The document discusses best practices for online communities. It recommends starting with clear objectives, developing a flexible plan that puts members' needs first, getting internal teams prepared, hiring community managers and strategists, selecting technology based on needs not vendors, kickstarting with influencers, and maintaining engagement through events and cross-promotion. It also discusses using widgets, applications and platforms like OpenSocial to extend communities.

2. Online Community Best Practices Jeremiah Owyang Senior Analyst Forrester Research March, 2008

3. Theme Community Are Powerful Tools, As Long As You Put Members’ Needs First.

4. Agenda Start with an Objective Developing a Plan Getting Your Company Ready Staff you will need How to pick a Vendor Kick-Starting Growing And Maintaining Widgets and OpenSocial

5. An Online Community An online community is an interactive group of people joined together by a common interest.

6. Examples A discussion forum where conversations develop A custom application with profiles and connections A group within an existing social networking site or email service. A network of blogs. Comments on a rating site. Anywhere conversations and people connect and share.

7. Usage of Social Networks are High 2/3 of Teens use Social Networking sites at least monthly 1/5 of teens use social networks daily 1/3 of Adults use at least monthly Source: North American Technographics Retail and Marketing Online Youth Survey, Q4 2007 North American Social Technographics Online Survey, Q2, 2007

8. Communication and Self-Expression important Sources: North American Technographics Retail And Marketing Online Youth Survey, Q4 2007 40% Watched a video: 55% Wrote on someone’s profile page (e.g., wrote on a wall, posted a testimonial): 51% Read a blog or journal: 47% Listened to music: 53% Send a friend/connection request: 59% Searched for someone that I used to know: 65% Looked at profiles of people I didn’t know: 70% Posted/updated my profile: 79% Sent a message to someone: 86% See what my friends are up to: Frequency Activity

9. …but who’s in charge? Control is in the hands of the participants, often yielding seemingly unpredictable results. Marketers must relinquish control or risk ending up with an empty community or — worse yet — brand backlash.

10. Not sure where to start?

11. The four step approach to the groundswell People Assess your customers’ Social Technographics profile Objectives Decide what you want to accomplish Strategy Plan for how relationships with customers will change Technology Decide which social technologies to use P O S T

12. Agenda Start with an Objective Developing a Plan Getting Your Company Ready Staff you will need How to pick a Vendor Kick-Starting Growing And Maintaining Widgets and OpenSocial

13. Objectives: Define deployment Insight Communities Scan and monitor existing communities Direct customer insight New product ideas Beta testing Listening Marketing campaigns (interactive) Advertisements Create an emotional attachment. Advertising based on network Speaking Applications, Widgets Media Excite your biggest fans. Word of mouth Energizing Customer-created groups Peer-to-peer support Supporting Ideastorm, SalesForce Members become contributors Embracing Example Contribution Goal

15. Anatomy of an Effective Plan Flexibility One Objective Needs of Members are put first –not marketers Policy Creation Prepare for costs and benefits Select Success metrics

16. Flexibility Adidas created an online community on MySpace.com, the brand developed a six- to 12-month road map that included a design refresh for every three months.

17. Remember the needs of the community and prepare to participate Success depends on interests of members first Valuable Content is defined by what’s valuable to the community — which means most traditional advertising and marketing materials don’t count. Help docs Behind-the-scenes videos Sneak previews

18. Figure 2: A Taxonomy Of Detractors Type of detractor Why they make trouble How to recognize What you should do Address individually and privately, if complaints continue in face of attempts to resolve, remove from community Complains continuously and cannot be satisfied; uses incendiary language Have a grudge against company; hope to create problems Troublemaker Refocus discussion on higher goals of community Tend to participate in “flame wars” and may have specific other members they target Like to argue with other members Flamer Create forum to encourage discussion; recognize good ideas publicly Makes suggestions, not just complaints; responds intelligently to others’ criticisms Think they can make things better Engaged critic Engage rationally and respectfully with your company’s perspective Continues to mention other brands; parrots their marketing messages Want to promote competing products Competitor Solve problems or explain policies, publicly if possible Raises legitimate issue; may use strong language but seems open to reason Needs help with products or services or wants to warn others Legitimate complainer

19. Create a community policy, focusing on the desired behavior Set the tone by developing community guidelines that outline the expected behavior of the community. Prominently publish desired guidelines focusing on the positive, rather than create a long list of prohibited actions. “ Be Fun, Friendly, and Informational.”

20. Prepare for costs and benefits. Don’t run out of steam, prepare for all costs: Hidden costs Kick-Start Labor Internal Education Ongoing Management Develop a ROI and total cost model (see online community best practices report)

21. Agenda Start with an Objective Developing a Plan Getting Your Company Ready Staff you will need How to pick a Vendor Kick-Starting Growing And Maintaining Widgets and OpenSocial

22. Build the internal teams first Part educator, part evangelist, and all customer advocate. Focus on tangible benefits to company. Create internal training sessions, call in experts. Start by connecting with important decision-makers one at a time.

23. Get an Executive Champion They often say the word “Customers.” Your advocate — and defender — as you initiate discussions with other internal stakeholders.

24. Establish clear lines of responsibility and ongoing processes Nearly every department is impacted: Marketing Product teams Account teams Support Client teams Setup mock simulations using internal versions of the tools Develop internal guidelines Create a rapid response team

26. Agenda Start with an Objective Developing a Plan Getting Your Company Ready Staff you will need How to pick a Vendor Kick-Starting Growing And Maintaining Widgets and OpenSocial

27. Social Media Strategist: Internal Leader The community strategist who organizes internal resources and supports the program. This experienced business manager: Is able to maneuver within the organization Leans on relationships with many business teams Manages the business program Leads the internal charge Develops the objectives and obtain resources Creates policy, deals with internal stakeholders, and provides ongoing reports to management Ed Terpening VP, Social Media, Wells Fargo

28. Community Manager: Member Champion The community manager or moderator who interacts with members. As a primary advocate of the community, the community manager: Balances the needs of the community with corporate objectives Is a customer advocate Is a brand evangelist May create editorial content Harvests customer needs for market intelligence Skills. possess strong online communication skills, is approachable and conversational, and has the ability to relate to members online and offline Lionel Menchca Digital Media Manager Dell Computers

29. Agenda Start with an Objective Developing a Plan Getting Your Company Ready Staff you will need How to pick a Vendor Kick-Starting Growing And Maintaining Widgets and OpenSocial

30. When selecting a vendor Lead With Needs, Not Technology. Based upon your objectives, determine the right technologies First, develop your feature requirements. There are many segments of social networks. Organic (like Facebook, MySpace.com) White Label Insight Collaboration Widget Media Vertical

31. Services Rely on services and support from experienced vendors. Consultation Moderation/Listening Moderating Setup Rebranding Launching Reporting Caution: Stay engaged, don’t outsource your business strategy.

32. Agenda Start with an Objective Developing a Plan Getting Your Company Ready Staff you will need How to pick a Vendor Kick-Starting Growing And Maintaining Widgets and OpenSocial

33. How to Kick-Start First, find a creators and influencers Consider creating an “embassy.” Choose just a few features to launch with, and then add more as needed. Integrate with other marketing activities. Reward helpful members with recognition –not money

34. Growing and Maintaining: Microsoft MVP Microsoft rewarded members through public recognition. Ambassadors.

35. Agenda Start with an Objective Developing a Plan Getting Your Company Ready Staff you will need How to pick a Vendor Kick-Starting Growing And Maintaining Widgets and OpenSocial

36. Growing and Maintaining Stay engaged with your community by monitoring and quickly responding. Integrate your community with real-world events. Extend the reach of your community by cross-pollinating on existing social networks. Obama for America while also maintaining a presence on Facebook. Videos on YouTube, Facebook, and Obama’s own network

37. Obama, primary blog

38. Obama on Facebook

39. Obama on MySpace

40. Obama on Twitter

41. Obama on MySpace

42. Agenda Start with an Objective Developing a Plan Getting Your Company Ready Staff you will need How to pick a Vendor Kick-Starting Widgets and Open Social

43. Widgets and opportunity for marketers Growth. 13,083 applications on the platform Top 10 apps have over 10 million installs What works: Applications that have robust functionality Social features that connect users Yet many are never successful User Direct friends Indirect friends Interested parties Source: Rodney Rumford, CEO Gravitational Media: FaceReviews.com Graphic Source: Rock You

44. Widgets and Applications Mini Applications. Successful Attributes. Interactive Offer value, not just “Disposable” Utilize social aspect

45. Widgets and Applications Recommended Deployment: Sponsor or rebrand existing widget Integrate brand as part of experience Create own

46. Case study: “Vampires” and movie “skins” Sources: Facebook Screenshots

47. OpenSocial Google partnership. Allows widgets to write once, run many. Challenges. Demographics are different in each community Many APIs available Still in Beta Privacy issues with open data

48. Recommendations Act more like a host at a party, rather than a cop. The power is in the hands of the community. Traditional marketing tactics do not apply. Develop your POST methodology. People, Objectives, Strategy, Tools Understand Objectives. Listening Talking Energizing Supporting Embracing

49. Thank you Jeremiah Owyang Blog: web-strategist.com Email: [email_address] Twitter: twitter.com/jowyang www.forrester.com

50. Related Research ACDSee AirTran Airways Ant’s Eye View Avenue A | Razorfish Carnival Cruise Lines Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation Cnet TechRepublic Constant Contact Dogster Intuit Leverage Software Microsoft MySpace.com Organic Reuters AdvicePoint SATMetrics Telligent Systems Based off the report: Online Community Best Practices Companies Interviewed: