social media using Bit.ly for links.” (Kane)
• Market to get your audience to visit your site often. “Bribe them. Tell them why they need to go there.” (Toone)
• Consider putting a QR code on your business card. “People can scan this and get every bit of social media my business is on. (Glidden)

“If you over-think it, it doesn’t work,” says Toone. “But you do have to have a strategy.”

The free program was sponsored by National Penn Bank.