building sustainable communities with social media

Building Sustainable Communities

With Social Media

Idil Cakim

April 29, 2013

Amplifying Word of Mouth - Online

Images by GregKessler.net

Principles of Online WOM Marketing

Images by GregKessler.net

Networking Agents: The New Influencers

• A new psychograhic

• Can be influential offline as well

• Lean-forward audience

• Advocates & spokespeople who publish online

• Newsmakers

AOL Customer Service - Phone to Blog to NBC to YouTube

Hoboken411.com Changes Local Politics

“Make Yourself” Foundation

How to Identify and Engage Networking Agents

Rule # 1: Reach and Relevance

Image by GregKessler.net

Rule # 2: Recruit Many, Speak 1:1

Rule # 3: Sharable Message

• Newsworthy• Tells a story• Challenges status quo• Has clear call-to-action

Rule # 4: It’s A Long-Term Relationship

• Share the microphone and stage

• Respond (FAST!)

• Offer value

• Stay in touch

Rule # 5: Measure Before, During and After…

• Decide what’s success• Capture both online and

offline WOM• WOM is both input and

outcome• Account for pass-alongs• Consider qualitative

factors: engagement, authority

NY Needs You Case StudySituation: NY Needs You, a non-profit assisting first-generation college

students with career development, needed to boost its online presence to communicate effectively with its mentors, students, applicants and donors.

Solution: The NYNY team matched their social media initiatives and communications to their organizational goals. They developed an engaging editorial calendar. Following a survey of their constituents, they focused their efforts on the two channels most used by their audience: Facebook and the NYNY web site. They also identified influencers and asked them to contribute to their Facebook page.

Results: • Within a year, NYNY doubled the size of its Facebook and

Twitter communities without spending any marketing dollars. • They created a following of approximately 2,000 influencer fans. • The organization’s site increased its traffic to more than 132,000

visits.

Thank You!

idil@infocurrents.com@idilcakim

www.dotwom.com