Business Communication Skills for Managers Module 10 Social

Business Communication Skills for Managers Module 10: Social Media

Common Social Media Platforms

Learning Outcomes: Common Social Media Platforms 10. 1 Identify common social media platforms used by businesses 10. 1. 1 Describe the primary use of Facebook 10. 1. 2 Describe the primary use of Instagram 10. 1. 3 Describe the primary use of Twitter 10. 1. 4 Describe the primary use of You. Tube

Facebook • Facebook primarily serves to connect people, which makes social media ideal places for companies to connect with their customers in a way that feels personal How can I start a Facebook Marketing campaign? • Watch video by Amy Landino to see how!

Instagram • The top users of Instagram tend to be individuals interested in creating a personal brand. • This interest in a personal brand has grown as celebrities have become increasingly popular in advertising • Endorsements from a celebrity’s Instagram account seem more genuine than a TV ad or in the newspaper

Twitter What is the appeal of Twitter? quickly and concisely reach an audience includes images and videos in your tweets Hashtags help you to reach a larger audience Twitter was originally created as a business tool! • •

You. Tube Pros: Ease of use Integration with other social media and websites Massive audience • • • Cons: Data capturing and privacy concerns Sheer size and volume of content requires careful placement Creating videos requires unique skills and tools when compared to business writing • • •

Discussion What are the positive and negative sides of using social media for your business?

Additional Social Media Platforms

Learning Outcomes: Additional Social Media Platforms 10. 2 Identify social media platforms that are typically less frequently used by businesses 10. 2. 1 Describe the primary use of Linked. In 10. 2. 2 Describe the primary use of Pinterest 10. 2. 3 Describe the primary use of Snap. Chat 10. 2. 4 Describe the primary use of Google Plus

Linked. In focuses on recruiting and finding talent Individual users build profiles similarly to a personal resume, and are able to search for new jobs and work Quick and easy strategies for recruiting on Linked. In: • • • If you find a candidate that looks perfect, you can send them a request to connect alongside a message, explaining the position that you think they would be interested in If you have a 2 nd or 3 rd level connection, you can ask the person you’re connected to if they can make an introduction, and move from there If you’re doing a lot of recruiting , it might be worth it to get a premium account

Pinterest • Pinterest is an excellent platform for viewing and disseminating content organized visually by theme • Users can search for things, as well as “pin” things to their own boards (the boards are essentially folders of content) What are the drawbacks of using Pinterest? Limited gendered audience Perceived usage is based around DIY projects, not products The interface is comparatively confusing and difficult to navigate • • •

Snapchat is largely oriented to Millennials and Generation Z • it is most useful for businesses targeting this demographic! Snapchat ads are short and to the point Filters placed on Snapchat pictures can overlay a brand message or promotion Interestingly, Snapchat marketing appears to be more effective than other common platforms.

Google Plus Pros of Google Plus: ● Potential for a large audience ● Local SEO Cons of Google Plus: ● Relatively low usage ● More manual work to integrate with other social media platforms

Discussion Question What are some positive and negative consequences of using Snapchat to reach your customers?

Selling Your Products

Learning Outcomes: Selling Your Products 10. 3 Use various types of social media to increase your sales 10. 3. 1 Use social media to announce a product launch 10. 3. 2 Use social media to spotlight products 10. 3. 3 Use social media to announce a sale or event

Product Launch Number one reason to use social media is to bring attention to a new product or service Various tactics when announcing a product or service launch • Design a hashtag, organize a countdown, develop consistency across platforms, have clear call to action When choosing which social media platform to use, consider target audience and type of message

Spotlight Products We work to use real, compelling, and authentic narratives to promote interest in our organization, given product, or to increase interaction between customers Key questions: • • Is the message or post authentic? How easy have they made it to interact? Netflix and Kohls do a good job of • • Using humor Highlighting possible outfits

Sales and Events Advertising a Sale: Creates interest and excitement by spotlighting size of sale or highlighting reason for sale • Features to Increase Sales: Unique features to promote sales, such as embedding a “buy” button or link in social media message Pinterest has different tutorials, reaches to Millennial or Generation Z, Snapchat uses similar features • •

Building Your Brand

Learning Outcomes: Building Your Brand 10. 4 Use various types of social media to build affinity with your customers and make your brand stand out 10. 4. 1 Use social media to cultivate community 10. 4. 2 Use social media to create a sense of affinity 10. 4. 3 Use social media to announce company news

Cultivate Community Loyal customers blur line between internal and external Issue of authenticity with social media is challenging, as some exchanges may be hollow or misunderstood It’s important to be transparent with messaging Have a goal of having more meaningful exchanges on social media

Create a Sense of Affinity is “a liking to something, often naturally or spontaneously” Creation of narrative or story is related to affinity and authenticity Difference between the three words • • • Affinity: spontaneous liking to something Authenticity: natural realness Story or narrative: compelling description about person Storytelling organizations describe a great story, and attempt to use that story to energize customers

Activity With a small group, make a list of products that have succeeded with creating a community or brand affinity with you. In your list, write a short description of the product and detail what the company has done well to include you as part of their community. List which social media platforms they’ve used, and what they’ve done to cultivate brand affinity.

Company News Change in senior leadership, ownership, or other large non-product or service oriented announcement Organizations cross a divide between external and internal customers and integrate everyone into an audience Customers themselves drive company interaction, and in doing so they integrate into company business Loyal customers may talk about company items on their own social media

Practice Question Liam is in charge of communications at the large company where he works. The current CEO is retiring, and the company is ready to announce her replacement. Why might Liam choose to make this announcement over social media? a) If Liam has successfully created a community among his customers, and affinity for the brand, those customers may talk about company items their own social media b) Seeing social media posts about internal company changes may help drive sales at the company. c) Announcing a change like this over social media reminds consumers that your company is working hard to their serve their needs.

Quick Review What are common social media platforms used by businesses? What are social media platforms that typically less frequently used by businesses? And why? What are various types of social media that you can use to increase your sales? What are various types of social media that can be used to build affinity with your customers and make your brand stand out?