social media for strategic communication

Social Media For Strategic Communication 2013Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at

the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

[integrating social into strategic communication]

Tuesday, October 22, 13

[what is social media anyway?]






Social media describes technologies that people use to share content, opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives by interacting with each other in an environment.


[but wait.]




[isn’t social media a medium?]






[social media includes all technologies...]




[...operating in one environment...]




[...driven by people.]




[what people?]


[almost everybody.]

*internetworldstats.com

350 million



*pewinternet.org


[what they say they like.]Interests of Internet users

Below is a cross sample of the top 20 most

commonly liked ‘general interests’ on

Facebook, which is the largest social network on the Internet. Ages 18+ in the United States

and rounded in millions.

1. Comedy — 19 million3. Music — 13 million4. Shopping — 11 million5. Clothes — 11 million7. Movies — 10 million8. The Bible — 9 million13. Coffee — 9 million14. Lingerie — 8 million 15. Video games — 7 million17. Animation — 7 million 18. Cooking — 7 million 21. Reading — 7 million 24. Social networks — 6 million 32. Drama — 6 million 37. Basketball — 6 million 35. Travel — 5 million 44. Sleeping — 5 million 48. Country music — 5 million51. Vampires — 5 million52. Camping — 5 million

*optimal

People publicly like funny stuff, music, shopping, entertainment, and religion.




[what they really like.]

*trendbuzz But they tend to talk about funny stuff, sex, politics, celebrities, and sports. Social Media For Strategic Communication 2013

Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at



[how do they express it?]

They like it enough to talk about it online, but not enough to create any of it.




[where do they express it?]

They spend most of their time on social networks and reading blogs.

48% increase in time on blogs and networks

28% decrease in email usage




[how often do they express it?]

• 40 hrs./week, up from 9 hrs./week in 2006

“Other” includes checking the news, organizing their lives, and shopping for products.




[and they don’t express it alone.]

The most significant change in communication wasn’t media, but rather the way people could interact with the media in an open environment.




[the environment.]

But to understand this environment, it is always helpful to understand the way it used to be, just a few decades ago.




reporters technology

1750s

1920s

1960s

public

advertising

word of mouth

pr

[the old environment.]




reporters

pr, advertising, social insiders

social public



[the current environment.]




people

people

people

[the future environment.]




people

people

people

[so why aren’t we there yet.]


[communication silos.]

The fundamental challenge for most organizations is that social media is one environment where messages work on a one-to-many, one-to-some, and one-to-one scale across multiple technologies at the same time in real time, but most professionals do not have this experience.




[communication silos.]



branding

publicity

public relations

direct

social media

internalsales

advertising




Reach the masses, and

your target will hear about it.

If everyone knows what you

are about, so will your target.

Send the right message to where your

target is.

Work with specific publics, especially media and influencers.

Focus on your demographic

and you will find the target.

Develop individual

contacts and word of mouth.

Don’t forget to tell your

employees what is going on.

Make friends one person at a time and they

will tell friends.


[rethink communication.]



mobile

grassroots

outreach

offline support

content creation

intranetsocial networks

digital


[think strategic.]



one-to-one

one-to-some one-to-many


[think strategic.]



Every communication plan has two parts.


[think strategic.]



The mission, vision, values, history, and an assessment of current internal and external issues as they align with the company goals.


[think strategic.]



Specific publics, important messages, delivery of messages, timing of delivery, and measurement/feedback.


Critical Areas Of Focus.

• Determine the mission, value proposition, and objective. - What is the message?

• Define the context as it relates to the organization. - What is the context?

• Decide on the voice or voices of the organization. - Who is the messenger?

• Discover where your existing customers already are. - Where are your customers?

• Determine where your potential customers might be. - Who else might be interested?

• Decide which technologies could reach them. - Where are they engaged?

• Listen to what is already taking place in the space. - How receptive will they be?

• Figure out how you can add value to what they do. - Do you have beneficial content?

• Decide what your expected outcomes might be. - What is the expected outcome?

[think strategic.]




[think strategic.]



But just because you have the right message for you doesn’t mean you have the right message for anyone.


[think strategic.]



silly cats photos! my team won!

vote right!vote left!

how to meet a guy! red carpet roundup!

other stuff!

me, me, me


[think strategic.]



When that doesn’t work, they give up or try one of two approaches for attention.

short-term tactical and long-term strategic.


[short-term tactical.]



silly cats photos! my team won!

vote right!vote left!

how to meet a guy! red carpet roundup!

other stuff!

me, me, me, and silly cats


[long-term strategic.]



Relevant. Reach.

Right time.

Relevance is the ability to send the right message to the right people at the right time.


[long-term strategic.]



Relevant. Reach.

Right time.

And you to have to use the right technologies.


[technologies.]



Most marketers choose the most popular online technologies and platforms to develop their presence, which frequently leads to missed opportunities, shiny object syndrome, and content overload.


[technologies.]



Technologies are tools and networks and applications.


[tools.]




[tools.]



desktop mobile glasses

surfaces interactive

big data

talking cars geotags

a.i.

holograms ddd

remote

+ dozens and millions more.


http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/future-tech/10-futurist-predictions-in-the-world-of-technology.htm

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/future-tech/10-futurist-predictions-in-the-world-of-technology.htm

[networks.]




[networks.]



facebook twitter google+

pinterest linkedin

cafemom

blogcatalog tagged

tumblr

deviantARTpath

goodreads

+ 500 majors and millions more.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites

[applications.]




[applications.]



youtube flickr social medium

meetup feed.ly

slideshare

instagram

vine bit.ly

paper.li scoop.it commun.it

+ 100 majors and millions more.


http://iphone.appstorm.net/roundups/lifestyle-roundups/100-social-networking-apps-to-feed-your-internet-addiction/

http://iphone.appstorm.net/roundups/lifestyle-roundups/100-social-networking-apps-to-feed-your-internet-addiction/

[highlights.]



Let’s dig deeper into a a few of the most common technologies.


[blogs.]




[blogs.]



• Content that adds value on a regular basis.

• Opportunity to provide point of view.

• Opportunity to share news and announcements.

• Opportunity to position the company brand.

• Potential for mixed media integration.

• Easily shared by social networks, email, etc.

• Enhances search engine optimization.

• Provides a mechanism for public feedback.

• Provides a central hub for other online activities.

• Chronicles information and content as it happens.blogsouthwest.com




[what’s involved.]

• Ongoing research within select topic fields.

• A well-defined purpose delivered with context.

• Editorial calendar for reasonable consistency.

• Content development and writing of content.

• Purchase and/or making arrangements for photos/art.

• Layout to enhance editorial.

• Making the content readily available for readers.

• Searching out people who might be interested.

• Ongoing promotion online, offline, and in directories.

• Monitoring comments, links, and actions.liquidhip.com




[what can be done.]• A niche environmental engineering company employed a blog to reach state and federal environmental agencies, engineering firms, and manufacturers to become a subject matter expert.600 subscribers within the first 90 days.

• A nonprofit organization used a cause-oriented blog to engage volunteers and increase attendance at an annual fundraising event, which resulted in the largest amount of individual donations raised for the event. 700 subscribers within the first 60 days.

• An independent film employed a blog as its social media content hub, drawing 700,000 trailer and production footage views, 30,000 content readers, expanded reach among fans of the cast, and a highly engaged social network audience. Increased distribution of the film resulted in home distribution sales.


Connect

Organize

Subscribe

CommentShare

Purchase

Shop

Relevant

Find




[sites.]




[sites.]



• Create something new and unique.

• Develop and create a vibrant community.

• Opportunity to help other people achieve goals.

• Opportunity to ‘be’ the online company.

• Limited only by imagination and resources.

• Foundation is largely independent of other platforms.

• Ability to integrate other tools into the site.

• Opportunity to build features and functions.

• Becomes the hub for interested people and parties.kickstarter.com




[what is involved?]

• Market research to determine an under-met need.

• Innovative development of products and services.

• Long-term planning to stay one step ahead.

• High tolerance of risk and fearlessness.

• Willingness to accept criticism and setbacks.

• Wear multiple hats and cater to funding sources.

• Develop a communication plan, online and off.

• Develop an engaging presence at rapid speed.

• Deliver on promises from sign-up to forever.

• Ability to set increasingly higher objectives.celebratinglegacy.com




[what can be done?]• Kickstarter.com demonstrated what could be accomplished as a fundraising platform commonly known as “crowdfunding.” The site raised more than $75 million for 10,000 projects by 2009, with the most successful project receiving almost $1 million in funding.

• DonorsChoose.org helps match people who want to donate to very specific school projects to teachers who have a specific wish for their students by subject, location, and financial need. The site has funded 210,00 projects and helped more than 5.1 million students.

• Zappos.com started as nothing more than an online site that sold third-party shoes but eventually grew into one of the largest social media and customer service success stories on the Internet. While it sells more than shoes today, it is still the largest online shoe retailer in the world. It hit $840 million in sales by 2007.


Focus on Others

Urgency

Community

Personal

Relevant

Fresh

Proximity




[social networks.]






[social networks.]

facebook.com

• Real-time customer interaction.

• Real community development.

• Proximity and interest advertising.

• Breaking news announcements.

• Customer feedback on content.

• Sharing features within the network.

• Ongoing engagement with members.

• Opportunities to create and participate.

• Social, media, and Internet searches.

• Customer demographics and proximity.




[social networks.]

twitter.com

• Real-time customer interaction.

• Networking with colleagues.

• Sharing and consuming content.

• Breaking news and topic trends.

• Humor and entertainment.

• Drama and intense discussions.

• Joining discussions, such as hashtag chats.

• Participation as opposed to creation.

• Asking and answering questions online.




[social networks.]

Google+

• Ability to designate connections.

• Easy and uncluttered look and feel.

• Easy to find content because of less noise.

• Important integration into search functions.

• Creative and tech-oriented topics.

• Difficult to establish connections with people.

• Designed as an individual network.

• New and not always used by members.

• Limited engagement for brands online.




[niche networks.]

YouTube - Media Rich

LinkedIn - Pro Network

Flickr - Niche Media

• Path - mobile app built around privacy.

• Vine - mini video sharing application.

• Stumbleupon - eye candy and creative sharing.

• Pinterest - photo bulletin board with interests.

• Medium - idea sharing like a community blog.

• Reddit - counterculture and college topics.

• Instagram - vintage photo sharing platform.

• BlogCatalog - social network for bloggers.

• And one million others ... you may never know.




[what’s involved.]

• Extensive time commitment.

• Personable, empathetic messenger.

• Carefully selected network connections.

• Capable of sharing valuable content.

• Sensitivity to under- and over engagement.

• Prepared for crisis communication.

• Customer service and spokesperson trained.

• A high degree of knowledge and authenticity.

• An understanding of what topic relevance means.

• Recognition that spammers are ignored or banned.




[what can be done.]

• Ford launched its 2011 Explorer on Facebook, driving a 104 percent increase in online shopping activity for the SUV. This was compared to a Super Bowl TV ad, which generally increased the same activity by 14 percent.

• Foiled Cupcakes joined Twitter while its website was being redesigned. By the time the website was launched, the cupcake startup had 2,200 people who were interested in the opening. Many of them promoted.

• Newcomer Pinterest relies extensively on visual communication. One ‘mommy baker’ shared a single image of a cake that was shared 750 times in 24 hours, which led to increased site traffic and foodie reviews.




[think people first.]

Each network presence has to be more than interruption, regurgitation, jokes, and coupon codes. Networks thrive on relevance and unique offerings that are developed specifically for that network.


[models.]




[people.] Social Media For Strategic Communication 2013Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at


hypothetical educational institution

administrators teachers parents

children legislators

unions media community

staff


[objectives.] Social Media For Strategic Communication 2013Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at



foundation motivation achievement

development fiscal policy

worker rights performance advocacy

teamwork


[technologies.] Social Media For Strategic Communication 2013Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at



foundation motivation achievement

development fiscal policy

worker rights performance advocacy

teamwork


[case concepts.]






alternative review publication

Content

share and engage

readers engage

readers, insiders, reviews,

news

community, giveaways, promotion

videos, labels,

publishers

reviewed engage

spontaneous

informal

formal

network members

public

[integrated]




professional design organization

national/local news to public

live tweets and news

event news

discussions

member newsgroup

industry newscoming soon

each network features specialized activities

various member and general publics with

overlapping members

[integrated]




[integrated]Content

real time

participant content

bridge interests nurture support cross promote reach seniors find sponsors

sharemeet/greets

proximity ads breaking news

feedback current scores

field news

community

collaboration show standings

coach tips youth profiles special events

hypothetical youth sports program




[integrated]

Content

share print

reinforce participant

content

share

share pr


share events




[integrated]Content

share print

reinforce participant

content

share

share pr


share events




[standard concepts.]

The point is that there are a number of ways to build an organizational model.

[integrated]




[what can be done.]• A campaign that engages people to share their thoughts on one of three different human rights issues was spread by 1.2 million blogs and social networks that reached more than 250 million people worldwide. It was done on a shoestring budget and no hard costs.

• Engaging people and making them active participants in the content created and the cause that their community decides to take is a more powerful motivator than most marketing strategies.

• But it goes beyond engaging people who are directly impacted by a specific issue. You have to connect the dots and start to ask yourself who has an interest in a cause for reasons other than the obvious.




[the next step.]




[the next step.]

MIT Sloan | 2012

52 percent of survey respondents believe that social business is important to their business today and 86 percent of managers believe social business will be important within the next three years.


[measurement.]




[measurement.]



Most companies spread messages about themselves in an effort to generate interest. They have expectations that revolve around actions such as likes, tweets, shares.




[measurement.]




[measurement.]

While there is nothing wrong with that, real measurement is about aligning planned objectives to a measurable outcome, just as communicators do for total integrated communication plans.




[measurement.]

The intent of your communication vs. the outcomes of your communication is the return on your communication.




[measurement.]

[(B • I) (m+s • r)/d] / [O/(b + t + e)] = ROC


http://www.copywriteink.com/Abstract7.pdf

http://www.copywriteink.com/Abstract7.pdf



[measurement.]

The intent of you communication, amplified by your existing brand equity times the strength of the message and suitability to the audience times its reach and adjusted for sustainability over the outcomes (minus the budget, time of production, and labor value) is a return on communication.




[measurement.]

• Do we want to increase sales? - Measure prospects and sales.

• Do we want to increase in-store traffic? - Track check-ins.

• Do we want to improve the value of our brand? - Monitor sentiment.

• Do we want to reposition the company? - Poll the public.

• Do we want to improve our credibility? - Track media and reviews.

• Do we want to improve name recognition? - Track accuracy of mentions.

• Do we want to increase participation in a program? - Count participants.

• Do we want people to adopt a specific belief? - Benchmark and measure.

• Do we want to be the most popular kid on the block? - Are you kidding me?

• Social media is only one piece of communication.

Critical Areas Of Focus.




[measurement.]

Beyond that, when a company knows its mission and delivers on a promise, then it can shape public perception because most will stop acting like customers and more like partners.




Richard R. Becker, ABCPresident, Copywrite, Ink.

copywriteink.comrichardrbecker.comliquidhip.comcelebratinglegacy.com

[email protected]

702.341.7135


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

social media for strategic communication

Education

richard becker

isnt social media

university of nevada

las vegastuesday

communication wasnt

orgsocial media

optimalsocial media

social networks