Mitch Pottinger– Digital Marketing

1. Mitch Pottinger– Digital Marketing

2. Social Media Starting Points • Social Media is not about direct sales. Not about a regular sales pitches or promotions. • It’s about starting a conversation with your target market. Conversation that will make them see you as a solution to their issue. • Example: If you’re an ice cream store, don’t post about socket wrenches. If you’re a hardware store, don’t post about your favorite ice cream. • Understand your target market and match your social media sites to them.

3. Use What’s Best For You • Some social media platforms will communicate better for your industry than others • A Plumber: Success posting about plumbing issues on Facebook and joining in on conversations on Twitter. Not so much onPinterest. • A Jewler: High visual appeal = Pinterest • A Recruiter: People to fill positions = LinkedIn • Good to have reach, but focus on the sites that will give you the most success

5. Not Google’s First Rodeo • Google has had several unsuccessful attempts at social networking sites • Google Buzz(2010-2011) • Google Friend Connect( 2008-2012) • Orkut-Google developer Orkut Büyükkökten. Created right before“The Facebook” in 2004. Managed by Google Brasil. Set to retire 9/14

6. The Rise of Google+ • Started in late June of 2011 as a private invitation only beta test. Had to ask Google to be part of the test group. • In 2 weeks it was up to 10 million users. 2 more weeks up to 25 million and capped it. • Early August 2011, gave members 150 invitations each to give to friends to join. Gave it this exclusive appeal. • Membership doubled to 50 million in 2 months!

7. Just A Little Comparison… • MySpace- 1,046 days (2 years and ~10 ½ months) to get to 50 million users • Twitter- 1,096 days (3 years exactly) to get to 50 million users • Facebook- 1,325 days (3 years and ~7 ½ months) to get to 50 million users • LinkedIn-2,354 days (6 years and ~5 ½ months) to get to 50 million users • Google+ ? – 88days! (a little under 3 months)

8. More Growth • Lowered 18 year old membership limit to 13 • November 2011 integrated YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Android, Google Play, Google Music, Google Voice, Google Wallet, and Google Local with Google+ • Linked all saved information on these services to your Google+ account • Want tosave information from these apps? Need to create a Google+ account

9. Registered vs Active Users • Over 1 billion registered Google+ accounts today, second only to Facebook • However only roughly 400 Million are active monthly, MUCH less than Facebook • What’s up with the 600 Million inactive users? I have my suspicions… • Most people don’t know they have one!

10. The Social Media Scoop

11. Social Network or Social Layer? • Considered by NY Times as Google’s biggest attempt to rival Facebook • Google: Comparing Google+ with Facebook NOT like comparing apples to apples! • Doesn’tconsider Google+ a social networking site. More a “social layer” of Google • Facebook awhole site dedicated to social networking. Google+ an update of Google.com meant to improve the experience • Point to the name--Google PLUS this new feature

12. User Demographics • 64% of users are male (36% female) • Largest age demographic 25-34. 35-45 age group nipping at its heels • Tend to be well-educated professionalsthat work in techy-type industries (NERDS!) • Early adopters and Influencers. Very knowledgeable of new tech and trends, like to inform you of new products and services. • More brand conscious. More likely to join and engage in banded communities

13. Users By Age

14. User Behavior • Focus tends to be more on discussions and trends rather than keeping up with family and friends and funny pictures of cats. More professional tone • Average time on site ~7-11 minutes • Prime time to post between 9am and11am • Worst time to post between 6pm and 7am • Just general tendencies, not rules. Analyze your page to see when your posts get the most engagement

15. The Biggest Difference • Google is first and foremost a search engine (the most powerful on the planet by far!) • Search engines are yesteryears yellow pages • Google normally needs to go out and search other sites for content to index then rank • On Google+ you are feeding the 900 pound gorilla exactly what it wants. The content you post is immediately indexed • This helps your organic search rankings

16. The Point… • Google isn’t like other social media sites. • Think of it more as a mini-blog site where you post directly to the biggest search engine on the planet.

17. How To Write For Google • Every post needs a keyword rich title- this becomes the title in the search results, so select it carefully. • Format what you write for attention: use bold, italics, bullet points to help readers skim what you post

18. Posting Tips • It’s ok to post longer content. It’s both a visual and text based medium. Use ‘em both! • Use your images- especially if you have an image based business. Show off what you do. Before and after pictures are always good. The more creative and dramatic the better.

19. Tagging in Posts on Google+ • Put a “+” before the person’s name that you want to tag in a post • Tagging will notify the person you tagged that they are being mentioned in a post and you are inviting them to respond • Can tag anyone that you add into your circle even if they don’t have you in their circle

20. Hashtags- Use ‘Em! • Hashtags are used to connect relevant topics • The hashtagged word/topic becomes a link to other people using the word/topic • Helps connect you with people talking about the same things you are • Increases your visibility

21. Google Plus Cheat Codes

22. Circles • Used to be easy to keep your family, friend, and work life separate. • Add different people to different circles based on their role in your life and see only their posts. Only they will see what you post. • Helps you filter through the noise • Hear from the people you WANT to hear from WHEN you want to hear from them

23. SEO Advantage of Circles • The more people that have you in their circles, the more people can see your content. • Even if your site doesn’t normally show up in the organic search results of Google, it will show up first on the search results page of those people who have you in their circle on Google+ complete with your profile picture next to it.

24. Get In Their Circle • Ask people through your other social media sites to add you to their circles • Check out communities for people with interests similar to yours or that deal with something your work specializes in • Engage in some of the conversations, share some information. People will add you to their circles if they like what you’re saying • If you just add some people to your circles, often times they will add you back

25. The Plus 1 • Equivalent to the “Like” button on Facebook • “Plus 1” something someone posted, a picture, video, a website, WHATEVER! • Google takes this Plus 1 as an endorsement or recommendation • Also keeps track of what you’ve Plus 1’d

26. Plus 1 and SEO • The importance of the +1 button has been hotly debated, but the working theory is that whenever this link is clicked, it helps your SEO. We say…not really. • The truth is when someone hits the +1, it’s one signal to Google. Don’t forget comments and shares. So, one browser has 3 opportunities to send a signal to Google that your post is good-+1, comment, share it • Putting the +1 on your website is a good idea.

27. Ads On Google+ • +Post Ads- they exist, so there is a way to advertise on Google+ • Not widely adopted, but it’s a shot at advertising on some prime Google real estate • For example, a car salesman could target his Google+ posts to appear on auto parts websites • While this sounds good on paper (like communism), the jury’s still out on how effective it is or will be

28. What Not To Do: • Ignore the Communities: play well with others • Just talk about your own products/services • Spam your circles • Leave your profile incomplete • Ignore the circles • Ignore negative comments • Build a profile and ignore it • Not ever post or +1

29. What TO do on Google+ • Tag people (or think about it)-can prompt interaction (not always the kind you want) • Post on community pages to get more visibility • Cross post hot topics to G+ for traction • Use G+ to write long messages (blog posts) then tweet the link • Always use keywords in every post

30. When You Blog • Take these steps: • Post your blog content on your Google+ • Build “Blog Sharing” Circle • Notify everyone in it to see your post and ask them to share it, comment or +1 it. • See what kind of engagement you get

31. What TO do • Use Google Events to invite people to events • Emphasize G+ on your website • Use images-this always increases engagement • Use bold and italics in your text to help it stand out.

32. Build Your Profile • Add some images- you need a picture of yourself and a cover photo (just like Facebook) • Fill out your profile as much as possible and identify circles that make sense for your industry. Always include a few networking circle • When you share a post, share it with the public as well as the people in your circle • You can also notify people by email when you share but use this carefully. Don’t get spammy

33. The Doctor Will See You Now!Get Your Digital Marketing Diagnosis • Go to: digital.makeitloud.net • Answer A Few Questions • Get Free Feedback On What’s Missing With Your Digital Marketing

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