A Girl Geek’s Guide to Social Networking for Business

Nottingham, 22nd June 2009

Susi O’NeillDigital Consultant

What I will cover:

• The history of social networking• Why it is important• How does it work?• Success strategies for using social networks – personal and clients• Social media I like and why

My background:Digital content producer, online marketing & website manager 2000-6

Currently consultant to digital industries and advisor to business/public sector on all things digital

“It’s all about the conversation”

Social media: History

Popular music is “Social Cement”Adorno, 1941

“Achieving conventional goals, such as profits and joy, with unconventional methods, such as investing energy instead of money” (gmarketing.com)

Social media is a new name for an old thing

Guerilla Marketing Today

Usenet Newsroup, established 1981 (now Google Groups)

YaBB Bulletin board, July 2000

“When we change how we communicate, we change society.”

Clay Shirky, ‘Here Comes Everybody”

2007: The Tipping Point

Web 2.0

Big brands are using social media as far-reaching, low-cost marketing tools

Social media: How does it work?

How does social media marketing work?

SAVANTS

ENTHUSIASTS

CASUALS

LURKERS

Online Communities

Source: Pete Ashton, www.ash-10.com

What’s the point of online communities?

But aren’t all networks social?

Social media: Why is it

important?

• Technorati tracks over 70 million blogs • Over 1.4 million new blog posts every day• Wikipedia: 2.9 Million articles in English• YouTube: 100 Million videos• Second Life: 1.5 Million residents

Success strategies:Personal/

own business

• Gain profile (frequency strategy)• Share knowledge to be seen as an expert• Solve your problems/solve others problems• Informal talk to build trusted relationships• Small time-blocks for long-term investment

•Seed and share•Add value•Have fun•Value your time

When social networking goes wrong:

the twitter v FedEx saga

Success strategies:selling to clients

They don’t get it #1: Twitter to a non-user

They don’t get it #2: Why?

•Their peers aren’t using it (Twitter and teens)•It’s confusing•It’s time consuming•Not sure about the purpose•It doesn’t add bottom line value (email marketing transactions 3 x more effectives at conversion than social media (source: e-dialog pan European study, 2009)

They don’t get it #3: Diagnostic

•See where social media can add short-cuts and benefits, not more work

•Propose a solution based on need, not technology

•Sell the fun aspects – autonomy

Social media I like

My recent social media activities:

Social media I like #1: Created In Birmingham

http://creativenotts.wordpress.com

Subtle plug: Creative Notts Blog

http://theblackapple.typepad.com

Social media I like #2: Inside a Black Apple

http://dmexnetwork.ning.com

Social media I like #3: Ning

http://www.linkedin.com/answers

Social media I like #4: Linked In Answers

Social media I like #5: Facebook

Twitter research: What defines a ‘girl geek’?

My Girl Geek heroines

Delia Derbyshire Clara Rockmore

Thank you

Contact Me:

susi@digitalconsultant.co.uk

Tel: 07981 222799

Twitter: susioneillSkype: susi.oneill

Blog: www.digitalconsultant.co.uk