Composed by Olivia Roat | Designed by Michael Biondo

CONQUER
SOCIAL MEDIA
A GUIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
HOW TO
About the Author
Olivia Roat
Check out Olivias articles on
Mainstreethosts Blog.
@MSH_Olivia +Olivia Roat
Olivia Roat is an inbound
marketer at Maintreethost,
a digital marketing agency
in Buffalo, NY.
She writes for the Mainstreethost
blog on topics such as social
media marketing, content
marketing, branding, and
advertising.
01
About the Author | Olivia Roat
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Introduction .................................................................................... 03
Part I: Why Does Social Media Marketing Matter? .................... 05

Part II: What Do People Want from Brands on
Various Social Media Channels? ..................................... 08

Part III: Examples of Small Businesses That Run Solid
Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest Campaigns ................ 17

Part IV: Measuring Social Media ROI ........................................... 29

Conclusion ...................................................................................... 32

Sources & Further Reading ............................................................ 34
Table of Contents
02
Table of Contents
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
It seems like social media is an inescapable part of our society, and not just
for people who use sites like Facebook and Twitter to connect with family,
friends, and circles of peers. Brands have also hitched a ride to the convoy
of various social sites that are making words like tweet, newsfeed, and
pin part of the vernacular of everyday individuals and the dialogue of
marketers.
Major brands such as Starbucks, Coca-Cola, and Red Bull can devote large
budgets to their social media campaigns, developing beautiful Facebook
cover photos and employing round-the-clock customer service reps to
monitor social media conversations and immediately address consumer
complaints voiced via Facebook and Twitter (General Motors spends
around $30 million on Facebook marketing alone.)
However, a business doesnt need to have the budget or resources of a
leading Business2Consumer juggernaut to conduct an effective social
media marketing campaign. Small businesses can engage and acquire
consumers through social media, too.
Introduction
In fact, 42% of small businesses say that theyve acquired 25%
of their customers through online or social media channels.
03
Introduction
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Yet, running a social media campaign can seem quite daunting, because
each individual social site has a wealth of complexities. Plus, posting to sites
like Facebook and Twitter without a well-developed strategy, merely hoping
that something sticks, most likely wont even begin to scratch the surface of
lead generation and customer engagement. And much of the social media
marketing advice out there is shrouded in vague, unspecific buzz phrases:
engage fans! and post interesting content! et cetera.
This ebook is for those small business owners who want to harness the power
of Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest but dont have the time, money, or
resources of big-budget brands. Its aim is to help make social media
marketing a little less overwhelming and to replace those buzz phrases
with specific, concrete guidelines.
Throughout this ebook, Ill be focusing on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
These are the three social media sites on which the average social
networking user spends the most time, the sites that have the most monthly
visits, and the sites that are most conducive for B2C social media marketing
efforts.
04
Introduction
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Why Does Social Media Marketing Matter?
Part I
For one, social media marketing makes sense simply because of the
undeniable popularity of sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Why Does Social Media Marketing Matter?
Part I
43% bought something
following a recommendation
on social media.
63% of 18-25 year olds state they
have used social media to
research a brand.
Facebook recently
reached the one-
billion-user mark
Twitter has about
170 million active
users
Pinterest reached
10 million monthly
unique views faster
than any standalone
site in history
These sites are contemporary culture staples. What better way to reach
potential customers than to speak to them through a medium with which
theyre already familiar and frequently access?
Secondly, social media sites also directly influence consumers purchasing
behavior:
One out of every
seven minutes
online is spent
on Facebook
06
Part I | Why Does Social Media Marketing Matter?
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Social media marketing campaigns are proven to be effective for businesses.
Pinterest is also proven to be effective from a marketing perspective:
People who follow brands on Facebook and Twitter are more likely to consider
a brand when in the market for a product, buy the product or service from the
brand, and recommend the brand to others.
These peer recommendations alone justify social media marketing, because
consumers trust recommendations from peers above all other forms of
advertising (websites, TV ads, print ads, billboards, emails). Peer recommend-
ations also drive sales: people are more likely to buy something if a friend
recommends it online. Sites like Facebook and Twitter enable businesses to
readily tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing.
55% of companies said they
acquired a customer through
Twitter.
77% of B2C companies surveyed
by HubSpot said they acquired a
customer through Facebook.
Facebook & Twitter
Pinterest
The digital corkboard site accounts for 40% of social media
purchases. (Facebook accounts for the other 60%.)
Buyers referred from Pinterest are 10% more likely to buy something than
visitors referred from other social networks. These buyers also spend 10%
more on average. People use the site to get information about products,
find out about new merchandise, and seek advice and recommendations
(again, heres the power of word-of-mouth marketing at work).
07
Part I | Why Does Social Media Marketing Matter?
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Part II
What Do People Want from Brands on
Various Social Media Channels?
What Do People Want from Brands on Various
Social Media Channels?
Part II
One of the first steps in conducting an effective social media marketing
campaign is outlining goals. Before posting, tweeting, and pinning away,
a small business needs to define its aims, i.e., what it hopes to accomplish
through Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Whether its acquiring leads,
raising brand awareness, conversing with existing consumers, or sparking
the interest of new consumers, these aims are something a small business
can revisit over and over again when assessing whether its marketing
campaign is on the right path and what features of the campaign need
tweaking.
Another aspect of social media marketing is knowing how to appeal to
people. Social media is expanding at an incredible rate, and consumers
have already built strong social networks. They have a handle on Facebook,
Twitter, and Pinterest. And they have certain expectations from brands
when it comes to social media. People follow brands for specific reasons,
and in order to use social media to its maximum potential, brands need to
keep these reasons in mind. They need to connect with consumers, meet
them on their level, and stay in touch with their unique needs and desires.
The reasons why people follow brands on Facebook and Twitter
(in order of importance):
They want special offers/deals
They are current customers
The brand posts interesting or entertaining content
Their friends are fans of the brand
They want access to service, support, or product news
+
+
+
+
+
09
Part II | What Do People Want from Brands on Various Social Media Channels?
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
The main reason people follow brands is to receive special deals.
Here are two examples of small businesses that keep this in mind:
When it comes to offering exclusive deals for Facebook users, research shows
that using the phrase $ off generates twice the engagement of % off.
Dont make consumers do the math; keep the offer simple and straightforward
and tell consumers exactly how much money theyll save.
People also follow brands to read interesting/entertaining content. The over-
whelming majority of people interact with brands on social media sites by
reading the posts that appear in their news feeds. Thus, content is key. A
small business can post, tweet, and pin constantly, but if its not posting
compelling content that reaches people, its efforts will be all for
naught. Exactly what type of content is most effective?
Posting Tips:
Part II | What Do People Want from Brands on Various Social Media Channels?
10
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Oh Pour Lamour Du Chocolat is a
small chocolate shop in Buffalo, NY,
that extends offers exclusively to fans
of its Facebook page.
Let us know what you have planned for the weekend. A free baby
cone goes to four local facebook friends who comment. Winners
will be chosen at random.
Oh Pour Lamour Du Chocolat
Do you want to win a handful (6) of free truffles? Simply like this
post AND share the picture on your page. Tomorrow morning we
will pick a winner out of the people who shared the pic!
Sweet Jennys - Buffalo - NY
Sweet Jennys, an ice cream shop also
located in Buffalo, NY, gives Facebook
fans the chance to win special contests.
Facebook is a must when it comes to social media marketing campaigns,
because it is the social site that has the greatest impact on purchasing
behavior. Its also the site thats most useful for establishing, promoting,
and protecting a B2C company.
When it comes to Facebook, photos receive more likes, comments, and
shares, followed by status updates, then videos, and then links. According
to Facebook,
Also, very short posts (sub 30 characters) or very long posts (over 600 characters)
receive more likes, and long posts receive a greater number of shares.
Fill-in-the-blanks and posts that ask questions also generate more engagement.
When it comes to questions, its best to use the words where, when, and
should, and avoid the word why.
Facebook
Content & Timing
Content:
180%
120%
100%
posts that include a photo
album generate about
180% more engagement
posts with pictures generate
120% more engagement
posts with videos generate
about 100% more engagement
11
Part II | What Do People Want from Brands on Various Social Media Channels?
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Timing:
According to social media scientist Dan Zarrella, content posted later in the
day receives more likes and shares: shares peak around 6 pm EST, while likes
peak around 8 pm EST. And posts published on the weekends generate a
greater amount of engagement. Zarrella chalks this up to a phenomenon
called contra-competitive timing: social media chatter slows down on the week-
ends, so brands that talk when everyone else is silent receive more attention.
There is one caveat to this information. Timing varies to some degree for
each individual business, depending on the age and location (among other
things) of its target demographic. The best way for a business to determine its
ideal posting times is to experiment and test: post at different times, see which
posts garner the most responses, and see who responds.
When it comes to posting frequency, small businesses also want to post
regularly enough so that fans see their posts, but not so often that they clutter
fans news feeds (one of the main reasons people unlike Facebook business
pages is because a business posts too often).
Research by Buddy Media reveals that posting one to two times
per day produces 40% higher engagement rates compared to
posting three or more times per day.
12
Part II | What Do People Want from Brands on Various Social Media Channels?
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
According to Dan Zarrella, in order to receive retweets on Twitter, about
60-80% of the tweets an account sends out should contain links. Ten percent
of tweets should be replies.
And because I cant talk about Twitter without mentioning those distinctive,
ever-present hashtags, including hashtags in tweets can generate increased
engagement, but only up to a certain point. Tweets with one or two
hashtags receive 21% higher engagement than those with three or more.
A small business certainly wants to tweet links to drive traffic to its site, but
theres also something to be said for a business that converses with
customers through Twitter. Coca-Cola recently laid out its new social media
strategy in a YouTube video entitled Content 2020 and said this:
Twitter
Content & Timing
Content:
Lets not just listen; lets converse.

13
Part II | What Do People Want from Brands on Various Social Media Channels?
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
A brand that can talk to its audience through social media is a personable,
responsive, and attentive brand that is in touch with its consumers and
interested in their opinions. Whether its responding to followers, answering
questions, or simply retweeting kind words, a business that can talk with
individuals seems less like an intangible, indefinable commercial entity and
more like an approachable, accessible person with whom people can talk.
An example of a small business listening and conversing with one of its
customers and thereby putting the words of Coca-Cola into practice:

Again, timing depends on the

social media habits of a
businesss consumer base.
There are several tools that help
people determine their ideal
tweeting times: Tweriod looks at
an individuals tweets and the
tweets of followers to determine
the time that will gain someone
the most exposure on Twitter.
TweetWhen and WhenToTweet
are other great tools.
And according to Buddy Media,
the sweet spot for posting
frequency is tweeting four times
per day, although again, this
may change depending on a businesss target audience.
Timing:
14
Part II | What Do People Want from Brands on Various Social Media Channels?
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Three donuts from @PaulasDonuts in the last two days has
changed my life
David Maher @David_Maher4 13 Oct
Expand
@David_Maher4 thank you for your business! lets keep that
streak going :)
Paulas Donuts @PaulasDonuts
13 Oct
Hide conversation Reply Retweet Favorite
Because Pinterest is so visually oriented, it has a dynamic all its own. Thus,
while any business can use Facebook and Twitter effectively, Pinterest is
more suited to business that can harness the power of visual content.
Beautiful, eye-catching, intriguing, humorous, and/or aesthetically pleasing
images are Pinterest gold. Hence, the top categories on Pinterest:
Any business in the clothing/fashion, culinary, photography, or home goods
field can do extremely well on the site, because it has those attractive,
Pinterest-friendly pictures. Pinterest is also very heavily female, as 68.2% of
users are women. (Most Pinterest users are between the ages of 26 and 54.)
But, thats not to say a business that doesnt sell clothes or food or furniture
cant do well on Pinterest. General Electric conducts a fantastic Pinterest
campaign, and an electrical company on Pinterest seems counter-intuitive.
Mashables Pinterest thrives on infographics and pictures of tech gadgets.
The important thing to remember is that Pinterest etiquette prohibits overt
self-promotion. Of course, the aim of a Pinterest marketing effort is to drive
traffic to a business site; however, its really more about curating and sharing
content related to a given brands vision than it is about selling. Businesses use
Pinterest to promote a lifestyle, not to push products.
Pinterest
Content & Timing
Content:
+
+
Style/Fashion
Food
+
+
Inspiration/Educational
Seasonal/Holidays
+
+
Home
Arts and Crafts
15
Part II | What Do People Want from Brands on Various Social Media Channels?
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
For example, a furniture store wont get very far pinning solely images of its
own products. Instead, it should pin its own products in addition to things like
images of beautifully decorated and/or inspiring rooms from other, popular
brands, such as West Elm, Home and Gardens, or Real Simple. The same
goes for a clothing company: images of the companys own clothes can
do well, but its Pinterest account should consist of other pins: fashion icons,
inspirational ensembles, designers, etc.
One thing companies engaged in Pinterest marketing want to keep in mind
is the Pin It button. This button is a social sharing button, like the Facebook
like or the Twitter tweet, and adding it to a website invites people to share content
from that site on Pinterest.
The ultimate aim of Pinterest marketing is to drive traffic to a specific website
through links. However, if a business uploads a pin of one of its own products,
that pin will have no link. Thus, when a Pinterest user clicks on that pin, they
wont be directed to the businesss website. To get around this and to direct
users from a pin to a specific page on its website, a business can add a link
to the pin. After uploading a pin, hover over the pin, and click Edit.
(Pinterest offers step-by-step directions on its
site on how to install the Pin It button.)
And from there, add a link.
16
Part II | What Do People Want from Brands on Various Social Media Channels?
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Pinned onto Nike Brand
Storytelling from Uploaded by
user
The Nike+ Fuelband, Nikes latest
product set to launch on 10/31/12.
The Nike+ Fuelband, Nikes latest product set
to launch on 10/31/12.
Part III
Examples of Small Businesses That
Manage Solid Facebook, Twitter,
and Pinterest Campaigns
Sometimes the most effective way to learn something is by example. The
following small businesses use social media to its fullest potential, posting
regularly, engaging fans, and all the while generating brand awareness. In
homage to my meteorologically maligned hometown of Buffalo, NY, all of
the following businesses are from the Queen City. These businesses prove
that marketers dont need the budget of a Starbucks or Pepsi in order to
run solid campaigns; small businesses can post, tweet, and pin effectually, too.
Examples of Small Businesses That Run Solid Facebook,
Twitter, and Pinterest Campaigns
Part III
18
Part III | Examples of Small Businesses That Run Solid Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest Campaigns
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Travers Collins, an advertising agency in Buffalo, has an excellent Facebook
page. They post virtually every day and keep things interesting by posting
on a variety of topics: marketing, social media, entertainment, and news
about their clients.
They regularly link to the Travers Collins blog, and the page has a light,
casual, fun tone, featuring weekly themes like Throwback Thursday and
behind-the-scenes photos that give a glimpse into the office kitchen. These
types of posts not only show the human side to the company, but also fit
very well with the nature of Facebook, as people log onto the social
networking site primarily for down time.
Facebook
Example 1
19
Part III | Examples of Small Businesses That Run Solid Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest Campaigns
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
The new musical comedy fick, Pitch Perfect, has really caught
our eye for its impressice social media blitz. It left no social media
stone unturned and it seems to be paying of at the box ofce too!
Travers Collins also shows some love for the local community by posting on
Buffalo events, giving the company a very down-to-earth, in-touch-with-its-
roots vibe.
20
Part III | Examples of Small Businesses That Run Solid Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest Campaigns
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Travers Collins shared a link via Museum of disABILITY History.
October 3
Bully featured at disABILITIES
Film Festival
tonawanda-news.com
The Mueum of disABILITY History and
People Inc. will host the eigth annual
disABILITIES Film Festival and Speaker.
October is Anti-Bullying Month. You can participate by attending
the 8th annual disABILITIES Film Festival and Speaker Series at 7
p.m. Thursday at the University at Bufalo North Campus. Click
here for more details!
Museum of disABILITY History We hope to see you there!
http://www.facebook.com/events/350170815066480/
8th Annual disABILITIES Film Festival and
Speaker Series
Thursday, October 4 at 6:00pm at Center for the
Arts, University at Bufalo
Travers Collins shared a link.
September 20
For todays Throwback Thursday, we have a special commercial
from 1989! Can you imagine hauling that phone around?!
1989 Radio Shack Cellular Phone
Commercial
Look at the size and look at the price!
They were heavy, the battery life was
short, and the per-minute rate was
prohibitive. But her, lets take it to the
Jess Lafalce Holy Crow!! $799! Thats amazing
September 20 at 9:18am
Facebook
Example 2
The Buffalo ice cream shop Sweet Jennys
is one small business that truly taps into the
visual power of Facebook. Their Facebook
page is filled with pictures of the delicious-
looking sweets the shop makes.
Sweet Jennys updates Facebook fans on
the latest products in the store, special
events, and local culinary happenings.
The Sweet Jennys Facebook page is highly
active and constantly filled with intriguing,
visually appealing content. Additionally,
they frequently run contests, offering users
the chance to win free sundaes and ice-
cream pints. They also make a habit of
replying to questions and comments
posted on their wall, which makes the
business stand out from the social media
crowd in a very positive way, as 95% of
questions posted by consumers on
Facebook walls go ignored by companies.
Whether its thanking a customer for kind
words or answering specific customer
questions, they always craft a prompt and
helpful response.
21
Part III | Examples of Small Businesses That Run Solid Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest Campaigns
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Our newest gelato is rated PG for pumpkin ginger snap
Sweet Jennys - Buffalo - NY
October 26
Lake Effect Ice Cream, a small ice cream store in Lockport, NY, a suburb of
Buffalo, uses Twitter to broadcast store news, informing followers on the latest
and greatest ice cream flavors and store sales. It also showcases pictures of
customers.
Twitter
Example 1
The store stays highly engaged with fans: retweeting them, replying to them,
and engaging in witty banter.
22
Part III | Examples of Small Businesses That Run Solid Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest Campaigns
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Lk. Effect Ice Cream @lake_effect_ic
The Bradleys representing at the Lake Effect Ice Cream 2nd
annual pint sale! Nice! pic.twitter.com/tJQaOfdi
7 Oct
Hide photo Reply Retweet Favorite
By conversing with followers, Lake
Effect Ice Cream shows that its
connected to and grateful for its
consumer base. This fan-brand inter-
action makes the store seem very
congenial and amiable, and the
humor that appears in tweets and
pictures gives the store an extremely
approachable feel. It reveals that
the store enjoys serving customers
and that they aim not to give
people just a product, but also
an experience. These are all
qualities that endear a business in
the eyes of consumers.
23
Part III | Examples of Small Businesses That Run Solid Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest Campaigns
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Alyssa Kraatz @lysskraatz
FIVE more minutes til I can leave work and go to
@lake_effect_ic for the first time ever #newbie #soexciting
Expand
20 Sep
20 Sep
2:50 PM - 20 Sep 12 - Details
Lk. Effect Ice Cream @lake_effect_ic
@lysskraatz Soooooo... How was it?
Hide conversation Reply Retweet Favorite
20 Sep
Expand
Lk. Effect Ice Cream @lake_effect_ic
@VeraPizzeria 1st anniversary party! Packed and rockin!
pic.twitter.com/52wBI1GU
View photo
Hide photo Reply Retweet Favorite
17 Sep Erin McPartlan @29andHungry
@lake_effect_ic have a cocktail for me :)
17 Sep Lk. Effect Ice Cream @lake_effect_ic
@29andHungry Done! pic.twitter.com/J7VYWcaG
And like the Travers Collins Facebook page, the Lake Effect Ice Cream Twitter
account shows love for the local Buffalo community, again enhancing that
friendly, personable vibe.
24
Part III | Examples of Small Businesses That Run Solid Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest Campaigns
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
The Roaming Buffalo, a mobile food truck that roams throughout the WNY
area, is another example of a small business with a fantastic Twitter page.
Its highly active on Twitter: tweeting multiple times per day, which is key
given the fast-paced nature of the site. The food truck uses Twitter primarily
to inform followers of its latest location.
Twitter
Example 2
A food truck is the type of business that can benefit tremendously from Twitter,
because the site thrives on a stream of brief, concise posts. Thus, a food truck,
which frequently updates people on its whereabouts, is the perfect business
for Twitter (and The Roaming Buffalo actually uses Twitter in conjunction with
Foursquare, an app that allows people to check in at various locations).
Its Twitter account serves as a reliable, easily accessible resource for all those
hungry Buffalonians curious as to where the food truck will be parked next.
25
Part III | Examples of Small Businesses That Run Solid Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest Campaigns
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
20 Sep Roaming Buffalo @RoamingBuffalo1
Parked right in front of M&T Bank on Main & Delevan 1130-2 (@
The Roaming Buffalo Food Truck w/ 2 others) 4sq.com/SToWrP
View photo
But The Roaming Buffalo doesnt stop at these frequent, location-based
updates; it also gives followers behind-the-scenes glimpses at the trucks
latest culinary undertakings.
The food truck also makes a habit of replying to followers and quickly
answering any questions people have.
26
Part III | Examples of Small Businesses That Run Solid Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest Campaigns
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
10 Sep Roaming Buffalo @RoamingBuffalo1
Delivery of the best crumbled blue cheese. You know what this
means? #chickenwingsouptime #Buffalo pic.twitter.com/zhbM1o2I
Hide photo Reply Retweet Favorite
10 Sep
Roaming Buffalo @RoamingBuffalo1
Today we are testing out a new menu item. Cheddar and
BACON JAM stuffed burgers! Not on the menu just ask for the BJ
special!
Expand
Edible Buffalo, a Western New York food magazine, has a Pinterest account
thats both stunning from a visual perspective and effective from a marketing
perspective. It boasts 15 boards and 162 pins. Boards include a variety of
categories: Edible Buffalo covers; Edible Buffalo recipes (many of these pins
link back to the Edible Buffalo blog); seasonal boards; local businesses and
farmers; and Wordless Wednesdays (which includes beautiful, eye-catching
photos of food), to name a few.
Edible Buffalo uses Pinterest to raise brand awareness and drive traffic to its
blog, but it also uses Pinterest as a curation tool, pinning from other websites
and Pinterest users. In the process it accumulates gorgeous photos of food
and anything and everything culinary related. This is a prime example of how
marketing works on Pinterest. Edible Buffalo uses the site to market itself of
course, but also to show its values and mission: its commitment to local
businesses and high-quality cookery.
Pinterest
Example 1
27
Part III | Examples of Small Businesses That Run Solid Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest Campaigns
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Like Edible Buffalo, Kenny Carpets & Floors also uses Pinterest to curate
beautiful images that relate to its industry. Its Pinterest page has 16 boards
and 217 pins. It features boards devoted to beautiful kitchens and dining
rooms, creative floors, and colorful dcor. Many of these can serve as
inspiration boards for people seeking the right type of carpet and flooring
for their home, making them a great resource for people searching for
examples of the latest and greatest interior design trends. Because Kenny
Carpets collects and amasses images from various websites and adds its
own brief commentary to its pins, it establishes itself as a knowledgeable
expert in its industry.
Kenny Carpets even finds a way to capitalize on the proclivity and
obsession Pinterest users have for animals with the humorous and adorable
board Animals Love Floors Too.
Pinterest
Example 2
28
Part III | Examples of Small Businesses That Run Solid Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest Campaigns
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Part IV
Measuring Social Media ROI
With the amount of time and resources social media marketing requires,
one question immediately comes to the mind of small business owners:
Many so-called social media experts have weighed in on measuring social
media return on investment, and they all agree on one thing: its a difficult
task, but ROI can be measured. There are numerous approaches to tackling
social media ROI, and Ive included a list of further reading at the end of this
ebook. Ill focus on some simpler methods here, but before I delve into those,
consider this personal anecdote that I think testifies to the complexity of
social media ROI.
Last February, a Buffalo bakery posted on Facebook about a special
Valentines Day brunch. They also concurrently advertised the brunch in a
weekend section of The Buffalo News. I saw the post on Facebook before
the newspaper advertisement, and it was this Facebook post that prompted
me to call and make a reservation. When I showed up for my reservation,
the bakery had no way of knowing how I learned about the event (the
Facebook post or the newspaper advertisement) unless they asked me.
I was an example of the effectiveness of social media marketing, but the
bakery didnt know that.
Measuring Social Media ROI
Part IV
Is it worth the investment?
30
Part IV | Measuring Social Media ROI
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Social media can also offer a return on investment in other ways. Because
it offers businesses instant access to current and potential customers,
business can use it to poll customers and thereby gain their opinions,
insights, and recommendations: a restaurant asking people what theyd
like to see on the menu, a coffee shop polling people on their favorite
seasonal drink, etc.
Using a Facebook- or Twitter-specific coupon is one way to keep track of
customers that arrive at small businesses via social media channels: posting
offers on Facebook and Twitter with the phrase mention this post/tweet
and receive x $ off! is a very simple tracking measure.
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Part IV | Measuring Social Media ROI
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
10 Oct Roaming Buffalo @RoamingBuffalo1
Rainy day at @RoswellPark good news is we are right up front.
Better news free drink with any purchase and mention of this post!
@BNMC
from Buffalo, NY
Conclusion
Sources & Further Reading
Conclusion
Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest can seem quite infinite in their complexities,
but hopefully this ebook has shed light on some of the best practices of social
media marketing. With people using social media to research, discover, and
recommend products, small businesses can effectively tap into the power of
this type of marketing and offer users a positive online experience, making
that 97% work in their favor.
When asked if an online experience has influenced whether
or not they bought a product or service from a brand,
97% of people said yes.
33
Conclusion
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business
Sources
Further Reading
Mindjumpers
HubSpot
TechCrunch
Mashable
Dan Zarrella
Get Satisfaction
TechCrunch
Mashable
Buddy Media
Jeff Hurt Blog
Compendium
Social Media Today
How to Integrate HootSuite with Google Analytics
How to Define a Strategic Plan
3 Steps to Measuring Your Companys Social Media ROI
4 Social Media Goals Every Business Should Measure
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Sources | Further Reading
How to Conquer Social Media | A Guide for Small Business