Building Communities Using Social Media: Why Embracing Social Is Not About Trending Or Going Viral

Building Communities Using Social Media

Joey Alarilla (@joeyalarilla)Director of Social Media and EngagementTribal Worldwide PhilippinesAFP Civil-Military Operations School Social Media TrainingFebruary 3, 2014

Demystifying social media

Derek Sivers: How to Start a Movement http://youtu.be/V74AxCqOTvg

3 things to remember

1. It’s not about you

2. Social media is a conversation

3. People want to join movements

Why embrace social?

http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/infographic-social-media-stats-2013/

Why embrace social?

http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/infographic-social-media-stats-2013/

Why embrace social?

http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/infographic-social-media-stats-2013/

Why embrace social?

http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/infographic-social-media-stats-2013/

People, especially the youth, take social for granted

“Organizations that can bring humanity and flexibility to their interactions with other human

beings will thrive.” – Seth Godin, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?

“Social is a marathon, not a sprint.” – Guiding principle of Tribal Worldwide

The journey starts with you

Exercise 1: Who are you?

How would you describe your organization to someone who doesn’t know anything about it?What can your organization do for others?What do you like most about your organization?

Be prepared for social media

Have a social media policy in placeIdentify an internal champion who will coordinate with different stakeholdersCreate a content strategy and a workflow for different stakeholdersAgree on KPIsEquip people with the right training and resources

Social means listening to others

Listen to the stories of your community

Who are the current members of your community? (Retention)Who are the non-members you would like to reach out to? (Acquisition)What are their stories? (Passions/Interests)How can they tell their stories through you? (Engagement/Storytelling/Empowerment)

Exercise 2: Social listening

www.hootsuite.com

It’s not about you or them. It’s about us

“The first follower is what transforms a lone nut into a leader.” – Derek Sivers, How to Start a Movement, TEDTalks

Build a community, support a cause, start a movement

Exercise 3: Community building

www.rebelmouse.com/blog.rebelmouse.com/

Putting it all together

Create content that generates conversations

and triggers actions

Create an editorial calendarQuestions/Polls and QuotesUser-generated content – Ask your users to submit their own content and showcase the best onesMemes and trending topics – #ThrowbackThursday, #FlashbackFridayVisual content – Photos, videos, infographics

User spotlight – Reward active members by featuring themInfluencer spotlight – Feature influencers who support your causeEvent features – Cover your eventsUseful links – Links to interesting articles on news sites, blogs and other publications Tips and lists

5 most shareable types of content

Lists and how to’s – Like this list Visual content – People love photos and videosPositive and negative – People share what delights and outrages themInfographics – Make research sexy!Issues – Start a debate. Discuss issues people care about and become a source of useful information

Give a clear call to action

Designing a community is like designing a playgroundProvide a clear structure, but give people the freedom to play, experiment and explore

Manage your community and make them careOffer a reward at every level and encourage your members to climb up the social engagement pyramid and contribute more to the community

Embracing social is not about trending or going viral

It’s about taking care of your community and making a difference in the lives of others

Thank you for listening!

Follow me on Twitter @joeyalarilla and let’s start a conversation