Social media has become ubiquitous and shapes politics and business in several ways. It allows quick dissemination of information to large audiences and mobilization of support or action. Politicians and businesses use social media to engage stakeholders, shape public discourse, respond to crises, and call people to action. However, governments face challenges in using social media for genuine public engagement versus just showing openness. Looking ahead, the combination of social, mobile, and location-based technologies will further increase social media's influence.

1. THE POLITICAL AND
ECONOMIC POWER OF
SOCIAL MEDIA
Charles Mok

2. Social media has become ubiquitous
2
 How many of you actively use at least one social
media everyday?
 How much time do you spend on social media?
 How many platform do you use it on
 PC,tablet, smartphone, smart TV?
 Facebook, Twitter, Weibo, Google+, Foursquare?

3. A networked population
3
 Household broadband penetration rate - 86.6% (August 2012,
OFCA)
 Mobile penetration: 222.6% (August 2012, OFCA)
 Mobile internet penetration rate [2.5G and 3G/4G mobile
subscribers]: 59% (August 2012, OFCA)
 54 percent are on social networks, 4 million social network
users in HK
 100 percent reported some sort of mobile device (many
reporting multiple units)

4. Social Media – a changing force
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5. Social media is much more than the
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platforms
Behaviour Lifestyle
Technology Relationships
Social
Media

6. Communications landscape
Denser, more complex, and more participatory
6
Discussion Forums Media sharing
Social networking
Online media
Mobile applications

7. Rumors are spread quickly
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8. But eventually truths are exposed
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9. Social media in business and politics
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Politics Business
Build relationship with stakeholders Build relationship with customers
and influencers
Disseminate information quickly to Respond to market competitors
shape public discourse
Call for action especially signature Call for action through sales
campaign, rally, protest etc. promotion and discounts
The need to manage and respond to Manage and respond to crisis
crisis

10. Social media has the power to make a
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leader
Source: Barack Obama facebook

11. 11
Source: Facebook, Tencent Weibo

12. …and the power to unmake one
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Source: Facebook

13. …power to bring revolution to the square
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Source: flickr

14. …and the power to show the voice of
people online and offline
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Source: Facebook, Google
Trend

15. 15 Application of social media in politics

16. Social media and public policy
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Source: Facebook

17. Engage in public speech and shape the agenda
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Source: Facebook

18. Disseminate information…
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Source: Facebook

19. …and call for massive and rapid action
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「D&G門口萬人影相活動」
Source: ODN

20. Strengthen civil society by articulating and
debating
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Source: Facebook, Twitter

21. Rewriting the rules
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Opinion Traditional Political
Government
leaders media groups
Social Media:
medium to
influence and
empower the
civil society

22. How social media shapes public opinion
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Media
production
(video, photos,
text)
Collective action Dissemination
and urge for with opinion by
change sharing
From From ideas to
conversations to opinions
actions
Forming opinion Echo by
through influencers via
conversation social media
Pick up by
traditional
media (multiply
influence)

23. 23 Mobilization in networked politics
Case studies

24. Stop Express Rail Line campaign
(2009-2010)
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Call for action with social media
Source: http://maaa-c.blogspot.hk, Facebook

25. Gather and inform through online media
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Source: 香港獨立媒體

26. Online mobilization by both supporting
and opposing camps
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Source: Facebook

27. Mobilization via social media
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Source: Facebook

28. Live broadcast via tweets and photos
Re-tweet and tagging (#stopXRL)
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Source: Twitter, Twitpic

29. Spreading tactical messages via social media
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Source: Wikimedia Commons (by Hkfotopoint), 香港獨立媒體

30. Anti-nationalist education campaign
(2011-2012)
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Source: Facebook

31. Building exposure and audience
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Source: Facebook

32. Building alliance
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Source: Facebook

33. Power of ‘like’ and ‘share’
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Source: Facebook

34. Generating support from wider public
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Source: Facebook

35. Mobilization through social network
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Source: Facebook

36. Power when social media meets
traditional media
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Source: Apple Daily, Facebook

37. Obama’s Q&A session on social media
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Google+
Reddit
Twitter
Source: Twitter, Google+, Reddit

38. Community’s wisdom – E-Petitions @
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Number 10 UK
 View and sign and see
Government responses to
completed petitions
 Aim – enable as many
people as possible to
make their views known

39. The White House – We the People online
petition
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40. Request to impeach Obama received an
official response from the White House
40
………

41. Use of social media in public
consultation
 Attempt to consult through Facebook: 3-hour ‘forum’ on
Facebook《運輸基建．公眾參與前瞻》
Source: Facebook

42. Use of social media in public
consultation
 Act Now campaign
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Source: Facebook

43. Use of social media in public
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consultation
Attempt to consult
via Facebook:
Land supply
consultation
(reclamation
outside Victoria
Harbour)
Source: Facebook

44. Hong Kong Government
Social media and Apps
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Source: GovHK

45. HK Government: Purpose of Using
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Social Media
 Online political participation as a trend
 Showing ‘openness’ in policy formulation
 Raise Government's online presence
 Strengthen communications between Govt and
citizens (esp. young people)
 Participate in online debates to shape public
opinion
45

46. E-engagement
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 The need for engagement
 Points to consider
 What is the purpose?
 What are the target audience?

47. E-engagement
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 Points to consider (cont’d)
 Are the tools/platforms right for the
purpose/audience?
 A 'managed' approach for the campaign
 Connect to the campaign in the 'real world'
 How to measure the results?

48. Typical Constraints Faced by
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Governments
 Balance between transparency and bureaucracy
 Mentality toward open government
 Lack of guidelines / rules of engagement
 But, these concerns are not too different from
those of the corporate world

49. Issues to consider
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 Engagement: Genuine or for ‘show’?
 Stage in policy formation: early stage or at the end?
 Result of engagement: Responsive or ‘black-hole’?

50. HK Government’s new stance on online
strategy to shape public opinion?
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Source: TVB

51. Social media in business
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Product
Marketing Sales
Development
Customer Business Crisis
Service Management Management

52. Marketing
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 The draw: reach, relationship, engaging in
conversation, influence by peer
Example: Ikea Facebook Showroom (2009)

53. Product development
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 YouTube: new product demonstrations
 Twitter: reach larger audience and receive quick feedback
 Facebook app: social co-creation with ‘fans’
Example: Crowd-funding for product development

54. Sales
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 Special promotion
 Contests
 Lucky draw

55. Customer service
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 Resolve disputes
 Address issues
Source: Facebook

56. Business management
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 Human resources – training, recruitment
 Internal communication – instant messaging, video
conferencing
 Collaboration – cloud storage and real-time collaboration
platform

57. Crisis Management:
Executive apology - FedEx
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Source: Youtube

58. Looking ahead: prospects of social
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media
 ‘SoLoMo’: Social, location, mobile
 Visual content rules in storytelling
 Social in Search
 Big data
 Business value: From marketing to productivity
improvement and process streamlining
 C-suite driving social media adoption: From
bottom-up to top-down

59. Where to start?
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 Identify your objective
 Choose your metrics and tools
 Listen
 Connect and engage
 Act and evolve

60. Thank you
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Charles Mok
Legislative Councillor (Information Technology)
charles@charlesmok.hk
www.charlesmok.hk
Facebook: Charles Mok B
Twitter: @charlesmok