Social Media and Small Business

Social Media & Small Business
A quick primer
Alex Grech
Digital Arts Expo, 5th November 2009

“Social Media is a bit like teen sex. Everyone wants to do it. Nobody knows how. When it’s finally done, there is surprise that it’s not better.”
Avinash Kaushlik, Analytics Evangelist, Google.

So what’s social media?

“SOCIAL MEDIA describes a new set of internet tools that enable shared community experiences, both online and in person.”
Source: technologyintranslation.blockwork.org

“Social media is people having conversations online.”

Primary Social Media Tools

Who uses it?

Who uses social media?
Creators
Varying strategies for varying patterns of usage
Critics
Collectors
Joiners
Spectators
Inactives
Source: Groundswell, Forrester Research, 2008.

Who uses social media?
Publish a blog
Publish your own web pages
Upload video you created
Upload audio/music you created
Creators
Critics
Post ratings/reviews of products/services
Comment on someone else’s blog
Contribute to online forums
Contribute to/edit articles in a wiki
Collectors
Use RSS feeds
Add ‘tags’ to web pages or photos
‘Vote’ for websites online
Read blogs
Watch video from other users
Listen to podcasts
Read online forums
Read customer ratings/reviews
Joiners
Maintain profile on a social networking site
Visit social networking sites
Spectators
None of the above
Inactives

Why bother?

Why bother with Social Media?

#1It’s HUGE
2/3 OF THE GLOBAL INTERNET POPULATION VISITS SOCIAL NETWORKS
Nielsen, Global Faces & Networked Faces, 2009

#1It’s HUGE
SOCIAL MEDIA MAKES UP ALMOST 10% OF ALL INTERNET TIME. THAT’S AN 83% INCREASE OVER THE PAST YEAR.

#1It’s HUGE
TIME SPENT ON SOCIAL NETWORKS IS GROWING AT 3X THE OVERALL INTERNET RATE, ACCOUNTING FOR 10% OF ALL INTERNET TIME
Source: The Nielsen Company, 2nd June 2009

#1It’s HUGE
1.

#1It’s HUGE
13,000,000
The number of articles available on Wikipedia
Source: Universal McCann Comparative Study on Social Media Trends, April 2008

#1It’s HUGE
100,000,000
The number of YouTube videos viewed per day
83% have watched movies online
45% of teens spend time on the internet and 28% in front of TV

#1It’s HUGE
77%of active online users have read a blog
346,000,000 read blogs globally
Blogging grew by 68% last year
WORDPRESS currently being downloaded 430,000 times a WEEK
Source: http://technorati.com/state-of-the-blogosphere/

#1It’s HUGE
3,600,000,000
The number of photos archived on Flickr at June 2009

#1It’s HUGE
57%joined a social network
Over 110,000 in Malta network
Source: O’Reilly Media, August 2009

#1It’s HUGE
1382%
The monthly growth rate of Twitter users from January to February 2009
3,000,000The average number of tweets per day

#2It’s TRUSTED

#2It’s TRUSTED
Companies aren’t trusted, brands aren’t trusted, and nor are your executives.
People trust each other, and now they have the tools to communicate with each other using social technologies and mobile with or without brands involved.
Trust has shifted to the participants.
Jeremiah Owyang, www.web-strategist.com

#2It’s TRUSTED
78%OF PEOPLE TRUST THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF OTHER CONSUMERS.
SOCIAL MEDIA IS DEMOCRATISING COMMUNICATIONS. BIG TIME.
Source: Nielsen, Trust in Advertising Report, 2007

#2It’s TRUSTED
The old communication model was a MONOLOGUE.
ADVERTISING
14%OF PEOPLE TRUST ADVERTISING
Source: Nielsen, Trust in Advertising Report, 2007

#2It’s TRUSTED
SOCIAL MEDIA IS LIKE WORD OF MOUTH ON STEROIDS.

#2It’s TRUSTED
SOCIAL MEDIA IS DEMOCRATISING COMMUNICATIONS. BIG TIME.

#3It IMPACTS YOUR BUSINESS
PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT YOUR BRAND RIGHT NOW.

The brand does not live in the voices of PR.
It lives in the VOICES of YOUR CUSTOMERS.
Source: Forrester Research, 2009.

31
#4It’s NOT GOING AWAY

32

SEARCH ENGINES LOVE SOCIAL MEDIA

Someone who ‘GETS IT’…
CLAY HEBERTCEO TribesWin.com

“IN 2009, IF YOU’RE NOT ON A SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE, YOU’RE NOT ON THE INTERNET.”
Source: IAB Platform Status Report – User Generated Content, Social Media & Advertising

Why is this happening?

Social media is a GROUNDSWELL from a collision of three forces

ME-CONOMICS (I AM THE BRAND)
DELICIOUS
YOUTUBE
LINKEDIN
BLOG
TWITTER
FACEBOOK
SLIDESHARE
Source: Dachis Group, 2009.

IT USED TO BE ABOUT COMMAND AND CONTROL
BRAND AS BROADCASTER
BRAND

FACILITATION LEADS TO ENGAGEMENT
influencers
friends
BRAND
BRAND AS FACILITATOR

August
2005
“We don’t respond to Bloggers”.
Michael Dell.

ENGAGEMENT LEADS TO PARTICIPATION

… and POTENTIAL ADVOCATES FOR YOUR BRAND

NOW, JUST HAVING A WEBSITE IS NOT ENOUGH!!
DELICIOUS
YOUTUBE
LINKEDIN
BLOG
WEBSITE
TWITTER
FACEBOOK
SLIDESHARE

93% OF SOCIAL MEDIA USERS BELIEVE A COMPANY SHOULD HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE.
85% BELIEVE IT SHOULD INTERACT WITH ITS CUSTOMERS.
Cone, Business in Social Media Study, 2008

And then you hit a wall

IF IT’S SO GOOD .. WHY ARE COMPANIES SCARED?

Employees will WASTE TIME
Sensible social media guidelines
Mobile devices mean you cannot stop people getting access to the Internet

55
We will lose control of OUR BRAND
You never had much control!
Better to listen and take remedial action
Your community will come to your defence if attack not merited

It’s NOT REALLY FREE!
It needs the same commitment, funding and ownership as any other strategic initiative
Get someone who has got their hands dirty with social media on board!

57
We will give away SECRETS!
Risks not mitigated by non-participation. Just train people to be sensible.

We can only doPR!
If you can only shout, don’t get into social media, because you will be found out

How business is taking to Social Media

Social Networking Activities of US companies
Source: Deloitte Ethics & Workplace survey, May 19 2009 (n=500)

Source: Social Media Today, June 2009: members survey based on sample of 632 respondents, collected between March 13th and April 4, 2009

Source: Social Media Today, June 2009: members survey based on sample of 632 respondents. March 13th and April 4, 2009

Source: Social Media Today, June 2009: members survey based on sample of 632 respondents, collected between March 13th and April 4, 2009

TOP QUESTIONS BUSINESS PEOPLE WANT ANSWERED

Making it happen

Five-Step Planning Process
2
3
1
4
5

SET UP THE TEAM
People
1

Objectives
2
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE?

Objectives
Always ALIGN your SOCIAL MEDIA objectives with your BUSINESS objectives
2
Some of these objectives SHOULD be QUANTIFIABLE

Strategies
3
You’re going to reap just what you sow
Lou Reed, Perfect day.

Strategies
Target HOW you reach them
3

Strategies
Develop sustainable messages to the right audience
3
Creators
Determine WHOM you want to reach
And then HOW you want to reach them
Critics
Collectors
Joiners
Spectators
Inactives

Strategies
3
Objective: RAISE AWARENESS
OBJECTIVE: Increase awareness

Strategies
3
Objective: INCREASELOYALTY
OBJECTIVE: Increase awareness

Strategies
3
Objective: INCREASESALES

Strategies
How deep are you wading in?
3

Strategies
3
HOW TO LISTEN (using NetVibes)

Strategies
3
HOW TO LISTEN AND TALK (using Hootsuite)

Strategies
3
HOW TO RESEARCH (using Seesmic Deskstop)

Technologies
4
Decision-makers cannot make informed choices about the use of social media until they have personally had experience with this technology

Technologies
Which tools will support YOUR strategies best?
4

Technologies
Choose the RIGHT tools to support a set of PROGRAMMES
4

85
Metrics
5

Metrics
Everything can be measured.. But measure the right stuff!
5

Metrics
How to measure success
5. Metrics
5

Some Local Applications

I have 3,500 MEMBERS… Now WHAT DO I DO WITH THEM?

LOCAL BLOGGER GETS HOTEL TO START BLOGGING

NATIONAL TOURISM ORGANISATION TRIES TO SEE THINGS THE WAY THE CASUAL VISITOR DOES

PERSONAL INSIGHTS ON LIVING AND WORKING IN MALTA. CONTENT MARKETING PLATFORM.

EARLY ADOPTION OF GOOGLE WAVE.

End thoughts

Social Media is still evolving
98
Source: Forrester Research, 2009

99
Think STRATEGY before you get hooked on the TOOLS

Go fishing. Create social media outposts to interact with customers, prospects, prospective employees and create new business opportunities

Refresh your content regularly.

“I believe that people would rather have a conversation with a person, than a brand.”Scott Monty, Ford

Find the right TONE

YOUTUBE
DELICIOUS
LINKEDIN
BLOG
TWITTER
FACEBOOK
SLIDESHARE
This guy really matters now

EMAIL
YOUTUBE
ADVERTISING
DELICIOUS
LINKEDIN
AFFILIATES
SKYPE
BLOG
WEBSITE
TWITTER
PR
FACEBOOK
MSN
SLIDESHARE
Drive the business HOME from all outposts

Nurture your community. Fans on Facebook need either education or entertainment. Or both.

Be prepared to do ROI

This is the new way of the world

Welcome to the age of human sharing

Alex Grech
alex.grech@strategyworks.net
http://twitter.com/alexgrech

Acknowledgements
@jasonbaer
@armano
@mzkagan
Images from Flickr under Creative Commons licences
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60577574@N00/2281428223
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/233228813
http://www.flickr.com/photos/larslars/718618057
http://www.flickr.com/photos/luc/1824234195
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewmorrell/55032223

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Social Media and Small Business

by Alex Grech on Nov 07, 2009

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Social Media and Small Business — Presentation Transcript