Sharing Your Social Part 2: Getting Started With The Right Communication Strategy And Social Media Tools
I love public radio. In fact, I'm a public radio junkie. I worked for New Hampshire Public Radio as the Senior Director of Marketing and Development, and it was there that I fell in love with social media.Public radio is leading the way in social media innovation and there is much to be learned from stations across the country doing good work in this realm. Stations like Vermont Public Radio, New Hampshire Public Radio, KCRW, KEXP, WNYC, and Chicago Public Radio are experimenting with social media and finding ways to start meaningful conversations with their listeners. Community engagement at its finest.Today, we presented the second in a series of webinars on social media: Sharing Your Social Part 2: Getting Started with the Right Communication Strategy and Social Media Tools. Check out the presentation and get some great ideas from all the cool things that public radio folks are doing.
And if you missed the first presentation, you can check that out here. While you're cruising public radio social media presences, remember that it's fall fundraising pledge drive season and consider making a donation to your favorite public radio station today!
Kelley-Sue and I did the first webinar in a two-part series last week for DEI - the national group for Public Radio marketing and development professionals. Sharing Your Social - The 4 P's of Social Media talked about the pillars of any successful social media strategy - Planning, Policy, Privacy and Participation.
The Evolution of Marketing and Communication: How we've arrived at social media...
Social media didn't just happen. We've evolved into a culture that demands immediate, transparent, and authentic communication. We desire this not only with each other, but with the companies and brands with which we affiliate. Understanding how we arrived at this place, and how marketing and communication has evolved helps us understand the context as we move forward.
Please welcome Frujen Bridgewater (@Frujen) as our guest Media Words writer. He too is a student embracing social media, your comments are welcomed.
DreamWorks Animation is a film production studio that specializes in computer animated films. DreamWorks has developed an international presence operating out of the US, London, England, and Toronto, Canada. They have dominated the box office with films such as Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda.
So I wondered if they have implemented social media into their marketing strategy? They have a large outreach program working through schools to inspire and discover the next generation of animation superstars which dates back to 2005. I got in touch with the folks at DreamWorks to ask them more about their Social Media strategy but no one knew who was responsible for it. In many ways that's ok, proof that the many DreamWorks groups out here have grown organically.
DreamWorks is currently promoting on their homepage that they are on Twitter. They can also be found on networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and YouTube, and it seems they are creating a stronger presence all over the web. I've been able to see that they use these social networking tools for recruiting employees, promoting the business, and most obviously for promoting their products. The are using Twitter and most recently tweeted about Shrek the Musical. Twitter is also where they dropped the news, they'll increase their film quota to producing a total of 5 new movies every other year and included a link to see what's on deck.
By using social networks such as Facebook to spread the news, DreamWorks is able to push its newest productions into the minds of their fan base. Perhaps even more importantly, they enable their fans to stay connected and continue to enjoy their favorite characters and films. In Facebook alone they have fan bases that break 600,000 members just in Shrek fan clubs alone. With this kind of representation it is no wonder that films such as Kung Fu Panda are grossing approximately 632,000,000 dollars worldwide. Also while promoting the sequels of their box hits to the public, they are introducing three new movies: How to Train Your Dragon, Oobermind, and The Guardians (the title isn't set in stone).
I can't help but imagine the connection and additional loyalty that could be harnessed if DreamWorks were listening to the voices in these social streams with more focus. The additional value they could bring into the business and to their customers has tremendous potential.
Please welcome Jenn Staretorp as a guest blogger on Media Words. Jenn is one of my Social Media students at Daniel Webster College this term and this is her first blog post (ever). We welcome your comments and continued support of her social media experience.
Whole Foods Market - Fortune 100 Company #22
When one thinks of the word ‘organic’, technology is the farthest thing from one’s mind. One well-known company however, has taken their natural and organic food store from a small one-store location in Austin Texas, to a dominant web based presence: Whole Foods Market. Whole Foods Market can now be found chatting away with customers and fans on one of their two blogs (Whole Story and The CEO’s Blog) Twitter (@WholeFoods), Facebook, and sharing pictures on Flickr.
Giving Social Media a Try
Since WFM first delved into the social networking world in 2005 they have become known as one of the best social networking companies. Rated #1 on the Top 3 List: Brands Using Social Media by The Beacher Agency, and can now be found ranked at #32 (based on the number of followers) on Twitterholic.com. Although their progressive attitude towards social networking is commendable (especially since most companies are having a hard time understanding the value of social media), their record in using social media sites is not completely clean.
Failing Fast
In 2007, WFM was faced with a major social backlash from customers when it was found that CEO John Mackey misused the powers of social media when he trashed Wild Oats, a WFM competitor, onYahoo!’s stock market forum under the pen name ‘Rahodeb’. His postings had gone unnoticed until WFM began looking at acquiring the Wild Oats company, followed shortly by the Federal Trade Commission filing and administrative complaint against the merger containing the anonymous postings.
Coming Out On Top
It is safe to say that WFM learned their lesson (and were able to settle with the FTC) as they now employ a social media staff, whom probably monitor the CEO’s online posting activity now, and have become one of the top SM users. WFM now boasts a stunning 63 Twitter accounts (not including the general @WholeFoods) as well as over 84,000 fans on Facebook.
They recently challenged Ashton Kutcher (@Aplusk) to a “Tweet-Off” which, if accepted, could launch them into the social media record book with CNN. On the other hand, is there such a thing as too much social networking? Seeing as how multiple attempts to discuss WFM social media use was met with silence or a polite “Sorry but we can’t help you” one begins to wonder if they are reaching their limit.
Businesses are still wary of social media, and our clients often ask us for examples of companies that are making social media work for them. Our plan is to profile the social media strategies of Fortune 100 companies to give you the scoop on what they're doing internally and externally, and what the results have been. One that stood out to us was Ford: Their Ford Fiesta Movement makes use of the creative and communal nature of social media to create a buzz about their new subcompact car.
In 1976, Ford began manufacturing the subcompact Ford Fiesta in Germany. Sure, it went over well in Europe -- they sold more than 10 million autos there -- but would it fly in a country filled with the precursors to SUVs and Hummers?
When gas hit $4 per gallon, the answer became "yes." Ford, which plans to bring the car stateside in early 2010, set aside 100 test cars for the U.S. market and held a blue-sky meeting to decide on the best way to use the Fiestas. Hoping to attract a younger crowd, Ford decided on a social media campaign and held a contest to find 100 people to test drive the Fiesta for six months and to create a record of their travels on social media platforms like YouTube and Flickr as well as the Ford Fiesta Movement website.
Four Thousand Applications
To be chosen, hopefuls had to fill out an application demonstrating that they had a strong presence on social media and knew how to use it to generate buzz. Applicants were asked to create YouTube videos describing why they deserved to win and to solicit votes from their social media followers.
The result? More than 4,000 applications and 640,000 views by the contest deadline. Hopeful "agents" put their all into their applications; take this video by "MysteryGuitarMan" which, as of June 1, has had more than 133,000 views and 1,300 comments, and was "favorited" 810 times.
Five Million Impressions
"The movement works on two different fronts," says Sam de la Garza, Ford's small car marketing manager. "First, people are developing some fun and innovative content. Second, we need to learn more about how people are driving this car. Ford hasn't had a subcompact for 15 years, so we need to understand the customer again."
One month into the Ford Fiesta Movement, they've logged close to five million impressions on the various social media, there are around 300 videos uploaded to YouTube, and one agent has already driven 11,700 miles. Agents are sharing their experiences with the Ford Fiesta in creative ways; for example, agent Brad Nelson twittered, "Look even a knocked up woman can fit in the hatchback of the Fiesta!" Attached to that was a photo of a pregnant woman happily curled up in the hatchback of the car.
It's too early to tell what the ROI for Ford's social media campaign will be. "We'll have to wait until we get final awareness numbers and summer sales numbers," de la Garza explains. "But we're really encouraged for the first month." One thing that's for sure is that the campaign has generated buzz -- and it's an authentic buzz, as Ford does not control what their agents write on their social media accounts such as Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, and blogs.
Lightning-Quick Internal Communication
While Ford doesn't use officially social media internally, de la Garza finds it useful for getting snapshots of what's going on in the business. "I've been able to communicate with some employees via Twitter faster than via any other means," he says. "For example, I first learned that our website went down through a tweet -- even before our digital people knew it. So I sent a tweet to our digital person, who handled it over the weekend." In another example, de la Garza tweeted that he was about to go into a metrics meeting, and an employee from another division read his tweet and sent him some recommendations. "Employees monitor what's going on on Twitter to stay involved in what the conversation is," de la Garza says.
Watch This Space
While it's not yet clear what the ROI for the Ford Fiesta Movement has been, we'll be checking in to update the status; keep an eye out on this blog to find out how the social media campaign is affecting Ford's awareness measurements and Fiesta test drives and sales. Follow Linda on Twitter Read Linda's blogs, The Renegade Writer, creative paw, or learn to write like her, by signing up for instruction at Write for Magazines.
I'm teaching Social Media this summer and today in class we talked about Twitter. The students were not Twitter users, until today. I've found that many people have the same questions about tool.
Why does anyone care that I did laundry last night?
Why do I care that someone is making bread?
Who has time for this stuff? I can barely keep up with email and Facebook.
Does Twitter even matter?
To help them understand, I've developed another KSL'ism. (KSL'isms are what happens when I over simplify a situation and use an unlikely metaphor. Those of you who've worked with me are all too familiar. :o)
I explained that Twitter is like a hammer. One tool, with two very distinct purposes.
When you think of a hammer you probably think, like most people, that it's for driving nails. But a hammer has another job, the claw end of the hammer does significant work and shouldn't be overlooked. It can extract a nail driven deeply, with ease, exerting great leverage to pull it out of a tight binding.
Twitter is a tool much like that. Twitter is one way to drive your brand or push information. Every tweet, every link shared, every Re-Tweet, reflects and further defines your brand. But Twitter can be used to extract hyper-relevant pieces of information too. Information that might otherwise not have had the leverage, in the great online content world, to bubble up to a level of visibility that could be helpful. Without Twitter it would be very difficult to extract these pieces of information.
To demonstrate to class I typed into a Twitter search "Social Media" and "Business" or "Enterprise", selected only posts from within the past 24 hours, and only from people within 100 miles of Boston, people we could meet. Then we used google advance search to execute the query, without the location constraint b/c we can't do that easily there. Here's the results.
I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise that so many businesses are still tip toeing around the social media space... but for me, I'm surprised everyday by just how many really smart business people are still afraid to broach the subject. And frankly, how many really smart people are disregarding the subject as "Twitter/Facebook fluff", deeming it irrelevant for their level of business. Its understandable to disregard something when its so overwhelming - remember Waltzing with Bears?. Just getting you're head around what it is and what it means is a big leap. Unless you're in MarComm or Social Tech the huge shifts in communications probably hasn't reached a recognizable threshold yet.
During a meeting last week I found myself answering a frequently asked question "So who (in business) is doing this (going social)?" The question's been qualified with "tell me only about best in class companies". Folks want examples and ROI which is completely understandable but if we're being honest, not completely practical or tangible in the ways we're used to.
The answer isn't simple because many organizations have been embarking on enterprise social media strategies that are not really visible to the public but that have had tremendous impact on their corporate culture, especially multinational organizations. Some of the effects have been great and many have had to learn from mistakes or struggle. But the idea that what we're talking about doesn't fit the traditional evaluation criteria is tough.
I've put together slideshares that can answer some of the basic questions but the rest require lengthy conversations to bridge the knowledge and understanding gap. The learning takes time and so the more that can happen up front and independently the better everyone is served. We need hyper-relevant material that we can provide to these very smart people so they can be learning on their own without feeling overwhelmed or being distracted by the "buzz stuff".
So I started thinking about writing a Fortune 100 blog. Researching and collecting what the Fortune 100 have done with social media, internally and externally. I know my clients' questions are not unique and I'm sure many other folks like me can put that kind of resource to good use in answering their customers' questions.
The catch is...its going to be a lot of work to collect all of this. That said, I've decided to keep it public so it can be shared for anyone else who can benefit from it and if you're in-the-know, have a blog or article on any of the Fortune 100 that is focused on their initiatives in social media, especially at an enterprise level, then please contribute here (feel free to post a link in the comments). I'll post as often as I can and will hopefully be able to act as a digital curator on the topic and produce a meaningful collection of business resources for us all.
So, it's been about two months since I left my job at New Hampshire Public Radio as the Senior Director of Marketing and Development to join Aleuromedia and immerse myself in social media and online marketing. I'm absolutely loving working for myself, and having a blast meeting and talking with nonprofit professionals and business leaders looking to put social networking to use at their organizations. So much fun and so much more to learn!
I've been thinking a lot about the things I want to explore with you in this blog... And when it comes right down to it, I want to discuss everything I'm learning as I become more and more obsessed with and excited about interactive media and the evolving online Universe.
Yes, obsessed and excited are strong words - but hey - I'm a superlative sort of person. I really do feel like an adventurer... learning and discovering new things each and every day. The really cool part is I see so many ways in which nonprofits can use the things I'm learning about to thrive, both online and off.
Think of my space within this blog as a travelogue through the social universe, exploring successful online communities and why they work, finding the best nonprofit social and online straetgies and tools, discussing how you can delve into this world efficiently, and have fun doing it at the same time.
What questions do you have? What worries you? What excites you? What confuses you? Let me know and if I don't have answers - you can bet I'll find them for you! I'm having the time of my life connecting nonprofits with the social universe... lucky me!
You can contact me here, on Twitter, through Facebook, through LinkedIn, or email me at tara@aleurosolutions.com.
I'd love to hear from you any time!
Off to distant online lands... Tara Mahady ********* TMahady
I'm an eavesdropper. I listen in on conversations everywhere I go, often to the chagrin of whoever I happen to be out with (and probably those whose privacy I'm invading). I can't help it, I'm fascinated to hear little snippets of other people's lives.
Morning conversation overheard in a coffee shop: "My daughter is going to a basketball game tonight. Of course, I only know that because I read it on her status update."
Overheard conversation #2 at lunch: "Did you see on Linda's status update that she and the kids went to the Children's Museum? Sounds like Sasha had a meltdown, poor thing."
Final overheard conversation at a bookstore cafe: "I can't believe that Mike and Allison are going out! I found out on her Facebook status. I'm so happy for her!"
These days, I eavesdrop on these sorts of conversations, in which people's and daily activities are being widely reported and then commented upon - all thanks to networks like Facebook.
Then, just today, I went to my partner's new office and ran into her boss. She's a 'newbie' to the social networking world and a friend of mine on Facebook. She gave me a hug and the first words out of her mouth were "I feel like I know what's happening with you all the time now because of Facebook! I love it!"
Yesterday on my way to the other side of the state for a meeting, I called a colleague about a conference in which I'm participating. 'Hi Tara,' she greets me. 'On your way to Portsmouth are you?' She'd read my status update on Facebook.
The fastest growing demographic on Facebook is women 50+. And you know something has gone mainstream when Oprah has three questions about it on her Hot Topics page...
I love Facebook because it's even better than eavesdropping on people's conversations. You get to be part of peoples' lives and know what's happening with them from the mundane, to the bizarre, to the dramatic. And you can insert yourself into the conversation unlike when you're eavesdropping!
Over 175,000,000 people actively use Facebook now, and it's growing to the tune of 7,000 users per day. The company is making accommodations for celebrities and companies so they can act more like 'individuals' on Facebook rather than as static sites without the ability to interact in the same ways. Oprah Winfrey will be one of the first on board, as will be Britney Spears.
"Facebook is such a cool and easy way for me to connect with my fans while I'm on the road," said Britney Spears according to Facebook's press release. "I love that I can update my status, blog and post videos and photos all in one place."
As the Facebook frenzy reaches a feverish pitch, organizations are realizing that for many of them, this is where their audience is spending their time. (This and many other social networks, like Flickr, MySpace, LinkedIn, to name a few.) And, as the old marketing adage goes - you need to meet your audience where they are.
Organizations slapping up Facebook pages, signing up for LinkedIn, or beginning to blog. And they are literally slapping them up with no real strategy in mind, or understanding of how to leverage the evolving communities and their connections. Many are attempting to apply old school marketing practices in this new environment - and it just doesn't work.
If you're going to implement a Facebook page, you need to have a strategy for how to stay connected and remain relevant with your audience. People's attention spans aren't long... so, keeping people curious and engaged is key. (As in shorter blog posts for one thing!) As with anything - knowing what, when, why, and how you are going to proceed is the only way you'll succeed.
You can begin by paying attention to the way people interact through social networks. Sign up for Facebook if you haven't already. Check out Twitter, and Flickr, and LinkedIn. And don't immediately think about what YOU want to get out of it... just be part of it for a little while (existentially FB?). Spend some time eavesdropping before inserting yourself into the conversation... as happens when you are face to face, inserting yourself in the wrong way, at the wrong time, and with the wrong tone can turn people off for good.
We the people of the United States of Facebook... What’s Your Moral Obligation?
The hullabaloo over the recent change in Facebook’s Terms of Service (which today they returned to their previous TOS until they can come up with something better), has been fascinating and all - but something else has captured my imagination.
Just within the last twenty-four hours there’s been a shift in language around this online community that's expanding exponentially as I type. Twice there’s been reference made to the number of Facebook users - now over 175 million. That’s not news to most of us - but what is different is that the language has expanded from referencing an online community - to comparing Facebook to a country. A country people. The first reference was made yesterday in an article by Jessi Hempel for CNN Money.
The second was made by Mark Zuckerberg, the creator and CEO, of FB himself. On the Facebook blog page yesterday, Zuckerberg referenced the size of Facebook and the fact that if it were a country it would be the sixth most populated in the world. He upped the ante even more by claiming that the TOS needed to be something more: “Our terms aren't just a document that protect our rights; it's the governing document for how the service is used by everyone across the world. Given its importance, we need to make sure the terms reflect the principles and values of the people using the service.”
In the true spirit of the new world order in which crowdsourcing is king, Facebook posted a Facebook Bill of Rights (Now catch this - when I just did a Google Search on Bill of Rights the Facebook page rises organically to the top - the US Bill of Rights on Wikipedia is second in line.) and requested feedback and suggestions about how the document should evolve.
The scene is now set for my overactive imagination. I’ll play Angel with my runaway mind today - and Devil in a post tomorrow. The question - what is our obligation as citizens of Facebook?
175,000,000 users - and growing by leaps and bounds - that’s a lot of power folks. So, what are we going to do with it?
If we start thinking of this online international (70% of users are not in the U.S.) community as an online country with governing documents as sweeping as a Bill of Rights - what could that mean for the world? Why not write a full-on Facebook Constitution? (Of course, we have to keep in mind the countries and peoples who have the capacity to participate in this creation. Most 3rd world countries would be left out.)
So - just go with me here a minute... Imagine that Facebook becomes a young country of heavily engaged and participatory citizens who demand - as they are wont to do now - that they help define the founding documents and principles of the nation. Millions have an intimate role in crafting a Constitution in the Facebook fashion of communication. Millions decide what information can be shared and who owns what. Millions begin to define the culture of a country that exists in the online environment - and those millions decide how that culture permeates the offline world. These millions decide what rights are granted to certain groups of people. A multi-national perspective on these issues would result in one interesting Constitution... Could it be an opportunity to craft something even better than the U.S. Constitution? How would it influence the offline world and our daily lives?
So here it is: Is there a way to use Facebook beyond a social networking tool? As it evolves into a larger and larger international community, a country even, are there ways for civic-minded people who care about human rights to take control of the Facebook ‘government’ and influence the world for the better? We know Facebook is connecting millions of people with one another every day... so again I ask - what are we going to do with that power?
My Dad, a judge and constitutional scholar, used to say to me “Tara, you’re privileged and you’re smart. Because of that, you have a moral obligation to give back to society what society cannot give to itself.” (I understand the subtle arrogance in this statement, but the intention is good - believe me.)
What is our moral obligation when it comes to participating in a community of this magnitude? To keep up our 25 Random Things lists? To share silly albeit fun photos and watch all of our friends’ kids grow up? Can’t we find deeper inspiration? How can we put Facebook to use for a greater purpose?
If you had a hand in crafting a Constitution for such an enormously powerful population how would it read, and what rights would you grant your fellow citizens?
We the people of the United States of Facebook...
Tomorrow I’ll tackle what moral obligations Facebook as a company and Mark Zuckerberg as it’s leader might have? Would love your thoughts...
You know how you have these voices in your head sometimes - waging war over what you should or shouldn’t do? Well, mine have been vacillating between "Jump!" and "Don't Jump!" for over three years.
Why? As the daughter of a political-junkie-turned-judge father I was bred for fundraising. Memories of my first house party reach back to when I was five years old. I remember passing out drinks and holding a candidate for U.S. Senate’s hand as he spun his pitch. I’ve been stuffing envelopes since earliest memory - either for my Mom’s run for school board, or for her latest favorite cause. My father’s mantra - ‘you have a moral obligation to give back to society what society cannot give to itself.’
I’ve lived by that code. I started working for a non-profit at eighteen and haven’t looked back. Twenty years of fundraising and marketing for some of the best organizations and brightest non-profit visionaries in New England provide me with a wealth of experience of which I’m proud. I’m passionate about mission-driven work and always will be...
But there’s always been this little voice... ‘Make something of your own.’ For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to ‘do my own thing’... have my own business. I’ve just been too afraid. What if my idea isn’t good enough? What if I’m not ready? Do I have enough knowledge? And, I knew that whatever I wanted to create for a business would have to be intimately tied to the non-profit sector. I just never knew where to start - and I didn’t know where the ‘sweet spot’ was.
That is, until my friend Kelley-Sue started AleuroMedia. A full-service interactive media marketing and development firm, Aleuro focuses on helping start-ups, established businesses, and non-profits leverage online and Web 2.0 tools to create and nurture community, strengthen constituent loyalty, and help make or raise more money. At the beginning Kelley hinted that I might have something to contribute to this venture, but I was too afraid. Afraid of the things all potential entrepreneurs are afraid of at one point or another. The people who evolve into entrepreneurs are the ones who put the fear behind them and forge ahead.
I've decided that sometimes you just have to jump. Take the leap into a world that intuitively or otherwise, you know awaits your presence and participation (heed a calling so to speak). For me this manifested in my recent resignation from my full-time job as the Senior Director for Marketing and Development at New Hampshire Public Radio to 'do my own thing.' I’ve joined Kelley-Sue as a partner in Aleuro. Yes - now. Yes - in this economy.
What gives me the confidence to jump into an entrepreneurial endeavor today? I have a vision. I believe in the power of social networking to help non-profits and start-up businesses. And I believe that the time for organizations to truly embrace social media is now. To succeed you need a community of loyal supporters. Social media will support you in that work - especially in times like these. Now I combine my fundraising and marketing background with my passion for social media. It’s a primary focus that allows me to help you acquire new supporters, build loyalty with your current stakeholders, and ultimately raise more money for the work you do.
If you haven’t jumped into the ocean of social media yet - hold your nose and take my hand. The waves may be a bit choppy, but the water’s really just fine...
I've been buried lately and so I apologize for the lack of Aleuro blog activity. It's exciting times at Aleuromedia. We've expanded our services from Visual Comm and Web work to include more business strategy and planning for start-ups and nonprofits.
I've been working all day and decided to check in on my Twitter feed a bit ago where I read a post from Chris Brogan's guest blogger, Teresa Wu. I loved it! Of course I commented.
If your at all interested in Gen-Y, or the effects of web 2.0 technologies you'll want to take five minutes and read it through.
And if you missed the first presentation, you can check that out here.
