A Presentation About Community, By The

Communityneilperkin.typepad.c

omImage credit: http://dicksdaily.co.uk/

WHO AM I?

neilperkin.typepad.com

This is a presentation with a difference.

Because it’s written not by one person, but by many

It’s a presentation about the power of online communities.

And since almost everything I have learnt about how online communities work have come from being part of one, I figured it would be best if I let them tell you

how it all works.

So I put a post on my blog, and asked them to contribute one slide on what they felt was important.

And almost 30 of them did. Planners, strategists, digital specialists, media owners…very bright people all. So look out for the credits at the bottom of their

slides.

I have added my own slides to give context and cohesiveness to everyone’s thinking, but these are the words of the community.

So enjoy.

SO WHAT’S SO IMPORTANT ABOUT ONLINE COMMUNITIES?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pogonophobia/

Source: Future Foundation: Entertainment Futures 2007 Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kicey/

SOCIAL IS BECOMING A PART OF ALL

MEDIA STREAMS

Social dimensions are paramount to most people

…and most forms of entertainment

“The desire to be part of a group that shares, cooperates, or acts in concert is a basic human instinct.” Clay Shirky

Media brands are increasingly defined less by the platform and more by the community

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hankins/

EMPOWERED USERS, UNLIMITED CHOICE

Everyone is a media owner

http://www.flickr.com/photos/esparta/

THE RELATIONSHIP IS NO LONGER LINEAR

http://www.flickr.com/photos/timothyschenck/

In the old days, hierarchy was the network

http://www.flickr.com/photos/splorp/

Charles Frith, Punk Planning, Bangkok…http://www.charlesfrith.com/

“The other guys think the purpose of communication is

to get information.We think the purpose of

information is to foster communication.”

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO Facebook

http://www.flickr.com/photos/differentperspective/114394347/

Jason Oke, Director, Strategic Planning, Juniper Park, Canada…http://jasonoke.wordpress.com/

The internet is for people. For people to form groups

Groups with shared purposes

http://flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/

David Cushman, Brando Digital…http://fasterfuture.blogspot.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adviceposters/sets/72157602720078403/

WE HAVE TO RELEARN WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW

SO WHAT’S THE BIG SECRET?

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

ONLINE COMMUNITIES CAN BE A PUZZLE

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"Over and over again, connecting people with one another is what lasts online. Some folks thought it was about technology, but

it's not.“Seth Godin

Image: http://www.gapingvoid.com/

UNTIL YOU REMEMBER THAT IT’S NOT ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY

“It’s about relationships”

Andrew Rogers, Head of User Content Development, RBI…http://engagement101.blogspot.com/

“At some point the anonymity of the internet transformed into a social networking clearinghouse of daily

minutiae…and most of us willingly opted in, choosing the ease and comfort of virtual intimacy over a lonely existence of real

world disconnectedness”(The Psychology of Sharing, Scott Lachut)

Image: Wollas (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wollas/2571298396/

Jon Howard, Strategy Director, Quietstorm …http://jonhoward.typepad.com/livingbrands/

AND BEING HUMAN

Facu Medina, Argentina…http://www.alwaystrytogowithsomethingelse.blogspot.com/

AND BEING HUMAN

Communities are like dysfunctional families. Dysfunction is natural, not abnormal.

Stanley Johnson, Senior Creative, Wunderman, Melbourne…http://branddna.blogspot.com/

AND BEING HUMAN

Online communities aren’t like the real world, they ARE the real world.

Being authentic and polite are the ONLY ways operate

As people change, so will the online communities they form - being right isn’t important, but being right there is

Predicting how we form and shape our communities online is impossible. But it is safe to say that the future will be awesome.

Sam Ismail, Digital Strategist…http://www.samismail.com/

Higher repeat visitsMore repeat custom

More loyal usersMore loyal customers

Higher levels of interactionMore opportunities to interactMore useful site

Better customer experience

More contentMore feedback,

ideas

More trafficMore people talking about your brand

More linksMore word-of-mouth referrals

More authoritySomething worth talking

about

THE VIRTUOUS CIRCLE

SO HOW CAN I CREATE A

COMMUNITY?

WRONG QUESTION

“Communities already exist. Instead, think about how you can help that community do what it wants to do”

Mark Zuckerberg

Blog Her/Compass Partners 2008 Social Media Study

UNDERSTAND THAT MOTIVATIONS ARE DIFFERENT

Listen when online communities speak : they often perform the role of an oracle

Photo credit: John William Waterhouse, ‘Consulting the Oracle’, 1884 (reproduction of original painting)

Anjali Ramachandran, Strategist, Made By many, http://one-size-fits-one.blogspot.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/twenty_questions/

AND ACT ON THEIR FEEDBACK

AND GET STUCK IN

http://slimgoodies.tumblr.com/

Encourage discussion, be a part of it

Community is not a place. It’s about people. People own their communities:

brands don’t.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/piet_musterd/1858568495/

Katy Lindemann - Naked Communications - kitschbitch.com

The community decides. You don’t

John Dodds … http://makemarketinghistory.blogspot.com/

“One part anarchy, one part aristocracy, one part democracy, one part

monarchy”Jimmy Wales on the Wikipedia

Communityhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/vhata/

91 90

Every community has super-users – high authority, highly active

Know who they are

‘enabling’ networks

social networks, blogging software etc

super users

sidekicks

citizenslower profile content generators

Gemma Teed, Strategic Planner, Brahm …http://almostalwaysthinking.com/

BUT COMMUNITY HAS LAYERS, RESPECT THEM ALL

BECAUSE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF COMMUNITIES COMES FROM OUR UNDERSTANDING OF PEOPLE

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pulpolux/

“Our focus should be not on emerging technologies

but on emerging cultural practices.” – Henry Jenkins,

Professor of Comparative Media, MIT and author of

Convergence Culture: When Old and New Media Collide

Faris Yakob, Chief Tech Strategist, McCann Erickson New York…http://farisyakob.typepad.com/

Pic by skeddy in NYC on Flickr (CC Licence)

If you want to know what technology will change the world, watch young mothers and don't watch teenage boys - young mothers have no time for any technology

that isn't useful and doesn't work.Clay Shirky, 2005

Dan Thornton, Bauer…http://thewayoftheweb.net/

THE RAPIDLY CHANGING ROLE OF CONTENT

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Media owners shouldn’t lose sight of what they’re really good at: Delivering content

Will Humphrey, Strategist, Lowe London …http://wannabeadman.blogspot.com/

BUT THE VALUE EQUATION IS CHANGING

Content = Attention

Content, tools, services

= Attention, participation, interaction,

content

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wespionage/

Graeme Wood, Client Planning Director, Zed Media ... http://graewood.blogspot.com/

“Content isn't king.. If I sent you to a desert island and gave you the choice of taking your friends or your movies, you'd

choose your friends -- if you chose the movies, we'd call you a sociopath. Conversation is king. Content is just something to

talk about”Cory Doctorow

SO CONTENT IS NO LONGER KING, IT IS NOW THE ENABLER

SO SUCCESS WORKS DIFFERENTLY

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Make it as easy as possible for your fans to find it and

spread the word

If the web is a mass of conversations, then get talked

about

Create content and services that are worth passing on

CREATE CONTENT THAT IS REMARKABLE

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ADD VALUE

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artsyt/

"In the past you were what you owned. Now you are what you share." Charles Leadbeater – We Think

It’s like having a beer with millions. Still need a good gag or a story for anyone to care.

Jim Dowling, Managing Partner, Cake Group…http://jimdowling.typepad.com/

How Community Engagement Models work:

Brand BenefitInformation and

Reduced cost to Serve

BRAND NARRATIVE

(Being interesting)

DATA THROUGH DIGITAL

CHANNELS

Leading to Behavior Change

Customer BenefitInvolvement

BRAND UTILITY

(Being Useful)

Mark Hancock, Strategy Director, Agency.com…http://www.holycow.typepad.com/

Mark Earls, Author of HERD…http://herd.typepad.com/

VIDEO DIDN’T KILL THE RADIO STAR

…BUT SOCIAL MEDIA HAS CHANGED COMMUNICATIONS FOR GOOD

• 3 million online donors• 6.5 million online donations …$500m• Almost 2x as much as McCain• Of these 6m were $100 or less• Average online donation $80

http://www.flickr.com/photos/picturesofthings/3009655146/

Mobilising Offline And On

4.8 million facebook fans200,000 events

500,000 blog posts

35,000 volunteer groups

Ben Akin-Smith, Head of Strategy, Enable Interactive…http://www.akin-smith.com/

The “Purpose Idea”: What are you for?

Mark Earls, Author of HERD…http://herd.typepad.com/

COMMUNITIES CAN AFFECT REAL, POSITIVE CHANGE

Niko Herzeg, Holland …http://ontimewithnowheretogo.blogspot.com/

Daniella’s story

http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2009/01/neighbors-neighborhoods.html

Thousands of people from around the world create, upload, share, discuss and purchase original LEGO creations online every day

They probably wouldn’t all fit around this table

http://www.flickr.com/photos/misbehave/

Willem van der Horst, Strategist, iris Digital…http://icecream4everyone.blogspot.com/

The Power of Online CommunitiesThe Power of Online Co mutinies

Simon Kendrick, ITV …http://curiouslypersistent.wordpress.com

Dell HellMotrin Moms Whole Foods Disclosure

Apple Stock Crash

Ian Fitzpatrick, Almighty, Boston, Massachusetts (http://weblog.hvyset.com)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamshots/

So What About You?

3. It means you get digital…the nuances and potential of social media. And how it works. Because you’re doing it, not looking at it.

5. But most of all, it shows you’re bothered. You have an opinion. You’re not afraid to express it. You're passionate about your subject. And real passion is rare indeed.

4. It’s by far the best way to network

FIRESTARTERS: 5 REASONS BLOGGING IS WORTH IT

1. You start fires. Blogging forces you to come up with new stuff. To be interesting.

2. It means you understand the value of connection. And are connected. To great thinking and other interesting people.

Eaon Pritchard, Head of Digital, Geronimo … http://www.eaonpritchard.blogspot.com/

Andy Hunter, Reboot Strategy, Austin TX. http://experiencefreak.com/blog/

Without online communities my

brain would starve

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spinksy/2951033544/in/set-72157607291515677/

Matt Moore, Innotecture, Australia …http://engineerswithoutfears.blogspot.com/

IT’S ABOUT BEING GENEROUS WITH YOURSELF

http://thisisindexed.com/

THE MORE GENEROUS YOU ARE, THE MORE YOU GET BACK

Quote: Paul Arden “It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be”

So there you have it

Thousands of pounds worth of consultancy…freely given.

That’s how community works.

Particular and public thanks to all those who have contributed to make this presentation what it is.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alphadslr/

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