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This morning I got to look at the internet in a new way, through the viewpoint of how social media can impact business.
This was the subject of IABC/Seattle’s "Social Media Seminar: Harnessing the Power of Web 2.0."
What is it?
Social media is the term that refers to the two-way communications people are having via the internet today. Facebook, Twitter, Biznik and LinkedIn are popular website examples.
Keynote speaker, Social media expert and blogger extraordinaire Chris Brogan, president of New Marketing Labs, talked about how social media allows us to “re-humanize” our businesses.
“Social media is not this big kumbaya thing,” he says. “It’s a tool, like your phone is not a strategy, it’s a tool.”
Ryan Turner, “associate director of user experience” at ZAAZ, tells Tim Riha, “When we talk about social media, we’re really talking about participation.”
What’s it all about?
For businesses, Turner says, “It’s not about measuring the ROI-return on investment—after you do it. It’s about defining in advance what you want to accomplish and figuring out the best way to do it.”
All speakers agreed the most powerful things you can do online for your business are:
1. Focus on quality.
2. Give valuable information.
3. Create a two-way communication with your potential customer.
Where to begin?
“Take a social media inventory,” Turner says. “Because it’s two-way communication, you don’t just get to talk, you get to listen.”
He suggests 5 things you should listen online for:
1. What do my customers think?
2. How do we compare to others in our industry?
3. What are my customers doing?
4. What are they buying?
5. What are they doing online and saying to their friends?
Lara Eve Feltin, co-founder of Biznik, says you should never try to sell with social media and ultimately, “participation equals marketing.”
She suggests 3 ways to use social media:
1. Listen
2. Engage
3. Add value
If you have just 10 minutes a day, she says, “engage.”
Here are her 3 ways to engage:
1. Ask a question
2. Extend a conversation
3. Challenge the author.
Cheryl Nichols, in charge of professional development for IABC/SEATTLE, organized the event.
“IABC is all about connecting people,” she says. “It’s fantastic to get our feet wet in social media.”
IABC (International Association of business Communicators) SEATTLE is a local association providing communicators with activities, networking opportunities and services to achieve professional excellence.
Sponsor Shiftpoint Strategies had a video crew there capturing footage of the event and interviews with speakers and attendees.
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