“Social Media: A Critical Tool for Business Today”

June 23rd, 2009:

Lyn Mettler, President of Step Ahead, Inc. treated our Club to a new world: the use of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, as critical tools for success in today’s business world. She asked, “Why do I care what you are doing right now?” The answer, “I don’t care about what you’re doing personally … but I do care about what the social media, as a critical communications tool can do for my business success.”

Lyn provided four reasons why social media is critical for today:
1. Customer Service:
Instant, personalized contact; catch the good & the bad; clarify the rights & the wrongs.
2. Brand Management:
Can’t wait “24 hours” to fix threatening situations;
Dominos corrected 2 employee’s You Tube brand management “slam”
3. Capturing Leads:
Dell increased sales by $3 million using Twitter.
4. Expand Awareness & Public Relations:
Stay in front of clients & potential clients.

She also outlined the tools for our social media arsenal:
Twitter ……….. the Oprah Affect; info from Iran
Facebook …………. business pages; real-time monitoring
Blog …………… position self as an expert; web site optimization
Video ……………………. You Tube; handle things difficult to explain
Review Sites ………………. Yelp; IGOUGO
iPhone Applications ………….. Mobile connections to your entire arsenal

Find more on www.stepaheadinc.com

Submitted by Bill Crowe, Keyway Committee Chair