Business News

A Comprehensive Guide to Social Media from Printing Industries of America

Wednesday 15. December 2010 - Printing Industries of America is pleased to announce the Social Media Field Guide. Social media engagement is a reliable way for printers to market their business, communicate with customers, and increase brand awareness.

For those printers unsure of where to begin, what social media tools, are best for them, or how to successfully implement those tools the Social Media Field Guide will explain all of that and more. Written by Julie Shaffer and Mary Garnett, the Social Media Field Guide is a handy book that breaks down the fundamentals of social media so that any member of the graphic communication industry can take advantage of these new tools.
“It doesn’t make much difference whether it’s B2B or B2C, a mom-and-pop shop, or a large corporation–businesses are finding that social media engagement is becoming a critical part of their marketing and sales efforts,” says Julie Shaffer. “Depending on the organization, the motivation to jump in might differ, but our research shows that it can lead to deeper client relationships, grow a personal or business brand, and ultimately lead to improved customer satisfaction and increased sales. We wrote the Field Guide to encourage the folks in our industry to reap the rewards of social media conversation.”
Chapter 1–The Lay of the Land: Take a Look Around You!
The guide begins by exploring the fundamentals of social media and why members of the graphic communication industry need to embrace it. Inside this chapter are explanations of the latest social media trends and examples of how companies are leveraging social media. Sprinkled in are easy-to-read charts that convey important statistics as well as testimonials.
Chapter 2–Why Make the Journey?
This chapter explains why social media is necessary to manage a brand, grow a network, provide more value to customers, and even increase sales. In addition, there is a section on how to implement mobile marketing and a helpful chart to gauge customer interest.
Chapter 3–Starting the Trek
Social Media Field Guide explains how exactly a company should begin their social media journey with a comprehensive and easy-to-follow ten-step plan. It also touches upon the importance of listening and how to measure social media metrics.
Chapter 4–Navigating the Social Media Channels
This section takes a thorough look at twenty of the largest social media tools and defines what exactly the tool is and how it can be used for business.
Chapter 5–Tips for Social Media Travelers
This chapter provides a step-by-step guide on how to use three of the top social media platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter) to help the reader learn the innermost workings of these tools.
Chapter 6–Social Media Road Trip
The final chapter of the Social Media Field Guide is full of case studies and interviews with some of the more social-media-savvy companies in the industry. Mary Garnett talked with companies like Corporate Press, Inc., Heritage Solutions, and Reynolds DeWalt to find out what social media tools they’re using, lessons they’ve learned, and the benefits of their social media endeavors.
Appendix
The appendix of the Social Media Field Guide contains information on the social media integration of five vertical markets; a list of blogs, books and sites for further exploration; a request for proposal (RFP) template; and a glossary of terms.
Social Media Field Guide provides a comprehensive look at the current state of social media while explaining exactly why a printer would want to make use of these tools. The guide can help those new to social media get started as well as focus and refine the knowledge and technique of the social-media savvy.