Sofie Andreou : Business Online Social Networking 101!

Words of Wisdom (I hope) on how to get started...

Planning 101

BEFORE YOU BEGIN.. determine the Purpose of each of your online Pages, IE your Website’s Pages, Google listing (Google Local Business Center), and each of your Online Social Media Tools!
Create your KEYWORD list, make sure you use them in on your online text, tags, categories, titles… all your text needs to be Keyword rich inorder to be found! Google is just a machine, it needs to match up the words people put in it's search box to the words in your titles, text, tags...
Remember to link back to your website and to have your online social media pages feed each other! Weave a web!!!
Remember the few second rule!
The online user has the attention span of a NAT, you only have a few seconds to catch their attention and achieve your purpose!

“The webs we weave!”

Your website must point to each of your Social Media pages, IE to your specific Social Media Profiles or Fan Pages or Group Pages.
Each of your individual Social Media pages must point back to YOUR website or online based point..
Some of the Social Media pages can point to each other or feed each other through RSS feeds or Widgets!!
Put your website and social media links on everything you send out online!

Originally used by students to update each other, Facebook is now the 4th Largest “Country” in the world, as it relates to population!
For businesses or organizations, I suggest you focus on a FAN/Business page for the public… have that Fan Button widget everywhere, encourage people to become a FAN of your business's or organization's!.. This effort is for both member & public awareness & appeals to future clients or members!
Next, you could create a Group Page for your VIP Clients or members only, if you like, where you help them talk amongst themselves & facilitate your thought provoking leadership!!
You have to start by creating a Facebook Profile Page, known as a Friend’s Page. Next determine whether your purpose would be fulfilled by a Fan/Business’s Page, or Group Page, or just maybe if your Friend’s Profile page is enough!
Facebook Widgets can be added to help links online pages & you can “feed” your various Organization's Facebook Posts to your Organization’s other Social Media sites.

140 characters only, sometimes called micro blogging, you can look at someone’s profile without having a Twitter account or “Following” them.
If you want a tool which allows you to send out an immediate 140 character messages, this is the tool.
Often used to update Websites via RRS Feeds, remember, search engines link changes to your site, so, a relevant RRS feed can help your Search Engine placement.
Very popular with the younger crowd.

Can drive fundraising, buzz for an upcoming event, or buzz during an event, emergency updates, announcing results…

LinkedIN is to Professionals what Facebook is to Friends.
Excellent place to join Groups, (I found some very powerful marketing Groups.)
You start by creating your own Profile, and then create your Organization's LinkedIN Group, from that, again is depending on your Purpose, you can make it a closed Group, or an open Group.
The Advance Search on LinkedIn is very powerful, you can search for a human with a specific title, in a specific mile radius, of a postal code or zip-code, and all the results are shown. LinkedIn also lists degree of connection separation between you and the search results humans, as well as who you already know who can introduce you to those you seek!

There are many Blog programs on the market. www.blogger.com , www.typepad.com , www.wordpress.com

Think of a Blog as an online interactive magazines.
You can moderate the replies, so, only those your team approve are added as public comments to your Blog posts.
I strongly recommend moderating the comments to your Blog’s posts!
You can put Google Analytics on blogs to see which links are popular and which aren’t!
I suggest you follow some Blogs before you start your own Blog, listen to their style, and determine your own!

www.youtube.com (YouTube is the second largest Search Engine, we need to use it!)

CREATE A YOUTUBE PLAN FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION!!!! I THINK IT’S VERY IMPORTANT!
Video is such a powerful and under utilized tool, keep them short and meaningful.. Video events, speaking engagements, client or member testimonials!
Determine your style!
When you believe you are ready to post a new video at least every two weeks, then you are ready to create you own Organization’s Channel on YouTube
Repurpose those videos to your website, Facebook, Blog…

Getting Started..

Determine your Purpose!
What style are you comfortable with… is your Online Social Media Voice going to be the Your Voice, or The Organization's Voice?
Who on your team has the skills to help you spin your Online Social Web!
Which elements will you start with, give yourself some time to review what others are doing..

GOOD LUCK!

Sofie

Sofie Andreou