Surviving in a New World: Social Media and Web Communications © 2008 Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. ACT State Organization, Ohio 2009 Annual Conference January 27-28, 2009 Columbus, Ohio

There’s a revolution underway…. In the way we connect, get information, and entertain ourselves…

Why is this man smiling?

How will newspapers survive?

Is the Kindle the future of reading?

Why did Wikipedia trump Britannica? Traffic rank of 8………… Traffic rank of 2,593

Starting in 2008…

Will YouTube replace Google for search?

Where are people going today for information and personal connections? Online… Especially people under 50 years…

Popular social networks… In November 2008… Facebook… 14 million+ MySpace… 14 million+ LinkedIn… 4 million+ Twitter… 2 million+ Two trends… Facebook passed MySpace for the first time Twitter is fastest growing

In November 2008…

Facebook… 14 million+

MySpace… 14 million+

LinkedIn… 4 million+

Twitter… 2 million+

Two trends…

Facebook passed MySpace for the first time

Twitter is fastest growing

Best place for demographic data… Pew Internet & American Life Project… “ Adults & Social Network Websites”… January 14, 2009

Relevant data from 2008… Internet users Social network profiles by age… 75% of people age 18-24 57% of people age 25-34 30% of people age 35-44 19% of people age 45-54 10% of people age 55-64 9% of people over age 65 Expect participation to continue to grow…

Social network profiles by age…

75% of people age 18-24

57% of people age 25-34

30% of people age 35-44

19% of people age 45-54

10% of people age 55-64

9% of people over age 65

Expect participation to continue to grow…

Relevant data from 2008… ethnicity Social network profiles by ethnicity Hispanic… 48% African-American… 43% White… 31%

Social network profiles by ethnicity

Hispanic… 48%

African-American… 43%

White… 31%

Relevant data from 2008… education Social network profiles by education… Less than high school... 43% High school graduate… 31% Some college… 41% College graduate... 33%

Social network profiles by education…

Less than high school... 43%

High school graduate… 31%

Some college… 41%

College graduate... 33%

Why are people on social networks? For most, to maintain connections with people they already know For most, contact for personal reasons For professional use, people will maintain more than one profile… 51% of social network users have more than one profile 83% of these have profiles on more than one site

For most, to maintain connections with people they already know

For most, contact for personal reasons

For professional use, people will maintain more than one profile…

51% of social network users have more than one profile

83% of these have profiles on more than one site

For marketers, can we advertise? With caution, likely yes… Many people don’t want any advertising Some Facebook efforts have failed because of privacy concerns Successful advertising will be “real” and will focus on selected segments A new form of direct marketing? But organizations can use social net works to connect with people who identify with them… Brand awareness

With caution, likely yes…

Many people don’t want any advertising

Some Facebook efforts have failed because of privacy concerns

Successful advertising will be “real” and will focus on selected segments

A new form of direct marketing?

But organizations can use social net works to connect with people who identify with them…

Brand awareness

Social networking examples…

WPI… for new admits http://admissions.wpi.edu/Congrats/connect.html

OSU… for alumni http://tinyurl.com/6e8oz5

Create your own site with ning… http://edmondscc.ning.com/

Tell everyone you’re doing it! http://tinyurl.com/5htssl

If you create social networking sites… Don’t disable anything that let’s people who use the site add content to it… Don’t preach… have a conversation

In the future… Follow the revolution… Or lead it yourself

Marketingprofs.com

Clickz.com

Diosacommunications.com

Shameless self-promotion… http://www.bobjohnsonblog.com/ http://twitter.com/HighEdMarketing

Thank You! Bob Johnson, Ph.D. President and Senior Consultant Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 226 Chauncey Court Marshall, MI 49068 248.766.6425 [email_address] Customer Carewords Research for Online Marketing Success: http://www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com/customercarewords.html