This document provides lessons for building an online community through social media based on a conference presentation. It discusses 10 key lessons: 1) defining value for community members, 2) using blogs for long-form content, 3) engaging communities on Facebook, 4) including reasons for members to share content, 5) crisis response planning, 6) permanence of online content, 7) discovering content on YouTube, 8) focusing efforts on major networks, 9) using offline events to create online content, and 10) using analytics to track objectives. The presentation emphasizes defining value, creating engaging content, and focusing social media efforts based on community and organizational goals.

1. Building Your Online Community Through Social Media:"
Lessons from the Corporate World!
!
National Smart Start Conference 2011"
Sessions 608 and 608-1 !
May 3, 2011
Kevin Briody / Ignite Social Media / @kevinbriody

2. Beneath
all the
hype
and
bling

3. Social media
truly thrives
through
authentic
connections
within a
passionate
community

4. Meaning it is a perfect tool for
your community

5. Let’s review some "
helpful lessons "
we’ve picked up "
over the years

6. Don’t worry:!
There will be a recap…

7. #1
What’s in
it for me?
The fan value
proposition is
critical

8. Exclusive
content?
Critical
insights?
Unique
discounts?
Urgent
updates?
Touching
stories?

9. Define what
your fans get
out of the
relationship
And
respect
that

10. Takeaway:"
"
Ask yourself honestly: What’s in it for
our fans? Shape content, promotions,
everything to this"
"

11. #2
Blogging
isn’t
quite
dead yet

12. 377,784 bloggers
358,456 posts
249 posts per minute
82 million words / day
2x the Encyclopedia Britannica each day
Source: http://en.wordpress.com/stats/ for April 29, 2011

13. A blog is:
An ideal home for
long-form content
Insanely good for
SEO
A flexible asset
Not something you
can whip up
during a crisis

14. Takeaway:"
"
Don’t listen to the naysayers – blogs
are alive and kicking and a major
potential asset for any organization"
"
Tips?"
1. Define an editorial calendar: topics + rotation/frequency"
2. Focus on long-form, helpful, keyword rich content"
3. Ensure it consistently delivers your fan value proposition"
4. Pick a simple platform, and set it up properly

15. #3
Your
Facebook
wall is
where the
community
thrives

16. 96%
% of fans never
return to your
page
199
# of comments, out of
every 200, happening
650K
in newsfeeds
# of comments posted
on Facebook every
minute
Source:
BrandGlue
and
Facebook

17. The average fan has
130 friends
"
Softly invite them into your community
Source:
Facebook

18. A strong editorial
plan and calendar is
required.
Don’t just
wing it!

19. Takeaway:
Building a community on Facebook
depends on rockin’ your fans
newsfeeds
Tips?
• Develop an editorial calendar – pick 5 topics to rotate, create
content for each.
• Mix in open-ended engagement questions.
• Test, optimize, rinse and repeat. Learn Facebook Insights.
Embrace interaction rates. Apply monthly.

20. #4
Reasons
to Share
The neglected
fuel that drives
social spread

21. What’s
in
it
for
me?

22. Financial
Moral
Ego
Humor
Reputa:on

23. Takeaway:"
"
Bake in a reason to share for any and
all content or programs – from the start

24. #5
When the
crisis hits, a
poor
response is
vastly
worse than
none

25. Takeaways:"
"
Have a monitoring plan. Have an
escalation plan. Respond fast, but
think it through."
"
Don’t leave the keys with the intern…

26. #6
A moment
might be
fleeting,
but a
tweet lasts
forever
(or at least long enough)

27. Scale: One persistent post
can help or reach
thousands
SEO:
Strong content can
make your message
more discoverable…
indefinitely

28. On the flip
side…
Cache: It’s
impossible to
truly kill bad
content on the
‘Net

29. Takeaway:"
"
Think before you post, and use
separate tools for professional and
personal.

30. #7
YouTube is
about
discovery
and
sharing

31. Don’t worry about subscriber counts

32. #8
Just say
maybe to
shiny new
objects
(and social
networks)

33. Just
8%
of
the
US
populaJon
uses
Twi6er
Compared
to
the
42.3%
on
Facebook
eMarketer
&
h6p://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Twi6er-­‐Update-­‐2010/Findings.aspx

34. Be patient
2008
2011?

35. Do you really need to be there?
At what cost?

36. Takeaway:"
"
Be mindful where your community is,
where their influencers are. Be willing
to say NO and focus."

37. # ? F2F
#10
#9
Face-to-
face is still
the ultimate
social
media

38. 77% vs. 56%
Face-to-face conversations vs. social networking, in terms
of popular methods used to discuss products or services
(US Young Adults 18-25)
Source:
eMarketer

41. Practical aside:!
Turn an offline event into a social butterfly
• Create a lasting video
library on YouTube
• Stream it live with Ustream
• Create an event-based
podcast mini-series
• Spread the speaker slides
through Slideshare
• Open up the Q&A with a h6p://www.youtube.com/watch?
Twitter chat
v=iG9CE55wbtY&feature=player_embedded
h6p://www.socialmallard.com/socialmedia/6-­‐simple-­‐
• Capture the moment with ways-­‐to-­‐turn-­‐your-­‐event-­‐into-­‐a-­‐social-­‐bu6erfly/
tagged photos

42. Takeaway:"
"
Offline events are valuable parts of
your social media mix, and content
goldmines.

43. #10
Data is
king, and
analytics
his queen

44. “
Friends and family I
trust. Everyone else
bring data.” "
"
– wise ex-officemate

45. Ma@ers!
kinda
not
so
much
©
AlJmeter
Group

46. Takeaway:"
"
Start with clear organizational
objectives, track the metrics that
matter to those who own your budgets

47. To recap
• Define the value proposition for your
fans, and respect it
• Blogs remain a powerful asset for any
organization – what’s your blogging
strategy?
• To build on community on Facebook
focus on rocking your fans
newsfeeds
• Bake in reasons to share from the
start for all content and programs

48. To recap
• Create monitoring and escalation
plans. Respond fast but think it
through
• Use separate tools for posting to work
vs. personal accounts
• Don’t jump into the latest social
network too fast. Be willing to say no,
stay focused.
• Offline events are valuable parts of
your social media mix.
• Develop clear, measurable objectives
that matter to your decision makers.

49. Discuss
(and thank you!)
@kevinbriody
kevinbriody@gmail.com
socialmallard.com
ignitesocialmedia.com/blog

50. Photo Attributions
Photos not listed are my own, licensed via stock photography sites, or fair use screenshots of
sites or marketing creative. All listed below are from Flick via a Creative Commons license,
with the owner’s Flickr handle provided. If I missed any, my apologies and please contact me
at kevinbriody@gmail.com.
3 - shereen84
4 - D Sharon Pruitt
7 – brandoncwarren
11 - haijak
15 - linneberg
20 - ben_grey
22 - enigmatic, mgrap
27 - filminilman
28 - 54459164@N00
37 - solidether
43 - damianhopper
48 - delphwynd
The image on slide 45 - © Altimeter Group