grassroots - the strategic fit of social media
TRANSCRIPT
GRASSROOTS
@ShaunHolloway
The Strategic Fit of Social Media
There are a lot of definitions… really.
“Social media is an ever-growing and evolving collection of online tools and toys, platforms and applications that enable all of us to interact with and share information. Increasingly, it’s both the connective tissue and neural net of the Web.” ~ Ann Handley
Definition of Social Media
Grassroots efforts are often needed.
One that agrees with my mantras…
Social Media Experience Continuum
Place yourself on the continuum with regard to your knowledge and use of social media
No Working Knowledge
Enough Knowledge to be Dangerous
Expert Knowledge
Why Do We Care?
• Associated Press London Olympics Video “The Big Game 2.0: Are You Adapting?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGtcNXu-VQU
Connect, inform, engage, advocate,exchange, consume, produce
What Does Social Media Do?
Increase “findability” and revenue, indirectly
Enhance the user experience and content delivery – these are only tools
Save time, money, and system stress
The seeds need planted.
Perform miracles, i.e. save a company
What Does Social Media NOT Do?
Function as a stand-alone marketing effort
Live the same forever
Is it time to reseed?
CAUTION: “Social Media Implosion!”(to avoid = have a strategy and approach to sustain)
Sample of Relating Strategic Plans
Creatures may come and mess it up.
Organization Strategy
Marketing Strategy
Social Media
Photo and
VideoEmail Content
IT Strategy
System Web Portal Channel
3 Types of Media
Plant the seeds.
PaidTV
Radio
Events
Display
SEM/Online
OwnedStorefront
Website
Direct Mail/Email
Social Network/Media
EarnedWord-of-Mouth
Press
Referrals
On-site Comments
Shares, Likes, RT’s
Check-ins
Ratings/reviews
Mentions
Shifted Componentsof the Marketing Strategy
Web Strategy Model
How Does It Fit? Find out.Holloway, 2008
Full Presentation:
http://slidesha.re/webstrategymodel
Be the lawnmower.
Resource
Attract Retain
Serve
EngageSales
Orientation
InformAdvertising Orientation
Design
System Social
InterfaceUsability
NavigationSitemap
IntegrationServer architecture
Database designAdmin tools
New mediaVisibility
ConnectionApplication
Audience Content
Channel
Find the “Sweet Spot”
Shade or sunlight?
Channel
AudienceContent
SweetSpot
Be selective
Take your time
Central Website and Community
Video
Photos
Blogs
Audio
SocialNetworks
YouTube
Vimeo
Veoh
Flickr
Webshots
Photobucket
Picasa
Slide
DailyMotion
Forums
Microblogs
Interest
General
Utterly
Blubrry
Interest
General
Sites
Company
Individual
Institution
Organic
Web & Social Media Marketing Basic Model
Feeds BookmarkingEmail / Print
A strong core and foundation is needed to support the interconnection of all the tools and messages, while driving traffic to the core. All of the tools used should support the central core and one another.
Interest
General
Box IndicatesEXAMPLES of Tool and Service Providers
- All areas connect to and support one another (2-way integration)- A strong core is needed to support interconnectedness
Social Media Tool Hierarchy
May need to call in the pros.
Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogs
Twitter, YouTube
RSS Feeds Apps
Flickr, Tumblr
WidgetsTier
3
Tier2
Tier1
Social Media Landscape Grid
• Consider ten social media tools
• Explore how good each tool performs in each of the four categories
–WORTH IT (green)
–HELPFUL (yellow)
–WASTE (red)
Social Media Landscape Grid
Target Audience Communication
Brand Awareness
Referral Traffic
Personal vs.Professional
Twitter There are a number of tools to help track mentions and sentiment. Reach is broad once established
Allows opportunity to engage and spread news virally. Excellent for branding and public relations management
The potential is large, but over-promotion and too frequent posts can turn off followers. Find a solid balance
Strong in both areas where messaging, sharing, and follower/following is a measure of influence.
Facebook Great for engaging people, sharing options, and participation.
Use the platform to organically grow followers and/or utilize ads to grow the follower base. Do not forget to keep content interesting
Excellent way to share content from the website and drive traffic. The use of share buttons continues to increase cross-shares
While primarily viewed as a personal social tool, the network is utilized to promote professional accomplishments via brand pages.
Credit: Arrangement and content aided by Adobe’s CMO.com. Modified and enhanced by Shaun Holloway, srholloway.com
Social Media Landscape Grid
Target Audience Communication
Brand Awareness
Referral Traffic
Personal vs.Professional
LinkedIn Engagement is possible through groups, but moderation is needed to keep them clean. Group performance and frequency vary
Effective for personal branding as well as an organization with brand pages
Majority of users tend not to click-through; however, what traffic comes tends to be from relevant readers from the target audience
Very strong and focused on the professionalnetwork and interests, while allowing integration with other content tools
YouTube Powerful channel for quickly engaging the audience and feeding content to many vehicles
Excellent tool once a catalog of video is created that collectively represents the brand and relates to the target audience
Traffic primarily goes to the video, and links can be added to the description; however, embedded videos into a website help both ways
Can be used for both areas; however, focus and big picture purpose is needed, not to mention some skill.
Credit: Arrangement and content aided by Adobe’s CMO.com. Modified and enhanced by Shaun Holloway, srholloway.com
Social Media Landscape Grid
Target Audience Communication
Brand Awareness
Referral Traffic
Personal vs.Professional
Flickr Properly tagged photosets and photos help communicate activity and showcase the message
Participation is possible but not likely, but embedded photo slideshows help significantly
Even with many views, the click-through rates to the website remain low
Photo sharing is fragmented among tools and networks, but it can work well for both areas for branding and sharing.
Reddit When evaluating “sub-reddits,” the feedback is valuable, but reach can vary based on relevance
There is little branding opportunity, as most stories are from major news sites. Images attribution is limited
If Reddit likes the brand, then traffic is good. There is balance on trying too much and not enough
Difficult to establish a connected reputation in both areas and primarily caters to niche audiences.
Credit: Arrangement and content aided by Adobe’s CMO.com. Modified and enhanced by Shaun Holloway, srholloway.com
Social Media Landscape Grid
Target Audience Communication
Brand Awareness
Referral Traffic
Personal vs.Professional
Pinterest Not a great platform for engaging customers due to the nature of the collections and functions
Following and sharing pins can help spread the brand’s impact and encourages others to do the same
Traffic generation is big, but only the website needs pinnable images
Primarily a personalphoto and Internet sharing service, professionals in certain industries can succeed.
Slideshare Great for organizations that utilize slide decks. Embedded presentations into website helps promotion
Many ways to leverage and increase exposure. Strategically utilize the Slideshare URL to encourage traffic
Very similar to YouTube in that traffic tends to stay within the network. Embedding slideshows and feeds helps
As a LinkedIn company, sharing content is mainly professional with good personal site integration methods.
Credit: Arrangement and content aided by Adobe’s CMO.com. Modified and enhanced by Shaun Holloway, srholloway.com
Social Media Landscape Grid
Target Audience Communication
Brand Awareness
Referral Traffic
Personal vs.Professional
Google+ Communication and engagement possibilities are great, but user participation is relatively low
Majority of brand searches appear in Google search results and +1’s rank highly
Content can be heavily shared and influence how the content ranks. Using the +1 button helps
The search ranking alone makes this a must-have network; however, it’s a mix for both areas trying to carve out its fit.
Instagram Little to no communication exists within the site for engagement
Excellent way to show images of offerings and promote campaigns. API can push photos to sites
Very difficult. Only the creative and the super curious can accomplish
Sharing photos and short videos is currently a personalendeavor but professionals in the right niche may find a way.
Credit: Arrangement and content aided by Adobe’s CMO.com. Modified and enhanced by Shaun Holloway, srholloway.com
Approach to Social Media
Keep mowing.
Presented based on level of risk required, continued involvement,
and the need to develop a tool so it can help sustain a more complex tool.
Enter photo-sharing communities
Enter video-sharing communities
Establish blogs and micro-blogs
Sustain social network presence
Utilize audio
Active Participation
Tim
e
Progress Milestones
1) What is the purpose / mission?
Are You Ready? = 5 Questions
Know your fertilizers.
2) Who is going to be the champion?
3) Who is the target audience?
4) How is it going to be sustained?
5) How does it fit with marketing strategy?
Choose Communication Channels
based on audiences identified (sample buckets above)
EmailNewsletters
EmailCampaign
blasts
Facebookpages
Blog posts/Twitter
LinkedInGroups
Media –Photo/video
Websites
Print Collateral
orLetter
News/mediarelease
Website/Feeds
Web Strategy creates and supports channels
Content
Customize/repurpose message for delivery in the chosen specific channel(s)
Create key message and/or media
Identify audiences appropriate for content
Monitor audience reaction and participation
Evaluation
Communication Strategy determines approach
Purpose/GoalAudienceTiming/FrequencyAppropriatenessResponseVoicePersonality
Consistency Brand
Development frameworkTool integration
Guides usageInnovation
Use social media centralization as a gateway and means to centralize marketing/communication functions
CONCEPT – Straw-man of a communication strategy/approach
- Needs done as wrapper of web strategy
Need to have a plan should the “less than 1% percent” happen
Comment & Response Protocol
Weeds happen. Deal with it.
@webpronews featured my social media response design in their "A Collection of Social Media Flowcharts" article on July 22, 2011, http://slidesha.re/n0rzEA
Part of your social media strategy and communications toolkit
Metrics and KPIs
Watch out for the rough.
The Value of a FollowerIs it worth it and how do you know?
What is important?# of followers, impressions, comments, …
Will vary relative with tool, but… What metric(s) do they ALL strive to influence?
Social Media is like a lawn…
Keep mowing.
It may grow all on its own, but it should be groomed.
Grassroots efforts are often needed.
The seeds need planted.
Is the grass really greener on the other side?
Weeds happen. Deal with it.
Watch out for the rough.
Some withstand the heat better than others.
How do you know you’re growing it right?
It is time to reseed?
Be the lawnmower.
Creatures come in a mess it up.May need to call in the pros.
Know the landscape.
Know your fertilizers.
Shade or sunlight?