So what’s so important about online communities ebriks infotech

A Presentation About Community,

By The Community

Image credit: http://dicksdaily.co.uk/

SO WHAT’S SO IMPORTANT ABOUT ONLINE COMMUNITIES?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pogonophobia/

Source: Future Foundation: Entertainment Futures 2007 Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kicey/

SOCIAL IS BECOMING A

PART OF ALL MEDIA

STREAMS

Social dimensions are paramount to most people

…and most forms of entertainment

“The desire to be part of a group that shares, cooperates, or acts in concert is a

basic human instinct.” Clay Shirky

Media brands are increasingly defined less by the platform and more by the community

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EMPOWERED USERS, UNLIMITED CHOICE

Everyone is a media owner

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THE RELATIONSHIP IS NO LONGER LINEAR

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In the old days,

hierarchy was

the network

http://www.flickr.com/photos/splorp/

Charles Frith, Punk Planning, Bangkok…http://www.charlesfrith.com/

“The other guys think

the purpose of communication is to

get information.

We think the purpose of

information is to

foster communication.”Mark Zuckerberg, CEO Facebook

http://www.flickr.com/photos/differentperspective/114394347/

Jason Oke, Director, Strategic Planning, Juniper Park, Canada…http://jasonoke.wordpress.com/

The internet is for people.

For people to form groups

Groups with shared purposes

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WE HAVE TO RELEARN WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW

SO WHAT’S THE BIG SECRET?

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ONLINE COMMUNITIES CAN BE A PUZZLE

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"Over and over again, connecting people with one

another is what lasts online. Some folks thought

it was about technology, but it's not.“

Seth Godin

Image: http://www.gapingvoid.com/

UNTIL YOU REMEMBER THAT IT’S NOT ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY

“It’s about relationships”

Andrew Rogers, Head of User Content Development, RBI…http://engagement101.blogspot.com/

“At some point the anonymity of the internet transformed into a social networking

clearinghouse of daily minutiae…and most of us willingly opted in, choosing the ease

and comfort of virtual intimacy over a lonely existence of real world disconnectedness”

(The Psychology of Sharing, Scott Lachut)

Image: Wollas (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wollas/2571298396/

Jon Howard, Strategy Director, Quietstorm …http://jonhoward.typepad.com/livingbrands/

AND BEING HUMAN

Facu Medina, Argentina…http://www.alwaystrytogowithsomethingelse.blogspot.com/

AND BEING HUMAN

Communities are like dysfunctional families.

Dysfunction is natural, not abnormal.

Stanley Johnson, Senior Creative, Wunderman,

AND BEING HUMAN

Online communities aren’t like the real world, they ARE the real world.

Being authentic and polite are the ONLY ways operate

As people change, so will the online communities they form - being

right isn’t important, but being right there is

Predicting how we form and shape our communities online is

impossible. But it is safe to say that the future will be awesome.

Sam Ismail, Digital

Higher repeat visits

More repeat custom

More loyal users

More loyal customers

Higher levels of interaction

More opportunities to interactMore useful site

Better customer experience

More content

More feedback, ideas

More traffic

More people talking about

your brand

More links

More word-of-mouth referrals

More authority

Something worth talking about

THE VIRTUOUS CIRCLE

SO HOW CAN I CREATE A

COMMUNITY?

WRONG

QUESTION

“Communities already exist. Instead, think about how you

can help that community do what it wants to do”

Mark Zuckerberg

Blog Her/Compass Partners 2008 Social Media Study

UNDERSTAND THAT MOTIVATIONS ARE DIFFERENT

Listen when online communities speak : they often perform the role of an oracle

Photo credit: John William Waterhouse, ‘Consulting the Oracle’, 1884 (reproduction of original painting)

Anjali Ramachandran, Strategist, Made By many, http://one-size-fits-one.blogspot.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/twenty_questions/

AND ACT ON THEIR FEEDBACK

AND GET STUCK IN

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Encourage discussion, be a part of it

Community is not a place. It’s about people.

People own their communities: brands don’t.

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Katy Lindemann - Naked Communications - kitschbitch.com

The community decides. You don’t

“One part anarchy, one part aristocracy,

one part democracy, one part monarchy”

Jimmy Wales on the Wikipedia Community

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vhata/

91 90

Every community has super-users – high authority, highly active

Know who they are

‘enabling’

networks

social

networks,

blogging

software etc

super users

sidekicks

citizens

lower

profile

content

generators

Gemma Teed, Strategic Planner, Brahm …

BUT COMMUNITY HAS LAYERS, RESPECT THEM ALL

BECAUSE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF COMMUNITIES

COMES FROM OUR UNDERSTANDING OF PEOPLE

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Pic by skeddy in NYC on Flickr (CC Licence)

If you want to know what technology will change the world, watch young mothers and don't watch

teenage boys - young mothers have no time for any technology that isn't useful and doesn't work.

Clay Shirky, 2005

Dan Thornton, Bauer…http://thewayoftheweb.net/

THE RAPIDLY CHANGING ROLE OF CONTENT

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Media owners shouldn’t lose sight of what they’re really good at: Delivering content

BUT THE VALUE EQUATION IS CHANGING

Content = Attention

Content, tools, services= Attention,

participation,

interaction, content

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Graeme Wood, Client Planning Director, Zed Media ... http://graewood.blogspot.com/

“Content isn't king.. If I sent you to a desert island and gave you the

choice of taking your friends or your movies, you'd choose your friends --

if you chose the movies, we'd call you a sociopath. Conversation is king.

Content is just something to talk about”

Cory Doctorow

SO CONTENT IS NO LONGER KING, IT IS NOW THE ENABLER

SO SUCCESS WORKS DIFFERENTLY

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Make it as easy as possible for your fans to find it and spread the word

If the web is a mass of conversations,

then get talked about

Create content and services that are worth passing on

CREATE CONTENT THAT IS REMARKABLE

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ADD VALUE

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"In the past you were what you owned. Now you are what you share."

Charles Leadbeater – We Think

It’s like having a beer with millions. Still need

a good gag or a story for anyone to care.

How Community Engagement Models work:

Brand BenefitInformation and

Reduced cost to Serve

BRAND

NARRATIVE

(Being interesting)

DATA

THROUGH DIGITAL

CHANNELS

Leading to

Behavior Change

Customer Benefit

Involvement

BRAND

UTILITY

(Being Useful)

VIDEO DIDN’T KILL THE RADIO STAR

…BUT SOCIAL MEDIA HAS CHANGED

COMMUNICATIONS FOR GOOD

• 3 million online donors

• 6.5 million online donations …$500m

• Almost 2x as much as McCain

• Of these 6m were $100 or less

• Average online donation $80

http://www.flickr.com/photos/picturesofthings/3009655146/

Mobilising Offline And On

4.8 million facebook fans

200,000 events

500,000 blog posts

35,000 volunteer groups

The “Purpose Idea”: What are you for?

Mark Earls, Author of HERD…http://herd.typepad.com/

COMMUNITIES CAN AFFECT REAL, POSITIVE CHANGE

Daniella’s story

http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2009/01/neighbors-neighborhoods.html

Thousands of people from around the world create, upload, share, discuss and purchase original LEGO creations online every day

They probably wouldn’t all fit around this table

http://www.flickr.com/photos/misbehave/

Willem van der Horst, Strategist, iris Digital…http://icecream4everyone.blogspot.com/

The Power of Online Communities

The Power of Online Co mutinies

Dell HellMotrin Moms Whole Foods

Disclosure

Apple Stock

Crash

Ian Fitzpatrick, Almighty, Boston, Massachusetts (http://weblog.hvyset.com)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamshots/

So What About You?

3. It means you get digital…the nuances and potential of social media.

And how it works. Because you’re doing it, not looking at it.

5. But most of all, it shows you’re bothered. You have an opinion. You’re not afraid

to express it. You're passionate about your subject. And real passion is rare indeed.

4. It’s by far the best way to network

FIRESTARTERS: 5 REASONS BLOGGING IS WORTH IT

1. You start fires. Blogging forces you to come up with new stuff. To be interesting.

2. It means you understand the value of connection. And are connected.

To great thinking and other interesting people.

Eaon Pritchard, Head of Digital, Geronimo … http://www.eaonpritchard.blogspot.com/

Andy Hunter, Reboot Strategy, Austin TX. http://experiencefreak.com/blog/

Without online communities my

brain would starve

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spinksy/2951033544/in/set-72157607291515677/

IT’S ABOUT BEING GENEROUS WITH YOURSELF

http://thisisindexed.com/

THE MORE GENEROUS YOU ARE, THE MORE YOU GET BACK

Quote: Paul Arden “It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be”

So there you have it

Thousands of pounds worth of consultancy…freely given.

That’s how community works.

Particular and public thanks to all those who have contributed to

make this presentation what it is.

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