Confused About Integrating ? Social Media Is Not…

• Something you should do just because your nephew said so.

• Something you can fake or automate.

• Something you that requires zero effort or attention Social Media Is…

•A way to position you as a leader in your market.

•Something that must be authentic.

•A way to connect to a younger and different audience – but not as young as you think (the average user is 41).

• A low cost, effective, trackable way to reach new people

•Something that requires dedicated empowered staff time. New web • It’s a destination Old web • It’s interactive • It’s fresh • Something to read • Users take • Two-dimensional information AND • Set it, then forget it contribute information. • A network of connections Your Constituency = Your Tribe Your Website is an opportunity for: •Blogging Active Conversation • with your Tribe •Twitter •e-Newsletters •Automated Content •YouTube/Flickr Focus on Permission Marketing – not Interruption Marketing

Permission marketing is the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who actually want to get them.

-Seth Godin, Marketing Guru Lets Talk about the Tools. To Blog or Not to Blog? Myth Blogs are for teenage girls, armchair political pundits who have too much time on their hands and mommies who think everyone wants to read about what their kids ate for lunch. Fact Blogging is a low- cost, high-return tool for organizations. The New York Times, even said so. The Benefits of Blogging

• Positions you as an expert in your field • Makes your site attractive to search engines • Allows you to engage your clients and customers in a conversation that is mutually beneficial Get Viral - YouTube Instead of investing in TV air time, invest in the production of a series of viral videos or video promotions which get your message out.

Have your website feature automatic feeds of the videos. Connect with FaceBook Facebook is another way to reach out to your tribe. Create constant opportunities for discussion. Let’s talk business - LinkedIn You can create Groups in LinkedIn and invite your members to be a part of it, which means your logo on their LinkedIn Pages. E-newsletters Can they do more? e-Newsletters Produce Results

• Keeps you in regular contact with customer. • Permission – people have requested information so your marketing is targeted rather than scattershot. • Even if your open rate is low – they are still being branded. • It’s inexpensive – and it drives people to your website. E-Newsletters Affordable, user friendly ways to communicate with your constituents. •One Article Format •Keep relevant to Tribe •Send at @ effective time Are you a Twit? Twitter is a way to keep in regular contact with your tribe and another way to be accessible to your customers. What’s that thing called Ning? Ning makes you a credentialed and safe resource where your customers can interact and share knowledge, tips and experiences. So What’s the Catch with all this stuff? Bad News It takes a little time, effort, consistency and patience. Good News Our particular market is slow to adapt – you can be one of the first on the bandwagon. Promote Your Social Media If you build it, They most certainly will NOT come – Unless – you tell them to.

• Print ads • Radio & TV • Brochures • Newsletters • E-newsletters • Business cards & letterhead • E-mail signatures • Everything else! Create Buy-In

• Competitions • Promotions • Viral Video • Advertising • Inter-Connect all aspects together • Integrate all feeds into website. You have to invest to get the return

• Recognize Web as a priority • Devote staff hours • Find ways for users to contribute • Get creative • Empower Employee(s) e-Marketing can be less costly and more effective…

…and it’s measurable. Jump in and Play Today.

-Linkedin.com -Ning.com -Facebook.com -Twitter.com -Wordpress.com -ConstantContact.com Thank you.

• www.UpstateCreative.com • www.GrafiQaBlog.com