Understanding Social Media Caroline Chambers February 2009

Social media describes the online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives with each other (Wikipedia 2007) What is social media?

Source: Internet Advertising Bureau, 2004 Source: Darwin Day Conference, by Google Marketing has changed more…..

How We Communicate Baby Boomer born 1946-1961

Has Changed a lot Generation X – Born 1961-1981

Through the Generations Generation Y – Born 1982-2000

And our latest arrival And say hello to Generation C – Born 2000 onwards Cash not credit Creators Control Connected Channelled Creative Community “ Consumer 2.0” Communicators Charted

Getting from me to them

The State of the Market Explosion of platforms and applications – what do I use for what? Users feeling overwhelmed Businesses and individuals communicating via social media tools becoming established/expected What's the bottom line – will it make me money? People will come if you make them feel smarter , make them feel empowered , make them feel heard or make them feel entertained

Explosion of platforms and applications – what do I use for what? Users feeling overwhelmed

Businesses and individuals communicating via social media tools becoming established/expected

What's the bottom line – will it make me money?

Blogging Micro-Blogging Social Networking Crowdsourcing Content Sharing Web Applications Key Tools of the Trade

Blogging Keys to Success: - Listen to the conversation already going on - Find your niche - Join the conversation - Strike the right tone – drop the formalities - Be yourself, be human - Make it easy to follow Readers must have a passion… either for you or for the subject matter (preferably both).

Keys to Success:

- Listen to the conversation already going on

- Find your niche

- Join the conversation

- Strike the right tone – drop the formalities

- Be yourself, be human

- Make it easy to follow

Readers must have a passion… either for you or for the subject matter (preferably both).

The Personality Blog

The Issue Blog

OPEN API

The Organisation Blog

Blogging – The Expert Blog

The Blog Portal

Comment Policy: - All comments (not for controversial subjects) - No comments (must be very compelling content) - Member authentication/profiles (closed community) - Comment moderation (Higher workload, lower return) - vs. (Better discourse, viral, not full control) Blogging

Comment Policy:

- All comments (not for controversial subjects)

- No comments (must be very compelling content)

- Member authentication/profiles (closed community)

- Comment moderation (Higher workload, lower return)

- vs. (Better discourse, viral, not full control)

Micro-Blogging Key Features: - Very quick blog posting method made popular by the Twitter platform. - Micro-blogging pioneer: - Four primary types of posts: - Status update (example: “I’m eating lunch at Michaelinos”) - Link update (example: “Great article on Chambers of Commerce http://www.link.com”) - Reply to update (example: “@twitteraccount I totally disagree”) - Re-Tweet (example: [email_address] Great article on…..)

Key Features:

- Very quick blog posting method made popular by the Twitter platform.

- Micro-blogging pioneer:

- Four primary types of posts:

- Status update (example: “I’m eating lunch at Michaelinos”) - Link update (example: “Great article on Chambers of Commerce http://www.link.com”) - Reply to update (example: “@twitteraccount I totally disagree”)

- Re-Tweet (example: [email_address] Great article on…..)

Micro-Blogging Ways organizations are using it: - Monitor and address customer concerns: - Disseminate offers: - Alert Supporters of News and Calls to Action:

Ways organizations are using it:

- Monitor and address customer concerns:

- Disseminate offers:

- Alert Supporters of News and Calls to Action:

Social Networking Features and Trends: - Hundreds of millions of people are connecting with each other in online communities focused around their personal lives, professional lives and special interests. - Facebook is now the number one social networking platform and has released capabilities that allow any website to connect to their platform.

Features and Trends:

- Hundreds of millions of people are connecting with each other in online communities focused around their personal lives, professional lives and special interests.

- Facebook is now the number one social networking platform and has released capabilities that allow any website to connect to their platform.

Social Networking Question: Create your own social network or integrate with Facebook and/or other existing communities? (Or do both) 523 Followers 561,000 Friends 115,000 Friends 1,200 Subscribers 499 Photos 254 Photos 3000 Badges

Question:

Create your own social network or integrate with Facebook and/or other existing communities? (Or do both)

Crowdsourcing Features and Trends: - Crowdsourcing is a method of outsourcing a task to a group of people who collaboratively come to a solution. (Example: Wikipedia)

Features and Trends:

- Crowdsourcing is a method of outsourcing a task to a group of people who collaboratively come to a solution. (Example: Wikipedia)

New Tools, Risks and Rewards: - New tools are being launched to increase the effectiveness of online collaboration, including one geared towards public policy:

New Tools, Risks and Rewards:

- New tools are being launched to increase the effectiveness of online collaboration, including one geared towards public policy:

Content Sharing - The most widely accepted include: Real Simple Syndication feeds ) YouTube (Video) Podcast (Audio/Video) SlideShare (Powerpoint/Presentation) Flickr (Photos)

- The most widely accepted include:

Referral & Recommend Sites

Widgets/Applications Entertainment, Mobility and Utility - Several categories of applications and widgets - Mobility (e.g. iPhone applications) - Standalone games and other entertainment (branded) - Platform Plug-ins (e.g face book applications) - Mashups (combining databases) - Novelty produces high publicity bonus - Access to content via mobile applications becoming expected

Entertainment, Mobility and Utility

- Several categories of applications and widgets

- Mobility (e.g. iPhone applications)

- Standalone games and other entertainment (branded)

- Platform Plug-ins (e.g face book applications)

- Mashups (combining databases)

- Novelty produces high publicity bonus

- Access to content via mobile applications becoming expected

Widgets/Applications Examples: http://www.aarpvote08.org/ http://my. barackobama .com/page/content/ iphone

Examples:

Tips Define your audience Understand what will engage and motivate them Build gradually and don’t aggressively promote until you are comfortable with your product and your process Use established tools to secure your audience, use new/experimental tools once you’ve got them engaged Develop tools to measure sales, but understand that some benefits are qualitative Devote more of your time and resources to content development than to website development – that’s the hallmark of Web 2.0 Always think about how content will benefit a user before thinking about how it will benefit you

Define your audience

Understand what will engage and motivate them

Build gradually and don’t aggressively promote until you are comfortable with your product and your process

Use established tools to secure your audience, use new/experimental tools once you’ve got them engaged

Develop tools to measure sales, but understand that some benefits are qualitative

Devote more of your time and resources to content development than to website development – that’s the hallmark of Web 2.0

Always think about how content will benefit a user before thinking about how it will benefit you

Where is Social Networking Going? Results expected from experimental advertising within social media Yahoo!, Google, Hotmail testing social media integration with Webmail products Facebook may start making money! Social shopping experiments (retailers integrating social network data – EBAY, Amazon, Qype is emergent – rate my purchase) Integration – One site, one logon, multiple platforms

Results expected from experimental advertising within social media

Yahoo!, Google, Hotmail testing social media integration with Webmail products

Facebook may start making money!

Social shopping experiments (retailers integrating social network data – EBAY, Amazon, Qype is emergent – rate my purchase)

Integration – One site, one logon, multiple platforms

Why Should My Business SN Branding Create a buzz Online reputation management Establish yourself as an expert Word of mouth Build relationships and become more personal Open up the line of communication between business owner and millions of potential customers Small businesses can compete with the large companies Social networking with potential clients and customers from all over the globe Get great traffic Increase your link-ability Helps with search engines Much cheaper than traditional marketing and advertising Your company is more accessible Direct conversation to a specific niche Provides another way for potential customers to find you It's a way to explain yourself Show Your Stuff Find out exactly what your customers want Your customers can play an active role in the business http://blissfullydomestic.com/digital-bliss/20-reasons-small-businesses-should-use-social-media/

Branding

Create a buzz

Online reputation management

Establish yourself as an expert

Word of mouth

Build relationships and become more personal

Open up the line of communication between business owner and millions of potential customers

Small businesses can compete with the large companies

Social networking with potential clients and customers from all over the globe

Get great traffic

Increase your link-ability

Helps with search engines

Much cheaper than traditional marketing and advertising

Your company is more accessible

Direct conversation to a specific niche

Provides another way for potential customers to find you

It's a way to explain yourself

Show Your Stuff

Find out exactly what your customers want

Your customers can play an active role in the business

Connect With Me carolinechamber http://channelchamber.blogspot.com/ http://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinechambers The Channel Chamber Group Channel Chamber Training Famousatlast