M G S D I G I T A L. where he or she can;

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2 M G S D I G I T A L MGS Digital provides social media solutions for professionals including tools to post as well as content. INTRODUCTION MGS Digital comprises developers, graphic designers, content creators, social media experts and professionals. The Company creates social media content including memes, videos, gifs and ebooks for professionals. To assist busy professionals in taking control of their social media while keeping control of their time, MGS Digital developed and built the system known as Multicastr. MULTICASTR Multicastr was developed by MGS Digital as a tool for professionals to take control of their social media. A dashboard is provided to the user from where he or she can; - Post to multiple social accounts with a single click, - Schedule posts in the future, - Bulk post for a week, month or year, - View all social media feeds, - View the firms post on a calendar, - Select from thousands of branded memes, videos and gifs, - Create content using the 1,000 s of templates, - Use the inbuilt image editor to create content. CONTACT US Level 7 77 Castlereagh Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 AUSTRALIA GPO BOX 512 SYDNEY NSW 2001 P : E : support@mgsdigital.com W : mgsdigital.com. 1

3 C O N T E N T S 4 15 E S T A B L I S H M E N T 4 MORTGAGE BROKERS Social Media has become a necessary tool for Brokers. E N G A G E M E N T 12 ENGAGE How to engage with existing & prospective clients. 6 WHICH SOCIAL What social media should your practice establish? 15 TIME ON SOCIAL How to minimise your time spent on social media. 9 SETTING UP Things to consider when setting-up social media. 18 MARKETING Inexpensive marketing options for your practice. 2

4 23 34 P O L I C Y & C O N T E N T T H E T O O L S 21 COMMON MISTAKES Common mistakes made by Brokers on social media. 28 SAMPLE POLICY A sample social media policy for your practice. 23 POLICY Why it is important to have a social media policy. 34 HOW TO SET-UP How to set-up Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram. 25 CONTENT IS KING Where to get your content and what content to post. 54 TEMPLATES Social media templates for your practice. 3

5 01 M O R T G A G E B R O K E R S Mortgage Brokers are more than ever staring down competition from a variety of sources. Social media is the tool to stay visible and relevant. Mortgage Brokers are coming under increased pressure to stay visible and relevant in a very congested market. Over 50% of all firms worldwide are on some form of social media. For most firms, a social media presence simply means establishing an account and putting a link on their website. The Government regulators, competitors and clients are all engaged on social media. It is imperative that firms not only have a presence on social media but that they engage and become relevant. Whether you re posting your own content or reposting articles of interest a firm should engage with current and prospective clients. The biggest pressure facing Mortgage Brokers is finding the time to start engaging on social media. As we will discuss later we recommend that Mortgage Brokers spend between 30 minutes to 1 hour a month. During this time, they can use a system like Multicastr to post all their content for the month ahead. It is optimum to post weekly or daily on social media. This can now be done by setting a schedule of when your posts are to occur. The same system allows for posting to all social media platforms simultaneously. This is a smart use of time for professionals. Engaging on social media is no longer an option for Mortgage Brokers. They just need to use the tools available to limit the time it takes. An Mortgage Broker s clients are on social media and so too are other Mortgage Brokers looking for new clients. 4

6 Mortgage Brokers need to balance the need to be on social media with their time committments. Mortgage Brokers need to determine what enagagement they are looking to have on social media. Social media can be used to stay in touch with existing clients, provide a platform to educate and inform existing clients and a vehicle to attract new clients. It is important to decide which type of engagement you wish your firm to have and plan accordingly. A social media schedule should be prepared to outline the intended purpose of the social media platforms, which social media platforms will be used, the regularity of posting, where the content is sourced from, how to create firm generated content, who will reply to messages and what is the policy in dealing with abusive and inappropriate comments. MultiCastr 5

7 0 2 W H I C H S O C I A L Selecting which social media to use is a very important decision. The majority of professionals use only 4 social networks. Selecting which social media platforms to use is just as important as selecting the content to post. There are hundreds of platforms and not all are the most appropriate for professionals to use. Another key factor is the time available to a professional to engage with followers on social media. There is no point having 4 poorly managed social media platforms. It may be best to focus on 1 and dedicate the time and resources to make it fantastic. Facebook remains the social media platform with the most active monthly users. Youtube is second followed by Instagram and Twitter. The most used social media platform by professionals is LinkedIn. It is number 10 in popularity in terms of social media platforms. Professionals also need to consider which social media platforms their clients are on and which platforms prospective clients are using. It is also important to align with social media networks that enhance your brand and message. Although Youtube is a difficult platform for many professionals due to the lack of video available it should not be overlooked. A study by Cisco predicts that 80% of the world s internet traffic will be video by Mark Zuckerberg in a recent interview compared the adoption of video to that of the mobile web Video is a mega trend, almost as big as mobile. It is therefore important to select those platforms that enable a firm to engage with existing clients, showcases the firm s products and services and attracts new clients. 6

8 It is important to align your firms brand with the right social media platforms. MGS Digital recommends the following social media platforms be used by professionals. It is critical that the firm uses an aggregated content system, like that of Multicastr, to manage, view and post to all their social media from a single location. Platform Active Monthly Users Reason 1 LinkedIn 106 million LinkedIn is a professional s network. Although it doesn t have the number of users as other platforms it is more of a brand and trust issue. People expect their professional advisors to be on LinkedIn. 2 Facebook 2 billion Facebook is by far the most used social media platform and most of a firms existing and future clients would be on Facebook. It also has excellent marketing features. This is a must. 3 Google+ 135 million Google+ is one of the fastest growing social media platforms. Over 500 million people have Google+ accounts. It also has benefits in relation to Google searches. 4 Instagram 600 million Instagram is a very popular social media platform owned by Facebook. It is a very good extension to using Facebook as posts can appear in both networks increasing exposure. 5 Twitter 317 million Twitter is a very popular platform for professionals. It allows the posting of 140-character texts as well as photos and videos. Like Instagram it is a good extension to Facebook. 6 Youtube 1.5 billion Youtube is the place for video on the internet. Firms should look to include Youtube in a Facebook video campaign with videos of partners and key staff. Although we have put Youtube last on our recommendation list it is simply due to the ability of firms to source appropriate video to display to existing and potential clients. This will change in the future as video, related to a firm s products and services, is more accessible. MGS Digital provides videos for firms to post to social media. 7

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10 03 S E T T I N G U P Setting up social media accounts is relatively easy and doesn t need to take up much time. A few fundamentals are important. Setting up social media accounts is extremely easy. We have provided a step by step guide at the end of this ebook on setting up on the most common social media platforms. No social media platform contains any pre-requisit to establishing an account. To establish a Facebook business account, you will need a personal account. Instagram can be set-up through your Facebook account. All social media profiles require an address and a password. The address should be one easily monitored by all staff as this is where notifications will be sent. If you use a partner s address only he or she will see notifications. When setting up various social media accounts it is important to keep branding consistent across all social media platforms. When a practice decides to establish a presence on social media the first thing that should be undertaken is a social media setup plan. The plan should include: 1. What are you trying to achieve? 2. Which social networks to join? 3. Setup content and items. 4. How often to post. 5. Where to get content. 6. How to streamline the delivery. 7. Social Media Policy. 8. Social Media Schedule. 9. Who will organize & post content? 10. Who will monitor and reply to messages? It is important that you sort out the above before placing your practice on social media. 9

11 A good Social Media Setup Plan will make for a better social media experience. A good social media setup plan will make for a better social media experience. Even if you are on social media already a social media setup plan should be considered to restart your social media engagement. You need 3 basic documents to establish a presence on social media. - A Social Media Setup Plan - A Social Media Policy - A Social Media Schedule These are not difficult documents to create and we have provided templates for these at the end of this ebook. The templates guide you through what is needed to establish a social media presence and engage with current and future clients. You should keep your branding consistent across all platforms. Content by MGS Digital 10

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13 0 4 E N G A G E Once you have established a presence on social media it is important to engage with clients and prospects. Engaging with your audience over social media is more than just putting up posts. It is about being informative, starting conversations, joining conversations and liking and following those with whom you want to engage. What to post It is important that you post content that is both relevant and engaging. This can include news about your firm, achievements and information about your field. There are 6 basic questions that you need to consider when engaging your audience: - What to post. - Who to follow. - What to share. - What to like. - What to join. - How to respond. You need to consider these questions carefully depending upon the social media platform you are using. What you are trying to achieve from your social media will also govern the answers to the above questions. Who to follow Follow people who are popular on social networks as they are likely to follow you and this will increase your reach. Also follow existing and prospective clients. What to share Share articles and content that is relevant to your field and sparks conversation and engagement with your audience. What to like Like posts and events from clients and prospects whom you wish to engage and be noticed. 12

14 Work out who you want to engage and follow them and like their content. What to join Join groups and communities that are most likely to contain your current and prospective clients. How to respond Respond to likes, comments and messages in a timely considered fashion. If another user follows you it is etiquette to follow them back. Platform Regularity Reason Groups LinkedIn 1 to 4 times a week Post articles and videos that are relevant to your profession and expertise. Post practice updates, achievements and job vacancies. Connect with peers, current clients and prospects. Facebook 5 times a week Post memes, gifs and videos that are relevant and engaging. Share articles that start a conversation. Like other users posts and events. Follow influencers and current and potential clients. Google+ 2 to 5 times a week Post articles and videos relevant to your profession and expertise. Join groups that are relevant to your industry and contain prospective clients and leads. Instagram 1 to 2 times a week Post images and videos that are relevant to your profession and business. Staff pictures, office events and achievements should also be posted. Good to link posts to Facebook. Twitter 7 times a week Post links, short quotes and images and videos that direct the audience to another platform or website. Use Re-tweets to post another person or company s content where relevant. Yes Yes Yes Maybe No 13

15 It is important to know when to use the at and hashtag (#) symbols when posting on social media. sign is used to call out usernames in Tweets (Twitter posts): People will use to mention you in Tweets, send you a Direct Message or link to your profile. You should only use if you think that person will find the tweet or re-tweet relates to that particular person. A hashtag (#) is any word or phrase immediately preceded by the # symbol. When you click or tap on a hashtag, you'll see other posts containing the same keyword or topic. Hashtags are used in both Twitter and Instagram posts and should be used to increase the reach of the post or tweet. At the same time the hashtags used should be relevant to the message or contents of your article. You should use 2 hashtags with Twitter, up to 10 with Instagram and none when posting on your or other peoples Facebook timelines. 14

16 05 T I M E O N S O C I A L The amount of time a professional spends on social media will determine the results they achieve. The use of content aggregation tools and posting platforms is crucial. Engaging on social media can take up a lot of time. Professionals that are time poor need to carefully explore ways of properly engaging on social media whilst minimising the time taken to do so. The two most significant ways to reduce the amount of time spent on social media, while still having a meaningful and engaging social media presence is to use aggregation and automation tools as well as delegate certain functions to staff members. Consideration also needs to be given to when to post and how many times to post. There are certain times of the day that your post will be noticed more than others. On Facebook the most amount of click throughs occurs on posts made between 1pm and 4 pm. For Google+ it is between 9am and 10am. Another important consideration is how many times a day or week you post to social media. Social media marketers suggest that multiple posts are made each day with 2 a day going to Facebook and 6 times a day on Twitter. The problem with a professional posting 15 posts to 5 different social media networks a day is that it would take up considerable time. In addition to this the content may be not suitable to post and you end up posting non- engaging irrelevant content. We recommend that a certain number of posts are made each week to the various social media platforms. We recommend 5 posts to Facebook and 1 to 4 posts a week for LinkedIn and 2 to 5 times for Google+. 15

17 Aggregation/automation and delegation are the keys to a successful social media strategy for professionals. Aggregation and automation Delegation Using a content aggregator and automation tool like Multicastr is a must for a busy professional. In addition to logging into all your accounts at once the benefits are: - Content is all in one place. - Post to all your social accounts at once. - Bulk post for the next week, month or year. - Schedule posts to occur in the future. - Set recurring posts. - View all your social media feeds simultaneously. - Set time and date of posts to achieve the greatest engagement. - Staff only need to use one tool and not 5 different social media accounts. It is important when a professional engages on social media that they delegate some of the tasks to various staff members. A social media policy is crucial. The following are examples of what can be delegated to staff members: - Setup of the social media platforms. - Sourcing content. - Making content using an image editor. - Posting content and updates. - Liking and following potential clients. - Replying to messages. - Monitoring the social media feeds. - Planning events. - Enforcing the social media policy. 16

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19 0 6 M A R K E T I N G Marketing on social media is a fine balance between informing and advertising that needs to be carefully monitored. Marketing on social media is constantly evolving and changing as to the way users will engage. There are also some unique features when it comes to professionals on social media. Advertising on social media, especially on Facebook, is inexpensive and allows for targeting of potential clients by age, interests and geographical location. You can start with a small investment and depending on the results either change the advertisement or increase the spend. As with all marketing strategies it is best to run a sample campaign or even a split campaign and review the results before spending too much money. Social media allows you to run small campaigns and then review the results. A split campaign is where you use 2 different advertisements for the same product or service. The best way to engage in marketing by professionals is for it to be a soft marketing approach as opposed to a hard sell. Constantly posting marketing material on your feed and in groups will ultimately turn people off and they will disengage with you. Marketing on social media is about creating trust and a desire in your followers to want to do business with you. This can be done in a number of ways that doesn t include using the old school hard sell. The best ways is to inform and educate. Offering an ebook on an area of your expertise that educates the reader will attract people to your page and build trust in your brand. The same applies to an article or video that you post on social media that tells your audience about something that they are interested in. 18

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21 MARKETING Articles Use ebooks, articles, memes and videos to build trust and attract new clients to your pract ice Articles are another way to achieve the same results as an ebook but are easier to produce. Articles are a common way to attract clients through LinkedIn and Google+. By posting relevant and thought-provoking articles people will like your post, follow you and eventually engage you to provide services. Ebooks Ebooks are an important part of marketing for professionals. The content should be engaging and if possible contain a call to action. If you specialise in a particular area or wish to attract clients from a certain segment of the market then an ebook on a particular topic is a great marketing tool. Memes Memes can be used to convey a short punchy message to you followers and potential clients. This can be done using Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They should usually either give a short burst of information or direct the person to another area on your social media or website for more information. You can promote and market the ebook on multiple platforms and even set up strategies such as provide us with your address to download the ebook. Another common method is to require the user to like or follow your page to gain access to the ebook. You should advertise it across all social media platforms. The ebook should contain references to your expertise and contact details so that people can get in contact with your practice. Video Video is by far the most responsive medium on social media. Consideration should be given to using whiteboard videos, explainer videos, stock videos and presenter videos. Although more expensive to produce the popularity and engagement of video is the most popular on all social media platforms 20

22 07 C O M M O N M I S T A K E S There are a number of common mistakes made by professionals on social media that should be avoided. Many professional practices have fallen victim to the perils of having a social media presence that is poorly executed and outdated. The number of practices that have a last post dating back years. Unlike a static website social media needs to be managed so that it is current and relevant. The most common mistakes by professionals on social media include: - Poor planning. - Poor setup. - No posts. - Inconsistent posts. - Irrelevant posts. - Political/social posts. - Inappropriate responses or comments. These can and should be avoided. It is better to avoid social media, even though this is becoming more difficult, than to have a bad social media presence. Poor planning Poor planning easily shows on social media. Irrelevant or no content shows very little planning. Poor setup A poorly designed cover and profile picture as well as little company information usually shows poor setup. No posts There is nothing worse than having no posts. It would be better to have no social media than have nothing to say. This has to be avoided and if it can t be avoided then you should unpublish your social media. Inconsistent posts Social media is a steady flow of 21

23 dialogue and content. Putting up many posts or tweets in a short period and then disappearing for a long time shows erratic behaviour. Users tend to disengage from such sites. Irrelevant posts Although the cat videos are cute and the Kardashians are popular, a professional s business page should reflect your values and knowledge. Leave the cats and the Kardashians to the personal pages of people. Political/social posts Although you might have a view of a political party s ideologies and policies it is best not to broadcast political or social value judgements over a professional s social media business pages. It is fine to donate to or support a cause but commenting or offering a view on political or social values should be avoided. Inappropriate responses and comments If your content is engaging and current it will solicit comments and responses from social media users. Whether it is positive or negative comments to your post or a user seeking advice over social media, it is best to maintain a consistent message and response that is balanced. If no advice is to be provided over social media, which it shouldn t, clearly state the fact and if possible a reason why. It is better if you offer an alternative. For example, it is best to state we do not offer individual advice over social media due to licence or policy restrictions, please contact our office for advice. 22

24 0 8 P O L I C Y Having a Social Media Policy that provides guideance, rules and acceptable behaviour is crucial for any professional business. Social media over the past decade has become an integral part of modern life. It is a platform to broadcast your message to the world. For businesses it is an invaluable tool to create brand awareness and attract new customers. If used correctly it can be a tool for increasing engagement and revenue. Engagement on social media by employees has its dangers. In one click a businesses reputation and brand could be left in tatters. It critical that employees that are going to be able to post are provided with guidance. Rules as to what can be posted, to which social media and at what time should be spelled out. Responses to questions, comments and messages should also be laid out to be followed. It is important that in the initial stages of planning, some of the key features of what will be the firm s social media policy start to take shape. It is these base rules that will shape your policy and social media engagement. After selecting which social media platforms and how regularly to post the next steps are where to find content, who will post the content and who will reply to comments and messages. These people should know what the policy is in relation to content, posting rules and what sort of responses are expected to comments and messages. Where possible, the identity of the social media manager and any content curators and responders should be known to everyone in the office. Contigencies need to be made in case one of those responsible for part or parts of the social media are unable to carry out their function. Standby employees should be in place. 23

25 Be clear with your social media rules so those posting know them. The firm s social media policy should be easily accessible for all members of the firm. Even if people are not involved in posting to the firm s social media platforms they should still be aware of what is expected of them in relation to: 1. Their use of their social media during work hours, and 2. Comments they make of the firm on their own social media Just because an employee doesn t post on the firm s social media platforms doesn t mean he or she may not make damaging comments or posts about the firm or other employees. 24

26 09 C O N T E N T I S K I N G The phrase Content is King is nowhere more relevant than on social media. It is important to have relevant and engaging content. Content is the most important component of a successful social media experience. A combination of memes, articles, gifs, comments and videos can bring any social media account to life. Content needs to be engaging, relevant, current, topical and responsive. Where possible the content should be branded with the firm s logo and details. It should be representative of the image the firm is trying to build. Too often insufficient planning means firms are posting content that is irrelevant and detracts from the firm s core message. A picture of the principal on holidays or a staff members new cat should be avoided. Although pictures of staff days or charity events should be included they should be a minor part of the content. A significant amount of planning needs to go into where content will be sourced and how it will engage followers of your social media. It is also advisable to keep sharing as other articles and re-tweets to less than 25% of the content posted. A content aggregator like that of Multicastr should be considered when looking for content. Content aggregators produce content for your firm and source content from a variety of sources to save you time searching the internet for relevant content. A certain amount of content should be specific to your firm, its people and the products and services provided. This should be approximately 25% of the content posted. Approximately 50% of all content should inform and educate your followers and demonstrate your firm s expertise in its field. 25

27 Content should be carefully considered as it is the message you are broadcasting to your followers. The best content is that which is original and provokes a response from followers and is shared by followers. This type of content requires significant planning and preparation. Not all firms have the resources to dedicate to producing such content. Videos is also becoming the most engaging content on social media. The use of ebooks, articles and educational/informative videos should form part of any professional firm s social media strategy. A blog should also be considered as this is usually a short article that appears on a firm s website and links can be placed on the firms social media platforms. Blog posts need to be informative and engaging and seek to start a conversation or questions as to the subject matter of the blog. Many firms find it difficult to think up topic areas to research and post on social media. A search of similar firms in the same field should be undertaken to see what your competitors are posting on social media. It is not acceptable to copy someone elses content but seeing what topics they are addressing and what is popular will help you develop your own content. Content should be broken up into the following categories: Firm specific content Principals, staff, products 20 35% and services, awards, celebrations Original content Ebooks, articles, blogs, 40 50% videos and memes Shares Articles, re-tweets, links 20 25% 26

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29 10 S A M P L E P O L I C Y The Sample Social Media Policy begins on the next page. For a free word version of the policy visit: 28

30 [Company Name] Sample Social Media Policy Area Policy People Below are the contact details for the social media team. Task Description Name Telephone Decision Maker Contact for important decisions. Content Manager Contact to provide content or content ideas. Social Media Manager Reply Manager Reply Backup Contact regarding anything to do with our social media. Contact to report a comment and message. Contact if the Reply Manager can t be contacted. Posting frequency & schedule This is the regularity that you post to your various social media platforms as well as the times to post. Network Regularity Time to post Facebook LinkedIn Google+ Instagram Twitter Youtube Disclose Anyone can say anything on the internet. It is both the platform s greatest strength and chief weakness. When you are posting on the internet, your integrity is on display for the entire world to see, so strive to be ethical, truthful, and decent.

31 Area Policy 1. When you are posting about [COMPANY NAME] or [COMPANY NAME] products, include the hashtag #YOURCOMPANY. This lets people know that you are affiliated with [COMPANY NAME]. Just putting [COMPANY NAME] in your biography is not enough. 2. If you are being paid by [COMPANY NAME] to promote or endorse us, you must disclose your relationship. This is true for employees, contingent workers, digital influencers, or agency members. 3. If you have a vested interest in something you are discussing, be the first to point it out and be specific about what it is. 4. Be yourself and stick to your area of expertise. Only write about what you know. 5. If you are leaving [COMPANY NAME], remember to update your employment information on social media sites 6. If you talk about [COMPANY NAME] on any website or any form of social media, please use a disclaimer like this one: All opinions are my own. Protect Keeping [COMPANY NAME] information confidential is a keystone of our business. Many [COMPANY NAME] employees know things about the company that could affect our business. It is essential to safeguard [COMPANY NAME] information, especially on the internet. 1. Protecting [COMPANY NAME] is part of your job. Do not post any confidential information on any social platforms. If the information has not been officially released by [COMPANY NAME], do not discuss it. This includes any financial information, product information, and legal information. 2. Do not slam [COMPANY NAME] or our competitors. If there is an issue only authorised spokespersons should comment publicly on competitors performance. Authorised spokespersons are identified, selected, and approved by their respective Business Unit. 3. Anything you publish must be true and not misleading in any way, and all claims must be substantiated and approved before posting. 4. If you are unsure whether or not to post something, take caution and seek further advice. Our Social Media team can help you decide if something is permissible to post. They can also review your LinkedIn profile for you to make certain you aren t inadvertently providing too much information. Use Common Sense When you are online, you are representing [COMPANY NAME] our people and our values. There is no room for bigotry, prejudice, misogyny, or hatred in our company or on our associated social media feeds. We create a positive online presence. Just by identifying yourself as a [COMPANY NAME] employee, you are creating perceptions about your expertise and about [COMPANY NAME]. 1. Stay away from saying our products are smarter/ faster/ higher-performing in your social media postings. 2. What happens if you mess up? Stay focused, it happens. If you make a mistake, admit it immediately. Apologise if you need to. Be upfront, and correct the error as soon as possible. 30

32 Area Social Media Guidelines Policy [COMPANY NAME] supports honest, accuracy, transparency, and authenticity. We are committed to ensuring that our social media practitioners clearly disclose relationships and endorsements, and that statements about [COMPANY NAME] products are truthful and substantiated. If you are a social media practitioner who has been gifted with or loaned a product, incentivised, or otherwise has an ongoing relationship with [COMPANY NAME], these guidelines apply to you. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these guidelines, please get in touch with your [COMPANY NAME] sponsor. Rules of Engagement for [COMPANY NAME]: Be transparent. [COMPANY NAME] supports transparency about your identity and relationship to [COMPANY NAME]. We re committed to ensuring that our sponsored social media clearly and evidently disclose their relationship to [COMPANY NAME], including incentives and sponsorship. Please be sure this information is readily apparent to the public and readers of each of your posts. Write about your genuine and authentic experience. Please talk precisely about your experiences with our products and services instead of making general product claims that you aren t as familiar with. Be truthful and accurate. Think about consequences. Using your public voice to trash or embarrass your employer, your customers, your co-workers or even yourself is not okay - and not very smart. Tone of voice. We should be delicate to the expectations of existing users of the specific site. If we add a [COMPANY NAME] presence, we are joining their site rather than the opposite. Users are more likely to feel that they already have a significant stake in it. When adding an informal [COMPANY NAME] presence, we should be sensitive to user customs and conventions to avoid giving the impression that the [COMPANY NAME] is imposing itself on them and their space. Talk to your readers like you would talk to real people in professional situations. In other words, avoid overly obscure or "composed" language. Don't be afraid to bring in your own personality and say what's on your mind. Consider content that's open-ended and invites response. Encourage comments. You can also extend the conversation by citing others who are blogging about the same subject and allowing your content to be shared. Always pause and think before posting. Reply to comments in an opportune manner and when a response is appropriate. If you're about to publish something that makes you even the slightest bit uncomfortable, don't shrug it off and hit 'send.' Take a minute to review these guidelines and try to figure out what's bothering you, then fix it. Don t feel rushed or obligated to reply or post if you cannot be fully certain. You are personally responsible for the content you publish on blogs, wikis or any other form of user-generated media. Please remember that the internet never forgets, once you make a post, readers will be able to view this any time. This means everything you publish will be visible to the world for a very, very long time. If you're still unsure, you might want to discuss it with your manager or legal representative. Ultimately, what you publish is yours - as is the responsibility. So be sure Perception is reality. In online social networks, the lines between public and private, personal and professional are sometimes unclear. By just identifying yourself as an [COMPANY NAME] employee, you are creating perceptions about your expertise and about [COMPANY NAME] by our customers, and the general public-and perceptions about you by your colleagues and managers. Be sure that all content associated with you is consistent with your work and with [COMPANY NAME] values and professional standards Be engaged and be informed. Read the contributions of others. Know what the current conversations are and what people are saying in order to see if, and how, you may be able to contribute a new perspective. Participation is the fuel of social computing. Aim for quality, not quantity. Offer your influence with context whenever you can. Provide links to other blogs, media articles or whatever sources you think are necessary. Educating and sharing resourceful information gives you credibility and create trust. Make your content rich and interesting for others to read. Consider attaching documents when necessary. Keep the language simple and flowing, if you start a blog, encourage feedback and conversation - make sure your readers can add feedback to 31

33 Area Policy your blog and respond in a timely manner. A two-way communication exchange allows for a more meaningful conversation. Commenting. Do not comment on work-related legal matters unless you are an official spokesperson, and have the legal approval by YOUR COMANY or its brands to do so. In addition, talking about revenues, future products, pricing decisions, unannounced financial results or similar matters will get you, the company or both into serious trouble. Stay away from conversing financial topics and predictions of future performance at all costs. Respect your audience. Don't use ethnic slurs, personal insults, offensiveness, or engage in any conduct that would not be acceptable in [COMPANY NAME] workplace. You should also show proper consideration for others privacy and for topics that may be considered offensive or challenging (like religion or politics). If you are in a virtual world as [COMPANY NAME] representative, please dress and behave accordingly. We all appreciate respect. Mistakes. Have you posted something that just wasn't true? Be the first to respond to your own mistake. In a blog, if you choose to adjust an earlier post, make it clear that you have done so. Linked by association. Be aware that others will associate you with your employer when you identify yourself as such. Please ensure that your Facebook, Linked-in, Twitter, Instagram or Google + profile and related content is dependable with how you wish to present yourself with clients and colleagues. Moderation and Comments [COMPANY NAME] welcomes positive, respectful engagement and encourages open, "family friendly" forums. We moderate all our social media and response sites and request users please note the following posting guidelines. Defamatory, offensive or unlawful posts on [COMPANY NAME] social media channels will not be published or will be removed. Posts that contain a link to, or copy of, content that is subject to an online content complaint will be removed or not published in the interest of protecting others from inadvertently accessing material that may be prohibited. Comments should be on topic and relevant to the [COMPANY NAME]. Comments published on the [COMPANY NAME] websites or our associated social media sites are the views of the commenter. Publication of the comments should not be taken as endorsement or agreement by the [COMPANY NAME]. Retweets (via Twitter) should also not be seen as endorsements or agreement by the [COMPANY NAME]. Implementation, Monitoring and Review [COMPANY NAME]s Social Media Producer and Engagement Manager are accountable for the application, monitoring and review of all social media channels and activities. Every social media channel is observed during working hours and outside working hours when essential. A social media plan is applied for each social media platform where the [COMPANY NAME] is present. Social media platforms are studied and altered continuously to keep in line with the overall objectives and requirements of [COMPANY NAME] and the public. Public Information and Confidentiality [COMPANY NAME] will only provide information that is publicly available. This includes information on its website or in its annual report, or information that senior management has authorised for release. 32

34 Area Policy All information provided will be factually correct. The [COMPANY NAME] will not publish confidential information on social media sites where it is active. Copyright Please respect copyright. If it is not yours, don't use it. It is very simple. It is that person's choice to share his or her material with the world, not yours. Before posting someone else's work, please check with the owner first. When using social media, it is acceptable to link to another person s work. In general, a short except usually no more than a paragraph can be quoted. The author and publisher should be acknowledged. If another person s intellectual property is not in the public arena and [COMPANY NAME] plans to post it, the author s permission will be attained beforehand. Only copyright-free images will be used in agreement with the rights holder s requirements. 33

35 11 H O W T O S E T U P Google Plus Account Setup 35 Facebook Personal Account Setup 40 Facebook Business Account Setup 43 Instagram Business Account Setup 46 LinkedIn Account Setup 49 Twitter Account Setup 51

36 Google Plus Account Set Up How to set up a Gmail account: Step 1: Go to Google 1. Open your internet browser and go to the Google Home page: and then click on Gmail at the top right corner of the page. Step 2: Create an account 1. You ll now be in the Sign in section. As you don t have a Google account yet, you need to create one. Click Create an account. 35

37 Google Plus Account Set up Step 3: Set-Up 1. To set up your new account, Google needs some information about you first, your first and last names. The choose your username is the unique address that you wish to use, which will be placed Because it needs to be unique, Google may have to check the availability of any name that you decide on to make sure that no one already has it. Type an name into the choose your username box and then fill out the rest of your information. If the name that you requested in is not available, you ll get a message saying that somebody already has that username and offering you some alternatives. You can decide to accept one of the alternatives or type in another name and check its availability once more. 2. You will have to complete some of the other boxes again. You may have to do this a few times. Once you finalise your address, it s a good idea to make a note of it so that you can refer to it until you remember it. You ll need to come up with a password so that you can log in securely to your account. Google may explain that you should try one with at least 8 characters long to be secure. Use letters and numbers to make the password more secure and difficult to guess. You can add an existing address to keep your new secure as well. Step 4: Verification 1. To get to the next steps you will need to accept Google's privacy and terms first, once you have read it click on I Agree. Google will now ask you to verify your account via text or voice call, select the option that you want and click on continue. 36

38 Google Plus Account Set Up Step 5: Google mail dashboard 1. You will be automatically redirected to Gmail's dashboard and once you have read all of the information your Gmail is now ready to use. On the left-hand side, you will be able to see your inbox, sent mail and trash, you will also be able to compose s from this list too. Step 6: Creating a Profile Picture 1. You will now have set up your account. You can go straight to your inbox and get started, or you can set up a photo to show as your profile picture. 2. To set up your profile picture click on the profile icon on the top right-hand corner of the page and click Change. 3. Then, you can upload a photo saved to your computer. Once you are happy with the picture you have chosen then select Set as profile picture. You can change this at any time by going back into your profile picture settings. Step 7: Completing your setup 1. You can complete your Google mail setup by clicking the available resources on the dashboard. 37

39 Google Plus Account Set Up How to set up a Google Plus account: Step 1: 1. Go to the Google+ website. All sign ins for any Google application are all one sign in. If you have a Google account, sign in. When you first log into Google+ you will need to setup a profile to get the best out of the utility. Click on Create Profile. 2. Complete your personal information and a username that everyone will see. Click Ok. Step 2: 1. On the next page, Google+ will ask you if you want to add anyone that it thinks you might know to your friends list. Complete if you want to, otherwise just click Next. Step 3: 1. The next page then asks you if you want to follow other pages that might interest you. Again, choose if you wish or click Continue. It may prompt you if you don t pick anything at this point, but continue anyway. 38

40 Google Plus Account Set Up Step 4: 1. You now have the opportunity to add a photo to your profile. You can either Snap a photo with your webcam or you can upload a photo from your computer. 2. Click on your choice and follow the onscreen prompts to upload your picture. You can see how you will look to the outside world from the preview in the right-hand side of the screen. Step 5: 1. Once you have uploaded a picture you may also like to complete further information about yourself such as where you went to school or where you work. If you don t want to complete this, just click Finish. Step 6: 1. You are now ready to start using Google+. 39

41 How to set up a Facebook Personal account: Step 1: Creating a Facebook account 1. If you do not have a personal Facebook account, you will need to set one up before you can create a page for your business, since Facebook pages are always associated with a personal account. Under the words Sign Up on the homepage, put your first name in the first box and your last name in the second box. 2. Next enter a valid address and re-enter that in the box below. This is so that Facebook can contact you for confirmation of your registration and in future send you updates from your profile. Next enter a password of your choice, your sex, and your birthday. Then hit the Sign-Up button at the bottom of the page. Step 2: Confirm your 1. Facebook will now tell you it has sent a confirmation to your account. You must now login to your . Open the confirmation from Facebook, click on the link it provides and it will take you to a new Facebook profile. Step 3: Find friends 1. You'll now have to go through a series of steps to personalise your profile. First, Facebook will offer to scour your address book for addresses of people that also have Facebook profiles, giving you a chance to add them as your friends. Simply enter your address and password and Facebook will find your friends. 2. Select the ones you want to add by ticking the boxes to the left of their pictures and then click Add to Friends at the bottom. After that, you ll have the option of choosing friends from your address book who aren't on Facebook and sending them Facebook invitations. Facebook Personal account setup 40

42 Step 4: Fill out your information 1. Click the Find My Classmates button. Next, choose the country, city, name of your school, and the class year (if you are searching for a specific person, just type in their name), then click Search for Classmates. Now select anyone you recognise or want as a friend and click Add to Friends. You may have to write the text from the security box into the text box to confirm. 2. Click on Search for Your Co- Workers. Write the name of the company you are looking for and the name of the employee if Step 5: Upload a profile picture 1. Click on the Picture tab to upload a picture from your hard drive that other people will be able to see as your profile picture. Click Browse, find a picture on your hard drive, tick the box to certify that you own the rights to the image, then click Upload Picture to confirm. You can also use a webcam to take your picture, Click Take from Webcam and click the camera button when you re ready. It will be delayed for 3 seconds and then take the picture. Then click Use Picture to confirm Note: Cover Images and Profile Pictures both are public and anyone visiting your page will be able to see them. Profile Image guidelines: 180 x 180 pixels. Photo will appear on page as 160 x 160 pixels. Photo thumbnail will appear throughout Facebook at 32 x 32 pixels. This will be the photo representing you or your brand on Facebook. This square photo will appear on your timeline layered over your cover photo. It will also appear when you post to other walls, comment on posts. Facebook Personal account setup 41

43 Step 6 Edit your profile 1. Click on the My Profile button, where you'll see that all the sections are empty. You don't have to fill out every field; in fact, you can leave them all blank if you so choose. Facebook is public, so think before you enter Step 7 Add a cover photo 1. A cover is the larger image at the top of your Page, right above your Page's profile picture. Click Add a Cover and then choose whether you want to upload a new photo or pick a photo from one of your existing photo albums once you choose a photo, you can reposition it by clicking on the image and dragging it up or down and then Click Save after you've repositioned it. Note: Cover Images and Profile Pictures both are public and anyone visiting your page will be able to see them. Cover Image guidelines: 828 x 315 pixels. Photo will appear on page as 828 x 315 pixels, anything less will be stretched. Minimum size of 399 x 150 pixels. For best results, upload an RGB JPEG file less than 100KB. Images with a logo or text may be best as a PNG file. Facebook Personal account setup 42

44 How to set up a Facebook Business account: Step 1: Signing up 1. Go to facebook.com/business and click CREATE PAGE in the top right hand corner. You ll be greeted with several business type options including local business, brand, or public figure. Select the type of business you re creating the page for. If your business type falls into more than one of the category options, choose the one it best aligns with. 2. You ll immediately be asked what kind of business category you are, along with some other small details that will vary depending on your business type. Select the one that applies to you, fill out any other fields, and click next. 3. Note: If you don t already have a personal Facebook account, you ll be prompted to create a new login. Step 2: Your About details 1. What kind of business are you? A museum? Add that. That sells ice cream? Include it. With a beer garden? Add that too. Keep in mind you can only add three categories, so make sure you re as accurate as possible. This ensures that the traffic you get is qualified they re actually looking for your business or a business like yours. 2. The next field gives you the opportunity to tell people about your business. No need to get too elaborate here. Just write down what your customers need to know as clearly and concisely as possible. You can add a longer description later on. 3. Finally, add your URL and confirm whether or not your business is real. Facebook Business account setup 43

45 Step 3: Add a picture 1. It ll take less than a minute. Simply choose where you want to upload the image from: your computer or the web (and of course, make sure you have full rights to the image). Which picture to use, however, deserves a bit more consideration. 2. If you re a big brand, using your logo is probably a safe way to go. If you re a celebrity or public figure, a picture of your own mug will work like a charm. And if you re a local business, maybe a well-shot image of your signature offering is what what will allow a potential follower or customer to make the connection immediately. Step 4: Add to your Favourites 1. This step isn t necessary. But if you have a personal Facebook account that you use with any regularity, adding your Facebook for Business Page to your favourites lets you easily toggle between the accounts. Step 5: Add your Audience 1. Where are you? Who are your customers? Now s the time to tell Facebook they ll make it easier for that audience to find you. Here you can select your location, preferred gender(s), and their interests as they relate to your business so that they can filter the type of people that are visiting your Facebook page. 2. You don t need to build elaborate personas to target here, but do put some real thought into who your customer is. Facebook Business account setup 44

46 Step 6: Fill out your profile completely Step 7: Add collaborators to your page 1. Next, you can fill out your profile even more by adding information to your Page Info section. To access this section, click on Settings in the top menu bar on your page, then click Page Info. Your name and category will be filled in already. Some of the most helpful bits of information to add next might be: 2. Start Info You can choose when your company or product was founded, created, started, or launched. This information will appear on the history timeline to the right of your page s feed and as an update at the very bottom of your main feed. 3. Address Enter this if you want people to be able to check in via Facebook when they re near your place. 4. Long description & Mission Add additional details that explain your business or brand even further. This is a great way to go beyond the 155- character description that appears on the main page. 5. Phone number / address Add additional contact information. 6. All of these details will appear on the About tab of your Facebook page. 1. If you plan on sharing your Facebook marketing duties with a team, you ll want to grant access for various folks and various roles. Here are the roles that you can choose from: 2. Admin Complete and total access to everything (you are an admin by default) 3. Editor Can edit the Page, send messages and post as the Page, create Facebook ads, see which admin created a post or comment, and view insights. 4. Moderator Can respond to and delete comments on the Page, send messages as the Page, see which admin created a post or comment, create ads, and view insights. 5. Advertiser Can see which admin created a post or comment, create ads and view insights. 6. Analyst Can see which admin created a post or comment and view insights. 7. To add collaborators, go to your page settings and the Page Roles section. You can type in the name of any Facebook friend or person who has liked your page. Alternately, you can type in an address associated with a Facebook account. Facebook Business account setup 45

47 Instagram Account Set Up How to set up a business Instagram account: Step 1: 1. Making an Instagram account for a business is simply going to settings and switching your account to a business profile. You can also connect you Instagram business account with your business Facebook account. 2. By clicking on the 3-dot image this will give you access to insights. To gain insight, you must gain at least 100 followers until you can visit the insight section on Instagram. Step 2: 1. Once you have a certain number of followers you will then have access to information on reach, impressions and click per view on your business website. Step 3: 1. Business Instagram will also provide insight on each individual post for example how many people its reached and follower engagement. 46

48 Instagram Account Set Up How to set up a normal Instagram account: Step 1: 1. Download the app from the app store or visit the Instagram website nts/login/ Step 2: 1. Once you have the Instagram app go in and sign up. Enter your and create a password or login using your Facebook account. 47

49 Instagram Account Set Up Step 3: Once you re in get familiar with all the buttons within the Instagram app Profile: Is your personal account of posted photos Home: This is where you can see photos of people you follow Camera: is where you can take a photo in real time to post or upload existing photos from your camera roll. Nonfictions: where you can see people, who has liked your photos or comments. Search: this is where you can search for photos, videos and accounts that you want to follow or look at. Step 4: 1. This is where you can fill out your profile with all your information and edit your profile photo. 2. Once you have filled out your profile go ahead and follow friends or business accounts that will be of interest to you. 48

50 How to set up a LinkedIn account: Step 1: Creating a LinkedIn account 1. Sign up for LinkedIn by entering your details into the fields located in the centre of the page. Once all fields have been filled, click Join Now. Step 2: Location 1. Enter your location details to help your connections find you easier. Click Next Step 3: Employment/Education 1. Enter your employment and education information. Select whether or not you are currently a student as the relevant fields will appear. 2. As you enter your details suggestions will appear. For example, if you enter Director into the Job Title field the below suggestions appear: LinkedIn account setup 3. When entering your company name it may appear as a suggestion, if not you can simply enter the name without clicking a suggested option. If you intend to create a Company Page you can enter the name and link it to your company page later. 4. After completing all fields click Next. 49

51 Step 4: Confirmation 1. Select the most applicable reason that you are creating a LinkedIn profile. 2. Confirm your address by entering the code sent to your inbox. 3. Optional step - Click Continue to connect with contacts from your address book. If you don t want to connect at this stage you can click Skip. Browse more suggestions for people you might know. You can select any of these using the check box and select Add Connections, or you can skip this stage but clicking Skip. Step 5: Upload a photo 1. Upload a photo of yourself to display on your profile. This can help potential connections find you easier. LinkedIn account setup Step 6: Interests 1. Select topics you are interested in. This will show content on your News Stream from the channels you are interested in. 2. All done! Your account is set up. You can visit your profile by clicking Me at the top right of the screen and clicking View Profile under your name. You can help to strengthen your profile by entering more information from the module on your profile. 50

52 Twitter account setup How to set up a Twitter page: Step 1: Signing Up 1. Go to and find the sign up box, or go directly to 2. Once the twitter homepage has loaded, create your Twitter profile by entering your full name, address and a password. 3. Click on Sign up for Twitter Step 2: Choosing a username 1. Once you've clicked Sign up for Twitter, you can select a username (usernames are unique identifiers on Twitter) type your own or choose one that Twitter has suggested message will pop up and tell you if the username you want is available. (Usernames must be fewer than 15 characters in length and cannot contain "admin" or "Twitter", in order to avoid brand confusion.) 51

53 Twitter Account Set Up Step 3: Creating account 1. Decide whether you always want to be signed in to Twitter on the computer you re using. If you are using your own computer, this is a good option, it will save you from having to log in all the time. If you are using a public computer, you should uncheck the box next to this option. You can also choose whether or not you want Twitter to be tailored toward your recent website visits by leaving or removing the check mark next to this option. 2. Click Create my account. You may be asked to complete a Captcha to let Twitter know that you're human. This is in place to stop automated signups occurring. Step 4: Building your Twitter Account 1. Start following celebrities (optional). First, Twitter will present you with a list of popular people to follow. Click at least five people to follow and press "Next" when you're done. You' will then be presented with another list tailored to you based on the people you chose prior, and you'll be asked to choose at least five more. You can do so and press "Next" again. 2. Start following people you know (optional). Next, you'll be given the option to follow people you know. You'll have to grant Twitter access to your contacts which means you allow Twitter to log into your on your behalf and search your contacts. Once you do, you'll be presented with a list of people you know (people in your contact list) who are on Twitter. You will have the option of clicking on them to follow a few of them, or even to follow all of them -- there may be hundreds of them. 52

54 Twitter Account Set Up Step 5: Verify your Twitter Account 1. You will receive an from the Twitter verification team, click on the link in the to verify your account. This is an important step. Once you have verified your account, you will be taken to the Twitter home page, and you will be logged into your Twitter account. You will see something like this (below screenshot): Step 6: Complete your Twitter Profile - The very first thing that you will need to do is fill out important information about you (personal Twitter account) or your Practice (business Twitter account) by clicking on the Settings button (as shown in diagram above) - Click on Profile section and enter all details - Upload your profile picture. Click on the empty profile photo to upload an image of yourself or your Practice logo. - Upload a customised header picture - Include your Name, Location, Website - Write a short bio. Click on the area below your profile photo. Write a short bio about yourself using 160 characters or less. Step 7: 1. Build your followers base by following more people which encourages then to follow your back. Following means you'll get that user's Tweets on your Twitter home timeline. You can unfollow anyone at any time. 53

55 12 T E M P L A T E S The Social Media Setup Plan and Social Media Schedule begin on the next page. For a free word version of the documents visit: 54

56 [Company Name] Social Media Setup Plan Task Objectives Description Establishment What are our social media objectives? (e.g. educate & retain existing clients, attract new clients, increase practice exposure) Social Media Platforms Social Media Address Logo Covers Which social media platforms will the practice be using? Network Address Username Password * Facebook LinkedIn Google+ Instagram Twitter Youtube * Hint: Use a different password for each social media account This address should be accessible to principals and staff as well as those with access to social media. Ensure a clear.png version of the logo is available that is 400 x 400 pixels. Covers are the main area a visitor views when your social media page first loads. Make it professional and consistent across all platforms. Network Cover size Source Person responsible Facebook 851 x 315 pixels LinkedIn 646 x 220 pixels Google x 608 pixels Twitter 1500 x 500 pixels Youtube 2560 x 1440 pixels * Hint: If using multiple accounts use a professional to produce the covers Details and Content Company details This is where your company details appear that will appear on social media and your website. Address Other Social Media Unit/Level No. & Street City State Country Telephone Website Facebook address Google + address LinkedIn address Instagram address Twitter address Youtube address * Hint: You should direct follows to your other social media accounts

57 Task Content Description You should have at least 10 content sources even if you use a content aggregator like Multicastr including websites, meetings, staff ideas, monitoring competitors and regulatory and professional bodies. Content source Posting and People Posting frequency & schedule This is the regularity that you post to your various social media platforms as well as the times to post. Network Regularity Time to post Facebook LinkedIn Google+ Instagram Twitter Youtube People These are the various roles and functions that need to be allocated between different people. Task Description Name Telephone Decision Maker This is the person that makes the ultimate decisions should an issue arise. It is normally a partner. Setup Manager This person is involved in the establishment of the social media platforms. Content Manager This person is responsible for the collection and curation of content. Social Media Manager This person is responsible for posting the content to social media and monitoring the various sites. Reply Manager This person is responsible for replying to comments and messages Reply Backup This person is a backup for when the Reply Manager is away. Social Media Policy Social Media Schedule It is important that you have a social media policy that provides for what is acceptable on social media. Yes. We have a social media policy. This is a schedule that outlines what posts are to be made and any upcoming events. Yes. We have a social media schedule. 56

58 [Company Name] Social Media Schedule Network Schedule Network Best time How often # Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday of Day to Post 1 8am to 9am Tuesdays and Thursdays 1 to 4 times per week pm to 3pm Mondays and Thursdays 7 times per week pm to 4pm 2 times per week 2 1 7pm to 9pm 1 to 2 times per week 2 1 9am to 10am 2 to 5 times per week Upcoming Events Events that should form part of the social media content