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Managing Relations with Tech-fluential Bloggers. December, 2005. Who are E -fluentials?. E- fluentials frequently:. Send e-mails to companies Send e-mails to politicians Send e-mails to well-known news and media companies Make friends online Make business contacts online
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Managing Relations withTech-fluential Bloggers December, 2005
Who are E-fluentials? E-fluentialsfrequently: • Send e-mails to companies • Send e-mails to politicians • Send e-mails to well-known news and media companies • Make friends online • Make business contacts online • Provide feedback to Web sites • Forward news and Web site information to others • Participate in chat rooms • Post to bulletin boards • Post to newsgroups • Post to listservs Note: Cluster analysis--RoperASW/Burson-Marsteller surveys, 1999, 2001 Also analyzed in Burson-Marsteller 2003 surveys
They are e-fluentials who are also: Product purchase influencers Technology explorers and enthusiasts Peer advisors Seamless work and family connectors Information transmitters Trend-setters Heavy Internet users Super-connected home owners Home-entertainment enthusiasts Bloggers This in turn makes them: Chief opinion leaders Information spreaders Highly active and engaged Internet users Knowledge hunters and gatherers Futurists Fast and mobile Accessible online and offline Design-conscious Function- and quality-focused shoppers Community-oriented citizens Who are Tech-fluentials?
Tech-fluentials Use New Technologies To Spread Messages • Tech-fluentials express themselves online and solicit feedback from others. • 33% of tech-fluentials have blogs. “Between 2 and 7% of U.S. Internet users have their own blogs.” (Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2004)
Tech-fluential Bloggers Publish Online and Offline • Tech-fluential bloggers are more likely to feel they make a difference by sharing information. • They are also more inclined to share their expertise by publishing.
Tech-fluential Bloggers Tell A Positive Experience Through… • Tech-fluential bloggers are more likely than their counterparts to spread positive word of mouth • through IM and discussion boards.
Tech-fluential Bloggers Tell A Negative Experience Through… • Tech-fluential bloggers are more likely than their counterparts to spread negative word of mouth • through IM, discussion boards and opinion Web sites.
Tech-fluential Bloggers Will Pay Premium Price for Quality & Function *Most important when buying technology products.
Tech-fluential Bloggers Are Politically Aware • Tech-fluential bloggers are more than twice as likely as their counterparts to e-mail politicians.
Why Communicate with Tech-fluential Bloggers? • They are perceived as credible sources. • They fuel word-of-mouth organically. • They are conscientious citizens who set the political/social agenda for others. • They will write about your new products and comment on your brand. • They will visit your company Web site to get more information.
How To Identify Tech-fluential Bloggers • Review your stakeholder groups: • Who are your key audiences internally, externally? • How do you communicate with them? • Do you have contact information for them? Opt-in lists? • Who visits your Web site? Links to your company blog? • Research your audience: • Consider surveying those stakeholders who receive your newsletters, read your brochures or attend your conferences. Invite them to focus groups. Interview them in-person. • Develop questions that capture social influence. • Probe respondents on their use of technology and reliance on word-of-mouth. • Ask them about their communication habits: Do they write/read blogs? • Use multiple blog search engines: • Create smart search terms and use Technorati, Google Blogsearch, Blogpulse to see who is already talking about your company. • Listen to those who click on “contact-us” sections: • Follow up with personal, detailed responses • Do not delay your response
Monitor blogging and other user-generated media activity. Contact bloggers individually. Avoid being cast as blog spam. E-mail bloggers, rather than posting comments to their entries. Understand that they may post the information in your e-mail. Be candid. Note your corporate affiliation. Provide clear and well-founded facts. Refer to independent, third-party sources. Admit mistakes and correct misstatements. Respect those that do not agree with your point of view. If the topic cannot be fully addressed in an e-mail or a post, then devote a special section on company Web site and refer audiences to this area. State what you cannot disclose publicly. For employee blogs, devise a policy defining the rules of communication. Communicating with Tech-fluential Bloggers
Check List for Tech-fluential Communications ______ Identify ______Monitor ______Solicit feedback ______Feed information ______ Maintain relationships online/offline
Thank You! Idil Cakim Director, Knowledge Development idil_cakim@nyc.bm.com