Posts filed under 'Quick Tips & Ideas'
12 Ways Social Media is Different than Traditional Mass Media
The social web has changed the media communications landscape in a way much of the world has yet to fully understand. Simply put, the social web has created almost a reverse flow in the traditional mass media world in which user-generated content and consumer activism is reaching more audiences than brand messaging.
Those businesses and organizations who refuse to begin charting a path toward collaborative and conversational social media communications models will eventually find their high-paid mass media messages generating a lonely echo on a faint frequencies.
Fear not my friends. Below you will find a comparison of 11 ways in which social media is different than traditional mass media which will hopefully get those right brain neurons firing in a new direction.
1) Traditional Mass Media is passive consumer participation, Social Media is active consumer participation.
2) Traditional Mass Media is one-way “one-to-many” communication, Social Media is two-way “one-to-one” communication.
3) Traditional Mass Media targets isolated consumers, Social Media connects consumers who generate conversations and content.
4) Traditional Mass Media is message-driven, Social Media is conversation-driven.
5) Traditional Mass Media is built around perceived brand control, Social Media is built around shared control and humanizing transparency.
6) Traditional Mass Media consists of a limited set of targeted channels, Social Media consists of a conceivably unlimited number of targeted channels.
7) Traditional Mass Media impressions are fleeting with awareness subsiding after date of publication/broadcast, Social Media conversations and content are lasting and continually discoverable via search engines.
Traditional Mass Media is brand-driven, Social Media is service and consumer-driven.
9) Traditional Mass Media has limited reach with increasing cost as reach expands, Social Media offers unlimited reach and micro-targeting while investment remains relatively constant.
10) Traditional Mass Media is a financial investment in paid channels and creative, Social Media is a social investment in people, conversation and user-generated content.
11) Traditional Mass Media carries varying levels of credibility and authenticity, Social Media is conveys a stronger sense of credibility and authenticity.
12) Traditional Mass Media is like night, Social Media is like day.
While the above picture has been painted with a broad brush and is far from complete, I believe the progression of social media to date has proven these thoughts to be fundamentally true and are becoming truer by the day. What will be your next move?
Add comment September 30, 2009
7 Golden Rules for Engaging in Social Media Conversations
It happened in the solemn twilight hours of an otherwise typical weeknight. The CEO of the International ACME Widget Association (IAWA) awoke helplessly from a deep sleep which was disrupted by a harrowing nightmare. In the nightmare, the CEO received a distressed email from an IAWA Board Member with a link to a blog post which included a number of criticisms about IAWA’s statement of practice regarding widget engineering. The panicked Board Member instructed the CEO to find a way to make the posting go away. The CEO awoke in a cold sweat, but quickly realized that their association had no strategy or process for handling such a situation.
As associations, its time for us all to awaken to the reality we can no longer ignore the social media-based conversations which are taking place outside our organizational walls. Even more, we must realize that every single conversation is an opportunity to cultivate insights, trends, engagement and relationships.
As you begin to assemble your social media strategy, below are 7 golden rules for engaging in social media conversations:
- Release yourself from the illusion that you can somehow control the conversation.
- Regularly monitor the social web and all major social media channels using your brand as a keyword search.
- Listen very carefully to what is being said with an open-mind as every perspective is an opportunity to learn.
- When you discover an opportunity to engage, try to first reach out directly on a one-to-one level either through email or a direct message.
- When you reach out, know that conversations cultivate valued relationships.
- Focus on reaching a better understanding of praise and complaints alike while at the same time looking to create value in shaping a positive experience through the interaction.
- If a public response/comment is necessary, wait until after you’ve had a chance to engage in the one-on-one interaction.
Need help developing your association’s social media strategy? Social Frequency Media Communications can help your association join its future… already in progress. Visit our website at www.socialfrequency.net or contact me directly at stuart@socialfrequency.net .
Add comment September 3, 2009
5 Ways to Get into the Flow of Social Media
Below are 5 ways to use social media to expand your organization’s sphere of engagement, interaction, particiaption and influence:
1) Develop a comprehensive relationship-focused social media strategy driven by the mission and strategy of your association.
2) Conduct a social media audit to identify all groups and influencers within your association’s social sphere.
3) Engage regularly in social media monitoring, utilizing keyword-based search tools built into popular social media platforms or third party applications.
4) Operationalize the use of social media as a business tool at levels of the organization.
5) Be authentic, experiment, make connections, build relationships and cultivate brand ambassadors.
Add comment August 24, 2009
Quick Tip: Value vs. Motive in Social Media ROI Measurement
You can ultimately achieve social media motives and measurable ROI by keeping the focus on generating value… and, most importantly, valuing the vital role and contribution of participants.
As Susan Scott points out in her book, Fierce Conversations , the “conversation is the relationship.”
Social media is an opportunity to make meaningful connections and build vital relationships by providing something of value and genuinely valuing user-generated participation. Time and time again, I see all types of organizations make the mistake of simply using social media to sell themselves, which is the quickest way to get ignored.
Measuring value generation in it’s many forms is the first phase of your social media ROI equation.
Add comment July 30, 2009
Quick Tip: How to Navigate Complaints and Negativity on the Social Web
The Truth about Complaints
Unless the person appears to be crazy, always see complaints via the social web as an opportunity to deepen the relationship. Most people who complain do so because on some level they care and they want to be heard.
How to Handle Legitimate Complaints
The key is to reach out one-on-one, thank them, listen… really listen, acknowledge, learn, identify mutual commonality, provide additional information which might provide clarification and thank them again.
In doing so, you stand a chance to either neutralize the discontent or, even better, establish a relationship which could convert the individual to a promoter. I’ve had experiences were the individual issuing the complaint added a retracting comment. Additionally, once you’ve cleared the air, you can also provide a follow-up comment or post which clarifies any misunderstandings and reinforces your position.
Listening is perhaps the most powerful communication tool.
Add comment July 27, 2009
Quick Tips and Ideas – The Role of Market Research and Data Analysis in Recession-Proofing Your Association
Develop “X-Ray” Vision through Market Research and Data Analysis
Gather and maintain a 360 degree view of the direct and indirect opportunities and threats to your association by observing, measuring and monitoring trends and developments through market research and data analysis.
Here are some actionable ideas to consider:
- Get into your member’s environment and shadow them regularly to see the world through their eyes and observe the spoken and unspoken behavioral truths.
- Conduct regular quarterly omnibus surveys with members to identify/track trends and developments.
- Monitor and track the social web regularly to identify trends, influencers, perspectives and groundswell.
- Establish a “Membership Advisory Panel”.
- Conduct one-on-one interviews employing the same questions until you begin to see patterns in responses.
- Create an opportunity for meaningful participation through decision-based all member surveys… not forgetting to report the eventual data-driven action which is taken.
- Conferences are a great gathering point for all types of members and a great place to conduct focus groups at minimal cost.
- Conduct interviews with your conference exhibitors to explore additional insight into your member audiences.
Thoughts, questions or additions? Share your comment below or contact me directly at stuart@socialfrequency.net.
Add comment July 19, 2009
