A look at what is social media.

1. What is Social Media?
Primary Features of Social Media
• The media has to enable people to
interact and share information online
Social
Social
Networking • Content is ‘User Generated’
Bookmarking
Sites • User is a business owner, company or
a brand or an individual
• The various branches of social media
Streaming Blogs
can link and interact with each other
• The platforms may differ but the
Social ability to create communities exists in
Media Video Sharing
all social media
• Most of the social media platforms
User Reviews
Sites have the ability to create communities
based on geography, service and
similar attributes
Crowd Photo Sharing
Sourcing Sites • Communities help tailor engagement
depending on features of individual
communities

2. The Four Steps
Volume Engagement
The first step is to attract as many This has a 2 stages:
people as possible and make • Attention to the details
them aware of your social media • Finding key influencers for
presence. This is purely about specific details
numbers and uses a unique yet At this stage we are looking at all
attractive topic get maximum influencers; positive and
visibility negative.
Connection Conversion
At this point we know the Here the meaningful
influencers & communities and conversations are to be converted
connect with them to highlight into sales and along with ROI we
the positive and reduce the get a important intangible asset in
negative. We need to have the form of Reputation which can
meaningful conversations and be used to further influence the
share ideas. cycle.

3. The Continuous Cycle
Much like television Engagement is with all
advertisement this step is with either positive or
about getting maximum negative perception to
eyeballs & popularity proactively change it
This is a continuous process
and no different from
traditional media interactions
such as television and print
advertisements.
The final stage is about This stage is about
converting connections to connecting with key
business and cultivating influencers in the
them for future business engagement and
and reputational advantage connecting

4. Effects of Continuous Cycle
Positive Negative
• The cycle can increase • The cycle is connected
reputations and recall and there is no gap
value between the 4 steps
• It gives insights into • The lack of a gap makes it
customer likes and imperative that there is
dislikes and helps direct no error in the message
future innovation Neutral communicated
• It builds communities and Traditional media • The cycle is connected
messages can be tailored interactions such as with the entire media
to suit the specific group television and print campaign and not limited
of people advertisements also depend to the social media space
• Older communities an be on Volume but the next 3 • An error in the
used to drive interaction stages were usually done Engagement, Connection
with new one thus through physical surveys or Conversion stage can
increasing the credibility prior to the rise of social trip the entire media
of the message media engagement drive