creating & sustaining community through social media

Creating & Sustaining Community through Social Media

Katie Moreno

• Social Media Overview• Social Networking

– General– Niche

• Case Study: Slideluck Potshow• Creating your own Community

Table of ContentsAgenda

tools

communication

A: The collection of ______ available to facilitate and

accelerate _______________.

Social Media

Q: What is “Social Media?”

Tools

• “Social Networking Sites” are sites that are used to connect users with similar backgrounds and interests.

• 2/3 of the global internet population visit social networks. Source: Nielsen, Global Faces & Networked Places, 2009

Social Networking

• General: accommodate users of all interests and backgrounds – Interests– Activities

• Niche: cater to specific groups of people

General vs. Niche

Niche Community Tools

• Create your own Social Community• Similar functionality as Facebook• Facilitate conversations

– Brand Fans– Product/Service Consumers– Organization Members

• So how does $$ get made?– Serving Google Ads– Monthly premium level services

• Control your own ads • Customized (non-Ning) URL• Extra storage and bandwidth

Ning

• 1.8 million Ning Networks created• 37 million registered users

– Segmented audience, advertising

• Facebook: Over 300 million active accounts

Niche Success

Sources: http://about.ning.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

• Eve Ensler, The Vagina Monologues“It allows people to see themselves both individually, and as

part of a much larger community which always gives a much deeper sense of self.”

• Ken Davenport, BroadwaySpace.com“…destination where we can all meet and discuss what we

are passionate about.”

• Skot Leach, Lost Zombies– “…influenced by our community around us..”

• Chris Andersen, DIY Drones“I don’t run it, our members do.”

Who is using Ning?

www.lostzombies.com

www.diydrones.com

www.broadwayspace.com

www.congowall.ning.com

Benefits of Niche Communities

• Communicate in near real-time with audience

• Immediately broadcast positive perceptions

• Address/resolve many negative situations

• Fact: Advertisers are attracted to specific, identifiable audiences.

• Audience– Dog Lovers– Cat Lovers

• Advertising likelihood?

Benefits of Niche Communities

• Event based– Potluck– Slideshow

• Post on local events sites to get the word out

• Founded in 2000 by Casey Kelbaugh, Seattle– Hosted 20+ gatherings in backyard– Larger venues (storefronts, art galleries, outdoor parks)– International locales (São Paolo, Barcelona and Berlin)

• 2007 established Slideluck as a non-profit organization– Proceeds benefit visual arts programs for NYC public

school students

Slideluck Potshow

Wrapping Up

• Social Media Overview• Social Networking

– General– Niche

• Case Study: Slideluck Potshow• Creating your Own Community

– Strategy…

• Newsletter• Blog post on your website• Traditional media

– Offer incentives• Facebook

– Ads• Twitter

– Search.Twitter– Montioring

How to Drive Traffic to your Community?

Feed the Community• Teach users how to do something

– What’s shareable?

• Lists– Easy absorption, viral nature

• Polls– Encourage participation

• Tell stories– With Images!

Keys to Success

• Letting go of the control– Provide a place to revert negativity

• Transparency– Edelman’s Wal-Marting Across America

• Social Network vs. Spam Facilitator• Listening

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