Social Media - What is it, why it matters, and a 3 step action plan for business Presentation made to the KM round table at Melbourne Zoo, August 19th, 2009

1. Social Media and KM
What is Social Media?
Why does it matter?
Social Media Action Plan

2. We speak English - William Dampier’s blog 1699

3. Social Emotions
“The essential difference between
emotion and reason is that emotion
leads to action, while reason leads to
conclusions.”
Donald Calne, neurologist

4. Media has changed - 2006
“To find something comparable, you have to go back 500 years
to the printing press, the birth of mass media … Technology is
shifting power away from the editors, the publishers, the
establishment, the media elite. Now it’s the people who are
taking control” Rupert Murdoch, Wired July 2006.

5. Social cosmos

6. Consumers have a voice

7. •Internet population Feb : 2009
billion

8. So what is Social Media?
“Open conversations that
encourage participation
and connect people”
Ian Farmer

9. Social Networks
6 million (Aug 2009)
40% of Online Pop.

10. Blogosphere
m
23000

11. Wikis – collaborative
4m
Podcasts – niche / time shifting

12. Youtube Videos
m
Bandwidth: 2007 YouTube = 2000 Internet
Jan 2009 – 14.8 billion views
25% have watched online video (with their mobile)
26,500

13. And other content communities

14. More and more of us use it

15. It helps you express yourself

16. Review stuff, weigh up pro’s and cons

17. Research company / clients

18. Research – interview questions

20. Share things easily

21. And through the wisdom of crowds

22. Allows us to discover new stuff

23. Social Media and the Conversational web
What is Social Media?
Why does it matter?
Social media action plan

24. We now know the truth
76% don’t believe
that companies tell
the truth in
advertisements
Source: Yankelowich

25. Consumer recommendations are
the most credible form of
advertising among 78% of the
study’s respondents.
Source: Nielsen, “Word-of-Mouth the Most Powerful Selling Tool”
(global Nielsen survey of 26,486 Internet users in 47 markets)

26. Who do we believe?

27. People like ourselves
My friends
Their friends
Shared interest

28. Social media conversations are recorded

29. And influence “offline” behaviour

30. Of those who use used or buy bought
your product / service

31. For Good

32. And Not so good

33. Social media impacts your brands reputation
34% post opinions about products and
brands on their blog
36% think more positively about companies
that have blogs
Source: Universal McCann Power to the people - Social Media Tracker Wave 3

34. So that’s why it matters !

35. Social Media and the Conversational web
What is Social Media?
Why does it matter?
Social media action plan

36. Try and control this?
Consumers are beginning in a very real sense to own our brands and
participate in their creation … We need to begin to learn to let go.
A.G. Lafley, CEO and Chairman of P&G, October 2006

37. Ignore it ?
... But this just eliminates you from the conversation

38. Social Media action plan
What is Social
Media?
Listen
Why does it
matter?
Social media
action plan Engage
Influence

39. How to listen to social media?

40. Search
• E.g. Technorati.com

41. Knowledge - Social Bookmarking

42. Alerts
• E.g. www.google.com/alerts

43. Opinions in real time

44. Monitoring #Knowledge

45. Speed Feed reading

46. Blog Trends

47. Listen
”The Development of a process
to understand the conversations,
and action the insights”
Ian Farmer

48. FORUMS
Real time feedback : Grad recruitment exposed !

49. Recorded Experiences

50. Reactions to current issues

51. BRAND mentions

52. Discover consumer insights

53. The new Focus group?

54. LISTEN : Social Media services
Listen
Research : opinions in real time
Risk Awareness
Insights Social Media Audit
Permission to Engage Social Media Monitoring Strategy
Monitoring development
Insights reporting
Training
We monitor social media because it provides unsolicited and unbiased consumer opinions about
our products and brands in real time. If a brand, messaging or product problem is identified by
bloggers, we can fix the problem quickly before it gets too widespread. Also, positive comments
help us understand early on if something is working particularly well.”
Christin Stasiw Lazarchuk, Director, Global Market Research, Ford Motor Company.

55. Social Media Action Plan
Listen
Engage
Influence

56. It’s PR Jim, but not as we know it!

57. Cicero’s 9 rules from “On Duties” in 44BC
1. Speak clearly
2. Speak easily, but not too much, give others their turn
3. Do not interrupt
4. Be courteous
5. Deal seriously with serious matters, gracefully with lighter ones
6. Never criticize people behind their backs
7. Stick to subjects of general interests
8. Do not talk about yourself
9. Never lose your temper

58. Example – UK civil service
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/iam/codes/social_media/participation.asp
Be credible
Be accurate, fair, thorough and transparent.
Be consistent
Encourage constructive criticism and deliberation. Be cordial, honest and
professional at all times.
Be responsive
When you gain insight, share it where appropriate.
Be integrated
Wherever possible, align online participation with other offline
communications.
Be a civil servant
Remember that you are an ambassador for your organisation. Wherever
possible, disclose your position as a representative of your department or
agency.

59. “PARTICIPATION PARTICIPATION PARTICIPATION
is the new LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION”
Ian Farmer

60. Social Media engagement policy?
or

61. GM’s FASTLANE blog
"These people have a great deal of
influence, not just on what we read,
but on the cars their friends and family
purchase.“
Bob Lutz, the vice chairman of General Motors,

62. Engage - Lobby the government

63. Identify where else to engage?

64. You Tube presence

65. BRITA Facebook

66. Be transparent - Ugly rocks !
• 47.7 million views
• 125,000+ comments
• In 7 days !

67. Engagement integration
Involve your audience >10K ideas US $1mill rev

68. Social Media press releases
http://rm.guinness.com.au/smpr-250?noac=true

69. Social learning

70. Crisis Response training

71. For when the Rats take over !!

72. Social Media services
Engage
• Feedback: discussion channels
• Increase Customer Service
• Exhibit Leadership : Sharing POVs
• Innovation: Source of Ideas
• Growth: reduced cycles times
• Self awareness
• Opportunity to Influence
Policy
Engagement integration
Corporate / brand blogs
Identify & track engagement
Social Media Presence (YouTube, Facebook,
Wikipedia)
Social Media Press Release
Crisis response training

73. Social Media Action Plan
Listen
Engage
Influence

74. 1000 entries, 5.5 million votes

75. Identifying key influencers

76. Recruit and reward evangelists

77. Influence via cause marketing

78. Bushfire widget
• Developed in 2 days
• 90K views
• 1:722 viral ration
• 25% interacted
• 5,504 donations

79. Make it easy for people to tell others

80. Establish conversational metrics

81. Influence
“Measuring the results of how you effect
social media, then using that insight to
stimulate conversations, making it easier
for people to recommend and sample
your products”
Ian Farmer

82. Social Media services
Influence
• Expand touchpoints
• Measurement of campaigns
• Risk mgmnt “Ask the audience”
• Build loyalty & Identify Evangelists
• Collaboration opportunities
• Word of mouse!
Influence Identification
Loyalty & evangelist
programs
Campaign metrics
Word of Mouth Marketing
Internet is twice as influence of TV and 8 times that of Print
(source: Digital Influence Index study Fleishman-Hillard)

83. Social Media action plan
What is Social
Media?
Listen
Why does it
matter?
Social media
action plan Engage
Influence

84. Social Media – continuous learning
• Don’t FAIL to LEARN
• DO FAIL to LEARN

85. More information
Ian Farmer
ian@frontiering.com.au
+61 417 460 518
www.twitter.com/ifarmer
www.linkedin.com/in/ifarmer
Ian’s blog : http://frontiering.com.au