the social web for small business

The Social Web for Business

The Social Web for Small Business

Jonathan Crossfield15th September 2009

The statistics are exciting

• Over 70% of Australian internet users visited a social networking site in June 2009*

*comScore study, June 2009

Reported in Marketing Charts, August 17th 2009


Online behaviour is evolving

• Twitter rose to over 800,000 users in June 2009, up from 13,000 in 2008*

*comScore study, June 2009

Reported in Marketing Charts, August 17th 2009



Twitter is seeing astronomical growth

*courtesy Hitwise Australia, July 2009 (Hitwise.com.au)

How can my business use Twitter (or Facebook, etc)?


But businesses keep asking the wrong question

There is a better question

How can I use the social web to help consumers achieve

their goals?


Deciding to use a tool is a TACTIC

I want to use a snow shovel to

benefit my business

http://www.flickr.com/photos/signifying/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0


Helping people achieve goals is a STRATEGY

Clearing my driveway helps more customers get

where they’re goinghttp://www.flickr.com/photos/signifying/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0


Knowing the customer goal may reveal a better tool

http://www.flickr.com/photos/signifying/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Wow! Cleanest driveway in the street!


Why should my business care?


Human behaviour is the key!


The ANT Approach


ANT businesses are taking over


Google – designed for users, not businesses


Twitter – tapped into social behaviour


Amazon – made buying books easier


So, what is the social web?


You might think social media is this


These are just tools – snow shovels


The entire web is social – with many tools


Sending an email is a social activity…


Commenting on a blog is a social activity…


Interacting with a website is a social activity…


…and everyone has access to the toolshed!


The audience is now the media


But so are you!


The web is a two way conversation!


Let’s look at just one tool


What is Twitter?

• A “microblogging” platform• Allows people to create posts

(“tweets”) of 140 characters or less• Users can “follow” others that

interest them


Originally designed as a “broadcast” medium


Evolved into an “engagement” medium


The users transformed Twitter


Word of mouth marketing


WOM most powerful marketing around!


Will someone recommend your product?


Will someone recommend your shop?


Wow! Now this is word of mouth!


But then, so is this!


Should we care what they say?

• Trib is followed by 4000+ people. I’d care!


How should we use the social web?


By providing “elegant organisation”

You don’t start communities. They already exist. They’re already doing what they want to do. The question you should ask is how you can help them do that better. Bring them “elegant organisation”.

Mark Zuckerberg – Creator of Facebook

Quoted by Jeff Jarvis – “What Would Google Do?”


Identify the customer goal, need or problem


Understand the route they prefer to take (behaviour)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tyskis/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0


Use the right tools to make it easier for them!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkransen/ / CC BY-SA 2.0


See how many customers choose your route!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/grahamking/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0


Direct sales via links & promotions


Brand awareness / customer engagement


Feedback & complaints management


Customer service & support


But where’s the ROI?


*Source: Engagement db.com July 2009 Prepared by Wetpaint and Altimeter

Engagement to revenue – is there a trend?

• The top 100 global brands & the social web


Show me the money!

Wallflowers (low – or no - engagement

in 6 or less channels)

Selectives (high engagement in 6 or

fewer channels)

Butterflies (low engagement in 7 or

more channels

Mavens (high engagement in 7 or more

channels)

*Source: Engagement db.com July 2009

Prepared by Wetpaint and AltimeterThe Social Web for Small Business

What about a small business case study?


A fun, friendly website…


…with a regularly updated and funny blog…


…a popular newsletter…


…quirky videos…


…great use of Twitter, with a business account…


…and a personal account!


A casual, irreverent style


…mixed with a sense of community


The brand has PERSONALITY!

My tone seems to be novel in the retail world because it pulls no punches, but it's just me. It's not elitist and the humour is adult. It's free entertainment.

*Janet E leach – ArteryStore.com

All are connected. Many tools, one voice


Sales & enquiries rise approx 200% after each email


One email saw sales of Nooka watches rise 500%!


Twitter provides 10% of all traffic…

• Nearly 2000 unique visitors per month


…and fantastic word of mouth!


Other blogs have picked up on the site

Each blog mention boosts traffic

• Hundreds of unique visitors per month• Positive word of mouth

Hasn’t sent a press release in 9 months!


The strategy dictates the tools

I want to be the design store at street level, creating a community and being created by its community.

*Janet E leach – ArteryStore.com


Nearly there…


I grew up near a corner shop (not this one)


They knew me, my family, our story…


…and we knew them


It’s gone now. But 30 years on I still remember them


Corner shops gave way to supermarkets


We scaled up production

http://www.flickr.com/photos/inju/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0


We scaled up marketing


We scaled up sales

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_beaver/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0


We couldn’t scale up relationships

“Do you want fries with that?”


The social web scales up relationships!


What does this mean?


Listen and respond – don’t just broadcast

View everything from the customer’s position

http://www.flickr.com/photos/quaelin/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0The Social Web for Business

http://www.flickr.com/photos/quaelin/



http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

Treat everyone as individuals, not a mass market


Be an ANT!

• Care about Anthropology, Not Technology!


Thankyou


the social web for small business

Business

photossignifying

small business

small business

social activity

social web

engagement

customer goal

leach arterystore