Social Media Program / Strategy 2009 Goals and Planning Karen Snyder October 21, 2008 http://karensnyd.blogspot.com Twitter: karensnyd

Agenda Why is social media so important? Key goals and tactics for our program Obstacles faced; milestones in 2008 Sample Corporate Blogs & success story: (Cisco) Roadmap for 2009

Why is social media so important?

Key goals and tactics for our program

Obstacles faced; milestones in 2008

Sample Corporate Blogs & success story: (Cisco)

Roadmap for 2009

Forrester’s definition of the groundswell “ Corporate executives are dealing with a trend we call the groundswell…people using online tools to connect, take charge of their own experience and get what they need – information, support, ideas, products and bargaining power – from each other.” “ The groundswell is broad, ever shifting, and ever growing. It encompasses blogs and wikis, podcasts and YouTube; consumers who rate products, write their own news, and find their own deals.” “ It’s powerful. It’s unstoppable. It affects every industry – those that sell to consumers and those that sell to businesses – in media, retail, financial services, technology, and health care.” http://www.forrester.com/Groundswell

“ Corporate executives are dealing with a trend we call the groundswell…people using online tools to connect, take charge of their own experience and get what they need – information, support, ideas, products and bargaining power – from each other.”

“ The groundswell is broad, ever shifting, and ever growing. It encompasses blogs and wikis, podcasts and YouTube; consumers who rate products, write their own news, and find their own deals.”

“ It’s powerful. It’s unstoppable. It affects every industry – those that sell to consumers and those that sell to businesses – in media, retail, financial services, technology, and health care.”

The “traditional” model News and messaging were broadcast from the company Source: Voce Communications, 2008

When you add social media to the mix… Source: Voce Communications, 2008 Now all these people are talking to each other.

What do we do? It’s simple… Source: Voce Communications, 2008 Listen to what they are saying and engage them in a conversations.

Who is using social media?

Key Goals for the Social Media Program Influence online sentiment around the company and raise awareness around new product offerings Discover “warm” sales leads and marketing opportunities Integrate social media into product launches and corporate communications Assist the social media efforts of the business units.

Influence online sentiment around the company and raise awareness around new product offerings

Discover “warm” sales leads and marketing opportunities

Integrate social media into product launches and corporate communications

Assist the social media efforts of the business units.

Obstacles that have slowed us down in the past: Legal fears about opening up blogging program Need sponsorship at the executive level Lack of technical resources Lack of time, resources and incentive for bloggers

Legal fears about opening up blogging program

Need sponsorship at the executive level

Lack of technical resources

Lack of time, resources and incentive for bloggers

Tactics for achieving goals of social media program Influence online sentiment around the company and raise awareness around new product offerings Monitor and join the conversations around each industry Establish thought leadership with employee / industry expert blogs Aggregate content and amplify voices with a corporate “blog” Discover “warm” sales leads and marketing opportunities Monitor the blogosphere and report findings Integrate social media into product launches and communications. Provide training, education, and support to employees Add value by researching influencers and opportunities for product marketing Regulate the social media activities of the business units Implement processes and corporate policies Enable employees to become “brand evangelists”

Influence online sentiment around the company and raise awareness around new product offerings

Monitor and join the conversations around each industry

Establish thought leadership with employee / industry expert blogs

Aggregate content and amplify voices with a corporate “blog”

Discover “warm” sales leads and marketing opportunities

Monitor the blogosphere and report findings

Integrate social media into product launches and communications.

Provide training, education, and support to employees

Add value by researching influencers and opportunities for product marketing

Regulate the social media activities of the business units

Implement processes and corporate policies

Enable employees to become “brand evangelists”

Key Metrics for Success in 2009 Launch and grow a Corporate Blog Grow existing blog program, recruit new bloggers Increase number of visitors and average time spent on blogs Increase positive sentiment around the company.

Launch and grow a Corporate Blog

Grow existing blog program, recruit new bloggers

Increase number of visitors and average time spent on blogs

Increase positive sentiment around the company.

The Corporate Blog lets us tell our story, in our own words Strengthens our point of view and influence as we aggregate and amplify individual bloggers’ voices Fills an existing need for more blog content; also provides an outlet for "guest bloggers" who do not have time to run their own blog Serves as a channel for rich content (videos and podcasts.) Increases exposure / raise awareness of products by guiding fragmented queries to one spot. Aggregates all our content and conversations (podcasts, videos, press, blogs, whitepapers, datasheets).

Strengthens our point of view and influence as we aggregate and amplify individual bloggers’ voices

Fills an existing need for more blog content; also provides an outlet for "guest bloggers" who do not have time to run their own blog

Serves as a channel for rich content (videos and podcasts.)

Increases exposure / raise awareness of products by guiding fragmented queries to one spot.

Aggregates all our content and conversations (podcasts, videos, press, blogs, whitepapers, datasheets).

Sample Corporate blog: Yahoo’s “Yodel Anecdotal” http:// ycorpblog.com

Sample Corporate blog: E-Bay’s “ebay Ink” http:// ebayinkblog.com /

Case Study: Cisco’s Corporate Blog helps drive new market entrance Background Cisco started Interacting directly emerging online influencers - transferring trust and enthusiasm for Cisco relevance in the data center market. The blogging strategy began with a major launch of a new product category for Cisco - focused exclusively on IT spend in the data center market This was done in tight alignment with corporate communications, and Cisco's traditional nurturing of AR, PR and IR communities during the launch activities. Metrics Over $200K in cost avoidance for marketing FY08 GTM activity: Using consumer generate media (CGM) or Market Generated Media (MGM) to offset development of video assets or general collateral Over 2,000 videos blogs (VLogs) syndicated live to YouTube and linked to Data Center blog from Cisco Customer Conference - unscripted, authentic, positive, genuine, fun, with significant “google juice.” Continuing the Conversation Average of 90,000 RSS hits in Q4 FY08 New! Cisco on Cisco Data Center TechMinute radio podcast syndication via data center blog.

Background

Cisco started Interacting directly emerging online influencers - transferring trust and enthusiasm for Cisco relevance in the data center market.

The blogging strategy began with a major launch of a new product category for Cisco - focused exclusively on IT spend in the data center market

This was done in tight alignment with corporate communications, and Cisco's traditional nurturing of AR, PR and IR communities during the launch activities.

Metrics

Over $200K in cost avoidance for marketing FY08 GTM activity:

Using consumer generate media (CGM) or Market Generated Media (MGM) to offset development of video assets or general collateral

Over 2,000 videos blogs (VLogs) syndicated live to YouTube and linked to Data Center blog from Cisco Customer Conference - unscripted, authentic, positive, genuine, fun, with significant “google juice.”

Continuing the Conversation

Average of 90,000 RSS hits in Q4 FY08

New! Cisco on Cisco Data Center TechMinute radio podcast syndication via data center blog.

Cisco’s Corporate Blogs Top-level Blog, Point of Entry Existing Blog

Breakdown of 2009 Costs Detailed Description of Activities: Blog Monitoring : Expand monitoring to discover sales and marketing leads for products Corporate Blog: Site design and development, content strategy and production, blogger outreach Internal Training: Web seminars, brown bags, and speaker series to raise internal awareness around social media Blogger Support / Content: Content strategy and development, blogger outreach Product Marketing Support: Research key influencers and reach out to 8-10 per product, raise awareness of products.

Detailed Description of Activities:

Blog Monitoring : Expand monitoring to discover sales and marketing leads for products

Corporate Blog: Site design and development, content strategy and production, blogger outreach

Internal Training: Web seminars, brown bags, and speaker series to raise internal awareness around social media

Blogger Support / Content: Content strategy and development, blogger outreach

Product Marketing Support: Research key influencers and reach out to 8-10 per product, raise awareness of products.

Rick Clancy, CEO of Sony

Moving Forward: 2009 Roadmap Fix blog platform Blog program training & relaunch Kick off audit Launch Corporate Blog Grow Blog Program Implement program policies Quarterly audit Grow Corporate Blog Grow Blog Program Quarterly audit Measure Success: Annual Audit Grow Corporate Blog Grow Blog Program Quarterly audit Q408 Q109 Q209 Q309 Q409

Fix blog platform

Blog program training & relaunch

Kick off audit

Launch Corporate Blog

Grow Blog Program

Implement program policies

Quarterly audit

Grow Corporate Blog

Grow Blog Program

Quarterly audit

Grow Corporate Blog

Grow Blog Program

Quarterly audit

Building blocks to a Corporate social media strategy Social Media Monitoring and Reporting Training, Policies and Processes Market Research / Brand Benchmarking Internal Evangelism and Education

Contact me for more info! If you would like more information, or additional ROI stats, feel free to contact me! http://karensnyd.blogspot.com Twitter: karensnyd

If you would like more information, or additional ROI stats, feel free to contact me!

http://karensnyd.blogspot.com

Twitter: karensnyd