For anyone who has ever wanted more information on Social Media and its impact on how we consume and share content, here are some favorite videos from Socialnomics that just might amaze you.
Social Media Revolution
Social Media ROI
Kudos to Socialnomics for gathering such comprehensive information!
The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently released the results of a survey of their subscribers’ use of social media in 2009.
They found that 88% of those responding were currently participating in some form of social media; more than half of those had been doing so for less than a year; most were participating via “general social networking” (e.g. Facebook) or blogs / microblogs (e.g. Wordpress, Blogger, Twitter.) The most popular tools used among respondents were Facebook (86%) Twitter (57%) YouTube (37%) and Blogs (48%).
All this use of new communication tools is great, but since so many organizations are new at this, they run the risk of doing a lot of communicating without saying anything. Every communication, even those limited to 140 characters, is an opportunity to tell your story. If you’re an organization doing great work, the stories you have to tell are probably some of your most valuable assets.
John P. Kotter, bestselling author, Harvard Business School professor and thought leader in the field of leadership and change wrote, “Those in leadership positions who fail to grasp or use the power of stories risk failure for their companies and for themselves.”
In the spirit of learning and collaboration (not picking on anyone), I have taken the liberty of writing alternate Tweets for a few organizations by way of example:
A few weeks ago, I was asked by Lisa Lacy on behalf of ClickZ why MTV’s Jersey Shore has become so popular through social media and conditions for the “perfect storm”.
By Lisa Lacy, ClickZ, Jan 20, 2010
When actor Michael Cera got his hair blown out by Jersey Shore’s DJ Pauly D in a cross-promotional effort for Cera’s new film, Youth in Revolt, it was a new high for MTV’s hit reality show.
The show’s basic premise is similar to over 20 preceding seasons in MTV’s Real World franchise, yet Snooki, Vinny and the rest of the gang have reached an unprecedented level of cultural saturation. According to Nielsen, 1.4 million viewers tuned in to the premiere on December 4. And numbers have steadily risen since then, culminating in 3.6 million viewers tuning in on January 14.
That’s thanks in part to MTV’s efforts to harness organic buzz and create branded content. The company has launched a Twitter integration, exclusive online videos, and is preparing new features such as a character generator and an iPhone app.
Last Sunday night, I noticed multiple posts on Facebook about Kanye West’s inappropriate actions at the MTV Video Music Awards, where he interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech.
Since the program was delayed on the West Coast where I live, I naturally went to social media to see what the fuss was about.
To my surprise, every video I tried to play was interrupted by a message saying the content was removed by Viacom.
Much has been discussed the past few days about Viacom’s decision to make VMA-related content available only on MTV or MTV.com. Viacom has been actively removing clips and content where they see it posted. Forums, message boards, UGC sites and blogs all had clips that had to be removed or wouldn’t play.
While Viacom is still engaged in a lawsuit with Youtube, my guess is their actions are as much about controlling content as driving traffic to their site and advertising supported video player.
To recap our previous entry on measurement salvation for social media marketing, we recommended these important steps:
To help implement the steps above, here are some of the tools, both free, and for-pay, that we have tested and endorse.
FREE TOOLS
FEE BASED TOOLS:
Every day, there are new tools and ways to measure the impact of your campaigns, just remember the most important measurement tool needs to be balanced against the overall goal.
The first ever Streamy Awards took place on Saturday, March 28, bringing together the directors, actors, producers, writers, editors, cinematographers, music and production talent responsible for creating some of the best original content on the web.
125 individuals and web series were recognized during the live event, bringing more buzz and awareness to the emerging genre of digital entertainment. I had a chance to chat about the event with a friend of mine Mark Stewart Iverson, director, writer, and co-creator of Dorm Life, one of the nominees recognized at the Streamys.
So how did Mark describe the event?
“[Everyone was] very aware that it was a first annual awards and [the awards were] very aware of itself…a lot of talking straight to the camera.” This made up some of the humorous aspects of the show, Mark told me, like when Lisa Kudrow couldn’t help but laugh, along with the audience, during the very unfunny bit she was given to present. That proved to be a common theme of the night - a direct awareness and acknowledgment of the audience. Mark took this one step further by likening being in the audience at the show to watching a mockumentary–style webisode (aka Dorm Life):
“Mockumentary is great for [the] Internet…the webcam, blogging and talking straight to you [the audience] through the Internet.” Looks like Mark understands the importance of the Internet as a key tool for connecting and interacting directly with fans, which is what the Streamys are all about. Take the Audience Choice Award for Best Web Television Series, which was selected and voted by the public. While Dorm Life didn’t take home the award, the popular webisode was nominated, and that’s HUGE. (Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog took home the coveted award, along with a handful of others.)
So how do these webisodes gain a big enough online presence to get nominated?
Mark said of spreading the word about Dorm Life: “Our production company, Attention Span Media, has definitely gone out and gotten us some press and done a little outside marketing. But it really comes down to grass roots and driving people to our web site. Doing the work and writing, blogging, posting like crazy and getting people excited about the show.”
And it seems to be working. They’ve got a Facebook Group with more that 4700 members, a @dormlife Twitter account, plus several Twitter profiles where you can follow the cast members (@gopherreed, @marshalladams, @attentionspan) .
Plus you can find Dorm Life on Hulu.com (where it’s the most viewed webisode), Veoh.com, YouTube.com, MetaCafe.com, Blip.tv, and dorm-life.com to name a few.
Oh and if you are interested, new episodes of Dorm Life air Mondays @ http://dorm-life.com And trust me, the show is HILARIOUS. But Mark’s my friend so don’t take my word for it. (Instead, take the raving reviews of their 4700 member-strong Facebook group.)
While social media is busy transforming the way we lead our lives, it’s also a game changer in the world of politics. It’s never been easier for politicians to communicate directly with their electorate, on the cheap, totally free-from-traditional-media filters.
Barack “you’ll-pry-this-Blackberry-from-my-cold-dead-fingers” Obama’s campaign is Exhibit A: from Facebook– to YouTube– MyBarackObama.com to Twitter, our President owned the social media space (if you haven’t yet, check out this great Fast Company story about Chris Hughes, the campaign’s online “Boy Wonder”).
And Barack Obama still owns the space. When was the last time anyone got excited about a new administration’s White House website… or sparked controversy when it debuted? Yeah, it’s a brave new political world.
The good news for citizens is that this social media revolution is a two way street. Our government is transparent – and accountable – in ways it never was before. There are easy ways to connect with our presidential administration (here’s 10), many elected officials are accessible via Facebook and other avenues, and bowing to constituent pressure many city/state/federal agencies are throwing open their electronic doors in the spirit of transparency. Heck, even California’s Governator is Tweeting.
Not only can we talk more easily to our “reps” (or, hey, their people), we voters can easily arm ourselves with the latest breaking news and heavy-duty research…you know, the stuff that used to be the exclusive domain of politicians/legislators only.
Take Policy Archive: a massive repository for academic and policy research, fueled by submissions from think tanks like The Cato Institute, The Center for American Progress, and The Heritage Foundation. This database, owned by the Center for Governmental Studies, aims to be the largest of its kind. Not only does it puts amazing, top-level research a couple mouse clicks away from students and researchers…it’s a platform available to Joe Six Pack (and, hey, they Twitter (@policyarchive)!).
One of their featured areas? Analysis and policy recommendations for the Obama administration, from across the political spectrum. We can only imagine Obama is reading…you know, on his Blackberry.
(Full disclosure: CGS is a client. But that hasn’t stopped us from being pretty amazed at the sheer volume of PolicyArchive; pretty sure I’m not the only team member getting sucked into the latest/greatest research on current issues.)
Most of my family, friends and social network colleagues know by now that I have a strange obsession with The Snuggie - the blanket with sleeves.
For those of you who are unaware of the phenomenon that is The Snuggie, at some point in the wee hours of the night, you’ll most likely see an infomercial with happy people lounging on the sofa, each wearing what looks like a backwards robe in jewel tones such as navy blue, red or purple.
I first became aware of this concept while perusing the Skymall catalog on a flight back to LA. The competitor to The Snuggie, the slightly more expensive Slanket, was listed as a must have holiday gift for 2009. While the Slanket provided a few chuckles, I couldn’t help but notice the buzz beginning to form around its lower cost alternative, The Snuggie, and my obsession began.
Am I obsessed because I think everyone needs a blanket with holes in it for arms? No.
Am I obsessed because I’m entranced by low-production value, somewhat retro late-night infomercials that bring back memories of the Chia Pet? Not at all.
Am I obsessed because when you’re cold, the Snuggie will keep you warm and toasty? Not even close (I have one and it barely did the trick).
I’m obsessed with The Snuggie because somehow, a relatively low-end product promoted during late-night has made a name for itself through social media. The Snuggie is the guilty pleasure product you love to hate. And people love to talk about it. And coincidentally, it loves to talk to you.
I’ve had many an interesting conversation with @TheSnuggie on Twitter, enjoying loving comments such as “I would hide your lady parts if you want me to,” and “Let’s lay together….” and even “I will grip your body in all the right places.” The Snuggie says all the right things.
If the Snuggie doesn’t do it for you, you might want to check out The Snuggie’s distant cousin, the WTF Blanket. Not quite the same as The Snuggie, but a little more blunt and to the point.
Want to join other Snuggie Fans? Try the Snuggie Pub Crawl in cities like LA and Chicago. It’s really a great opportunity to get your Snuggie on.
The Snuggie has achieved near-celebrity status, with recent appearances on The Today Show, Jon Stewart, Ellen and Bill Mahar, as well as a great article in the New York Times. Again, is the Snuggie (a product that competes with the Power Juicer on late night) getting coverage because we can’t live without? No. It’s because people are talking about it.
The Snuggie is a great case study in social media and awareness. These tough economic times can be the perfect timing for not only low-budget advertising (as is the Snuggie infomercial), but also leveraging word of mouth to drive awareness and demand. In this recession, while retail sales of mostly everything are falling fast, the Snuggie’s sales are increasing with over 4 million units sold since September.
Retailing at just $19.95 (and offered with a free bonus reading light!), it’s a must have product. Not because everyone wants to be in a cocoon of warmth. But because people want to engage with a brand that everyone’s talking about.
Long live the Snuggie.
Social Media Marketing = Word of Mouth = Awareness
Social media is as simple as its component parts – social interaction meets media — the sites, events, communities and resources that enable people to share with each other, collaborate, communicate and reinvent.
Social media marketing is harnessing that media to drive conversation, build awareness and spark word of mouth around a brand, individual or particular subject matter.
Your audience is living in the new media space – on Social Networks (Myspace, Facebook, LastFM), Sharing and Bookmarking sites (Digg, Stumbleupon), opinion and voting sites, UGC and video sites (YouTube, DailyMotion), and a variety of communities and blogs targeting niche interests. For successful social media marketing, it is important to:
Why Social Marketing is More Effective.
Traditional Media = Monologue
Social Media = Dialogue
Now, more than ever, consumers have the opportunity to involve themselves in the marketing mix, and they will. As new, digital media became the preferred media of the Millennial Generation, information and content became easier to create, share and manipulate. This democratization has led to an unprecedented interconnectedness both to the world and one another. This real-time, interconnectivity creates a two-way communication channel for everything, always, which is one of its primary advantages over traditional media.
Traditional media is characterized as monologue, slow if ever to adapt and respond. Social media is defined by dialogue, evolving constantly and responding instantly. Consumers have gravitated to and adopted social media because it allows them the opportunity to interact with and engage the people, brands and ideas that matter most to them. And this two-way communication channel requires that brands interact and engage in return. After they are done speaking, they are now required to listen and respond. Those that don’t will be left behind.
Once people are engaged it becomes increasingly likely that they will share and this sharing is the ultimate value for brands practicing effective social media marketing. All of the actions we take online are now shared with our friends – we are clicks away from sharing the links we like, from seeing the clothes and music our friends just purchased, from reading the restaurant reviews posted by our neighbors. And we know this sharing is the most important factor when influencing consumers to adopt a specific brand identity or purchase a certain product.