why social media?
TRANSCRIPT
Why Social Media?Social Media for the Slightly
SkepticalTodd Van Hoosear #pcb4 @vanhoosear
[email protected] http://vanhoosear.com/
Cue music…
Are you a believer?
Why? Flickr credit: oceandesetoiles
I have been…
But let me play the skeptic for a little while… Flickr credit: Jason Permenter
Here’s the good news:
99% of 18- to 24-year-olds have social media profiles
Flickr credit: glenn~
Bad news?
Only 22% use Twitter
And those who do mostly follow friends, family and celebrities…
Only 29% of that 22% (that’s 6%) follow companiesSource: Participatory Media Network, May, 2009
Nearly 90 percent of U.S. adults prefer dealing with people face-to-face, not through high-tech ways
70% of adults still haven’t heard of Twitter
Source: Brightkite & GfK Retail and Technology, June, 2009
8 in 10 businesses have concerns regarding social media
51% of executives worry that social media reduces employee productivity
49% believe that these platforms could harm company reputation
Source: Russell Herder and Ethos Business Law, August, 2009
And you know what?
Maybe they’re right!
Here’s the kicker though…
It’s not just bad for your company…
But also your relationships!Source: University of Guelph in Canada, August, 2009
So what’s a responsible professional to do?
1. Understand the new rules2. Lay out the objections and
address (or ignore) them3. Tie social media activities to your
business/professional goals4. Pick the strategies, platforms and
tactics accordingly5. Set your benchmarks, and
measure your progress
So what’s a responsible professional to do?
1. Understand the new rules
The New Rules of Marketing & PR
The New Rules of Marketing & PR
The New Rules of Marketing & PR
The New Rules of Marketing & PR
The New Rules of Marketing & PR
The New Rules of Marketing & PR
The New Rules of Marketing & PR
The New Rules of Marketing & PR
The New Rules of Marketing & PR
The new reality…
(Nearly) everything’s real-time
(Nearly) everything’s online
(Nearly) everyone’s a marketer
(Nearly) everything’s outsourced
(Nearly) everyone’s a freelancer
(Nearly) everything’s measurable
(Nearly) everything’s cheap or free
So what’s a responsible professional to do?
1. Understand the new rules2. Lay out the objections and
address (or ignore) them
Address the Objections
10 popular objections to social media
1. I suffer from information overload already.
2. So much of what's discussed online is meaningless. These forms of communication are shallow and make us dumber. We have real work to do!
3. I don't have the time to contribute and moderate, it looks like it takes a lot of time and energy.
4. Our customers don't use this stuff, the learning curve limits its usefulness to geeks.
5. Communicators [bloggers, tweeters] are so fickle, better to stay unengaged than risk random brand damage. We don't want hostile comments left about us on any forum we've legitimized.
Source: Marshall Kirkpatrick’s “ReadWriteWeb”
Address the Objections
10 popular objections to social media
6. Traditional media and audiences are still bigger, we'll do new stuff when they do.
7. Upper management won't support it/dedicate resources for it.
8. These startups can't offer meaningful security, they may not even be around in a year - I'll wait until Google or our enterprise software vendor starts offering this kind of functionality.
9. There are so many tools that are similar, I can't tell where to invest my time so I don't use any of it at all.
10. That stuff's fine for sexy brands, but we sell [insert boring B2B brand] and are known for stability more than chasing the flavor-of-the-month. We're doing just fine with the tools we've got, thanks.
Source: Marshall Kirkpatrick’s “ReadWriteWeb”
Why should your company care?
Social media is reinventing traditional marketing
It’s being used in campaigns by companies big and small…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heSudg-tfIk
Why should your company care?
Social media is not just for marketing anymore
It’s being used for research, product development, customer service and many other areas…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpIOClX1jPE
Why should your company care?
Social media adoption is increasing
Why should your company care?
Your competitors are doing it (but possibly not well, yet)
Opportunity for thought leadership
Why should your company care?
Your employees are (probably) doing it
Why should your company care?
Your key reporters, editors and analysts are doing it
Why should your company care?
It’s Measurable
Okay, we care! Now what?
Learn the basics Know a blog from a wiki, an RSS feed from a tag
cloud, a podcast from a vlog, social networking from social bookmarking (don’t worry, we’ll help you)
Start small, but think big! The little things can make a big difference
Add an RSS feed for your press room Add tags and social bookmarking to your press
releases Read and comment on a blog or two
Understand the significant implications of social media for your industry, your company, your customers and your job…
So what’s a responsible professional to do?
1. Understand the new rules2. Lay out the objections and
address (or ignore) them3. Tie social media activities to your
business/professional goals
So what’s a responsible professional to do?
1. Understand the new rules2. Lay out the objections and
address (or ignore) them3. Tie social media activities to your
business/professional goals4. Pick the strategies, platforms and
tactics accordingly
So what’s a responsible professional to do?
1. Understand the new rules2. Lay out the objections and
address (or ignore) them3. Tie social media activities to your
business/professional goals4. Pick the strategies, platforms and
tactics accordingly5. Set your benchmarks, and
measure your progress
