Before we begin social media training, you will need to open accounts on both Facebook and Twitter. I do not set these up for you because it’s important that you are the creator of the accounts. If we need to, it’s easy for you to grant me access to the accounts later, and also just as easy to remove me.

Keep in mind that the email you use to set up the accounts might be visible publicly. Also think carefully about naming the account. Talk to me about both of these points before going to set up the accounts.

 

Facebook

Let’s start with Facebook. You need to set up a personal account first. Even if you don’t wish to talk to your friends or interact, the business account you’ll be setting up has to be linked to a real person. Here’s a great tutorial on setting up your personal account and adding information into your profile.

Now, click here to set up a Facebook page. Once you have set up the page with even the most basic information, email me and include the link to the page. I will become a fan and then walk you through adding me as an admin so we can work on the page together.

Here is an excellent summary of the complete guide to using Facebook. All the first tips you need are here.

If you want the best advice on getting the most for your money right away, read this article about quality Facebook fans. It will save you a lot of wasted time and possibly a tarnished reputation online.

When you get ready to add me to your Facebook Ad account, here are the steps:

1.  When you go to HOME (from the top of any Facebook page) you can look on the left column and you might have to say “MORE” but you can open that column up to get to “Ads”

2.  Then, when you have that page open, you can click on SETTINGS on the left column. You need to be in your ad account, and you’ll see any campaigns first, then PAGES, REPORTS, BILLING and finally SETTINGS.

3.  When you click SETTINGS, you have to scroll down to PERMISSIONS and the ADD A USER button is on the right in that section of the page. Facebook will alert me that I am now added and I can get into the account to help you manage the ads.

Free Tutorial

Facebook has a fantastic free tutorial about Facebook pages. Go through it and make notes if you have questions. It’s the best way to get a handle on what you’re setting up, and it’s by Facebook, so you know the information is accurate.

Building Your Facebook Page From Scratch

Facebook has put together an entire guide for businesses — check out Facebook for Business.

Facebook Lessons for Business Owners – This is an excellent guide to getting started with your business page.

Custom Page Tabs — Once you have your page working properly, it’s time to think about a custom tab. The custom tab is shown to your fans when they first come to your site or to give more information about a promotion, etc. Tabsite is page customization tool that works without a lot of coding.

 

Twitter

Here’s a great step-by-step on how to set up a Twitter account. Because the username on Twitter is much fewer characters, you might need to be clever about how you name the account. This time, you don’t need a personal account first, you can just move right to the business account and learn to use Twitter with that account first.

Seven Factors to Consider Before Following Someone on Twitter

Once you set up your account, here’s a great article that tells you how to actually use Twitter. And, another good article on Twitter for Beginners.

Six Ways to Boost Return on Twitter

Twitter recently announced brand pages (they aren’t accessible yet for everyone). Here are some strategies for brands on Twitter pages.

TweetDeck

I think TweetDeck makes using Twitter a lot easier. After you’ve gotten comfortable with Twitter, download TweetDeck. Just follow the instructions to download. I recommend using Twitter.com for at least a week until you are familiar with how things work before making the switch. And, there are several good applications for Twitter if you don’t like TweetDeck. But for most people, it makes the easiest transition.

Google+

If you’re not on board with Google+ you should be. Public Google+ posts count as websites now, as far as search is concerned, and many searches for content are now going through Google+. There’s bad and good here, but since you can’t change it, developing a strategy and making the best of the situation is advised. Here’s a good article on how Google+ search is currently working, but stay tuned for that to continue to change.

If you’re not convinced, here’s information specific to why Google+ is worth it for small businesses .

Here’s a handy guide to setting up your Google+ page for business.

Getting on Board with Google+ — This article has good explanations of how the various features work.

Have you been using Google+ with little or no results? It might be your content. 4 Warning Signs Your Google+ Account Needs Work.

Since Google+ will play an important role in SEO and search for your brand, make sure you understand how to use Google effectively to drive traffic. This is an excellent primer: Getting A Look at Trends with Google Insights.

If you haven’t checked out Ripples, learn more about them here, and then see how well your content is being shared.

 

Tools

Pixelpipe – Publish photos, video, audio, text and files on over 100 online destinations. Depending exactly on what you do most commonly, this might be a one-shoe-fits-all solution.

Klout – Once you get set up on Facebook and Twitter, you’ll wonder how you stack up. You should also wonder who to talk to. Talking to the right people is always useful, no matter what your medium, but in social media it’s often deceiving. Get the story on your social wizardry as well as check out everyone else.

TweetReach – Ever wonder how many people read any particular Tweet? Now you can find out. You can also spy on the competition or find people who are influencers in your area of expertise.

Kurrently – A real-time search engine for Facebook and Twitter. Search who is talking about you, your industry or keywords in real time.

WhoReTweetedMe.com — Enter a URL and receive a list of the most influential retweeters. Very easy way to see who is picking up your content.

WooRank – Enter your website and get basic SEO analysis back free. Not a replacement for a SEO professional, but good to track where your site ranks among competitors or where the big holes are.

Getting Fancy

At some point, you’ll want to learn to update multiple pages, schedule posts to appear on days when you’re too busy to post or just want to make it easier on yourself. The main contenders are TweetDeck, HootSuite, Seesmic, Ping.fm and Hellotxt. I see all of these getting better by leaps and bounds with each update so you’ll have to compare them against exactly what you want from a service. If you’re looking for an enterprise solution, something like Sendible might even be an option. A big part of your decision will be based on the mobile devices you use and whether you’re blogging with multiple platforms at the same time.

Location-Based Programs

There are several useful location-based programs out there, including Facebook Places, Foursquare, Gowalla and Whrrl. Each has its pro’s and con’s depending on your business and what you are trying to do. For basic information, check out the following articles:

How to Market Your Business with Foursquare

Required Reading

There are articles that I recommend to all new clients. Random searchers on this site get this advice for free. I try to update this list frequently, but post on my Facebook page regularly as well. If you’re looking for valuable info, check there as well.

The Four Stages of Social Media Adoption

How to Use Facebook (not quite for Dummies)

Social Media Etiquette — Before you run wild, read up on how to be polite in social media.

Social Media Promotions — Before giving stuff away on social media, here’s what you need to know. Make sure you stay abreast of the latest terms of service for the platform you’re using for the promotion.

Social Media Case Studies are great to read when you’re starting to use social media because they give you an idea of what other companies have found successful. There’s no reason to re-invent the wheel! Come back and read these again after a couple of months when the terminology is familiar and decide if you’re using your time wisely, etc.

Popularity: 34% [?]