Facebook Groups in Business Facebook Groups for Generating Connections, Insights & Sales Learning from a Peer-to-Peer Action Research Initiative Generator Forum Friedman Foundation December 11, 2008 Jenny Ambrozek Facebook Group in Business Investigation Convener

Facebook Groups in Business Investigation

Facebook Groups in Business What, When, Why, How & Who? What we learned 3. Network Analysis & Weaving

What, When, Why, How & Who?

What we learned

3. Network Analysis &

Weaving

Investigation Time Line

Facebook Takes Off- 2008 Percent of global Internet users who visit this site May 25 Facebook open platform to developers

Network Effects 1973- Metcalfe’s Law 1965-Gordon E. Moore “ ..through the complexity of silicon chips doubling every year,the cost of computing power will accordingly decrease” Reed, 1999 “ (n]etworks that support the construction of communicating groups, create value that scales exponentially with network size”

Starting Premise “ Facebook may, but also may not, become THE enterprise social networking platform, but it's here, use is growing, so we need to understand the phenomenon and learn from it.” Study Description 2008-02-08

OUR FACES

Activity Data Tracked

Investigation T ools Ecosystem Email Main means of group participant communications Private Wiki Stored participant information, data, reflections & industry information Private Facebook Group Posted updates. Related links 21 st Century Organization Facebook Group A participant. Study updates posted. 21 st Century Organization & Praxis101 blogs Google Docs Project announced here . Tried sharing activity data with investigation team members

What We Learned Together

We also wanted to know about group member ties ...but Facebook does not readily provide

Participant Group Membership Growth All Groups Grew

Number 7 in member growth, up 31% Activities & Patterns Varied Across Groups

Number 3 in member growth, up 124% Sustainable Energy - Innovation & Technology Facebook Group

Number 1 in member growth, up 434% Owner Dave Duarte appears in this video Sample Group Activity

Dave Duarte- Huddlemind Effective & free Vendor Relationship Management Software Give stakeholders control of information and communication preferences with organizations they choose. Help put faces to organizations previously hidden behind logos & nameless mailing lists. Provide easy way to stay in touch with interested stakeholders Groups only work if curated : participation must be stimulated & moderated, content & communications kept up-to-date.

Effective & free Vendor Relationship Management Software

Give stakeholders control of information and communication preferences with organizations they choose.

Help put faces to organizations previously hidden behind logos & nameless mailing lists.

Provide easy way to stay in touch with interested stakeholders

Groups only work if curated : participation must be stimulated & moderated, content & communications kept up-to-date.

Eric Edelstein eSquared Retail Chain Have to be active to make the Group active Moved from Facebook Groups to Fan Clubs. Better marketing vehicle to overcome Group communication limits FB is one channel/medium of many; need to use them all Try it . Be prepared to make mistakes Experimenting with Twitter “ Facebook can offer rewards, can result in sales, but is not an easy marketing avenue for beginners to Internet Marketing”.

Have to be active to make the Group active

Moved from Facebook Groups to Fan Clubs. Better marketing vehicle to overcome Group communication limits

FB is one channel/medium of many; need to use them all

Try it . Be prepared to make mistakes

Experimenting with Twitter

Kimberly Samaha – Bordeaux Colloquium Objectives An on-line platform to connect ‘off-line’ members of the Bordeaux Energy Colloquium for exchanges during the year. Outreach to ‘concerned citizens’ – a link between policy makers and consumers Network with other energy professionals Find interesting energy projects & technologies

An on-line platform to connect ‘off-line’ members of the Bordeaux Energy Colloquium for exchanges during the year.

Outreach to ‘concerned citizens’ – a link between policy makers and consumers

Network with other energy professionals

Find interesting energy projects & technologies

Created 5 Facebook Groups Bordeaux Energy Colloquium : closed, private – members of Colloquium only Sustainable Energy: 3 topics, open to public, used ‘advertising’ to attract new members Innovation & Technology Case Studies Universal Access Sustainable Energy Futures : event page for a ‘virtual tradeshow’ and on-line case study competition open to public used ‘advertising’ and word-of-mouth recruiting to attract new members

Bordeaux Energy Colloquium : closed, private – members of Colloquium only

Sustainable Energy: 3 topics, open to public, used ‘advertising’ to attract new members

Innovation & Technology

Case Studies

Universal Access

Sustainable Energy Futures : event page for a ‘virtual tradeshow’ and on-line case study competition

open to public used ‘advertising’ and word-of-mouth recruiting to attract new members

Find other ‘like-minded’ individuals and ask for help Actively facilitate group and group page Members don’t check group pages often Members do respond to ‘message all members’ emails Weave a larger network Reach into non-affiliated groups: establish presence and ‘friends’ to create ‘weak links’ Strengthen weak links around common areas of interest among other groups using surveys, links, etc. Important Strategies to be Learned No easy way: High time level involvement required

Find other ‘like-minded’ individuals and ask for help

Actively facilitate group and group page

Members don’t check group pages often

Members do respond to ‘message all members’ emails

Weave a larger network

Reach into non-affiliated groups: establish presence and ‘friends’ to create ‘weak links’

Strengthen weak links around common areas of interest among other groups using surveys, links, etc.

Facebook Groups in Business Investigation – The Bottom Line

Requirements for Creating Value from Facebook Groups Clear purpose tied to a business objective You have to work it Content is essential Events drive participation Measure, monitor and act Pay attention to your tools ecosystem Evolve and adapt Ambrozek, J.. Anderson, W.L. & Axelrod V.G. 2008 “Placing Faces on Knowledge, Inside Knowledge Magazine September pp27-30

Clear purpose tied to a business objective

You have to work it

Content is essential

Events drive participation

Measure, monitor and act

Pay attention to your tools ecosystem

Evolve and adapt

Facebook Groups in Business Network Analysis & Weaving

Network Analysis- Patti Anklam Each Group owner asked: Which other participants they personally knew prior to the study Which participants they interacted with during the study

Each Group owner asked:

Which other participants they personally knew prior to the study

Which participants they interacted with during the study

Before and After – Full Group Conveners play a key role in connecting the people in the network

Network Weaving in Facebook- Hellenes Educators Intervention Moderator’s Role Team leader Empathic Motivator Facilitator Coordinator Co-Creator Supporter Collaborative activities Shared interest Shared experiences Co-creativity Idea generation Idea sharing Idea discussion Idea implementation Slide provided by Hellenes Educators Administrator Niki Lambropoulos

Moderator’s Role

Team leader

Empathic

Motivator

Facilitator

Coordinator

Co-Creator

Supporter

Collaborative activities

Shared interest

Shared experiences

Co-creativity

Idea generation

Idea sharing

Idea discussion

Idea implementation

Facebook Today: What’s Next? Extracted Alexa.com 2008-12-08

The Organizational Challenge Social Technology Control Time Degree Enterprise systems , Blogs Wikis Podcasting , Social Networking Tagging Ethernet 1973 Web 1.0 1991 Web 2.0 Web 3.0 Search Links Authoring Tags Extensions Signals as social technology INCREASES Direct control DECREASES Web 3.0

net ∞ WORK ™ Thinking & Acting Understanding your organization as human networks AND How to strategically connect in and across to innovate and create value.

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