Online Community: Market Context

WOMMA: Community Manager CertificateMarket Context

Bill Johnston - @BillJohnstonDirector of Global Online Community

Global Marketing

The Simple Truth:Business is inherently social.

Global Marketing3 Confidential

Online Community:Intention to foster a network of relationships around common interests, over time.

Social Media:Describes a large spectrum of tools and activities.

Social Business:an organization designed consciously around sociality and social tools, as a response to a changed world and the emergence of the social web…

Via @StoweBoyd

Global MarketingOnline Community Strategy & Planning4

Brief History & Evolution of Online Communities1970s

–1990s

BBS 1

990 -

2000

Vir

Com

1.0 2000 -

2010

Ris

e o

f Soci

al

Media

2010 -

>

Soci

al

Busi

ness

Global Marketing

HostedCommunities

SupportMastery & Use

AffinityIdeation

External Communi

ty

External Communi

ty

External Communit

y

External Communi

ty

Holistic Approach = Networks of Value

Extranets

Internal Networks / Workgroup

s

Internal

External

Enterprise

Market

Experts & Advocates

Community

Mass Social Media

Collaboration


Exerting Force on Your Strategic Plan

• Market Conditions

• Organization Health and Performance

• Corporate Culture

• Social Organization Model

• Pull to External

• Time

• Talent

Image via likecool.com


Beware Evil Unicorns

Evil Unicorns = Magical thinking that can harm your long term strategy.

User Generated Content

“Gamification”

“Influencers”

Platform as Panacea

Image via http://chalicothere.deviantart.com

http://chalicothere.deviantart.com/


Key Characteristics of Successful Communities

• Shared Value– Clear value to members & host (brand)

• Equitable Participation– Shared participation, vs. members or host doing all the work

• Growth (to a logical point)– Membership & activity increase over time

• Vibrancy– A sense of activity, enthusiasm and passion

• Community Leadership Model– Present leaders, Reputation, clear paths to maturity

• Advocacy– Program(s) as well as presence of advocates

• Experience– A quality user experience, logical toolset, modern design

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Global MarketingOnline Community Strategy & Planning

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Case Studies


AREA

Autodesk’s community for artists in the film, game and visualization industries.http://area.autodesk.com

• Robust platform, including blogs, forums, training, downloads and member portfolios

• Masters program

• Integration of online / offline events

• Global community

$ = @ E

http://area.autodesk.com/


SAP Community Network

SAP’s Community Network bring together thousands of Enterprise Software Pros for learning, knowledge sharing and peer networking in a trusted environment.http://scn.sap.com

• Discussions, blogs, technical & training resources

• Grounded in value and utlity

• One of the most mature Reputation systems online

• 100 SAP Mentors power the community ecosystem

• Very active in the social media ecosystem$ = @ L ! E

http://scn.sap.com/


Lego CUUSOO

Lego’s Ideas community facilitating development and evolution of customer proposals for new sets, bricks and figures.http://lego.cuusoo.com

• Members create projects – proposed sets, parts or figures

• The community comments and votes the proposal up or down

• Lego reviews once proposal hits 10k supporters

• If proposal is produced, member shares in the revenue.

$ + @ E

http://lego.cuusoo.com/

Global Marketing

IdeaStorm

IdeaStorm is Dell’s customer-led innovation community, where members can post ideas for products, services or brand. Dell helps shape the conversation with regular Storm Sessions.http://www.ideastorm.com

• Ideas can be posted with rich media attachments

• Ideas evolve through comments, votes and extensions

• Idea Partner program and Community Management hands-on throughout the community

• Ideas can be shared into the social ecosystem

$ = @ ! E

http://www.ideastorm.com/


Manic Mommies

A podcast and events-driven community that brings together busy Moms from all over the United States into a community of support, learning, nurturing and fun.http://www.manicmommies.com

• Community is primarily driven via a podcast, with lots of listener interaction

• Events, including annual Escape and book club

• Grass-roots community that has matured & monetized, but has done an excellent job of staying true to mission and purpose.

$ @

http://www.manicmommies.com/


Meetup

The original “community of communities”, Meetup has been a mostly silent giant facilitating local community events. Meetup is all about getting online community offline, into f2f activities – all while maintaining connective tissue online. http://www.meetup.com

• Organized around the concepts of local groups with regular events.

• Social tools baked in for sharing of and discussion pre / post event

• Over 90k groups in 45k cities globally

$ + @ ! E

Meetup's mission is to revitalize local community and help people around the world self-organize. Meetup believes that people can change their personal world, or the whole world, by organizing themselves into groups that are powerful enough to make a difference.

http://www.meetup.com/


AMEX OPEN Forum

AMEX community for small business owners, covering a wide range of issues related to operating and growing a small business. http://www.openforum.com

• Public-facing original content. Community features are gated, available to OPEN Members

• Private forums for members to connect, learn, share and problem-solve

• Business Directory for registered member businesses

• Very active outpost strategy, esp Facebook & Twitter

$ = @ E

http://www.openforum.com/


Dell TechCenter

Dell TechCenter is a community for IT Professionals, focused on use and mastery of Dell & partner products and solutions.http://www.delltechcenter.com

• 6 Community Leads, each with SME in their areas of coverage (Virtualization, Storage, etc)

• Full featured community, with blogs, wikis, forums, video and weekly chats

• Dell TechCenter Rockstars: Advocacy program

• Engaged on the social web

$ = @ ! E

http://www.delltechcenter.com/


Internal: Chatter / Yammer

Internal “Collaboration” is undergoing a renaissance, thanks to vendors embracing social media ux metaphors and philosophies.

• Many organizations are now using internal microblog tools like Chatter or Yammer

• After false starts, full-featured community platforms like Jive and Telligent are starting to see greater adoption

• All of these tools are fighting ingrained habits (especially email) and corp cultures where information is power, and is shared accordingly

• Key opportunities exist to bridge internal / external networks to create a more valuable and useful community ecosystem

Global Marketing19 Online Community Strategy & PlanningImage courtesy ofhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelholden

A new era of business is dawning, powered by the social web.

• Your “network of relationships” can be one of your most valuable business assets… or your largest liability

• We need to further define and mature the teams that manage these relationships

• Silos must become nodes on the network – inside & out

• The “customer” will only become more empowered (VRM) – be prepared!

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Online Community: Market Context

Business

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