Significance of Internet Social Media for Traditional Indian Companies by Rajiv Dingra Chief Blogger - WATBlog.com Lead WATconsultant – WATConsult.com

Internet Ecosystem

Internet Statistics

Type of user IAMAI-ICUBE STUDY 8.2 6.1 4.8 5.5 Avg. Hrs/Week

Demographics IAMAI-ICUBE STUDY

Location IAMAI-ICUBE STUDY

Socio-economic class IAMAI-ICUBE STUDY

Traditional Internet Businesses – Internet as a Facilitator Content & Email Online Classifieds E-Commerce

Content & Email

Online Classifieds

E-Commerce

New Internet Businesses – Internet as an Influencer Social 2.0 Content 2.0 Business 2.0 Discussion Boards

Social 2.0

Content 2.0

Business 2.0

Facilitators Moving To Influencers

Social Network Statistics Orkut is 2 nd most popular website in India after Yahoo.com It has 40 million users out of which 12.4% are Indians 60% of orkut users are below the age of 25

Orkut is 2 nd most popular website in India after Yahoo.com

It has 40 million users out of which 12.4% are Indians

60% of orkut users are below the age of 25

Blogs and Blogger Statistics 14% of internet users actively blog 39% are aware of blogs over 75% of all bloggers are men 85% are below the age of 35 49% said they read blogs to be entertained 50% found blogs by business leaders interesting in contrast, 24% found politicians' blogs interesting 58% started their blog to express themselves, while 40% to entertain other 90% of bloggers spend up to 5 hours per week reading blogs or updating their own blogs

14% of internet users actively blog

39% are aware of blogs

over 75% of all bloggers are men

85% are below the age of 35

49% said they read blogs to be entertained

50% found blogs by business leaders interesting

in contrast, 24% found politicians' blogs interesting

58% started their blog to express themselves, while 40% to entertain other

90% of bloggers spend up to 5 hours per week reading blogs or updating their own blogs

Where can a Company engage with its Audience on the Internet? Traditional Internet Media? (Content, Email, Jobs, Matrimonial & Ecommerce) New Internet Media? (Social 2.0, Content 2.0 & Business 2.0)

Traditional Internet Media? (Content, Email, Jobs, Matrimonial & Ecommerce)

New Internet Media? (Social 2.0, Content 2.0 & Business 2.0)

How does a Company create the engagement in Social 2.0? Contests Tieups Employee Communities

Contests

Tieups

Employee Communities

CEO Blog Corporate Blog How does a Company create the engagement in Content 2.0? Group Blogs Video Blogs

CEO Blog

Corporate Blog

Group Blogs

Video Blogs

Should Your Company Blog? Ten years ago, people used to ask : "Should we get email?" Then eventually everybody got email. Next they asked, "Do we really need a website?" Eventually, once search got good and their customers started to go online, the answer became "yes" and many businesses (but not all of them) went online. Nowadays, whenever I give a talk on blogs, wikis and Web 2.0, I get this question: "Should OUR company blog?" The answer to that is absolutely, unequivocally, "YES".

Ten years ago, people used to ask : "Should we get email?" Then eventually everybody got email. Next they asked, "Do we really need a website?" Eventually, once search got good and their customers started to go online, the answer became "yes" and many businesses (but not all of them) went online. Nowadays, whenever I give a talk on blogs, wikis and Web 2.0, I get this question: "Should OUR company blog?"

The answer to that is absolutely, unequivocally, "YES".

What’s the value of blogging in business? Corporate blogs can impact almost every part of your business - internal and external, all departments, all functions. Instead of simply being JUST a corporate communications channel, they can also be used to impact almost every aspect of your business. Let's look at some of those areas by exploring what companies have done in the real world.

Corporate blogs can impact almost every part of your business - internal and external, all departments, all functions. Instead of simply being JUST a corporate communications channel, they can also be used to impact almost every aspect of your business. Let's look at some of those areas by exploring what companies have done in the real world.

Branding Sun's CEO Jonathan Schwartz says : "The perception of Sun as a faithful and authentic tech company is now very strong. What blogs have done has autheticated the Sun brand better than a billion dollar ad campaign could have done." Benefits/Objectives of Corporate Blogging

Sun's CEO Jonathan Schwartz says : "The perception of Sun as a faithful and authentic tech company is now very strong. What blogs have done has autheticated the Sun brand better than a billion dollar ad campaign could have done."

Google Rank Blogging gives the writer good "Google rank", more than almost all other search engine optimization tricks combined. This is a result of the way blogs work mechanically - they ping the engines and ask to be re-indexed when you post something. This results in higher ranking on the search page. This one reason alone should be enough to encourage any company to blog. You could be on the front page of Google or Yahoo! when prospects search for your services and you could save money on Search Engine Marketing Benefits/Objectives of Corporate Blogging

Blogging gives the writer good "Google rank", more than almost all other search engine optimization tricks combined. This is a result of the way blogs work mechanically - they ping the engines and ask to be re-indexed when you post something. This results in higher ranking on the search page. This one reason alone should be enough to encourage any company to blog.

You could be on the front page of Google or Yahoo! when prospects search for your services and you could save money on Search Engine Marketing

Finding, Hiring, and Training Great People By having your smart and creative people out there blogging, they will attract more smart and creative people. Almost every Microsoft blogger interviewed has pointed to blogging's advantages as a recruiting tool. There are two HR blogs at Microsoft giving advice on applying to Microsoft and demystiying the process. Benefits/Objectives of Corporate Blogging

By having your smart and creative people out there blogging, they will attract more smart and creative people. Almost every Microsoft blogger interviewed has pointed to blogging's advantages as a recruiting tool.

There are two HR blogs at Microsoft giving advice on applying to Microsoft and demystiying the process.

Market Research Watch and learn. There are a lot of people who have a lot of opinions about every corporation, and they're having conversations. That's free market research. A corporation that is afraid of the participation that comes with conversation has larger problems. And rather than just viewing the blogs, you can have your people note them, debate them, discuss them, and extract lessons from them. This is cheap qualitative research! Take advantage of it! Benefits/Objectives of Corporate Blogging

Watch and learn. There are a lot of people who have a lot of opinions about every corporation, and they're having conversations. That's free market research. A corporation that is afraid of the participation that comes with conversation has larger problems. And rather than just viewing the blogs, you can have your people note them, debate them, discuss them, and extract lessons from them.

This is cheap qualitative research! Take advantage of it!

Innovation Blogs can act as a part of a system that sees your company engaging its customers, partners, suppliers, and employees in the discovery, ranking, and application of new product innovations throughout the business. IBM has taken this to the extreme and created their Innovation Jam process which allowed IBMers, their clients, business partners, and family members to brainstorm online. Then they will fund up to $100M worth of follow-through on those ideas. Benefits/Objectives of Corporate Blogging

Blogs can act as a part of a system that sees your company engaging its customers, partners, suppliers, and employees in the discovery, ranking, and application of new product innovations throughout the business.

IBM has taken this to the extreme and created their Innovation Jam process which allowed IBMers, their clients, business partners, and family members to brainstorm online. Then they will fund up to $100M worth of follow-through on those ideas.

Have new markets find YOU In a case documented by Robert Scoble a world famous blogger, DL Byron had blogged about his invention that allows people to seal anything they want between two sheets of plastic. He marketed it for biking and hiking, but other users soon found him including hazardous waste and nuclear labs, Scuba, aerospace, dairy farms, body bags, and organ donor deliveries, commercial coffee bean packaging, and a great deal more!!! Benefits/Objectives of Corporate Blogging

In a case documented by Robert Scoble a world famous blogger, DL Byron had blogged about his invention that allows people to seal anything they want between two sheets of plastic. He marketed it for biking and hiking, but other users soon found him including hazardous waste and nuclear labs, Scuba, aerospace, dairy farms, body bags, and organ donor deliveries, commercial coffee bean packaging, and a great deal more!!!

Marketing Blogs can be used to establish thought leadership. There are a lot of blogs out there it's true. But we're still at a stage where a blogger can quickly become one of the leading voices simply by being very focused on their niche. Even in the business space, there are still relatively few top bloggers in every business category so if your content is compelling and you can market yourself to the other bloggers in your space, it is possible to become well-known in your niche relatively quickly Benefits/Objectives of Corporate Blogging

Blogs can be used to establish thought leadership. There are a lot of blogs out there it's true. But we're still at a stage where a blogger can quickly become one of the leading voices simply by being very focused on their niche.

Even in the business space, there are still relatively few top bloggers in every business category so if your content is compelling and you can market yourself to the other bloggers in your space, it is possible to become well-known in your niche relatively quickly

Building community Community isn't a technical infrastructure. Community is a group of people with a shared interest, context, language, and history. But blogs are means to building a community of people. There are communities that emerge around certain subjects. And a community of readers who read your blog and love it could be great positive influencers for your business! Benefits/Objectives of Corporate Blogging

Community isn't a technical infrastructure. Community is a group of people with a shared interest, context, language, and history. But blogs are means to building a community of people. There are communities that emerge around certain subjects.

And a community of readers who read your blog and love it could be great positive influencers for your business!

Transparency and Authenticity Blogs allow your company to move from opacity to transparency, from generic corporate speak to authentic humans talking about their work. In an age of corporate mistrust, this is not to be underestimated!! Benefits/Objectives of Corporate Blogging

Blogs allow your company to move from opacity to transparency, from generic corporate speak to authentic humans talking about their work.

In an age of corporate mistrust, this is not to be underestimated!!

Direct access to your customer Blogs are a direct (public) channel of communication from you and your people to your customers/partners/vendors. They are the only channel of this kind that is this cost-effective. This alone is reason enough to blog! Benefits/Objectives of Corporate Blogging

Blogs are a direct (public) channel of communication from you and your people to your customers/partners/vendors. They are the only channel of this kind that is this cost-effective.

This alone is reason enough to blog!

Concerns There are also some concerns that you might have before you start a corporate blog! I shall address them now.. Concerns of Corporate Blogging

There are also some concerns that you might have before you start a corporate blog! I shall address them now..

Losing control "Losing control" of what people are saying about you! You never HAD control of the what people say about you. People have been talking about your company for years. And now they're blogging. You can't control the message. Get over it. But you CAN join the conversation and make sure your side of the story is heard! Concerns of Corporate Blogging

"Losing control" of what people are saying about you!

You never HAD control of the what people say about you. People have been talking about your company for years. And now they're blogging. You can't control the message. Get over it. But you CAN join the conversation and make sure your side of the story is heard!

Somebody will say something bad about me/us/our product If what people say its true its an opportunity for you to learn and improve! And if people do say something about your product that is untrue, you have an opportunity to correct it by responding appropriately! Concerns of Corporate Blogging

If what people say its true its an opportunity for you to learn and improve!

And if people do say something about your product that is untrue, you have an opportunity to correct it by responding appropriately!

About WATConsult WATConsult is a strategy consulting company that helps companies (startups and established companies) engage with their target audience through the interactive medium! Contact us: Rajiv Dingra Chief Blogger - WATblog.com Lead WATconsultant – WATconsult.com (M) - +91-9820761167 Email – [email_address] Website – www.watconsult.com

WATConsult is a strategy consulting company that helps

companies (startups and established companies) engage

with their target audience through the interactive medium!

Contact us:

Rajiv Dingra

Chief Blogger - WATblog.com

Lead WATconsultant – WATconsult.com

(M) - +91-9820761167

Email – [email_address]

Website – www.watconsult.com