Social Media – What’s the Big Deal? Scott Meyer President & CEO August 7 th, 2006

Social Media – What’s the Big Deal?

Scott MeyerPresident & CEOAugust 7th, 2006

Remember these four things:1. Success in social media =

[Engagement + Authenticity] x (Target Audience Reach)

2. Look for riches in the niches. Social media takes many forms

3. Learn, but don’t be intimidated, into following early adopters

4. Cede only as much control of your brand as you feel comfortable with

Agenda:

• Introduction to About

• How we utilize social media

• Stuff we like

• Final tips for marketers

stands out as the trusted

authority on the

topics that over 31

million people search

for every month – from

Health to Food to

Living and

Technology

People trust because it’s built on the voice of more than 540 experts…

…“Guides” who are highly credentialed specialists with years of experience in their fields.

The trust our consumers place in our Guides and our environment makes them more engaged users

delivers original content that touches consumers’ personal interests and passions.

is uniquely positioned to provide the perfect mix of credible content and human voice.

All of which adds up to a richer environment for brands to engage in.

FO

CU

SE

DD

IVE

RS

IFIE

D

PERSONAL APPROACH

INSTITUTIONAL APPROACH

The perfect content mix

Trust drives Growth

+42%year-over year growth in Unique Users*

9.6

5.7

6.4

42.4

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 45.0

Percentage Growth in Unique Users

About attracts

– more women than iVillage

– more teens than MTV.com

– more men than ESPN.com

*comparing Jan.-May 2005 to Jan-May. 2006

Social Media on About:• Enables users to see

themselves reflected in our site

• Takes many forms

• Foundation of long-term, loyal users

• Open yet controlled

Social Media is the foundation of many of our most popular sites

Expands content and marketing opportunities

Experimentation is the key

NBC seems to be learning how to balance control & authenticity – “The Office”

“John Tucker Must Die” on MySpace – Engaging the Target Audience

• Genuine presence for the movie

• Multiple engagement points

• 135,023 friends

• $14.3 million gross first weekend in release

So remember…

1. Success in social media = [Engagement + Authenticity] x (Target Audience Reach)

2. Look for riches in the niches. Social media takes many forms

3. Learn, but don’t be intimidated, into following early adopters

4. Cede only as much control of your brand as you feel comfortable with

Thank You

Scott Meyer

President & CEO

About.com

Scott@about.com