I have been invited to speak on social media somewhere in Germany. (Im Ausland!!!) Apparently this gathering of people doesn’t use new media applications yet. (Really? Truely?)<\/p>\n
This is my abstract:<\/p>\n
Erst gab es Blogs und Flickr, dann kam Twitter und Facebook, und jetzt gibt es G+, Pinterest, Foursquare und Klout. <\/p>\n
Immer mehr Web-Anwendungen dr\u00e4ngen auf den Markt und buhlen um unsere Online-Aufmerksamkeit.<\/p>\n
Wie nutze ich Social Media f\u00fcr mein Unternehmen?
\nLohnt sich der Aufwand f\u00fcr mein KMU?
\nWie manage ich private und berufliche Kontakte?\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\nI have approximately 30 mins. Which means about 12 to 15 slides. I am planning 4 main sections:<\/p>\n
1) What is social media?<\/p>\n
2) Using new media tools for my company<\/p>\n
3) Using new media tools for personal reasons – develop your micro-brand <\/p>\n
4) How to get started – Chiperoni’s recommended checklist <\/p>\n
Okay here we go! Details:<\/p>\n
1) What is social media<\/a>?
\n<\/strong>
\nSocial media is a misnomer for online apps, that use current web and mobile technologies to publish information (text, audio, video). <\/p>\n[…]social media isn’t a PR tool; it’s not a marketing tool ; it’s a communications tool and a media making\/distribution tool set.<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Social media is fast. It requires no techie skills such as FTP, HTML, CSS. Everyone is a publisher. Within 3 minutes I can set up an account on Facebook, WordPress.com, Twitter, or Tumblr and vent my anger or frustration or delight about a product or service or person. This is referred to as user-generated content.<\/p>\n
Screens of examples: blogs, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Klout, Foursquare<\/p>\n
Nobody can say what social media tools will prosper and what tools will peter out a la MySpace and co. But the principle of real-time will remain.<\/p>\n
Social media has substantially changed the way organizations, communities, and individuals communicate. <\/p>\n
News finds me.<\/p>\n
It’s not about stats, no. of likes, or followers.<\/p>\n
Note to Social Media Mar\u00adke\u00adting Dorks: The hard currency of the Inter\u00adnet is not Face\u00adbook \u201cLikes\u201d\u009d or Twit\u00adter \u201cRet\u00adweets\u201d\u009d, as flavor-of-the-month as they might be. By them\u00adsel\u00adves, they’re worthless.
\nThe hard currency of the Inter\u00adnet is \u201cSocial Objects\u201d\u009d.
\ni.e. Social Objects for peo\u00adple to SHARE MEANINGFULLY with other people<\/p><\/blockquote>\n2) Using new media tools for my company<\/strong><\/p>\n
I assume that a company wants to raise awareness and influence a buyer’s decision. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n
In the 90s we accessed the printed version of Zimpel<\/a> to find out which journalist wrote about microengineering and sent out faxes. Today lots of journis are on Twitter. See Leumund’s list of Swiss journalists on Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n
Very obviously, as a Marketing Communications specialist, I am going to adapt and move to Twitter. Especially if I am a small or medium-sized business. <\/p>\n
Huge benefit: As an SME, I can circumvent the gatekeepers and get access to my stakeholders directamente. Press releases are no longer for the press only, but for everybody interested in your company’s products or services. <\/p>\n
Huge benefit no. 2: SEO. More surface area for Google to find me. (Analogy: ocean of data – more islands pointing back to my company website)<\/p>\n
Huge benefit no. 3: when a shit storm is raging against my company or an external communication crisis comes along, I already know how to use new media.
\nExample: SWISS during volcano crisis.<\/p>\nHuge benefit no. 4: costs are still lower than print, billboard or radio\/TV advertising.<\/p>\n
BUT, social media is not working for all companies. You need to find the right platform and the right strategy \/ tone of voice \/ mix of useful content vs pure advertising. Everyone needs their own tailor-fit strategy.<\/p>\n
3) Using new media tools for personal reasons – develop your micro-brand<\/strong> <\/p>\n
My personal benefits have been:<\/p>\n
\n
- Networking\n<\/li>\n
- Learning\n<\/li>\n
- Reflection\n<\/li>\n
- Knowledge management\n<\/li>\n
- Positioning myself as a specialist\n<\/li>\n
- Fun<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
For every online comment you receive, there are about 200 visitors that didn’t say a thing about your post. Very few people comment online, but many people will read your entries and comment offline when you meet face-to-face. Or even e-mail you photos of Nutella alternatives from their last vacation<\/a> to post in your collection.<\/p>\n
4) How to get started – Chiperoni’s recommended checklist<\/strong> <\/p>\n
Inspired by Su Franke, David Meerman Scott and Elise Bauer… <\/p>\n
Before you dive in and set up your social media accounts, please consider the following checklist:<\/p>\n
\n
- Do some research beforehand – which new media platform is suitable for my topic? Is my potential audience using this web application? Can I add value to the existing online conversations?<\/li>\n
- Look at the legalese – who owns my content? What limitations are there in the terms and conditions?<\/li>\n
- What information about my company or my personal life, am I prepared to make public? Would I say the same kind of things in a real-life, face-to-face meeting or in front of an audience?<\/li>\n
- How do I handle private contacts vs business contacts on my social application? Do I know enough about the privacy settings? What happens if I make a mistake and I set the wrong privacy for an entry?<\/li>\n
- How important are online contacts \/ networks for me? <\/li>\n
- Consider the effort – you will need to post at regular intervals to gain any kind of traction. Prepare a pipeline of topics \/ an editorial calendar. Set up Google Reader with a list of sources that write about your topic.<\/li>\n
- Frequency is very important<\/li>\n
- Be authentic<\/li>\n
- Be a thought leader – develop useful content. Most of us have been overexposed to advertising. I am jaded. I am cynical. I will challenge and question any kind of advertising posted on the internetz. Instead follow Elise’s ideas on thought leadership<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Find your social object.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
See David Meerman Scott’s book on the new rules of PR and marketing. There’s an excellent free e-book<\/a> to get you started.<\/p>\n
I strongly recommend Su Franke’s talk on networking<\/a>. <\/p>\n