Fourth of four Travolution-hosted seminars at the Travel Technology Show 2009 Presented by Neil Maclean of SmallMediaLarge Two-Way Conversation – Top Tips to Reach Consumers in Social Networks #1 – Use low cost toolsRegister – or use an existing – keyword-rich domain name, buy low-cost hosting, install WordPress open source software and a few key plugins,…
Top Tips to Reach Consumers in Social Networks
Fourth of four Travolution-hosted seminars at the Travel Technology Show 2009
Presented by Neil Maclean of SmallMediaLarge
Two-Way Conversation – Top Tips to Reach Consumers in Social Networks
#1 – Use low cost tools
Register – or use an existing – keyword-rich domain name, buy low-cost hosting, install WordPress open source software and a few key plugins, then tailor a template to suit your brand. Agree guidelines, then post short, relevant conversational items, link to other people, leave comments on other blogs.
#2 – Measure & Monitor
Set up Google Alerts, create active listening process which monitors relevant blogs, microblogs, images and videos. Measure everything you can in social media and be prepared to change course and adapt to what your audience wants. Use the low cost Mint analytics tool for blogging as well as Feedburner for information on subscribers.
#3 – Say/Show What You Do
Google and Yahoo! provide simple sharing services such as YouTube, Flickr, Picasa. In social media, good production values involve decent light and the use of a tripod where possible, rather than calling in a camera crew. For video, shoot short and often, post to YouTube, Vimeo or Blip.tv, grab the code, and embed to on your site or blog.
#4 – Relationships First
If you are in the middle of a conversation, it is not much fun if a stranger butts in. So it is with social media, where brands need to abandon the broadcast model to listen, comment, gain respect and invite participation in what they have to say. Social media is about building relationships and that is the main commercial reason for taking part. Potential customers are more likely to buy from a company where they feel they already have a relationship.
#5 – Mix Old and The New
To make the most of your social media marketing, tell people about it in the old fashioned way – on business cards, letterheads, in brochures, email footers, in your press material, even competitions. Then if you can be interesting, useful, relevant or at the very least, entertaining to your audience you will reap the benefits.
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