Making social work for big brandsSocial media world forumMarch 2011

Hello! I’m Ross Breadmore, consultant with NixonMcInnes and part-time Mr.Bean.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bendeck/2639210778/sizes/l/

Who are NixonMcInnes?

We are a social consultancy based in Brighton, and work with great brands and NFPs.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisbastian/3368245976/

I want to share my experience of working with…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/simpologist/113893083/sizes/l/http://www.flickr.com/photos/toby_maloy/102413554/sizes/z/http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisbastian/3368245976/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdn/2201362379/sizes/o/http://www.flickr.com/photos/benjaminbeard/5455151456/sizes/l/http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenflames09/100782021/sizes/z/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rene-germany/15574189/sizes/o/

Big ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanalee/3583227687/sizes/l/

STEERING

PR

Agency 2

Digital

Brand

Insight

Agency 1Internal comms

Business teams

HR

Legal

Customer service

Parent brand

Steering groups

Steering groups are a great way of coordinating activity and sharing knowledge…

…however it’s critical they empower rather than control. Regularity and momentum are key.

Internal social tools such as Yammer are also great for sharing links, tips and advice.

*at NixonMcInnes there is a current meme for faux-celebrity profiles.

Big ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35188692@N00/2392520183/sizes/l/

To overcome the ‘gloop’, get things going on a small scale. Review, test and iterate smaller improvements rather than immediately thinking of larger, unwieldy developments.

The Vodafone Web Relations team is a great example of this approach. What started as a small team has grown and is now changing the way Twitter is seen as a customer service tool.

Big ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fahdad/30720601/sizes/l/

Operating in any industry, it’s key to be aware of related regulations.The ASA also recently increased their remit to include social, so familiarise yourself with the guidelines.

Big ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spunter/2907888414/sizes/l/

Make the most of internal expertise, including legal at the early stage of any project. Don’t leave it to the last step to seek approval.

Big ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftygoat/2758072270/sizes/l/

Types of online spaces

EarnedBought

Owned

Think about what spaces, channels and assets you have which are owned (your homepage), bought (paid advertising) or earned (social). Once identified you can link them up in smart, simple ways to increase traffic, conversation and many other objectives.

Sony Ericsson recently achieved a huge rise in Facebook fans, from 300k to 3 million in the space of 9 months. One of the key factors in this was bringing Facebook functionality into the .com site.

Similarly WWF UK effectively link up multiple channels such as email and social to drive support.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevewilde/1458395412/sizes/l/

Things WILL take time. Momentum is key so don’t lose heart if something takes months rather than weeks to get going.

Consider the Gartner hype cycle, particularly when working more skeptical colleagues. Where are they on the journey?

Big ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/2223026594/sizes/l/

Big ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/2223026594/sizes/l/

SOCIAL MEDIA IS AMAZING. It has the potential to be so much more than Facebook likes or customer service. Think about the intrinsic values of social such as immediacy, transparency and openness, and how these can properly improve your business.

Why Zappo’s use Twitter

• Transparency & Values: Twitter constantly reminds me of who I want to be, and what I want Zappos to stand for

• Reframing Reality: Twitter encourages me to search for ways to view reality in a funnier and/or more positive way

• Helping Others: Twitter makes me think about how to make a positive impact on other people’s lives

• Gratitude: Twitter helps me notice and appreciate the little things in life

Tony Hsieh – CEO, Zappos.com

Think about how other brands are using social tools to show core values, and inform culture.

Big ideas

Courtesy of Jeremiah Owyang

Think about option 6 – get proactive and use social to change your business. Being a helpdesk (5) is fine, so long as you’re conscious of your role.

@rossbreadmore

nixonmcinnes.co.uk

Thank you!