social media definedground rules | 7 guiding principles | additional resources & links | glossary of terms

the workshop volume 2

social mediabe more than a needle in a haystack

what is emerging orsocial media?“Like many important concepts,[Social Media] doesn’t have a hard

boundary, but rather, a gravitational core.You can visualize Web 2.0 as a set ofprinciples and practices that tie togethera veritable solar system of sites thatdemonstrate some or all of thoseprinciples, at a varying distance fromthat core.” -Tim O’Reilly, CEO andFounder of O’Reilly Media, Inc.

Emerging or Social Media are onlinetools and/or platforms that peopleuse to share opinions, insights,experiences and perspectives with oneanother. It can take on several forms,such as text, images, audio and video.The maturity and distinctive qualities ofthis medium are characterized by itsUser Participation, Openness, andNetwork Effects.

observe

PUSH PUSH / PULL

podcasts

vlogs

forums

wikis

enterprise 2.0platforms

television

movies

radio

print

shiftinstitutionalcontrol

consumercontrol

traditional media vs. social media

contribute

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social media ground rulesSome basic rules that one shouldadhere to when entering the SocialMedia space are:

1. communication should comein the form of conversation andnot monologue. It is importantto understand that those whoparticipate in this space mustfacilitate two-way discussion,discourse and debate with littlemoderation and plenty of toleration.Furthermore, it is imperative that allbe allowed in the space, not just aselect few that share a similar voice.

2. honesty and transparency arecore values. Social Media is often apainfully candid forum that traditionalorganizations, who are not madeaware of the conversation (as it

relates to outsiders’ perception ofthe organization), have a hard timeadjusting to. It is important, however,for the organization to steer clearof controlling, manipulating, orspamming a conversation if it doesnot agree with them, as it woulddestroy the two-way dialogue thatis so vital.

3. it’s all about pull and not push.Pull Systems allow users to consumecontent they want, rather than forcingit upon them with an external entity.As companies shape their socialmedia communities, understandinghow to embrace “pull” rather than“push” will help them learn yetanother core value. Social mediacommunities succeed when peopleare in control of the conversation, notthe other way around.

4. distribution not centralization.Social Media, both its content andapplications, are highly distributedand consists of many voices whichmake it far more textured and richthan Traditional, or “Old,” Media.

Once these Ground Rules have beenaccepted the organization can beginto lay the foundation for the GuidingPrinciples of Social Media.

ground rules

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principle 1the web is a platformIt has the largest single globalaudience and marketplace. As aresult traditional platforms, such asRadio and TV, are converging onlineand companies are increasinglymaking their products and servicesavailable through it. Because the webis becoming the primary location toshare, access and store digitalcontent, it facilitates the creation ofvirtual applications, and acquiringdata from numerous sources.

As a platform it drives NetworkEffects, meaning that the morepeople take part in something, thebetter the end product becomes.Here are some examples of othernetwork effects at work:

• Postal Mail

• Phones

• Fax

• Email

• Instant Messaging

• Web pages (such as wikipedia)

guiding principles

4

rich userexperience

• iGoogle, gmail,AJAX, maps

participationnot just

publishing• blogs,podcasts

web ascomponents(small pieces

loosely joined)

the rightto remix

trust youruserssoftware

that improvesthe morepeopleuse it

theperpetual

beta

attitudenot

technology

radicaltrust

• wikipedia

tagging nottaxonomy

• flickrdel.icio.us

usercontrols

data

the web is a platform

principle 2services go beyond a singledeviceDesign content and services that canbe delivered across multiple devices.This way you can expand your reachto a significantly larger audience.

There are two models to considerwhen delivering content and servicesin this space, the Vertical Model andthe Horizontal Model.

The Vertical Model is where thedevice defines the service.

In the Horizontal Model it’s theservice that embraces the device.

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(pla

tfor

msu

pp

lier

cont

rolle

d)

VE

RT

ICA

L

embedded/mobile layer

iPods, podcasting equipment,readers, audio devices

consumer/business pc

layer

store software,synchronization drivers,media production apps

back-endserver

infrastructure

media storage and serving,payment processing,community hosting

vertical model

real-worldcapture

internetpresence

syndication /RSS readers

PCs, PDA’s,mobile phones,digital cameras,networked GPS,

sensors

aggregating /syndication /

search

blog platforms,media sharing

sites

aggregationsites

(Google, Technorati,Feedburner, etc.)

bloglines,MyYahoo, google,

reader, safari,sony eReader,mobile phones

HORIZONTAL

(platform participant controlled)

horizontal model

principle 3data is the competitiveadvantageUnique data, and the presentationof it, has become a powerfulmarketing asset. Companies likeGoogle (search index data), Amazon(Amazon’s Reviews), Craigslist, andIntuit (TurboTax Advise Database) areamong the many companies thatprovide their users with hard-to-recre-ate data. Another use for data comesin the form of capturing user behaviorto a database. Knowing what searchterms, articles, or photos were clickedupon can help a company determinewhat their site goers’ interests are andeven further, help them understandwhat their intentions may be in thefuture. For example, the New YorkTimes has a “Most Popular” newsarticle section, because they know howmany users clicked on the articles.

principle 4develop lightweight productand business modelsDesign patterns and characteristicsshould play a significant role whendeveloping products for Social Media(or Product Development 2.0).

Ease of use, user contribution,network effects, reserving rights,free cooperation and conversationparticipation are all vital cogs inproduct development 2.0. Finally,companies should keep processessimple and continuous to ensuresuccessful product integration.When developing product for thespace, companies can opt to followthe Current Model or the NewModel. The Current Model providescompanies with a traditional linear,mostly closed, development cycle witha defined end-point. The New Model

makes the development cycle acontinuous one, where products arein a perpetual beta and being testedand improved constantly. For thisspace the latter of the two has thebest chance of succeeding.

Keeping an open platform throughOpen Web APIs will increase thelikelihood of “getting your productout there.” Having an open API willallow 3rd parties to combine yourproduct with their own in the form of amashup. The idea of ProgrammableWeb is an eventuality that companieshope for their product.

guiding principles

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principle5create a rich user experienceProviding positive user experienceswill increase the likelihood of the user’sreturn to the website. Using dynamicapplications to build pages, insteadof static pages, will greatly improve thelook and feel of a website. Using RichInternet Applications (RIAs), suchas AJAX, Flash, or Silverlight, will laythe foundation for a dynamic website.Mini-RIAs, such as widgets, badges,or gadgets, will add a certain value toa website and its users.

principle6harness collective intelligenceConversation Architecture is oneof the core principles for harnessingCollective Intelligence. Building aconversation with consumers willyield a string of user contributions,a database of intentions, and datasharing that companies find extremelyvaluable. These “partners” (formerlyconsumers) add value to “their”product in the sense that they aregiven a voice in the formation of“their” product. Adding everyday

consumers to the productdevelopment mix creates a networkeffect, hence expanding the inputcompanies get for their product.

There are many instances wherecompanies rely on user contribution tocreate the product. In the communitynetworking space, Facebook, Myspaceand LinkedIn all rely on their users tokeep their product updated. Verticalsocial networks rely on users toupdate blog (ex. TechCrunch) andwiki (ex. Wikipedia) entries to keeptheir product refreshed.

content

share

consume

audience

content

content

content

collective intelligence

exponentialnetwork effects

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principle7leverage the long tailBusinesses with distribution powercan sell a greater total amount ofhard-to-find items than the mostpopular items.

The main forces that drive the LongTail are making the tools of productionavailable to everyone, having adistribution channel that reaches nearlyeveryone, and a better connectionbetween the supply and demandchains. Examples of effective LongTail usage are Netflix and Ebay. Netflixcaters to the masses by offering over70,000 different titles on their virtual“shelf space,” while Ebay users createa marketplace where people can buyor sell anything.

Effective use of the Long Tail comeswhen companies leverage efficiently.Some examples of these are:

• Finding products that are low indemand, but consist of the majorityof the market

• Seeking out smaller markets wheredemand is higher

• Using the Internet to cost-effectivelyserve clients

• Continuous optimization of the mostprofitable sections of the Long Tail

principle8measurement and reportingThere are five areas to focus on whenmeasuring and reporting on a SocialMarketing campaign:

1.Marketing Effectiveness: get thecurrent climate of the brand.

2.Relationship Marketing: identify,understand, leverage and monitor keyinfluencers to the brand.

3.Reputation management: have a“finger on the pulse” of the brand.

4.Brand Quality / Early Warning:identify and act on any qualityperception issues, and track issuesthrough recalls and service bulletins.

5.New Campaign Launch: harnesslearning from marketing effectiveness,relationship marketing, reputationmanagement, brand quality and earlywarning and prepare the brand launch.

Getting solid numbers in the spaceis difficult, but it can be done.Backend data can be collected byusing free services like FeedBurneror Quantcast, or paid ones likeBuzzMetrics or Cymphony.

pop

ular

ityhead

long tail

products

the new marketplace

guiding principles

web 2.0 resources

http://www.go2web20.net/A directory of Web 2.0 applicationsand services.

http://www.oreilly.com/O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledgeof innovators through its books, onlineservices, magazine, and conferences.

http://gigaom.com/deliverTechnology news, analysis andopinions on topics ranging frombroadband and online games toWeb 2.0.

http://www.web2journal.com/Publisher of i-technology magazines,electronic newsletters, and educationand information Web portals as wellas trade shows, conferences andeducation.

http://www.webware.comSite where computer users canlearn about new and useful Webapplications.

http://www.technorati.com/One of the best options for trackingsocial media sites. Custom RSS feedslet you get quick updates on any blogthat utters your company name.

http://www.blogpulse.com/conversationBlogpulse’s conversation tracker willhelp you track who’s linking to thatblog post about your company.

http://www.boardtracker.comWill keep an eye on popular forumsfor you and alert you by RSS if yourcompany is mentioned in a thread.

http://www.compete.comCompete’s Search Analytics will alsolet you enter any domain name andsee which keywords are drivingtraffic to that site. Now you knowwhich keywords your competitorsare targeting.

http://www.pipes.yahoo.comYou can quickly set up your ownRSS tracking, complete with filtersEngine Optimization into your lifeand into your marketing plan, shareyour new knowledge with yourassociates so that your site can becontinually optimized.

http://www.toprankblog.com/Get daily insights, resources andinformation on a range of internetmarketing strategies and tactics.

• fairly easy to enter

• a public conversation

• not a single application

• a niche community

• about common sense

• a desirable space to be in

Take this all into account,but remember that it’sQuality and not Quantitythat will ultimately determineyour success in this space.

For more information werecommend the followingresources:

social media is...

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glossary of terms

API – Application ProgrammingInterface

blogs – A website that providescommentary or news on a particularsubject, which encourages readers toleave comments in an interactiveformat.

collective intelligence – Intelligencethat emerges from the collaborationand participation of many individuals /consumers.

current model – Traditional linear,mostly closed, development cyclewith a defined end-point.

emerging media – (also Social Media)- A more mature, distinctive spacecharacterized by User Participation,Openness, and Network Effects.

horizontal model – Services definethe device, controlled by theparticipant.

long tail – Businesses withdistribution power can sell a greatervolume of otherwise hard-to-find itemsat smaller volumes than of popularitems at large volumes.

mashup – A web application thatcombines data from more than onesource into a single integrated tool.

mini-RIA – A small application thatis inserted into a webpage, or on adesktop.

network effect – An action thatcauses a good or service to have avalue to a potential customer whichdepends on the number of othercustomers who own the good or areusers of the service.

new model – Makes the developmentcycle a continuous one, whereproducts are being tested andconstantly improved.

open API – Sets of technologies thatenable websites to interact with eachother by using SOAP, JavaScript anyother web technology.

perpetual beta – Development andrelease of a service in which constantupdates are the foundation for thehabitability/usability of a service.

product development 2.0 –Developing product for web 2.0.

programmable web – Constructingdistributed web-based applications in aplatform, or object model across the web.

pull system – Pictures, videos, work,and information (or data). Allows usersto consume content that they want.

push system – Forcing users toconsume pre developed content.

RIA – Rich Internet Application

social media – Social Media is thedemocratization of information,transforming people from contentreaders into content publishers.

spamming – The abuse of electronicmessaging systems to indiscriminatelysend unsolicited bulk messages.

traditional media – Non digital media,such as TV, Radio, Print and Outdoor.

user participation – Activeinvolvement and interaction from theconsumers on a site, blog and otherforms of digital content.

vertical model – Devices define theservice, controlled by the contentsupplier.

wiki – (derived from the Hawaiianword for “quick”) a simple database,with no barrier to entry, where usersgo to add or edit content collectively.

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now, go be social

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