Junior League of Washington: Social Media Plan
This presentation lays out how the Junior League of Washington could more effectively incorporate current social media tools in its efforts to reach members and the community.
Preparing for New Types of Literacy
Putting the Public Back in Public Relations – How the PR Industry Must Adapt to Changing Media
Social media has drastically changed how people connect, stay in touch and share information with one another. As interactive websites and user generated content flood the internet, businesses must find new ways of attracting and engaging consumers. Putting the Public Back in Public Relations by Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakenridge is about the evolution of the public relations industry in the face of these new communications technologies.
The underlying theme of the book is how to optimize the field of public relations through PR 2.0, a concept which Solis developed in the mid-1990s. PR 2.0 is the applications of new Internet and other social media technologies to find, communicate to, and interact with your target audiences directly. Solis and Breakenridge lay out their ideas on the value of PR 2.0 and the future of effective public relations strategies in five main sections of their book. In the first section, they begin by comparing the old method of public relations – communicating “to” audiences rather than “with” audiences – versus the new, more responsive and interactive method of PR 2.0. They continue by highlighting the new techniques that are important to the development of a successful PR 2.0 campaign, especially blogging, social media, and video. Next, the authors give guidance on how public relations professionals can achieve brand maximization in the often overwhelming sea of new media opportunities. They conclude their book by offering some essential ground rules for PR 2.0 given how informal Internet has made public relations messaging in today’s digital age, and outline a path for the future of PR in the 3.0+ world.
Solis and Breakenridge have clearly thought out what it means to be effective in 21st century public relations, and how any professional can take the ever-evolving concepts of PR 2.0 and use them to gain the critical feedback necessary to get your message out in the digital world. As they note, technology is constantly advancing and companies and public relations professionals will always be in a struggle to adapt and keep pace. A shift to social media based PR requires a shift in mindset from the old approach of controlling the message to a new paradigm of being engaged in the community, discussing and interacting with the audience you are ultimately trying to influence to gain valuable feedback. One telling anecdote was when Chris Anderson, the editor of Wired and author of The Long Tail, got so frustrated with the barrage of bad public relations professionals that he called them out on his blog for being lazy and response only to find that out other public relations professionals, rather than being defensive, actually agreed that the whole industry needed to better in the digital age. That seemed to me to be conclusive evidence of the authors’ point that the optimal way of doing PR 2.0 is communication with people, not at people.
The strategies and ideals of PR 2.0 appear to have particular relevance to a client like the Junior League of Washington. One of the JLW’s key strengths is that it is a member community based on volunteerism, and maximizing how it communicates its goals and events with existing and potential new members is essential to JLW’s growth and success. Since the JLW’s volunteers already self-selected, improving communications so that they incorporate the feedback of JLW’s target audience will only encourage existing members to get more involved and engaged, while also producing the positive word of mouth for new applicants to the JLW’s ranks.
The Long Tail – How New Technologies are Opening Doors for Niche Markets
New online technologies affect our lives in innumerable ways. In his book, The Long Tail, Wired magazine’s editor in chief Chris Anderson discusses how these technologies are opening doors for niche business markets. Central to Anderson’s theory of the changing business landscape is the Long Tail. In the past, the only products made and brought to market were the “hits,” those products following the established road to mass popularity and high revenue earnings. Hit makers staked large amounts of capital, talent, and their reputations on the success of these products. It was too risky to try wander into new territories they may not yield the same financial rewards. The resources needed to compete at this hit level also limited the number of products created. Stores, radio stations, and theaters used to distribute hits to the public are also limited in number and space in which to display products.
Anderson presents three forces that are responsible for the creation of the Long Tail. The first of these is the democratization of the tools of production. New technologies now enable amateurs to create video with their cell phones, bands to record their music, and ordinary people to express themselves on blogs. Producing no longer requires large capital investments or professional training, which has led to more products in the market. The second force is the democratization of the tools of distribution. Not only are people able to create, they are also able to share those creations with larger audiences. The third force is the connection between supply and demand. Previously, hits were pushed out to the mass public audience. The widening variety of new products appeal to different subsets of that mass public audience. Search filters and product recommendations allow individuals to seek out as well as be exposed to items further down the tail.
The 80/20 Rule refers to the old business standard that 20 percent of the products sold account for 80 percent of the profits. Anderson suggests that the Long Tail will equalize these percentages, with the hits generating lower percentages of profits while the niches generate more. Nine rules for creating a consumer paradise are also given. These rules include avoiding one size fits all, sharing information, trusting costumers and markets, and understanding the power of free.
To listen to Anderson discuss the Long Tail in his own words click here.
It is clear to me that technology is changing how both businesses and customers operate and interact. Given the breakdown of the barriers of production and distribution, more products are on the markets and appealing to niche audiences. People no longer need to have the limited number of hits handed to them. This is the same idea explored by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff in Groundswell, the first book in this review series. The old way of doing things is just that, old. I do, however, take issue with Anderson’s assertion that more options are always better as long as there is a good filter to search through it all. Sure some talented individuals may create valuable and/or entertaining material, but after how much junk? Are those fragments worth the piles of frivolous videos and blog posts? Professionals are generally trained in their areas of expertise and make a living based on the success of their efforts. By spreading out audiences and lowering the revenues of niche products, it is increasingly likely that products are produced by people in their free time, without expertise and experience.
Here Comes Everybody – Examining Technology and Social Organization
The Internet revolutionized the way information passes from one person to another. Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing with Organizations examines how the Internet has also revolutionized the way people connect to one another and form effective groups. People no longer have to rely on a large central organizer to connect with like-minded people, nor do they have to the overcome barriers of institutional costs and location to achieve aggregate action.
The most compelling example of what Shirky is exploring, the power now in the hands of people connected through technology and social networking applications, came out of the Iranian protests earlier this year. While the government cracked down on media outlets, ordinary citizens were able to use Twitter and Facebook to share their plight with the rest of the world. The world was captivated by their messages, ones that would never have been seen or heard if not for individual communication options. Throughout this book, Shirky uses easily relatable real world examples to demonstrate the various aspects of people organizing themselves through technology.
As with all technologies, society must take the positive effects of easier group formation with the negative. One example described by Shirky is the hoarding of collective communities by walling off their access to other groups. For instance, traditional organizations such as the Catholic Church or major political parties would clearly not be willing to extend the resources they have gathered to assist those seeking to speak and/or act against them.
Another potential negative is the possibility that collective communities might end up reinforcing undesirable or destructive behavior. The Internet and all of the various social systems used on it has allowed even comparatively small groups of concerned people to topple the resources hurdle by joining together to make their voices heard. This can protect freedoms as discussed earlier, but also lead to group formation around socially undesired topics. Shirky uses the example of young girls supporting each other in anorexic and bulimic behaviors to illustrate this point.
Another challenge that comes to mind is the crossroads between these new technologies and the limits of our society’s older more established customs and systems, notably with legal precedent. Since the enhanced capability of collective communities is both new and easy to build, interesting legal questions might arise as the courts struggle to apply old precedents to novel situations, perhaps with unforeseen consequences. One such example is the recent arrest of a protester at a G-20 summit who used Twitter to notify other protester of police whereabouts.
On a positive note, the application of many of these advances holds great promise for an organization like the Junior League of Washington, which is uniquely set up to take advantage of the benefits of the technologies discussed in this book. The JLW is fundamentally a large, diffuse, volunteer organization which continually works to coordinate the efforts of its members to serve and make a difference in the Washington, DC community. Employing social media tools, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Wikis would allow members to communicate and share ideas more easily, and is ideal for organizing events at various off-site locations in the region given the hectic schedules of many JLW members.
Beyond using these applications merely for internal communication purposes, the JLW could use them in spreading its messages of volunteerism and literacy to the larger metropolitan community as well. Active members of the League have already proven themselves to be proactive in the fight against illiteracy in DC. With user friendly websites, petitions, and involvement information, they could entice those around them who are less motivated to take action to take a stand against illiteracy.
JLW Podcast
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Groundswell: An Innovative Book Worth Reading
Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff’s book Groundswell is a primer for businesses on how customers and potential customers make their voices heard about the products they like and dislike. Through innovations in communications tools like user feedback on websites and social networking sites, consumers are voicing their opinions and discussing ideas about what makes a successful product. Consumers are also providing assistance and advice to one another. Unlike the old ways companies sold their products, this new system of connections is centered on products but is occurring at the user level often without any involvement by the business itself.
Groundswell walks readers through why it is crucial that businesses not only pay attention to these customer conversations, but also that they join in those discussions. The authors explain various strategies for tapping into and harnessing the power of this consumer generated movement, and the potential pitfalls of a poorly conceived customer messaging strategy. The book tells businesses how to avoid making mistakes in this new method of communication, and then evaluates which strategy is most appropriate for particular situations, resource availability and needs.
In many ways, Groundswell is a revolutionary way of evaluating how businesses can, should, and must learn to do business in the 21st century. The authors have correctly identified a fundamental change in the way customers interact with one another, and their expectations in an online world where you don’t need to enter a store or try on a shirt or watch a movie to evaluate if it is the right item for you to purchase. I agree with the authors that this can be a seismic change for many businesses and the models upon which they have traditionally relied, but it is an important one that they must master if they are to succeed in today’s globally competitive retail world.
Since this kind of customer feedback method is still relatively new, some of the arguments advanced in Groundswell might be difficult to prove definitively with empirical evidence at this point. However, we can find many instances of the benefits of listing to customer feedback as discussed in the book in various aspects of modern life on the web both in product retailing and beyond. Take for example the website of booksellers like Barnes and Noble. Like many in their business, Barnes and Noble include massive amounts of information on the products they sell including a separate tab for “Customer Reviews” so that readers can see what others thought of the book before they buy it. Not to be outdone, the authors of Groundswell also practice what they preach in their own online blog about the concepts they advanced and their implications in the digital world.
Further anecdotal validation of the Groundswell concept can be seen in the reported failures of some traditional luxury businesses who had eschewed the online retail/customer feedback world only to find that their sales have suffered for it. Other (admittedly anecdotal) proof that the Groundswell authors are on to something can be witnessed in rise of third parties who are advocating for businesses to adopt similar customer feedback programs, like this post on the social media guide Mashable.com. Finally, one other non-retail example of success in the consumer feedback loop is the tech company Google, widely acknowledged to be a leader in both innovation and customer loyalty. Google has already employed some of the techniques of harnessing consumer feedback when launching its products, and has enjoyed tremendous success in attracting customers and maintaining level levels of satisfaction.
