The document discusses steps for creating a successful social networking site. It covers analyzing the current social media landscape, optimizing audience engagement, generating revenue, addressing legal issues, and future trends. The presentation provides guidance on quick decision metrics, adapting to user evolution, changing site features, using a web funnel to drive traffic and conversions, and monetization strategies like advertising and subscriptions. Success requires clear objectives, technical expertise, engaging content, effective design, and ongoing maintenance. A case study of an F1 fan site in Singapore is also examined.

1. Creating social networking site
DigiGen 2009 Workshop
Part 3
WWW.F5DC.COM
Gregory.birge@f5dc.com +65 9111 6849

2. AGENDA
0900 – 0930 : Introduction
0930 – 1030 : Current social networking market Place
1030 – 1100 : BREAK
1100 – 1200 : Optimizing Audience Engagement
1200 – 1300 : LUNCH
1300 – 1400 : Revenue generation, goals
1400 – 1430 : Legal aspects
1430 – 1500 : BREAK
1500 – 1600 : Future Trend

3. Quick reminder : Why doing it ?
 New, trendy
 Adapted medium – audience
 Additional way to talk to your
audience
 Engagement program
WWW.F5DC.COM

4. Step 1 : Quick decision metrics
WWW.F5DC.COM

5. Wedding between 3 parties
Today Tomorrow
Brand Brand
SNW
SNW
Consumer Consumer
 Consumer evolve over time
 What do you do to catch up ?
 How to avoid divorce
 Don’t wait to find the perfect wife
 Launch it and adapt
WWW.F5DC.COM

6. What needs to change ?
 Content
 Way to access it
 Design
 Engagement method
 Style
 Include new features…
WWW.F5DC.COM

7. Focus points, first impression
Technology : 7%
Navigation : 12%
 Links relevant
Design : 18%  Easy
 Taste audience  Help
 Support only  Contact
 Internet friendly  TsCs
Content : 64%  Speed
 Sitemap
 Targeted
 Relevant
 Updated
 Accurate
 easy to find
Data source from http://www.contentmanager.net/magazine/article_1082_success_website.html
WWW.F5DC.COM

8. Use a Web Funnel
 Generate traffic
 Bring people to your own site
 Convert
 Increase sales
© With the approval of Philips Global online team WWW.F5DC.COM

9. Great tools exists, just ask , be aware
WWW.F5DC.COM

10. Warnings
 The idea might be simple
 Time – Quality – Money
 Changes
 Modifications
 Updates
 Content
 Next steps
 The first step is the easiest
WWW.F5DC.COM

11. Why monetize?
In Second Life the
• Facebook, Skype and why • High operations cost
virtual currency a
YouTube were not
planned to bring in cash • understandable that the
• Facebook: $200 million user can obtain
per year for server
from the beginning users received the
monetization attempts
maintenance and throughout his or
electricity
with a bit of distrust and
annoyance
hers experience
is transferable in
Initial But real life currency
WWW.F5DC.COM

12. Monetizing from Social Websites

13. WWW.F5DC.COM

14. How to make money ?
Be clear to your audience
Same old school Share part of it Sell it !
Smile
 Banners y bad  Localize / adapt part of it  Get enough traffic
 Advertising  Include dedicated offer  Regular members - visitors
 Subscription model  Data mining
 Special offers
 Affiliate
 Merchandising
WWW.F5DC.COM

15. You do not need direct sales impact
Visibility Action Sales engagement
But you need to be able to measure it
 Indirect sales impact
 Online sales
 Generate brand visibility
 Generate communication
 Generate engagement
WWW.F5DC.COM

16. Success keys
Planning site Maintenance
 Very clear objectives and stick to it  Updates
 Technical background  Focus
 Content  Google Analytics
 Design  Fine tuning
 Flow  Keep it alive
 SEO
 Communication
 Partners
 Planning
 Do not aim100% perfection
WWW.F5DC.COM

17. Study case
 Dedicated Community
 Singapore & F1
 Created 2008
 33 000 visits
 150 000 pages views
 350 members
WWW.F5DC.COM

18. THANKS
WWW.F5DC.COM
Gregory.birge@f5dc.com +65 9111 6849

19. What went wrong with
 Beginning: Finding "lost" friends was a fun game but it was not meant to last
 As it evolved, people did new things with it. myspace.com allow users freedom to
create.
 Was launched in 2002 when economy was slow and many web-minded 20-
somethings slacking at work
 Was seen as a dating site
 server slowness discourage members to log in regularly
 Did not grow with users, restricted its users notably Fakesters and those with more
creative non-photorealistic profiles
 Did not try to understand its users
WWW.F5DC.COM

20. Background Info
 Set up in
WWW.F5DC.COM

21. Case Study: Why F1GPSG did not get
the ‘hoo-ha’ that was expected?
Relating to the success factors of social networking website, f1gpsg.com did
achieve
 - Content: Yes. Updated news on F1, relevant and informative details on
Singapore Grand Prix during the race season. Clear text, images and links.
 - Design: Yes, pretty cool and stylish.
 - Navigation: Not really, gets pretty confusing on 1st visit. There’s no
presence of directed surf/exploration routing.
 - Community: f1 fans scattered but exists. Where do f1 fans in Singapore
gather before Singapore Grand Prix?
 - Technology: forum based, stable but has yet to establish other more
interactive applications.
WWW.F5DC.COM

22. Contrast with the Steps of setting a social
networking website
" Failed to capture good 1st impression
" Didn’t entice members to refer others
" No objectives for members to make repeat visits. Current member size is <400. Regular contests are set up
but only a couple of active members are participating. No value add for passive members
" Blocked out intrusive advertising.
" Did not source out existing f1 fan base and tap from them
" Lacked entertainment, only forums to let them express their opinions but lacked visual and audio stimulation.
" Invited the right people. Start from outside circle and still remain outside. Where is the core?
" keep it small and private
" viewed members as advisors to the community
" Social glue is missing after race season
" Managed in sporadic functions; lacked control and planning
" Focus on building the portal this year on, with goals and objectives set across and resources allocated.
" Rewards and reciprocity; but doesn’t encourage community building
WWW.F5DC.COM

23. Recommendations
 Create a purpose. If forum is the core activity, it should be
positioned at a ‘eye-catching’ location.
 Currently, the ‘forum’ link is hidden under ‘community’ tab
 Create a logical navigation flow. Current site is too ‘haphazard’
& ‘crowded” & confusing, 1st time user is ‘lost’
 Statistics doesn’t reflect well on the site, affect visitor’s
judgment.
WWW.F5DC.COM

24.  Design & layout of site is not visually appealing (maybe
a bigger font size)
 Element of ‘Personality’ is missing. Other than posts by
members, the site seems to be merely ‘copy & paste’
or feeds from other site. Can have a section on
f1gpsg activities.
 Assess the needs of functions such as inbox, search,
member list, user groups as they are not optimized.
 Gallery should be organized.
 Pre-requisites for downloads should be made known.
WWW.F5DC.COM

25. THANKS
WWW.F5DC.COM
Gregory.birge@f5dc.com +65 9111 6849

26. API based sales
 eBay allows members to trade on their own sites rather than forcing
them to set up their stores on eBay. Their revenues increased by 86%.
 40% of Salesforce revenue comes from external sites that use their
API, not their own website.
 $490 million per quarter comes from Amazon’s API, not their site.
Virtual Worlds
 Gigaom forecasts Virtual World revenues to be $6 Billion by 2012.
Anything from Virtual goods, virtual real estate, & product placement and
endorsements can be a great source of revenue.
http://www.webgrrls.com/blog/2008/12/11/monetizing-social-mediabeyond-the-ad-model/
WWW.F5DC.COM

27. CPC (Cost Per
Click) Campaigns
traffic personal/lifestyle blogs have
are of value to advertisers
different targeting method to
bring the best out of its
audience
Various levels of
CPM (Cost Per Impression)
“Audience Targeting”
campaigns
WWW.F5DC.COM

28. Sponsored Philantrophic
Multi-Layered Advertising
Polls
Less intrusive Demographics Artwork
visually Targeted Guidelines &
Advertising Unintrusive
Minimum Sophistication
Required Visitors
ISP-backed Geolocation
Per Day = ZERO
Visitors Can
Comment On Ads,
Full Support and Rotate Which
System Ads Are Being Show
WWW.F5DC.COM

29. WWW.F5DC.COM