This document discusses the benefits and risks of online communities and engagement strategies. It outlines how communities can be used to connect with like-minded individuals, share resources, stimulate debate, and inform business strategy. However, it also notes risks such as lack of buy-in, absence of strategy and measures. The document provides tips on identifying relevant communities, participation guidelines, developing partnership and exit strategies, and measures of success. It emphasizes the importance of listening, having a response strategy, clear roles, and buy-in across the organization for effective online community engagement.

1. Online communities: encouraging involvement
Tiffany St James
(On Twitter, Linked In,
Slideshare, Facebook, Skype..)
tiffany@stimulationltd.co.uk
Source: xkcd.com

2. Community engagement benefits
• Connecting with like-minded individuals
• Peer to peer recommendations
• Resourses, resourses, resources
• Stimulating the debate of your most interest
• Engaging with people in the their spaces
• eCRM
• Data collation
• Product testing
• Informing business, brand, product strategy
• The financial worth of ‘Likes’

3. Community of interest
Source: http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/ Source: Helpfultechnology.com

4. Community of action
Source: http://fairtradetowns.ning.com/ Source: Helpfultechnology.com

5. Community of place

6. Community of practice
Source: Helpfultechnology.com

7. Community of circumstance
Source: http://www.tripadvisor.com/
Source: Helpfultechnology.com

8. Types of online community
Led by individuals
Fan Community
forums Hyperlocal blogs
sites
Big group
forums
Conversation Campaign Content
oriented communities oriented
Customer Magazine
forums off-shoots
Led by organisations
Source: Helpfultechnology.com

9. Risks of online engagement
• Stakeholders' unfamiliarity with format
• Lack of buy-in from proprietors
• Absence of standards, strategy,
measures
• IT limitations
• Elasticity of time and place
• Low levels of efficacy and trust

10. UM Social media Wave 5
http://bit.ly/g8JspN

11. So What?

12. Trust in communications has changed
http://slidesha.re/ekbc0

13. Smart Mobs: Democracy in action?
bit.ly/gKArcx
gawker.com/5733816/
nyti.ms/e5P1Ul

14. What can we learn from BP?

15. The truth will out
http://bit.ly/eERbxb

16. What can we learn from WikiLeaks?

17. Social For Good

18. The power of the individual
bethkanter.org

19. Online to offline action: DoSomething.org

20. Big businesses are using it for good
refresheverything.com

21. ..and connecting like minded-individuals
nikerunning.nike.com

22. What does this mean for me?

23. Should you throw a party or join one?

24. Identifying relevant communities

25. Choosing which communities
No of Posts Date of last post
and Topics in the main thread
Members
List
Structure and Contact details for
Management the moderator
Source: Helpfultechnology.com

26. Cost of ownership considerations
• Hosting and maintenance
• Usabilility: IA + interface design + code
• User experience: useability+design+content
• But what is the real cost of not engaging...

27. Set an objective
Listening Buzz generation
Audience insight, Stimulating discussion,
understanding views encouraging sharing
Co-production Discussion & Response
Working with a community Driving take-up,
to produce a resource asking for feedback
Source: Helpfultechnology.com

28. Rule of participation inequality
Wikipedia for example:
99.8, 0.2, 0.003
Rule: Jakob Nielsen
Source: bit.ly/ggRqCW

29. Managing communities
Creators: Maintain, promote, reward
Reward interactivity
Build in Status
Commentators: Personally interact
Ask questions
Increase interactivity
Co-creation
Lurkers: Progressive
disclosure
Increase engagement
Strangers: SEO
Widgets and Virals

30. Develop a partnership strategy
Source: Helpfultechnology.com

31. Continual optimisation
Source: UK Government GCN/COI Interactive Services

32. Measures of success - KPIs
Outputs
How many visits, referrals, subscribers, loyalty,
web analytics, bounce rates
Outtakes
Message and experience for user satisfaction,
measuring change of attitude
Outcomes
Action - what do you want the user to do?
Source: UK Govt COI Interactive services

33. Developing and exit strategy
Exit Risks Actions Evaluate
options • Suspicion • Timing • Monitor
• Unpublish • Leadership • Transparent • All social
• Cease • Reputation • Brief Press media
• Remove • Resentment • Redirect • Response
engagement • Direction strategy
• Transparent
logy.com
• Hand back
Source: UK Govt COI Interactive services

34. 5 things to watch out for
1 Build it and they will come
2 Too too strict
3 Conflict: Moderator and/or participants
4 Too complex
5 Neglect

35. Code of conduct
• Be credible
• Be consistent
• Be transparent
• Be relevant
• Be an ambassador for
your organisation

36. Are you ready?
1 Are you listening?
2 Do ALL employees understand the risks?
3 Rapid response?
4 Strategy in place?
5 Had crisis training?
6 Clear on the roles and responsibilities
7 Top down and bottom up strategies

37. Thank You!
Tiffany St James
tiffany@stimulationltd.co.uk
Twitter:@tiffanystjames
Slideshare.net/tiffanystjames