Mlc social media_showcase[1]

SALES, MARKETING, AND COMMUNICATIONS PRACTICEMARKETING LEADERSHIP COUNCIL®

Social Media Showcase

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LEGAL CAVEAT

The Marketing Leadership Council has worked to ensure the accuracy of the information it provides to its members. This report relies upon data obtained from many sources, however, and the Marketing Leadership Council cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information or its analysis in all cases. Furthermore, the Marketing Leadership Council is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. Its reports should not be construed as professional advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances. Members requiring such services are advised to consult an appropriate professional. Neither The Corporate Executive Board Company nor its programs are responsible for any claims or losses that may arise from a) any errors or omissions in their reports, whether caused by the Marketing Leadership Council or its sources, or b) reliance upon any recommendation made by the Marketing Leadership Council.

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From the MARKETING LEADERSHIP COUNCIL®of the SALES, MARKETING, AND COMMUNICATIONS PRACTICE www.mlc.executiveboard.com

© 2009 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved. MLC8982119203

■ Branded Online Communities ................................................ p. 4a. American Express OPEN—Financial Services Companyb. Pitney Bowes—Manufacturing and Services Company

■ Non-Branded Online Communities ....................................... p. 22a. Dunkin Donuts—Restaurant Companyb. Caterpillar—Manufacturing Company

■ Corporate Blogs ......................................................................... p. 33a. Indium—Manufacturing Companyb. Marriott—Hospitality Company

■ Twitter .......................................................................................... p. 49a. United Linen—Services Companyb. Progress Software—Software Company

■ Online Videos ............................................................................. p. 62a. Johnson & Johnson—Health Care and Beauty Companyb. DuPont—Chemical Company

■ Virtual Worlds ............................................................................ p. 73a. Cisco—Software Companyb. Wells Fargo—Financial Services Company

■ Wikis ............................................................................................. p. 84a. Intuit—Tax Software Companyb. Ford—Automotive Company

■ Appendix ..................................................................................... p. 95

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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BRANDED ONLINE COMMUNITIES

WHAT THEY AREBranded online communities host a group of people with similar interests on a platform built, maintained, and branded by the company.

WHAT THEY HELP YOU DO ■ Absorb customer information by collaborating with users to improve products/services.

■ Listen to users to get their feedback. ■ Animate your users by building a sense of community. ■ Support your users by providing easy-to-fi nd solutions to their problems. ■ Talk to users and target your message more eff ectively.

WHO IS DOING IT RIGHT ■ American Express OPEN ............................................................................................p. 6 ■ Pitney Bowes ....................................................................................................................p. 11

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BRANDED ONLINE COMMUNITIES

IS A BRANDED ONLINE COMMUNITY RIGHT FOR YOU?

Does your company have the resources to build, monitor, and maintain an online community?

Start-up costs are signifi cant in terms of awareness building and content spending. While some costs do dissipate over time, many companies underestimate the permanent, ongoing maintenance costs. One company found that initially one FTE was required to monitor every 100 key contributors (the 5% of users who generate 95% of the content).

Are you willing to surrender a certain amount of control over your message?

User-generated content chiefl y drives communities, so encourage uses to take an active role. However, remember that posts are generally permanent, searchable, and associated with your brand (regardless of any disclaimers).

Do you have a meaningful purpose that will drive users to network with each other?

Your community will be more successful if you seek to engage on a deep level with a smaller set of dedicated users, rather than broadly with a wider audience, as those core users will drive engagement with others.

Do you have the time and resources to wait for the community to build itself?

With correct planning and implementation, eventually much of the content on your page will come from users. Until then, you will have to put in a higher level of eff ort to keep the page interesting and up to date.

Do you have a plan to drive content?

You need a plan for three types of content: user-generated, external and freelance submissions (i.e., bloggers), and company-generated.

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AMERICAN EXPRESS’S OPEN FORUM

WHO IT ISAmerican Express OPEN is part of a global payments, network and travel company.

WHO IT IS TARGETINGPotential Customers: Small Businesses Owners

WHAT IT DIDTo generate brand awareness and consideration, American Express OPEN created an online community with extensive content and a “connectodex” to help users make meaningful business connections with each other.

Source: American Express; http://www.openforum.com/.

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WHAT IT IS DOING RIGHT

Providing Valuable Teaching Content: American Express OPEN targets users with content that teaches them about running a business, which establishes American Express OPEN as an advisor and thought leader, rather than just a credit card provider and keeps leads warm even if they are not yet ready to buy.

Balancing of Open and Premier Content: While prospective clients can access many of the online off erings, some are restricted to American Express cardholders, rewarding additional engagement with tangible benefi ts.

Facilitating Peer Networking: Networking tools like the connectodex allow users to generate leads for their own business and drives a stronger sense of community, which drives return visits. The connectodex also creates a clear ROI for involvement with the site.

Integrating with Web Site: Highlighting the forum on the main site drives traffi c and reinforces the users’ conviction that American Express is dedicated to interacting with them, driving a more secure relationship.

RISKS IT IS UP AGAINST

Overcoming the Short Shelf Life of Subject Matter: Content that focuses on recent economic and business developments will need frequent updating to remain relevant.

Utilizing Cross-Promotion: Bringing in content from outside bloggers may boost the blogger’s brand rather than American Express’s.


Source: Marketing Leadership Council research.

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INTEGRATING WITH WEB SITE

To maximize traffi c, American Express

OPEN integrates its online community into the American Express Web site

and promotes it as a stand-alone microsite.

PROVIDING VALUABLE

TEACHING CONTENTOpen Forum enables

American Express OPEN to share

insights on running a small business,

positioning the brand as an advisor, not just a credit card provider.

BALANCING OF OPEN AND PREMIER CONTENTEnough material is available to demonstrate the community’s value to prospective clients, but the most interesting tools are reserved for existing customers to demonstrate the clear benefi ts of an American Express card.

Source: American Express; http://www.openforum.com/.

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UTILIZING CROSS-PROMOTIONExperts lend credibility while driving new traffi c to the site through cross-promotion on other channels; however, they must be carefully screened to ensure that they will connect with users.

OVERCOMING THE SHORT LIFE OF SUBJECT MATTER

Partnering with experts helps American Express secure a

steady stream of new content to keep the users

returning regularly to the site.

Source: American Express; http://www.openforum.com/connectodex/alltop-1?username=guy-kawasaki-1.

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FACILITATING PEER NETWORKING

Facilitating lead generation for its

users drives revisits.

FACILITATING PEER NETWORKINGGiving users the tools to identify peers with similar interests or complementary skill sets builds a stronger sense of community and increases the odds that users will return to the site.

Source: American Express; http://www.openforum.com/connectodex/.

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PITNEY BOWES’S USER FORUM

WHO IT ISPitney Bowes is a manufacturer and provider of mailing technology and services.

WHO IT IS TARGETINGCurrent Customers:Mailing Professionals

WHAT IT DIDTo increase customer delight, Pitney Bowes created an online community where customers can collaborate to resolve their technical problems.

Source: Pitney Bowes; http://forums.pb.com/.

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Developing Internal Metrics: Pitney Bowes determines metrics to measure ROI to drive internal stakeholder buy-in; it has identifi ed how many service calls types of posts avert and the cost of those calls, allowing it to calculate overall costs saved by the forum.

Identifying Community Leaders/Infl uentials and Solutions: Pitney Bowes allows users to either give a post “kudos” or “accept as solution” identifi cation, making it easier for users to identify the solution that other known users have vetted, increasing customer delight and loyalty.

Engaging Lead Steerers: Pitney Bowes reaches out to the most frequent users of its site to express its thanks and seek out feedback, driving customer engagement and feelings of gratifi cation among its most powerful and useful advocates.

Identifying and Humanizing Pitney Bowes Employees: Pitney Bowes clearly identifi es its employees and provides in-depth biographical information about them to drive a sense of connection with users and to ensure that users see the forum as operating openly, creating trust and attachment with the company.

Seeking Out Customer Opinions and Issues: Pitney Bowes seeks out customer opinions about the forums and hosts events about common problems to ensure that all customer needs are being met, ensuring that the forums act effi ciently to solve customer problems early on.


Getting Answers to Customers: Pitney Bowes must monitor forums and step in with its expertise when users are not receiving answers (or are receiving wrong answers) to maintain the utility of the site for users; however, it must also drive customer-generated answers as those are both cheaper and preferred by users.

Niche Audience: Pitney Bowes’s audience for the forums is small (around 3,000 users in the forums), which increases the importance of fi nding and retaining forum members to maintain an acceptable threshold of engagement. However, the niche nature of the forum does mean that it will attract more dedicated users.

Source: BDI Conference; Marketing Leadership Council research.

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SEEKING OUTCUSTOMER

OPINIONSPitney Bowes

caters to customer wants

and expectations by seeking

customer feedback about the forums and

Pitney Bowes products.

HUMANIZING PITNEY BOWES EMPLOYEESIdentifying the moderators with pictures and biographical information drives a sense of personal connection.

Source: Pitney Bowes; http://forums.pb.com/.

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IDENTIFYING COMMUNITY

LEADERS/INFLUENTIALS

Identifying users as new or regular

contributors gives regular contributors a

sense of importance and ensures that

their knowledge and dedication do not

leave the site.

IDENTIFYING SOLUTIONSUsers can fi nd the post that answers their question, facilitating quick navigation to the solution in the future and smoothing the customer experience.

Source: Pitney Bowes; http://forums.pb.com/t5/Equipment-Hardware-and-Supplies/DM100i-Insurance/m-p/5488#M1494.

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SEEKING OUT ISSUES

Pitney Bowes heads off new

problems before they arise by

hosting “ask the experts” events

in the forums for specifi c issues.

IDENTIFYING SOLUTIONSIdentifying the content that users have found most useful facilitates navigation, smoothing the customer experience.

IDENTIFYING PITNEY BOWES EMPLOYEESClearly identifying Pitney Bowes employees establishes that the forum is operating transparently, ensuring customer trust.

Source: Pitney Bowes; http://forums.pb.com/t5/ASK-THE-EXPERTS-Preparing-For/bd-p/EXPERT-Move_update.

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BRANDED ONLINE COMMUNITIES: HOW TO GET STARTED

Once you’ve determined a branded online community is right for your company, do the following:

STEP 1: Determine which customer segment you are going to target.

STEP 2: Find a vendor to build the community or determine internal resourcing.

STEP 3: Determine the supporting structure of content for your community.

STEP 4: Develop guidelines for when, how fast, and who should respond to user comments.

STEP 5: Decide how you will drive users to your community.

Additional Tool:

■ Online Community Building Toolkit

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COMMUNITY VIABILITY ASSESSMENT

CUSTOMER FITUnderstanding customers and their needs

■ Customer Demand – Would a community satisfy a particular

customer need? – Has the customer expressed a desire to

participate in a community around the brand?

– How would a community add value to the life of the customer (i.e., information, entertainment, socialization)?

■ Customer Potential for Engagement – What is the potential for the target

customer to be social or share ideas through a community?

– Could customers become emotionally invested in a community? On what level?

BRAND FITAchieving brand objectives through community

■ Fit with Brand Positioning – Is the idea of community consistent with

the brand positioning? – How well does the brand positioning

support the scope of a community?

■ Fit with Other Communications – Can the community build measurable

brand loyalty? – Can the community extend or build

up the brand or brand products in the intended way?

■ Brand Communications – What is the community’s expected tenure

(i.e., long-term versus temporary strategy)? – Can a community be embedded in other

brand communications? – Should community serve as a focal

point for a particular brand or product campaign?

MARKETING FITAchieving overall marketing goals through community

■ Organizational Fit – Does the community fi t with the brand’s

broader advertising philosophy? – Can a community be leveraged to support

sales and other organizational goals?

■ Resource Intensity – Do we have the resources to create and

sustain a community over time? – Do we have the technology to successfully

build and maintain a community?

■ External Partnerships – How will a community aff ect our current

business partnerships? – What is the potential to form new

partnerships through a community?

■ Competition – Are there other available resources that

address similar customer needs (i.e., other communities, whether advertiser-supported or not)?

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

[Name of Company] is requesting proposals from online community platform providers.

Background:

Current Situation:

Objectives:

• Marketing Objective: [e.g., increase brand awareness by 5%]• Business Objective: [e.g., decrease cost to serve of this population by 10%]

Target Audience:

• Demographics of Target• Psychographics of Target

Budget:

A budget of [insert amount] has been dedicated to establishing an online community for user support, inclusive of one-time start-up costs and ongoing maintenance for the calendar year.

Proposals:

All proposals should indicate the following: • Brief company background• Current and past clients and current billings• Key account representatives and support structure• Identifi cation of any outsourcing of work• A clearly defi ned scope of work• Specifi c recommendations to achieve specifi ed objectives• Projected return for total investment• Proposals to be presented to the leadership team on [insert date] at [insert pitch location].

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ONLINE COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES CHART

MARKETING CUSTOMER SERVICE IT LEGAL

Community Building Phase

Post ground rules for community participation. Due 1 September

Select and aggregate content that customers will fi nd valuable.

Due 30 September Due 30 September

Integrate community with corporate Web site. Due 15 October

Add community URL to marketing materials. Due 1 December

Collect real-time metrics (e.g., unique visitors, time spent). Begin 1 October

Community Management Phase

Select vendor to police customer-generated content. Due 15 December Due 15 December

Track long-term brand and marketing metrics (e.g., brand affi nity, lead generation).

Begin 1 January

Introduce new Web elements that refresh community format (e.g., video, chat room).

Due 30 January

Identify and reward key community infl uencers. Begin 1 February

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ONLINE COMMUNITY PROMOTION PLAN

INTERNAL PROMOTION VEHICLES

Cross-promote your online community on your company’s other social media vehicles (e.g., Twitter account, YouTube channel).

Ask employees to include your community URL in their e-mail signature.

Include a link to your online community in company communications (e.g., press releases, whitepapers).

Include a link to your online community in your next e-mail marketing campaign or customer newsletter.

Add the online community URL to your call center menu and hold messages.

EXTERNAL PROMOTION VEHICLES

Conduct a phased rollout, allowing your brand passionates fi rst access to the community to spark word-of-mouth referrals.

Use SEO to ensure your online community appears in search listings.

Monitor and respond to brand mentions in social media channels with a link to your online community.

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FINGER ON THE PULSE

Community Measurement Dashboard

GOODNITES DASHBOARDIllustrative

METRICS CHECKLIST

■ Community Metrics

Time spent on site

Unique visitors per day

Returning visitors per day

Page views per visit

Home page drop-off rate

E-mail opt-in rate

E-mail open rate

Number of search engine referrals

Number of Web site referrals

Number of new e-mail addresses collected

■ Brand and Marketing Metrics

Brand loyalty

Brand equity

Sales/product volume

A B

Time Online per Visit E-Mail Open Rate

Visitors per DayNotes: ■ Send participants e-mail after second visit showcasing latest content.

■ Refresh content midmonth to prevent drop-off in visits.

X Mins.

Y Mins.Z Mins.

First Visit

Jan.

1 July 31 July

Apr. JulySecond Visit

Third Visit

Y%

X%

Key Feature #1: Customized Views

Community managers view the full dashboard (tab A) while other marketers access an important subset of data (tab B).

Key Feature #4: Annotations

Community managers can customize notes and insights about the community to facilitate decision making and ensure that key learnings are captured.

The marketing metrics will vary according to your organization’s business goals, so select the measurements most appropriate for your business.

Key Feature #2: Benchmarks

Using biweekly data, community managers can establish community performance benchmarks.

Key Feature #3: Trouble Spot Identifi cation

Easily noticing a drop in e-mail open rates allows community managers to quickly change e-mail content and format to drive greater community participation and interaction with customer.

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NON-BRANDED ONLINE COMMUNITIES

WHAT THEY ARENon-branded online communities are social networking sites where companies interact with users in an environment that the users have already established.

WHAT THEY HELP YOU DO ■ Listen to your users by reading their posts about your brand. ■ Talk to your users to boost brand awareness and share interesting content. ■ Animate your users to drive your word-of-mouth message. ■ Absorb lessons from your users by engaging and collaborating with them.

WHO IS DOING IT RIGHT ■ Dunkin’ Donuts ................................................................................................................p. 24 ■ Caterpillar ...........................................................................................................................p. 28

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NON-BRANDED ONLINE COMMUNITIES

ARE NON-BRANDED ONLINE COMMUNITIES RIGHT FOR YOU?

Does your target audience use non-branded online communities?

Searching the communities for related content or for your competitors’ presence can give you an idea of who is using the community.

Do you want to share a wide range of content without devoting as many resources as a branded online community requires?

Non-branded online communities allow you to share a wider range of content than Twitter or a blog, without requiring as much upkeep as a branded online community.

Are you willing to surrender a certain amount of control over content?

The more users you have, the more control they will have over the content of your page. Non-branded online communities also impose a certain format on your content.

Do you have the time and resources to wait for the community to build itself?

With correct planning and implementation, eventually much of the content on your page will come from users through posts. Until then, you will have to put in a higher level of eff ort to keep the page interesting and up to date.

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DUNKIN DONUTS’ FACEBOOK

WHO IT ISDunkin Donuts is a coff ee and donut retailer.

WHO IT IS TARGETINGCurrent and Potential Customers: Donut Fans

WHAT IT DIDTo increase sales, Dunkin Donuts uses its Facebook page to drive word-of-mouth promotions.

Source: Dunkin’ Donuts; http://www.Facebook.com/DunkinDonuts?v=wall&viewas=1560632397#/DunkinDonuts?v=wall.

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Driving Advocacy: Dunkin Donuts’ “Keep your Coolatta” contest rewarded Facebook users who had made their profi le picture a picture of them and a coolatta (Dunkin Donuts product), driving word-of-mouth marketing and customer awareness of the product.

Driving Interactivity: Dunkin Donuts makes its Facebook page interactive with polls and applications, increasing the “stickiness” of its page, and driving customer engagement.

Minimizing Response Time: Dunkin Donuts responds quickly to user comments, particularly negative ones, to ensure that its customers are receiving good service and that the word-of-mouth message remains positive.

Coordinating with Offl ine Channels: Dunkin Donuts reposts and/or repurposes content from offl ine channels to drive a unifi ed and smooth customer experience across channels, ensuring that all messages are reinforcing rather than undermining each other.


Negative User Reactions: As Dunkin Donuts has gotten more fans, it has had more negative content to confront, including profane, user-generated content, which can hurt customer perceptions of the brand.

Prioritizing Responses: As the page becomes more popular, Dunkin Donuts must develop a strategy for dealing with the high number of responses, both positive and negative, to ensure that customers know that their feedback is valued.


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DRIVING INTERACTIVITYPolls and games

increase interactivity and drive customer

engagement.

COORDINATING WITH OFFLINE

CHANNELSPosting references to Dunkin Donuts in the news or media drives

brand awareness.


MINIMIZING RESPONSE TIMEResponding quickly to complaints can turn a dissatisfi ed customer into a satisfi ed one, ensuring that the word-of-mouth message remains positive.

Source: Dunkin’ Donuts; http://www.Facebook.com/DunkinDonuts?v=wall&viewas=1560632397#/DunkinDonuts?v=wall.

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COORDINATING WITH OFFLINE

CHANNELSHighlighting offl ine contests increases

publicity and drives customer

engagement.

DRIVING INTERACTIVITYFun quizzes keep the tone of Dunkin Donuts’ Facebook page light and approachable.

Source: Dunkin’ Donuts; http://www.Facebook.com/DunkinDonuts?v=wall&viewas=1560632397#/DunkinDonuts?v=app_4949752878.

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CATERPILLAR’S FACEBOOK PAGE

WHO IT ISCaterpillar is a manufacturer of construction and agricultural equipment.

WHO IT IS TARGETINGCurrent and Potential Customers: Construction Workers

WHAT IT DIDTo build brand awareness, Caterpillar uses its Facebook page to provide engaging content about its products.

Source: Caterpillar.

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Embracing User-Generated Content: Caterpillar actively solicits Caterpillar-specifi c content from its users but focuses on lighter content to ensure that users enjoy spreading the word-of-mouth message, increasing the likelihood that they will do so.

Adopting the Right Tone: Caterpillar adjusts its tone to that of its users, ensuring that the conversation proceeds at a level the fans are comfortable with and that they are put off neither by over-familiarity nor by an overly corporate message.

Driving User Interest: Caterpillar piques user interest by posting announcements about coming contests to drive return visits to the page and the world-of-mouth message.

Integrating Platforms: Caterpillar uses its Facebook page to keep users updated about Caterpillar content and contests across platforms, which increases site visits overall.


Global Accommodation: Since Caterpillar is a global company, it must fi gure out a way to deal with the many comments and suggestions that are posted in languages other than English to ensure that no customer feels like their contribution is not valued.

Developing Response Guidelines: While it is easy to determine when a company should respond to complaints or requests, it is harder to determine when to respond to neutral or positive posts in order to drive a conversation with users.


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EMBRACING USER-GENERATED CONTENTCaterpillar solicits content from its users to ensure that the page is acting as a two-way communications channel but keeps the content fun to keep customers engaged.


ADOPTING THE RIGHT TONE

Caterpillar adjusts its responses to

fan content to refl ect the context

of the posting, driving customer

engagement.

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INTEGRATING PLATFORMS

Caterpillar promotes its other social

media channels to drive traffi c and

engagement across platforms.

DRIVING USER INTERESTCaterpillar not only uses its Facebook page to promote contests and giveaways, but it also posts heads-up about the contest ahead of time, driving user interest in the Facebook page and revisits.

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NON-BRANDED ONLINE COMMUNITIES: HOW TO GET STARTED

Once you’ve determined non-branded online communities are right for your company, do the following:

STEP 1: Develop a content strategy that focuses on strong content and more frequent updates in the initial phase until you reach a certain threshold of users.

STEP 2: Adapt offl ine marketing mechanisms (contests, etc.) to the community. Do not neglect adjusting length and tone of messages.

STEP 3: Develop guidelines for when, how fast, and who should respond to user comments.

STEP 4: Adjust your tone to that of your users; if they engage you in personal or inconsequential conversations, allow the conversation to move in that direction.

STEP 5: Integrate your account with your Internet properties, including your Web site and other social media channels.

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CORPORATE BLOGS

WHAT THEY AREA Web log—or “blog”—is a frequently updated Web site featuring original commentary and links to related Web sites.

WHAT THEY HELP YOU DO ■ Talk with users in order to establish position as an industry thought leader. ■ Animate your users to boost brand awareness/visibility through word of mouth.

■ Listen to your users by tracking comments.

WHO IS DOING IT RIGHT ■ Indium Corporation .......................................................................................................p. 35 ■ Marriott ................................................................................................................................p. 39

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CORPORATE BLOGS

IS A CORPORATE BLOG RIGHT FOR YOU?

Does your target audience read or contribute to blogs?

To make the most of social media, start where your target user is already active.

Is your industry “blog friendly”? Have you seen competitors or other thought leaders in your space succeed using blogs?

Blogging tends to work best for niche audiences.

Can you identify a specifi c objective for your blog?

Blogging without a strategy or objective will result in a blog with no coherent personality that jumps around from post to post.

Do you have employees who will regularly devote time to maintaining your blog?

Writers who are excited about what they are writing about need to update blogs regularly.

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INDIUM’S BLOGS: WHEN CONNECTIONS COUNT

WHO IT ISIndium is a manufacturer and supplier of metal products.

WHO IT IS TARGETINGPurchase Infl uencers:Engineers

WHAT IT DIDTo establish itself as an industry thought leader, Indium hosts a selection of employee-written blogs that discuss a range of engineering and manufacturing issues.

Source: Indium Corporation; http://www.indium.com/blogs/.

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Driving Interaction: Bloggers respond quickly to users in comments and incorporate suggestions in future blog posts, which reassures users that their input is valued, leading to a higher number of return visits.

Driving Users to the Blogs: Indium prominently features the blogs on its Web site, increasing traffi c to the blogs. It also uses RSS feeds and blog rolls to drive revisits and keep leads warm.

Responding to Users: Bloggers respond quickly to user comments and incorporate them in future posts, ensuring that users feel that their opinion is valued and increasing opportunities to learn from and adapt to customers.

Displaying a Clear Call to Action: Linking to relevant upcoming events drives traffi c to offl ine venues where representative of the company can move them along the purchase cycle.


Maintaining a Consistent Look and Feel: Graphics and templates diff er across the diff erent Indium bloggers, highlighting their individuality, but hindering a cohesive experience for the user.

Mitigating Legal Risks: Blogging about technical topics may increase the company’s legal exposure if the blogger makes a mistake.

Driving Traffi c: With so many company bloggers to choose from, Indium misses an opportunity to drive cross-traffi c by not having its bloggers link to other Indium bloggers.



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DRIVING USERS TO THE BLOGS

Indium prominently features the blogs on

its corporate Web site, which drives traffi c by emphasizing the importance Indium

places on connecting with customers.

USING A PERSONAL TOUCH

Including the names, pictures,

and biographies of bloggers helps to

“humanize” Indium, driving customer

engagement.

DRIVING USERS TO THE BLOGSRSS feeds and blog rolls help users quickly and easily stay up to date and keep leads in the pipeline.

Source: Indium Corporation; http://www.indium.com/blogs/.

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DRIVING INTERACTIONQuizzes, polls,

surveys, and other widgets

drive customer engagement.

RESPONDING TO USERS

Showcasing blogger

responses to reader comments

demonstrates how the company is

implementing user suggestions.

Source: Indium Corporation; http://www.indium.com/blogs/Dr-Lasky-Blog/.

DISPLAYING A CLEAR CALL TO ACTIONLinking to relevant upcoming events drives traffi c to offl ine venues where representatives of the company can move them along the purchase cycle.

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MARRIOTT’S “ON THE MOVE”

WHO IT ISMarriott is an international hospitality company.

WHO IT IS TARGETINGCurrent and Potential Customers: Travelers

WHAT IT DIDTo build brand awareness, the company’s CEO, Bill Marriott, discusses recent events at Marriott and refl ects on his personal experiences.

Source: Marriott.

40





Making a Personal Connection: “On the move” has a clearly defi ned author and personality, facilitating a sense of personal connection between the blogger and the readers and attachment to the brand as symbolized by Bill Marriott.

Driving Traffi c Across Platforms: Marriott provides clear links to other relevant Marriott Web sites, including its “Marriott in the Kitchen” blog, ensuring that each site builds on the success of the others.

Providing Other Formats: The blog also provides recordings of the blog entries so that users can choose to listen to the entries rather than reading them, smoothing the user experience and increasing the user attachment to Bill Marriott through voice.

Suggesting Similar Content: Directing users to content similar to their current interest increases the stickiness of the site.


Blogger Loyalty, Not Company Loyalty: Because “on the move” relies on the personality of one employee, it also relies on the presence of that employee at the company to maintain blog readership.

Lack of Responses: Marriott does not take the opportunity to respond to comments, contributing to reader disengagement.


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Source: Marriott.

SUGGESTING SIMILAR

CONTENTCategorizing blog

entries by topic helps users fi nd

more information on the topic they are interested in,

increasing the amount of time

spent on the site.

DRIVING TRAFFIC ACROSS PLATFORMSLinking to other Marriott sites and blogs drives traffi c across platforms and helps users fi nd the most relevant information.

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Source: Marriott.

MAKING A PERSONAL

CONNECTIONBill Marriott isn’t afraid to address

personal experiences in his blog, putting

a human face on Marriott. He also

ends each of his blog entries in the same

way, creating a sense of continuity to which users can develop an

attachment.

PROVIDING OTHER FORMATSBlog entries are recorded, allowing users to interact with whichever format they are most comfortable.

43



CORPORATE BLOGS: HOW TO GET STARTED

Once you’ve determined a corporate blog is right for your company, do the following:

STEP 1: Establish your corporate blog strategy.Template p. 44

STEP 2: Identify the fi rst person (or people) to blog for your company.Checklist p. 45

STEP 3: Select your blogging technology platform.Scorecard p. 46

STEP 4: Develop an editorial calendar to establish a regular posting cadence.Template p. 47

STEP 5: Create a plan for driving traffi c to your blog.Ideas p. 48

Additional Tools:

■ Suggested Metrics p. 97

■ Social Media Use Policies and Response Guidelines p. 101

44



SAMPLE CORPORATE BLOG STRATEGY

1. Audiences: Whom do you plan to reach and infl uence with your blog?

■ Current Customers ■ Prospective Customers

■ Social Media (Bloggers, etc.) ■ Suppliers/Vendors

■ Mainstream Media (Print, Broadcast)

2. Objectives: What do you intend to achieve with your blog?

■ Drive Web Traffi c ■ Collaborate with Customers

■ Educate and Inform Audiences ■ Generate Sales Leads

■ Revitalize Brand Image ■ Enhance Positioning as Innovator/Thought Leader

3. Content: What relevant, timely topics do you plan to publish?

■ Insights ■ Views on the News

■ Announcements ■ Industry Trends

■ New Product Off erings ■ Company Happenings

4. Content Creation: Who is going to create/edit all of this content?

■ CEO ■ CMO

■ Junior Staff ■ Our Agency

■ Other Senior Leaders ■ Other: ____________________

5. Frequency: How often do you plan to post?

■ Daily ■ Two to Three Times per Week

■ Weekly ■ Biweekly

■ Monthly ■ Quarterly

6. Measurement: What will success look like?

■ Number of Comments ■ Number of Readers

■ Number of Blog Mentions ■ Increase in Web Traffi c

■ Increase in Newsletter Forwards ■ Other: ____________________

7. Promotion: How will we drive traffi c to the blog?

■ Customer Newsletter ■ E-Mail Marketing Push

■ Trade Publications ■ Company Web Site

■ Other Social Media Platforms ■ Other: ____________________

45



CORPORATE BLOGGER APPROPRIATENESS SCREEN

Is this person empowered to speak on behalf of your brand?

Do you trust this person to respond to audience comments in an accurate and timely manner?

Is this person a credible voice for your fi rm?

Is this person a subject matter expert?

Does this person have a genuine/authentic voice?

Is this person excited about blogging?

Does this person have the time to dedicate to blogging (est. two to eight hours/week)?

Will this person continue to have time for blogging in the foreseeable future?

Is this person committed to continuing on in this role at your company for the next 12 months?

46



BLOGGING PLATFORM EVALUATION SCORECARD

KEY CRITERIA TO CONSIDER

Cost ■ Does this platform off er diff erent tiers of service? ■ What initial start-up costs will you incur (e.g., custom setup, domain name registration)?

■ What ongoing costs can you expect (e.g., yearly registration fees, hosting fees)?

Blog Design and Management Tools ■ Is this platform easy for your blogger(s) to use (e.g., spell check, preview function, fi le types accepted)?

■ Is this platform intuitive for your audience to use (e.g., search function, archive, navigation options)?

■ Can this platform integrate seamlessly with my company Web site?

■ How customizable is this platform (e.g., widgets, audio, video)?

■ Does this platform work well on a mobile device? ■ Does this platform work well on your audience’s preferred Web browser?

■ Does this platform employ any spam blockers?

Promotion/Tracking Capabilities ■ Does this site submit to major blog tracking sites (e.g., Technorati, Google Alert)?

■ How quickly does the platform index in search engines? ■ Is this platform the industry standard for your business? ■ Does this platform provide basic monitoring stats (e.g., traffi c, referrer, trackbacks)?

■ Does this platform support RSS feeds? ■ Does this platform allow word or IP banning?

Technical Support ■ Does this platform off er 24-hour customer support? ■ During what hours of the day does this platform conduct routine maintenance?

■ Does this platform provide tutorials to help you educate your staff on how to use the service?

47



EDITORIAL CALENDAR: COMPANY BLOG

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

Topic

Keywords/Tags

Links to Include ■ Past Blog Posts ■ Third-Party Blogs ■ Whitepapers ■ Product Pages ■ News Articles

Features of Post ■ Photo Upload ■ Video Upload ■ Podcast Component ■ User Survey/Quick Poll ■ Widget/Application Component ■ Live Chat

48



BLOG PROMOTION PLAN

INTERNAL PROMOTION VEHICLES

Cross-promote your blog on your company Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., accounts.

Ask employees to include your blog URL in their e-mail signature.

Include a link to your company blog in company communications (e.g., press releases, whitepapers).

Include a link to your company blog in your next e-mail marketing campaign or customer newsletter.

EXTERNAL PROMOTION VEHICLES

Submit your URL to blog search sites and directories (e.g., Technorati, MyBlogLog).

Comment on other industry blogs and link back your own blog.

Link to others’ blogs in your blog posts or include them on your blog roll.

Post an interview or invite a well-known blogger in your industry to write a guest post.

49



TWITTER

WHAT TWITTER ISTwitter is a micro-blogging service that allows users to post or publish brief messages of 140 characters or less (“tweets”).

WHAT TWITTER HELPS YOU DO ■ Talk to your users by keeping them updated with quick new blasts. ■ Animate your users to boost brand awareness and visibility. ■ List to your users by following them on Twitter.

WHO IS DOING IT RIGHT ■ United Linen .....................................................................................................................p. 51 ■ Progress Software .........................................................................................................p. 54

50



TWITTER

IS TWITTER RIGHT FOR YOU?

Do you want to link users to other content or to your other social media sites?

Tweets make it easy to share quick updates and other information with users.

Do you have employees who can regularly devote time to maintaining your Twitter account?

Twitter needs to be updated regularly by a user who is excited about the content and the medium.

Is your industry “Twitter friendly”? Have you seen other competitors or thought leaders in your space succeed using Twitter?

Searching for industry terms, your name, and your competitors’ names in Twitter will let you know if your target demographic is present and how active they are.

Do you have a steady cadence of news/insight to share with your audience?

Twitter accounts rely on a stream of brief insights and links to keep audience engagement high.

51



UNITED LINENS’ TWITTER

WHO IT ISUnited Linen is a provider of linen and uniform products and services.

WHO IT IS TARGETINGCustomers and Potential Customers:Restaurant Owners

WHAT IT DIDTo drive customer engagement, United Linen uses Twitter to share interesting articles and events and to interact with users one on one.

Source: Twitter.

52



UNITED LINEN’S TWITTER


Interacting One on One: Sending personal messages to other users increases user engagement.

Integrating of Offl ine and Online Channels: United Linen uses Twitter to drive offl ine interactions with possible customers, driving lead generation.

Leveraging Specifi c Customer Knowledge: Targeting a customer with specifi c content demonstrates knowledge of their customer’s business, driving customer loyalty.

Monitoring and Responding to the Conversation: Reaching out to users twittering about their company gives United Linen input into the conversation.

Ensuring a Content Value-Add: Passing along relevant information to customers increases the value of the Twitter account to the users.


Small Customer Base: United Linen has a small and specifi c customer base, so it may have to proactively reach out to its customers on Twitter rather than relying on its customers fi nding it to build a critical base.

Twitterer Loyalty, Not Company Loyalty: The Twitter account relies on the personality of its marketing director, Scott Townsend, to drive visits. If Mr. Townsend leaves the company, United Linen may have trouble transferring that loyalty to its next Twitter user.


53



INTEGRATING OF OFFLINE AND ONLINE

CHANNELSUnited Linen uses

Twitter to drive offl ine interactions with

possible customers, driving lead generation.

LEVERAGING SPECIFIC CUSTOMER

KNOWLEDGETargeting a customer with specifi c content

demonstrates knowledge of its

customer’s business, driving customer loyalty.

UNITED LINEN’S TWITTER

MONITORING AND RESPONDING TO THE CONVERSATIONReaching out to users twittering about their company gives United Linen input into the conversation.

INTERACTING ONE ON ONE

Sending personal messages to other

users increases user engagement.

ENSURING A CONTENT VALUE-ADDPassing along relevant information to customers increases the value of the Twitter account to the users.

Source: Twitter.

54



PROGRESS SOFTWARE’S TWITTER

WHO IT ISProgress Software is a provider of application infrastructure software.

WHO IT IS TARGETINGCurrent and Potential Customers:Software Users

WHAT IT DIDTo drive brand awareness, Progress Software uses its twitter account to direct readers to papers and articles relevant to its industry.

Source: Twitter.

55





Frequent Posts: Progress Software has a good frequency of posts, ranging from zero to fi ve a day and never going more than two or three days without posting, driving customer engagement.

Encouraging Use of Other Platforms: Progress Software uses its Twitter to link to its other social media platforms, driving traffi c across all platforms and cutting down on the need for content generation.

Displaying Knowledge of the Community: Progress Software often “retweets” links from other users (reposting links that other Twitter users have posted), which drives customer engagement and positions Progress Software as involved in the thought leadership community.


Balancing Company and Third-Party Content: While retweeting is an excellent way of driving user engagement, it must be balanced with Progress Software content to ensure that the company’s value proposition is highlighted.

Impersonal Account: Progress Software does not identify the person behind the Twitter account, which may hinder its ability to develop a personal connection with its followers.


56




DISPLAYING KNOWLEDGE OF THE COMMUNITYRetweeting interesting articles involves Progress in the community, driving user engagement and demonstrating involvement with thought leaders.

ENCOURAGING USE OF OTHER

PLATFORMSHighlighting other

ways to get in touch with Progress drives traffi c across

platforms.

Source: Twitter.

57



TWITTER: HOW TO GET STARTED

Once you’ve determined Twitter is right for your company, do the following:

STEP 1: Explore the platform: search for your name, your competitors’ names, and any other terms that will give you an idea of how the conversation around your industry is taking place.

STEP 2: Develop a content and marketing strategy for your Twitter account.

STEP 3: Develop guidelines for when to respond to user comments.

STEP 4: Adopt your tone to that of your users.

STEP 5: Follow other users on Twitter (both your customers and thought leaders in your fi eld) and retweet interesting content that they post.

Additional Tools:

■ Twitter Dictionary p. 58

■ Twitter Guidelines p. 59

■ Sample Twitter Monitoring Tools p. 60

■ Sample Twitter Management Tools p. 61

58



TWITTER DICTIONARY

■ Following: To receive messages on Twitter, you follow other people and companies you’re interested in, which means you get their messages as they post. Conversely, people get your messages by following you.

■ Tweet: Users refer to an individual message as a tweet, alternatives include “post,” “message,” and “update.”

■ @username: On Twitter, @username automatically becomes a link to that person’s account, helping people discover each other within the system.

■ DM: Direct message, Twitter’s private messaging channel, DMs do not appear in either a person’s public timeline or in search results.

■ RT: Retweet; a way to share cool ideas via Twitter and to give a shoutout to people you fi nd interesting. You can repost their messages to give them credit.

■ Trending Topics: On the right side of your screen and on the Twitter search page, you’ll see Trending Topics, which are the most-mentioned terms on Twitter at the moment.

59



TWITTER GUIDELINES

■ Don’t freight-train (stack) a bunch of tweets together; space them out as appropriate throughout the day unless linked by theme.

■ Prepare timely news response tweets. If an economic report is due to come out tomorrow, get some material ready that will cover the most likely possibilities. Then be ready to tweet about them when the stories hit.

■ Make sure your profi le is set up properly. Your profi le should succinctly describe your brand and display the picture and name of person who runs your Twitter account, his or her e-mail address, and your Web site address.

■ Keep up with your followers. It’s good Twitter etiquette to follow back anyone who follows you. If a customer or prospective customer follows your account, it’s appropriate to direct message (DM) them a “thank you.”

■ No title-less links: Tell people where that bit.ly link sends them; “This is smart: http://bit.ly/blahblah” may waste readers’ time because they don’t have enough information to know if the article is relevant. Instead, say, “Hiring people named Ted is smart business (WSJ): http://bit.ly/b...” to give them context before they click.

■ Make sure all materials are accessible. Avoid linking to attachments or content that needs a password. Many people get Twitter via text message, which makes it diffi cult to access PDFs and time-consuming to log in to other sites.

■ Use hashtags to categorize your messages. Using a hashtag (#symbol) lets viewers sort Tweets with a common topic. Adding a hashtag to events like webinars and conferences (eg., #SOCM) makes it easy for attendees to use Twitter to share their thoughts about the material in realtime. Just make sure your hashtag is short (less than eight characters is best) and unclaimed (use the Twitter search function to sniff out available tags).

■ Promote your followers. Follow interesting people and check out what your followers have to say. Retweet the coolest things you’re hearing (repost the Tweet with RT@username) to show you’re engaged with the community, not just trying to toot your own horn.

60



SAMPLE TWITTER MONITORING TOOLS

■ Monitter: A real-time monitoring application that off ers a high-level view of what people are talking about on Twitter

■ Tweetburner: A trackback application that provides stats on click-thrus for links shared via Twitter

■ TweetDeck: A personal browser that acts as “your air traffi c control for Twitter,” allowing you to simultaneously monitor your Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace accounts

■ TweetLater: A daily e-mail digest of Twitter activity based on specifi ed keywords, allowing you to easily track trends and topics of interest

■ Twendz: A tool from PR agency Waggerner Edstrom that provides user sentiment tracking using a real-time Twitterstream

■ Twhirl: A desktop client that lets you monitor your Twitter account, fi nd Tweets mentioning your @username, and search Twitter posts in real time

■ TwitterFox: A Firefox Web browser plug-in that allows you to view Tweets in a pop-up window within your standard Web browser, eliminating the need to continually visit Twitter.com

61



SAMPLE TWITTER MANAGEMENT TOOLS

■ CoTweet: Joint twittering application that lets multiple individuals use the same Twitter account by automatically adding their initials to the tweets they make while representing your brand

■ Ping.fm: Web site that allows you to simultaneously post updates across ALL of your social media sites (eg., LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) in one single step

■ Twitter for Facebook: Application that directly forwards your Twitter updates to your Facebook profi le

62



ONLINE VIDEOS

WHAT THEY AREShort videos that are easily sharable between individuals on the Internet

WHAT THEY HELP YOU DO ■ Talk with your users by engaging, entertaining, and educating them. ■ Animate your users to drive viral marketing. ■ Animate your users to boost brand awareness and visibility.

WHO IS DOING IT RIGHT ■ Johnson & Johnson .......................................................................................................p. 64 ■ DuPont .................................................................................................................................p. 68

63



ONLINE VIDEOS

ARE ONLINE VIDEOS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Do you want to combine informational and entertaining content?

Online videos provide an excellent medium to inform and entertain users.

Do you want to make your content easily sharable?

Users are used to sharing online videos, making it easy to capitalize on current habits.

Do you have a creative take on the videos?

Since users have so many options, they will not watch your videos unless the videos provide new information or present the information in a captivating way.

Do you have videos produced for offl ine channels (ads, etc.) that would work well in an online medium?

Using offl ine videos to populate your online channels cuts down on content generation; however, they must be vetted for length and content to ensure that they are right for the medium.

64



JOHNSON & JOHNSON’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL

WHO IT ISJohnson & Johnson is a health care and consumer packaged goods manufacturer.

WHO IT IS TARGETINGIndustry Enthusiasts:Health Care Users

WHAT IT DIDTo raise brand awareness, Johnson & Johnson posts a wide range of videos on its YouTube channel.

Source: Johnson & Johnson; http://www.youtube.com/user/JNJhealth.

65




Playing by the Rules: Since it is acting in a heavily regulated industry, Johnson & Johnson focuses mainly on informing users about health care issues, facilitating engagement without legal entanglements.

Ensuring Diverse Content: Johnson & Johnson uses a mix of videos produced specifi cally for the Web and appropriate clips taken from other mediums to ensure a wide range of content with minimal production, allowing it to increase brand awareness for a wide audience.

Monitoring of and Involvement in the Community: Johnson & Johnson subscribes to other YouTube channels and comments on the videos of its subscribers, driving customer engagement.


Lack of Written Information: Johnson & Johnson uses most of its “About Me” section for its disclaimer. While Johnson & Johnson needs to protect itself legally, it misses out on the opportunity to share additional content with the user.

Slow Response Time: Because Johnson & Johnson has so many videos to monitor and operates in a highly regulated industry, it is diffi cult to respond quickly to user comments.



66



PLAYING BY THE RULES

The legal disclaimer must be

carefully placed to ensure that it

does not detract from content and

that Johnson & Johnson is

protected.

MONITORING OF AND INVOLVEMENT IN THE COMMUNITYSubscribing to the videos of others and commenting upon them drives customer engagement.



67



ENSURING DIVERSE CONTENTJohnson & Johnson reposts existing video that it has determined is right for YouTube, cutting down on the expense of content generation. Maintaining a wide range of videos helps Johnson & Johnson increase brand awareness among a wide audience.



68



DUPONT’S SCIENCE STORIES

WHO IT ISDuPont is a chemical company.

WHO IT IS TARGETINGIndustry Enthusiasts:Science Fans

WHAT IT DIDTo increase brand awareness, DuPont created a series of videos modeled after children’s after-school shows that presented the science behind its products.

Source: DuPont; http://www2.dupont.com/Stories/en_US/index.html.

69





Finding an Original, Humorous Take: Using the format of children’s televisions shows presents the content in a familiar and captivating way, driving customer engagement and word of mouth.

Putting the Competition to the Test: DuPont uses the videos to compare its products with those of its competitors, allowing it to demonstrate its superiority visually and scientifi cally, clearly diff erentiating its product.

Reusing Appropriate Content: Much of the content in the videos is repurposed from DuPont’s archives, cutting down on the costs of content generation.


Blogger Involvement: Encouraging bloggers to post the videos on their sites may undermine the impartiality and infl uence of those bloggers. DuPont overcame this barrier by paying for video placement on blogs as if these videos were conventional ads.

Integration with Web Site: DuPont relies on other social media platforms to promote the videos but misses an opportunity to promote the videos on its Web site, where they are diffi cult to fi nd.

Source: BDI Conference; Marketing Leadership Council research.

70



Source: DuPont; http://www2.dupont.com/Stories/en_US/fi refi ghters.html.

FINDING AN ORIGINAL TAKEPutting the videos in the

format of a children’s educational television show

allows users to interact with a familiar and beloved format,

driving customer engagement.

BEING SILLYHaving a sense of humor about what it is doing humanizes DuPont.


71



PUTTING THE COMPETITION TO THE TESTDuPont uses the videos to compare its products with those of its competitors, allowing it to demonstrate its superiority visually and scientifi cally, clearly diff erentiating its product.


Source: DuPont; http://www2.dupont.com/Stories/en_US/fi refi ghters.html. Source: DuPont; http://www2.dupont.com/Stories/en_US/fi refi ghters.html.

REUSING APPROPRIATE CONTENTDuPont uses videos of product tests and other archived footage to show DuPont products in action, which drives down costs.

72



ONLINE VIDEOS: HOW TO GET STARTED

Once you’ve determined online video is right for your company, do the following:

STEP 1: Develop a content strategy that focuses on originality and a casual tone.

STEP 2: Make it easy for users to sort through videos and fi nd what interests them.

STEP 3: Develop guidelines for when to respond to user comments.

STEP 4: Develop a strategy to drive users to your video.

STEP 5: Promote your video on other social media and Web platforms.

73



VIRTUAL WORLDS

WHAT THEY AREA virtual environment where users can interact with each other through “avatars,” Internet representations of themselves

WHAT IT HELPS YOU DO ■ Absorb user information by immersing them in a more interactive experience. ■ Absorb by engaging and collaborating with audience. ■ Talk to your users by conducting many traditional offl ine experiences online. ■ Listen to your users by conducting real-time virtual conversations with them.

WHO IS DOING IT RIGHT ■ Cisco .....................................................................................................................................p. 75 ■ Wells Fargo ........................................................................................................................p. 79

74



VIRTUAL WORLDS

ARE VIRTUAL WORLDS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Are you willing to invest the time and money into building and maintaining a virtual world?

Virtual worlds are inherently expensive and time-consuming.

Are your target users involved in or willing to be drawn to virtual worlds?

Virtual worlds can be intimidating to many users, so you must ensure that virtual worlds are attractive to your users before becoming involved.

Are you willing to give up a large amount of control over what happens in your environment?

You will have no control over user interactions since they happen in real time.

Are you trying to create an immersive experience for your users?

Virtual worlds allow you to bring offl ine experiences like lectures, speeches, and training sessions to users at

their computers.

75



CISCO: SECOND LIFE AND VIRTUAL WORLD

WHO IT ISCisco is a networking and communications technology and services company.

WHO IT IS TARGETINGPurchase Infl uencers: Engineers

WHAT IT DIDTo drive user engagement, Cisco established a presence in Second Life, the most popular non-branded virtual world, and built its own branded virtual world.

Source: Cisco

76





Going to Its Customers: Cisco chooses a platform (Second Life) where its customers already have a presence rather than trying to draw them to a new one, allowing them to capitalize on a community with built-in loyalty.

Experimentation: Cisco tried out virtual worlds in Second Life before building its own, ensuring that the investment had an acceptable ROI.

Seeking Customer Feedback: Cisco’s launches of products in Second Life let users be the fi rst “in the know” and allow Cisco to get feedback from its target customers, increasing customer engagement and customer understanding.

Identifying Employees: Clearly identifying Cisco employees ensures that the company is operating openly and transparently, driving customer trust.

Rewarding Productive Community Members: Rewarding users for providing feedback gives them an incentive to exchange information and increases customer understanding.


Managing Expectations: By launching products in Second Life and encouraging feedback, Cisco may give customers a sense that they have more control over the product than they do, leading to disappointment when the real-world product does not meet their expectations.

Sizable Investment, Shifting Customer Preferences: Cisco must guard against the risk that users will decide to move on to a new platform in order to protect its investment in the space.


77



REWARDING PRODUCTIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERSRewarding users for providing feedback gives them an incentive to exchange information and increases

customer understanding.

DRIVING WORD-OF-MOUTH MARKETING

“Invite a Friend button” facilitates user-to-

user endorsements, driving word-of-mouth

marketing.

PERSONALIZING USER INTERACTIONS

Allowing users to fi ll out a profi le, join groups, and search for other users whose profi les

match theirs drives customer engagement within the community.


INTEGRATING ACROSS PLATFORMSLinking to other social networking sites helps drive traffi c across platforms.

Source: Cisco.

78



IDENTIFYING EMPLOYEESCisco employees are clearly

identifi ed, removing any sense of being “watched” by the company.

GOING TO ITS CUSTOMERSCisco chooses a platform its customers are already using,

which cuts down on marketing and promotion costs.


SEEKING CUSTOMER FEEDBACKProduct launches in Second Life let users be the fi rst “in the know,” increasing customer engagement and driving customer understanding through seeking feedback.

Source: Cisco.

79



WELLS FARGO: STAGECOACH ISLAND

WHO IT ISWells Fargo is a fi nancial services company.

WHO IT IS TARGETINGPotential Customers:Young Adults

WHAT IT DIDTo drive fi nancial education and engagement, Wells Fargo created an online world where young adults can learn about fi scal responsibility.

Source: Wells Fargo.

80





Picking Platform Based on Business Objectives: Stagecoach Island exposes young adults to the issues of money management through interactive games at a time when they have not yet chosen a bank, driving future lead generation.

Adapting to Their User: Since young adults are already using virtual worlds, they will be more likely to try out Stagecoach Island, ensuring that Wells Fargo has a critical mass of users.

Subtle Corporate Presence: Wells Fargo keeps in world branding to a minimum to avoid driving away users while still increasing brand awareness.


Legal Issues: Any site targeted at young adults that encourages social networking will have to ensure a suitable environment for their age group. Virtual worlds make this more diffi cult since the company has little control over the real-time interactions.

Attracting Users to a Stand-Alone Site: Drawing young adult users to a stand-alone virtual world requires a thoughtful promotion plan.

Constant Updates: Worlds directed at young adults require more maintenance and updates than other worlds as this demographic puts a higher premium on new content.


81



SUBTLE CORPORATE PRESENCEUsers are given a savings account (and later earn their way to a checking account and credit card with which to make purchases), driving brand awareness and subtle association of Wells Fargo with fi nancial services.


PICKING PLATFORM BASED ON BUSINESS OBJECTIVESThe game teaches users about fi nancial responsibility via interactive learning modules and the practical application of new skills.

Source: Wells Fargo. Source: Wells Fargo.

82






ADAPTING TO THEIR USERWells Fargo tailors the appearance of the avatars to the young adult market, increasing the world’s “cool factor” and user engagement.

SUBTLE CORPORATE PRESENCEATMs and credit cards provide minimal Wells Fargo branding in the game, which trains users to associate Wells Fargo with those objects.

83



VIRTUAL WORLDS: HOW TO GET STARTED

Once you’ve determined a virtual world is right for your company, do the following:

STEP 1: Spend some time in other virtual worlds to get to know the medium, the users, and the expected behavior in the platform.

STEP 2: Decide what your goal for the virtual world is (customer feedback, customer training, etc.).

STEP 3: Decide what level of investment your company is comfortable with and design your presence and/or world accordingly.

STEP 4: Find employees who are excited about the medium to maintain a presence in the world to interact with users.

STEP 5: Develop a strategy to drive users to your world.

84



WIKIS

WHAT THEY AREWikis are Web applications, similar to Internet message boards, that allow users to openly add and edit content.

WHAT THEY HELP YOU DO ■ Talk by sharing product information with customers. ■ Absorb by enabling user networking and collaborating with users to cocreate information repositories.

■ Listen by reading customer-generated content.

WHO IS DOING IT RIGHT ■ Intuit ......................................................................................................................................p. 85 ■ Ford .......................................................................................................................................p. 89

85



WIKIS

ARE WIKIS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Do your target users have an extensive knowledge base that other users would like access to?

Wikis work best when users are dealing with complicated or knowledge-intensive issues that require a large amount of research.

Do you want to share a wide range of content without having to constantly update with new information?

Wikis allow companies to leverage the knowledge base of their customers to provide value without creating a large content burden.

Are you willing to surrender a certain amount of control over content?

Unless the information is incorrect or misleading, companies should not interfere with the content being provided

on the wiki.

Are you trying to solicit customer input on a specifi c subject?

Wikis are an easy way to get and synthesize customer input on a subject.

86



INTUIT’S TAX ALMANAC

WHO IT ISIntuit is a software company that develops fi nancial and tax preparation software and related services for small businesses, accountants, and individuals.

WHO IT IS TARGETINGCurrent and Potential Customers: Tax Professionals

WHAT IT DIDTo answer customers’ questions about taxes, Intuit established a wiki to gather the knowledge of the professional tax community.

Source: Intuit.

87





Prepopulation of Articles: Intuit prepopulated the wiki with 150 articles so that users would fi nd good content when the wiki opened, ensuring that the site would provide immediate value.

Limiting Certain Edits: By “locking” certain pages and not allowing them to be edited by users, Intuit guaranteed that nonsubjective content like government regulations would be accurate, cutting down on its monitoring burden.

Importing Other Relevant Content: Intuit also links to important updates and news to keep users of the wiki up to date, driving revisits.

Subtle Corporate Presence: Intuit minimizes its corporate presence so as not to overwhelm customers with company branding.


Balance Between Corporate and User Content: Intuit must tread a fi ne line between its customers losing sight of its brand and overwhelming them with its brand.

Reliance on Active and Informed Users: Intuit depends on well informed and involved users fi nding and becoming involved with their wiki to ensure a steady stream of useful content.


88



FEATURING CONTENT

Featured articles help users fi nd the most interesting content,

increasing customer engagement.


IMPORTING OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATIONHighlighting important news keeps users up to date and increases the value proposition of the wiki, increasing revisits.

Source: Intuit.

89




CATERING TO USER EXPECTATIONS

User expectations for graphics in a wiki are low, which allows Intuit to keep things

simple and cut down on costs.

PROVIDING VALUE BEYOND NETWORKINGGathering relevant research, government regulations, and articles in one location eases the burden for tax professionals, driving customer loyalty.

Source: Intuit.

90



FORD’S WHERE ARE THE JONESES?

WHO IT ISFord is an auto maker.

WHO IT IS TARGETINGNew Customer Segment:Young and Tech-Savvy

WHAT IT DIDTo increase brand visibility, Ford sponsored the “webcom,” an online sitcom, “Where are the Joneses?” The sitcom script came from the ideas that users posted to the “Where are the Joneses?” wiki.

Source: Ford Motor Company.

91





Increasing User Involvement with the Brand: Involving users in the development of the campaign increases brand attachment and drives preference.

Integration Across Platforms: Ford posts material from the webcom across several platforms, including Facebook, iTunes, Twitter, and Flickr, increasing brand awareness and driving traffi c across platforms.

Experimentation: Ford used the campaign to experiment with a variety of social media platforms upping the chances of success of future campaigns.

Minimizing the Corporate Presence: Ford’s presence is light and does not interfere with the project, avoiding driving away users.


Setting Expectations: Users may become frustrated when the content they suggest is not used for the webcom, so Ford must mitigate the risk of user backlash.

Driving and Sustaining Interest: Ford runs the risk that it is out in front of its target users, experimenting on social media platforms its target audience is unfamiliar with.


92



INCREASING USER INVOLVEMENT

Off ering users the chance to be

featured, whether online or offl ine,

increases customer engagement.


INCREASING USER INPUTIncorporating user ideas into the “webcom” script lets users cocreate the campaign, increasing their brand preference.


93




HAVING GOOD SITE MAINTENANCE

If sites are kept up after the campaign

or projects are fi nished, links must be

maintained to avoid frustrating users who

stumble across the page later.

MINIMIZING THE CORPORATE PRESENCEFord kept sponsorship unobtrusive so as not to interrupt the experience.


94



WIKIS: HOW TO GET STARTED

Once you’ve determined a wiki is right for your company, do the following:

STEP 1: Identify potential topic areas where users want to network with each other and you.

STEP 2: Decide what level of control you will allow users to have over various pieces of content.

STEP 3: Prepopulate the wiki with some articles to ensure that the fi rst users have content to build on.

STEP 4: Develop a strategy to market your wiki and to draw in target users.

STEP 5: Monitor content to ensure that it is up to date and correct.

95



APPENDIX

■ Commonly Cited Social Media Metrics ................................................................p. 96

■ Social Media Press Release Examples ..................................................................p. 97

■ Social Media Policy Examples

– Employee Use ...............................................................................................................p. 99

– Response Guidelines .................................................................................................p. 100

– User Code of Conduct ..............................................................................................p. 105

■ Social Media Job Descriptions .................................................................................p. 108

96



COMMONLY CITED SOCIAL MEDIA METRICS

Key Questions for Metrics Selection

■ What objectives are we trying to accomplish?

■ Will the metric help to determine our progress toward the objective?

■ What decisions are dependent on the metric?

■ Is the metric objective and precise?

■ Is the metric reliable?

■ How much will it cost to measure? Do the benefi ts of the metric outweigh these costs?

■ How often do we need to measure? How long does it take to collect? Does timeliness matter?

Most Frequently Cited Metrics By Category

Followership ■ Number of Friends/Followers/Fans ■ Active User Growth/Churn

Audience Engagement ■ Comments/Responses ■ Return Visits

Company References ■ Posts/Mentions/Conversations ■ Trackbacks

Web Traffi c Metrics ■ Click-Throughs/Referrals ■ Site Traffi c

Audience Impressions ■ Tone/Promoters vs. Detractors ■ Satisfaction/Net Promoter Score

Commercial Outcomes ■ Service Issues Resolved ■ Sales Conversions

Content Resonance ■ Views/Hits/Downloads ■ Time Spent on Site

Word-of-Mouth Metrics ■ Retweets ■ WOM Spread

Other Metrics ■ Share of Voice ■ Employee Adoption/Usage

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SOCIAL MEDIA PRESS RELEASE EXAMPLES

Shift Communications Template, Version 1.0

98



SOCIAL MEDIA PRESS RELEASE EXAMPLES (CONTINUED)

Shift Communications Template, Version 1.5

99



SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY EXAMPLES: EMPLOYEE USE

100



SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY EXAMPLES: RESPONSE GUIDELINES

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SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY EXAMPLES: RESPONSE GUIDELINES (CONTINUED)

102




103




104




105



SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY EXAMPLES: USER CODE OF CONDUCT

106



SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY EXAMPLES: USER CODE OF CONDUCT (CONTINUED)

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SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY EXAMPLES: USER CODE OF CONDUCT (CONTINUED)

108



KODAK’S CHIEF LISTENING OFFICER JOB DESCRIPTION

KODAK: Chief Listener—Social Media Team

Position Summary ■ Optimize and use tools to monitor online conversations related to Kodak products, services, and brand in all social media channels including Twitter, blogs, forums, video sites, Facebook, etc.

■ Route issues team (KodakCB, Conversation Specialists, Conversation Support, or SPG Marketing Managers) for handling. ■ Work with social media analytics and marketing experts to provide product insights gleaned from monitoring activities.

Roles and Responsibilities ■ Work closely with Rochester-based Kodak social media team to ensure coordinated messaging/voice. ■ Optimize Kodak’s monitoring tools to streamline them into effi cient data mining sources. ■ Support product launches (e.g., Inkjet in Germany, SMILE campaign) via social media. ■ Feedback issues (support, etc.) for handling where appropriate. ■ Contribute to content generation for use in Kodak social media channels—blog posts, tweets, Facebook updates, video interviews.

Required Qualifi cations ■ “T”-shaped person—Broad (Kodak) and deep ( social media) knowledge ■ Extensive knowledge of new media and Web-/digital-based technologies ■ Social media authority—established presence on Facebook, blogs, Twitter, and LinkedIn ■ Proven ability to apply new media solutions to improve external and internal communications ■ Experience working on and managing complex projects ■ Strong external focus ■ Experience working with both large and small interactive agencies ■ Creative thinker with the ability to develop ideas into executable plans ■ Highly skilled in written and verbal communications ■ Attributes: willingness to experiment, ability to deal with uncertainty, doggedness, determination, sense of humor, persuasiveness, strong listener ■ Well organized with ability to coordinate numerous projects simultaneously ■ High level of interpersonal/teamwork skills ■ Ability to work independently with little supervision with all levels of the organization ■ Ability to meet deadlines ■ A level of analytical ability to provide input and establish measures ■ Cultural sensitivity across global boundaries ■ Applications experience:

– Radian6 preferred, not required – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube – Microsoft Offi ce

Source: http://www.monster.com/.

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COACH’S SENIOR MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION

Sr. Manager, Social Media/Global Web and Digital Media DepartmentPosition DescriptionThe senior manager, social media will serve as a strategist and internal evangelist on social media, responsible for articulating social media plans and leading and executing their implementation. This is a newly created position within our new and growing Global Web & Digital Media department.

Key Responsibilities ■ Lead strategy for and execute social media campaigns and evaluate results. ■ Set targets and timelines for social media programs and key initiatives and manage

its marketing calendar. ■ Deploy social media programs and technology to create innovative and creative

campaigns in support of product, brand, and marketing initiatives. ■ Lead eff orts to devise system of measurements and key metrics to understand

eff ectiveness in terms of social media penetration and impact of social media reputation and perceptions.

■ Manage budget while hitting performance goals. ■ Develop and maintain a process workfl ow that ensures consistent execution and

delivery of social media marketing campaigns with creative and technology teams. ■ Develop business requirements documents and marketing distribution plans for

widgets and social media applications. ■ Develop a set of best practices and devise recommended rules of engagement,

helping to build social media capability worldwide. ■ Stay abreast of social media tools and industry trends. ■ Benchmark and research competitor and industry leaders in social media.

Qualifi cations ■ Minimum of fi ve years online work experience required ■ Hands-on experience in managing and/or marketing a Facebook page, MySpace

page, or Twitter account preferred ■ Experience managing direct reports required ■ Experience working cross functionally and interacting with partners at all levels ■ Excellent communication, teamwork, and relationship-building skills ■ Ability to evaluate and change priorities daily and to perform effi ciently within a

fast paced team environment ■ Bachelor’s degree

Source: http://jobview.monster.com/Sr-Manager-Social-Media-Global-Web-Digital-Media-Department-Job-New-York-NY-US-83080792.aspx.

110



GMAC’S SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Description

Primary Responsibilities

GMAC is seeking a social media manager to manage internal and external social media initiatives within the organization. This role will consult and develop innovative Social Media programs based on social media strategy, blogger relations, and viral initiatives. The ideal associate will monitor commentary regarding agency and clients on online through social networks, key blogs, Twitter and forums. The SMM will also engage in and drive discussions related to business priorities on blogs and social networks while educating internal stakeholders on the uses of social media platforms, staying constantly abreast of changes in social media outreach and develop ideas on future trends for distribution to clients and press.

Job Requirements and Qualifi cations ■ Two years in social media and experience in fi nancial industry desired ■ Related industry experience in digital marketing (blogs, online communities) and use of social networking tools—Twitter, Facebook—to promote business

objectives ■ Superb communication and interpersonal skills ■ Independent, strategic, and creative thinker who is a fl exible team player willing to take on additional responsibilities if necessary

Source: https://gmacfs.myvurv.com/MAIN/careerportal/Job_Profi le.cfm?szOrderID=10044&szReturnToSearch=1&szWordsToHighlight=.

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EMC CORPORATION’S SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION

Social Media Manager

Let’s face it, information and people are the most important assets companies have. EMC’s Content Management and Archiving division is revolutionizing the way companies and their employees, customers, and partners interact with information, and it’s a big deal. As the innovation leader in technology, EMC is active in driving discussion and debate online and across the blogosphere, with no shortage of opinions. We’re looking for a rock star who lives and breathes the social media world and has a solid understanding of all-things social networking: blogs, networks, microblogging, wikis/collaborative software, podcasts—you name it. A true social media expert who has achieved business value results. Reputation management is the name of the game, and you’re an all-star.

Roles and Responsibilities ■ Day-to-day monitoring of all social media outlets: pages, sites, blogs, etc. ■ Contributing to and regularly updating our external social sites: Facebook pages/groups, LinkedIn group, MySpace page, Twitter, EMC One, etc. ■ Manages social networking programs to ensure business gets more than fair share of voice ■ Directs voices across CMA to post or respond or tweet on particular topics or in response to other posts/comments; builds “social media” coalitions for optimal results

■ Uses social media during our key events (Twitter, Yammer, etc.) ■ Uses social media as a voice to market around key themes/messages that match our other marketing programs, product launches, etc. ■ Constantly communicates constructive and innovating suggestions on how we use social media tools/sites to increase our voice to market

Measures ■ Measurable increase in share of voice overall ■ Increasing numbers of tweets, posts, and other coverage month by month that discuss us and our topics of interest ■ Others to be determined

Qualifi cations/Profi le of Desired Individual ■ A subject matter expert on social media tools—knows them, has used them all, understands diff erences, benefi ts, etc.—and has ability and patience to educate internal audiences

■ Someone who is strategically minded and would be the type of person a company would hire as a consultant to defi ne/guide a social media strategy. ■ Someone with a network of bloggers/writer for contract hire ■ Someone who is preferably a known name in the social media space (although not required) ■ Someone with a major passion for this as a day-to-day job and will think creatively about how to use these tools to our benefi t, will proactively seek out new tools (e.g., Unisfair, Mozes)

■ Strong project management skills; excellent communication skills; ability to work with multiple contributors at various levels. ■ Public relations experience a plus planning and developing strategy around campaigns ■ Understanding of B2B marketing

Source: http://jobview.monster.com/Social-Media-Manager-Job-Pleasanton-CA-US-82103764.aspx.

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DELL’S GLOBAL MARCOM SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION

Description

The Small and Medium Business Global MarCom team is looking for a strong marketing communications expert to serve as our Social Marketing Vehicle lead. In this capacity, the successful candidate will have responsibility for planning, developing, and implementing a global creative and strategic platform for social marketing campaigns. This includes but is not limited to online and out of home creative, distribution of Dell content through social/emerging MarCom channels, and social site feature and functionality enhancements to promote the sales of Dell product and service off erings.

Main ResponsibilitiesThe selected candidate will own creative master and strategy development for social marketing, as well as the agency relationship which includes accountability to drive and execute high-quality SMB social marketing creative on time and within budget; in support of Dell’s overall MarCom improvement and online growth goals.

Specifi c ownership examples for this role include the following: ■ Establish and evangelize best practices, provide thought leadership, and build a strategy and creative platform to globalize and maximize eff ectiveness of social marketing

creative eff orts ■ Create/maintain/optimize social marketing creative. This includes, maintenance of existing content, and recommending actions for tools/technology/processes to support the

business objectives. ■ Deliver scalable global solutions including but not limited to profi le pages on top social sites, UGC promotion, Viral Videos, Content Syndication/Marketing, Sponsored UGC/

Blogger sites (SB and MB), DT Channel, Targeted Pages/groups, Contests/Gifts, aligned with CRM [Listen], SM appropriate ads/campaigns, www.dell.com <http://www.dell.com> integration, syndication of TYOP and Dell solutions content, and Digital “out of home” creative.

■ Measure and report on ROI of social marketing investments. ■ Provide regular executive business updates outlining key deliverables, performance, key risks/opportunities, and improvement plans. ■ Support operational eff ectiveness and opex scaling goals. ■ Test/deploy vehicle improvements, programs, and monetization opportunities. ■ Provide local teams with support for implementation of strategy. ■ Establish strong relationship with social marketers/publishers and eff ectively manage them to ensure ongoing high-quality support and innovation.

Support the following performance goals: ■ Drive awareness and brand affi nity. ■ Support customer acquisition, retention, and development as possible. ■ Drive profi table demand and fi nancial contribution (traffi c, revenue, and margin).

Key Internal Partners: ■ Global and Regional MarCom Teams ■ Global SMB Online Teams ■ Global Site Design, Global Online Programs

Key External Partners: ■ Creative and Media Agencies ■ Social/Content Site Leaders

Qualifi cations/Profi le of Desired IndividualAssignments will be given in the form of objectives, and the candidate must establish goals to meet those objectives. The candidate will be required to make business decisions on own; unguided in a fast-paced business environment. Furthermore, the role will have a high level of interaction with cross-functional teams including regional MarCom planners and media teams, online teams, global MarCom operations team, offl ine marketing communications, and through direct feedback from customers. This is a strong C2/C3 position and requires proven ability to excel and motivate others in cross-functional team environment, drive for results in often ambiguous situations, strong negotiation stills, organized, and high energy and creativity. A marketing backgroundSource: http://www.monster.com/.

SALES, MARKETING, AND COMMUNICATIONS PRACTICEMARKETING LEADERSHIP COUNCIL®


Mlc social media_showcase[1]

Education

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