WHAT
IS
SOCIAL
MEDIA

SOCIAL MEDIA IS AN UMBRELLA
TERM THAT DEFINES THE VARIOUS
ACTIVITIES THAT INTEGRATE
TECHNOLOGY, SOCIAL
INTERACTION, AND THE
CONSTRUCTION OF WORDS,
PICTURES, VIDEOS AND AUDIO.
http://www.wikipedia.org

More simply put:
“Social media
is people having
conversations
online.”

The conversations are powered by…
• Blogs
• Micro Blogs
• Online Chat
• RSS
• Widgets
• Social Networks
• Social Bookmarks
• Message Boards
• Podcasts
• Video Sharing Sites
• Photo Sharing Sites
• Virtual Worlds
• Wikis
(…just to name a few)

Why
Should
I Care?

Almost
4,000,000
articles

>100,000,000
videos
(65,000 new videos/day)

200,000,000
blogs

1.5 million
residents

73%
of active online users have read
a blog
Source: Universal McCann Comparative Study on Social Media Trends April 2008

45% have started their own blog

39%
subscribe to an RSS feed

57%
have joined
a social
network

55%
have uploaded photos

83% have watched video clips

Reason #1
“IN 2008, IF YOU’RE NOT
ON A SOCIAL
NETWORKING SITE,
YOU’RE NOT ON THE
INTERNET.”
IAB PLATFORM STATUS REPORT: USER GENERATED CONTENT, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND
ADVERTISING
- AN OVERVIEW, APRIL 2008

IT’S NOT A FAD.
IT’S A
FUNDAMENTAL
SHIFT IN THE WAY
WE COMMUNICATE.

The old communication model
was a monologue.

Only 18% of
TV ad campaigns
generate positive ROI

90% of
people who
can skip TV
ads, do.

The average person is exposed to
advertising
messages/day

ONLY14%
OF PEOPLE TRUST
ADVERTISEMENTS.

Reason #2
78%
OF PEOPLE TRUST THE
RECOMMENDATIONS OF
OTHER CONSUMERS.
NIELSEN “TRUST IN ADVERTISING” REPORT, OCTOBER 2007

14% VS. 78%
HMM….

The new communication model
is a dialogue.

Which means it’s….
TRANSPARENT
INCLUSIVE
AUTHENTIC
VIBRANT
CONSUMER-DRIVEN

And it’s NOT…
CONTROLLED
ORGANIZED
EXCLUSIVE
“ON MESSAGE”
PRODUCT-DRIVEN

“Content is the new
democracy and we the
people, are ensuring that
our voices are heard.”
Brian Solis, “The Social Media Manifesto”

Reason #3
PEOPLE ARE
TALKING ABOUT
YOUR BRAND.
RIGHT NOW.

34%
post
opinions
about
products &
brands on
their blog

36%
think more
positively
about
companies
that have
blogs

trust
bloggers’
opinions on
products &
services

Reason #4
SOCIAL MEDIA “IS ONLY GOING
TO BECOME MORE PERVASIVE
AND AS SUCH, BECOME A
CRITICAL FACTOR IN THE
SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF ANY
BUSINESS.”
BRIAN SOLIS, SOCIAL MEDIA MANIFESTO, AUGUST 21, 2007

Welcome to the future.
SOURCE: UNIVERSAL MCCANN COMPARATIVE STUDY ON SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS APRIL 2008

AND SPEAKING OF THE
FUTURE…
(a.k.a. Reason #5)

Tomorrow’s consumers are
today’s “digital natives.”

By 2010, Millenials/Gen Y-ers
will outnumber Baby Boomers.

They already wield $350
BILLION/year in direct
spending power.

MILLENIALS SPEND
>16 HOURS/WEEK
ONLINE.

96% OF THEM HAVE
JOINED A SOCIAL
NETWORK.

They have an average of
53 online friends.

AND THEY DON’T CARE
ABOUT YOUR AD.
THEY CARE
WHAT THEIR
FRIENDS
THINK.

Translation:
THE TRAIN IS LEAVING
THE STATION.
WITH OR WITHOUT
YOU.

HOW DO I
GET ON
THE TRAIN

EASY.
JUST
GET ON.

“It’s about conversations, and
the best communicators start as
the best listeners.”
Brian Solis, Social Media Manifesto

A.
Listen.

Immerse yourself in the conversations.
(any or all of the above are a good place to start!

Messages are not
conversations.

B.
Participate.

H i n t : S h a r e s o m e s t u f f .

IT’S A DIALOGUE,
NOT A
MONOLOGUE.
Me, too! And
I absolutely isn’t the
ADORE the food bartender just
dreamy?
at that
restaurant!

C.
Relinquish
control.

REPEAT AFTER ME:
“THE GOAL IS NOT
TO CONTROL THE
CONVERSATION.”

THE GOAL IS TO:
ENABLE
INSPIRE
INFLUENCE
&…

D.
Engage!

http://www.talktorunningman.com
GIVE CONSUMERS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL
OWNERSHIP OF THE
BRAND—AND EMBRACE IT
IN THEIR OWN CREATIVE
WAY.

http://www.mystarbucksidea.com

http://www.nikeplus.com

CREATE OPPORTUNITIES
FOR PEOPLE TO
FEEL
OWNERSHIP OF
THE BRAND.

GIVE THEM
SOMETHING TO
TALK ABOUT.

MAKE ‘EM
LOVE YOU
OR
HATE YOU!
( JUST DON’T LEAVE THEM INDIFFERENT.)

AND FINALLY,
A WORD OF WARNING:

DON’T
M E S S
W I T H
PEOPLE

“Any blog that
spins the truth
will be found
out. In a world
of social media
honesty is the OPEN
only policy.” HONEST
AUTHENTIC
DIALOGUE

THANK
Y U
V E R Y
MUCH

Image Credits
All images courtesy of istockphoto.com except:
Screen capture of
Screen capture of
http://www.TalkToRunningMan.com
http://www.nikeplus.com
Screen capture of
http://www.mystarbucksidea.com
Screen capture of “The Breakup”
http://youtube.com/watch?v=D3qltEtl7
H8
Mae West
1933 \"I'm No Angel\"
Image courtesy MPTV.net

Image Credits
All of the following social media platforms were referenced in this presentation; logos were grabbed
from the homepages of each (in most cases, adding a “.com” to the end of the platform name will
get you there).

Data Credits
FACEBOOK: MORE POPULAR THAN PORN
Time, October 13, 2007
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1678586,00.html?xid=newsletter-weekly
IAB PLATFORM STATUS REPORT: USER GENERATED CONTENT, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND ADVERTISING
- AN OVERVIEW, APRIL 2008
http://www.iab.net/media/file/2008_ugc_platform.pdf
BRANDING 2.0 & SOCIAL MEDIA, SAMPAD SWAIN
http://managementchords.blogspot.com
NIELSEN “TRUST IN ADVERTISING” REPORT, OCTOBER 2007
http://www2.acnielsen.com/reports/documents/TrustinAdvertisingOct07.pdf
SOCIAL MEDIA MANIFESTO, BRIAN SOLIS
http://www.briansolis.com/2007/06/future-of-communications-manifesto-for.html
http://www.scribd.com/doc/258055/Social-Media-Manifesto-by-Brian-Solis
CONSUMER 2.0 FIVE RULES TO ENGAGING A NEW BREED OF CONSUMER BY MR. YOUTH AND
REPNATION MEDIA, APRIL 2008
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2898474/Consumer-20
UNIVERSAL MCCANN COMPARATIVE STUDY ON SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS APRIL 2008
http://www.universalmccann.com/Assets/2413%20-
%20Wave%203%20complete%20document%20AW%203_20080418124523.pdf

Credits
With permission from the author, this presentation has been modified for a
“G Rating: for All Audiences”
The original version can be viewed at:
http://www.slideshare.net/mzkagan/what-the-fk-social-media
Original Presentation by Marta Z. Kagan
Social Media Evangelist + Online Marketing Pro
Mobile: 617.771.8362
Email: mzkagan99@gmail.com
AIM: martazk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mzkagan
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Marta_Kagan/756555158
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/martakagan
My blog: http://bonafidemarketinggenius.com/
My social media resume: http://martazkagan.com/
© 2008, Marta Z. Kagan
All rights reserved. (But happy to share – just ask!)