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How to Build Business Through Social Media – Part 1
David Perry invited our company to join in a great Social Media seminar called “Building Business Through Social Media” held last week in San Francisco at the Zeum-Moscone Center. This seminar was targeted towards small business hoping to leverage the media channel called social. Part 1 of our report will cover presentations on developing social connections and finding social influencers. In Part 2, we will summarize presentations about the use of Social Media and Online contests, the US Postal Service’s roll in the age of social media and a panel discussion on the seminar’s topic. This seminar is part of the New Media Made Easy series that David Perry & Associates has put together. The speakers included:
Rachel Minard, Partner, Executive Managing Director, Optima Fund Management, LLC
Derek Skaletsky, Chief Business Designer at Traackr
Michael Brandvold, Owner, Michael Brandvold Marketing
Bill Gossy, Business Development Specialist, US Postal Service
Personal Currency: The Role of Social Media in Building Personal & Business Relationships
David Perry and Rachel Minard had a fireside chat about how to build Relationships in the new social age. Minard discusses a mix of what most would label an old school approach to the new social age. She emphasized the role of social currency in the terms of obligation and responsibility. There is an obligation to take time to research who is requesting to connect, who they are and what they care about.
You have a responsibility to that connection once you do connect. The really good social marketers or networkers do a great job of this. Menard mentioned that “social media has made us lazy.” You can’t just show up and expect great results. Social media should be more strategic, thoughtful and targeted. The old school approach that Minard uses is that she writes handwritten notes back to people to personalize the seemingly impersonal social media world. As a contrast, Roger Horchow, of the famous Horchow Collection, was a subject in Gladwell’s book- The Tipping Point. He is a person who maintains a lot of “weak ties” but exhibits some personal touches that Minard demonstrates in her personal network.
WTF’s an Influencer?
Derek Skaletsky of Traacker, discussed of what makes an influencer. They don’t have to be the best or the famous–they can be regular people like us. Skaletsky mentioned people like Justine Ezarik, Bill Simmons, Kevin Pho, Tim O’Reilly, Fred Wilson, Robert Llewellyn who started as normal people but who built themselves as influencers just by being themselves and being passionate. What is an influencer? Skaletsky asserts it is person that can incite a voluntary action. Influencers are important to brands/products in the social world. They can re-amplify your message as if thousands were talking about it.
How do you find these people? Well, Traacker supposedly has solved this for you. They’ve created an algorithm that has defined influence in terms of Reach, Resonance and Relevance. The social world has taken the traditional demographic target approach of PR and Marketing and flipped it around to who listens to whom about what on a daily basis. Influencers actually have some interesting characteristics. They don’t have specific beats, a lot of them talk about a variety of topics. Influencers are passionate about the topics they talk about. In general, influencers can amplify your message and reach which is the unique thing about the social web.
All in all, Perry put together a great lineup. In part 2, we will hear about online contests with social media, the US Postal Service co-existence in the social world and a panel discussion on how small businesses can use social media to build their business.
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