Search This Blog

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Building Your Social Media Platform

Social Marketing is “The Next Big Thing!”
What is it?
How do I do it?
Is it for me?
Yes, it’s working!
Yes, it’s getting great results!
Yes, you should be using it!

“Markets are conversations. Their members communicate in language that is natural, open, honest, direct, funny and often shocking. Whether explaining or complaining, joking or serious, the human voice is unmistakably genuine. It can't be faked.” The ClueTrain Manifesto.

“I get more out of your shorter posts.” Comment from Joe Tedesco.

The core of internet marketing is getting audience focus. That takes conversation.

People aren’t sold. That’s arrogant. Sales managers talk that way. People buy.

Over time, buyers develop an appreciation for what they need…for what I offer.

Different people are ready to buy at different times. I want to be present to be considered when they are ready.

I have developed a process where I touch over 67,000 people twice a week. Takes about 30 minutes. Here is how I do that. (Click graphic to expand)



I started with Gmail on a Firefox Browser. That gives me access to Google Reader, where 50 bloggers share their posts. (You can see my blog roll at Through The Browser.)

Next I got on LinkedIn. Why? Someone asked. I had no idea how I would use it. We have grown together so it is my main outbound channel. The good news about LinkedIn is it has a community of 60 million. The bad news is I have to be linked to communicate with someone.

Twitter is a recent port from LinkedIn.

When I sold my software company, I knew I wanted another blog, so I built Through The Browser on Blogger.

“Dick, that was the greatest post about the internet on your blog! Can I steal it?” (High praise!) It's good to steal as long as you acknowledge where something is stolen from.

Finally Steve Dorfman wanted me to use “DickDavies.com” email, so I built a Google Apps Standard Edition Website over a weekend. That story is on my blog.

Your comments at http://throughthebrowser.blogspot.com/2009/11/building-your-social-media-platform-for.html will give future readers a better idea of how to build their social media platform.

Please comment. Thank you!


Presented by the:
Leadership Breakfast of Maryland
December 4, 2009
7:30 - 8:30 am

Sponsored by:
Paradigm Mortgage Services
Bill Van Dyke, Proprietor


13 comments:

  1. Wish I could be there. Please share your presentation. I would be interested in seeing it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Randy!

    I posted the final handout for "Building Your Social Media Platform" at http://www.slideshare.net/dickdavies/social-marketing-platform-11-24-9.
    ...and thank you for askin'!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great presentation this morning. I love your well thought out strategy to use your blog and social media to give value and make connections.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great presentation!!! Also, I didn't know that Twitter and Linkedin were "ported" until you mentioned it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Really eye-opening! Dick shows how easy it is to marry an intelligent strategy with cost effective blogs and social platforms that are fairly easy to setup and hit the ground with. His approach keeps it simple in an all-encompassing, efficient manner. I'm glad I didn't miss this presentation - worth it's weight in gold!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have been using Dick as a resource for years and he is always on the Cutting Edge of where Technology meets Usability.

    The information in this presentation has already resulted in more business for me, by helping me understand how to use Social Media to enhance my customer relationships.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I just learned a new wrinkle on LinkedIn. Where they show you that "someone from the recreation staff of a professional golfer" looked at your profile, if you click on the words, the top profile back is probably he person who was looking.

    ReplyDelete
  8. One nugget I took away from the session is that the traditional (comfortable) approach to reaching potential clients or buyers has shifted to this virtual contact through a social media platform. While running ads, face-to-face networking, printed newsletters and postcards/letters continue to be effective, developing and sharing content via the platform tools results in a much more focused but broader ranging audience for the investment of your time on a consistent basis. The paradigm has changed to giving away useful and stimulating information and narratives to generate new business – give it away to get more is the mantra.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Another nugget from the session comes from listening to how Dick used trial and revision to develop some pretty sophisticated tools for communicating with a sizable number of prequalified interested individuals, using the applications available for free from the different service providers. It is amazing how much technical power is provided though these apps and how easy it is for us mere mortals to marshal them to do our work for us. In the past, the technology had stymied the broad-based use of the technology due to the need (and expense) for technical help to develop, test and launch almost everything technical. Although it DOES take some of our time to work through how to develop different tools, the trial and revision approach gets something up quickly and the accessibility to the system permits real-time revisions to make it better and more polished and effective. As users we are now able to apply the developing technology to our needs directly and to do so promptly.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Being an accountant, I am new to social media networking. At the Leadership Breakfast of Maryland on December 4, 2009, I listened to Dick Davies speak on "Building Your Social Media Platform". I found myself taking copious notes on the subject and realized that I had a great deal of "homework" to do. Dick's presentation was both informative and presented in an upbeat, funny way and many of the ideas presented were free. My price range! I want to thank Mr. Davies and the Sponsor, Bill Van Dyke of Paradigm Mortgage Services. As you can see from the way I write, I am an accountant - - I just can't help myself.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The plumbing diagram at the top of this blog entry isn't just a pretty picture; it illustrates two very important points.

    First, activity begets activity. That is, when you do something, people react. For example, Dick started this discussion thread and we're all commenting on it. As one of the Cluetrain points notes, "Markets are conversations". As Dick said, when you're talking to someone, or emailing, or simply sending them jokes, it's MUH easier to discover mutual interests and opportunities.

    Second, there's a positive feedback loop in the various content channels Dick uses and describes. So a (relatively) small investment on Dick's part leads to a (comparatively) larger response from his community, which has probably grown from the 67,000 people reported above. If he ever calls a meeting of his network, reserve early to get a good seat...

    ReplyDelete
  12. I very much enjoyed the seminar. Dick had a very easy-going presentation style that made it fun and engaging. Thanks, Dick!
    Harby Tran
    Publisher/CEO
    270inc Magazine

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wow, finally I get it! What you showed me is that had appeard to me to be very independent and unrelated phenomenon can be organized in a way that is very effective and powerful! I'm anxious to apply what I learned from your session! Thanks!
    Jeff Loether, ISHC
    President, Electro-Media Design, Ltd.
    Presentation & Entertainment Technology Consulting

    ReplyDelete