Social Media Introduction

What is Social Media?

Social media is a Social media is a conversation onlineconversation online

Who is talking?Who is talking?

–– your your customerscustomers

–– your your employeesemployees

–– your your investorsinvestors

–– your your criticscritics

–– your your fansfans

–– your your competitorscompetitors.... ....

–– anyone who has anyone who has

internetinternet access and an access and an

opinionopinion..

What is Social Media?

The conversation is The conversation is notnot::

–– controlledcontrolled

–– organizedorganized

–– ““one messageone message””

The conversation The conversation isis::

–– organicorganic

–– complexcomplex

–– speaks in a human voicespeaks in a human voice

Social media is Social media is not a strategynot a strategy or or

a a tactictactic –– itit’’s simply a s simply a channelchannel..

The Social Media conversation

The The power power to to define define and and control control a a brand brand

isis shifting shifting from from corporationscorporations and and institutionsinstitutions

to to individualsindividuals and and communitiescommunities..

Social media is changing our world

•• 9191% say consumer reviews are the % say consumer reviews are the #1 aid to buying #1 aid to buying

decisionsdecisions -- JC Williams GroupJC Williams Group

•• 8787% % trust a friendtrust a friend’’s recommendation s recommendation over criticover critic’’s s

review review -- Marketing SherpaMarketing Sherpa

•• 33 times more likely to times more likely to trust peer opinions over trust peer opinions over

advertising for purchasing decisionsadvertising for purchasing decisions -- Jupiter Jupiter Research Research

•• 11 wordword--ofof--mouth conversation has mouth conversation has impact of impact of

200 TV ads200 TV ads -- BuzzAgentBuzzAgent

Social media influences people

Social media usage is finally taking off in the UK. Social media usage is finally taking off in the UK.

39% of UK Internet users39% of UK Internet users——more than 15.4 million peoplemore than 15.4 million people——will will

use social networks at least once per month in 2009.use social networks at least once per month in 2009.

Source: Source: eMarketer eMarketer April 2009April 2009

People are using Social media

Social media sites are the fastestSocial media sites are the fastest--growing category on the web, growing category on the web,

doubling their traffic over the last year. doubling their traffic over the last year.

–– 7373% of active online users have % of active online users have read a blogread a blog

–– 4545% have started % have started their own blogtheir own blog

–– 3939% subscribe to an % subscribe to an RSS feedRSS feed

–– 5757% have joined a % have joined a social networksocial network

–– 5555% have uploaded % have uploaded photosphotos

–– 8383% have watched % have watched video clipsvideo clips

Universal McCannUniversal McCann’’s Comparative Study on Social Media Trends, April 2008. s Comparative Study on Social Media Trends, April 2008. 17,000 respondents from 29 countries, *using internet at least e17,000 respondents from 29 countries, *using internet at least every other dayvery other day

People are using Social media

–– Learn Learn what people are saying what people are saying about youabout you

–– CreateCreate buzz buzz for events & campaignsfor events & campaigns

–– Increase Increase brand exposurebrand exposure

–– Identify and recruit influencers to Identify and recruit influencers to spread your messagespread your message

–– Find Find new opportunities new opportunities and and customerscustomers

–– SupportSupport your products and servicesyour products and services

–– Improve your Improve your search engine visibilitysearch engine visibility

–– Gain Gain competitive intelligencecompetitive intelligence

–– Get your Get your message out fastmessage out fast

–– Retain clients by establishing a Retain clients by establishing a personal relationshippersonal relationship

–– Be an Be an industry leader industry leader –– not a followernot a follower

Social media is practical

Some differences in tactics

BROADCASTBROADCAST

Brand in controlBrand in control

One way / Delivering a One way / Delivering a

messagemessage

Repeating the messageRepeating the message

Focused on the brandFocused on the brand

EducatingEducating

Organization Creates ContentOrganization Creates Content

SOCIAL MEDIASOCIAL MEDIA

Audience in controlAudience in control

Two way / Being a part of a Two way / Being a part of a

conversationconversation

Adapting the messageAdapting the message

Focused on the audience / Focused on the audience /

Adding valueAdding value

Influencing, involvingInfluencing, involving

User created contentUser created content

SOCIAL MEDIA

TOOLSSOCIAL MEDIASOCIAL MEDIA

TOOLSTOOLS

•• Social NetworksSocial Networks

•• News & BookmarkingNews & Bookmarking

•• BlogsBlogs

•• MicrobloggingMicroblogging

•• Video SharingVideo Sharing

•• Photo SharingPhoto Sharing

•• Message boardsMessage boards

•• WikisWikis

•• Virtual RealityVirtual Reality

•• Social GamingSocial Gaming

•• Real Simple Syndication Real Simple Syndication

(RSS)(RSS)

Social media tools

•• Social bookmarking sites Social bookmarking sites

allow users to allow users to savesave, ,

shareshare, , organizeorganize, ,

commentcomment on and search on and search

webpage webpage bookmarksbookmarks

•• Community votes Community votes on on

your submissions so they your submissions so they

either rise to the top or either rise to the top or

drop to the bottomdrop to the bottom

Social news & bookmarking

•• A blog is a website with A blog is a website with

regular entries of regular entries of

commentary commentary or or newsnews

•• Blogs serve to establish Blogs serve to establish

your company as your company as

transparenttransparent, , relevantrelevant, ,

activeactive, and , and expertexpert

Blogs

•• MicroblogsMicroblogs are blogs are blogs

limited to a sentence or limited to a sentence or

two (about two (about 140 140

characterscharacters))

•• People usePeople use

microblogging microblogging to to follow follow

their friendstheir friends

or or build a personal build a personal

brand.brand.

•• Companies use it to Companies use it to

market their product or market their product or

services by services by giving them giving them

a voice/identitya voice/identity..

Microblogging

•• share timely informationshare timely information

•• spread useful linksspread useful links

•• personify your brandpersonify your brand

•• build credibility and build credibility and

influenceinfluence

•• follow competitorsfollow competitors

Microblogging

•• RSS is a way for content RSS is a way for content

publishers to make publishers to make blog blog

entriesentries, , newsnews

headlinesheadlines, , eventsevents, ,

podcasts podcasts and other and other

content available to content available to

subscribers.subscribers.

•• an effective way to an effective way to

distribute your distribute your

content content and and lead users lead users

back back to your websiteto your website

RSS feeds

•• People and organizations People and organizations

connect connect andand interact interact

with friends, with friends,

colleagues and fanscolleagues and fans. .

•• Facebook Facebook and and MySpaceMySpace

pages provide a micro pages provide a micro

site for your business site for your business

within the social within the social

framework.framework.

Social networking sites

Ning

http://www.yoolinkpro.com

Social enterprise

DoDo

•• create a page create a page to to

promote your brandpromote your brand

•• point your fans to point your fans to your your

company blogcompany blog or or

contestcontest

•• encourage a encourage a discussiondiscussion

and and participateparticipate

frequently frequently

•• explore targeted explore targeted

advertising opportunitiesadvertising opportunities

DonDon’’tt

•• create a page andcreate a page and fail to fail to

maintainmaintain itit

•• try a try a hard sell hard sell approachapproach

•• censorcensor commentscomments

•• spamspam your fans/friends with your fans/friends with

frequent private messages frequent private messages ––

youyou’’ll drive them awayll drive them away

•• post post falsefalse informationinformation

Social networking sites

10 KEYS10 KEYSTO TO SOCIAL MEDIA SOCIAL MEDIA

SUCCESSSUCCESS

•• Experiment Experiment

personallypersonally before before

professionallyprofessionally

•• Try a Try a varietyvariety of of

social media toolssocial media tools

•• Be Be yourselfyourself, make , make

some some friendsfriends, and , and

shareshare

1. Experiment with Social media

•• Spend time upfront Spend time upfront

planningplanning how you how you

will use social mediawill use social media

•• Think Think POSTPOST::

–– PPeopleeople

–– OObjectivesbjectives

–– SStrategytrategy

–– TTechnologyechnology

2. Make Social media central

•• Find where your Find where your audienceaudience is is

participating and indentify the participating and indentify the

influencersinfluencers

•• Read industry blogs Read industry blogs (including (including

comments)comments)

•• Google your company Google your company name & name &

your competitionyour competition

•• Find tools Find tools that can help you that can help you

listenlisten

3. Listen before you participate

•• Avoid Avoid pufferypuffery

(people will ignore it)(people will ignore it)

•• Avoid Avoid evasionevasion and and lyinglying

(people (people wonwon’’t t ignore it)ignore it)

•• Companies have watched their Companies have watched their

biggest screwbiggest screw--up's rise to up's rise to

the top 10 of a Google the top 10 of a Google

searchsearch

•• Admit your mistakes Admit your mistakes right right

awayaway

4. Be transparent and honest

•• DonDon’’t be afraid t be afraid to share. to share.

Corporations, like people, Corporations, like people,

need to share information to need to share information to

get the value out of social get the value out of social

media media

•• Make your content easy to Make your content easy to

shareshare

•• Incorporate Incorporate tools that tools that

promote sharing:promote sharing:

–– RSS feeds, EmailRSS feeds, Email a a

friend etc.friend etc.

5. Share your content

•• Don't Don't shoutshout. Don't . Don't

broadcastbroadcast. Don. Don’’t t bragbrag. .

•• Speak like yourself Speak like yourself ––

not a corporate not a corporate

marketing shill or press marketing shill or press

secretarysecretary

•• Personify your brand Personify your brand

–– give people something give people something

they can relate to.they can relate to.

6. Be personal and act like a person

•• Think like a Think like a contributorcontributor, not a marketer, not a marketer

•• Consider what is Consider what is relevant to the communityrelevant to the community

before contributingbefore contributing

•• DonDon’’t promote t promote your product on every postyour product on every post

•• Win friends by Win friends by promoting other promoting other

peoplepeople’’s content s content if it interests youif it interests you

7. Contribute in a meaningful way

•• DonDon’’t try to delete t try to delete or remove or remove

criticism (it will just make it criticism (it will just make it

worse)worse)

•• ListenListen to your detractorsto your detractors

•• AdmitAdmit your shortcomingsyour shortcomings

•• Work openly Work openly towards an towards an

explanationexplanation and legitimate and legitimate

solutionsolution

8. Learn to take criticism

•• DonDon’’t wait until you t wait until you

have a campaign have a campaign to to

launch launch -- start planning start planning

and listening nowand listening now

•• Build relationships Build relationships so so

theythey’’re ready when you re ready when you

need themneed them

9. Be proactive

•• You You need buy in from need buy in from

everyone everyone in the organizationin the organization

•• Convince your CEO Convince your CEO that that

social media is relevant to social media is relevant to

your organizationyour organization

•• Get your communications Get your communications

team together, discuss the team together, discuss the

options, then divide and options, then divide and

conquerconquer

10. Everyone is a stakeholder

SOCIAL MEDIA SOCIAL MEDIA

MYTHSMYTHS

““Social media is for Social media is for kidskids..””

Social media myths

““Social media is Social media is just a fad just a fad –– it will go away.it will go away.””

Social media myths

““If we put our content online If we put our content online

wewe’’re just re just giving our giving our

expertise away expertise away for free!for free!””

Social media myths

““Social media might work for Social media might work for

certain industries and business models certain industries and business models

but it wonbut it won’’t work for ust work for us..””

Social media myths

““YouTube is that site for funny YouTube is that site for funny

cat videos cat videos –– youyou’’ll ll cheapen cheapen

our brand our brand by putting by putting

our video on there!our video on there!””

Social media myths

““II’’ve started a Facebook page so Ive started a Facebook page so I’’ve ve

got social media coveredgot social media covered!!””

Social media myths

““If we just delete all negative If we just delete all negative

comments comments no one will see themno one will see them..””

Social media myths

““If we build it If we build it they will comethey will come..””

Social media myths

““We We cancan’’t measure t measure social media results.social media results.””

Social media myths

““We have to figure this all out We have to figure this all out beforebeforewe start using social media.we start using social media.””

Social media myths

SOCIAL MEDIA SOCIAL MEDIA

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Attraction in 100 words

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Credits

• Tactica interactive communications, Winnipeg Canada

• Joe Pulizzi, Junta 42, Cleveland Ohio