Guy Kawasaki wrote the book on social media.
When it comes to building an online presence, he is the man in the know.
Just look around. It feels as if he's everywhere.
Guy was last week's guest on #ViralChat, Post Planner's weekly tweetup -- where we invite superstars like Kim Garst, Peg Fitzpatrick and Guy Kawasaki to chat with us (and you) for a fast paced hour of awesomeness.
The aim is to connect, get to know these experts, and dig deep for insider tips to help us all learn and grow.
This week we saw over 1380 tweets from 263 contributors.WOW! That's a lot of tweets.
On top of that, #ViralChat reached over 5.7 million people and received 157 million impressions.
We hit the Twitter list of Top Trends shortly after take-off and stuck around for almost an hour after.
So what did we want to learn from Guy Kawasaki?
- How he manages over 10 million followers
- What it takes for a business to build a legion of raving fans
- What businesses can do to cut through the clutter on social media
Here's a summary of the conversation, plus an Infographic you can print, PIN and share.
>> CLICK to give Guy Kawasaki a Shout-Out! <<
How to Use Social Media to Amplify Your Brand Message (with Guy Kawasaki) #ViralChat
Q1: You manage over 10 million followers, what can businesses learn and apply to growing their own following?
A1. The most important lessons are:
- Social media = marketing (for most businesses)
- You need to add value
- By adding value, you earn the right to use social media as a marketing platform
- What matters is what people want to hear, not what you want to say
Q2: You coined the term “brand evangelist.” What does it take for a business to build a legion of raving fans?
A2. What it takes to build a legion of raving fans is a great product or service. That’s 90% of the challenge. (@GuyKawasaki)
Conversely, you can have the best product/service ever, but w/o great marketing - it's nothing. @CaraRuccolo
Q3: What are your top suggestions for a business struggling to cut through the clutter on social media?
A3. Post good shit. @GuyKawasaki
You can't say it any clearer or simpler. Spot on. @deviorobert
Q4: Why are visuals so important within social media and how can businesses use them effectively? A4: Every post needs a graphic or a video. Every one! Ask yourself, "Will people reshare what I just posted?" @GuyKawasaki
Pictures and Visuals are worth > 140 characters. @VsWong
Q5: Who are a few great brands standing out on social media today and what makes them special?
A5. Cadbury. VirginAmerica. Comcast. MercedesBenz do good jobs: Attentive. Interesting posts. Resolve customer issues... But no brand pushes the edge as hard as it could. @GuyKawasaki)
Many confuse selling with marketing. Social media's strength is marketing - creating a desire for a brand thru content. @brainwavemedia I am a nobody, I haven't been on TV, jettsetting to speak at conferences, or best-selling books, but I have an audience. @Ross_Quintana
Q5: If businesses only have a small team and limited time, where should they focus time/energy on social media?
A5: [Spend time on] Facebook -- using geo-targeting and dark posts. As a marketing platform, if I used only 1, it would be Facebook. I can only talk about my experience and Facebook alone drives about 65% of the traffic to my site. IMHO, promoted Facebook posts are very effective per dollar (@GuyKawasaki) 
Wrapping it up -- How to Use Social Media to Amplify Your Brand Message
The hour went by way too quickly!! Guy had one request of us: Get on the waiting list for the soon to be released Canva for Work. And that was just part of the chat! We had another 20 mins where everyone had the opportunity to ask Guy questions. It was an inside look at how Guy Kawasaki works and how he thinks.
What? You missed the Chat?
No worries!
Join us every Thursday at 9 pm Eastern/6 pm Pacific. We'll invite the most knowledgeable and influential mentors on the planet to share ideas and help take you and me FURTHER.
Do you have suggestions for guests you would like to see on #ViralChat? Let me know in the Comments below. I'm on it!
Save and PIN the Infographic
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