The Ripple Effect of Following a Brand on Social Media - eMarketer

Check out this website I found at news.prandcommunication.com

Posted via email from SGB Media Group

Social Media Content Creation Process

by Geoff Livingston

Many folks ask how to go about creating social media for their company. As a service to the industry, find here an open source version of a draft social media content development process.

This process is general enough to guide development of specific initiatives. It does not recommend blogging or video, per say. Rather the process allows content creation to move towards the market’s needs, and within the company’s resources. There are 14 steps in all:

1) Clearly articulate who your stakeholders are before you begin.

2) Clearly articulate the key issues these stakeholders care about as it relates to your offering. Use a bulleted list with no more than three or four words per item.

3) Begin by researching which, if any, top bloggers are discussing these issues. Use your bulleted list to search. The following are good places to start:

* Technorati

* Del.icio.us

* Google Blogsearch

* Ask.com Blogsearch

4) Inevitably, any substantial subject matter area has a back channel where top bloggers and influencers chat. For example, PR and marketing bloggers and tend to connect on Facebook, Twitter, and to some extent, LinkedIn. This back channel can yield powerful connections to highly influential minds who may not have blogs with top statistical ranking.

Marketers looking to find their subject area’s back channel should start with a basic search. Once your initial search yields important blogs, please visit them and note which social networks the bloggers use to connect. Join their communities. And learn what your stakeholders really care about.

5) Don’t just observe, participate. Comment on blogs and social networks in a non-promotional way. Become part of the community.

6) Note several things in your research:

1. Top industry issues

2. Top bloggers/thought leaders that write about your issues (you will need these for marketing purposes after your content creation process is done)

3. Preferred content forms (video, white papers, blogs, podcasts)

4. Ideal places to connect with the larger industry (social networks, etc.)

5. Other companies playing in the space: Who’s successful, who isn’t? Why?

6. Behavioral norms.

Write this information down in a formal analysis.

7) Using the analysis of your social media marketplace, identify the outcomes the organization would like to achieve. These outcomes will determine the measurement benchmarks once the company decides on its preferred communication tools. Possibilities include:

* Influence

* Awareness/changed perception on a particular issue

* Third party credibility through Word of mouth

* Brand awareness

* Return on investment (sales)

8 ) Identify the company’s value for the marketplace; specifically, the organization’s subject matter expertise as it relates to the top industry issues currently being discussed amongst bloggers and thought leaders.

* Can the company provide enough information to add to the conversation?

* If so, is it enough to consistently be a part of the conversation, or is it limited in nature? Will it only be valuable for a short time?

* Can the organization afford to give away this information or does the information comprise trade secrets?

9) Based on the company/organization’s value offering and the marketplace’s issues and needs, draft an editorial mission to serve the community/stakeholders. For example, here is the Now Is Gone blog editorial mission:

Continue serving as a primer for those business executives new to social media or considering engaging with these new communications tools. The conversation should be educational, pragmatic and weigh the pros and cons of social media to provide an authentic, genuine viewpoint of social media marketing. We believe in social media’s potential to better communications, but do not think it will replace traditional tactics. Instead we believe social media will be integrated into the larger marketing mix and may influence change in other disciplines.

10) Now examine the company’s resources:

* Time

* Thought leaders

* Technical capability and savoir faire: Blog, audio, video, social networking

* Financial resources for some of the above, plus graphic design, SEO, web hosting, application development

11) Select the outreach mechanism(s) that best fits the industry’s preferred content needs (#6), can achieve outcomes (#7) the ability to convey the company’s ability to deliver value through its editorial mission (#8 and 9), and that the company can afford to invest in (#10).

There are many, many mechanisms. Each has its assets and detriments. And blogging is not a cure all silver bullet solution. Consider these more popular initiatives:

* Launch a blog

* Execute a blogger relations program

* Podcast

* Create video(s)

* Develop social network community

* Create social network application

* Build your own social network

* Build a widget

12) Determine who will create the content. Group efforts can help distribute load as well as protect the company from an individual departure. Assign a schedule and make the person responsible. Participation in larger networks should be part of your content development plan and resource allocations.

13) Select general content categories to provide guidance on a weekly basis (if the effort is ongoing). Remain flexible to allow for larger industry and community events.

14) Determine measurement based on outcomes, social media communication vehicle(s), and dedicated effort the company intends to commit to the effort. Select tools to attain measurement. Tools and measurement can vary greatly. Research what is right for you and your effort. Some are free, some are not.

Americans More Connected and Quite Ad-Tolerant

Within the span of eight months, the use of online and mobile devices for entertainment has rocketed among online US consumers, according to the second edition of the “State of Media Democracy” new-media survey from Deloitte & Touche, reports Reuters.

About 38% of consumers are now watching TV shows online, compared with 23% eight months ago, according to the study.

And some 54% said they use social-networking sites, chat rooms or message board; in addition, 45% said they have a profile on a social-networking site.

The report of the online survey of 2,081 US consumers, conducted Oct. 25-31, is slated for release in Jan. 2008. Deloitte apparently provided the findings early to The Hollywood Reporter, which reported some results today:

Among the study’s findings related to advertising…

85% cited TV advertising as among the types having the most impact on purchase behavior; 65% cited online ads; and 63% pointed to magazine ads.
However, 59% said they pay greater attention to magazine ads - and 55% cited newspaper ads - than any type of internet advertising.
Online, search ads were cited as the most effective (78%), followed by interactive ads (62%), banner ads (60%), pre-rolls (31%) and post-rolls (19%).
67% said they would be willing to be exposed to more online ads in return for free content that’s valuable.
However, 37% said they would rather pay for online content than be exposed to advertisements.
65% said they consider any type of internet ad more intrusive than newspaper and magazine ads.
Among the findings related to cell phones…

Some 36% now use their mobile phones as entertainment devices, compared with 24% eight months ago (study conducted Feb. 23 to March 6) - an increase of 50%.
Among millenials (consumers 13-24-years-old), the proportion is 62%, up from 46% in the previous study.
Among Gen Xers (25-41-year-olds), the proportion increased to 47% from 29%.
About 20% of US consumers said they view video content on cell phones daily or almost daily.
Among the findings related to user-generated content…

45% of US consumers said they are creating online content (websites, music, videos and blogs) for others.
Some 54% said they are making their own entertainment content through editing photos, videos or music.
69% said they are watching or listening to consumer-generated content.
(Also see the MarketingCharts coverage of findings from the first edition of the Deloitte “State of Media Democracy” study).