Catherine Parker is the author of 301 Ways to Use Social Media to Boost Your Marketing and she recently took a few minutes to chat with me about her book.
Bryan: What motivated you to write 301 Ways to Use Social Media to Boost Your Marketing?
Catherine: I was working in a company that was highly geared towards using social media, and at the same time I was getting lots of requests from friends and family about how to use it in their own businesses. Social media seemed overwhelming to them, but at the same time I felt it could be pretty simple and effective if they took it step by step and understood the fundamental principles behind it.
Bryan: How does a follow, a like or a connection actually become revenue?
Catherine: A meaningful connection formed on a social media channel equates to someone who is more open to your brand messaging in future (as long as your communications stay interesting to them). This is important because when it comes to making a purchase, they’re more likely to choose you over another competitor. Also, if someone has a meaningful connection to your brand, it’s more likely that they’ll recommend you to their peers, who are also more likely to buy because the recommendation is coming from a trusted, genuine source.
Bryan: What type of results can be expected after reading and applying the approaches in your book? How long will initial results take?
Catherine: If you stick with it and blend it with your other marketing, you should begin to see more people engaging with you over the medium and then spreading your message among their own network, which should result in increased quality traffic to your site. At the end point though, while you can have the social media campaign out there, your website should always do the best job possible of converting a prospect when they are ready to buy.
Social media is not a quick fix unless your campaign happens to go viral, so expect results within around three to six months.
Bryan: How do you help clients establish specific campaign strategy?
Catherine: I first figure out what their overall goals are – is it to increase sales, increase online awareness, or effect a change in perception? Then, I work around what their existing brand positioning is, and whether or not this needs to be changed. With that in mind, I try and help them with a strategy that uses elements suited to their industry and their company, and that suits their available resources in terms of budget and manpower.
Bryan: What are some appropriate/realistic goals in a social media campaign?
Catherine: This varies widely – but I’d say they should be formulated around increasing things like recommendations and mentions in addition to increasing brand awareness and ultimately sales.
Bryan: With three hundred (and one) tips, a reader might feel a little overwhelmed. How do you recommend that they get started in the book?
Catherine: The introduction and first six tips are a good place to start as they provide a good background to the industry. Also within this introduction, I’ve compiled a table that compares the seven broad categories of social media (as I’ve defined them) to each other in a brief snapshot. With your company and industry in mind, look at these broad categories and decide where best you fit, and then read that section. For example, if you’re a news agency, you may want to start by reading all the tips contained in the “Blogging” section.
Bryan: Which of the top four tools (blogging along with Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn) are the most powerful in your professional life?
Catherine: As a consultant, I’d definitely say LinkedIn – I have a few key recommendations on my profile that help with leads, and I have a fair few connections via which prospective clients reach out to me. I think LinkedIn works well because people feel more comfortable inquiring about services if they know they have someone in common with you. LinkedIn leverages this beautifully.
Bryan: How do you suggest keeping control of social media, so it doesn't take over the work day?
Catherine: I’d say the best way to do this is to create a spreadsheet or something similar where you can lay out a plan of action for the month. You can break this spreadsheet down by day or by week which allows you to see exactly how much work you have to do for that week (e.g. write three blog posts, compile 10 Twitter updates and 5 Facebook updates). Having this bird’s eye view allows you to plan your day around it, and delegate if necessary. I also turn off Tweetdeck etc. unless I am working on it for an allocated period for that day.
Bryan: What role did social media play in the launch and success of this book?
Catherine: I was lucky enough to have my book reviewed by a few really credible blogs with good readership numbers. Then, I got some good reviews early on for my book’s Amazon page, which I think helps hugely in the buying decision when someone’s got to the point that they’re on Amazon reading about your book. Finally, I tweeted about my book to my own network and got some exposure on Twitter from my companies and clients that I work with.
Bryan: What blogs/books are you currently reading?
Catherine: In terms of blogs/websites, I read Mashable and SearchEngineLand every day (my other hat is an SEO practitioner). I am also really interested in user experience/user design so I read blogs like A List Apart and Konigi.com. Besides online stuff, I read for fun rather than work when I can! I’m currently reading Tina Fey’s autobiography “Bossypants” .
Catherine Parker is the author of 301 Ways to Use Social Media to Boost Your Marketing and she recently took a few minutes to chat with me about her book.
