How to Brainstorm a

Successful Social Media

Strategy in your Company

 Confused?
Then read on!!!
Before we Begin

 Warning ! - This slide show is not intended to

tell you how important Social Media is, there are plenty
of other presentations out there doing a better job.


What F**K Are Social Media



Blogs, Tubes, Twitters and More


Who is this Presentation for?
People who are puzzled about how to make


Social Media work for their company.




Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/asylum_collectibles/


Applying Social Media to Business

Overcome the Challenge ! It’s not



limited to helping you make more money!




Applying Social Media to Business

The potential of Social Media to improve



the way we communicate has far wider

implications to generate business value!

Applying Social Media to Business

Setting up a good Social Media experience



requires you to become a ‘communication

architect’ through:


 Good design – a rich user experience

 Creative problem solving – finding alignment
to user requirements
 Providing the right tools - to involve the
user and develop the community
 Empowering the right people – to give them
the opportunity to communicate



Users + Conversation = Network

A Social Media strategy is about empowering the



conversation and involving the user.



Grasp this concept and the opportunities are



huge!!



How to Build the Conversation

So how do you create a conversation that’ s

sustainable?

Simple:
Create good experiences
Social Experiences
Design conversations
.... And relationships
Implementing Social Media: The
Common Mistake

Most companies focus on the technology –

and don’t try to understand the
behaviours or needs of their:
Customers – the end users
Employees - the implementers
Not Suprising When There’ s so
Much Choice in Technology!!

Photo credit: Brian Solis Social Media Prism

Ever Heard the One About a Bad
Workman Blaming his Tools?

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ljr69/3074367811/

What this Presentation Will Do


 Tell you to read a great book called

Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh
Bernoff
 Collect the great ideas from this book
 Give you a simple Brainstorming tool to
adapt to your circumstances.



The Important First Step: Read

So lets start! – Buy the book and read it. Then look


at your business and start to talk about the challenges

you face.
Key Points from Groundswell

Point 1: The 4 Step Planning Process



 People –What are the customer/employees

ready for?
 Objectives – What are the goals for the
Social Media project?
 Strategy – How do you want relationships
with your customers to change?
 Technology – What applications should you
build or buy?
K e y Po in ts fro m G ro u n d sw e ll
Point 2 : Social Technographic Profile - how
your potential customer base uses Social
Media.
Creators – create content
Critics – review and comment

Collectors – Tag, RSS, Bookmark

Joiners – Visit or join Social
Networks
Spectators – Read, watch and
listen
Inactives- non of the above
 Key Points from Groundswell
Point 3: Customer orientated objectives:


 Listening – Understanding your

customer
 Talking – Spreading your message
 Energizing – Word of mouth
 Supporting – Get your customers to
support each other
 Embracing – Integrate your customer
into your business



What Social Media Could do for
your Company
With your Colleagues:
 Contributing & Involving – allowing people to
collaborate more effectively
 Liberating – accessing knowledge resources
 Recruiting & Branding – joining your cause or
brand

All these objectives offer significant business value

and a competitive advantage!




Measuring the impact of Social
Media
Influence:


Engagement:



 Still Confused?

Photo credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/okinreport/

Problem Solving Social Media
Strategy

 Its practical time – so lets start

talking about your business context!



The Social Media Brainstorming Model


 Before implementing any form of Social Media project

use this ’Brainstorming’ tool


 It sets thinking into three critical parts:



 The Steps Questions – identifies the steps to implement

a Social Media idea
 The Support Questions – identifies the internal support
and culture your company needs in order to Brainstorm any
Social Media idea
 Evaluation Questions – reviews your new perspective on
the opportunity and helps you select the best options



 The Brainstorming Model

Your Social Your Company: Starting the Your Social

Media Idea Brainstorming Conversation Media
Project

The Steps Questions

The Evaluatio
Idea or Opportunity n
Need Evaluation Questions

The Support Questions

 The Steps Questions


 Questions that define the what, why and how of

implementing your Social Media idea:


 What is the outcome we want?

 Why are we doing this?
 How are we going to do this and who should be
involved?
 Why are we doing it this way?
 The Steps Questions

What – is the outcome you want?

Why – are we doing this?

ST
EP How & Who – the practical steps?
S
Why - are we doing it this way?

The Idea or
Need Opportunity Evaluation
 Examples of Questions

The following are some ideas of

questions you could ask using ‘The
Steps Questions’ headings
 What?
The Steps – What is the Outcome

THE STEPS
Why?

we Want to Achieve? How?

Why?

Defines the outcome you want .

What are we looking to achieve with this Social Media idea?

Can we easily write it and communicate it as a short slogan?
What business value will be added?
What objectives are related to this goal e.g. Talking,
Listening, etc?
Are they simple and measurable so you know when you’ve got
there?

NB - Remember to return to this section later after as things can

change once you have started the investigation.
 The Steps – Why are we Doing What?

THE STEPS
This? Why?

How?

Why?

Questions your Goal and your Objectives

Are they suitable?

Is this best we can achieve?
Why are these objectives suitable?
Why are we not doing this already?

NB - Remember to return to this section later after as things can

change once you have started the investigation.
 What?
The Steps – How are we going to

THE STEPS
Why?

do this & Who is involved? How?

Why?

Identify and understand who is the customer .

Who is this idea for?

What is the social technical profile of your user/customer?
Examines how they are using social media, i.e. is the target
demographic people collectors, joiners, etc.

What are the user/customer requirements i.e. Product

requirements for social media idea for assessing customer
requirements backed up by evidence.
 What?
The Steps – How are we going to

THE STEPS
Why?

do this & Who is involved? How?

Why?

Identify and understand who is the implementer .

Who should be involved in this idea?

Who are our talent resources?
Who feels passionately about this?
Who is most likely to be affected or impacted?
Do we have the right people?
 What?
The Steps – How are we going to

THE STEPS
Why?

do this & Who is involved? How?

Why?

Investigates what you need to do .

How do we implement this idea?

What are the related processes/systems/technologies that are
already working within our company?
What areas are we lacking learning in?
How do we choose the technology i.e. buy, build or Joint
Venture?
What new processes and systems training do we need?
Can we set up a test or experiment to investigate, if so how?
 What?
The Steps – How are we going to

THE STEPS
Why?

do this & Who is involved? How?

Why?

Defines the Conversation Architecture .

How do we design the conversation?

What design features do we include?
Where and how do we include them?
How do we make it positive user experience?
How do we encourage collaboration?
What are the incremental tests we can run to develop learning?
 What?
The Steps – How are we going to

THE STEPS
Why?

do this & Who is involved? How?

Why?

Investigates the business case .

How do we define the perceived value/impact of the idea?

How should we measure performance?
How do we measure the influence?
How do we measure engagement?
How should we identify and deal with potential risks?
Technical? – i.e. Cost/complexity issues
User/customer? – i.e. Negative commentary on products or
services
Employee? – i.e. Impact of improper communication
Competitor? – i.e. Copying us better
Market? – i.e. Wrong technology for the market
Financial? – i.e. Cost vs benefit (intangible benefit such as
branding)
 What?
The Steps – Why are we Doing it

THE STEPS
Why?

this Way? How?

Why?

Justifies the choices .

Have we examined the end user/customer experience?

Is this the best way of doing things?
Are we choosing the right people?
Are we managing our risk?
Is there a sustainable business case?
 The Support Questions


 Questions that identify the agreements, ideas, culture you need

to support your Social Media idea.


 What is the outcome we want?

 Why are we doing this?
 How do we create the energy and commitment and who
is going to do this?
 Why are we doing it this way?
 The Support Questions

The Idea or
Need Opportunity Evaluation

SU What – is the outcome we want?

PP
Why – are we doing this?
OR
T How & Who – creating the energy & commitment?

Why – are we doing it this way?

 Examples of Questions

The following are some ideas of

questions you could ask using ‘The
Support Questions’ headings
 What?

THE SUPPORT
Support – What is the Outcome Why?

you Want? How?

Why?

Defines Social Media strategy .

What do we do or potentially do that fits with Social

Media?
What fits with our culture and what would we like to
achieve?
Can we define this with a simple slogan?
What Social Media seems most appropriate i.e. Blog, wiki,
etc?
What are the objectives for the strategy?
Are they simple and measurable so you know when you’ve got
there?

NB - Remember to return to this section later after as things can

change once you have started the investigation.
 What?

THE SUPPORT
The Support – Why are we Doing Why?

This? How?

Why?

Questions your Strategy towards Social Media .

Is this best we can achieve?

Is there be a perceived cost benefit awareness?
Is Social Media relevant to all our customers/stakeholders?
Is this relevant our industry or market?
Why are we not doing this already?

NB - Remember to return to this section later after as things can

change once you have started the investigation.
 The Support – How are we going What?

THE STEPS
to create the energy and Why?

commitment? How?

Why?

Understand how your stakeholders are using Social Media

technology .

Who are the company stakeholders?

Which stakeholders are using Social Media?
How are they using Social Media technology to communicate?
How could this be improved?

Who are the champions?

Who are our talent resources for Social Media?
Do we have the right people?
Do they have the capabilities and competencies?
 The Support – How are we going What?

THE STEPS
to create the energy and Why?

commitment? How?

Why?

Keeping an eye on the future .

How should we scan for technology possibilities?

How do we develop the right sensing process to keep uptodate?
How do we improve communication about the latest Social Media
ideas?
What is the selection process?

How should we scan for changes in customer or user behaviour?

 The Support – How are we going What?

THE STEPS
to create the energy and Why?

commitment? How?

Why?

Encourage Participation .

How do we consistently design the conversation with our employees and

managers?
How do we encourage participation?
Have we identified their real motivations and interests?
Can they be aligned to particular forms of Social Media?
Are there any gaps or challenges in achieving their interests?
What are managements understanding and attitudes?
Are they aware of Social Media and how do we get their
support?
 The Support – How are we going What?

THE STEPS
to create the energy and Why?

commitment? How?

Why?

Align culture & values .

How do we make Social Media relevant and interesting for our

colleagues?
Do we have the right level of management support?
Are our people interested in Social Media?
Which groups or departments are most interested?
Which aspect of Social Media are engaging and if so why?
How do we improve on this?
 The Support – How are we going What?

THE STEPS
to create the energy and Why?

commitment? How?

Why?

Manage your competencies and develop new capabilities

How do we identify, acquire & develop relevant Social Media skills?

What systems and procedure do we have for promoting new
learning?
Are we scared to fail?
How do we encourage experimentation?
How should we document and how should we spread learning?
 The Support – How are we going What?

THE STEPS
to create the energy and Why?

commitment? How?

Why?

Create benefit & cost awareness .

Can we easily spot when we are succeeding/failing?

How do we set-up flexible Social Media performance management
systems that:
Keep up with the customer
Reward good performance
Monitor our communication and keep things on
track
Communicate the value added (tangible, non
tangible)
How do we share these results?
 What?

THE STEPS
Support – Why are we doing it Why?

this way? How?

Why?

Justifies the choices you made during scoping the How and
the Who

Have we examined our people?

Have we got our eye on the future?
Have we empowered and involved the right people?
What fits with our culture?
Have we got a useful performance management and rewards
system?
Have we got the right learning structures in place to develop
new skills?
 Evaluating the Opportunity

Steps Questions Examined

The Idea or Evaluation

Need Opportunity Examined Questions

Support Questions Examined

The Evaluation Questions!

1. Is this Right or Wrong for us?

2. How best to implement?
3. What do we need to do?
3. What changes do we need to make?
 Tips on Using the Model

1 . Set up a steering group - try and identify

the people that have an interest in the
technology
2 . Involve the young – they have the greatest idea
of the latest technologies
3 . Involve senior management – they have the
greatest power to support an initiative
4 . Keep Checking Back - You may need to work
through the model several times with your
colleagues as the discussions are likely to yield
new and important information
5 . Always Focus on the Why – always ask yourself
why are we doing it this way, is this right for
us, them, the conversation, etc?
Why?: the Mother of All Questions

NB - Remember: things go wrong when you



play with her kids without asking!

Still Confused?

The bottom line is


“Social Media is a tool . It joins Television, Radio,
Pony Express, Smoke Signals, Post it Notes, Flyers, Text,
Bluetooth, Outdoor, Cave Drawings, Tattoos, Letters, Cable,
Satellite Radio, Sign Language, CB, Mobile, etc. as forms of
media that humans create to communicate.”
“Each is unique. None replaces another, or causes any other form

of media to become obsolete.” – Quote from gryzm at-

http://www.slideshare.net/mzkagan/what-the-fk-social-media
  Recapping The Steps

What?

How? Why?

Why?
  Recapping The Support

What?

How? Why?

Why?
Recommendations for Implementing
Social Media
 Use the Brainstorming model for scoping
 Start small and iterate (learn through small
failures)
 Think through consequeces
 Find a champion and get senior management
support
 Always look to build in some form of
performance measurment system
 Take care while selecting partners
Avoid the Deadly Sins of Social
Marketing
When communicating online with your customers:


 Don’t be a spammer
 Don’t be a stranger
 Don’t be noise
 Don’t be lazy
 Don’t be fake
 Don’t be selfish
Only Fools Rush In

AVOID the temptation.




Engagement & Trust

If you want buy-in for your idea you need



engagement with your customers and your

colleagues.


Engagement comes from trust you build through



creating a sustained conversation.



Technology is the enabler – but the



conversation is the essential human element.




About the Author


Ben Johnson
UK Key Account and Business Development Manager at
Preview Networks .


This presentation is for his MBA so please comment on slideshare:

Email: ben@previewnetworks.com

Call +4531370672

 YOUR FEEDBACK WOULD BE GRATELY APPRECIATED!



 Preview Networks
 Preview Networks is a leading international video content aggregator that enables film
distributors to get their content on the web, mobile and other digital media outlets.
Play Networks serves as the single point of contact between the content owners and
media (websites, portals, blogs, social networks etc.) by providing a centralized
distribution and reporting platform. Play is used by more than 90 % of all the film
distributors in Germany, UK, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, France Spain
and Switzerland with clients and partners including Fox, Universal, Sony, Disney,
Warner, MSN, MTV, Blockbuster and other major media partners. Preview was founded in
Copenhagen in 2004, and is venture backed by Sunstone Capital.  The company has local
sales teams in ten markets and is rapidly  moving into new territories.
