The Wisdom of Crowds © 2008 Prescient Digital Media www.PrescientDigital.com Harnessing the Power of Influencers By Toby Ward, Prescient Digital Media

The power of ‘group’ Jellybeans in a jar: the average guess of all the guesses is almost always closer than the closest guess

Jellybeans in a jar: the average guess of all the guesses is almost always closer than the closest guess

Google ‘gets it’ Utilizes page rankings to gather collective intelligence

Utilizes page rankings to gather collective intelligence

The crowd is the influencer

Social media / Web 2.0 Promote networks of relationships Transforms users into publishers Discuss, share & collaborate From one to many -> many to many

Promote networks of relationships

Transforms users into publishers

Discuss, share & collaborate

From one to many -> many to many

Web 2.0 (adapted from Shel Holtz) Conversation-enabled publishing platforms Blogs, podcasts, Technorati Social networks Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace Social bookmarking Delic.io.us, Digg, StumbleUpon Democratized content networks Wikipedia, Yahoo! Groups, MyStarbucksIdea Presence networks (micro-blogging) Jaiku, Twitter, Pownce Content sharing sites YouTube, Flickr, ePinions.com Virtual networking platforms Second Life, There.com

Conversation-enabled publishing platforms

Blogs, podcasts, Technorati

Social networks

Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace

Social bookmarking

Delic.io.us, Digg, StumbleUpon

Democratized content networks

Wikipedia, Yahoo! Groups, MyStarbucksIdea

Presence networks (micro-blogging)

Jaiku, Twitter, Pownce

Content sharing sites

YouTube, Flickr, ePinions.com

Virtual networking platforms

Second Life, There.com

Social media revolution 6 of the Top 10 most visited sites on the Internet (Feb 2008) Source: Alexa.com Yahoo! YouTube Windows Live Google Myspace Facebook MSN Hi5 Wikipedia Orkut

6 of the Top 10 most visited sites on the Internet (Feb 2008)

Source: Alexa.com

Yahoo!

YouTube

Windows Live

Google

Myspace

Facebook

MSN

Hi5

Wikipedia

Orkut

Brodeur/OmniComm Study 61% of reporters say blogs affect story tone 50% say blogs influence editorial copy Three-quarters get story ideas from blogs 20% spend at least an hour per day reading blogs

61% of reporters say blogs affect story tone

50% say blogs influence editorial copy

Three-quarters get story ideas from blogs

20% spend at least an hour per day reading blogs

Corporate Reputation The sum total perception of consumer’s total interactions with the company Includes: the intangibles that bridge a product or service promise the customer’s demand customer’s opinion of that promise The Internet is one of the most important touch points

The sum total perception of consumer’s total interactions with the company

Includes:

the intangibles that bridge a product or service promise

the customer’s demand

customer’s opinion of that promise

The Internet is one of the most important touch points

Tapping the buzz McKinsey has found that 54% of all sales are influenced by buzz marketing (or a lack thereof) Word of mouth is more powerful and technology accelerates word of mouth 1 1 Mark Hughes - Buzzmarketing.com - 2004-2005 2 Renee Dye - McKinsey & Company, “The Buzz on Buss” 2001

McKinsey has found that 54% of all sales are influenced by buzz marketing (or a lack thereof)

Word of mouth is more powerful and technology accelerates word of mouth 1

1 Mark Hughes - Buzzmarketing.com - 2004-2005

2 Renee Dye - McKinsey & Company, “The Buzz on Buss” 2001

Reputation = Money $$$$ Over 90% of analysts agree: If a company fails to look after its reputation it will ultimately suffer financially too . The most reliable information sources : company websites customer research Source: Hill & Knowlton, Return on Reputation

Over 90% of analysts agree:

If a company fails to look after its reputation it will ultimately suffer financially too .

The most reliable information sources :

company websites

customer research

Source: Hill & Knowlton, Return on Reputation

Failure to communicate The failure to provide appropriate information will lead to negative ratings: 90% saying that it is fairly likely/very likely/or certain to Source: Hill & Knowlton, Return on Reputation

The failure to provide appropriate information will lead to negative ratings:

90% saying that it is fairly likely/very likely/or certain to

Source: Hill & Knowlton, Return on Reputation

“ We don’t own the news any more.” -BBC

RedCross.org Blog postings mentioning “Red Cross” increased by 10 to 20 times after Katrina (source: Intelliseek Blogpulse) Redcross.org visits jumped to more than 1 million visits – more than 32x the avg. daily In a few days donations through the website topped $100 million

Blog postings mentioning “Red Cross” increased by 10 to 20 times after Katrina (source: Intelliseek Blogpulse)

Redcross.org visits jumped to more than 1 million visits – more than 32x the avg. daily

In a few days donations through the website topped $100 million

Intranet Blog In 400 days, from zero to 4,000 people per day Dramatically improved Google rankings Prescient is now #1 in the World for: “ intranet consultant” and “intranet consulting” More than 2,300 links Up to 12,000 page view per day Increased corporate consulting revenue by 40% Primary source for many Fortune 500 clients including HSBC, RBC and Nintendo

In 400 days, from zero to 4,000 people per day

Dramatically improved Google rankings

Prescient is now #1 in the World for:

“ intranet consultant” and “intranet consulting”

More than 2,300 links

Up to 12,000 page view per day

Increased corporate consulting revenue by 40%

Primary source for many Fortune 500 clients including HSBC, RBC and Nintendo

Flogging A fake blog used as sales tool Walmarting Across America Written by two Walmart “fans” Drove RV across US blogging about Walmarts Later revealed they were paid All cooked-up by Edelman PR http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/oct2006/db20061009_579137.htm

A fake blog used as sales tool

Walmarting Across America

Written by two Walmart “fans”

Drove RV across US blogging about Walmarts

Later revealed they were paid

All cooked-up by Edelman PR

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/oct2006/db20061009_579137.htm

WalMart employees weigh-in “… have watched the company go from a family oriented environment to “who gives a crap make us more money environment.”

Podcasting Many TV and most radio programs now provide podcast versions Microsoft, GM and Volvo and many others

Many TV and most radio programs now provide podcast versions

Microsoft, GM and Volvo and many others

“Five Minutes with …” Source: Innovative Intranet Tools to Captivate Employees, Jean Gaetano, National City

Source: Innovative Intranet Tools to Captivate Employees, Jean Gaetano, National City

Wiki Wikis allow everyone to participate Wiki is stripped down CMS Any user can edit any other’s text

Wikis allow everyone to participate

Wiki is stripped down CMS

Any user can edit any other’s text

Wikipedia.org 9 million files, 75,000 active authors, 250 languages

9 million files, 75,000 active authors, 250 languages

Wiki-based intranet: Placemaking

Facebook Facebook quick Facts: Active users: 70 million Monthly new user average: 4 million Daily new user average: 200,000 Page views: Over 15 billion per month Searches: Over 500 million per month Largest networks: London , UK 1,632,273 and Toronto , Canada 933,960 Traffic rank: 7 th most visited website Photos: 2.7 billion

Facebook quick Facts:

Active users: 70 million

Monthly new user average: 4 million

Daily new user average: 200,000

Page views: Over 15 billion per month

Searches: Over 500 million per month

Largest networks: London , UK 1,632,273 and Toronto , Canada 933,960

Traffic rank: 7 th most visited website

Photos: 2.7 billion

Join the discussion – TripAdvisor.com

YouTube Power

Dove Evolution One of the Top 15 most-linked-to videos among bloggers ( Technorati ) Featured segments on TV shows including: "The View" "Ellen" CNN "Entertainment Tonight" "Geraldo" Won best commercial of the year at Cannes

One of the Top 15 most-linked-to videos among bloggers ( Technorati )

Featured segments on TV shows including:

"The View"

"Ellen"

CNN

"Entertainment Tonight"

"Geraldo"

Won best commercial of the year at Cannes

Presence - Twitter

Social Bookmarking

Who’s talking about / blogging you? Search the blog services: Technorati Bloglines MySpace Search the message boards: Yahoo! AOL MSN epinions.com CNET Search the bookmarking sites: Deli.cio.us Digg Slashdot

Search the blog services:

Technorati

Bloglines

MySpace

Search the message boards:

Yahoo!

AOL

MSN

epinions.com

CNET

Search the bookmarking sites:

Deli.cio.us

Digg

Slashdot

Who’s monitoring the discussion? If you don’t have the staff to monitor these services, how do you know what’s being said?

If you don’t have the staff to monitor these services, how do you know what’s being said?

Other Tools Hitwise's search term analysis - type a phrase and it will list the sites that receive the most traffic and their % share WhoLinksToMe.com – type in your URL and find out what websites link to your website WordTracker – competitive analysis tool to seek out the best keywords based on over 300 million keyword phrases CNW – tracking services

Hitwise's search term analysis - type a phrase and it will list the sites that receive the most traffic and their % share

WhoLinksToMe.com – type in your URL and find out what websites link to your website

WordTracker – competitive analysis tool to seek out the best keywords based on over 300 million keyword phrases

CNW – tracking services

Best Practices Planning – the essential requisite Leadership sets the tone Engaging the audience Evolution, not revolution (pilot) Benchmark and cherry-pick from the leaders Monitor the conversation Keep pace with the trends and best practices Measure, measure, measure

Planning – the essential requisite

Leadership sets the tone

Engaging the audience

Evolution, not revolution (pilot)

Benchmark and cherry-pick from the leaders

Monitor the conversation

Keep pace with the trends and best practices

Measure, measure, measure

Measures Sales Lead conversion Google rankings Cost savings Links to you Traffic (visits, page views) Good vs Bad Conversation (monitoring) User satisfaction / employee engagement

Sales

Lead conversion

Google rankings

Cost savings

Links to you

Traffic (visits, page views)

Good vs Bad Conversation (monitoring)

User satisfaction / employee engagement

Project Methodology

Toby Ward, Prescient Digital Media Ph: 416.926.8800 email: toby@prescientdigital.com www.IntranetBlog.com www.GetStrat.com www.PrescientDigital.com http://blog.ragan.com/contentmatters/ http://intranetreport.libsyn.com/ Facebook: “Intranet Global Forum”