Social Media Week 2012

Today I was able to watch two great live presentations from social media week 2012:

  • Moves Like Jagger: Customer Service Evolved- from Social Media Week San Francisco
  • Applying Big Data Analytics to Social Media Data – from Social Media Week New York Business and Innovation

At the end of this week, I will do a recap of all the tricks and tools I learned from the different speakers and panels.

If you are interested, you can watch all the presentations, panels, and events from all over the world live online. You can even tweet in your questions, and they will answer them while you watch. I recommend watching the Applying Big Data Analytics to Social Media Data panel discussion, some really impressive social media analytics tools were discussed. All of the past event videos, which were originally live streamed, are available at the bottom of each event page (ex: at the bottom of the SMW NY Business and Innovation page).

Click following LiveStream link to watch presentations for Social Media Week live from New York, Hamburg, London, Miami, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Paris, Singapore, Toronto, and Toyko. LiveStream

Also, check out the Social media Week Real Time Inforgraphic. It is very cool! Real time info on the top trending topics, check-ins, hashtags, handles, tweets, and events. Below is a screen shot of the global Social Media Week Real Time Infographic.

Use the following link to check out the: Social Media Week 2012 Real Time Infographic

Social Media Week 2012 Real Time Infographic

International Social Media Trends

I  started wonderinGlobal Social Mediag how social media trends and usage differs by country. Based on Facebook’s fact sheet, international users make up a big chunk of the market. Over 80% of users are outside the U.S. and Canada (WOW!), 676 million active monthly users to be exact. That is a lot of users/followers that can make a big impact on an international social media campaign.

So, if your company is already in the international market, or thinking of expanding here is some info that might come in handy when devising your strategy:

Top social media platforms by age group

A few of the top platforms for social media users 18 and under are (globally):

  • Formspring
  • Skyrock
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Dailymotion
  • Fanpop
  • Kaizin001
  • SchulerVZ

A few of the top platforms for social media 18 – 30 are (globally):

  • MeinVZ
  • Badoo
  • Facebook
  • Netlog
  • Flickr
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • StudiVZ
  • Twitter
  • Tuenti
  • The Student Room
  • DevianArt

The top 5 social media sites globally are:

  1. YouTube
  2. Facebook
  3. Qzone
  4. Twitter
  5. Pengyou

The top 5 countries with the highest percent of population online are:

  1. Sweden
  2. Denmark
  3. UK
  4. Germany
  5. Canada

Interesting: The United States isn’t in the top five, it is actually #8 with 78% of the US population online. Check out how all countries rank: (http://www.internetworldstats.com/)

It is also interesting how social media uses differ by country; for example, blogging is the most popular form of social media in France, while chatting and social networks are most popular in the UK.

The importance of the topic of the social media platform differs by country, as well. A platform called DeviantArt, which showcases user generated art, is very popular in Australia. Qzone is a Chinese Global Social Networkbased social media platform that is nickname based. Qzone users are not required to use their real names (which is required by Facebook). Amino.dk is a business focused platform for entrepreneurs and the self-employed; it is  popular with the online community in Denmark. An online advice site, Gutefrage.net, and a professional networking site, Zing, are both very popular in Germany. In Japan, a platform called 2-Channel is even more popular than Facebook, it allows users to post anonymously and does not require registration.

Thoughts:

Based on the different country trends, it is clear that it is very important that research into a target market’s use of social media is critical, as well as thinking outside of our normal Twitter/Facebook/YouTube bubble. While Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are very popular in other countries, the other country specific big-players should be taken into account, as well.

If you are interested in more stats on the international social media trends, check out this great SlideShow

Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image: FrameAngel / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Why Wikipedia Is Important For Your Social Media Strategy

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Many times Wikipedia is overlooked as a tool for both branding and social media. Wikipedia at its core is a collaborative information source and a social media. It is often one of the first listings that appears in search results, and is many people’s first choice when they want quick information.

A big reason that Wikipedia should not be overlooked is because Facebook pulls information and images directly from Wikipedia pages for the info sections of community pages. Community pages are Facebook-administered and auto-generated. Community pages were auto-generated from keywords Facebook users  often used in reference to their “likes”, interests, and work. So, there is probably at least one (if not more) community pages out there with your company’s name.

Since community pages are Facebook-administered, it is important to keep content up-to-date on your company’s Wikipedia page, or create a Wikipedia page for your company so that the community page is not blank.

The majority of Facebook users are  unaware that companies do not actually control community pages, so your brand can still be damaged by incorrect content pulled from Wikipedia. In addition, only a certain amount of content will be pulled from the Wikipedia page. (Approximately 250 words though this number varies greatly across pages)

Below are screen shots of the Macy’s Department Store Facebook Community page and the Macy’s Department Store Wikipedia page – Same content!

Macys Facebook Community Page

Macys Wikipedia Page

How to Brand Yourself Online and Offline

Brand strategy is not limited to businesses anymore; it is now expanding into the idea of branding yourself. I was introduced to the concept of branding yourself during my senior year at Tulane when everyone was getting ready to apply for jobs, specifically the idea of branding your online identity.

Personal Brand StrategyBut, when I thought about it a personal brand does not exist solely online. Actually, a personal brand strategy can be applied to networking (online and offline), applying for jobs, and career goals.

It is important remember when you are developing a personal brand strategy, that it is just as important for you to monitor your online brand as it is for companies.

Also, don’t forget to keep your brand information up-to-date (job position, promotions, or new skills) and to build an active community around your brand (make sure your Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook posts are relevant to your personal brand strategy).

If you are interested in developing your own personal brand strategy, check out this infographic about things to remember when creating your strategy.

How To Create Your Personal Branding Strategy? #infographic

Image: nokhoog_buchachon / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Integrating Brand Strategy into Website Design

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Now, more than ever, it is important that we stop treating a brand and a website as separate entities. Websites should be extensions of the brand, not separate.

A brand is more than a company’s logo, product, or tag line; it is the experience that customers associate with the company and the essence of the company.

A website is the online extension of a physical storefront, and there should be a seamless extension of brand identity between the physical store and the website homepage.

A bad website experience can affect sales and even permanently affect brand image the same way that a misdirected advertising message can.

Since customers are doing more and more of their shopping online, whether or not they are purchasing or researching, it is difficult to imagine separating brand strategy from your website strategy and design.

Below are examples of companies that I think are doing a great job of using their websites as direct extensions of their brand. Check out their websites to see more ways that they are extending their brand from in-store to online.

White House Black Market

white house black market website and brand strategy

Under Armour

under armour website

Michael’s

Michaels website

Social Media Connections

Planning for Your Social Media Campaign

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I can not stress more, the impSocial Media Connectionsortance of doing your due diligence before starting a Social Media campaign. Everything may go smoothly after launch, but don’t be blindsided if things do not go as plan.

Rather, have a crisis management plan in place for everything you think could go wrong. A great example we can all learn from, in regards to the importance of having a crisis management plan in place prior to launching your Social Media campaign, is the recent McDonald’s #McDStories Twitter campaign. McDonald’s Twitter campaign did not evolve as planned and the lack of a crisis management plan made the situation even worse.  Check out the LA Times article about the campaign: McDonald’s #McDStories Twitter marketing effort goes awry

Image: Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Protecting Your Brand On Facebook

Recently I noticed that about an hour or so after reading a post from a company I follow, the number of comments on the post had almost doubled, or maybe even tripled. While I was amazed, I also knew that this was the power of Social Media in action; creating conversation and buzz quickly and in real tFacebook Like Buttonime. The number of comments on a brand’s single post can reach into the 1000’s in the matter of hours.

Moderating a large, and rapidly multiplying, amount comments can be difficult and overwhelming. One reason that moderation can be difficult is because of the Facebook culture. Facebook users expect a two-way conversation with the company, not just the other users. The combination of the users’ expectations and the vast number of comments turns social media brand management into a 24/7 job.

When venturing into the Social Media forum, it is important to plan not only one when, where, and what you will post, but also how you will respond to your audience. For most companies, the difficult questions or comments that you receive now, whether through email or phone calls, are the same questions that you will receive in the social media forum.  Setting up a protocol on whether you will respond to comments, and if so, which ones. This is imperative for brand health.

The expectations of users varies by platform, Facebook users are more likely to expect a response than twitter followers, or at least expect a response sooner. At times, it may seem like it would be easier to  delete negative comments that show up on your company’s page, but that may actually lead you down a more difficult path. Facebook users notice when a comment has been deleted from the comment thread and are often offended. Be very cautious when deleting comments, because this action may spark a larger negative backlash.

It is very common for Companies to post a “commenting policy” in the info section of their Facebook page, which would include protocols for dealing with inappropriate or offensive comments. If an inappropriate or offensive comment is posted on the page, then the established protocol should be followed to a “T”. In the Social Media world, it is considered justified to remove the offensive comment from the page. In addition, you should also respond to the comment via the comment thread or through Facebook message. You could mention your company’s “comments policy” and ask that they contact you via email with any questions or concerns.

If you only remember one thing when deciding to do Social Media, is that it is imperative that you prepare as much as possible beforehand. Social Media is an amazing tool that can grow and build a strong community around your brand, as long as you are prepared and active.

Image: Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About BeingYourBrand

This blog is all about the good, the bad, and the “what were you thinking” in brand and communication strategy. Below is a a little bit about me, which is my basis for my interest in brand and communication strategy:

My name is Brianna and I am currently a brand strategist at a New Orleans based Marketing and Web Development company. I works with clients to maintain lines of communication and coordinates project milestones. I am very interested in development of consumer and category insights into successful communications plans. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, I am a graduate of Tulane University with a BSM in management and marketing. While attending Tulane, I was the business manager of the award winning student run newspaper The Hullabaloo. I was also a project management intern at the Trumpet Group, a branding and marketing firm in New Orleans, where I worked with Partners for Healthy Babies, Tobacco Free Living, and the Coastal Conservation Association.

For more information, check out my:

LinkedIn Profile http://linkedin.com/in/briannasmith

Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/Brianna5mith

BrandYourself Profile http://briannasmith.brandyourself.com

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Google+ Profile

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