The study of social media has had an interesting trajectory, beginning with a focus on what happens when content media meets technology networks, and evolving into a question of what happens when technology is smart enough that it not only services a consumer more effectively, but it actually elicits an emotional response from the consumer? The developments in social media that have guided this query are the mechanisms at work which have essentially redesigned the services sector to incorporate human factor dependency into digital information flows. (Kennedy, 2010) This combination of human interaction and technology is just one aspect of social media, which lends it economic, social and cultural significance.
Social media are Internet technologies that encourage user interaction with the website and with other users. A key feature of social media websites is user or consumer-generated content, which drives social interaction. From a business standpoint, companies and organizations utilize social media to listen, speak to, collaborate with and energize their target markets. While the term social media is far-reaching, several characteristics distinguish it from traditional media and former methods of communication, such as: participation, since “social media encourages contributions and feedback from everyone who is interested” thus blurring the line between media and audience (Mayfield, 2008); transparency created by the feedback, sharing and access to information encouraged by social media services; interaction, encouraged by two-way discourse, or conversations, between the private and public sphere, user and organizations, or user-to-user; community, built by participants in social media who share common interests; connectedness, as the value of social media is contingent on users building connections and relationships between one another, and adoption typically occurs as expanding networks attract internet users to make use of links, sites, resources and other users.
Today, there are six main categories in social media (Mayfield, 2008): ‘Social networks,’ or “sites that allow people to build personal web pages and then connect with friends to share content and communication,” (Mayfield, 2008) such as MySpace and Facebook; ‘blogs,’ online journals with entries appearing in descending chronological order; ‘wikis,’ such as Wikipedia, which are sites that allow users to add or edit content, thereby creating a communal database; ‘podcasts,’ which provide audio and video files to subscribers; ‘content communities,’ or sites which organize and share related content, such as Flickr or YouTube; and ‘microblogging,’ sites such as Twitter, which combine social networking with concise blogging (users must post comments and updates less than 140 words in length).
Fig 4.1 – Social media landscape
Some of the examples of social media tools and websites include: Social networking (Facebook, Douban, MySpace), Blogging and microblogging (Tumblr, Weebly, LiveJournal), Social bookmarking (Del.icio.us, Google Reader, StumbleUpon), Social news (Digg, Slashdot, Reddit), Social photo and video sharing (Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo), Wikis (Wikipedia), Livecasting (Skype, Justin.tv), and Music and audio sharing: (Last.FM, Pandora Radio).
With all these methods of communication, connections made between consumers via social networks have begun to replace broadcast networks and channels of distribution. Essentially, social connections are becoming channels for content distribution. From a marketing perspective, this is promising because it exponentially increases the channels of distribution. This is especially true as digital natives come to age. According to Quaranta, who coined the term, digital natives find little sense distinguishing between online and offline, as daily use of the internet is the norm. (Quaranta, 2011) The use of computers, mobile technologies and exposure to new media has so profoundly impacted their lives that they exist and function in a constantly mediated reality. (Quaranta, 2011) However, this also places greater importance on creating compelling content that inspires consumers to share with their social network, emphasizing the need to create content that is non-obtrusive, clever and authentic, and thus, not unlike how art carries cultural capital, social media carries with it social capital. In his essay, “Beyond Bowling Together: SocioTechnical Capital,” Paul Resnick defines capital as the notion of having a “resource that can be accumulated and whose availability allows people to create value for themselves or for others.” (Resnick, 2000) Today, social capital is achieved through the creation of social resources such as trust and shared identity, which are derivative of sharing of personal time, information and activities with others. It is social capital which gives value to social media, for communities and networks would not exist without the trust of participants and the shared identity created by building communities around similar interests. This is crucial to the development of the ‘information society,’ we live in.
In “Why Networks Matter,” Manuel Castells defines ‘information society,’ as a “society in which the technological paradigm is the dominant medium for social organization.” (Castells, 2004) The implications of living in such a society, driven by social capital, is that virtual communities are redefining space and time, in that the notion of ‘public’ and ‘private’ spheres as well as ‘global’ and ‘local,’ are shifting. This is not to say that networks, social capital and globalization did not exist prior to social media, rather, social media has restructured the ways in which we mediate and build relationships with each other, and increased the speed with which we can communicate in such as way that has led to a restructuring of society.
The notion that individuals are fashioning their lives through social media is backed by incredible statistics. 57.5 % of US Internet users use a social network at least once a month. (eMarketers, 2010) If one considers the fact that 77.3 % of America is online (Internet World Statistics, 2010)--and of those online, approximately two-thirds are using social networks on a regular basis--then we can estimate that nearly half of the current US population is actively using social networking sites. (Forrester, 2010) Other statistics show that a quarter post status updates on social networking services such as Twitter and Facebook, at least once a week. (Forrester, 2009)
On a global level, Internet usage has increased to nearly 30 percent of the global population (Internet World Statistics, 2010). On July 21, 2010 Facebook crossed the 500mm user mark, and it was determined that 1 billion people have integrated social media use into their everyday lives. This level of penetration is only expected to increase significantly over the next four years, especially among adults who were not as quick to adopt as teenagers. (Williamson, 2010) And contrary to popular belief, social networking is not just for the young: Pew Research reports that use of social media sites grew 88 percent among Internet users aged 55-64 between April 2009 and May 2010. Based on these figures, we can assume that if target audiences are not already using social media, they will be soon as this cultural juggernaut continues.
The implications of these statistics is glaringly evident: social media isn’t merely a recommendation, it has become a requirement (Williamson, 2010). This point is underscored when one compares the demographics of social media users with museum-goers. The infograph below shows demographic data across these sites measuring: user age, gender, income level, and education level (each dot on the graph represents 1%). Based on this visual data, it is can easily be determined that a majority of social media users are female, college-educated, and above the age of 25. The social media tools measured include some of the most popular sites, including: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Ning, LinkedIn, Reddit, Stumbleupon and Digg. So the question isn’t whether to use social media or not, the question is how?
Figure 4.2 – Social Media Demographics; Larger version available at: www.flowtown.com/blog/social-media-demographics-whos-using-which-sites
While all the sites listed above are effective social media tools, the sites which are most successfully used by cultural organizations include: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Foursquare and Blogs. Each site provides opportunities for organizations to post content and respond to consumer comments. Features of Facebook which are the most beneficial include: Pages, which allow brands to create a profile, invite members to become ‘fans,’ and disseminate information to a fan-base; or Groups, which congregate users around a common interest. (See Appendix B for site-specific recommendations I have colleted for Facebook.) While Facebook remains the most popular social net-working site, Twitter is hot on its heels. The micro-blogging site is an especially powerful tool for small businesses and non-profit organizations, which may not have the access or financial resources to disseminate information via traditional media. For example, a Los Angeles taco truck can alert ‘followers’ to its location, and thus attract the devoted. Or an emerging artist can notify fans of a spontaneous live performance. (See Appendix B, for site-specific recommendations I have gathered for Twitter.)
Other sites, which can attract subscribers as well as content generators, include the video-sharing site, YouTube, and the photo-sharing site, Flickr. Each of these sites allow media content to become viral, circulate the globe and attract extraordinary viewership, thereby creating brand awareness. In addition, each of these sites generates key-word content that could improve search rankings. Social media managers should remember to brand the sites to have the same look and feel as the Facebook and Twitter, as well as provide links to any other related social media sites, such as geo-tagging sites like Foursquare, a location-based social networking services, which enables users to ‘check-in’ at venues using mobile devices, so that consumers can engage with physical retailers.
Many organizations are reluctant to begin social networking because they will not have a huge number of fans upon activation. This should not inhibit entry into this category since a strategic and well-executed social media plan can lead to exponential growth in the number of fans and followers. However, organizations should remember that quality is better than quantity, so it can be better to have 200 followers serving as brand advocates and online influencers, than 2,000 who ‘liked’ the brand for financial gain or on a temporary basis (such as when brands give away products in exchange for a ‘like’ on Facebook).
The strategies have been vetted from multiple sources and condensed into what I believe is an actionable strategy for achieving success and meeting key social media objectives. While this paper’s focus is on the promotion of art museums, I have designed each of the following to be applicable to any non-profit or cultural organization working with budgets big or small. Note, each of the strategies and tactics listed below are grouped under the main objective it hopes to achieve:
Objective 1: Energize the brand
§ Strategy: Publicize achievements
o Tactic: highlight milestones & important events
§ Strategy: Increase positive associations
o Tactic: ask related organizations to link, become a fan, follow, etc.
§ Strategy: Build brand stewardship:
o Tactic: create a platform for advocates to use in persuading others to support or follow the brand
§ Strategy: Promote knowledge and information sharing
o Tactic: Translate information into as many languages as possible
§ Strategy: Streamline the network
o Tactic: link all social media sites so each is easy to find and access
Objective 2: Increase awareness
§ Strategy: Add to the number of ‘likes’, followers, and views
o Tactic: Ask followers to subject organization to friends or fans
§ Strategy: Inform audiences
o Tactic: frequently disseminate information to influentials & bloggers
§ Strategy: Improve the website search rankings
o Tactic: create back-links, pages, keyword-rich content and references on reputable sites
§ Strategy: Increase traffic to the website
o Tactic: provide frequently updated and engaging content that will spark interest among target audiences, and inspire them to share links
§ Strategy: Bolster word-of-mouth marketing
o Tactic: create and publish content worth talking about
Objective 3: Engage through internal/external communication
§ Strategy: Quickly respond to audience needs posted in comments
o Tactic: Create feedback loops
§ Strategy: Be interesting
o Tactic: create content that is personalized and creative
§ Strategy: Build a community through dialogue
o Tactic: create a space where museum staff and the general public can interact & exchange ideas
§ Strategy: Encourage interaction
o Tactic: create discussion threads, interactive maps, contests, etc.
§ Strategy: Promote user generated content
o Tactic: encourage employees to get involved by posting, commenting and tweeting, which will inspire target audiences to follow suit
§ Strategy: Participate in social media
o Tactic: comment on Facebook walls, Twitter feeds and blog posts of partners, experts, journalists, affiliates and members of the public
Objective 4: Support and develop
§ Strategy: Develop and maintain relationships with active users
o Tactic: send journalists and bloggers exclusive news items, support partners by ‘liking’ their pages
§ Strategy: Build online relationships with offline partners
o Tactic: reach out to partners to request that they link back to the site, like the Facebook page and add the museum to Twitter lists
§ Strategy: Monitor content
o Tactic: ensure that information posted is always accurate
§ Strategy: Stay alert to trends in social media
o Tactic: be an early adopter of new tools and technologies
§ Strategy: Provide calls to actions
o Tactic:dedicate a Facebook tab to opportunities for public involvement
§ Strategy: Measure success
o Tactic: conduct benchmarking for # fans, followers, re-tweets, lists, video views, website views, bounce rate, click through rate, links, feeds, etc.
It is worth noting that social media is not just about social networking and communities. When fully leveraged, the tools and services of social media can benefit the following activities: market research, brand marketing, promotions, sales, product development, and relationship management. (Nine Ways, 2009) As previously discussed, brands seeking market research have had to rely on expensive firms who pool consumer opinions, feedback, and insights into structured presentations that cost both time and money. Real time analysis of consumer trends, virtual focus groups, and other insightful interactions are all made possible at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods for gathering information. (Nine Ways, 2009)
Social media also creates many opportunities (or touchpoints) for consumers to engage with the brand, and has prompted audiences to seek new avenues for engagement. According to Andrew Taylor (the ‘Artful Manager’) “Individuals are engaging aesthetic expression in a thousand different ways—by making art in handicraft and community arts, by curating their lives through Flickr and multimedia computer software, by adorning their world through fashion and design, and by taking control of their professional-grade cultural experiences with iPods and TiVo and the like.” (LaPlaca Cohen, 2010: Sponsorships) This new interest in aesthetic expression and social curation can come in the form of phone apps, special websites, or, most commonly, blogs. Blogs (usually created using blog platforms such as Wordpress) are a great way to add a face to the brand by regularly posting content that is unique and reflects the brands tastes, interests and brand alliances. It also permits those without Facebook or Twitter accounts to have access to the same information, leave comments and questions, and drive traffic to the website.
Furthermore, social media users are eager to contribute and their collective talents can be pooled through a technique called crowd-sourcing. This activity, first popularized by technology companies such as SAP and Cisco, entailed leveraging social media to “draw upon the collective wisdom of crowds to identify new products and innovative new directions for their companies. (Nine Ways, 2009) Users are often motivated by a competition format and prize offered to the winning idea. Crowd-sourcing can be used to find innovative solutions to business problems that cannot or have not been solved internally, and come at a much cheaper cost then hiring top-dollar consultants.
Finally, social networks present a platform where you can share information over a longer period of time, and there are many services that facilitate the dissemination of information. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format. Web feeds benefit publishers by letting them syndicate content automatically, and readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place.
Fig 5.0 – ‘It’s Time We Met’ ad by the Metropolitan Museum of Art
To effectively leverage these resources, a business should use media convergence, or a social media hybrid, provided at a centralized location (such as an interactive website) to display content, links and provide opportunities for interaction between users and the brand. In 2009, the Metropolitan Museum of Art was able to harness the power of several social media sites when the museum created a Twitter page to update enthusiasts on the progress of The New York Auto Show. The Twitter feed featured behind the scenes photos of the event prior to opening, and created a space for visitors to ask questions and leave comments. In addition to Twitter, the Met created a Facebook fan page, which posted information about contests (visitors could win 4 tickets to the Auto Show) and celebrity photo opportunities related to the event.
This was of course tied to the main Facebook page. Also, if you were to ride any of the Metro North trains out of Grand Central, you’ve probably noticed the billboard ads within the cars of the train for the New York Auto Show and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. These New York City mainstays have recently integrated their social media pages into their traditional media with the aim of driving people from offline venues to online environments. All these efforts helped to build anticipation and buzz among locals, tourists, and especially among car enthusiasts who were the key Influencers. (Summers, 2010)
To provide another platform for enthusiasts to engage with the exhibit and interact with the museum, the Met created a Flickr group and encouraged visitors to “post their Met moment.” (Summers, 2010) Advertisements began appearing in subways stations, stating, “It’s time we met” and encouraged “all visitors to share photographs of their most memorable moments spent with friends and family at the Met’s Main Building and the cloisters Museum and Gardens.” (Summers, 2010) Soon, thousands of photos were uploaded and visitors could see the museum through the eyes of others. This also contributed in giving the institution a human voice and creating an environment for fans and members through user-generated content that was both informational and entertaining (Summers, 2010). Another tactic that may have been an effective augmentation to their plan is to ask visitors to post videos of special events related or programs, which could then be easily shared with bloggers and among target audiences. However, when inviting visitors to participate in contributing museum-branded content, it will be important to exercise a certain amount of control and monitor the content provided, for “if you do not proactively manage your brand, the external world will—often inaccurately.” (LaPlaca Cohen, 2010)
