Social Media Crash Course Paul Gillin IABC World Conference June 10, 2009

Agenda Definitions and concepts The new media world Factors driving change Types of social media Matching platform to need Blog structure and elements Culture of social media Building awareness and traffic Tracking performance Social network concepts Types of social networks Assessing relevance to your objectives Spotlight on Facebook Spotlight on Twitter

Definitions and concepts

The new media world

Factors driving change

Types of social media

Matching platform to need

Blog structure and elements

Culture of social media

Building awareness and traffic

Tracking performance

Social network concepts

Types of social networks

Assessing relevance to your objectives

Spotlight on Facebook

Spotlight on Twitter

What’s Changed Cheap technology Fast networks Google “ The Long Tail” Source: Pew Research It’s now cheaper to keep information than it is to throw it away. It’s also easier to publish information than ever before. This is an explosive new combination.

Cheap technology

Fast networks

Google

“ The Long Tail”

Traditional communications

New reality

Influence Inversion Courtesy Digitas

What is Web 2.0? According to Wired magazine: Participation Openness Conversation Community Connectedness

According to Wired magazine:

Participation

Openness

Conversation

Community

Connectedness

The Many Arms of Social Media From Robert Scoble Courtesy RightNow Technologies

Tools at Your Disposal Discussion forums – tactical and impersonal Blogs – The online equivalent to publications Microblogs – Short, fast and frequent Podcasts – Add depth, lose interactivity Social networks – Listening posts Social bookmarking sites – Drive awareness Online video – Flexible but complex Search engines – Your traffic engine

Discussion forums – tactical and impersonal

Blogs – The online equivalent to publications

Microblogs – Short, fast and frequent

Podcasts – Add depth, lose interactivity

Social networks – Listening posts

Social bookmarking sites – Drive awareness

Online video – Flexible but complex

Search engines – Your traffic engine

Conversations Go Mainstream

Start By Listening Use these tools to mine online conversations and identify prospective customers and communities that are receptive to your message

Business Blogging

What is a blog? “ A user-generated website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order.” – Wikipedia.org “ A personal online journal that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption” – whatis.com “ A way to display information” – P Gillin

“ A user-generated website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order.” – Wikipedia.org

“ A personal online journal that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption” – whatis.com

“ A way to display information” – P Gillin

Why so popular? Cheap and easy to create and update Have distinct personal voice Can quickly build traffic through reciprocal links Excellent search engine performance Modest revenue opportunity Simple way to keep notes

Cheap and easy to create and update

Have distinct personal voice

Can quickly build traffic through reciprocal links

Excellent search engine performance

Modest revenue opportunity

Simple way to keep notes

What are blogs good for? Timely, frequently updated information Multiple media types Single voice Fixed display Flexible organization Search engine performance

Timely, frequently updated information

Multiple media types

Single voice

Fixed display

Flexible organization

Search engine performance

Speed Advantage

What are they bad for? Random access Design flexibility Sectional organization Multiple voices Navigation-intensive sites

Random access

Design flexibility

Sectional organization

Multiple voices

Navigation-intensive sites

International flavor Source: Technorati, April, 2007

Title/Subtitle √ d Headline Subheads Fixed pages RSS feed Search Keywor ds

The 7 types of business blogs CEO blog

CEO blog

The 7 types of business blogs Executive blogs

Executive

blogs

The 7 types of business blogs Group blog

Group

blog

The 7 types of business blogs Employee blogs

Employee

blogs

The 7 types of business blogs Advocacy blog

Advocacy

blog

The 7 types of business blogs Promotional blog

Promotional

blog

The 7 types of business blogs Advice blog

Advice

blog

Grass-roots promotion

Blogging success factors A clear, preferably narrow focus Frequent updates Mix of short, long, light, heavy content Aggressive links to other bloggers Comments and trackbacks Mixed media Educate and discover Personality Prompt for comments

A clear, preferably narrow focus

Frequent updates

Mix of short, long, light, heavy content

Aggressive links to other bloggers

Comments and trackbacks

Mixed media

Educate and discover

Personality

Prompt for comments

Topic selection Read mainstream media and other bloggers and comment upon them Frame events in a new context that reflects your analysis Be offbeat and original Packaging works: top 10 lists, predictions, best & worst, quick hits

Read mainstream media and other bloggers and comment upon them

Frame events in a new context that reflects your analysis

Be offbeat and original

Packaging works: top 10 lists, predictions, best & worst, quick hits

Maximizing Visibility

25% of SEO is On-Page Visible Source: Hubspot Page Title URL H1,H2,H3 tags Page Text Bold

Page Title

URL

H1,H2,H3 tags

Page Text

Bold

25% of SEO is On-Page Invisible Description Keywords Alt Images Source: Hubspot

Description

75% of SEO is Word-of-Mouth

Tricks of the trade Encourage and respond to comments Comment elsewhere Play reporter Serialize Use themes Give stuff away Complement with photos, podcasts & video

Encourage and respond to comments

Comment elsewhere

Play reporter

Serialize

Use themes

Give stuff away

Complement with photos, podcasts & video

Traffic strategies Link internally Use consistent domains Ask for “link love” Promote outbound links File a site map Register on bookmarking sites

Link internally

Use consistent domains

Ask for “link love”

Promote outbound links

File a site map

Register on bookmarking sites

Tracking success Traffic – unique visitors vs. page views Technorati rankings RSS subscriptions Google linkto: and allinanchor: De.licio.us and Technorati tags Trackbacks

Traffic – unique visitors vs. page views

Technorati rankings

RSS subscriptions

Google linkto: and allinanchor:

De.licio.us and Technorati tags

Trackbacks

Just One Guy Technorati rank: 714 Technorati fans: 146 Google Indexed pages: 3,760 Alex ranking: Top .17% Inbound links: 10,542 Del.icio.us bookmarks: 2,068 New York Times citations: 136 Computerworld citations: 193 InformationWeek citations: 72 Newsletter subscribers: 130,000

Growing Scope

Social Networks

How We Share Influence PRE MEDIA AGE MASS MEDIA AGE SOCIAL MEDIA AGE Consult a professional Readers letters Phone in; TV / Radio Talk to shop worker Personal blog Social network page Widgets Photo sharing site Chat rooms Message boards Video sharing site Comments on blogs Comments on websites Viral emails Wish lists Ratings on retail sites Reviews on retail sites Auction websites Social Bookmarking Chat room Price comparison sites Social shopping sites Talk face to face Consult a professional Readers Letters Phone in; TV / Radio Talk to shop worker Phone call Talk face to face Phone call SMS Email Instant Messenger Talk face to face Talk to shop worker Consumer influence channels Source: Universal McCann Erickson

Essential Elements Profile Friends Groups

New Kids On The Block

Just For Consumers? Think Again Oil & Gas Pros Manufacturing Engineers Farmers Engineers Physicians

Niche markets are: Knowledgeable Engaged Responsive Helpful Spenders

Niche markets are:

Knowledgeable

Engaged

Responsive

Helpful

Spenders

New Concepts Friend Friend in Common Follower Profile Group News Feed Poke Wall Connection Answer App Hash tag

Friend

Friend in Common

Follower

Profile

Group

News Feed

Poke

Wall

Connection

Answer

App

Hash tag

Facebook Essentials About Me About Others Interests

Cultivate Community

LinkedIn is All Business Profiles are essential Efficient contact management Recommendations cement relationships

Unique Features Advice is social capital Company research Six degrees of connection

Twitter Appeal

Immediacy & Personality The Office on Twitter Dell Outlet on Twitter

Twitter Essentials Discovery Shared dialogue Conversational efficiency

The New Newspaper?

Put Communities to Work Needs Definition Product Architecture Iterative Development Field Testing Viral Marketing Peer Support Product lifecycle

Engagement Tactics Invite them into the club Offer links or small promotions Use discounts, giveaways, contests, free trials Never edit or censor what they say Consider affiliate programs

Invite them into the club

Offer links or small promotions

Use discounts, giveaways, contests, free trials

Never edit or censor what they say

Consider affiliate programs

Conversation Enablers Reinforce Brand Bypass Gatekeepers Create Brand Ambassadors Educate Customers

Community as Content By contributing to the body of knowledge, members gain insights they couldn’t learn from experts alone Personal finance Travel planning Local services Language education Travel planning How-to video

Success Takes Time Daily visits 3X to 4X week 14 average Consider spinoffs 53+ Make top 10 results for targeted queries Traffic becomes self-sustaining 40-52 Gain search traction Generate inbound links 14-39 Build awareness Show steady growth 1-13 Goal Week

Daily visits 3X to 4X week 14 average

Consider spinoffs

Make top 10 results for targeted queries

Traffic becomes self-sustaining

Gain search traction

Generate inbound links

Build awareness

Show steady growth

Thank you! Paul Gillin 508-202-9807 [email_address] www.gillin.com Now available from Quill Driver Books Read more and order at www.NewInfluencers.com (And coming in fall, 2008: Secrets of Social Media Marketing…)