Social Media Commerce For Dummies^®

Introduction

Trying to target the new media customer these days is getting increasingly hard. Customers and clients are online, sharing and exchanging ideas on products and services. They seek information from reviews and comments on multiple websites. This shift has changed shopping from a solo exercise to a social experience and is the key element to the growth of social commerce.

In addition, the new media customer has a growing distrust of traditional advertising and marketing methods. In 2010, the Altimeter Group (www.altimetergroup.com) heralded an enterprise conference on the groundswell of social commerce:

It is not about you! It is not about the brand. It is about the collective wisdom of the community, who share insight from people that the buyer trusts. This is a marked change for a product-centric company that has built a living on push-based advertising about their brands. For now, it is not about your website, your fan page, or your sponsored communities. The shopper is a skeptic. They are the most likely to buy based on posts on third-party websites.

Shoppers want to connect with the companies and people with which they do business. They want to feel important. They want their opinions to be respected and their feelings to be understood. They crave a buying experience that puts them in a place of influence. The power is shifting to the consumer. By using social media commerce effectively, you can bridge the gap between you and your customer while you build your bottom line.

About This Book

So many tried-and-true methods have fallen by the wayside and the traditional ways to do business have been disrupted. What’s a businessperson to do?

To hear the voice of your customer, you need to keep up with the rapid pace of change. Technology and social marketing are constantly evolving. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube are the undisputed leaders in online networking. Upstarts such as Google+, Pinterest, and So.cl are adding to the gaggle with new methods of engagement that allow you to make the most of the current communication trends. Joining in the conversation is your key to converting customers.

As businesses and professionals, we need to combine new technologies with traditional marketing to bring in sales. Technological touch points such as QR codes are an example. Although engagement through the use of these codes is off to a wobbly start, they have proved increasingly effective when used with direct mail and at point of sale.

Many businesses are underestimating the involvement and planning needed to properly utilize social media for commercial gain. Social media isn’t just another outlet for marketing — it must be integrated into your company’s culture. A successful strategy that is committed to connecting and engaging with your consumers increases your bottom line.

Customers value transparency and authenticity. Although it can be a challenge to separate your marketing message from your social content, finding your voice becomes second nature, and rising to the occasion pays off.

Social media is more than just setting up a Twitter feed and adding a Facebook like button to your website. You have to give the customer something — and someone — to like and follow. First, work on making your own site social and providing your customers with a channel to connect directly with you.

Integrating social media into your business plan may sound daunting, but I wrote Social Media Commerce For Dummies to show you how. In this book, you find the answers to some important questions as we explore the following topics:

Defining your customers in new media and knowing where they hang out

Connecting through social media and converting “friends” into loyal customers

Bringing your website up-to-date by integrating social commerce engagement points

Competing with the big brands

Monitoring your reputation and catching criticism before it goes viral

Enhancing your connection to the customer through e-mail marketing

Adding new twists to traditional marketing practices

How to Read This Book

Read this book in traditional fashion from beginning to end or feel free to read it as you would use a cookbook, jumping around from recipe to recipe (or chapter to chapter). Either way, be sure to keep the book handy to answer future questions as they come to you.

Foolish Assumptions

I assume you realize that the social media trend is here for the long haul. (And if you’re not yet convinced, check out Chapter 1.) Some of you might want to know how much time and effort are involved in jumping into the online conversation so you can make an informed decision about whether to give it a go. For those who have decided that it’s time to use social media to benefit your business, I make some other assumptions:

You have a business or are part of a professional organization.

You enjoy the Internet and can find your way around.

Some of your friends (or even you) are on Facebook. You know that this is an outlet for ads and promotions and you want to know how best to approach utilizing them.

You’ve heard about Twitter and perhaps have even given it a whirl.

You like the idea of getting feedback from your customers and finding out how best to increase their loyalty.

If you can say yes to most of my foolish assumptions, you’re off and running! Take a few moments to read the following section to see how I’ve put this book together.

How This Book Is Organized

Thanks to my editors, this book has five parts. Each chapter can stand on its own. That means you can read Chapter 12 after reading Chapter 8 and maybe skip Chapter 10 altogether — but I know you won’t because that’s where I discuss cashing in!

Part I: Prepping for Social Media Commerce

Reviewing the data that shows why social media has taken such a large chunk of today’s advertising dollar is a good place to start your investigation. In Part I, you consider the right place to position your business and how not to create a major faux pas at the outset. You also look at how best to invest your time and who you should trust to manage your outreach. I also provide valuable information on setting up a social media policy for employees who might represent your business online.

Part II: Adapting Your Web Presence

You probably have a website for your business — if you don’t, I suggest you get one right away. Part II shows you how to buff up that site for the twenty-first century by making it more engaging for your customers. I propose ways to add content that invites shares and comments. You’ll also find out how to connect and create your social persona.

Your website is your home on the Internet, and your home page is your front door, where you welcome your customers. I show you how to install some free tools to make it easier to connect in real time through live chat — and have a dedicated (free) phone number for customer service interactions.

Part III: Casting for and Catching Customers

In Part III, you hone in on your customer. You discover some good tools for identifying your customers and finding them in the social media realm. I also describe the strengths and weaknesses of different social media sites.

You also get tips about connecting on Twitter (yes, in 140 characters or less) and how to build a following. You discover a quick way to get into Facebook commerce with your own store and find out how to connect (and profit) with your customers through mobile.

Most of all, Part III gives you clues on how to monetize, even if you have no physical products to sell.

Part IV: Supporting Your Social Media Commerce Efforts

In Part IV, you discover ways to streamline your existing customer service reach through online media and to diffuse issues before they become damaging. I address simple (and free) ways of monitoring your online reputation. This task isn’t a big mystery and will take far less time than you think.

You also find out how to update your advertising, including how to start and reinvigorate an e-mail campaign, and how to build a valuable following online.

Part V: The Part of Tens

In Part V, you get an immediate action list. I’ve condensed all the knowledge in the book into a 10-step program for online success. In addition, a tip sheet helps you get feedback on new business ideas through your online community.

New media has a language of its own, so I’ve also included a glossary. Feel free to refer to the glossary often as you peruse other parts of the book.

Icons Used in This Book

All For Dummies books have cute little icons. I certainly wouldn’t want to ruin your reading experience and leave them out. So I selected a few and used them sparingly throughout the book. Be sure to take heed when you see them.

If I need to interject something — okay, it’s something I’m jumping up and down to tell you but it won’t fit directly into the text — I indicate it by including a Tip icon. You’ll know the text to follow will be right on target!

Do you really know people who tie string around their finger to remember something? Me neither, but this icon gives me the opportunity to give you a brief reminder. Think of it as a sticky note.

I like this picture of the bomb device that Wile E. Coyote slam-dunks in the cartoons. In that vein, if you don’t heed the warning indicated by the small petard (hey, Shakespeare knew about old-fashioned bombs), you may end up “hoisted by your own petard,” or made a victim of your own foolishness.

Where to Go from Here

It’s time to hunker down and delve into the book. Take this information and study it. The fun of building an engaging community online awaits you. I can’t wait to hear your success stories if I meet you at a social media event or a book signing in your town.

My goal is to help you reach your goals. Feel free to visit my websites at www.reputationspecialist.com and www.coolebaytools.com or subscribe to my blog at mcollier.blogspot.com. For more about me (and to contact me), visit www.marshacollier.com (just click the Send Marsha an Email link). To contact me in less than 140 characters, you can find me on Twitter (@MarshaCollier) almost every day. Join me on Facebook, too, at www. facebook.com/MarshaCollierFanPage, where I share even more. (Perhaps I overshare?) I respond there too.

Please send me suggestions, additions, and comments. I want to hear from you and hope to update this book with your words of wisdom. (Humorous war stories are also gratefully accepted!) I truly appreciate your comments. Please know that I read every e-mail I get, but I can’t always answer every one.

Occasionally, Wiley has updates to their technology books. If this book does have technical updates, they will be posted at dummies.com/go/socialmediacommercefdupdates.