The Power of Social Networksas Storytelling Media

Presented byMatt Sabljak &

Jacqueline Zeledon

Hi, I’m Matt SabljakFirst question: Who cares?I am NOT a social media guru or expert So what did I bring to the table?I am a storyteller. In the last year I have…

Produced a short filmCo-founded a company that creates multimedia

stories onlineCo-founded a live storytelling event series in

Milwaukee

Storytelling & Social MediaWhat are social media?Definition: all the different tools online that

allow users to interact with each otherWhere did it all begin?

Chat roomsMessage boardsLeave a comment or review

Most popular nowFacebook – over 500 million active users worldwide MySpace – 66 million Twitter – 190 million

Storytelling & Social MediaWhat are people saying about social media?Critics: It’s a waste of time. I don’t care what

kind of sandwich my friend just made.Marketers: It’s difficult to measure the impact of

social media campaigns. Fans: It’s an amazing way to connect with

anybody I want, anywhere in the world, any time! Artists: I can engage my fans like never before. THE BOTTOM LINE: No consensus whatsoever.

Storytelling & Social MediaLike any new media, social media is…Scary: It has upset the status quo

Some people stand to make a lot of money… and they have: Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, is a 27-year-old

billionaire “The Social Network,” a major motion picture coming out this Fall

Some people stand to lose a lot of money… and they have Wikipedia all but killed Encyclopedia Britannica

Exciting: New possibilities!The Rise of The Prosumer: now anybody can produce &

broadcast media, not just consume itFlickr, YouTube, blogs

UnpredictableThink TV in the 50s vs. TV now

Storytelling & Social MediaWhat is the relevance to telling a story?BEFORE: Choose your medium

PrintRadioTelevisionFilm

NOW: Take your pickWords & PicturesAudio & MusicVideosGames

BEFORE: The medium restricts the messageNOW: The media liberate the message

Jacqueline ZeledonCommunications Manager5+ Years with BGCGM“The Duchess” of BGCGM’s Social Media

TeamMedia Queen—IMC Disciple

social media &the boys & girls clubs of greater milwaukee

presented by jacqueline zeledon & matt sabljak

Social Media is an Opportunity“Most companies see it as a threat. You

can see it as an opportunity.”Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li, two of Forrester

Research’s top analysts & authors of Groundswell

It is an opportunity to…Participate in a dynamic, two-way conversation

with your audience (i.e. B&G Clubs volunteers, members, & donors)

Tell the B&G Clubs story in a new & exciting way

MARKET!

A Revolutionary ChannelImagine if you could…

Broadcast as much video as you could shootPrint as many photos as you could takePublish as many stories as you could gatherConnect with thousands of people “one-on-one”Dynamically adjust your marketing messages

based on real-time feedback

SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT A BUZZ PHRASE;IT’S A MARKETING COMMUNICATION

TOOL

Facebook: Most Dominant Platform On Facebook, companies & organizations

can…Create an online persona or “page”Unite fans & critics alike“Eavesdrop” on conversations about their

brandsCommunicate directly about new products &

eventsCreate additional value around their brands

Other B&G Clubs are Using FacebookMost have fallen into the usual pitfalls, namely

relying on users to create valueNo overall strategySporadic updatesMostly just casual banter between members

The B&G Clubs of Milwaukee will be innovatorsResearched best practicesFormulated a cohesive strategy to create value

for all visitors

The B&G Clubs of MKE & FacebookWe will use Facebook to personify our

missionMembers (kids), employees, & volunteers will

have faces and voicesWe will create value by…

Regularly posting photos & short videosProviding updates about volunteer opportunities Linking to media hits about The Clubs &

membersResponding to questions & participating in

conversations with our “friends” & “fans”

Goals of our Facebook StrategyConnect and interact with donors,

volunteers, & alumniAccess and build awareness with

emerging donors (18-34 year-olds = core Facebook users)50 people as fans, 50% of photos/videos2% of Facebook fans visit our official Web

sitePromote upcoming events and

campaignsFundraise for specific events like

“Wrap Party”Be an innovator: strategic use of social

media

Social Media ConcernsWho’s responsible for creating the content?How much of a time investment will this

be?How will content be controlled?What about security?

5-Person Social Media team createdTeam meets twice monthly – shares daily

updating & posting responsibilities < 3 hours per week Only 4 removals (spammers) in a year

Our Facebook Goals and ResultsGOAL: 400 fansRESULT: Almost 1,400 fans to date

GOAL: 60% of posts get “liked”RESULT: Successful—photos get most

responses

GOAL: 5% of Facebook fans will visit BGCGM website

RESULT: 7% of Facebook fans go to website

Storytelling & Social MediaThere is some amazing stuff happeningTransmedia: stories told across multiple platforms:

The WebMobile DevicesTelevisionVideo GamesBooks, Comic Books, and MagazinesFilms

Now the audience becomes part of the story:

42 ENTERTAINMENT VIDEO: “WHY SO SERIOUS”

Storytelling & Social Media

“Why So Serious” = multimillion dollar campaign

However…

FREE SOCIAL MEDIA MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD TO WORK TOGETHER.

The Next Level for BGCGMPartner with Marquette University

“Digital Storytelling” ClassesMini-documentaries about standout BGC

membersCreate more value for Facebook fans

Expand OutreachDrive donors to Virtual Online Toy Drive