Scott AllenHow to Stand Out Online

December 5, 2008

VISIT: www.TheVirtualHandshake.comCONTACT: Scott@TheVirtualHandshake.com

Old ModelNew Model

New Model

Growth of Social Networking

Worldwide Growth of Selected* Social Networking SitesJune 2007 vs. June 2006Total Worldwide Home/Work Locations Among Internet Users Age 15+Source: comScore World Metrix

Social Networking Site

Total Unique Visitors (000)

Jun-06 Jun-07 % Change

MySpace 66,401 114,147 72

Facebook 14,083 52,167 270

Hi5 18,098 28,174 56

Friendster 14,917 24,675 65

Orkut 13,588 24,120 78

Bebo 6,694 18,200 172

Tagged 1,506 13,167 774

Worldwide Daily Visitation, Selected Social Networking SitesJune 2007 vs. June 2006Total Worldwide Home/Work Locations Among Internet Users Age 15+Source: comScore World Metrix

Social Networking Site

Average Daily Visitors (000)

Jun-06 Jun-07 % Change

MySpace 16,764 28,786 72

Facebook 3,742 14,917 299

Hi5 2,873 4,727 65

Friendster 3,037 5,966 96

Orkut 5,488 9,628 75

Bebo 1,188 4,833 307

Tagged 202 983 386

 

Monthly Unique Visitors Average Daily Unique Visitors

• Top 20 social networking websites accounted for 3.6% of upstream visits to Shopping & Classified Sites in May 2007, increased 86.7% since May 2006.

• MySpace, the leading social network, accounted for 3.2% of upstream visits to Shopping & Classifieds websites in May 2007.

Source: Hitwise

Growth of Blog Reading by Buyers

Case Study: Fashion

TopShop.co.uk#2 MySpace 5.12%#9 Bebo 2.89%#14 MSN UK Search 1.29%#15 Yahoo! UK Search 1.15%

ASOS.com#5 MySpace 4.55%#9 Bebo 2.27%#13 Yahoo UK Search 1.16%#15 MSN UK Search 1.11%

Source: Hitwise

Community Engagement

• Social networking profile• Regularly updated blog• Multiple groups• Authentic engagement• No affiliate program

2008 Campaign by the Numbers

4,822 followers 140,952 followers

3,275,846 supporters599,157 supporters

145,383 subscribers28,847 subscribers

28:1

5:1

5:1

$639 million$360 million 2:1

Cluetrain – 10 Years Later

• Markets are conversations. • Markets consist of human beings, not

demographic sectors. • Conversations among human beings sound

human. They are conducted in a human voice.

• Whether delivering information, opinions, perspectives, dissenting arguments or humorous asides, the human voice is typically open, natural, uncontrived.

• People recognize each other as such from the sound of this voice.

• The Internet is enabling conversations among human beings that were simply not possible in the era of mass media.

- The Cluetrain Manifesto

4 Steps to Social Media Success

1. Observe the Conversation

2. Join the Conversation

3. Start a Conversation

4. Live the Brand

Rule #1

Conversations are between real people.Conversations are between real people.

• Don’t let your marketing department write your blog.

• Encourage people to show their personality and find their “voice”.

• Give your employees guidelines, not rules.

• Be sure management buys off that the rewards outweigh the risks.

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Rule #2

You are not the center of the universe.You are not the center of the universe.

• Monitor the conversation.

• Engage beyond your own site.• Acknowledge and link to evangelists.

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Rule #3

Communities don’t run themselves.Communities don’t run themselves.

• Commit resources, both for launch and ongoing.

• Recruit committed customers for launch.

• Recognize and reward your top contributors.

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Rule #4

Speed is good. Silence is bad.Speed is good. Silence is bad.

• Social media should be concurrent with traditional PR.

• Negative social media must be responded to – not just quickly but immediately.

• Give employees guidelines for first response.

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Rule #5

You can’t fool bloggers.You can’t fool bloggers.

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??Questions

VISIT: www.TheVirtualHandshake.comCONTACT: Scott@TheVirtualHandshake.com