Motivations to use social media

hanna.viita@mindbox.pl

Consumer trends

Sources: Swisscom.com Vision 2015 Trends. Springwise. Mediacom. Trendwatching 2008. Grey Worldwide.

Looking for self expression and self exposure

Web is enabling anybody to share their interests and passions. Sharing your stories, videos, photos and more for personal or public

consumption. Funneling your passions for fun or profit. Mainstream press is picking up reports on the contents of amateur blogs.

The engaged consumer

People continue seeking new meanings of life.

Consumers shift their attention from rational transactions to meaning-making, focusing on active participation and self-expression.

The choice generation; From connectivity to shielding. From fast pace to slow movement. From liberalization to traditional values. From rich immersion to simplicity.

Participatory consumption; consumers control time, place, content, interaction, virtual vs physical, risk and responsibility.

Extreme personalization; on-demand and user managed learning, entertainment, sport, health care, products.

Increasingly sophisticated consumers with changing media habits

Consumers are increasingly informed, empowered and are demanding more detailed and balanced information Confident and savvy consumers Able to get information about whatever they want Attention spans are decreasing Feel information overload

Online marketing and websites are having a dramatic impact on further learning and purchase decision phases.

Source: DoubleClick, Newsweek, Mediacom

Web 2.0

Blogs Podcasts Social Networks Wikis Virtual Worlds

MSM

Corporate

Professional

Individual

MSM

Stores

Professional

Promotional

Entertainment

Business

Platforms

Popular

Topic

Second Life

Social media - ecosystems

A dynamic interconnected community and the environments and communication channels in which they “live” and interact with each other… sharing their lives, interests and passions

Key features of social media

Conversation is almost by definition the heart of social media.

Commentary and reference to existing information and ideas. This will soon spread into geospatial annotation, where conversations are generated around physical locations.

Relationships between people and ideas emerge in a very different fashion from the one-to-many configuration of mass media.

Self-exposure is a more powerful driver of social media than self-expression. The exhibitionism and associated voyeurism of blogs and social networks are a key factor driving participation.

Underlying motivations to use social media

Social media helps achieve personal goals

Social media helps achieve personal goals

These motivations impact choice of site and behaviour within it.

Some online behaviours

Documenting the moment

Self actualization

Networking

Social coordinating

Keeping in touch

Popularity seeking

Friendly curiosity

Innocent voyagerism

Sharing

Conversation

Social Biography Network: dandelife.com

Documenting the moments: keeping record of your life moments through a timeline and telling stories.

Sharing: enabling people to view and participate. Building on the notion that stories are best shared.

Social mapping: Dodgeball.com (Google)

Mobile social networking. Coordinating your life. • A service where a registered

phone can "check-in", and anyone in your registered circle of friends (or their friends as well) in the area will be notified of your proximity (and vice versa).

• Being linked with Google Maps and Google Local.

Impact on marketing

Considerations

What to do? Understand the changing media and consumer insight. Finding right consumer segments. Find fit with brand.

Benefits? Building emotional connection with consumers. Building consumer loyalty.

How to create contact? Create and enable permission. Drive conversation within networks. Drive conversation between brand and network. Plan responding comments on your brand.

Fit with brand

Brand strategy

Companies present in Second Life

• Adidas• Major League Baseball• Aloft Hotel Suites• Make Magazine• American Apparel• NOAA• Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH)• Reebok• BBC Radio 1• Reuters• Channel 10 (Microsoft)• CocaCola• Scion• CNET• Second Lives, a video series for

England's Channel

• DellSun Microsystems

• Nokia• Duran Duran• Text 100• Global Kids - Teen Grid Only• Telus• Global Kids - Main Grid• IBM• Warner Bros Music• Infinite Mind NPR• Leo Burnett• WindUp Records• Wired Magazine Headquarters

Brand Channels on YouTube

• Newly available Brand Channels allow marketers to leverage the YouTube platform to create their own brand presence integrated into the YouTube experience.

• By “programming”, broadcasting and promoting brand, thematic and user content, marketers can create experiences that engage, entertain and connect with their consumers.

• Marketer-only* enhanced channel pages feature increased branding opportunities and an auto-play video window provide instant gratification to interested users.

• Marketers get access to the full spectrum of community features to help them become an organic part of the YouTube community.

As a summary

Internet is enabling people’s growing interest in self expression, self exposure and active participation in meaningful ways of fulfilling their life.

Consumers have various motivations to use web. Eg: Personal achievement Creativity Friendships and belonging Discovery and exploration.

Site choice and people’s behaviour is based on these motivations.

Brand presence in consumer preferred locations or providing consumer preferred content can build positive brand experiences.

hanna.viita@mindbox.pl