Strategizing Communication in a (Social) Networked World

Strategizing Communicationin a (Social) Networked World
Neville Hobson
Head of Social Media Europe
WeissComm Group
London
twitter.com/jangles
October 23, 2009

Key Questions
Wheredoes social media really fit into your business world?
Howdo you identify online influencers and connect with them?
Whoelse is using social media and what measurable benefits are they enjoying?
Whatcan you do right now?

http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/2007_05.html

What’s in a Name?
Social Software
Social Business
Social Media
Enterprise 2.0
Web 2.0

Clear Behaviour Changes and Trends
We don’t trust “corporate-speak” or “marketing-speak”
We fast-forward our DVRs through the interruptions
We pull content that interests us
We create our own content, original and mashups
We embrace word of mouth and eschew mainstream media
We are connected wherever and whenever we wish
We bring our behaviours to the workplace

Clear Business Trends and Focus
Key Trends
Marketers are seeking lower cost solutions
Desire for more accountable channels
High focus on reaching customers directly
Mix shifting quickly from traditional to interactive channels
Areas of Focus
Social Media (CAGR of 34% to 2014 – Forrester)
Search Marketing (biggest bucket)
Display advertising, email marketing, mobile marketing next

The Media World Isn’t Changing…
…it has already changed
Media Outlets: 74 of top 100 outlets for Techmeme are blogs/online sites
Bloggers: 3 of 4 look to each other for their next story
Customers: 3 of 4 look to each other for purchase advice
Conversations: the driver of share-of-voice, influence and recommendations
Don’t define it as offline or online: it’s all one media world. Just know which conversations are defining your brand.

The New Media
http://www.techmeme.com/lb

3 Areas
Of Influence

1: Search
Trend:
Yes, Google is #1, but YouTube is #3.
Relevance:
We need to know the influencers on the first screen for our brand and key topics.
We also need to understand where people are taken when they search.

2: Twitter
Trend:
An effective way to alert influencers, help propel news cycles.
Relevance:
A great opportunity to build a network of influencers who want to share your news in real time.

Twitter Mainstream Milestones
US presidential election campaign
Mumbai terrorism
US Airways jet and the Hudson River
Twestival
Oprah Winfrey embraces Twitter
Swine flu / Influenza A H1N1
Iran elections

3: Social Networking Sites
Trend:
The communities that are often our “first place” to go online.
Relevance:
Our day often starts and ends with Facebook or MySpace or Orkut or other depending where we live.

Understand the New Rules of Engagement
Channels have fragmented
Trust is critical
Social media have arrived
The consumer is in control (kind of)
Content creation and distribution have been democratized
Imperatives:
You must reach the new influencers
On their terms
Engage in the conversation or fail to connect

Why Care About Social Media?
It’s about knowing
Where the conversations are happening
What’s your share of the conversation
What are the conversations that you could / should be in
Who are the key influencers who can help build your brand
It’s about expanding your news flow
Simple syndication – distribute news via basic sharing tools (eg, Twitter and Facebook)
It’s about understanding communities
Which groups, forums and networks matter
Who drives share of conversation in these communities
What are the next steps in driving relationships
It’s about leveraging existing content and improving your natural search

Our Reality
Channels have fragmented
Trust is critical
Social media have arrived
The consumer is in control (kind of)
Content creation and distribution have been democratized
Imperatives:
You must reach the new influencers
On their terms
Engage in the conversation or fail to connect

Key Questions
Wheredoes social media really fit into your business world?
Howdo you identify online influencers and connect with them?
Whoelse is using social media and what measurable benefits are they enjoying?
Whatcan you do right now?

Start Here
Listen
Give up control
Be natural
Make a commitment
Be where your customers are
Learn to deal with negativity
Be humble
Have a clear and measurable objective
Develop a plan
Listen

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www.nevillehobson.com