Using social networks to strengthen your market position
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Transcript of Using social networks to strengthen your market position
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Folio 2009
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Using Social Networks to Strengthen Your Market Position:The User PerspectivepDate: March 2009
Prepared for FOLIO: Growth SummitPrepared for FOLIO: Growth Summit
Speakers:Cia Romano, CEO and Founder, Interface GuruAmanda MacArthur, Editor & Publisher, Mequoda Group
Proprietary and confidential. All contents © 1999/2009SymbolGroup, Inc.
Tucson, AZ | 520 744 6911
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About Cia Romanoand Interface Guru and Interface Guru
Cia Romano■ Chief Executive Officer and Founder■ Developing Web sites since 1994■ Developed the widely disseminated Usable Times 5™
criteria for ranking computer screen effectivenesscriteria for ranking computer screen effectiveness■ Veteran of hundreds of usability tests■ Frequent presenter at national conferences
Interface GuruInterface Guru■ Founded in 1999, specializes in usability testing and
analysis, digital media strategy, and user experience design
Proprietary and confidential. All contents © 1999/2009SymbolGroup, Inc.
Tucson, AZ | 520 744 6911
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Thoughts from a social networking expert
How to socialize a brand■ Culture: A sense of place■ Integration: No community is an island ■ Participation: You are what you have to say■ Trust (transparency/authenticity):
Give up the control you don’t have■ Leadership: Lead, empower, listen, follow
-Jay Bryant, Liveworld Inc.
Proprietary and confidential. All contents © 1999/2009SymbolGroup, Inc.
Tucson, AZ | 520 744 6911
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Social networks and the user perspective
Users bring existing expectations to your social network
■ Users process information in a sequence■ Usable Times 5™ is our proprietary metric, based on
h d d f h f bilit l b t tihundreds of hours of usability lab testing● Orientation (“Where am I?”)● Permission (“Did I ask for that system response/popup/new
screen?”)I t ti it (“Wh t I d h ?”)● Interactivity (“What can I do here?”)
● Relevance (“Does this information matter to me?”)● Speed (“How long will this take?”)
Proprietary and confidential. All contents © 1999/2009SymbolGroup, Inc.
Tucson, AZ | 520 744 6911
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Social networks and the user perspective: Usable Times 5™ Usable Times 5™
Orientation■ Disclose level of activity in community■ Offer limited preview of features (“What will it look like when I’m done?”)
Permission■ User-to-user controls (privacy, block / ignore user, mark as spam)■ Disclosure of terms of use (rights to material posted)■ Security and usage of personal data
Proprietary and confidential. All contents © 1999/2009SymbolGroup, Inc.
Tucson, AZ | 520 744 6911
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Social networks and the user perspective: Usable Times 5™ Usable Times 5™
Interactivity Once users log in, a customized windowi th i k ■ Ease of use (setup, self-evident controls, cancelling
account, mobile access)■ Interface with and push
content out to other
gives the user quick accessto community features
social networks■ Locating natural affiliations
(other social networks, educational institutions educational institutions, interests)
Proprietary and confidential. All contents © 1999/2009SymbolGroup, Inc.
Tucson, AZ | 520 744 6911
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Social networks and the user perspective: Usable Times 5™ Usable Times 5™
Relevance■ Generational trends (your audience’s use of social
media)● Not every social networking activity is appropriate for your brand or
audience
■ Usefulness vs. promotion (role of advertisers)
■ Moderation / Self-policing to ensure quality of content ensure quality of content ● It is their content/discussion, but it is
your brand
Proprietary and confidential. All contents © 1999/2009SymbolGroup, Inc.
Tucson, AZ | 520 744 6911
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Social networks and the user perspective: Usable Times 5™ Usable Times 5™
Speed■ Quick access to most desired features/functions■ Optimal SEO for social networking (make it easy for
users to find each other))
■ Provide access to other social networks (ShareThis)■ Custom URL
(e.g. http://www.linkedin.com/in/ciaromano)
Above, ShareThis allows instant access to
Proprietary and confidential. All contents © 1999/2009SymbolGroup, Inc.
Tucson, AZ | 520 744 6911
,the “social Web”
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Social networks and the user perspective: Usable Times 5™ Usable Times 5™
Speed■ Active communities need
at-a-glance comprehensibility
Right, Jezebel.com’s community allows users to collapse comments, retaining user interest while keeping the user interface lightweight. Useful in cases where many users respond where many users respond.
Proprietary and confidential. All contents © 1999/2009SymbolGroup, Inc.
Tucson, AZ | 520 744 6911
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Conclusions: Respect your users Respect your users
■ Respect user expectations of social media■ Research your audience’s social networking needs ■ Research your audience s social networking needs
prior to development or purchase of social networking products (user testing, survey, generational preference)P id i t f t i ti i l t k■ Provide interface to existing social networks
Proprietary and confidential. All contents © 1999/2009SymbolGroup, Inc.
Tucson, AZ | 520 744 6911
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Conclusions: Building vs buying Building vs. buying
■ Building ● Advantages: Support and development knowledge is in-house ● Advantages: Support and development knowledge is in house,
seems cheaper● Disadvantages: Higher overall cost, requires high degree of
technical skill to develop/deploy/maintain
■ Buying / Licensing ● Advantages: Less overall cost, more technical support,
standardized tools● Disadvantages: Requires careful vendor selection, reliant on g q ,
external tech support
■ Our recommendation: Buy or license in order to leverage an existing network
Proprietary and confidential. All contents © 1999/2009SymbolGroup, Inc.
Tucson, AZ | 520 744 6911
existing network● Take advantage of standards users already understand
■ Make sure you have an exit strategy!● What happens if you decide to change vendors?
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Conclusions: Questions you need to answerQuestions you need to answer
■ Who are your users? What are their generational behaviors? behaviors? ● Define your user types● Be aware of generational behaviors re: social media
■ Who are your competitors?Will i l t k l t dd t th i lif t l ?● Will you social network compel users to add you to their lifestyle?
■ What are your requirements?● Conduct a competitive analysis ● Use your findings to create a must-have/must-not-have list
■ Have you interviewed vendors and called references● Don’t buy based on a pitch
■ Avoid wishful thinking - Is this realistic?● Be realistic about what you can maintain over time
Proprietary and confidential. All contents © 1999/2009SymbolGroup, Inc.
Tucson, AZ | 520 744 6911
● Be realistic about what you can maintain over time
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Folio 2009
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About Amanda MacArthurand Mequoda GroupAmanda MacArthur
• Editor & Publisher, Mequoda.com
• Contributing Editor,Mashable.com
Mequoda GroupMequoda Group
• Founded in 2004, specializing in best practices and research for online publishers, offering consulting and web site development.p , g g p
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What’s the ROI of being social?What s the ROI of being social?
• How much are you actually investing? (don’t create new jobs)
• Think “customer service”, not marketing (social media isn’t a get rich quick scheme)media isn t a get rich quick scheme)
• Track your traffic with client-side tools (server-side can be deceiving)
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Who should be the voice of your brandi l kon social networks?
• Customer service, Customer service, marketing, editorial, sales
• Familiar with you brand• Familiar with you brand
• Familiar with your products
• Already using social media
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The Universal Social Media Tool: Twitter
• B2B and B2CB2B and B2C• Content distribution• Customer service• Product Marketing• Driving Traffic• Personal• Personal
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How Mequoda benefits from TwitterPersonal product recommendations
Article pass‐along & email circ buildingArticle pass‐along & email circ building
Re‐tweets (doubling & triple exposure)Re tweets (doubling & triple exposure)
Customer service
Networking
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Social Networks for Gardening Magazines■ Blotanical.com
(Syndication, Links with Twitter))
■ YouGrowGirl.com (Forum)( )
■ GardenWeb.com (Network, Forums, ( , ,Syndication, Events, Galleries)
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Social Networks for Photography Magazines■ Digital-Photography-School.com
(Syndication, Forum)
■ Dpreview.com(Forums)
■ Photo.net(Forums, Reviews,Content Sharing)g)
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Social Networks for Parenting Magazines■ CafeMom.com
(Network, Blogs,Groups, Forums)p , )
■ Family.Go.Com(Forums, Groups,( , p ,Blogs)
■ BabyCenter.comy(Groups, Blogs, Forums, ContentSharing)
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Social Networks for Travel Magazines■ WikiTravel.org
(Wiki)
■ Wayn.com(Network, ForumContent Sharing)g)
■ VirtualTourist.com(Forums, Content( ,Sharing)
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How to be successful on social networks■ Follow the 60/40 rule – Marketing vs. Conversation● People who are collaborating understand that it’s a give-and-take relationship.
– Chris Brogan, Social Media Consultant, ChrisBrogan.com
■ Engage like a consumer, not a marketer
■ Direct traffic to pages that convert (free products: reports, webinars, etc.)
■ Test your campaigns with 3rd party tools (bit.ly, Google Analytics, etc.)
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Tools to manage your online reputation
■ SocialMention.com (everywhere you’re mentioned on the web)
■ Trendrr.com (the “google trends” of your brand)
■ HootSuite com (complete Twitter analytics package)■ HootSuite.com (complete Twitter analytics package)
■ BackType.com (monitors blog comments)
■ Search.Twitter.com (monitors mentions of you on Twitter)