The Digital Discussion

Jan 19, 2010by Doug Lacombe, MBA

What is social media?

“Social media are online communications in which individuals shift fluidly and flexibly between the role of audience and author. To do this, they use social software that enables anyone without knowledge of coding, to post, comment on, share or mash up content and to form communities around shared interests.”

Joe Thornley, President and CEO Thornley-Fallis

Social media is an umbrella term for a wide variety of collaborative web-based software tools that encourage sharing and conversation.

Doug Lacombe, President and CEO communicatto

Definition continued

The Three Cs (or more)Content

Collaboration

Community

Other “Cs” include conversation, consistency, commerce, communication, and context.

Impact of social media

Societal implications

Strategic framework

The social media BUMPP

• Brand• Understand• Monitor• Policy• Participate

SERVICES AND PLATFORMSDon’t fall in love with the gizmos

Types of social media

Social media “mix”

Video didn’t kill radio

• Website

• Newsletter

• News releases

• Photos• MSM• Earned/

Paid

• Self-publishing

• Videos

• Events

• Social media

Integrated platform

Blog-centric approach

Social media etiquette

Cocktail party metaphor

Generosity

Attribute, credit, share and forward (RT)

Dialog not broadcast

Ratios: 3-1-1, 80/20

Twitter:

No auto-DMs, ever

No “CMJ”

Strongly consider no auto-follows

Profile and bio important; photo if possible, name(s), web link

CRISIS, DEFINITION

An unanticipated event or disclosure that threatens your organization’s reputation

(Shel Holtz, ABC)

Crisis examples

• OLD SCHOOL

• NEW SCHOOL

Google Analytics

Facebook Insights

Twitter Grader

Wordpress

Commercial solutions

• AND MANY MANY MORE!

Next steps

Reserve your organization’s name!http://www.namechk.com

Start monitoringhttp://google.ca/alerts, commercial options

Dip your toes in - low risk lurking

Liberate some content (YouTube?)

Start a Twitter account

Create social media guidelines & policy

Develop a social media strategy that dovetails with your communications, marketing, advertising, and crisis plans

QUESTIONS?

Doug Lacombe, MBAdoug@communicatto.comwww.communicatto.com

403.988.0791