What is social media for?
‘War…[boom boom, bam bam, donk], what is it good for?’
Yeah brother. Well what about social media? [boom boom, dank dank, dom] Haaaaaa-bsolutely nuthin’...
(Or is it?)
This is a question I’ve been asking myself lately. You see, I’m a bit crazy, a bit driven and I need to achieve. But I’ve been a bit like a rocket-jet without a steering wheel. I’ve achieved bits and pieces but at the highest and most important level, I’ve lacked PURPOSE.
Which has led me to question how I use my skills and especially those of the wonderful team we’ve assembled at Nixon McInnes. When such great people come together and gel, is it reasonable to allow them to work bloody hard in an interesting, fast-moving and fun area without occasionally stepping back and asking ‘are we really giving the world our very best here?’.
Isn’t that a responsibility I have to myself and my team, to check the reason why we’re doing what we do?
Another way to frame the same question is to look at our team, our skills, our knowledge and our passions and ask: what is social media *for*?
One thing social media can be harnessed for is improving how organisations conduct their marketing. This is our line of work, and we are building a good name and reputation for ourselves here. These days we tend to work with larger organisations and so our efforts can genuinely help our client’s consumers. So in a very very small way, we’re making a positive difference one project at a time.
But that’s not enough for me, and I don’t think it’s enough for our team.
I know you, dear reader, know this and don’t wish for me to patronise or come over all sandalwood and tie-dye (duuuuude), but this world that we live in has far greater problems than how to sell handbags. And so whilst as anyone who has worked with me knows I do have genuine passion for improving how big brands communicate with their consumers, I reckon I can recruit a whole new level of passion and energy for using social media to work on the world’s biggest and most real issues.
Here’s a few of the biggies off the top o’ me head in no particular order:
- Health
- Poverty
- Education
- The environment
- Politics & access to democracy
- Human rights
- Equality
You get the idea.
If it’s big, important, worthy and you (or I, more accurately) immediately pretend it isn’t there and wish it’d go away and stop interrupting your (my) thoughts about whether to buy the prawn or the roast beef sandwich, it’s probably on the list.
So this is pretty much where we’re up to, at the very start of this thinking and talking process as a team.
We’re absolutely not about to stop doing what we do, that’d a damn good plan B to tease us away from a Plan A that is currently fun and rewarding. But what we do is ever-evolving and adaptive and that is why we have survived and thrived over the years - and so we are about to start thinking about other things we can do in addition to our work harnessing social media for marketing. It’s another iteration of Project Nixon McInnes.
And please allow me to be very clear: this ain’t about Corporate Social Tickboxing either. This is about real differences made by harnessing our team’s unique blend of skills and experiences. And it’s not about not-for-profit necessarily. I guess the vision is of a blend of things: online communities, websites, applications & tools, channels, campaigns, resources, events (real world, even!) - whatever we feel can make a difference.
So here’s some questions for you, and I’d love to hear what you think.
- What do you personally think social media are for?
- Can social media be employed effectively to make even a tiny difference to these issues?
- What is it about social media that might help address these causes?
- Which projects or causes inspire, grip or otherwise distract you personally?
I look forward to the conversation now :)
Will McInnes wrote this on 08.02.08 –
It's filed in the Business, Internet, Marketing, NixonMcInnes, Off topic, Social media, Strategy box
On February 9th, 2008 at 1:25 pm, Tom responded:
Well done Will for kicking this debate off in a public space. This is gonna be interesting!
I think the ultimate cause that our generation MUST get behind is the development of a sustainable future. This encompasses environmental sustainability, democracy and human rights. If you who haven’t seen it already, check out Alex Steffan’s TED talk about this: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/74
Social media can play a powerful role in a sustainable future because it:
* empowers people with the knowledge needed to make positive change;
* gives everyone a voice, and allows people in developing nations to join in the global conversation;
* builds relationships across borders, so we all start to understand each other a little better and care more for the situation of others.
Does anyone think that this is a theme we can build upon?
On February 11th, 2008 at 2:26 pm, Paul responded:
The question “What is social media are for?” is a bit ambiguous. If you mean it’s reason for existing, such as “what is a fork for?”, then I think social media sites are there to make money for their creators. And because popular social media sites use so much bandwidth, they will always have to be profitable (or funded by someone, though I don’t think Rupert Murdoch’s $580m purchase of MySpace was for love of technology).
But if you mean, “what could we do with social media?” then I think it can play a role in making the world a better place.
I personally think the environment is the biggest issue facing the human race, and I think it can be tackled using technology (eg alternate power sources) and changing peoples’ behaviours. Social media could play a role in both of those - enabling discussion and promotion of the former, and using good old peer pressure for the latter.
But in this case, social media is just a tool. It still requires dedicated people who are willing to put in time and effort to push social media in that direction. It’s just that those people can now be programmers and administrators rather than politicians and revolutionaries.
On February 11th, 2008 at 3:43 pm, justin hunt responded:
I think there is a lot to be achieved by working with big companies and encouraging them to listen more and be more open and more collaborative which I reckon is essential if you are to prosper in the world of social media.
I think there is an element of fun to social media and I like the fact it encourages people to swap photos and jokes. If social media helps people to have more fun and enjoy the company of their friends then that is worthwhile.
I do think that social media could be harnessed for major political projects though. I think this is probably going to come about by accident and then suddenly people will see the potential.
I also think that it is hard to start something worthwhile in social media - and I mean really worthwhile - unless it comes from a position of honesty. I think you could have some tremendous debates using social media, bringing people together and discussing issues.
On February 11th, 2008 at 4:59 pm, justin hunt responded:
Just a quick follow up: http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/
Worth a look at CNN’s Be The Change blog initiative where young people around the world blog and do video diaries about the work.
On February 12th, 2008 at 2:39 pm, Clive Andrews responded:
Social media is essentially just communication, right? It’s very sophisticated, easy, complex, creative, profitable, versatile, pretty communication, but communication is what it is.
It lets us do all the things we might otherwise do face-to-face, but across the net with people on the other side of the world (or the office…).
Currently, this means we can tell jokes, share photos, listen to music, plan holidays, compare opinions, fall in love, gossip, buy stuff from each other - all the stuff we’re used to when we think of social media.
But of course we can use the same complex channels of communication (the ones we call social media) for anything.
Want to plan a crime? Attack someone? Spread racist ideas? Steal some money? Let’s do it on the net using social media.
Or, coming back to your point, Will, do we want to do anything good?
Shall we campaign for justice? Appeal for money for good causes? Bring attention to a big issue? Spread news and exchange ideas about what will make the world better? We can all this online too.
So what am I saying?
It’s not about the media (social or otherwise). It’s about the messages being conveyed by us as we use those media. Whatever we did before we can do more of. We can have more fun, we can do more evil and we can do more good. Social media provides tools. We choose how we use these tools - for good or for bad.
Personally, I’ve just moved from the commercial sector into the non-profit sector. I learnt a bit about how to use social media to help sell holidays. Now my job is not to sell holidays, but to promote an idea and a charitable project. Will I be using social media? Of course I will.
On February 13th, 2008 at 11:22 am, Will McInnes responded:
@ Paul - I agree with you that “Social media could play a role in both of those - enabling discussion and promotion of the former, and using good old peer pressure for the latter.” Are there any particular causes within ‘the environment’ or projects using social media that we could start and champion?
@ Justin - I agree that you can enact change by working ‘from the inside’ of major organisations but also feel intuitively that most changes start at the edges - the edges of society, of technology, of organisations. The centre ground is so hard to move, so committed to today, and so blinkered, that efforts to move the elephant through consensus can be incredibly slow and painful. I think using social media we’d like to brainstorm ways to be useful David’s (vs. Goliaths) but also more interestingly use the power of the network and aggregation to become a Goliath in our own right. Is this possible?
@ Clive - I agree with most of your summary, but wouldn’t you agree that there’s something uniquely different about online social media to traditional media which might make it easier to make real differences? The cost of access, the power to aggregate, the size and reach of the audience, the power of the individual? Don’t these all add up to make an unsettling and unique new stormy force that can be harness for the good?
And lastly, if they do, and we seem to agree, then what we can do with this latent power?
Nixon McInnes, its networks, its associates, its position and its skills and experiences, has the ability to tap that power. We have power. Now what?
On February 13th, 2008 at 2:29 pm, Rob responded:
“Nixon McInnes, its networks, its associates, its position and its skills and experiences, has the ability to tap that power. We have power. Now what?”
Pick something and do it. You’ve already listed the areas you want to look at. So you have the skills, experience, etc., just pick something. Anything. Carrier bags, lightbulbs, carbon offsetting, etc. Promote it like you would anything else. Start small, mess about, learn, go bigger.
Or go to Africa and set up a project there - see what they need, and see where your skills can help. Put things together, communicate them everywhere, get contacts/companies/etc to read about what you’re doing and get them to join in.
There are loads of things to do, surely. Just pick one and start.
On February 13th, 2008 at 3:14 pm, Tom responded:
This is a wonderful use of social media as a communication tool for a purpose other than profit:
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9852369-7.html
On February 13th, 2008 at 10:27 pm, Kevin Jerge responded:
NPO’s are moving quickly to social media.
Leveraging Online Communities: Using Social Media to Reach Constituents in New and Innovative Ways
By Dan Backus
Public social media platforms like Facebook and MySpace have revolutionized how we use the Internet to stay in touch with friends and colleagues around the world. The same concepts that have made these sites so popular can be adopted by non-profits to help drive interest, encourage donations and strengthen community involvement around key issues, causes and goals.
Today, most non-profits have some form of static web site that primarily provides text and photos posted by the organization itself. With the integration of social media features, these sites can become online meeting places or “virtual neighborhoods” that allow constituents to generate and share their own content and actively participate in discussions.
As non-profits continue to face increasing competition for donor dollars and volunteerism, social media present a powerful way to keep constituents engaged and involved. By extension, they substantially boost the value of your web site as an online marketing and communications tool.
What is Social Media?
Social media consist of many features – such as message boards, blogs with reader comment capabilities, podcasts, photo- and video-sharing, and other interactive functions that enable online participation as opposed to a passive, “read only” experience. Real Simple Syndication (RSS) technology may also be used that enables registered members to tailor their own news feeds, so they receive only the articles and information that are relevant to them.
Similarly, site members can develop profiles that tell a little about themselves, and also “friend” others in order to develop online relationships built around common interests or concerns.
Social media sites differ from traditional web pages in that they facilitate an open exchange of opinions, knowledge and information between groups of people online. Importantly, these groups can be exclusive (open only to registered members) or public (open to everyone).
Uses for Social Media
Social media can support many organizational tasks for non-profits, the most common of which are marketing, education and constituent communication. Think about these two example scenarios:
A. A potential constituent or donor is interested in participating with, or contributing to, your organization, but wants to learn more before acting. Imagine that same individual visiting your web site and experiencing a virtual library of video clips and blog posts from local chapters or other constituents, showing firsthand how their money or time may be used. It’s hard to imagine better marketing. Social media allow you to interest site visitors at a deeper, more meaningful level.
B. A current constituent is very interested in a single cause or campaign handled by your organization and would like to find and talk to others who have his same passion for the subject. By using a concept called “social objects”, constituents can register their interests through your social media portal. The result is any number of “micro-sites” that may include blogs, message boards, event calendars and other social media tools geared specifically for those subsets of like-minded constituents. This deeper, more specialized communication will keep people engaged longer in online communities, while enabling them to band together and have a more significant impact than they could have individually.
Compared to static web sites, social media sites open a new world for your constituents and donors – one in which they can interact with others who share their interests, without ever having to buy a plane ticket or even leave their home or office. That interaction will help ensure a stronger commitment to your organization, keep enthusiasm levels high, and help people make more informed decisions about where to spend their time and money.
Further, the integration of social media enables a continually refreshed source of information – new blog comments, new message board entries, new photos and videos – for site users to explore.
How Do I Get Started?
Before launching a social media program, there are a few points you should consider:
1. Know your audience
The tools you will want to invest in should be directly related to the online behavior of the people you are trying to reach. Ideally, you will want to conduct audience research to determine factors like – how often are they online? What other sites do they visit? Are they comfortable downloading podcasts or setting up RSS feeds? The answers to these questions will help you implement the tools that your constituents and donors will actually use.
2. Align organizational objectives with social media tools
Different social media tools are better at accomplishing specific objectives. For example, blogs are a great way to get feedback on potential programs or causes from large groups of constituents, while photo-sharing programs are useful for building a sense of community and excitement around new programs.
3. Establish operating procedures
Social media require companies to have a higher level of trust in their publics than other communication tools. At the same time, it is important to retain some organizational oversight to ensure communications remain appropriate and continue to focus on your organization’s key goals. Identifying forum moderators and establishing rules for posting are important.
4. Identify organizational resources and touch points
A successful social media strategy requires active participation from many constituents, as well as from the organizational leaders themselves. Before initiating, make sure the appropriate internal personnel support the idea and are willing to integrate social media functions into outreach activities. Ideally, those same leaders will want to participate in the online communities themselves – both to learn more about their constituents and to use that knowledge to shape future goals.
A strong social media program will help your organization provide new value to current constituents and donors, while supporting your external marketing through better public education and two-way communications. In particular, building online communities that connect non-profits with constituents – and constituents with one another – provides a unifying component that can be instrumental in acquiring, motivating and retaining a strong supporter base.
On February 20th, 2008 at 10:35 am, Telmo Carlos responded:
Changing the world is a cause that inspires me. Bit by bit, person by person we can all do our share.
Have you ever helped a friend? Have you felt that feeling of being there for someone else? Inspired someone?
That is what I aim at. Moving from the physical to the virtual social media environment has its challenges, but all the advantages of the online media.
The way to make a difference is to start with yourself. Inspire yourself. Keep focus on the vision, on what you aspire to be.
You will end up seeing the things around you move forward towards a better future. No doubt it has its challenges and disappointments, but keeping your head up and your eye on the ball, you will make progress.
I witness that in NixonMcInnes.
I see that with people I work with. Everyday something good happens. Everyday I learn something new. Everyday I am positively surprised with someone.
Can we change the world with Social Media? It’s been changed already.
All we need to do is find a way, our way, to get to what matters, to those that need the most. What do you think …
On March 13th, 2008 at 3:29 pm, mark walker responded:
hi WIll/Tom
I like a lot of the comments about how you could use your skills to further a particular cause but there is one big one that could be your nemisis:
to persuade the great mass of staff and volunteers who run voluntary and community groups - that’s about 1400 organisations in brighton and hove alone - that this new stuff has something to offer them
Lots of people who are already active in the not for profit world are excited about social media and web 2.0 - here’s one http://www.nfp2.co.uk/ - but the vast majority are not
I’ve been involved in SCIP for 12 years and still the majority of people we work with in the not for profit sector - and the statutory sector - view computers, the web and other new technologies as a burden. At one time it was email, then it was web pages, then it was forums, now it’s social media. It may come to pass that every charity has a web page, but you’d be hard pushed to find many early adopters in the sector
there are some issues about digital divide which account for lack of enthusiasm - “why would we spend time setting up a facebook site when the majority of people we work with can’t afford the web/read/see”
but really the majority of people in the sector are not excited by widgets, phones or computers and have a tendency to lump them altogether - and they only care about their computers when they go wrong
my own focus has been on awareness-raising - it’s why I set up the virtual festival and the web awards, to help promote good practise and show people what’s going on under their nose,
but moving from awareness to interest, let alone desire and action is a slow stodgy process amongst the very people who are even now doing good in the city you love…
got any suggestions for that?
[great topic btw]
On March 13th, 2008 at 5:54 pm, mark walker responded:
here’s some examples from a conference last week
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an7d92inOkc&feature=related