Social Media & PR

Dr. LaRae M. Donnellan, APR, CPRC

Florida A&M UniversitySeptember 2010

Why Does It Matter?

“You are the generation that is going to either preside over the beginning of the end of real communication … or be its salvation.”(Ron Sachs, President, Ron Sachs Communications, in comments made Sept. 20, 2010, to public relations students at Florida A&M University)

(Image from http://www.ronsachs.com/team2.shtml)

The New Influencers

We tend to believe “people like us.” Traditional media

Gatekeepers

Social media Everyone can be a publisher

(with the right equipment & access).

We can market directly to our publics.

(Paul Gillin: “The New Influencers: A Marketer’s Guide to the New Social Media”)

The New Influencers

Web 1.0 Mostly read-only Shopping carts

Web 2.0 Interactive (read/write) Internet Blogs, viewer rankings, chat rooms,

mashups, microblogging, etc.

Web 3.0 Fast, customizable, pieced-together applications Shared virally by computer and phone Possible moneymakers

The New Influencers

Marketing wisdom Conventional: 1 dissatisfied customer can reach 10. Social media: 1 dissatistifed customer can reach 10 million.

Vincent Ferrari & the “blog swarm” Tried to cancel AOL account June 13, 2006 Posted audio file June 20 on his

“Insignificant Thoughts” blog Sent e-mail notification to

Consumerist.com, digg.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmpDSBAh6RY

(Image from http://www.pchelpforum.com/tag/aol/)

Groundswell Social trend

People use technologies to get what they need from each other, not from companies

“An important, irreversible, completely different way for people to relate to companies and to each other”

Why is it happening now? Collision of three forces: People’s desire to connect New interactive technologies Economics: On the Internet, traffic =

money

(Charlene Li & Josh Bernoff: “Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies”)

(Image from http://kottke.org/07/01/iphone-running-parallels)

Crowdsourcing Crowdsourcing:

Harnessing the skills & enthusiasm of those outside an organization

Volunteer to contribute content & solve problems online. When the new iPhone 4 was released,

users turned to crowdsourcing for help, not the company.

Has crowdsourcing gone too far? Who really benefits? http://99designs.com/

(Charlene Li & Josh Bernoff: “Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies”)

(Image from http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/has-crowdsourcing-gone-too-far.html)

Analyzing Publics Demographics Psychographics Technology use

Social Technographics Profile

Social Technographics Profile•Social Technographics Profile Calculator

(Charlene Li & Josh Bernoff: “Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies”)

The Long Tail

Near infinite supply of products Demand for just about everything

We buy hits. But we also by “misses.”

(Chris Anderson, “The Long Tail: Why the

Future of Business Is Selling Less of More”)

(Photo by LaRae Donnellan)

The Long Tail

(From iaacblog.com)

98% Rule

Does the 80/20 Rule apply? Not in 24/7 digital world

98% Rule iTunes – Every track sold at least once. Netflix – 95% of films rented at least

once a quarter. Amazon.com – 98% of its top 100,000

books sold at least once a quarter.

(Image from http://technorati.com/blogging/article/want-to-know-why-apple-changed/)

3 Forces of the Long Tail

1. Make it• Desktop technologies• Professionals and amateurs competing

2. Get it out there • 24/7• Costs falling (clicks,

not bricks)

3. Help me find it• Aggregators & filters• Ratings

(Photo by LaRae Donnellan)

Aggregators & Filters

Amazon.comWhat Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?81% buy the item you viewed 7% buy this alternative 4% buy this alternative

THE LONG TAIL: WHY THE FUTURE OF... The Long Tail: Why the Future of...Hardcover by Chris Anderson MADE TO STICK: WHY SOME IDEAS SURVIVE... Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive...Hardcover by Chip Heath, Dan Heath WIKINOMICS: HOW MASS COLLABORATION... Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration...Hardcover by Don Tapscott, Anthony D...

Importance of Social Media

Social Media Revolution 2 When are most tweets sent?

4 p.m., Friday!