This is a presentation that I gave to executives at the European American Chamber of Commerce.

Here are some of the key ideas of the presentation.

Social Media is about:

1. Conversations – It is about people talking to people. Be respectful of that.
2. Amplification – Voices are amplified online. People have the ability to spread messages to lots of other people.
3. Control – Brands are losing control over their marketing messages.  Consumers are gaining control.
4. It Matters – Social media is big and growing.  It isn’t a trend that is passing.  People trust people. Eyeballs and time spent online are growing. You can connect with more people faster with social media.

The Basics on Social Media Channels

Blogs

Are big and growing.  77% of internet users read blogs.  Over 26 million americans have started a blog.

You have two options to participate (they aren’t exclusive):

1. Start a blog as a way to connect with consumers.

2. Reach out to bloggers and build relationships with them.

Twitter

Twitter is big and growing.  It is predicted to have 18 million users by the end of 2009.  By 2010 over 15% of US adults will have a twitter page.

There are lots of different opportunities to build your brand on twitter – and real results.  Dell has transacted over $2.5 million in sales. JetBlue answers customer support.

People are probably already talking about you on twitter.  Find them. Talk to them. Participate in shaping your brand online.

Facebook

Has over 300 million active users.  It isn’t just for young kids – the fastest growing demographic is 35+.

Your customers are on Facebook and may want to connect with you there.

One company in the room was surprised to discover that they had a facebook page.  They were even more surprised to see that customers had been using the wall post section to post questions.

Some of your customers may want to use facebook to connect with you.  Be there and participate.  Give them service where and when they want it.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn presents a great opportunity to connect with prospects and find specific people or companies.  It is search friendly – so you can use it to look up specific people and see how you are connected to them.

The key to success on LinkedIn is to do more than just create a profile.  Be active, use groups and questions to build your network.

The Job Boards can also be very effective – you can post jobs and get fantastic applicants.

Soooooo……….

The key to success with social media is to be strategic – start with clear goals and objectives.  Be disciplined – don’t let Facebook and Twitter become time drains – use them strategically and clearly set and define the amount of time you are willing to spend on them.

Questions/Comments?