JEN MCCLURE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Best Practices for Developing a Corporate Social Media

Strategy

Understanding Social Media & PR

Social media are based on Web 2.0 technologies & practices that enable people use to interact with traditional media and to create and share content, opinions, insights, experiences and perspectives

Social media can take many different forms, including text, images, audio and video

Tools of Social Media Include: Blogs Wikis & Collaborative Tools Podcasts Online Video Social Networking: MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn Virtual Worlds: Second Life News aggregation Digg, Reddit and Stumbleupon Photo sharing: Flickr and Zooomr Social bookmarking: del.icio.us

Understanding the Changing Communications Landscape

UGC or CGM results in... A free exchange of opinion and communication A flattening of the organization Conversation trumps digital – requires new skills and allocation of

resources Old role of corporate gatekeeper of “the message” is crumbling New ability to communicate and collaborate – to reach across

traditional boundaries of geography, function and hierarchy Many more potential external spokespeople Affects corporate culture Affects entire organization Affects brand reputation

The Benefits of Social Media for PR

Idea-sharingRelationship-buildingComplement to traditional communications functions &

initiativesMore open dialogue with key audiencesReputation-building

New Skills / New Roles

No static messages Listening – Become the ears of your

organization, not the mouthpiece Conversation-based Relationship-building-based Enabler of new collaborations,

communications and partnerships

Big Changes Ahead:New SNCR Research Indicates…

Conversational marketing will outpace traditional approaches in next 5 years (SNCR)

Source:

Society for New Communications Research, TWI Surveys, in conjunction with Joseph Jaffe: http://www.newcommreview.com/?p=845

Big Changes Ahead…

70% currently spending -2.5% of their communications budgets on conversational marketing

66% plan to increase investment in conversation within the next 12 months

57% project that in 5 years they will be spending more on conversational marketing than traditional marketing

23.8% believe that spending on conversational marketing will be the same as traditional marketing in five years

81% of all respondents project that by 2012 they will spend at least as much on conversational marketing as traditional marketing

Source:

Society for New Communications Research, TWI Surveys, in conjunction with Joseph Jaffe: http://www.newcommreview.com/?p=845

Will You Be Prepared?

Biggest Challenges Manpower restraints - 51.1% Fear of loss of control - 46.9% Inadequate metrics - 45.4% Culture of their organizations - 43.5% Difficulty with internal sell-through - 35.8%

10 Key Steps to Getting Started

1. Assess your organizational culture and readiness2. Ask the experts – who in your organization is

already engaging in social media3. Break down organizational silos4. Develop a social media policy5. Listen - monitor social media6. Identify your goals and the right tools & channels 7. Implement social media internally as a first step8. Use key learnings to expand initiatives9. Understand that patterns of influence are changing

– new communications channels call for new approaches

10. Monitor and measureSociety for New Communications Research

Best Practices for Social Media Policy Development

Six Key Factors: Culture Trust Training Transparency Accuracy Comments

Source: Journal of New Communications Research V. II / Issue 1

Best Practices for Social Media Policy Development

Use the existing employee communications guidelines as a foundation

Collaborate to develop and widely distribute new guidelines Include company bloggers in the process Consult with the legal, HR and employee communications

departments Get buy-in from executive management

Conduct a tool assessment – choose a platform or allow employees to choose their own

Develop a comments policy Respond to comments / Create a feedback loop

Source: Journal of New Communications Research V. II / Issue 1

Best Practices for Social Media Policy Development

Be prepared for and allow constructive criticism Openly acknowledge mistakesRespect your audience Respect competitors Remember that communications affect revenue

recognition Don’t blog anonymously - Identify yourself Include citations and sourcesDon’t break confidentialityManage the pace of adoption

Our new role must involve:

Conversation replaces stringent messaging Learning to use new communications tools effectively to

listen and participate in conversations Expanding the number of communicators in our

organizations Empowering colleagues across all disciplines to have a voice Allowing for relationships to develop organically across all

levels of the organization Relationship-building Blog, Podcast, Produce Video, Create an Online Community

Redefining the Role of PR

Resources

Education Society for New Communications Research

Journal of New Communication Research (http://www.sncr.org/journal) The New PR Wiki (www.thenewpr.com) Join the Conversation, Joseph Jaffe The Cluetrain Manifesto, Christopher Locke, Rick Levine, Doc

Searls, and David Weinberger Naked Conversations, Shel Israel & Robert Scoble The New Influencers, Paul Gillin The Corporate Blogging Book, Debbie Weil Strategies & Tools for Corporate Blogging, John Cass Corporate Conversations, Shel Holtz How to Do Everything With Podcasting, Shel Holtz & Neville

Hobson Now Is Gone: A Primer on New Media for Executives and

Entrepreneurs, Brian Solis & Geoff Livingston

For more in-depth education

The Society for New Communications Research is a nonprofit global think tank dedicated to the advanced study of new media and communications and their

effect on traditional media, professional communications, business and society.

www.sncr.org(650) 331-0083 info@sncr.org

Visit our blog at:New Communications Review

www.newcommreview.com

Journal of New Communications Research:www.sncr.org/journal