Curing the Social Media Zombie EpidemicJames PhelpsUWSMC3jbphelps3@gmail.com@jbphelps3

Global Social Media Adoption in 2011, Forrester Research Inc.

How do Western Consumers engage in

social media?

Global Social Media Adoption in 2011, Forrester Research Inc.

What does Forrester recommend for US/Euro

Social Media users?“Don’t expect too much interaction from Western consumers… If you’re targeting users in Western markets, focus on giving them social content they can simply read or watch.”“Don’t focus your strategies – or your measurement – on interaction with your audience.”

Global Social Media Adoption in 2011, Forrester Research Inc., page 6.

Forrester seems to assume that the attitudes and behavior that western social media consumers are static.

Is that true?

How do you create a genuinely engaged audience?

Why are most western users Social Media Zombies?

1) Is it something about US/Euro users themselves – our history or genetics?

2) Is it Social Media fatigue?3) Is it the way we’ve been habituated to

“participate” in social media by our preferred channels?

I’m completely engaged and baking a pie at the same time!

Does Facebook create SM Zombies?

Do WE Create Social Media Zombies?

1) The Creation/Engagement tension – Can you teach clients to be engaging before you inspire them to create at all?

2) Can a business tell its story authentically by starting from the point of engagement?

Creation Engagement

Influence

Take action

Should influencers in Social Media be advocating content creation for the

sake of creation?

Would that lead to greater engagement?

Creation Engagement

Influence

Take action

Maybe old-school Myspace wasn’t so bad after all…