The document discusses social media and why people share information online. It provides: 1) An overview of key social media tools and how they differ from traditional media. 2) Reasons why social media is appealing to users, including a sense of community, staying connected, and promoting transparency. 3) Ways social media is impacting communications, such as decreasing attention spans but also promoting authenticity and democracy. 4) The growing role of social media in marketing and communications work, though budgets for social media efforts still lag behind traditional advertising spending.

1. Lesson #1
Get Off My Facebook
Why We Share What We Share Online

2. Who are we and
why are we here?
• Emily Reeves, Director of Account Management & Research, Stone Ward
• Blake Rutherford, Director of Public Communications, Stone Ward
• SWIM = Stone Ward Interactive Meetings
- Twitterers: please uses hashtag #stoneward
- Join our fan page on Facebook: SWIM
• The world of social media is evolving quickly and we saw a need for an
online teaching tool.
• Result = 8-week “course” on social media related to the communications
business.
• To learn more about our company, visit StoneWard.com
• Note: we will be taking questions during the event: Twitter, Facebook,
email, text (so, please don’t be offended).
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3. What is social media?
Social media are online communications in which
individuals shift fluidly and flexibly between the role of
audience and author. To do this, they use social software
that enables anyone without the knowledge of coding, to
post, comment on, share or mash up content and to
form communities around shared interests.
Source: Joseph Thornley
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http://propr.ca/2008/what-is-social-media/

4. What are social
media tools?
Traditional Media Social Media
• •
Newspapers Video sharing sites: YouTube, Hulu, Vimeo,
• Magazines 12seconds TV
• •
Television Consumer feedback/reviews: Amazon,
• Radio Zappos
• •
Books Microblogging: Twitter
• •
CDs Social networks: Facebook, MySpace
• •
DVDs Professional networks: LinkedIn
• •
A box of photos Audio sharing/podcasts: iTunes
• •
Physical, paper mail and catalogs Photo sharing sites: Flickr
• •
Yellow pages Virtual worlds: Second Life
• •
Telemarketing Blogs
• Wikis
• Applications
• Mobile devices
• Texting
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5. Why should we consider
social media tools in
addition to traditional
media tools?
Benefits of social media over traditional media:
• Instant updates.
• Two-way interaction.
• Instant understanding of readership/popularity.
• Easy search.
• Mixed media capabilities: text, audio, video and photos.
• Power to publish.
• No limitations in length or quantity.
• Ability to migrate to people with like interests.
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6. What draws people to
social media?
• Community: the “like me” principle.
• The cool factor: “what’s that all about?”
• Reconnection: “where have you been?”
• My ego is big: “I think you care about what I am doing?”
• Crush: embracing the stalker tendencies in us all.
• The cocktail party factor: “I need to be in the know.”
• No cost of entry: “It’s free!”
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7. What impact is
social media having on us?
The Good The Bad The Ugly
• • •
Staying more Less personal Human behavior
connected to people. communication. changes to the
• •
Following news, Decrease in our point that we
current events and attention spans. develop a false
•
politics more People over-share. sense of who we
•
frequently, regardless Potential to lose our are and who are
of perspective. professional filter. friends are.
• • •
Promoting For some, there is a Or, it doesn’t.
authenticity, disconnect between
transparency, and in what you say on
certain cases, Facebook and what
democracy. you say in person.
• Just plain rude.
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8. What role is
social media playing
in the communications world?
Survey of marketers’ priorities for 2009* included:
• Social media (68%)
• E-mail marketing (60%)
• Blogs (56%)
• Online video (51%)
• Microsites (43%)
Yet, 75% of marketers have budgeted less than $100,000
for social media efforts in 2009.**
Total predicted spend for 2009 is $25.5 million, which is
only 10% of total ad spending predicted.***
* Source: Junta42 e-mail survey, December 2008 http://www.junta42.com/resources/
Content_Marketing_Spending_Points_Up/
**Source: Adweek, “Social Media Outlay Still Small,” March 16, 2009 http://www.adweek.com/
aw/content_display/news/digital/e3ie2b23ab2b6e7cd34591a961df87dc4eb
***Source: Forrester 8

9. What role is
social media playing
in the communications world?
• Everything is an experiment; there is no such thing as social media ROI.
• Social media can be used for everything in the agency business; and should be.
• No one is an “expert”; you have to keep learning.
• Social media is a third party endorsement mechanism and third party
endorsements matter.
• To succeed in a social media world, you have to have a social media hub. See
Dell Community Home.
• Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc. aren’t strategies; they are tools.
• You have to think like a consumer; it is all about them, not about you.
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10. What are the next steps
in understanding what
to do with all of this?
• Know what tools are out there.
- How they are being used.
- How they can be used.
• Recognize what hole they can play in the development of a communications
and marketing plan.
- Social media now must be a strategy.
• Learn how to take the traditional and make it apply to the non-traditional.
Our tips:
- Be relevant.
- Be dynamic.
- Be honest.
- Be willing to engage in a little back and forth.
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11. Why do you think we are sharing?