A Small Step, A Giant Leap Launching your business into social media space

Any launch can be scary, and potentially risky. We can make things less scary by understanding. So let’s first cover the basics…

What is social media?

The “social” It gives a voice to the individual It allows people to share content People can quickly find each other and connect You can listen to conversations of the marketplace You can participate in virtual communities

It gives a voice to the individual

It allows people to share content

People can quickly find each other and connect

You can listen to conversations of the marketplace

You can participate in virtual communities

The “media” Technologies that allow creation and sharing of content Social media taxonomy Blogs Social networks Social bookmarking Wiki Collaboration tools Event scheduling Etc.

Technologies that allow creation and sharing of content

Social media taxonomy

Blogs

Social networks

Social bookmarking

Wiki

Collaboration tools

Event scheduling

Etc.

Disruptive Technologies Blogs disrupted the way we get used to get news Social networks disrupted the way we make and keep friendships Wikis disrupted how we acquire and disseminate knowledge Flickr disrupted the way we create and share images YouTube, Netflix disrupted the way we watch TV and video Podcasting disrupted how we listen to radio Twitter is disrupting how we have conversation Others?

Blogs disrupted the way we get used to get news

Social networks disrupted the way we make and keep friendships

Wikis disrupted how we acquire and disseminate knowledge

Flickr disrupted the way we create and share images

YouTube, Netflix disrupted the way we watch TV and video

Podcasting disrupted how we listen to radio

Twitter is disrupting how we have conversation

Others?

There are countless social media platforms and websites

How do we map the social media space?

So how can social media impact your business?

Why? Your stakeholders (customers, suppliers, employees, etc.) are already engaged in social media. The best way of connecting with them is where they are already talking about things that are important to them You join in the conversation where it’s already happening. Social media is a way of communicating faster, better and cheaper than ever before. Social media allows your website to integrate multimedia such as video and audio. Users to generate their own content, to share and connect with each other. These channels help a non-profit connect with stakeholders with a higher resolution than ever before. You might need to convince your colleagues that engaging in social media is a necessary step for the business. With the risks is it really worth getting into social media? Should your organization engage?

Your stakeholders (customers, suppliers, employees, etc.) are already engaged in social media.

The best way of connecting with them is where they are already talking about things that are important to them

You join in the conversation where it’s already happening.

Social media is a way of communicating faster, better and cheaper than ever before.

Social media allows your website to integrate multimedia such as video and audio.

Users to generate their own content, to share and connect with each other.

These channels help a non-profit connect with stakeholders with a higher resolution than ever before.

You might need to convince your colleagues that engaging in social media is a necessary step for the business.

With the risks is it really worth getting into social media?

Should your organization engage?

Take Facebook as an example #1: I see an invitation to a “cause”

#2: I see my friend Sheril has invited me to join a cause, “Science Debate.” I click “Join Cause.”

#3: I decide to join the cause and get a welcome screen. The screen then invites me to send my own invitation.

#4: A checklist appears, allowing me to choose which friends to invite.

#5. I click on the friends I think will be interested in the cause and hit send.

#6. I can set my status to show that I joined the cause. It appears on my timeline so even friends I didn’t invite can see I joined the cause.

What you can do… You can create a cause on Facebook – free You can invite your friends to join They can invite their friends to join You can supplement this with a targeted ad campaign in Facebook

You can create a cause on Facebook – free

You can invite your friends to join

They can invite their friends to join

You can supplement this with a targeted ad campaign in Facebook

And that’s just Facebook! Other technologies Blogging Twitter, et al. Wikis Discussion boards Social bookmarking Other media Photos Video Audio Other audiences Baby boomers Blogger moms Gen X, Y, Z, etc…

Other technologies

Blogging

Twitter, et al.

Wikis

Discussion boards

Social bookmarking

Other media

Photos

Video

Audio

Other audiences

Baby boomers

Blogger moms

Gen X, Y, Z, etc…

Social bookmarking Social bookmarking provides intensive viral marketing of messages. Free applications such as AddThis make it a snap to provide this service to users and provide useful analytics.

Social bookmarking provides intensive viral marketing of messages.

Free applications such as AddThis make it a snap to provide this service to users and provide useful analytics.

Social media… Builds relationships Employees Customers Suppliers Impacts decisions Engages new audiences Maintains competitive advantage

Builds relationships

Employees

Customers

Suppliers

Impacts decisions

Engages new audiences

Maintains competitive advantage

Why your business needs social media Gain market insights Enhance your brand Connect with stakeholders Get ideas for new products Save money Generate revenue

Gain market insights

Enhance your brand

Connect with stakeholders

Get ideas for new products

Save money

Generate revenue

Countdown to launch 10… Decide on staffing and consulting resources 9… Establish a budget and timeframe 8… Listen to what people are saying 7… Identify your audience 6… Understand your online reputation 5… Develop a social media strategy 4… Implement crisis management process 3… Evaluate online technologies 2… Establish success metrics 1… Take a deep breath (I’m cool, I’m cool.) 0… Blast off!

10… Decide on staffing and consulting resources

9… Establish a budget and timeframe

8… Listen to what people are saying

7… Identify your audience

6… Understand your online reputation

5… Develop a social media strategy

4… Implement crisis management process

3… Evaluate online technologies

2… Establish success metrics

1… Take a deep breath (I’m cool, I’m cool.)

0… Blast off!

Key concepts Honesty, transparency, openness You are human Be yourself, be individualistic Avoid “corporate” messages It’s not IT, it’s communications These are musts

Honesty, transparency, openness

You are human

Be yourself, be individualistic

Avoid “corporate” messages

It’s not IT, it’s communications

Are you here? So where is your business in social media space? This is a map of interconnections between Web sites in social networks. You need to be here.

When you’re trying something new, it can feel a bit lonely.

You want to take the right steps, to go carefully.

But also go boldly where no one has gone before. We can best do this by learning and understanding .

Getting started Listen Search Web: Google Blogs: Blogsearch, Technorati Forums: Boardreader Bookmarks: Delicious, Digg Monitor Google Reader (RSS) Google Alerts

Listen

Search

Web: Google

Blogs: Blogsearch, Technorati

Forums: Boardreader

Bookmarks: Delicious, Digg

Monitor

Google Reader (RSS)

Google Alerts

Use iGoogle and RSS feeds to monitor news and updates on need-to-know news channels.

But getting back down to earth, social media can be overwhelming. There is so much going on. The main issue is the sheer quantity of information. How do we deal with it all?

Aggregator-disseminator model Basically there are two sides to the equation. Information coming in and information going out. The key to managing information, and the key to understanding social media is that it is the individual who has control, i.e., you. You control information coming in and what information goes out. Tools are available to help you do this more efficiently than ever before. Aggregators allow you to manage information coming in. Disseminator applications allow you to control information going out. The beauty of the latest technologies is that they allow you to aggregate and disseminate in many different channels at once. Let’s see some examples.

Basically there are two sides to the equation.

Information coming in and information going out.

The key to managing information, and the key to understanding social media is that it is the individual who has control, i.e., you.

You control information coming in and what information goes out.

Tools are available to help you do this more efficiently than ever before.

Aggregators allow you to manage information coming in.

Disseminator applications allow you to control information going out.

The beauty of the latest technologies is that they allow you to aggregate and disseminate in many different channels at once.

Let’s see some examples.

FriendFeed is an aggregator. It allows you to see friends’ (aka customers) activities on a whole bunch of different social networks.

Here’s a timeline of my social media activity. You can see that I joined the Science Debate cause on Facebook.

Here I can see the timeline of my friend Troy. He’s updated a blog, posted a couple of Tweets and bookmarked sites on Delicious. And I can see who else is following Troy’s updates

Ping.fm is a disseminator. With Ping you can update up to 30 social channels at the same time. You can use phone, instant messaging and even email, as well as your browser, to make updates.

Here are some of the sites supported by Ping.fm

Social media trends Personal, customized info management Aggregating Disseminating Lifestreaming Mobile QR codes Virtual reality Augmented reality, etc.,… So that’s where we are. But where are we heading? To be a step ahead, your business needs to understand emerging technologies.

Social media trends

Personal, customized info management

Aggregating

Disseminating

Lifestreaming

Mobile

QR codes

Virtual reality

Augmented reality, etc.,…

Whoa!!! That’s a lot of stuff You need to put it into perspective You need to plan You need a strategy You need to strategize in context of your existing business goals Consider if you need help…

That’s a lot of stuff

You need to put it into perspective

You need to plan

You need a strategy

You need to strategize in context of your existing business goals

Consider if you need help…

By adopting a sound smart strategy you and your business can aim for the stars.

Thank you! harrissocialmedia.com [email_address] 919 662 1618 Twitter: @rharris LinkedIn: rogerharris

harrissocialmedia.com

[email_address]

919 662 1618

Twitter: @rharris

LinkedIn: rogerharris