WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA? WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? HOW CAN YOU OPTIMIZE YOUR CAMPAIGNS? Introduction to Social Media Optimization

How do people use the web to find stuff? IN THE BEGINNING: DIRECTORIES Directories like Yahoo circa 1997 acted as leaping-off points. AND LO, THEN CAME: SEARCH ENGINES As search engine algorithms improved, people began simply searching for what they wanted, leading to Search Engine Optimization (SEO). AND NOW: SOCIAL MEDIA People use blogs, social networking sites, and wikis to find news and information filtered by their interests. Is your web campaign optimized to make the most of this trend?

IN THE BEGINNING: DIRECTORIES Directories like Yahoo circa 1997 acted as leaping-off points.

AND LO, THEN CAME: SEARCH ENGINES As search engine algorithms improved, people began simply searching for what they wanted, leading to Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

AND NOW: SOCIAL MEDIA People use blogs, social networking sites, and wikis to find news and information filtered by their interests.

Is your web campaign optimized to make the most of this trend?

What exactly is Social Media? Social media includes online technologies used to share content, opinions, and media. Key content ingredients: interactivity and sharing Syndicatable, linkable, easily reused Blogs Wikis Social networking (MySpace, Facebook) Presence apps (Twitter and Jaiku) Video sharing (YouTube , Vimeo) News aggregation (Digg and Reddit) Photo sharing (Flickr) Virtual Reality (Second Life) Social bookmarking (del.icio.us)

Social media includes online technologies used to share content, opinions, and media.

Key content ingredients: interactivity and sharing

Syndicatable, linkable, easily reused

Blogs

Wikis

Social networking (MySpace, Facebook)

Presence apps (Twitter and Jaiku)

Video sharing (YouTube , Vimeo)

News aggregation (Digg and Reddit)

Photo sharing (Flickr)

Virtual Reality (Second Life)

Social bookmarking (del.icio.us)

So, who cares? Tip of the iceberg 100+ million MySpace members 70+ million blogs 30+ million Facebook members (Source: Wikipedia) 70% of consumers actively looking for ways to block, opt-out, or eliminate advertising (source: 2005 study by Yankelovich)

Tip of the iceberg

100+ million MySpace members

70+ million blogs

30+ million Facebook members

(Source: Wikipedia)

70% of consumers actively looking for ways to block, opt-out, or eliminate advertising (source: 2005 study by Yankelovich)

Why optimize for Social Media? When you optimize a website for social media, you don’t just get more traffic — you open a dialog with your market . Make it easy for people to share (email, social links) Make it easy for people to interact (comments) Make it easy for people to evangelize (permalinks) Ultimately, when you’re conscious of SMO, you’re giving your web campaign social media legs.

When you optimize a website for social media, you don’t just get more traffic — you open a dialog with your market .

Make it easy for people to share (email, social links)

Make it easy for people to interact (comments)

Make it easy for people to evangelize (permalinks)

Ultimately, when you’re conscious of SMO, you’re giving your web campaign social media legs.

Seven rules for SMO courtesy of Rohit Bhargava and Jeremiah Owyang Increase your linkability Make bookmarking easy Reward inbound links Help your content travel Encourage the mashup Be a user resource, even if it doesn't help you Reward helpful and valuable users

Increase your linkability

Make bookmarking easy

Reward inbound links

Help your content travel

Encourage the mashup

Be a user resource, even if it doesn't help you

Reward helpful and valuable users

1. Increase your linkability Write content people want to link -- content that starts a conversation Enable direct linking to every little bit of content, especially videos Allow users to embed your video, photo, or written content on their sites Avoid burying written content in Flash files or other unlinkable formats Remember: if they can’t link you, they can’t talk about you

Write content people want to link -- content that starts a conversation

Enable direct linking to every little bit of content, especially videos

Allow users to embed your video, photo, or written content on their sites

Avoid burying written content in Flash files or other unlinkable formats

Remember: if they can’t link you, they can’t talk about you

2. Make bookmarking easy Make it simple for people to save your site and keep up with it Bookmarking allows people to return and share via social linking sites like del.icio.us RSS feeds are key here: deliver your content to people

Make it simple for people to save your site and keep up with it

Bookmarking allows people to return and share via social linking sites like del.icio.us

RSS feeds are key here: deliver your content to people

3. Reward inbound links Who’s linking to you and what are they saying? Track your inbound links Allow display of trackbacks Highlight people who write about you Engage in conversations on blogs that link to you

Who’s linking to you and what are they saying?

Track your inbound links

Allow display of trackbacks

Highlight people who write about you

Engage in conversations on blogs that link to you

4. Help your content travel “ Send to a friend” is the Web 1.0 version of this Web 2.0 means: RSS feeds so that people can syndicate your content Embeddable content Widgets and tools for people to use on their blogs or Facebook pages Quick links to social bookmarking sites like del.ici.ous

“ Send to a friend” is the Web 1.0 version of this

Web 2.0 means:

RSS feeds so that people can syndicate your content

Embeddable content

Widgets and tools for people to use on their blogs or Facebook pages

Quick links to social bookmarking sites like del.ici.ous

5. Encourage the mashup Let others use your content or tools to produce something a bit different or outside of the box with your stuff. This is hard for brand-focused folks, and can backfire . It’s a risk, but when someone spends time pimping your product for you, the payoff is huge . APIs Facebook Popfly

Let others use your content or tools to produce something a bit different or outside of the box with your stuff.

This is hard for brand-focused folks, and can backfire . It’s a risk, but when someone spends time pimping your product for you, the payoff is huge .

APIs

Facebook

Popfly

6. Be a user resource, even if it doesn’t help you Add value and outbound links, even if it doesn’t help in the short term, it will in the long Build credibility for long term results This is another risky one with big payoffs The Uncareers Site

Add value and outbound links, even if it doesn’t help in the short term, it will in the long

Build credibility for long term results

This is another risky one with big payoffs

The Uncareers Site

7. Reward helpful and valuable users Think social: you’re asking people to help you spread your message; so thank them! Every blogger is an egotist; cater to that People want to feel important

Think social: you’re asking people to help you spread your message; so thank them!

Every blogger is an egotist; cater to that

People want to feel important

The summary Create web campaigns that allow people to have conversations and build a relationship with you/the brand . Assume everyone wants to talk about you , and make it easy for them to do so.

Create web campaigns that allow people to have conversations and build a relationship with you/the brand .

Assume everyone wants to talk about you , and make it easy for them to do so.