Social Media & Online Community Posts From Around The Web
Every Friday I post links to a few of the blog posts that I read during the week that I found interesting and insightful.
Included in this week’s round-up is a ranking of top social media management software; an analysis of global participation in social interactivity; the value of using roundtables for discussion; a look at the profile of a “change agent”; a look at how well brands measured social media ROI in 2011; and a discussion about readiness when launching an online community.
Social Media Management Software Ranked and Rated
Instead of bemoaning the lack of the holy grail solution, companies (and not just big ones) need to instead realize that no software will be satisfactory when you don’t know what you actually want or need.
But the really spectacular numbers in this year’s results came out of Asia. Among the people we survey in metropolitan areas in China, 96% are Spectators and 76% are Creators, people who actually generate social content. In metropolitan India, 96% are Spectators, and 80% are creators. Can you imagine living in a society where eight out ten online adults were blogging, publishing Web pages, or uploading video?
It is where communities mature to after you start them and grow them and nurture them. You hope the community takes over the discussion and leaves you on the sidelines. It’s one way to know your group is continuing to move forward.
When we realize that we are more in control of the way we are perceived than we think—change is possible. Sometimes altering the perception of ourselves whether we be individual or organization acts as a catalyst to influence thoughts and behaviors and other times it is a result—but either way we change when they way we are perceived is altered.
How well did brands measure the ROI from social media activity in 2011?
Methodologies around proving social media activity had increased awareness and interest were the most variable in their detail and quality. Some brands were still quoting fan numbers as simple proof that the needle had shifted due to social, without a compelling argument that the shift could be attributed to social. If social budgets are to increase in 2012, more effort must be put into attribution and more budget into measurement methods that provide more robust attribution data.
Launch A Community When You’re Ready
You’re not ready until you’ve properly seeded the community. You’re not ready until you have a group of 50 to 100 people interacting and using the platform. You’re not ready until you know how to engage members and keep them participating over a sustained period of time.
