Social Media in 2010

I read a great article yesterday from the Harvard Business Blog about Social Media Trends for 2010.  The author, David Armano, talked about six key things to look out for in 2010.

1. “Social media begins to look less social”: He talks about two things here.  First, we are all so used to the “something to do for everyone” sites like Twitter and Facebook that as more niche networks emerge  the exclusivity brings out an image of being less social.  Second, and this one we all can relate to, as more and more people join networks, more and more of us are going to block, unfollow and hide those high school classmates we never spoke to for a reason.
2. “Corporations look to scale”: Very few companies are utilizing social media beyond a person or two in their marketing department.  He cites Best Buy’s “Twelpforce” which “leverages hundreds of employees” who provide customer support via social media.  With the coming of 2010 more and more corporations will be entering the social media era for cost saving measures and greater efficiency in providing customer service.  They are realizing they need to communicate with you the way you want to be communicated with.
3. “Social business becomes serious play”: He mentions a newer networking site, Foursquare, which is an interesting shift in “network models” for these social site.  One thing all social networks suffer from is attrition.  They lose people and it’s often hard to keep users active in the long-run.  We’ve all seen the numbers on Twitter and how long they keep their average user.  Foursquare actually incentivizes their users to stay active with prizes, contests and rewards.  I would not be surprised to see more networks taking this approach to maximize their user activity which, inevitably, increases ad revenue.
4. “Your company will have a social media policy (and it might actually be enforced)”: Keep your eyes out. This past year there have been numerous instances of employees getting fired for posting things on Facebook and other networks.  For protection you will see companies defining what type of online conduct is allowed not just while at work but probably even at home.
5. “Mobile becomes a social media lifeline”: Companies are coming down hard on those that are using social media while on the clock at work.  They are blocking sites like YouTube and Facebook and have consequences that compell employees to avoid participating on networks while at work.  That said, that’s why we have phones.  Every major network, and even many of the smaller ones, have mobile apps for any kind of smart phone.  These mobile apps keep people involved in ways that their employers can’t monitor as easily, thus, being their lifeline to the online world.
6. “Sharing no longer means email”: For years now whenever you would click on the share link it would pop up your email or a submission form to send a message via email.  Now when you click the share button you get a list of a million different networks you can share on.  You can tweet about it, link it on Facebook, bookmark it on Diigo and share it in many more locations.  Seldom do I get an email anymore, but rather, a message through a shared network.  While e-mail is still a growing method of communication it is definitely not always the preferred method of sharing online content.

Social networking didn’t stop changing this year and won’t next.  As more and more people find niches, apps and other methods of communication we will see so much happen in 2010 across the board.

Political Paradigm Transformation

I was reading an article today, yes, from the Huffington Post, by Jose Antonio Vargas, where he discusses the the technological transformation we experience during Obama v. McCain Presidential election. We’ve discussed this time and time again but now that we’re “one year later” we should take a look back at what really did happen.

I think it was my very first blog post on ORS, Purchasing Power of Social Media, where I discussed the impact the Internet had on fund raising.  Donations of $200 or LESS, were 45% of the $744.9 million raised.  6.5 million donations were made online.  Obama’s email list was 13 million addresses.  Obama also overwhelmingly won the sub-30 age group.

Your constituency chooses to be communicated to in different ways.  Some like TV, others like Facebook, some are into Twitter, and some still like yard signs.  Either way, you need to be able to communicate in whichever way THEY prefer.  It’s not a choice, it’s a necessity.

Many candidates assume the Internet is just how they communicate with their constituents.  No.  Did you miss the fact that Obama had 6.5 million online donations?  They averaged $80 and many donated multiple times.  Your job during your candidacy is to raise money!  You need money!  No money means you lose!  Use the Internet to raise money.

One year later, many of his following feels alienated.  They feel like they have been forgotten.  Climate change, immigration, and other issues have fallen by the wayside.  They tweet about it.  They talk about it on Facebook or even My.BarackObama.com.  We cannot over-emphasize that the Internet is not just a tool to get elected.  This is why ORS is, more or less, political career management.  We help you get elected AND represent your constituency.

Technology won’t stop changing which is why this paradigm shift isn’t likely to stop any time soon.  Even since Obama was elected things have changed even more.  Facebook numbers have increased, Twitter demographics have changed, everything keeps on moving and fortunately, if you use it right, it’s moving to your advantage.

It really does come down to this.  Obama almost did it right.  Communicate.  Raise Money.  Manage Your Constituents.

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How to Win A City Council Campaign

Wade Steenhoek knew early on his campaign that he needed to leverage technology but he didn’t know how to do it.  Everyone kept telling him “Get on Twitter and Facebook” and he knew he had to.  But what to do with them?  Wade connected with Operation Red State EARLY in his campaign and it paid BIG dividends.  Listen to Wade tell the story in his own words and thanks for watching, listening, and learning with ORS.

Don’t Let Your Biases and Unwillingness to Change Eliminate Markets

Face it.  You have campaign advisers telling you that you must “Be on Twitter” (what does that mean by the way??).  You have tweens and teens reminding you daily how Facebook is how they communicate.  You have a basic website that does nothing but provide your positions online.  You’re missing the boat.  Or you have made yourself feel better by delegating (Let’s have Bobby to that tech stuff because he’s young and gets it because I don’t have time for that).

But you’ve just committed a violation that you wouldn’t stand for in your own business.  You’ve delegated without setting clear expectations and you don’t know what success looks like.  The net is that you’ve probably just eliminate a key voting block that I really hope you care about…the under 40 crowd.  I know what you’re thinking…”If I have the tech I can reach them.”  Wrong.  Authenticity is key and if you merely appear to have the tools but don’t use them/live them/embrace them as a true medium of communication (vs. a  vote getter)…you’re cooked.

So when you meet someone under 40 (typically) and start to engage them, think twice before handing them a piece of paper.  Perhaps you should hop on your smart phones and become friends on Facebook, maybe follow each other on Twitter, or at ask the person to subscribe to your RSS feed to help them build the picture of who you are as a candidate.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about…get help.  Fast.  You’ve eliminated the voting block that wants you to succeed the most.

If you’d like to hear how to put together a winning online campaign strategy, join me tonight at 5pm Central on the Operation Red State Red Alert Hour heard LIVE! on www.MacsWorldLive.com

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