Theoretical and Empirical Findings on the Use of Social Media Marketing Dr. Raul Pacheco-Vega http://www.raulpacheco.org (research) http://hummingbird604.com (personal/social media)

Basic premises of my talk We live in a networked society. No longer isolated. Everyone is connected. No longer 9am to 5pm. Things happen online 24/7 No longer purely private The boundary between public and private life has blurred. Business is all about networking. So if we are going to use the network, let’s use it the right way

We live in a networked society.

No longer isolated.

Everyone is connected.

No longer 9am to 5pm.

Things happen online 24/7

No longer purely private

The boundary between public and private life has blurred.

Business is all about networking.

So if we are going to use the network, let’s use it the right way

Social network of the New Testament  http://www.esv.org/blog/2007/01/mapping-nt-social-networks/

Four properties of information flow in social networking sites Reciprocity Information flows bi-directionally and reciprocally. No reasonable human interaction is uni-directional all the time. Durability Information that you put on the web, stays on the web. For a very, very long time. Traceability (and accountability) Information that you put on the web, can be traced back and will and can be used for/against you Scalability Once information flows publicly, you can’t stop its flow to other nodes. It’s out in the open. And one wrong move can change how it’s reproduced and perceived. Partially, and initially based on boyd (2009), adding my own thoughts

Reciprocity

Information flows bi-directionally and reciprocally. No reasonable human interaction is uni-directional all the time.

Durability

Information that you put on the web, stays on the web. For a very, very long time.

Traceability (and accountability)

Information that you put on the web, can be traced back and will and can be used for/against you

Scalability

Once information flows publicly, you can’t stop its flow to other nodes. It’s out in the open. And one wrong move can change how it’s reproduced and perceived.

Lessons to be learned on how to use the properties of social media to business settings Source: My own analysis. Property A couple of pieces of advice Reciprocity Bi-directionality and reciprocity enhances trust. Give back to the community, while furthering your business agenda. Feedback and conversation are key. Durability Online information can stay on the web for a long, long time. Ensure that you are prepared to deal with long-term repercussions of content creation. Traceability Designing content with a view to enable customersto re-trace where the content came from (increased accountability and transparency) Bear in mind that information can be re-hashed (mashed up) and therefore you need to ensure that your own material can be traced back. Scalability Emphasizing the sensitive nature of some information flows and recognizing that information escalates

Bi-directionality and reciprocity enhances trust.

Give back to the community, while furthering your business agenda.

Feedback and conversation are key.

Online information can stay on the web for a long, long time.

Ensure that you are prepared to deal with long-term repercussions of content creation.

Designing content with a view to enable customersto re-trace where the content came from (increased accountability and transparency)

Bear in mind that information can be re-hashed (mashed up) and therefore you need to ensure that your own material can be traced back.

Emphasizing the sensitive nature of some information flows and recognizing that information escalates

Social media for business 102 Rule # 1 - Not everything that is on the Internet is true. Don’t follow every single online social media fad. Rule # 2 - Not everything that is on the Internet is false. Beware of classic social media faux pas , which might affect you negatively . Rule # 3 – Be a human out there, even if you are behind a corporate brand. Regardless of the corporate brand, some human interaction is always very welcome. Rule # 4 – Give back. Give a little, get back a lot. Sponsor events. Give out gift certificates. Demonstrate loyalty. Demonstrate interest in your customer. Rule # 5 – Don’t be a one-night social media stand. Don’t romance bloggers and then ditch them. Rule # 6 – Be a good business through-and-through. Don’t put all your hopes in social media marketing. Good customer service and great products are the key to success.

Rule # 1 - Not everything that is on the Internet is true.

Don’t follow every single online social media fad.

Rule # 2 - Not everything that is on the Internet is false.

Beware of classic social media faux pas , which might affect you negatively .

Rule # 3 – Be a human out there, even if you are behind a corporate brand.

Regardless of the corporate brand, some human interaction is always very welcome.

Rule # 4 – Give back. Give a little, get back a lot.

Sponsor events. Give out gift certificates. Demonstrate loyalty. Demonstrate interest in your customer.

Rule # 5 – Don’t be a one-night social media stand.

Don’t romance bloggers and then ditch them.

Rule # 6 – Be a good business through-and-through.

Don’t put all your hopes in social media marketing. Good customer service and great products are the key to success.

Example of good overall social media and Web 2.0 engagement Molson’s Brew 2.0 Engaged a number of bloggers Followed up on each individual blog Followed up on Twitter REMAINED engaged on Twitter Further supported other local initiatives YVR Twestival WordCamp Whistler Crime Pays

Molson’s Brew 2.0

Engaged a number of bloggers

Followed up on each individual blog

Followed up on Twitter

REMAINED engaged on Twitter

Further supported other local initiatives

YVR Twestival

WordCamp Whistler

Crime Pays

Example of local, good brand monitoring/reputation management Doolins ( @doolins ) I complained publicly on Twitter about waitress bringing my soda pop with ice. Friends of mine (following me and following @doolins) indicate that this is just a small mistake. @doolins replies directly to ME and apologizes Less than 3 minutes later, waitress brings my pop, and apologizes. I don’t even get charged for the pop!  Outcome - positive

Doolins ( @doolins )

I complained publicly on Twitter about waitress bringing my soda pop with ice.

Friends of mine (following me and following @doolins) indicate that this is just a small mistake.

@doolins replies directly to ME and apologizes

Less than 3 minutes later, waitress brings my pop, and apologizes. I don’t even get charged for the pop! 

Outcome - positive

How to lose clients and alienate people Amazon Fail (#amazonfail) De-ranking of GLBT books, whereas hetero, sexually explicit content is not de-ranked. Public outcry on Twitter.

Amazon Fail (#amazonfail)

De-ranking of GLBT books, whereas hetero, sexually explicit content is not de-ranked.

Public outcry on Twitter.

While we are on the topic of Twitter ... Drop hints of your activities and initiatives “ We are reducing water consumption by 30% in our productive processes. Here’s how we do it” Share thoughts that can be professionally-construed and build your brand “ @hummingbird604 we agree – our business tries to do X and Y to reduce our enviro impact” DON’T ever Spam and over-push your own brand Auto-DM “thanks for following” Follow and unfollow sytematically

Drop hints of your activities and initiatives

“ We are reducing water consumption by 30% in our productive processes. Here’s how we do it”

Share thoughts that can be professionally-construed and build your brand

“ @hummingbird604 we agree – our business tries to do X and Y to reduce our enviro impact”

DON’T ever

Spam and over-push your own brand

Auto-DM “thanks for following”

Follow and unfollow sytematically

A few thoughts... When thinking of a social media strategy Go multi-platform Videocasts, podcasts, blogs, Twitter, Facebook Fan Pages Ensure that you monitor your brand Summize/Twitter Search Google Alerts Be bi-directional and reciprocal. Unilateral press-releases are so 2003. Be strategic and spend time thinking ahead Strategic forethought will always win

When thinking of a social media strategy

Go multi-platform

Videocasts, podcasts, blogs, Twitter, Facebook Fan Pages

Ensure that you monitor your brand

Summize/Twitter Search

Google Alerts

Be bi-directional and reciprocal.

Unilateral press-releases are so 2003.

Be strategic and spend time thinking ahead

Strategic forethought will always win

Thanks for listening! Raul Pacheco-Vega, PhD How to contact me: Via email [email_address] for social media matters [email_address] for my enviro research Via contact form on my blogs http://hummingbird604.com social medial/personal http://www.raulpacheco.org research Via Twitter http://www.twitter.com/hummingbird604 social media http://www.twitter.com/raulpacheco research

Raul Pacheco-Vega, PhD

How to contact me:

Via email

[email_address] for social media matters

[email_address] for my enviro research

Via contact form on my blogs

http://hummingbird604.com social medial/personal

http://www.raulpacheco.org research

Via Twitter

http://www.twitter.com/hummingbird604 social media

http://www.twitter.com/raulpacheco research