What Is Social Media? Why Should You Care?

Understanding & Participating in the Social Media Conversation

1980’s
Fewer Ads reached MORE people with UNDIVIDED attention
2009
MORE ads reach FEWER people paying LESS attention

Product proliferation and availability means more choice for the buyer…
Old: Grocery store, Hardware store, Post Office
New: Wal-Mart, ebay, Craigslist

13,500 Radio Stations (4,400 in 1960)
17,300 Magazine Titles (8,400 in 1960)
82.4 TV Channels per avg. home
100 million blogs
1.3 million blog posts per day (18 per second)
100,000 NEW blogs per day (2 per second)
Blogosphere doubles everyday
More podcasts than global radio shows
Feedburner delivering 44,000 podcast feeds
100 million MySpace & Facebook profiles
30 million LinkedIn users
1Billion Tweets

Video games
Email
Xbox LIVE
Websites
IM
Search
Radio
DVD
Ring Tones
TV
Blogs
Magazines
Satellite Radio
TiVo
Video On-Demand
Newspapers
Podcasting
Cell Phone

Consumers are not listening anymore
The Audience is creating
The Audience is selecting
The Audience is changing

What does the word conversation really mean? What are the basics of conversation? Why aren’t we good at having conversations? How can we improve everyday conversation?

Now Later

iPhone
Personal Publishing
Instant Messaging
Oprah & Dr. Phil

Avoid the conversation, and suffer the consequences
Handle the conversation poorly and suffer the consequences
Discover how to communicate best when it matters most

We benefit from more accurate and relevant information
Make better choices, and are more willing to act on whatever decision they all make

Speak clearly
Speak easily, but not too much, give others their turn
Do not interrupt
Be courteous
Deal seriously with serious matters, gracefully with light ones
Never criticize people behind their backs
Stick to subjects of general interests
Do not talk about yourself
Never lose your temper

Conversation are stunted when intellectual capital is rewarded
Conversation flourishes in atmosphere of FREE and OPEN exchange

The key to successful conversation is being open and honest in expressing opinions, feelings, and theories, and having a willingness to share views even when the ideas in question are controversial or unpopular.

Get to know who you are talking to
Listening is more important than talking
Find something important to say, don’t just jabber

Who Are You?
The first question people ask themselves the minute they realize you want to influence them is “who is this person”. A story helps them see what you want them to see about you. If you demonstrate who you are, rather than tell me who you are, it is much more believable. A story lets you demonstrate who you are.

2. What does this person want from me?
Before you let someone know what’s in it for them, they want to know what’s in it for you. It’s a big mistake to try to hide selfish goals. This type of story usually reveals enough for people to make a distinction between healthy ambition and dishonest exploitation. If your goals are selfish, people don’t mind as long as you are up-front about it, there is something in it for them, and you frame your goals in a way that makes sense to them.

3. OK, so What’s in it for Me?
If your listeners are comfortable with who you are and why you are here, then they are ready to listen to what you think is in it for them. You have to take the time to find a story of your vision that that connects with people clearly.

4. Ok, so What Do You Stand For?
Without a doubt the best way tell people your values in by demonstration. The second best way is by telling a story. Story lets you instill values in a want that keeps people thinking for themselves.

5. How Did You Know What I Was Thinking?
When you tell a story that makes people wonder if you are reading their minds, they love it. It isn’t hard to do. If you have done your homework on the group you wish to influence it’s easy to identify their objections.

6. How Did You Know What I Was Thinking?
When you tell a story that makes people wonder if you are reading their minds, they love it. It isn’t hard to do. If you have done your homework on the group you wish to influence it’s easy to identify their objections.

Map Your Market
Before you start chatting up your potential customers, do a little homework first by mapping your marketplace
Delve into your market and see who the most influential people are. Find out who everyone’s talking about and talking POSITIVELY about (big difference) and who they respect most.
We’re searching for “Mavens” in the marketplace..people who are sway opinions…people who have a defintive impace on those you’re planning to market to. Make a list of these people. Dig deep and examine why they’re regarded as authorities.
Having this type of intelligence will help you establish yourself as the same type of leader later on.

In order to communicate effectively with our prospects, we need to know what they are already saying. And that means tapping into the conversations they are already having.
The best way to do this is to monitor your marketplace. Bookmark those blogs and forums where your market gathers. Subscribe to RSS feeds to take a daily pulse.
Stay tuned to what’s going on…how they react…what their hot buttons (cold buttons) are.
Watch competitors you don’t like or trust, too.

Now that you have a firm grasp on where your market’s hearts and minds are, it’s time to make your entrance. But whatever you do, do NOT just barge into a forum or blog discussion and announce, “I’m here!”
There’s a certain rhythm, a certain pacing that each market follows. And if you don’t slide into that rhythm just perfectly, you’ll fall flat on your face.
Make a few posts here and there. Ask questions. Play nice. Make yourself known but don’t blow your own trumpet.

Build Your Market
Start making a name for yourself by becoming more educated on the subject matter than anyone else in the group. Study the trends relentlessly. Do in-depth research on the topics of discussion
Lead Your Market
Start your own conversations-and your own community-blog/forum
Sell Your Market
Golden Rule: ask they what they want first
See what they lack, need, want and create products that fulfil those needs.
Let the content your providing determine the form of the product you’re developing

Choose a Market of Interest to You
Put together a list of places they hang out
Blogs/Forums
“ Expert Sites”
Broadcasting Sites
Networking Sites
Product Review Sites
Social Bookmarketing Sites
Listen this week to the conversation in the community. Note who the “experts” are.

9/22 Twitter
9/29 Facebook
10/13 YouTube
10/20 Blogging
10/27 Social Bookmarking
11/3 Direct Response/Copywriting
11/17 Linkedin
11/24 Influence
12/1 Tying it all Together
12/8 BONUS-Landing/Squeeze Page

Easier to Network Online
Fall off bike, get back on

Naked Conversations by Robert Scoble
The Story Factor by Annette Simmons
The Cluetrain Manifesto by Rick Levine
The Social Media Bible by Lon Safko
Social Media Marketing by Dave Evans
Secrets of Social Media Marketing by Paul Gillin
The New Influencers by Paul Gillian
The New Rules of Marketing & PR by David M. Scott
The New Community Rules by Tamar Weinberg
Content Nation by John Blossom
Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz
Tribes by Seth Godin

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What Is Social Media? Why Should You Care?

by Mande White on Jan 25, 2012

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What Is Social Media? Why Should You Care? — Presentation Transcript