social media: an obligation, an opportunity, or a threat
DESCRIPTION
Is online social media really a threat, or a great opportunity. This presentation aims to: 1) Discuss the social media landscape as it stands with reference to public networks and common conceptions 2) Show how a social network resonates as a model for associations and their goals 3) Look at how private and public social networks can become a threat to an association, with examples 4) Cover using a private social network for an association and how to get the best from it 5) Show how to use the best of both (private & public social networks) Case studies from outside of the membership sector will include: - Channel 4 - NokiaTRANSCRIPT
Social MediaA obligation, an opportunity, or a threat?
Jules CopelandSenior Developer – Ninety Ten
‘Social Software’A quick aside on nomenclature…
People have social lives
Some Venn Diagrams
Social Life
People have work lives
WorkLife
Social software Business software
Business
Software
Social softwar
e
In this context, substitute the word ‘social’ for ‘collaborative’
Suddenly, you will start to realise that a lot of software you use is ‘social’ MS Office review panel Google Apps, DropBox, SharePoint, file servers Project Management software
The word ‘Social’
‘Social’ can, but does not have to mean:
The word ‘Social’
“Frivolous activity that doesn’t profit your
organisation”
As a web programmer, I don’t think of there being a difference between ‘a piece of software’ and ‘a website’
In technical terms, the only difference is the location of where the compiled code is running
That can be on the device you are currently using, or on a server anywhere in the world
The important thing is that you can interact with some data
The words ‘Software, media and network’
In the beginning... Wax tablets, papyrus, messengers, carrier
pigeons, town criers etc… Communication is a good thing
Automation in the 15th Century The Gutenberg printing press Allowed the distribution of knowledge to a
much broader audience
A little history lesson
Around the turn of the 20th Century Telephony – telegrams and then telephones Broadcast media - Radio &Television
Around the turn of the 21st Century The Internet – The “Information Super Highway”
The New Millennium Always-on connectivity An explosion of advanced web technologies
A little history lesson
Printed media can be referred to as a ‘One-to-Many’ relationship
How did they change the way we communicate?
Telephony can be referred to as a ‘One-to-One’ relationship
It also introduces two-way communication
How did they change the way we communicate?
Broadcast Media can also be referred to as a ‘One-to-Many’ relationship
And it introduces the concept of ‘channels’
How did they change the way we communicate?
The early internet combined the previous concepts, and increased the potential audience size exponentially
How did they change the way we communicate?
The early internet combined the previous concepts, and increased the potential audience size exponentially, through the web
How did they change the way we communicate?
The early internet combined the previous concepts, and increased the potential audience size exponentially, through the web and email
How did they change the way we communicate?
The internet today is a melting pot of amazingly powerful technologies allowing:
How did they change the way we communicate?
The internet today is a melting pot of amazingly powerful technologies allowing: Consumers to become producers
How did they change the way we communicate?
The internet today is a melting pot of amazingly powerful technologies allowing: Consumers to become producers On-page communication
How did they change the way we communicate?
The internet today is a melting pot of amazingly powerful technologies allowing: Consumers to become producers On-page communication Formation of relationships
How did they change the way we communicate?
The internet today is a melting pot of amazingly powerful technologies allowing: Consumers to become producers On-page communication Formation of relationships Formation of communities
How did they change the way we communicate?
The internet today is a melting pot of amazingly powerful technologies allowing: Consumers to become producers On-page communication Formation of relationships Formation of communities Self-sustaining hubs
How did they change the way we communicate?
Facebook: 1 billion active users Twitter: 500 million + users LinkedIn: 175 million members Google Plus: 100 million monthly active
users
Social media is not a passing fad
The Social Media Landscape
Source: http://therealtimereport.com/2012/10/12/social-networking-stats-twitter-dominates-media-attention-rltm-scoreboard/
Most associations recognise the power of social media, but: They are not sure how it applies to them They find it difficult to visualise how they can
fit it in with their existing infrastructure
Social Media & Associations
A social network as a model for a membership
association
The Internet is now a ‘many-to-many’ network
You can talk to your members Your members can:
talk to you talk to each other post their own news ask questions answer questions (yours or your members) organise their own events
A social network as a model for a membership association
Why was your association set up?
Ask yourself,
The goals of a membership body (a suggestion) Education Publishing Standardisation Collaboration Conferencing Networking Promotion
How a social network mirrors the goals of an association
News articles, ‘How-tos’, legislationForms, documentation, standardsCommittees, polls, debateShare knowledge and resourcesAll of the above in one placeIntroduce like-minded peoplePR that benefits everyone
A social network does all of these things It updates everywhere, in real-time It lets your members contribute directly It provides a single point of contact It is better at introducing like-minded people
than you are… It doesn’t take evenings and weekends off
How a social network mirrors the goals of an association
Social networks are a threat to your organisation
If you do nothing…
They are – they are so well aligned to your business models, that there is very little barrier to entry for anyone else to start doing what you’re already doing
This could weaken your organisation, or worse, through impersonation, damage your reputation
At the very least, you need to establish a presence on the free networks
But you just told me that they were really good..?
We would argue that it is Look at the film industry’s reaction to new technology
Illegal downloading lets movie fans watch the films that they want to watch, when they want to watch them, for free. Unsurprisingly, lots of people do it
Instead of embracing such a ubiquitous distribution channel, they have dug their heels in – and appear to have the attitude that “Our business model has worked perfectly well for 90 years thank you very much. We’ll just ask our friends in the government to draft some draconian laws that are mutually beneficial”
That sounds like an obligation…
I assume, in most cases, you don’t have the luxury of high level contacts in Westminster
This leaves you with the options of digging your heels in, or making the best of seriously good opportunity
That sounds like an obligation…
Competition is not your only threat Last years A-Level graduates have no idea
what life was like before the internet. The next generation of employees learnt
Ctrl-Alt-Del not that long after A-B-C. A printed newsletter once a month will seem
like a quaint relic at best…
What if no one tries to set up a competitor?
Make the most of available technology
When opportunity knocks…
Networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have enormous reach
The vast majority of both your existing and potential members will already be on at least one of them
It takes minutes to set up an account – for free
They can provide a quick and easy route to having open discussions with your members
The free networks
Some caveats… Not all networks have private areas Not all networks will give you moderation
rights All of them own your content All of them control the rules of your network Any of them could switch off their servers
tomorrow Anything you post will have to compete with
hundreds of other messages
The free networks
Paid networks can address a lot of these problems There are two types of paid network
‘White-labels’ or ‘Site builders’ – paid on subscription These can solve a lot of your problems, but you are still
at the mercy of the people hosting it Bespoke networks, built from scratch or built around
a framework (usually paid through SaaS or bought outright and self-hosted) These can solve all of your problems, but they come at
a price
The paid networks
Depending on your needs, these can offer an economical solution
However: They are less customisable They ultimately make the rules They may retain ownership of your data They can make your exit strategy very difficult
White Labels and Site-Builders
Tailor made solutions will be able to address all of your specific needs
You will own your data and your members You can specify your own rules and modify
them when it suits you You can even integrate them with existing
systems, such as membership databases You will have ultimate control over
everything
Bespoke networks
Making the best of both
In order to maximise the benefits of all of your networks, you need to recognise their strengths
The free networks are where most of the people are, and it’s where they spend most of their time
Your own network is where the valuable content and the interesting discussions should be
By posting linked teaser content on the free networks, you can corral your existing members, and in the process, attract new members
Combining free and paid networks
By doing those things successfully: You can increase your membership numbers You can reduce your running costs through
efficiencies in administration, printing and postage costs
Your members will benefit not only from your knowledge, but the knowledge of other members – in faster, more personalised, and more convenient ways
The ultimate network
Social Media: An obligation, an opportunity, or a threat?
So…
All of the above
Free social networks are a threat You are obliged to protect your good name at
the very least. You are obliged to update your methods if you hope to attract the next generation of members
But most of all – they are an incredible opportunity to fulfill the core aims of your organisation in a much more efficient manner
Summary
Affordable bespoke networks