This document summarizes a debate on social networking in South Africa. Some of the key topics discussed include how people portray themselves differently online than in person, the importance of brands having a social media presence to engage with customers, challenges like negative customer feedback or "diva" customers, debates around buying followers or likes on social media, and questions around who should manage brand communities and customer check-ins. The moderator concludes that with the complex human variable in social media, there are no simple conclusions to these issues.

1. MMA SOUTH AFRICA Social Networking Debate Cape Town - Jul 2011

2. #toptensocial Social Networking Debate Moderated byTim Bishop – Prezence Digital @timprezence

3. Be whoever you want to be in SM Legends in their lunchboxes? We become interesting, indestructible, brave and super human when we are in a car or using SM. Face to face – not so much. The new extreme human variable!

4. Some Of SA’s Top Social Brands #toptensocial brands in South Africa Having someone to talk to when necessary gives the brand reliability YOUR THOUGHTS?

5. Some Of SA’s Top Social Brands Who can control a Diva? Big brands can use that loyalty for new product launches and use social networks to launch them But you only need it to go wrong for one person and that bad press will get out there. YOUR THOUGHTS?

6. Some Of SA’s Top Social Brands What if the consumer is wrong? What if the consumer is wrong? It provides a voice to let the brand know that they’ve done something wrong. And even when they don’t respond, keep telling them! It provides a voice to let the brand know that they’ve done something wrong. And even when they don’t respond, keep telling them! YOUR THOUGHTS?

7. Some Of SA’s Top Social Brands What if the Diva gets it wrong? But sometimes, a customer gets it very wrong. Sure, the customer is always right. Right? Incorrectly blaming a brand for removing a post when that isn’t the case is wrong. YOUR THOUGHTS?

8. Cost Per Follower What if a Brand wants to buy a community? YOUR THOUGHTS?

9. Cost Per Follower Twitter Advertising…. #plus or #fail Twitter has recently launched Geo-centric searches in SA which uses a Cost Per Follower model. During FNB’s app launch, Standard Bank was talked about because of this search. YOUR THOUGHTS?

10. Value Per Follower Can anyone confirm this? =$15 per fan =$3 per follower ARE BUYING LIKES ‘QUALITY’ USERS OR IS IT THE SCATTER GUN EFFECT?

11. Facebook vs Twitter vs Google+ Who will win the circle jerk? Google+ still favours the consumer – There is very little commercially happening on Google+ at the moment. YOUR THOUGHTS?

12. Cost Per Follower THOUGHTS?

13. Who Should Manage Communities? Who should manage the circle jerk? Running the social communities by the BRANDS themselves will avoid additional steps created by waiting for brands’ responses? They can be led by the social strategy put forward by the DIGITAL agency and run efficiently by the PR agency? YOUR THOUGHTS?

14. Social Check-Ins Let’s encourage our stalkers… We may as well install webcams in our bathrooms to save them the effort. Why waste your time creating online profiles! There’s no need to interact with customers if your food and service is already top class. Your thoughts?

15. Thanks to our ‘expert’ audience debating panel for making this possible. Do we really need Lunchbox-legends to come and tell us how to be human? The moderator’s debate conclusion? When dealing with the extreme human variable, how can there be a conclusion?@timprezence