Social Media simply defined

1. the workshop volume 2
social media
be more than a needle in a haystack
social media defined
ground rules | 7 guiding principles | additional resources & links | glossary of terms

2. what is emerging or
social media? traditional media vs. social media
“Like many important concepts,
[Social Media] doesn’t have a hard
boundary, but rather, a gravitational core.
You can visualize Web 2.0 as a set of
principles and practices that tie together podcasts
television
a veritable solar system of sites that vlogs
demonstrate some or all of those
principles, at a varying distance from
movies forums
that core.” -Tim O’Reilly, CEO and observe contribute
Founder of O’Reilly Media, Inc.
radio wikis
Emerging or Social Media are online print PUSH PUSH / PULL enterprise 2.0
tools and/or platforms that people platforms
use to share opinions, insights,
experiences and perspectives with one
another. It can take on several forms,
such as text, images, audio and video.
The maturity and distinctive qualities of
institutional consumer
this medium are characterized by its
control
shift control
User Participation, Openness, and
Network Effects.
2

3. ground rules
social media ground rules relates to outsiders’ perception of 4. distribution not centralization.
Some basic rules that one should the organization), have a hard time Social Media, both its content and
adhere to when entering the Social adjusting to. It is important, however, applications, are highly distributed
Media space are: for the organization to steer clear and consists of many voices which
of controlling, manipulating, or make it far more textured and rich
1. communication should come spamming a conversation if it does than Traditional, or “Old,” Media.
in the form of conversation and not agree with them, as it would
not monologue. It is important destroy the two-way dialogue that Once these Ground Rules have been
to understand that those who is so vital. accepted the organization can begin
participate in this space must to lay the foundation for the Guiding
facilitate two-way discussion, 3. it’s all about pull and not push. Principles of Social Media.
discourse and debate with little Pull Systems allow users to consume
moderation and plenty of toleration. content they want, rather than forcing
Furthermore, it is imperative that all it upon them with an external entity.
be allowed in the space, not just a As companies shape their social
select few that share a similar voice. media communities, understanding
how to embrace “pull” rather than
2. honesty and transparency are “push” will help them learn yet
core values. Social Media is often a another core value. Social media
painfully candid forum that traditional communities succeed when people
organizations, who are not made are in control of the conversation, not
aware of the conversation (as it the other way around.
3

4. guiding principles
principle 1
the web is a platform the web is a platform
It has the largest single global
audience and marketplace. As a
result traditional platforms, such as
Radio and TV, are converging online
and companies are increasingly rich user
making their products and services experience
• iGoogle, gmail,
available through it. Because the web tagging not participation
AJAX, maps
is becoming the primary location to taxonomy not just
publishing
share, access and store digital • flickr
• blogs,
del.icio.us
content, it facilitates the creation of podcasts
virtual applications, and acquiring
data from numerous sources. web as
radical
components
trust
As a platform it drives Network (small pieces
• wikipedia
Effects, meaning that the more loosely joined)
user
people take part in something, the
controls
better the end product becomes.
Here are some examples of other
data
network effects at work: attitude
the right
not
to remix
• Postal Mail technology
• Phones
• Fax
the
• Email trust your
perpetual software
• Instant Messaging users
beta that improves
• Web pages (such as wikipedia) the more
people
use it
4

5. principle 2
services go beyond a single vertical model
device
Design content and services that can
(platform supplier controlled)
be delivered across multiple devices. embedded/ iPods, podcasting equipment,
This way you can expand your reach mobile layer readers, audio devices
to a significantly larger audience.
There are two models to consider VERTICAL consumer/ store software,
when delivering content and services business pc synchronization drivers,
in this space, the Vertical Model and layer media production apps
the Horizontal Model.
back-end media storage and serving,
server payment processing,
The Vertical Model is where the infrastructure community hosting
device defines the service.
horizontal model
PCs, PDA’s, blog platforms, aggregation bloglines,
mobile phones, media sharing sites MyYahoo, google,
digital cameras, sites (Google, Technorati, reader, safari,
networked GPS, Feedburner, etc.) sony eReader,
sensors mobile phones
real-world internet aggregating / syndication /
capture presence syndication / RSS readers
search
HORIZONTAL
In the Horizontal Model it’s the
service that embraces the device. (platform participant controlled)
5

6. guiding principles
principle 3
data is the competitive
advantage
Unique data, and the presentation
of it, has become a powerful
marketing asset. Companies like
Google (search index data), Amazon
(Amazon’s Reviews), Craigslist, and
Intuit (TurboTax Advise Database) are
among the many companies that
provide their users with hard-to-recre-
ate data. Another use for data comes
in the form of capturing user behavior
to a database. Knowing what search
terms, articles, or photos were clicked
upon can help a company determine
what their site goers’ interests are and Ease of use, user contribution, makes the development cycle a
even further, help them understand network effects, reserving rights, continuous one, where products are
what their intentions may be in the free cooperation and conversation in a perpetual beta and being tested
future. For example, the New York participation are all vital cogs in and improved constantly. For this
Times has a “Most Popular” news product development 2.0. Finally, space the latter of the two has the
article section, because they know how companies should keep processes best chance of succeeding.
many users clicked on the articles. simple and continuous to ensure
Keeping an open platform through
successful product integration.
principle 4 Open Web APIs will increase the
When developing product for the
develop lightweight product space, companies can opt to follow
likelihood of “getting your product
and business models out there.” Having an open API will
the Current Model or the New
allow 3rd parties to combine your
Design patterns and characteristics Model. The Current Model provides
should play a significant role when product with their own in the form of a
companies with a traditional linear,
developing products for Social Media mashup. The idea of Programmable
mostly closed, development cycle with
(or Product Development 2.0). Web is an eventuality that companies
a defined end-point. The New Model
hope for their product.
6

7. principle 5 principle 6 consumers to the product
create a rich user experience harness collective intelligence development mix creates a network
effect, hence expanding the input
Providing positive user experiences Conversation Architecture is one
companies get for their product.
will increase the likelihood of the user’s of the core principles for harnessing
return to the website. Using dynamic Collective Intelligence. Building a There are many instances where
applications to build pages, instead conversation with consumers will companies rely on user contribution to
of static pages, will greatly improve the yield a string of user contributions, create the product. In the community
look and feel of a website. Using Rich a database of intentions, and data networking space, Facebook, Myspace
Internet Applications (RIAs), such sharing that companies find extremely and LinkedIn all rely on their users to
as AJAX, Flash, or Silverlight, will lay valuable. These “partners” (formerly keep their product updated. Vertical
the foundation for a dynamic website. consumers) add value to “their” social networks rely on users to
Mini-RIAs, such as widgets, badges, product in the sense that they are update blog (ex. TechCrunch) and
or gadgets, will add a certain value to given a voice in the formation of wiki (ex. Wikipedia) entries to keep
a website and its users. “their” product. Adding everyday their product refreshed.
collective intelligence
share
content
exponential
content content
network effects
content
audience
consume
7

8. guiding principles
principle 7
leverage the long tail the new marketplace
Businesses with distribution power
can sell a greater total amount of
hard-to-find items than the most
popular items.
head
The main forces that drive the Long popularity
Tail are making the tools of production
available to everyone, having a
distribution channel that reaches nearly
everyone, and a better connection
between the supply and demand
long tail
chains. Examples of effective Long
Tail usage are Netflix and Ebay. Netflix products
caters to the masses by offering over
70,000 different titles on their virtual
“shelf space,” while Ebay users create
• Continuous optimization of the most 4. Brand Quality / Early Warning:
profitable sections of the Long Tail identify and act on any quality
a marketplace where people can buy
or sell anything. perception issues, and track issues
principle 8 through recalls and service bulletins.
Effective use of the Long Tail comes measurement and reporting
when companies leverage efficiently. 5. New Campaign Launch: harness
There are five areas to focus on when
Some examples of these are: learning from marketing effectiveness,
measuring and reporting on a Social
relationship marketing, reputation
• Finding products that are low in Marketing campaign:
management, brand quality and early
demand, but consist of the majority 1. Marketing Effectiveness: get the warning and prepare the brand launch.
of the market current climate of the brand.
Getting solid numbers in the space
• Seeking out smaller markets where 2. Relationship Marketing: identify, is difficult, but it can be done.
demand is higher understand, leverage and monitor key Backend data can be collected by
• Using the Internet to cost-effectively influencers to the brand. using free services like FeedBurner
serve clients or Quantcast, or paid ones like
3. Reputation management: have a
BuzzMetrics or Cymphony.
“finger on the pulse” of the brand.
8

9. web 2.0 resources http://www.blogpulse.com/conversa
tion
social media is... http://www.go2web20.net/
Blogpulse’s conversation tracker will
A directory of Web 2.0 applications
help you track who’s linking to that
and services.
blog post about your company.
• fairly easy to enter http://www.oreilly.com/
http://www.boardtracker.com
O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge
Will keep an eye on popular forums
• a public conversation of innovators through its books, online
for you and alert you by RSS if your
services, magazine, and conferences.
company is mentioned in a thread.
• not a single application
http://gigaom.com/deliver
http://www.compete.com
Technology news, analysis and
• a niche community Compete’s Search Analytics will also
opinions on topics ranging from
let you enter any domain name and
broadband and online games to
• about common sense see which keywords are driving
Web 2.0.
traffic to that site. Now you know
which keywords your competitors
• a desirable space to be in http://www.web2journal.com/
are targeting.
Publisher of i-technology magazines,
electronic newsletters, and education
http://www.pipes.yahoo.com
Take this all into account, and information Web portals as well
You can quickly set up your own
but remember that it’s as trade shows, conferences and
RSS tracking, complete with filters
Quality and not Quantity education.
Engine Optimization into your life
that will ultimately determine http://www.webware.com
and into your marketing plan, share
your success in this space. your new knowledge with your
Site where computer users can
associates so that your site can be
learn about new and useful Web
continually optimized.
For more information we applications.
recommend the following http://www.toprankblog.com/
http://www.technorati.com/
resources: One of the best options for tracking
Get daily insights, resources and
social media sites. Custom RSS feeds information on a range of internet
let you get quick updates on any blog marketing strategies and tactics.
that utters your company name.
9

10. glossary of terms mashup – A web application that pull system – Pictures, videos, work,
combines data from more than one and information (or data). Allows users
API – Application Programming source into a single integrated tool. to consume content that they want.
Interface
mini-RIA – A small application that push system – Forcing users to
blogs – A website that provides is inserted into a webpage, or on a consume pre developed content.
commentary or news on a particular desktop.
subject, which encourages readers to RIA – Rich Internet Application
leave comments in an interactive network effect – An action that
format. causes a good or service to have a social media – Social Media is the
value to a potential customer which democratization of information,
collective intelligence – Intelligence depends on the number of other transforming people from content
that emerges from the collaboration customers who own the good or are readers into content publishers.
and participation of many individuals / users of the service.
consumers. spamming – The abuse of electronic
new model – Makes the development messaging systems to indiscriminately
current model – Traditional linear, cycle a continuous one, where send unsolicited bulk messages.
mostly closed, development cycle products are being tested and
with a defined end-point. constantly improved. traditional media – Non digital media,
such as TV, Radio, Print and Outdoor.
emerging media – (also Social Media) open API – Sets of technologies that
- A more mature, distinctive space enable websites to interact with each user participation – Active
characterized by User Participation, other by using SOAP, JavaScript any involvement and interaction from the
Openness, and Network Effects. other web technology. consumers on a site, blog and other
forms of digital content.
horizontal model – Services define perpetual beta – Development and
the device, controlled by the release of a service in which constant vertical model – Devices define the
participant. updates are the foundation for the service, controlled by the content
habitability/usability of a service. supplier.
long tail – Businesses with
distribution power can sell a greater product development 2.0 – wiki – (derived from the Hawaiian
volume of otherwise hard-to-find items Developing product for web 2.0. word for “quick”) a simple database,
at smaller volumes than of popular with no barrier to entry, where users
items at large volumes. programmable web – Constructing go to add or edit content collectively.
distributed web-based applications in a
platform, or object model across the web.
10

11. now, go be social

12. 26 washington street, 2nd floor
morristown, nj 07960
973.206.1021
kinesismarketing.com