.Focus on the Social and not on the technology.
There is a continuum of scale in the Social:
- Purist - People are the most powerful force on the net
- Pragmatist - People are in charge but corporations can benefit
- Corporatist - Online activity must deliver business benefit
"Objectives are the key to successful social strategy"
There is a four step approach:
- People - Assess your customers social activities
- Objectives
- Strategy
- Technology
On the People side there are six steps in the Social Technographics Ladder. In the US the breakdown is:
- Creators - 18%
- Critics - 25%
- Collectors - 12%
- Joiners - 25%
- Spectators - 48%
- Inactives - 44%
People can be in more than one category so the totals add up to more than 100%.
Groundswell Objectives
- Research - Listening
- Marketing - Talking
- Sales - Energizing
- Support - Supporting
- Development - Embracing
In the session they used the Best Buy Social Network for employees as an example of a supporting objective. This is one of the clients where Hinchcliffe & Co have been working to help the company to adapt to a Web 2.0 world.
The ROI of Executive Blogging
This was based on the GM Fastlane blog. Year one costs were $285K of which most went on content production and review ($170K).
The value was estimated at $353K with most value ($240K) coming from the value of placing stories in the press.
Tips for Success as pragmatists
- Start with your customers
- Choose an objective you can measure
- Line up executive backing
- Romance the naysayers
- Start small but think big
Pragmatists bring companies and the groundswell together. Objectives are the key. Frame your strategy.
