This panel was presented by Julie Cole (@juliecole), Kim Christopherson (@youcanmakethis), Lisa Leonard (@lisaleonard), Amy Turn Sharp (@dooblehvay), Kimba (@KimbaASPTL), Kris Thurgood (@JesseKateDesign and @TheDIYDish).
Description: Creating a blog and other social media tools can be the foundation for promoting a business of any type, or it can open new doors for increased sales, influence and buzz. Our panelist are outstanding examples of how blogging and social media can leverage key relationships, draw viral attention and forge personal connections with your customers.
Five Things You can do With Social Media:
1. Build the Buzz – get the hype going.
2. Be Yourself – Don’t worry about things being perfect.
3. Be Specific – If you want people to sign up for a newsletter, ask them.
4. Bring on the Bookmarks – Social Bookmark your posts and content
5. Be appreciative – Show gratitude and appreciation for others who things for you.
Question: What social media tools are most important to your business and why?
Kris: Social media survey services like SurveyMonkey.com give you a better feel for what types of social media tools your readers are using. Ask specific questions to find out the information that will be most helpful for you. Also, survey bloggers that you collaborate with to find out what they want to do.
Question: How do you manage social media? Do your outsource or do it yourself? How big of a role does Social Media play in your business?
Lisa: Does all the social media herself because she wants to be genuine and wants to give a piece of herself to her users. Social Media has been the driving force for Lisa’s business and without it the site may have just stayed there. Build relationships for the sake of building relationships, not just to sell products.
Question: How much time is the right amount of time to invest in Social Media?
Kimba: Her blog is her business, so it’s skewed for her. Be careful not to let it overtake your life and neglect other avenues of your business.
Kate: Kate is the Social Media manager for Mabel’s Labels so it’s full-time job. Find tools that make your life easier. Be sure to thank people who retweet you.
Question: What has been your most successful Social Media campaign?
Amy: It depends because different niches have different audiences. She recently did a “name the creatures” campaign that gave her a lot of responses and engagement. Sometimes high profile blogs will drive you major business in a short period of time. Let people fall in love with you and your story, then they’ll fall in love with your business.
Question: What lessons have you learned with Social Media?
Kate: Address negative things in the public space – don’t delete it and take it private. Make a note about how things are being changed and document it publicly. It displays who you truly are and how you handle situations. Focus on building relationships.
Lisa: There is no one campaign that’s going to take you the next level and keep you there forever. Your expectations may not meet up. Network up and down but definitely network.
Kate: You never know who people are connected to that you meet and network with.
Question: How do you find your voice and do you have any rules?
Amy: Breaks all her own rules. She takes her entire brand into account. “I sell baby toys. I can’t be drunk on Twitter.” She tries not to get involved with politics but she wants her personal Twitter stream to really reflect her.
Question: How do you balance your time being social and being focused on business?
Kris: Use the 80/20 rule: 80% of the time be yourself, 20% of the time talk about your business.
Amy: Being inspirational is not cheesy. Uses Tumblr to share things she likes from other sites with her readers.
Kate: Know your readers, know your customers. Their Facebook fans are very different from their Twitter followers.
Question: What do you use to monitor your brand and your competition?
Amy: We use Google Alerts, but it can be exhausting. Focus on your brand, not competitors.
Lisa: Her readers let her know what others are doing. But it can sap your energy. Invest your energy into being creative.
