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Navigating the Social Media Maze. IABC/Houston ESIG June 12, 2008. Today’s Panel. Pam McConathy Principal Foresight Communications Group Alan Deeter Account Director Spur Digital Christy Lee Account Manager Storyteller Communications. Program Outline. Introductions
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Navigating the Social Media Maze IABC/Houston ESIG June 12, 2008
Today’s Panel • Pam McConathy Principal Foresight Communications Group • Alan Deeter Account Director Spur Digital • Christy Lee Account Manager Storyteller Communications
Program Outline • Introductions • Background/History Social Media • Some Social Media Tools • Changing Communications Landscape • Context for Communicators • Examples and Case Studies • Takeaways
The Changing Media Landscape • Declining print readership • Shifting focus of broadcast outlets • Audiences moving to online information sources • Emergence of mobile and global media market • Outlets are sharing stories = fewer story slots • Smaller, overworked, confused staffs • The age of “infotainment” • Growth of Social Media – blogging, shared information sites, online communities
IBM’s Social Media Lab Studying social networking in-house (2 yrs): • Dogear (like Del.icio.us) social bookmarking • Blue Twit (like Twitter) microblogging • Beehive (like Facebook) 30,000 users and top executives Drivers: • Global company; 400,000 employees • Social tools enable personal connections • Help strengthen far-flung teams • Recruiting and retention • Competition • Leadership positioning Goal: Boost sharing of knowledge and expertise, and ultimately innovation
More Examples Best Buy • Blue Shirt Nation (employee social networking) British Telecom • Wikis (Wikipedia technology) • Write software, map cell-phone base stations, launch branding campaigns • Company spots teams that form organically, find idea generators
Recap: Takeaway Tips • Assess needs/preferences of your audiences; organization temperature • Experiment yourself and learn • Work within client/company limitations • Accept transition (it’s messy) • Align efforts with organizational goals • Use the right tools for the job • Champion effective communications first; social media tools, second
Self-Branding/Marketing • LinkedIn • Twitter • Facebook • MySpace
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. — Charles Darwin
BusinessWeek.com (June 2, 2008 issue) prfirms.org ragan.com wikipedia.com wired.com many-eyes.com Blog and Be Heard “Bayou City ESIGGER;” Post Your “Top Three” http://houstonesig.x.iabc.com Sources