Social Media Marketing

** FRESHLY UPDATED **

Social Media Marketing – NZ Online Training Course

Now that social media is the place where most Kiwis spend a large amount of time online, there is a very real need for NZ businesses to learn how to make more effective use of Social Media Marketing to reach existing and prospective customers.

Social media has massive potential for NZ marketers, with 81.4% of Kiwi Internet users (aged 16-64) being active social media users and averaging two hours and 15 minutes a day on their social media platforms of choice.

But — and it is a BIG but — the social media platforms in general, and Meta in particular, were not slow to realise that their audiences are an incredibly valuable asset that marketers will (if they have to) be prepared to pay to reach. Once the technology had matured sufficiently, Meta programmed its algorithms NOT to share promotional content (not even with a page’s own followers).

So, in a nutshell, if you create self-promotional content, platforms like Facebook will NOT share those types of posts with more than a vanishingly small percentage of your page followers UNLESS you pay to promote such posts.

So is that it? Game over?

No, because there IS content that the social media platforms will share.

There is a rule of thumb that has evolved to guide content creation in social media:

70% of your posts should be created by you, non-promotional, about content that is highly relevant and of interest to your customers and that your brand is especially qualified to write about.

20% of your content can be devoted to sharing relevant content from other people, flavoured with your own comments and advice,

Just 10% of your content should be self-promotional. This is the most common failing of most brands: they only want to talk about themselves. Guess what? Keep doing that and you will only be talking to yourself as well.

On the other hand, there’s a whole range of content approaches and styles that your customers are most likely to respond to — we cover that when we talk about what really works on Facebook (and other social platforms as well).

Here are a few of the reasons why NZ businesses need to know more about Social Media Marketing:

• Two out of three Kiwi Internet users visit social network sites every day. If you’re not active in their favourite forum, will they think of you when they decide to purchase the types of goods or services that you sell?
  
• Through those sites, they talk about what they need to buy and they ask their friends for recommendations. Are you listening?
  
• They follow brands and organisations on the social networks, so that they can be in the know about what’s new, what’s hot and what special deals are available. If they care enough about your brand to follow you on Facebook or Instagram or the like, what are you doing for them?
• They share stuff with their friends — the good, the bad and the ugly. If you’re being talked about and you don’t know what is being said about you and your products & services (and customer service successes and failures) in social media, you won’t have a chance to respond and fix any problems before they go toxic.

To help meet the needs of Kiwi businesses, we have revised and updated our well-established (since 2010) online training course which covers both the principles and practices of Social Media Marketing in New Zealand.

This is a thirteen-part online training course providing a comprehensive introduction to Social Media Marketing, from the Basics to comprehensive information on the leading social media networks relevant to New Zealand marketers.

This online training course is conducted on a web-based e-learning software platform, enabling course participants to proceed at their own pace, accessing materials online. This particular online training course provides content in a variety of multimedia forms, including videos, slideshows, flash-based presentations and PDF files. No special software is required to participate.

Course lessons will be provided in thirteen parts, for participants to access in accordance with their own timetables. Interaction with the course tutor is enabled through the platform software tools (with telephone backup if required).

Feedback from previous Social Media Marketing online training course Participants

• “this was the best professional development course I have done in many years” – Mark R, senior Agency Exec responsible for social media
• “thought the information within was outstanding” – Ed P, General Manager
• “What I loved was that I started with a fairly rudimentary understanding of social media but have learned a lot – including where to find more information as I need it.” – Fiona W, Marketing Manager
• “I found it relevant, informative, topical, insightful and a bloody good read. It’s never evangelical, too techy, patronising, assumes that you know too much or too little about digital and has a warm sense of humour in the communication throughout which helped faciliate the learning process for me.” — Adrienne B, new media senior executive
• “Thanks for pointing me in the direction of this course! It’s been extremely enlightening” — Shayne P, design agency director
• “Rapt with what I have seen of the course” — Julia R, fashion editor
• “I’m really enjoying the course – learning a lot – and I know the two friends I persuaded to join us are also loving it.” — Lavinia C, designer
  
• “Am thoroughly enjoying the content!” – Kara B, magazine co-ordinator
• “I completed the first lesson today and found it really interesting and love the interaction already! I am so looking forward to the second lesson already …” — Annette B, public relations director
• “I was already engaging with social media and have been doing so for about 6 years or so. But, did I know how to use social media in a marketing and business sense? No, I simply did not. This course was a great way to show me how to do that.” — Sheryl K, online marketer

COURSE CREATION AND TUTORING
This course has been created and is tutored by Michael Carney.

WHO SHOULD TAKE THE COURSE
Any Business Owner, Marketing, Advertising, PR or Communications professional who, while they may have a fair knowledge of what social media options are out there, don’t know how to use them effectively (and have a perfectly reasonable fear of doing the wrong thing in a very public arena).

WHAT YOU SHOULD LEARN AS A RESULT OF THE COURSE:

• The principles of effective marketing in social media
• Which social networks are strongest in New Zealand, who uses them and what works best on each network
• What social media can do for your (or your clients’) business
• The best tools and techniques for monitoring social networks
• How to really understand and engage with the consumer
• How to create relevant, informative, killer content for your social media programme
• How to define and measure meaningful numbers to determine the success (or otherwise) of your social media activities
• Answering those questions that (if you’re not prepared) could kill your career
• How to watch for, and adapt to, the Next Big Thing in Social Media (whatever that is)

COURSE CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION:
WHY SOCIAL MEDIA SILENCE IS DEADLY

In which we put Social Media in context in the modern world; discuss the reality that the medium is a runaway success (regardless of whether marketers choose to participate or not); deal with marketers’ biggest fears about the medium; and discuss the key principles of effective marketing in social media.

We also talk about what works and what doesn’t work, and start to introduce some of the AI tools that have emerged (such as ChatGPT and MidJourney and many others) to make social mediA content creation much easier.

we also talk about the main players (and identify the social platforms most likely to be relevant for your target audiences); show you how to check out and claim your digital identity at key online sites and services; and (if you’re not already there) invite you to sign yourself up to the primary social sites.

Lesson Two: Facebook

In Lesson Two, we examine what really works on Facebook for NZ businesses. We spell out the characteristics of successful Facebook posts and identify 20 different types of posts that (in an algorithm-dominated social platform) mean that your content will get noticed and get shared.

And we introduce you to Meta AI, new tools announced in September 2023 and beginning to roll out around the world.

We look at:

• What you should talk about most of the time on Facebook (hint: it’s not endlessly flogging the products that you sell)
• The 10 most important factors that consumers look for when deciding whether or not to buy from you (and how you can improve each aspect)
• The four most important services you can provide that will have consumers recommending you to their friends
• What you need to know about the new Facebook Marketplace (before it gets swamped)
• What Facebook Remarketing is all about (and why it can almost miraculously improve your online business)

Then we review the types of posts worth sharing, accompanied by a wide range of examples, including:

• Plenty of stories from local and international businesses who are using Facebook effectively
• The hotel chain that has twice as many people talking about it as the chain has followers
• The radio station that has truly mastered the art of Facebook
• Examples of posts that really tug at the heartstrings
• The Facebook page that had 247,756 Facebook likes but managed to get 775,600 people talking and 160,000 people sharing
• Practical posts that get people sharing

And many many more.

Lesson Three: Online Video

Video is central to Facebook’s vision for the future of the platform. In 2014 CEO Mark Zuckerberg was quoted as saying “In five years most of Facebook will be video”. Well, those five years quickly slipped away, and online video is indeed becoming, if not quite dominant, then certainly extremely important.

One of the reasons why video is so important for business: after watching a video, 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online.

In this lesson, we discuss exactly what you need to know about online video (especially on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and YouTube), including:

• The dramatic growth in vertical videos, spearheaded by TikTok and then copied by Instagram (Stories and Reels) and YouTube (Shorts) and eventually all other networks
• How much more likely people are to watch live video (compared to video which is not live)
• The dramatically-increased performance of Facebook video posts compared with photo posts
• The perceived benefits (and barriers) of live-streaming video and how live streaming is currently being used by businesses
• Success secrets of online video – including the exploding watermelon video that reached more than 10 million people

Along the way, we explore:

• 11 steps to creating an effective video content strategy
• Essential tips and techniques from the YouTube Creator Playbook
• Video marketing tips from the experts
• New AI tools that can make video creation easy and painless
• 30 practical tips to help you create the best live-streamed videos
• The surprising legal ramifications of live content streaming (what you don’t know could cost you bigtime)

Lesson Four: Instagram

Despite the newfound popularity of social video, images continue to be a vital part of the Social Web. In Lesson Four, find out what you need to know about Instagram, including:

• What we know about Kiwi Instagram users
• How leading brands are winning with this image-based network
• How to use Instagram to its full potential
• What you need to know about Reels and Stories
• Smart visual content strategies
• What you should include in your Instagram profile
• Creative ideas for using Instagram for marketing
• The importance of hashtags (but how NOT to overuse them)
• Using Instagram for instant feedback (for better or for worse)
• How often you should post to Instagram (and what NOT to post)
• The vital intelligence you can gain, just by tracking Instagram usage
• Five tips for amazing visual content

Lesson Five: Social Media Advertising

As the social networks limit organic reach — the numbers of your followers who might see your social media posts just because they follow your page — organisations have turned to advertising to communicate their messages. In this lesson we examine how to make the most of your advertising options across various social media networks — and how to really take advantage of the enhanced targeting opportunities that social media provides.

We also explore:

• what you need to know about Meta’s Ads Manager
• how to take best advantage of Carousel Ads, Lead Ads and other Facebook and Instagram options
• Facebook’s Canvas, full-screen mobile ad experience
• using Calls to Action more effectively
• how leading advertisers are using social media
• using your existing customer and prospect lists to develop custom audiences

Lesson Six: Pinterest

If your target audience is female, you really should include Pinterest as one of your social media marketing tools. Here’s how Pinterest describes itself:

Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard. Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.

In this lesson, we explore:

• The latest local and international statistics
• How marketers are using Pinterest
• Pinterest’s Business Pages
• Pinterest case studies, best practices and inspirational guides
• What you simply must know about Pinterest’s Secret Boards
• how you can make the most of rich pins on Pinterest

Lesson Seven: Snapchat & TikTok

Younger audiences, aware that their parents (and potential employers) can see what they’ve been up to on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter), have been turning more and more to ephemeral options such as Snapchat. On Snapchat, most messages disappear quickly, ensuring that no social footprints remain that might possibly incriminate. In this lesson, we discuss what you need to know to market through Snapchat and how best to use this network on behalf of your clients.

In this lesson, we also explore  TikTok, a haven for short form vertical videos that first found favour with Generation Z (but quickly spread beyond younger audiences thanks to the coronavirus lockdown). Learn exactly how marketers have been using this platform and how you might do likewise.

Lesson Eight: LinkedIn

It’s the world’s leading network for business professionals — and if you don’t know how to use LinkedIn effectively, to conduct research, get introduced to warm prospects and to close sales, you could be leaving a lot of potential B2B revenue on the table. In this lesson, we share the latest developments and strategies for LinkedIn, including:

•  the importance of LinkedIn social selling
•  the three simple secrets of effective LinkedIn prospecting
• what you need to know to close more sales through LinkedIn
• five ways in which you (if you’re not careful) can ruin your LinkedIn profile
• getting the most out of LinkedIn’s sponsored content options
• why your organisation should have LinkedIn guidelines for employees

Plus Action Steps for each section.

Lesson Nine: Community Management and Influencer Marketing

Great! You have an enthusiastic following on your chosen social network. But how do you engage effectively with these followers? And how do you reach out to influencers — those who have significant communities of their own?

In this lesson we explore strategies, techniques and best practice, including:

• taking full advantage of Facebook Groups
• Influencer marketing strategies that work
• the vital importance of customer service through social media
• tips and wisdom from leading community managers
• foibles and failures to avoid
• identifying and connecting with Kiwi influencers

Lesson Ten: X (Twitter) & Threads

We’ve updated this lesson about X (the social network formerly known as Twitter) to include its newest (July 2023) direct competitor, Meta’s Threads, which attracted 100 million users in just 7 days (although its actual usage is just a fraction of that, so far).

Meanwhile we discuss the dramatic changes to X, and the implications for marketers.

In Lesson Ten, we bring you up to speed with X and Threads, including:

• what X includes (and no longer includes) in its 280-character message limit
• the 500 character limit for Threads
• 7 tips for maximizing X as a marketing and engagement tool
• the best brands on X (and why they’re so successful)
• X’s people tagging and multiple photo sharing options
• X tools that will boost your productivity
• The similarities and differences between X and Threads
• What to expect as Threads grows
• X and video: what you need to know

Lesson Eleven: Tools & Tips

Next, we take a look at the latest tools that will help you manage your social media needs effectively.

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

• what you can and should measure as you use social media to market your products and services
• the top tools recommended by leading social media experts
• smart strategies for best engagement with your followers
• new social media trends to watch for

Lesson Twelve: Monitoring

DON’T SAY A THING. JUST LISTEN FIRST (EVEN FOR JUST 10 MINUTES A DAY), THEN THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE HEARING. MAYBE THEN YOU CAN TALK.

We know you want to get your teeth into Social Media fast, but you need to start by just listening. And yes, you can do it for just ten minutes a day (if you’re very focussed). In this lesson, we show you where and how to listen (and where to find the mostly-free tools to do so); what to listen for; who to listen to (identifying opinion leaders); and we talk about how things can go wrong and how to react to problems when they arise. In this lesson, we also cover NZ’s Harmful Digital Communications Act and why it’s so essential to monitor your social media properties on a daily basis. Your homework will involve listening, listening, listening.

Lesson Thirteen: Trends

Social Media (it seemed) arrived faster than a speeding bullet. What’s next for the medium, how do you tell, and what can you do to prepare? We look at the trends and offer some advice.

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TIMING

The next course begins on Monday 06 January, 2025.

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To reserve your place in this course, please pay by credit card through PayPal by clicking here:

If you would prefer to pay by bank deposit, or require an invoice, please send an email to bookings@socialmedia.org.nz with your requirements.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

You’ll receive our emailed confirmation of your booking. Then on the first day of the course we’ll follow up with details of your Login and Password, along with an Enrolment Key for the Social Media Marketing online training course.

If you have any questions, or would like more information, please email us at info@socialmedia.org.nz