Social Media Tips From Dave Kerpen — CEO, Likeable
Looking forward to use social media to market your company and product? Then grab some tips and tactics to success as shared by Dave Kerpen, CEO of Likeable Local, keynote speaker and also NY Times best-selling author of ‘Likeable Social Media’, in his conversation with Foradian Technologies.
Q. Please give a brief note about yourself to our readers.
Dave: Hey, I’m Dave Kerpen, the CEO of Likeable Local, which makes software that makes social media marketing easy and fun. I am also the chairman and former CEO of Likeable Media, an award-winning social media and word-of-mouth marketing firm that works with large clients such as GE, Entenmann’s and Verizon.
Q. Share your entrepreneurial experiences with us.
Dave: I got married to the love of my life Carrie — at what most people would consider an unusual setting — a baseball game. We pitched the Brooklyn Cyclones and created the “Our Field of Dreams” promotion for our wedding. We got 1–800-Flowers.com to sponsor our flowers, Smirnoff to sponsor our alcohol, Entenmann’s to sponsor our desserts, After Hours to sponsor our tuxedos, and several other local and national sponsors, totaling about $100,000 in trade value. Our vendors were so thrilled with all of their ROI, in fact, that a couple of them asked us what we could do for them next. We couldn’t get married again, so we started our first company, Likeable Media. While at Likeable Media, I saw an interview at which Mark Zuckerberg, the father of Facebook, mentioned how he wanted Facebook to be the place where all small business can benefit and build their community. Mark had in mind his dad, who is a dentist here in New York. So I thought, enough with bigger brands, what about the smaller guys? I gave Dr. Zuckerberg a call and eventually, Likeable Dentists was born, our first vertical at Likeable Local. Likeable Local provides a mobile, fun social media platform for small businesses to use for social media and word-of-mouth marketing.
Q. What is Likeable media and what it’s for?
Dave: Likeable Media is a global social media and word-of-mouth marketing agency on a mission to build a more likeable world. We create more transparent, responsive, likeable organizations. We’ve worked with dozens of major bands, including Medtronic, Verizon, Neutrogena, General Electric, and Logitech. We know how to support a business around the clock (social media never sleeps, but a staff sure needs to) and deliver measurable results.
Q. What are the ways by which we can make social media marketing successful?
Dave:
- Listen first and never stop listening. Acknowledging your customers’ online presence can endear you to them forever. Listening will prepare you for the best accomplishment of your social media marketing objectives.
- Be Transparent. People really respect when someone is honest, so if things don’t go as planned, embrace and learn from it.
- Respond to everyone. Every time a customer or prospect talks publicly on any social network it’s an opportunity for you to respond and engage with them. Make a lasting impression on them whereas if you don’t respond, it is seen as negative impression or that they aren’t important.
- Be likeable. Be authentic, share things that you would like, and treat other how you would like to be treated. To be likeable, you must always respect and add value to your community.
Q. Discuss the problems of reaching the targeted consumers through social media.
Dave: Social media, unlike other advertising mediums, you can target as much as you want. You can target someone down to their specific likes i.e. flavor of coffee they prefer. The only downside of targeting certain consumers is if they aren’t on social media at all, which is very rare to find because most are. When targeting someone on social media, you can hit the exact audience you are looking for. As I like to say, what’s better than one billion people on social media? Maybe 10 of the exact people you are looking for.
Q. Tell us what determines the ultimate profits?
Dave: Ultimately, a new customer or a new business creates the profits but to get those new clients you need to measure your likeability. You want to be top of mind, so use social currency to your advantage. Social currency is when posts are shared and stories are told. They are exchanged amongst others as if it was some sort of money. Social currency is best form of profit because it brings in those leads to generate real profit.
Q. What is your perception about social media marketing and how will it help in achieving business goals.
Dave: Social media marketing is the best way to delight your customers and create an irresistible brand. Social media allows you to be engaged and pay attention to your consumer. It builds relationships with the consumer and value of trust for your brand. With that sense of trust, consumers are likely to go to you over the competitor. From those consumers you engage with, their friends on Facebook or Twitter can see your level of engagement. They see that their friend enjoys your product and the next time they need what you provide, they are more likely to choose you based on their friends likes and shares on social media.
Q. How we can measure success in social media?
Dave: Looks, Likes and Leads. Leads are the potential consumer or business deal for your next client. However, to get those leads, you may need to measure the looks and likes you have. With a lot of looks and likes on a post, you can be seen as top of mind for the potential consumer that could come tomorrow or 6 months from when you post.
Get in touch with Dave:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davekerpen
https://twitter.com/DaveKerpen
Originally published at www.edtechboard.com on November 29, 2013.
