Biz Case Builder
areyoufrank.com 1 © 2009 | frank., LLC

What's frank/inside?
frank/inside is a series of online business bundles for fearless conversation starters in
organizations everywhere. Thank you for downloading frank’s free trial product: the frank/
inside Biz Case Builder, a comprehensive roadmap that connects Social Media to your
business objectives the frank way.
What will I learn in the Biz Case Builder?
Based on frank’s integrated model of Culture + Brand + Tech, the Biz Case Builder will help you understand
how to build a strong business case to bring Social Media to your organization.
How do I use the Biz Case Builder?
Grab your project team and start at the beginning. Each toolkit (and all frank/inside bundles) includes an intro
section indicating the tool’s purpose, its outcomes and any prerequisites for getting started. Use that
information to collect input from key team members then dive in. Play with the ideas, answer the questions,
start a conversation. You'll quickly get to new frank insights about your objectives and even see what additional
people and resources might be needed to plan your project.
Remember: you’re not alone!
As you learn more, be sure to check out the free resources at areyoufrank.com. Read and participate in the
blog and other community areas to compare ideas, successes and discoveries with other Social Media project
team leaders like you. (And be sure to check back often. Because of frank/inside community members like you,
new tools and ideas are added all the time.)
And finally – enjoy!
Social Media builds a community and an ongoing conversation. It opens lines of communication and doorways
of discussion. Make your community one where you’re excited to hang out. Give yourself and those around
you permission to be frank. And get ready to engage with and energize your organization in a whole new way.
areyoufrank.com 2 © 2009 | frank., LLC

The frank/inside model:
Social Media is about collaboration, communication, conversation. It encourages cooperation,
support and participation. It’s focused on authenticity, meritocracy and, you got it, frankness.
So how do you bring this to life in your company?
You apply this very idea of collaboration to It’s something we do together.
your own team. Bottom line: if you want a truly successful Social
While silos were once the norm across the Media implementation, you can’t do it alone.
corporate prairie, more and more businesses are Everyone has a gift and natural energy to share and
recognizing the benefit of flattening their teams, of the more you embrace this, the more help you’ll
working toward a common goal, of approaching have. Everyone has pockets of insight and a unique
business in the way we actually approach life as a perspective and the more you recognize this, the
whole. Full, flexible, nimble, courageous, integrated. more success you’ll generate. Social Media is the
And, ta-daaa, this is the core of Social Media. company you keep. On so very many levels.
The values behind Social Media are fully human Culture + Brand + Technology
based. As people, we are designed to work With frank/inside, you’ll soon realize that Social
together, we are raised in relationship, we are
Media is not solely a technical implementation.
communal at our core. So, it’s no wonder that
Social Media is by people, for people. It is based on
Social Media has appeared on the scene. Being
your company culture and your brand story. It is
social is simply what we do. As a culture, as a
rooted in your organizational objectives and your
society, as human beings.
holistic vision. The technology is simply the
medium, the messenger. And, with Social Media,
you are the message. Now, it’s simply time to bring
this to life and to make it work for you. Literally.
Culture: Social Media thrives in a strong, healthy culture. If you
don’t have that, the technology will simply amplify your
dysfunction. It will serve as both a microscope and megaphone
to “what’s wrong.” Instead, with frank/inside, you’ll be equipped
Culture to have the unspoken conversations up front. This, in turn, will
help you create a foundation of truth that can handle anything
thrown at it, from kisses to tomatoes.
Brand: Your brand story belongs to everyone who comes in
contact with your company. Your consumers, customers, vendors
Brand Technology and channel partners. It can create fans or foes depending on the
merit and value of your vision. A good idea? Co-create your
brand with those who believe in you. At work and in life. Every
single day.
Technology: Again, while technology appears to be the starting
point of Social Media, it actually does no good without a strong
strategy and objective to work toward. The technology is the
“how,” not the “what.” Remember that and you’re golden.
areyoufrank.com 3 © 2009 | frank., LLC

Biz Case Builder: final notes
With this Biz Case Builder toolkit, you’ll uncover obstacles, remove initial barriers and
holistically work toward a bona fide vision of your goal.
As you work through this toolkit, jot down thoughts in the margin, notice which questions
make you bristle or balk, which feel quite light and easy, and, especially, which cause
downright fear. Notice your feelings through this as well as the business strategies that pop
to mind. And, as always, be frank.
Now, let’s go!
frank fact:
Company, n.
1. a business enterprise
2. being together with others
Your company is your business enterprise and it
is the group of people – your co-workers, leaders,
employees, friends – that you surround yourself
with every day. Next time you talk about your
“company,” shift your mind into the relationship
sense of the word. What do you see now?
> Be sure to check areyoufrank.com for new Business Bundles coming soon!
areyoufrank.com 4 © 2009 | frank., LLC

Biz Case Builder
What is it? Outcomes
For many, Social Media represents the latest technology The Biz Case Builder will ask you questions
as opposed to a true business tool. With the frank/inside that allow you to:
Biz Case Builder, however, you’ll be armed to prove your
business case and get the wheels of conversation and outline the business benefits of your Social
community (and funding!) in motion. Media project or program
clearly identify the community you want
Who should use this toolkit? to engage
Anyone planning a Social Media implementation; anyone outline the Social Media tactics that will
interested in bringing frank conversations to their support your business goals
organizations; anyone ready to shift their organization into create a direct linkage between Social
a 2.0 mindset will benefit from this toolkit. Assumptions: Media technology tactics and business
you are familiar with basic Web 2.0 concepts and work in benefit
a for-profit organization.
> Toolkit Contents
Project Goals: define the business outcomes being
created or supported with Social Media 6-10
Stakeholders: outline who has a stake in your project
(community members, project team, sponsors and champions) 11-19
Social Media Tactics: identify the Social Media tech and
tactics that best match the stakeholders’ and business needs 20-24
Biz Case: pull it all together, creating a clear business case
for your Social Media project 25-27
Lingo Lexicon: glossary of Social Media terms 28-31
Bonus Game: Buzzword Bingo! 32
areyoufrank.com 5 © 2009 | frank., LLC

Biz Case Builder Project Goals Tool 1 Overview
Biz Case Builder: Tool 1
Project Goals > Exercises
Welcome to Exercise #1: Project Goals. Use this first
tool to hone in on what you want to achieve with your a) The 30K-Foot Level:
upcoming Social Media initiative. Often, people jump
Project Description
right to the technology before getting clear on what
really needs to be accomplished. The following b) The Deep Dive: Project
questions will help you explore new options and Results
possibilities to help you unearth and refine your specific
goal. All to help you create the conversation and c) Your Priorities
community that is desired in your organization. All to
help you discover the frankness that is waiting to be
tapped and shared.
areyoufrank.com 6 © 2009 | frank., LLC

a. 30K-Foot Level:
Biz Case Builder Project Goals
Project Description
a. 30K-Foot Level: Project Description
Ahead, you’ll find a series of questions to help you focus and refine. As you work through
them, don’t worry if you don’t have specific, water-tight answers. Social Media isn’t about
absolutes. It is a process, a work in progress. Its essence is perpetual beta and continuous
change. This is freeing if you allow it to be. In short: Simply answer as best you can. And try
to have some fun. (Remember, Social Media is about communication and collaboration.
About working and playing together.) So grab your teammates, fill up that candy dish, hang
the flip-charts and explore!
What? When?
What’s the goal? How do you know it’s “done”? What’s the business rhythm in your organization?
When you’ve been successful, what will people When are most people most likely to support the
know, say, feel or do? (Remember: research shows change you want? Is there a pressing need to launch
that emotion pushes people to offer their very best your project? Are other big offline or online events
effort.) about to pop? When will the time be “right?”
Need some inspiration? Try these on for size: Ideas: When are people most available, most
what’s your organization’s mission? How does ready for change, for new ideas?
this project support that mission? What are your
functional area’s financial, operational, customer How?
and people key objectives for this year? How
How do you want to reach your desired audience?
does this project support those objectives? How do they seek information? How do they
communicate? How do they stay on top of new
Why? information? Online? Offline? What platforms do they
Why should the business do this project? Why would currently use? How can you engage them?
anyone care? Internally? Externally?
Inspiration: How do your current means of
Inspiration: Why does this initiative support the conversation support your idea?
overall org strategy? Or existing operations? Or
new company goals or objectives? Why does Play with the above questions as long as you like.
your company need to do this? Then, when everybody feels heard, look at your wall
of ideas and – as closely as you can articulate it –
Who? ask yourself:
On a high-level, who will be impacted by your
project? Again: Internally, externally? Who will be
most emotional about this? Who will be happiest
about this? Who has the most negative perception?
➟ What’s the high-level,for yoursentence that
captures your vision
single
project?
Who is your audience? Demographics?
Psychographics?
Another avenue to ponder: Who will sponsor, Jot it down, keep it close and get ready to dive even
deeper.
offer resources and support this project?
areyoufrank.com 7 © 2009 | frank., LLC

b. The Deep Dive:
b. The Deep Dive:
Business Case Builder Project Goals
Biz Case Builder Project Goals
Project Results
Project Results
b. The Deep Dive: Project Results
Great job. You have unearthed the high-level vision for your project. Now let’s zoom down into
more concrete details and look closer at specific business outcomes and results. To do so, let’s
try out a new idea.
ROI: Return on Involvement. Discuss the following value list among your
Traditionally, you probably know ROI as Return on team. Find words that fit your culture.
Investment. With Social Media – in the realm of Transparency
communication and collaboration – your project will
Meritocracy
shift its focus to “Return on Involvement.” As noted,
Social Media is based in participation, so ask Authenticity
yourself: Openness
What will happen when you garner über-involvement Vulnerability
for your initiative? How will your organization see Collaboration
results in a new way once lines of communication are Community
open and free? What return will you get by
Zero Distance
implementing not only the technology of Social
Media but the value set of Social Media? Perpetual Beta
User-Generated Content
Yes, hard results (profit, sales, etc) can be a goal.
And, as you work through this exercise, ponder the Wisdom of the Crowds
soft results too. Often, folks talk about Social Media
being an indirect way to direct results. Play with both
sides of that coin here.
frank fact: Internal Indirect ROI tends to focus on
increased quality, knowledge sharing or
emotional investment
When it comes to 2.0 or Social Media,
Internal Direct ROI tends to focus on cost
frank/inside is most excited about the
savings, efficiency, reductions in waste or
paradigm shift that appears. The rework (or in extreme cases the ability to turn
a corporate function into a profit center
underlying values of Social Media are
through insourcing)
based in the wisdom of the crowds, of
External Indirect ROI often links to
contribution, of sharing. Whether it’s customer awareness, enthusiasm,
ideas, opinions, solutions or knowledge, satisfaction. Brand recognition, alignment.
the results of Social Media come in many External Direct ROI generally covers typical
“ROI” stuff like sales, market share, profit
different forms. This is a good thing. margin.
areyoufrank.com 8 © 2009 | frank., LLC

b. The Deep Dive:
Biz Case Builder Project Goals
Project Results
What is your desired ROI for your project?
Check out some of the typical business results for Social Media, targeting both internal and external goals.
Which (if any) are you interested in achieving? Which are relevant to your intended community? What other
intended results would you add?
➟ Grab thosetonotebooks, flip-chartsexpansive, be open. Thisandthe time to shoot forpossible results
you’d like achieve. Be vast, be
and whiteboards again
is
brainstorm all the
the stars.
ROI Options
Internal External
Direct ROI Direct ROI
Lower Staffing Needs Sales
Lower Recruiting, Training Costs Profit Margin
Lower Turnover Market Share
Faster Cycle Time Fewer Product Returns
Indirect ROI Indirect ROI
Increased Engagement Customer Awareness
Stronger Culture Community, Time on Site
Easier Gen X, Y Talent Acquisition & Click-through’s & Forwarding
Retention Brand Alignment, Brand Recognition
Networking, Innovation Targeted Product Development Input
Best Practice Sharing Customer Satisfaction Ratings
Knowledge Management
Internal Indirect ROI Internal Direct ROI External Indirect ROI External Direct ROI
tends to focus on tends to focus on cost often links to customer generally covers typical
increased quality, savings, efficiency, awareness, “ROI” stuff like sales,
knowledge sharing or reductions in waste or enthusiasm, market share, profit
emotional investment rework (or in extreme satisfaction. Brand margin.
cases the ability to turn recognition, alignment.
a corporate function
into a profit center
through insourcing)
Need a hint? Check in with what’s going on around you:
What are your team’s key objectives for this year?
What are your annual performance goals? Your boss’s?
Are these reflected in the project’s business results that you noted above?
areyoufrank.com 9 © 2009 | frank., LLC

Biz Case Builder Project Goals c. Your Priorities
c. Your Priorities
At this point you’ve done some data gathering, you’ve brainstormed with the best of ‘em. So
now, let’s start narrowing it down.
Of the detailed results you just come up with, which three are the
most pressing? Which three get you excited to achieve? (Write
them down and keep them handy because we’re gonna build on frank fact:
these in the following exercises.)
If this doesn’t feel fully
complete yet, that’s OK.
1. Remember, one of the core
values of Social Media is
perpetual beta. This means
constant evolution,
movement, refinement. By
simply moving through this
process, you gain learning
that was previously hidden.
2. You unearth new discoveries.
You move into the realm of
possibility. This is a very
important phase of any
Social Media project. So, give
yourself the permission to
learn as you go. Flow with
the visioning process and see
3. what emerges. At the outset
of a Social Media project,
your mantra is: Envision
more, act less. Try it. See
what shows up when you
intentionally create space for
the unexpected.
areyoufrank.com 10 © 2009 | frank., LLC

Biz Case Builder Stakeholders Tool 2 Overview
Biz Case Builder: Tool 2
Stakeholders > Exercises
How you doing? Having fun? Learning a lot? We bet.
Now, get ready for even more. a) List ‘Em
In the previous section you outlined some ways in which b) Map ‘Em
Social Media can support your business and teamwork.
Now let’s think through your stakeholders: the c) Meet ‘Em
community participants and those who will create the
d) Connect ‘Em
community itself.
This section will guide you through identifying your
project stakeholders. You’ll also clarify the
characteristics of the community you want to engage. In
short: this is your audience. Get ready to make some
friends.
frank fact:
frank/inside uses “audiences” and “stakeholders” relatively interchangeably
in this toolkit, but it should be noted: frank most often leans toward
“stakeholder.” In Social Media, there’s a level of personal investment, of
personal involvement. Everyone in a community should have a stake in it,
should have some skin the game. That’s what makes it an authentic
community. A subtle wordplay, but a good litmus test when you’re interested
in shifting a simple audience member into a full-on participant. Or: Audience
members watch. Participants help make your project a success.
areyoufrank.com 11 © 2009 | frank., LLC

Biz Case Builder Stakeholders a. List ‘Em
a. List ‘Em
Still have that candy dish loaded? If not, fill it up. Then gather your team, grab your top three
business goals and now list:
The Audience / Community You’d Like to Engage in Conversation?
(Red Flag: If your answer is “everyone” then your project purpose probably needs additional refinement.)
Project Team
(Who will do the provide their time and talent to make this project a success?)
Sponsors
(Who will provide budget, talent, time and other resources to keep the project on track?)
Others
(This crowd often includes the customers, suppliers, distributors or other support organizations for the
community you’re seeking to engage.)
While brainstorming, write your stakeholders on the graphic below or on a flip-chart, placing those most
impacted or those most important in the center. (Add stakeholders as needed to the audience ideas provided.)
One idea: use a different colored pen or marker for each of the four stakeholder categories. (Share your
crayons) Or, do a new chart for each audience if need be. Whatever helps you hone in.
Local Managers
Organization Leadership
Customers
HR, Internal
Communications, OE, Consumers
Training
Marketing / Suppliers
Branding
Impact Level
Local Community
Technology
Distribution
Customer Support
Legal Accounting Sales
Manufacturing / Operations Finance Who else?
areyoufrank.com 12 © 2009 | frank., LLC

Biz Case Builder Stakeholders b. Map ‘Em
b. Map ‘Em
OK, you’ve got your stakeholders. Excellent. (Often projects fail because key people have
been excluded or not considered.) We’ll come back to this list, but for now it’s important to
prioritize and clarify your communities. The more focused you are, and the better you
understand the community you’re engaging, the better your project results.
Now, let’s dive in even deeper.
Again, grab your “top three results” list: the goals you’re going to
achieve through this Social Media project. Now, take the most
frank fact:
important stakeholders and map them on the following grid,
according to their importance to the project goals (vertical access) To get going, frank/inside
and your ability to communicate with and influence their recommends to initially focus
participation and involvement in the project or community
(horizontal access). on one to three key
audiences. While you
naturally can add more over
time, initially focusing on one
or two will keep your
Most Critical to Project Success
messaging crisp and on
brand, allowing you to more
easily engage this
community. Social Media
doesn’t want you to be all
things to all people. That isn’t
the point. Instead, Social
Media likes to pair a needle in
a haystack with another
Most Easily Reached, Influenced
(accessible, organization stability, good key sponsorship, needle in a haystack. Yep.
influenced by recognition or other cultural factors)
True connection is what
Cool. You’ve just created a priority map for your intended
community “audiences.” Those closest to the upper right corner works. Not generalized
should be your first priority: they’re both critical to the project’s commentary. This is
success and require relatively few resources to influence. Notice
where other audiences fall on the map and discuss accordingly. It personal, people.
should be clear who wants to hear your message!
areyoufrank.com 13 © 2009 | frank., LLC

Biz Case Builder Stakeholders c. Meet ‘Em
c. Meet ‘Em
Super. You’ve clarified your goals, stakeholders and priority audiences. Now it’s time to meet
and greet; to get to know these audiences to make your project both effective and efficient.
So, for each top participant group in the online conversation you wish to create, answer the following questions.
(Note: remember to grant permission to yourself and your team members to speak frankly.)
In what organizations and functional area(s) do they work? What
team(s)? What are their job titles?
frank fact:
What results are they responsible for producing? What keeps them
up at night? As you work through these
If their job went away tomorrow, who would care?
ideas, take your time and
How close are the audiences geographically to you, to each other?
In what time zones do they work? look for any underlying
What languages do they speak? In what languages do they read conflicts or confusion.
and write?
How much access do they have to technology on an ongoing Explore the emotionality of
basis? On a day-to-day basis? How technologically savvy are these questions. What
they?
triggers pull people in?
What's the general education level?
Do they all typically work the same shift? If not, how do they Push people away? If
communicate between shifts? something causes
In what ways do they need clearer information and additional
collaboration? discomfort among your
To what (or whom) do they give credibility? What (or who) could brainstorming group, don’t
motivate change or action? step over it or ignore it or
Who are the organization’s unofficial leaders: those always “in the
know”? If your org was a town, who would be the mayor? try to “keep the peace.”
What will be their resistance to participating in online conversation? Revisit your frank
What is the general attitude among the employees about commitment and allow for
leadership? Fear? Anticipation? Excitement? Caution? Denial?
Resistance? open dialogue. It’s the only
What is the general attitude among your culture about answering thing that creates lasting
candid questions? Fear? Anticipation? Excitement? Caution?
Denial? Resistance? change.
How will skills and/or behavior need to change over time in order
for this project to be successful?
What are the early wins?
What resources (people, survey instruments, other) from the organization are available to help with this data
gathering and participant definition? What are their skills, availability?
Within what timeframe should this data be collected and finalized?
As data is gathered regarding employee engagement and / or participant communication preferences will
confidentiality be protected? If so, how will that be communicated?
areyoufrank.com 14 © 2009 | frank., LLC

Biz Case Builder Stakeholders d. Connect ‘Em
d. Connect ‘Em
By now, you should have a really good sense of your key audiences. Now what do you do
with them? Here’s an idea.
In order to clarify whether Social Media can assist you in reaching the business goals you outlined, you need to
determine the cause for any gap between what’s happening today and what you want to happen.
The next exercise is a great technique for identifying the root causes for differences between current and future
state, particularly with regard to audience behaviors and emotions. This exercise is most effective when you
complete it with a team of those who know the target audience well. So, pull out your supplies again and, when
everyone is present, hit it!
1. For each target audience complete the matrix below. Start with the audience name in the upper left corner.
Use your solid brainstorming techniques to complete each row, working left to right. (For example, what is
the target audience currently knowing or aware of? Next, what are they feeling? And: what are they doing or
saying? How do you know? What's observable?)
2. After fully describing your intended audience’s “Current State,” move to the far right and, using the same
brainstorming techniques, describe how you want your audience to behave: what do you wish they knew?
What do you wish they felt? What do you wish they’d say or do? (Simply put: In an ideal world, how would
you want audiences to behave?)
You may want to ask HR or Quality departments for a facilitator to help with this exercise.
Audience Name Current State Gap Future/Desired State
Know/Are Aware:
Feel:
Audience Do/Say:
What’s Going On:
areyoufrank.com 15 © 2009 | frank., LLC

Biz Case Builder Stakeholders d. Connect ‘Em
Check out this example to get the wheels spinning...
Acme Dallas
Employees Current State Gap Future/Desired State
a merger has been announced with the merger is an excellent opportunity
Acme Company for both companies
our two companies have efficiencies gained in support
complementary product lines organizations will allow significant
product line, and market share
Know/are Aware: the merger will be finalized within
expansion
six months
details are not yet known, but this
merger, poises the future company for
growth rather than layoffs or
contraction
anxious excited and engaged in a joint future
feeling overwhelmed, overworked confident in the opportunities
Feel: unsure of whether their job will be
moved to a new location
not sure what to tell customers
regarding product support
time wasted in speculation, gossip focus
poor morale confident optimism reflected in
Audience Do/Say:
professional conversations with
employees seeking other jobs for
What’s Going On: fear of losing their jobs here customers and other employees
retention of our best employees
areyoufrank.com 16 © 2009 | frank., LLC

Biz Case Builder Stakeholders d. Connect ‘Em
3. Next, after completing the rows for “Current State” and “Future State” use the middle column to list
underlying reasons for the gaps – focusing on the gaps over which your team has control or influence. (In the
Acme sample below, for example, the project team has strong influence over the extent to which employees
are informed and involved regarding ongoing merger updates.)
Gaps = Lack of Knowledge /
Information? Motivation? Reinforcement?
Acme Dallas Practice? Feedback? Or are the gaps truly Future/Desired
Employees Current State situational? State
a merger has been many of the gaps are situational: details the merger is an excellent
announced with Acme are not yet known. However, new opportunity for both
Company information is evolving constantly companies
our two companies have there's a significant opportunity to efficiencies gained in
complementary product reinforce what is known and to give support organizations will
lines employees a “virtual water cooler” where allow significant product
they can go for latest updates line, and market share
Know/are Aware: the merger will be finalized
expansion
within six months
details are not yet
known, but this merger,
poises the future
company for growth
rather than layoffs or
contraction
anxious lack of personal job security creates a lack excited and engaged in a
of individual employee confidence joint future
feeling overwhelmed,
overworked as employees begin to understand where confident in the
their jobs fit into the company’s future, opportunities
unsure of whether their job
Feel: confidence will increase
will be moved to a new
location
not sure what to tell
customers regarding product
support
time wasted in speculation, a lack of clear, consistent messaging that focus
gossip reinforces 1) what is known about our joint confident optimism
future; 2) the timing of ongoing updates;
poor morale reflected in professional
3) where to go for additional information; conversations with
employees seeking other 4) how employees can have a voice in the
Audience Do/Say: jobs for fear of losing their customers and other
company's future; 5) what employees can employees
What’s Going On: jobs here expect during this transition
retention of our best
while additional information will not employees
mitigate all employee concerns, it will
significantly lower stress related to
uncertainty
areyoufrank.com 17 © 2009 | frank., LLC

Biz Case Builder Stakeholders d. Connect ‘Em
4. Once the gaps are known, it’s time for some solutions. Get your team going on possibility, opportunity and
intention. If you need ideas, check the Acme example again. Possible solutions that exist here could be:
create cascading communication templates for leaders and managers
start a discussion forum with employees
create an online or offline newsletter
encourage leaders to record and distribute merger update podcasts
create an online portal with leader blog updates on the merger, with employee comments and
questions
host information fairs, online or off
schedule monthly town hall meetings to update people, online or off
do nothing (always a viable option in any brainstorming session!)
5. Your next step is to prioritize potential solutions based on effectiveness, available resources, timeliness
and viability. Play with what’s possible and hone in on what’s effective at the same time. Where does your
Social Media idea overlap? Where are there commonalities? Oddities? As you’ve played with the Gap
exercise, have your goals changed or altered at all? If so, tweak them now.
frank fact:
There's the positive side of brainstorming ... and the negative. Or: frank
understands that we're all different. Some folks brainstorm with their sights
on the stars. All ideas are grand, anything is possible. Others, however, tend to
meet those big ideas with immediate resistances as to why "that won't work."
No harm, no foul. In fact, both types of people can be great assets to an idea-
generating session. The main focus is frankness. Leave the ego at the door and
encourage open expression, whatever style it comes in. And if your group
would like to change its brainstorming modus operandi, do it. Have a
conversation, choose to grow, make it great. This is your process, after all.
areyoufrank.com 18 © 2009 | frank., LLC

Biz Case Builder Stakeholders d. Connect ‘Em
6. Finally, let’s revisit the ROI. What is the Return on Involvement that you can find within your audience
and your gap solutions? How important is this challenge? If solved, what would be the financial
impact? The human impact? The reputational impact? What are the expected savings or benefits of
fixing this problem? Play with the blank graphic below, or draw your own, to map out the expected
benefits of solving your particular business challenges with Social Media.
Want some inspiration? Examples could include:
Improved employee engagement (reduction in turnover, absenteeism, tardiness, injuries, theft,
recruitment costs)
Improved customer engagement (increased word of mouth evangelism, repeat sales, new customers)
Improved collaboration resulting in cost and/or time savings, product / service consistency and quality,
better product development or packaging ideas, lower customer support costs
Increased sales/margin
Better quality of decisions through better, more up-to-date information
Retention of organizational knowledge during employee turnover and / or retirements
Improved legal compliance and / or policy compliance
Improved information audit trail
Internal External
Direct ROI Direct ROI
Indirect ROI Indirect ROI
areyoufrank.com 19 © 2009 | frank., LLC

Biz Case Builder Social Media Tactics Tool 3 Overview
Biz Case Builder: Tool 3
Social Media Tactics > Exercises
Congratulations! You’ve got a clear business goal and a
sense of who will be part of the community. You’ve a) Types of Communication
played with ROI and who will be part of the solution.
Now, let’s do a deeper dive into how you’ll make this all b) Tech Mapping
come together.
It’s time to talk tactics.
In order to create a business case, you’ll need to estimate your
Social Media tactics. It should be noted that this exercise assumes
basic familiarity with Social Media. (In case you need a refresher,
check out our Social Media Lingo Lexicon at the end.) Either way,
let’s get started.
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a. Types of
Biz Case Builder Social Media Tactics
Communication
a. Types of Communication
In the last exercise, you outlined each group’s gap between their current state and your
desired situation. In order to determine the best Social Media tools to close that gap, you’ll
first want to clarify what type of communication you intend to engage in.
To focus, read the following and choose what best describes the situation driving this project:
We'd like to build awareness and It is critical that we get a clear
We have a lot of information
provide ongoing updates. We’d understanding of the community’s
to distribute quickly.
like to know what people are feelings, thoughts and content
Decisions are final, and we
thinking and feeling. People information on an ongoing basis.
don't necessarily want a lot of
need to know what to do on the Without user input this community is
feedback or input.
job with this new info. worthless.
Broadcast, information Some feedback Ongoing relationship, conversation,
dissemination shared knowledge
GOAL: AWARENESS GOAL: UNDERSTANDING GOAL: COLLABORATION
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Social Media a. Types of
Business Case Builder
Tactics Communication
Now, looking at what you want to communicate, outline your topics in the chart below.
AWARENESS: UNDERSTANDING: COLLABORATION:
Broadcast, Some feedback Ongoing
information relationship,
dissemination conversation,
shared knowledge
Topic:
Topic:
Topic:
Topic:
Topic:
frank fact:
As discussed, Social Media is about conversation, the exchange of ideas or feelings.
While Social Media tools can be used to promote information within an organization,
more long-term value comes from Social Media tools that align with Social Media
values. Or, when it comes to communication, Social Media is – at its core – neutral: it’s
not inherently good or bad. How it’s used determines its impact. (A butcher knife can
be used to cut up fruit salad or to threaten someone!) Similarly, Social Media can be
used to communicate and connect, or to appear to converse while actually just
talking. The latter is the most disheartening for both Social Media and people. (One of
the most discouraging and disengaging situations for employees is the perception that
leadership is asking for input, but not listening. Ouch.)
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Biz Case Builder Social Media Tactics b. Tech Mapping
b. Tech Mapping
Let’s explore the Awareness / Understanding / Collaboration flow a bit more and link it up with
actual Social Media tactics.
Awareness Understanding
Now, you may have noticed that some “gap” Next, often people know something is occurring —
sections were due to a lack of information or they’re aware — but they don’t know how to use that
awareness. This is often the case during rapid information to do their jobs. They don’t see a clear
organizational change. People don’t have a sense of impact in their own positions and need an
what the changes are, how it impacts them, why it’s opportunity to ask questions, get feedback, clarify
important. In the absence of this information it’s expectations and priorities. In addition to more
difficult for people to visualize and work toward a traditional performance management tools (feedback
shared future. In addition to traditional meetings, mentoring, coaching), Social Media can
communications tactics (town hall meetings, posters, clarify strategic direction, allow stakeholders to ask
table tents, newsletters), “Awareness” specific questions and get direct input.
Social Media tactics can help you build
stakeholder awareness. Other ideas to Collaboration
consider: webcasts, podcasts, videos, Finally, it’s not uncommon for people to do a job
e-blasts and other “push” social
well within their own area, but fail to integrate
communications that allow
their efforts across silos. The result can be
audiences to comment
inefficient or downright counterproductive.
and ask questions.
wikis Social networks, wikis and discussion
3. “Collaboration”
forums can quickly facilitate project
answers:
social networking collaboration and best practice sharing.
How can I do my job better
discussion forums through collaboration? Where
can I get and contribute ideas and
tagging information?
Notice where certain Social
blogs Media tactics line up with the
2. “Understanding” answers: type of communication you
intend to create.
v-logs How does the new goal, situation, initiative apply to my
job, my team? How does this line up with customer priorities?
slideshare Team priorities? What changes? What stays? What are my
individual and team motivation to re-align actions?
podcasts
webcasts
youtube 1. “Awareness” phase answers the questions:
What are the new vision, business objectives, culture, priorities? How will behavior, measures
ebalsts and rewards look different? What changes? What stays? How are my friends and I affected?
rss
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Biz Case Builder Social Media Tactics b. Tech Mapping
For more, check out the following chart that goes into even more detail. And remember, this
is a guideline. As Social Media is a constantly growing and evolving entity, leave room for –
and expect – changes and surprises along the way.
Suitable for Some Good fit for Good fit for Ideal for
“push” opportunity large team ongoing
communica- for wide audience collaboration large
tions audience input community
feedback conversation
Blog GOOD GOOD FAIR FAIR GOOD
V-Log GOOD GOOD FAIR FAIR GOOD
Wiki POOR POOR POOR EXCELLENT POOR
Podcast EXCELLENT GOOD FAIR POOR POOR
Discussion
FAIR GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD
forum
Poll POOR EXCELLENT EXCELLENT EXCELLENT EXCELLENT
Social
POOR EXCELLENT GOOD EXCELLENT EXCELLENT
Network
Document
FAIR POOR FAIR EXCELLENT POOR
repository
Photo
POOR POOR POOR EXCELLENT POOR
Sharing
Which tactics are right for your project? Note them here:
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Biz Case Builder Biz Case Tool 4 Overview
Biz Case Builder: Tool 4
Biz Case
Congratulations! You’ve collected a lot of information through the questions included in this
toolkit. Before we head into the final stretch, pause for moment to see if any other information
is still needed? Check your gut here. Do you feel like you’ve overturned the right rocks and
begun to move the right barriers? Do you feel you’ve had the important – or even tough –
conversations that needed to be had? Do you feel there are any other items to cover, uncover
or discover?
Call one last meeting with your team for a check in. Explore these questions, then, once everyone has been
heard, it’s time to harmonize all your thoughts into one, compact, portable business case. So, pulling from all the
great, rich information you’ve gathered, print out this diagram or map it on a whiteboard or flip-chart and fill it in!
Vision Single Sentence
What people will DO What people will KNOW What people will FEEL
Results, Measures & Value ➟ Tactics ➟ Cost ➟ NET VALUE
Organization: .................................................... online and budget Results
offline Value
tactics to workplan
–
Team: ............................................................... achieve team Cost
desired
results =
Individual: ........................................................
Net Value
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Biz Case Builder Biz Case
Once you have your chart filled in as best you can, crank out the following document and call
your boss / possible sponsor / CEO / whomever can help you bring your goal to life.
Social Media Project Biz Case:
Executive Summary:
short paragraph describing the recommended project (scope, tactics, timeline), and intended business results.
Situation:
environmental factors, research and facts that support the need for this project, as well as factors that may pose
barriers.
Project Description:
an outline of the audiences impacted, tactics (online and offline), timeline, audiences / scope, anticipated
expense and Return on Involvement.
Cost / Benefit Analysis:
describes the anticipated expenses and the return on investment, generally by business quarter. Often includes
a description of both the indirect costs and benefits (time, employee engagement) and direct costs and benefits
(budget required, increased sales). (Note: frank / inside will release a detailed Social Media cost / benefit tool
later in 2009, so stay tuned!)
Timeline and Project Milestones:
overview of the project phases, key deliverables and other success measures.
Any Supporting Information:
research, surveys, focus groups, employee polls, etc.
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And now you’re off!
Congratulations for taking the time, pushing the envelope, having the conversations and
staying committed to your frankness. We sincerely hope this toolkit has helped you find your
project goal, passion and voice – and that you’re well on your way to kicking off your project
with a great team and aligned resources.
Please share your learnings, stumbling blocks and emerging thoughts on our blog at
areyoufrank.com today! Or, if you have any questions or comments, please email us at
info@areyoufrank.com. We’re always up for a frank conversation.
Congrats!
You and your team have courageously embarked on a journey that will re-
energize your business objectives, your culture, your brand and yourselves!
When presenting your Biz Case to others, remind them that organizations that
proactively take accountablity for the dynamics of Social Media are the ones
thriving today and will be in the future. Be blunt: conversations about your
culture, brand, products and services are already taking place — online and
off. Now's the time to lead, follow or get out of the way. (Of course, with your
stewardship, they'll choose the first option!) All the best with all that's ahead.
areyoufrank.com 27 © 2009 | frank., LLC

Business Case Builder Social Media Lingo Lexicon
Social Media Lingo Lexicon
Architecture of Participation — a term coined by O’Reilly Media in 2003 referring to applications encouraging
user input, feedback, content contributions (see “UGC”, “Prosumer”) and adoption. While Tim O’Reilly’s original
comment referred to technical systems architected for inclusion the term has broadened to include both
technical and organizational systems designed for inclusion.
Blog — a web log, or blog is an online journal listed in reverse chronological order. Blogs can be personal or a
series of articles on a particular topic. Entries or ‘posts’ are most effective when frequently updated (at least
several times a week). Posts can be “tagged” with keywords so that blog content is easily found by search
engines. Readers can comment, creating a dialogue within communities of interest. “Blogger” (blogger.com) is
a free blogging software. Other common blogging tools are Wordpress (also free - Wordpress.com) and Typepad
(Typepad.com).
Blogroll — a list of blogs. Often a blogger will list their favorite blogs on the main page, allowing readers to
easily link to similar or interesting content.
Cloud Computing — applications hosted outside the organization’s firewall. Increasing numbers of Social
Media and other applications are hosted externally and “skinned” or branded to appear as if hosted internally.
Conference Calls — while not typically considered “Social Media” there are a growing number of free
conference calling resources (including freeconferencecall.com, mrconference.com) which, when paired with
other free resources such as slideshare.net can allow users to create their own ‘webinar’.
Discussion Forums, Discussion Groups, Online Forums — groups of people with similar interests - either
personal or professional – collaborating, asking and answering questions. Users of a community discussion
forum send a question or comment to a central email address that forwards the question / comment to all
community members. A response by any one member goes to all members. Discussion groups are most
effective with a moderator who will keep the ‘conversation’ on track and link members with similar interests and
challenges. While there are a variety of free and fee-based discussion forums Yahoo (groups.yahoo.com) is a
favorite because it allows members to set preferences, receiving email notifications once daily, weekly, never, or
whenever there’s a new post.
Enterprise 2.0 — a term used to describe an organization that embraces web 2.0 values and tools: perpetual
beta, authentic, evolving, fast-paced, energetic. Enterprise 2.0 organizations are among the best living examples
of web 2.0 in action.
frank — a Social Media strategy company that works with organizations and individuals to enable conversation,
both online and off. Through branding, organization effectiveness and Social Media frank (areyoufrank.com)
enables leaders to engage in conversation with employees, suppliers, distributors and consumers for the sake
of continuous collaboration, innovation and knowledge integration. The result is improved engagement,
knowledge retention and ROI.
IM or instant message, or online chat — free software allowing two or more users to ‘talk’ online in a
synchronous conversation. Most software offers video camera and audio calling, creating a more personal
conversation among participants. Messenger.yahoo.com is Yahoo’s version, get.live.com is Microsoft’s version.
Both work with either pc or Mac computers.
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Business Case Builder Social Media Lingo Lexicon
Moblog or Mobile Blogging — posting, commenting or performing other blogging activities from a mobile
device such as a cell phone.
M-Learning or Mobile Learning — content distributed to cell phones, allowing learners to review and absorb
content and respond to quizzes and surveys on the go. Mobipocket.com and hotlavasoftware.com offer free
authoring software to create mobile learning content and surveys. The sites also offer a library of free and paid
downloadable content. Organizations use m-learning to update remote and mobile workers.
Open Source — freely available content. Often refers to software code (“open source code”) available for
download and modification. Benefits include lower cost of acquisition. Drawbacks include unsupported or
inconsistent updates as individual users modify the content or code for their own use. Examples include the
internet browser Firefox (mozilla.com/en-US/firefox).
Optimize — optimizing your blog or web site includes tagging, pinging and site optimization structures to make
your content findable by search engines such as Google or Yahoo or GoodSearch. For great free and paid site
optimization tips, articles and user community visit seomoz.org. This topic is primarily aimed at those who wish
to connect with external audiences such as customer communities and shareholders.
Ping — as a blogger you want to let servers know when you’ve written a new post so that readers are notified
by RSS feed that new content is available. Pinging is the process of letting the server know you’ve posted fresh
content. Most blogging software (Typepad, Wordpress, Blogger) have simple instructions on how to ping.
Photo sharing — “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Flickr (flickr.com) is a free and easy-to-use online
software that allows users to post and tag photos. You can search and view photos for free, or you can post
photos and tag the content with a keyword that makes the images easy to find by others who share your interests
and passions. Organizations use internal photo sharing to celebrate, and recognize individuals and teams.
Podcast — Personal On Demand — a short audio or video article or clip in the format generally in the form of
an .mp3 or .wav file, playable on any portable media such as an iPod, mp3 player, CD or online. Research
indicates that the majority of podcasts are accessed using a computer or CD player rather than a portable mp3
player. Free and paid podcasts are available at podcast.net, podcast.com and iTunes.com. To create your own
podcast you’ll need recording software such as Audacity (free at audacity.sourceforge.net). You can post podcasts
on podcast aggregators such as those listed above, or you can post a podcast on your web site or blog.
Polls — an easy way to find out what matters to your employees, colleagues, friends and community. Free
polling software is available on many wikis and blogs, as well as discussion forum software such as Yahoo
Groups (groups.yahoo.com). Survey Monkey (surveymonkey.com) offers free and fee-based online survey
distribution, while Zoomerang (zoomerang.com) also offers mobile-based surveys.
Prosumer — a content producer and consumer, this refers to the high level of UCG or User Generated Content
that is a hallmark of Social Media. One of the most well-known examples is Wikipedia (Wikipedia.org) where all
content entries are contributed by unpaid volunteer individuals.
RSS – RSS, or ‘Really Simple Syndication‘ — a way to aggregate content that interests you. You can
aggregate passively using an aggregator or actively using an RSS feed that emails you when new content is
posted on a site. Bloglines is a free service that aggregates content that you choose, including weather,
business news or other topics. You can also offer your own content through Bloglines and other aggregators.
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Business Case Builder Social Media Lingo Lexicon
SMS — Short Message System: a mobile device- or pc-based text message allowing writers to quickly send a
short (160 character or less) note to a mobile or pc recipient.
Social Media — see “Web 2.0”. While Social Media is similar to Web 2.0, it also includes offline collaboration tactics.
Social Networking — online communities connecting people with similar interests. The software that allows
user communities to connect includes profile pages, blogging, emailing, chatting, games and other interactive
software. Membership is generally free. Facebook and LinkedIn are currently popular sites for business
collaboration and networking, linking ‘known’ people a la Six Degrees of Separation. MySpace, Friendster, Bebo
and Yahoo 360 are other social networking sites connecting user communities. As well, Zanby is an example of
a customizable social networking enterprise platform for organizations.
Tagging — the process of adding key words to blog posts, online photos or other published content so that
search engines can easily find categorized content.
TM or Text message — text message or SMS (short message system) allows people to quickly send a short
(160 character or less) note from mobile device to mobile device. Many cell phone plans charge for each
message sent.
Tweet, Twitter — Twitter is a micro-blogging software allowing users to post SMS updates or “Tweets”. Other
Twitter users “follow” your Tweets by subscribing to your updates.
UE, UX, UID or User Interface — the visual and /or audio experience of a technology user. User Experience
(UE, UX), User Interface Design (UID) include experience-shaping elements such as screen / audio layout, color
& tone, formatting, speed, language and navigation.
UCG — User Generated Content. See “Prosumer” and “Architecture of Participation”.
Viral Content — highly “contagious” word-of-mouth (or word-of-web) content passed along from user to user.
Examples include YouTube videos (YouTube.com where you can view, search or post video clips for free), slide
show content (SlideShare.com where you can view, search or post PowerPoint or other slide content for free),
podcasts and other portable media.
Web 2.0 — a term created by O’Reilly Media in 2003 to describe the collection of online tools helping people to
self-express, connect, share, create. Common ‘web 2.0’ tools include blogs, wiki’s, podcasts, discussion forums
as well as the rest of the tools listed here. While the technology is constantly evolving the values behind the tools
remain constant: transparency, authenticity, user-generated content, meritocracy, affordability, emergence,
action over perfection are all characteristics of Web 2.0. Note: Social media is another common term for Web 2.0
that includes offline collaboration tactics.
Webinar — an online seminar. Many webinars are free, and they’re a great way to get your expertise out there.
Webinar participants log in and view slides while listening to audio of the facilitator. Some software allows
participants to ‘raise their hand’ and submit questions either verbally or by typing their question. Webinar
software captures both audio and visual content for later access. WebEx is currently the most well-known
webinar software. Yugma.com offers free collaboration for up to ten people (with additional collaboration
available for a fee), and at this writing (April 2008) conferencecalls.com offered web-based meeting hosting for
about nine cents per minute, or about $5.50 / hour.
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Business Case Builder Social Media Lingo Lexicon
Widget — a small application that often sits on a desktop. Typically one-function individually-focused
applications, widgets can be easily added or deleted. Examples include clocks, weather reports, notepads and
horoscopes. A widget can be a plug-in that interacts with a remote host application.
Wiki — a wiki (the Hawaiian word for ‘quick’) is an online platform for sharing and editing content, typically a text
file. One person posts a document and other viewers edit the document stored online. The wiki tracks who
made changes and when. Work teams typically use wikis to gain everyone’s input and edits to a document.
Other uses include calendar and schedule collaboration, recipe sharing and user manuals. The most famous wiki
is Wikipedia (Wikipedia.com). Free wiki software is available at wetpaintcentral.com. PBWiki.com also offers
inexpensive wiki software.
Yahoo!Answers — the epitome of user-generated content, Yahoo!Answers (answers.yahoo.com) allows users
to post questions, answer each other’s questions, search for content answers, and rank best answers. Free.
While a lot of the site’s content is puerile and frankly grammatically shocking, the idea epitomizes the best of
social media: community helping community, free.
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Bonus Game: Buzzword Bingo!
Do you keep falling asleep in meetings and seminars? What about those long and boring
conference calls? Here’s a way to change all of that! Enjoy our Web 2.0 twist on traditional
Buzzword Bingo.
How to play: check off each box when you hear these words during a meeting, seminar or phone call. When
you get five horizontally, vertically or diagonally, stand up and yell “BINGO!”
Collaborative Viral User
Blogroll Moblog
Technologies Content Interface
UGC, or User
Optimize Open Source Generated Out of the Loop UX, UE, UID
Content
White Label Twitter,
Google Analytics Widget Pro-sumer
Social Network Tweet
Community Knowledge Base
Empower / Enterprise
Development (or Knowledge Plug-in
Empowerment 2.0
Manager Management)
Client
Yahoo! Cloud Discussion
Focus(ed) Dashboard
Computing Forum
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