I had the pleasure of attending this great social media FREE event from Social Media Examiner. Well, actually during the live event I was picking up my daughter from the school bus (LOL)…but it was recorded! And I got to listen to the presentation Sunday night and want to share with you some of the wonderful tips the Panelists had shared with us.

Presenters: Michael Stelzner, Andrea Vahl, Rich Brooks & Kristi Hines

Michael Stelzner, Founder and CEO of Social Media Examiner

First, there is a very nice introductoin of the panelists.  Then Michael Stelzner, CEO of Social Media Examiner, kicks off the event talking about Google Plus.  Google Plus is still very new and developing new features and functions rapidly.  He makes note of three very important things:

1. There can be only one administrator for your Google Plus business page.  This "issue" is being addressed and in the future (near) you will be able to have multiple admins for your business page, but as of now the person who sets up the page is the one and only administrator for that page. 
2. You can only "Circle" (become a fan) someone that "circles" you. 
3. There is a great advantage to having a business page and putting the badge on your site (using their Badge Configuration Tool).  Google then "rewards" you with more recommendations on Google Search. So there is a SEO benefit to having a Google Plus Business Page and putting their badge on your site! Go get started (but you have to create a page first and join Google Plus)!

Click here to learn how to create your Google Plus Business Page!

 

Andrea Vahl, Co-author of "Facebook Marketing:  All-in-One for Dummies"

Andrea first wanted to discuss leads and what is a lead. The number of Facebook "Likes" does not equal the number of "leads".

However, you first need a "like" to later become a possible "lead". You need to connect with them over and over again (posting great stuff and comments and articles on Faceobok) so when the need arises for your service you will be at the top of their mind.

Facebook is a sales pyramid: Like (get the Facebook "like") >>> Engage (commenting on your wall, communication, getting to know and "trust" you) >>> Buy (purchase your service or product).

So, the number of Likes does matter as its the size of your base, your foundation and then it goes from there.

Facebook Custom Pages

You don't know you have a "real" lead until they have given you their email address. You need to create a custom facebook page that integrates with your email marketing/newsletter service (like Constant Contact, aWeber, MailChimp).

You can also offer them something for free or some other "incentive" for joining your mailing list.  Here is Social Media Examiner's article on 10 apps to create a cusom facebook page or tab: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/top-10-facebook-apps-for-building-custom-pages-tabs/ 

Facebook and Webinars

If you are one who uses webinars you can also use them to capture email addresses (leads).

Promote a product or service at the end

• offer valuable content
• continue to connect with your audience thru email

Some popular webinar providers are (most range between $39/month and up depending on your audience size and more).

• GoToWebinar
• Adobe
• WebEx
• Ustream (ans similar types of service don't collect the emails)

Run a Facebook Contest 

But a legal one! 

You it to showcase your product or service, gather emails, and have fun! People like to "win" things 😀

To be "legal" on Facebook, you MUST use a third-party contest facebook appication like: 

• WildFire
• WooBox
• Strutta (starts at $299)
• Booshaka
• North Social
• ShortStack 

You CANNOT run a contest that says "like this for your chance to win…"

Rich Brooks, President of Flyte New Media

Rich is a small business owner and gives lots of advice on YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn during this presentation.

Leverage YouTube's Power

• 3 billion every day
• 2nd most popular search engine

How do you tap into this?

• Create videos that answer your ideal customer's ideal questions.

How do you get them seen?

• You have to know what your customers want. 
• Use keywords 

   - in title
   - in description
   - tags
   - in narrative (in your video conversation)

Beyond YouTube 

How to connect and reach YouTube outside YouTube!

• Create a blog post on the same topic, keyword rich.
• Embed in your blog post!
• FB business page — post in there. and profile page.
• Tweet it!
• Finally, email newsletter, email blast (Take a screen capture and link to YouTube video from the email/newsletter).

Find Your audience on Twitter

• Find the right people - customers, partners, vendors.
• Do a search on related topics and products and then contact to their tweets
• Go to advanced search for geographic sensitive companies for example if your are targeting an audience within a 25 minute radius of your business location.
• Create Twitter Lists (like Facebook Groups)
• Subscribe to other people's Twitter list to gain access to who's tweeting there.
  
  

How to use LinkedIn

• Most people don't get it.
• Used for Business to Business.
• Create an engaging profile.
• Use Groups to generate leads.
• Joining appropriate groups. Local area and in business community.
• Join the conversation. 
• Do not sell, sell, sell
  • 80% promoting other people, helpful, inform, valuable content (trust)
  • 20% promote your own stuff
• Don't' hang out on Linked in like you do on Facebook or Twitter
• Sign up for Email Daily Digest.

 

Kristi Hines, Founder of Kikolani

Kristi spoke about blogging. That one popular problem is finding what to write about. She continues in discussing what to do next…post it and promote it!  Last but not least at all is to view your stats (Google Analytics for example).  You want to see where your visitors are spending time, what's your bounce rate, what keywords are popular, etc.

Finding Blog Content

Let's get started with the problem – finding blog content. Kristi explains that finding topic ideas is the most popular blogging problem or obstacle.

She suggests:

• look for people asking questions….
• Q&A networks
• Social Media networks
• Blog comments

Sites Kristi recommends to look for questions/answers to find potentional blog content are:

• Quora.com
• LinkedIn.com/Answers
• Look at the keywords for your industry
• Yahoo! Answers 

Use Social Media

• HootSuite helps you manage your social networks.

When you do post on your blog… 

• You need to write really GOOD content.
• PROMOTE it.
  • Social Media
  • Go to sites and post the updates
  • Thru Blog Comments

Leverage your analytics

• it's MORE than just clicks and visitors
• Bouce Rate (you want this rate to drop, as you want people to stay on your site)
• Keywords and landing pages
• Not providing organic keywords (google analytics)
• What pages are they staying on (you want them to continue to stay)

What are visitors really looking for?

• Search box on your blog and it will tell you what they are looking for!

 

I hope you enjoyed this summary of free webinar I had recently attended by Social Media Examiner!

More blogging how-to articles to come as that was the leading desired topic in the recent survey!

Happy blogging,

Heather 😀