What is Social Media?

Course - October 12: Social Media & Digital Branding

Your Instructor - Lindsey C. Holmes, LCH Business SM & Tech

Lindsey C. Holmes is the CEO/ Lead Strategist of LCH Business Social Media & Tech, a boutique social media marketing agency specializing in social media marketing campaigns and mobile app development. LCH has been considered an innovator in social media and technology since its inception in 2004 and has been able to penetrate some of the largest corporations and organizations in New Jersey, its home base, as well as in Washington, DC a new location for the rm. CEO, Lindsey C. Holmes has been featured in Black Enterprise Magazine, on the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show as a thought leader in Mobile Application Development and has been able to forge industry relationships with Twitter-supported charity vehicle Twestival, major digital content distributor Scribd, and Twitter-based startup Rters.com, of which she has become a partner. Recently, her passionate views about technology and minority inclusion in technology have provided her with a unique opportunity to write about the worlds largest consumer electronics show, CES 2011 for The New York Amsterdam News, The Washington Informer, The Afro Newspaper and the LCH Buzz blog. She tweets @lindseycholmes, please like her Facebook page at http:// Facebook.com/LCHBusiness.

What is Social Media?

Social Media is media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques (ie. Facebook,Twitter). Social media supports the human need for social interaction, using Internet and Webbased technologies to transform broadcast media monologues (one to many) into social media dialogues (many to many). - Source,Wikipedia

In Plain English
Social Media is a CONVERSATION, Social Media ENGAGEMENT.

What is Social Media Branding?

Creating a complete Virtual Footprint across pertinent Social Media channels.This includes custom backgrounds, profile pictures, and content. Utilizing unique content and a unique voice to become a subject matter expert. Identifying key social networks/ tools that speak to your Niche, your Abilities and that Integrate. Creating rich profiles and posts/ updates with Tags, Hashtags and Keywords. Becoming discoverable in Google and other search engines through Social Media Optimization (SMO) Best Practices.

Social Media Optimization

Social Media Optimization is about allowing content to be easily found, distributed and shared by the community. By creating Tags, Hashtags and Keywords in your Social Media and adding a Share This button to the content on your website/ blog, you increase traffic to your content/ you. Tags - Words in your content, interest or mission that you associate with (mainly in Blogs) - Travel, Real Estate, Leadership.

 Hashtags - Searchable words on Twitter - Tired of Hump Days? Start your own business! #RutgersSBDC Keywords - Popular words from your content.

Types of Social Media

Social Networks - Facebook, LinkedIn (YouTube) Categorized into General, Professional, Niche, Multimedia Can have multiple categories in one network 6 Degrees of Separation Most conversational MicroBlogs - Twitter, Pownce Concise Messages - Stream of Consciousness When are my consumers thinking about buying? Blogs (Web Logs) - Wordpress,Typepad Place to drive traffic Heavy/ Longer Content Opinionated Frequent, as subscribers come here specifically for you Bookmarking Sites - Delicious, StumbleUpon Place to share interests - links. Great example of Tag usage

Other Types of Social Media include: Applications/ APPs (Mobile, Web Apps),
Sites with SM Components (i.e. Scribd.com - Popular content site that allows the

following of content), Podcasts, Live Streaming, RSS Feeds, Website Widgets, Content Rating Sites (Digg) and Internet Forums.

Twitter Basics (Blog Comment/Post/ The Retweet)

- The Mention - The Retweet - The Hashtag - The Search - The Trending Topic - Some tricks (The Twitter List)

Blog Posts
- Keep them Short, Sweet, Active/ Actionable (link to helpful Chris Brogan Post How to Write Effective Blog Posts- http://lch.bz/ChrisBrogan-EffectiveBlog) - Diversify blog posts with pictures/ aggregating other content

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This packet is available in e-Form along with todays powerpoint presentation and other helpful resources at http://lch.bz/LCH4RutgersSBDC.