Posts filed under 'Web Me.0'
What Social Media Means to Associations – Beyond Mere Facebook Pages and Twitter Accounts
I’ve recently had the wonderful opportunity to deliver presentations to a variety of individuals and organisations regarding how social media is already transforming the future of associations. Through these experiences, I’ve listened carefully to fears, perceptions and admirable admissions of a lack of functional understanding relating to what social media means to associations.
I also hear allot about Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, as if that is somehow enough to leverage the potential of the social web. The reality is social media is more than a communication channel, rather it is a one-to-one and one-to-many conversation and relationship-building tool. The same types of conversations and relationships we have been engaging in with current and prospective members for years. It’s also a business strategy, just like other vital aspects of organizational operations provided it is already acceptable for staff to answer the phone and handle attendee questions at conferences.
Simply put:
The social web is an opportunity to expand your association sphere by listening, connecting, engaging and building vital relationships which expands your association sphere.
Why is this important? Because conversations and relationships are what led to the creation of associations in the first place. Further, social cohesion is the glue which holds together and propels our organizations.
A member’s commitment to an association is measured by the extent to which they feel a connected part of the organization. The way members connect to an association is through some form of engagement or participation. Before the social web, it required a greater sacrifice and investment to participate (planes, trains and automobiles), but today the social web provides an inexhaustible opportunity to connect and participate.
As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they remain the same. The social web is simply a smarter tool with which we can adapt and greatly expand our mission. With the right organizational foundation, we can all be ready when Facebook inevitably becomes tomorrow’s MySpace. While the platforms will continue to change, the “rules” will always remain the same.
I designed the cluster symbol above to demonstrate the way in which a like-minded group of people bond together to form an association. Clusters form within associations to initiate new projects and components. Today, new clusters are forming outside the walls of your association, in almost every case not to replace you but to give rise to issues and concerns facing a trade or profession. As associations, our goal is to reach out and create new bonds with individuals and groups working in support of our interests. This symbol is also the official symbol of my new consulting practice, Social Frequency Media, which I started out of a deep desire to help associations transform their futures and leverage the potential of social media. I hope you will find the above information and other postings here at Association 2020 useful. SM
3 comments December 7, 2009
FTC Guides Suggest Social Media Policies and Procedures Might Reduce Liability Risks
At the onset of this post, I want to be very clear that I am not intending to send fear coursing through the veins of senior management nor should this be construed as a “let’s all find another reason to fear social media”.
Quite conversely, part of leveraging a strong social media business strategy is ensuring the appropriate operational controls are in place. Policies, standardized practices and process are a responsible part of any business strategy and the business strategy of social media should be no exception.
This week, potential liability regarding the use of social media hit home as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released new Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. Essentially, the new guides will work to ensure a higher level of honesty and transparency in the use of the social web for the purpose of marketing in terms of “pay to say” disclosure and factual representations.
Though I am not a lawyer (nor have I ever played one on TV) and always encourage consultation with legal counsel, I did read through the 81 page FTC document yesterday and came across an important consideration which I don’t believe has been adequately highlighted. That consideration is the liability an employer faces for the actions of employees engaging in social media activities either within or outside the scope of their work responsibilities. The FTC addresses this scenario in response to a question which appears to have arisen during an open comment period relating to employer liability. Below is a verbatim excerpt from the FTC’s response:
“…although the Commission has brought law enforcement actions against companies whose failure to establish or maintain appropriate internal procedures resulted in consumer injury, it is not aware of any instance in which an enforcement action was brought against a company for the actions of a single “rogue” employee who violated established company policy that adequately covered the conduct in question… The Commission does not believe, however, that it needs to spell out the procedures that companies should put in place to monitor compliance with the principles set forth in the Guides; these are appropriate subjects for advertisers to determine for themselves, because they have the best knowledge of their business practices, and thus of the processes that would best fulfill their responsibilities.” see page 48 of the complete FTC document for full text
What this means is it is time to create social media policies and practices within your organization which carefully balance innovative business uses of social media with clear lines drawn on unacceptable practices.
While it is my intention to use my Association 2020 blog to add value to our community rather than endlessly promote my consulting practice, Social Frequency Media Communications, this is one instance where I want everyone to know that social media internal policy and procedure development is a core part of my services. Click here to learn more about Social Frequency Media Communications or feel free to contact me directly at stuart@socialfrequency.net.
Add comment October 9, 2009
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
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
How the Text-Obsessed “Distracted” Generation Will Become the Engaged Generation for Associations
We already know that ASAE’s 2006 Decision to Join study showed the younger generations value social networking at a higher level than previous generations. In addition, it appears the younger generations remain to see a strong need for associations.
Since I have two boys under age 10, let’s dive a little bit deeper into what one might be tempted to label as Generation D, the distracted generation.
The main source of distraction in the eyes of parents is kids texting endlessly. Just in the past month, here is my top 3 list of strangest places I’ve seen kids texting:
1) A girl texting while riding a bike down the street, one hand texting on the phone the other on the handle bar.
2) A girl texting will riding the hang glider ride spinning round-and-round up-and-down at a summer festival midway.
3) Two kids texting each other while sitting side-by-side.
While I can understand the temptation to label this new generation as distracted, I choose to label them differently… very socially focused. This is excellent news for associations, especially as we drive our social media strategy into more of a convergent pipeline and straight into the iPhones and smartphones of the future.
Social engagement is what creates the cohesive social investment which has kept our associations running throughout time and will continue to help us build even stronger futures. The only thing that has changed is the medium/s in which we operate. Smoke signals, the printed word, the telegraph, the telephone, the radio, the tv and now the social web sphere.
While the iPhone dominates the U.S. market right now, the other phone makers are frantically developing comparable platforms which will ultimately enable the development of applications for multiple platforms. In the meantime, the iPhone is the best bet for application experimentation. Why not get started today? SM
Ready to join your future already in progress, but not quite sure where to start? Visit www.socialfrequency.net
Add comment July 23, 2009
5 Reasons Twitter Gives Associations Much to Tweet About
Simply put, imagination and the desire to connect on some level are the forces which have fueled the social web. Though it’s been around for years, Twitter has exploded this year because of the convergence between creative users and industrious leveragers.
If your association is looking for a little boost in imagination in determining how to best utilize Twitter, here are 5 ways to give your association something to tweet about:
1) Tracking Trends in Real Time – A couple of months ago a situation arose in an association I am familiar with regarding a situation in which it was known that a groundswell of stakeholder opinion would arise as a very well pubilicized event was about to take place. There was plenty of concern as to how members would react once event publicity reached fever pitch. The association needed to very quickly gauge qualitatively and quantitatively the impact of this publicized event to determine the best response strategy.
Twitter became a primary resource as brief 140 character or less reviews began to spread like wild fire. Through a couple of well-monitored keywords on Twitter, the association was able to determine with a fair amount of conclusivity that opinions within the stakeholder community was divided right down the middle, trending toward a higher degree of positivity for those who had witnessed the publicized event and more intense negativity for those who had only learned of the event through secondhand information.
Given the quick timing and ease of use, Twitter is a great tool for monitoring fast-breaking trends.
2) Service-Based Strategies – Tracking conversations that arise regarding your association’s brand or related products/services is an easy way to execute some outbound member/prospective member service. Twitter is the quickest and easiest way to issue a public complaint about a bad experience. It used to be when you had a bad experience, the first thing you would want to do is find someone to tell all about the injustice. Today, all you need to do is log into Twitter and let it fly in 140 characters or less.
While this my be a troubling scenario should you find your association in the cross-hairs of this form of “drive-by tweet”, consider this… If the individual had a bad experience and told the next 10 people they crossed paths with there isn’t much you can do to rectify the situation. However, when someone vents a complaint via Twitter, you have the ability to pick up on it fast and reach out to turn the situation around.
Who should be responsible for monitoring Twitter for keywords relating to your association brand? Why not everyone based on their area of immediate responsibility and expertise. The key is to support such behavior, by example, from the top down. With some simple “rules of engagement” in place, you can empower your team to make the difference. Would it be any different if your staff was on-site at your association’s big conference and they saw someone struggling? Would you want your staff to keep their distance or move in to provide some appropriate help?
3) Harvesting Followers – Every follower is potentially a real and meaningful connection. If a Twitter user has jumped on board as a follower, make it a point to reach out @apersonallevel at least once. Take a few moments to review their list of most recent posts to get a little better idea what they are all about. Determine how you can make the most relevant connection.
4) Sweet Retweets - Once you have made a connection with followers, be sure to ask if they would be willing to participate as a “retweeter” in the future when your association is tweeting important posts. When they retweet, their network of followers will see the post as well. The exponential power of Twitter in reaching large masses of people becomes clearer when you consider the power of retweeting.
5) The Human Touch – When setting up your association’s Twitter presence, remember this… to make a personal connection requires two human beings connecting. Personality definitely counts and can only be achieved when your Twitter presence is comprised of identifiable people as opposed to a general @ACME Association identity.
When engaging in mass messaging via Twitter, default to the person who is your official spokesperson in the first place. If your highest ranking officer is willing to undergo media training to handle an assortment of print, radio or TV interviews, why not add in Twaining (Twitter training).
You can easily retain your brand acronym while Twittering at the human level. Simply create a standard convention, such as @ACMEPresident or @ACMEstaff_John or @ACMEstaff_Jane. Refer back to #2 for additional strategies on how to overcome @ACME Association syndrome. SM
3 comments July 9, 2009
What Corporate Interactive Marketers and Agencies can Learn from Associations When it Comes to Building a Social Brand
I must confess that I love to monitor big corporate marketing and advertising agency blogs and eNewsletters. Why? First and foremost, because I learn allot. Second, as a curious spectator of the struggles they are facing in adapting to a social interactive world in which it is no longer possible to control the “massography” in the same way they once maintained a dominant control over the traditional uni-directional mass media world.
True behavioral marketing moves well beyond consumer action deeper into the social and emotional psychology which motivates and forms a relationship between consumer and product/brand. More about the ”cause” , less about the “effect”.
As it turns out, social media has shown that consumers are actually pretty smart and savy when it comes to sniffing out mass media plots and gimmicks of days gone by. Consumers want authenticity and human connections… they want to feel empowered, connected and heard… something that has been at the fabric of associations as long as like-minded people have found value in coming together to associate. As the Irish Proverb goes, “Two makes the road shorter”.
When it comes to social media, I ask the corporate marketers and ad executives a simple question:
“Have you hugged your association executive today?… we feel your pain and think our traditional member-centric models of engagement can help. Share in our proud tradition of relationship-based brand expertise. After all, “member-centric” means we are run by members, for members. A sense of investment and ownership is a powerful force when it comes to consumer loyalty. Associations aren’t simply a brand, we are truly a relationship-driven brand family”
To my fellow association executives out there, there are bigger and bolder blue skies ahead as we begin to set our sights and social media strategies on the evolutionary application of our user-centric business models. In doing so, we vastly expand our sphere of participation, information-exchange, networking and, ultimately, influence. Let’s also understand that control remains as much an illusion to us as it does to our for-profit counterparts.
Coming Soon… 5 Reasons Twitter Gives Associations Much to Tweet About
Add comment June 30, 2009
How Social Media Broadens the Association Sphere and Transforms the “Nature” of our Future
With the announcement of the Google Wave, the internet’s newest and next “big thing”, many associations still continue to ponder whether or not social media threatens the very fabric of their existence.
My answer would be an emphatic ”absolutely not”. As our associations move rapidly to join our future… already in progress… the opportunity presented by social media for associations is just the opposite of threat.
Whereas the traditional “social sphere” of associations has been nestled within the physical core of actively involved members who like to get on airplanes and fly thousands of miles a year to get connected, social media will continue to expand and broaden our “social sphere” if we chose to reach out, engage and replace our tall ivory walls with a more transparent and porous material.
In other words, the tide of social media shifts our social sphere in a good way because the challenge of connecting and creating cohesion within our association’s broader professional community is now shared. Our job is to shed our illusion of control, celebrate those who are connecting outside our walls, reach out, be present, listen carefully, connect, build relationships and cultivate the type of powerful social capital which will draw those in the broader social sphere into the “nucleus” of the association.
Always remember, people complain because they care and simply want to be heard. There is immense and transforming power when you listen, engage, establish the conversation and watch the relationship grow.
Think of chemistry and how an atom is formed by a strong nucleus (the association) with electrons (traditionally loyal members) that are bound to the nucleus by “electromagnetic force”. An atom can be positively charged (progressive) or negatively charged (change averse). The social web is sending new types of atoms into the larger sphere within which associations have traditionally operated creating the opportunity of atoms joining together to form new and powerful elements. Elements are the building blocks of “nature” itself.
Let’s be very clear, people connect with the social web not because they want to be isolated and enjoy hearing themselves speak, but rather they are attempting to fulfill the basic human need to connect to something larger.
It is essential that we transform and expand our thinking in knowing that social media strategy is a relationship-building and engagement strategy which should be driven by the mission and goals of the association. In addition to serving members we are now in the position to reach farther in connecting with and serving a larger sphere of participants and influencers… all of which are prospective electrons moving toward that electromagnetic force which will ultimately draw them toward the nucleus. Staff at all levels, with basic rules of engagement, have the opportunity to monitor, listen and make these connections.
Further, think of non-member social web participants and influencers in your space as “surrogates” who care and want to be heard. The bar is not as high as one might think in creating relationships that will move these individuals into the role of promoter and prospective member.
Remember, control is an illusion and the next time a discussion of social media turns to fear and threat, you can now tell the group to not worry because it’s positively “elemental”.
You may now be excused to connect with your former high school chemistry teacher on Facebook to thank them for making you suffer.
1 comment June 4, 2009
Is Web 2.0 to 2008 What Dot-Com was to 1998?
I received an email survey today from a major association who many have held for some time as the best example of professional communities of practice. Though I’m not a practitioner in their particular field, I did join this association community a year ago just to have a closer look. I must admit, the space well-designed and pretty cool by association standards.
However, in reading between the lines of this particular survey invitation, with statements like “we are looking to make these communities more valuable to you”, I can’t help but wonder if the expectations of staff and leadership might be as disappointed as Chicago Cubs fans earlier this Fall.
As aspiring association pioneers, we have been basking in the promising glow of Web 2.0 for a few years now working toward opening those magical gates for the certain masses to spill through into our mall of participation. However, is the practice and application of Web 2.0 living up to its revolutionary hype with big returns for associations?
To me, the answer to this question is affirmatively…well… pretty inconsequential here on October 28, 2008 if we all, in fact, learned the lessons of the dot-com crash in the late 1990s. However, in many ways I believe many are approaching the Web 2.0 “rush” in the same way we are charged toward dot-com mania. There are a number of intriguing parallels betwen these two interent eras, the most significant of which is the notion that the peverbial “carts” have been set far up the road ahead of the “horses”.
It takes me back to my theory of evolutionary vs. revolutionary change. The dot-com era was a time of revolutionary action where many smart people lost their long-term perspective and paid a miserable price in many cases. It’s not that dot-coms and online commerce were poor business concepts as we have learned, rather they drowned in unrealistic expectations and flawed short-term money-hungry business models in an infantile marketplace where users/consumers, aka the “horses”, had not comfortably caught up with the rest of the insider world. Put another way, it was like the ultimate get-rich quick scheme with an entirely undeveloped consumer audience which was still a couple of years away from reaching critical mass, trust and high speed connectivity.
So, with these thoughts in mind, let’s turn our attention to Web 2.0 and the social web. Here we are, perhaps partying a bit like its 1999, prematurely celebrating the next big chapter in the history of the internet before it has ripened for mass consumption. In other words, while I strongly believe the opportunity of Web 2.0 is very real for our associations, I think we are still somewhere in the early-to-mid phases of its evolution which explains what might be a slow and perhaps sluggish growth curve. But fear not, this is a long-term strategy and the early adopters and developers are beginning to make room for the masses. We must be patient in managing expectations and projected growth within our associations and throughout our leadership. Further, we must not lose our minds and move our headquarters into Second Life overnight. We must be willing to experiment and cultivate particiaption within our audiences. Finally, we must calculate and adjust our risks as we take steps toward reaching critical mass.
The day will come and let’s make sure we are all around to celebrate the richness of our interactive online worlds of participation, otherwise, we risk writing the history of the great Web 2.0 crash. SM
Add comment October 28, 2008
