Using YouTube to IncreaseSocial Capital in BusinessHow Cards R Us Can Benefit

Agenda

Cards R Us Cards R Us Would Like To… About YouTube Features of YouTube Power of YouTube Dark Side of YouTube Cards R Us + YouTube YouTube Samples 1 and 2 Wrap Up

Cards R Us

Exclusive line of rubber stamps, inks and accessories for handmade cards, scrapbooking and other craft projects

In business 20 years and recognized leader in crafting industry

Sells products through demonstrators (Card Sharks) and Internet

Cards R Us

Target market: Educated women, aged 25-39, in rural and urban environments

Survey: 88 percent are computer literate and 60 percent have Facebook account

Survey: Potential new market of 14-19 year-old women

Cards R Us Would Like To…

Increase market share from 30 percent to 38 percent

Increase key product sales

Increase market access

Increase number of product demonstrations by Card Sharks

Help customers share creative ideas

Become an educational leader in the crafting world

About YouTube Bought by Google in 2006

3rd most-visited social media site in the U.S., after MySpace and Facebook

9.62 percent of social media market share

~100 million U.S. viewers each month

Features of YouTube

Upload, view and share videos

Create channels, showcasing video content of their choosing

Sample Embed YouTube content in profile pages on

Facebook, MySpace, Hi5 and Bebo

Sample

Features of YouTube

Tag and replay content on demand

Commenting feature

User-generated content

No registration process (easily accessible)

Power of YouTube

Social media “can deliver measurable progress towards significant, strategic business goals” (Bernoff & Li, 2008, p. 38).

Cost-effective, especially in relation to TV

Enables new ways to connect with customers via a customer-driven, bottom-up strategy and creative new ways to redefine relationships with brands

Increases brand-building opportunities

Power of YouTube

Commenting feature promotes dialogue and ‘friending’ practices, which creates or reinforces social capital

Sample Opportunities to provide feedback, expand

network of users, recruit Card Sharks and make sales

Dark Side of YouTube

Grainy, amateurish and poorly executed content

Potential for negative comments

Content creation and consumption can be chaotic

Inhibited search abilities

Spoof marketing and debunking videos

Copyright infringement, language and geographic restrictions, attracting viewers, sense of novelty rather than longevity, and how to monetizing free video content

Cards R Us + YouTube

Audiences want authentic content

Customers want friendships (strong ties), acquaintances (weak ties) and sense of belonging (bridging ties)

Disseminating product information and demonstrations will

Build skills of customer base Leverage social capital Increase sales

Cards R Us + YouTube Cards R Us can post demonstrations on a

branded YouTube channel, and encourage Card Sharks and regular customers to do same

Viewers can comment on demonstrations, which strengthens ties, and share favorite demonstrations on preferred social networks

YouTube Sample #1 Carolyn Crafter

Card Shark since 1999

Top Cards R Us demonstrator, most popular booth in annual convention

High demand for her to share her skills Carolyn Crafter Link

YouTube Sample #2

Three teenage girls

Customers of Cards R Us

Desire to be on YouTube and share knowledge Three Girls Link

Wrap Up

Questions?

Comments?