Social Media Strategie: Berater lieben sie, Firmen fehlt sie (meist)

Es ist vermutlich eines der beliebtesten Schlagwörter der letzten Monate: Social Media Strategie. Und auch wenn jeder Berater sie anders definiert, die Begeisterung dafür wächst. Und auch die Notwendigkeit dafür dringt bei Unternehmen langsam durch. Doch den meisten Firmen fehlt immer noch ein strategischer Plan für den Einsatz von Social Media, was eine Befragung jetzt belegt.

Es verwundert einen, und doch auch wieder nicht: das Ergebnisse einer aktuellen Befragung von Digital Brand Expressions. Bei der Befragung sagten 78% der Marketing-Entscheider, daß ihr Unternehmen soziale Medien wie Facebook und Twitter für ihre Zwecke nutzen. Dennoch gaben nur 41% an, dass sie ihrem Engagement im sozialen Web eine elaborierte Strategie für die Kommunikation mit Partner und Kunden zugrunde legen.

Von den Firmen, die eine Social Media Strategie haben, setzen 94% die soziale Kommunikation für Marketingaktivitäten ein und 71% sehen die Verantwortung für Social Media in der Marketing-Abteilung des Unternehmens.

71% der Firmen, die eine Social Media Plan haben, nutzen die modernen sozialen Medien für ihre PR-Aktivitäten. 55% haben die Erhöhung der Absatzzahlen mit dem Salesteam im Visier. Das Thema Employer Branding züngelt dagegen noch auf kleiner Flamme. Nur 16% setzen die sozialen Medien im Bereich Human Resources für ihr Rekruiting ein. Interessanterweise ordnen auch 10% ihrer IT-Abteilung diese Aufgabe zu. Ob die IT-Abteilung nun aber zu den kommunikationstarken Abteilungen gehört, werden sicherlich andere Experten diskutieren.

Grundsätzlich stimmen die Zahlen einen bedenklich und zeigen ein altes Unternehmensproblem: Umsätze sollen schnell fließen, aber ein langfristiger Strategieplan fehlt. Von den Unternehmen, die keinen Plan für Social Media haben, sehen 88% die Wichtigkeit eines unternehmensweiten Planes für Social Media. Seltsam mutet es dann an, daß trotz der Einsicht der Notwendigkeit, Maßnahmen ergreifen zu müssen, sich der Aktionismus darin spiegelt. Als Gründe, die eine Firma davor abhalten, strategische Maßnahmen zu ergreifen, vermuten die Studienmacher das Fehlen eines ganzheitlichen Planungsprozesses in Unternehmen.

Vielleicht wird Social Media aber auch wie um die Jahrtausendwende als “Kommunikations-Testballon” gesehen. Bei einer durchschnittlichen Budgetverteilung von 4% für Social Media -laut einer aktuellen Razorfish Studie- erscheint dies wie die Vorgehensweise der Unternehmen und ihrer Marketingabteilungen mit dem Thema Onlinewerbung damals.

Spot On!
Obwohl 80% der Führungskräfte soziale Medien nutzen, lassen diese für die Strategie eines Unternehmens Verantwortlichen trotz ihres eigenen Online-Handelns, keine planerischen Konsequenz ihrer persönlichen Web-Nutzung folgen.

Ist das derzeit verwunderlich? Wohl weniger. Gerade abteilungsübergreifenden Planungsprozesse werden in wirtschaftlich schwierigen Zeiten fälschlicherweise von Abteilungsleitern wenig Bedeutung beigemessen. Es zählt der schnelle Dollar. Social Media, als eine solche Unternehmensabteilungen übergreifende Kommunikations-Disziplin, erfordert allerdings zwingend die Aufstellung, Abstimmung, Angleichung und Optimierung von Social Media Aktivitäten. Und das ist ein stetig wachsender Prozess – aber der braucht eben Weile.

Zumindest, wenn man die transparente Kommunikation mit dem Kunden, Partner und Mitarbeiter einer kollektiven Meinungsbildung zugunsten positiver Reputationsbildung (und Umsätze) nicht vorenthalten will. Und man Synergien zwischen Abteilungen nutzen und zweckfreie Content Redundanzen vermieden will – bei gleichzeitiger Optimierung der vorhanden Resourcen. Ein Ziel, woran sich aber auch Berater langfristig beim Aufbau einer Social Media Strategie messen lassen müssen.

Gen Y and Z: Digital safety becomes more important

Recent studies show that the young internet generations are concerned about their privacy and online safety. The Habbo study on Generation Z web users makes clear that schools and parents have the most influence in terms of educating young people about responsible and safe online behaviour. They learn about online safety at school (29%) or their family (20%) – friends only 10%.

The Gen Z feels that online safety would become increasingly important in the future (61%). They still fell fairly safe in most online environments (55%). Only 19% say they don’t feel safe in many digital areas.

Gen Y, the Millenials that put a lot of private details online, also pays more attention to their privacy than older generations. However, recent research by the Pew Internet Project states that most members of the American Gen Y were more likely to monitor privacy settings. They make identification more difficult as they often delete comments or remove their names from photos.

The Berkeley Center for Law and Technology found out that 88% of responding Gen Y-ers want a law that would require websites to delete captured information. And they go even further. In an ideal world, 62% of them wanted the right to know everything a website knows about them.

Spot On!
Seeing this development, it could be asked whether social networks and digital platforms should not be more careful in stepping into the social graphs of their users from a marketing and monetization perspective. When social media platforms can see via fan pages which brands I like and which not, it could potentially destroy the trust that social network users have in them.

So, the question is how to handle this sensitive topic? Any ideas?

Brand studies and relativity – It’s all about trust…

The theory of brand strength and leadership is all around and about trust. No wonder that a lot of companies, agencies and consulting companies produce studies that show the importance of results in favor of their business reason – in order to make it a valid business reason.

Some days ago, a marketer said to me: “One day I will write about the theory of relativity research offers”. I can understand my business contact. Especially today. Why? See what kind of study results came out today focussing the relevance of trusted brands in connection to social networks.

As I read the RSS feed of a lot of advertising magazines, it appeared that in not more than two hours (!!!) I came across the following two “studies”.

A: Study, Scource Reuters – Study by Fleishman-Hillard, conducted with Harris Interactive

This Digital Influence Index study says brands using microblogging site elements that provide real-time responses to the public (like Twitter or Facebook) are winning a higher degree of trust from consumers.

Around 75% of respondents say they trust more more in companies that send out short, frequent messages like status updates on social networking sites. These companies deserve more trust from a consumer perspective. In times where leading companies have felt the power of social networks (BP, Toyota, Johnson&Johnson or Procter & Gamble), these findings show the importance of social web engagement companies should consider.

B: Poll, Source AdWeek – Study by Zogby Interactive

This poll suggests that Apple, Google and Microsoft are trusted brands about equally by consumers. But according to the study Twitter and Facebook lag far behind in that respect.

Only 13% of respondents said they trust Facebook completely or a lot. Now, the unbelievable number of 75% are just trusting it a little or not at all. And Twitter does not show better results with 8% trust completely/a lot versus 64% a little/not at all (28% were not sure).

And the numbers in the Gen Y were not better: 20% of the 18-29s trust Facebook completely/a lot – 72% trusting it a little or not at all. For Twitter it is 15% trust it completely/a lot and 66% saying they trust it a little/not at all.

Can you believe these numbers? People are posting their lives and conversations on this social networks. Though they don’t trust them. Strange, right?

Spot On!
So if we take these numbers of the study and the poll for granted, transfer and aggregate their essence, does it mean that we trust brands which show up regularly on Twitter and Facebook, but we don’t trust the platforms of Facebook and Twitter. This sounds bizarr to me. Now, I know that we have to double-check the number of repondents, the way in which the questions were put to the responding audience, the research conducting company’s interest and so on. And sure, a poll offers probably less value than a verified study. Nevertheless, it shows that trust in brands can be seen from different angles. News companies sell both with the same unverified trusted value of one news story. Reuters and Fleishman-Hillard to me sound more like a trusted news source, so I will trust with their findings. It reflects my knowledge…

And in some way I can understand what my customer meant when we was talking about the “theory of relativity of research”.

Global Generation Z study: How teens see the digital future

There are not many studies telling us how the teens between 11-18 envision the future. One of the key findings of last year was that they expect access to social networks at work.

But what else is important for the lives of the Gen Z in the digital future? Tomorrow’s business might be affected in two ways: Offline meetings will be replaced with online interaction say 34% of repondents of a new study and travel habits might change. Why travel and work oversees when there is the option to be mobile at home?!

Habbo Hotel, celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, released a new worldwide research amoung 49.000 digital natives who have online more friends than offline – between 100 and 200 in their social networks. And these social networks shape their confidence in a positive way state 64%.

Let’s look at the key findings…

Content should be free…
The study makes clear that 32% of the respondents never pay for money at the moment, and 26% will only pay for content if there is no free content available on the web. How different the markets have developed shows the comparison of the
countries: In Spain and Italy 48% of Gen Z’s claim to never pay for content, in the UK it is only 21%.

Sharing is not popular…
While sharing is one of the main principles of the social web, not more than 23% regularly share content online, and when they share, it is music (54%), games (35%) and images (35%). 39% rarely or never share content.

TV and radio will stay…
The majority of teens cannot imagine a world without good old TV or radio. TV and mobile phone are the device that are most important for Generation Z to live with. Traditional print media (books, newspapers and magazines) will be gone some time in the future think 55%. Just 18% see their existance next to other media.

Digital language transforms to offline…
A third if the reponsing teens (34%) think that online language (SMS and online chat) could be used for offline conversation. In comparison 31% of the Habbo teens responded that they needed to stop using abbreviations outside of the internet.

Spot On!
When it comes to education the Generation Z states that the web has a big impact on their process of learning. 46% see a regular use of virtual worlds replacing traditional methods in school. Especially, when we read that 43% prefer the digital approach and find it easiest to learn from the internet. Nevertheless,it seems that books still have a standing in the learning process: 38% like the combinated learning from print and online. And even 16% chose books as their preferred way of learning. Although I can imagine that the new world might look like the Gen Z tells us, I think business budgets, resources and cultural differences might turn the world slower in their direction than we think. My learnings from the last decade in business…

What is your perception of these results?

News Update – Best of the Day

Some days ago, I wrote on Facebook “Driving on motorways is sooooooo boring…”. A friend of mine replied: “You do not du post this on Facebook while driving, right?”. Sure I did not! BUT: Texting is becoming mainstream it seems. The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project research suggests that 49% of adults said they have been passengers in a car when the driver was sending or reading text messages on their cell phone. Even more 47% of all texting adults say they have sent or read a text message while driving. I think this is a dangerous and scary development.

Most mobile usage taking place at home? Does the mobile device become the computer for fast information check-ups? A new study by media agency Initiative found out that 60% of mobile web usage is taking place at home. Some findings…:
- 30% of smartphone users start their day with the mobile Internet and 45% end their day with it.
- Peak time is the relaxing hours at home in the evening (64%)
- 50% of smartphone users browse the mobile Web while consuming other media or traveling.
- 39% co-use their PC-based and mobile Internet, 34% while reading newspapers and magazines.

Today there is no commercial but a really worth watching social media strategy approach by webbizideas…

News Update – Best of the Day

If you are a car manufacturer, the “2010: Automotive Marketing Return On Investment” study by Foresight Research helps you to identify the relevance of the web and social media in purchase decisions of car buyers.

- 86% of all new vehicle buyers used the internet in their new vehicle purchase process (2009) – thereof, 90% compared vehicles and pricing, while 83% checked for incentives online.
- 13% of all new buyers used some form of social networking to share information on their purchase decision. Especially young buyers under the age of 35 used 24% social networking to share their decision.
- Among the most influential car buyers 93% used the internet, 29% offered vehicle recommendations on social networking sites.

The combination of traditional online advertising and integrated social web community content is quite seldom to see these days. Ericsson took an interesting approach with their “2020 Shaping Ideas” microsite where interesting people from Vint Cerf, Don Tapscott to Charles Leadbeater have been recorded with their visions and good arguments. And you can share the content via loads of options or embed the father of the internet for example with his view of the future…

On the social web, companies need to be aware that customers will ask questions starting with a “WHY…?” which will reflect the way they handle their customers. So, companies should be prepared for answers, not just sit back and make a fool out of their customers like this company Canadian insurance suggests in their new commercial.

Openness and authenticity are the things that drive brands

One of the great things about being a busines blogger is that you have the opportunity to exchange thoughts and views with interesting and successful business people. People you would never get to known in life but then meet them for a drink, for dinner or -which I really appreciate- for lunch. Sometimes you are the initiator and sometimes it is them who do the first step to invest time in networking and in exchanging “brand and business philosophy”.

In the end, it is all about conversation, and conversation is key for building trust.

Last week, I had one of these comfortable meetings when Aedhmar Hynes, CEO at the PR agency Text 100, spent two hours of her busy time with two her nice colleagues and me in Germany in the restaurant lounge Schweiger2. Apart from enjoying a wonderful menue (should have written the review in English), we exchanged our views on the latest development concerning the challenges for brands on the social web in the future.

In order to share some of her valuable and deep knowledge, Aedhmar summarized her view of the impact of social media on brands for us.

The funny thing is that the restaurant definitely won two “fans” for their delicious showroom cooking, received a positive review and it would be interesting to track the offline word-of-mouth buzz the restaurant gets from us. One of the reasons why I asked her later on, what she things about the power of the brand-vangelists (or brand-advocates) and how to leverage those for business.

Just before I recorded these statements, she said “Openness and authenticity are the things that drive brands”, and I could not agree more. Nevertheless, I think brands still have a lot to learn to make this real from a customers point of view.

Would you agree?

News Update – Best of the Day

Foursquare, the location-based application, is one of the rising stars for innovative marketing efforts with social networks. But often employees take the fun out of the game for business purpose, and quite often the most tech-savvy employee is the mayor (checking in every day…) so that customers cannot get the mayorship award. How to get around it, explains David Griner. Why businesses should have a close look at the location-based app services reveals a tweet and a world-wide study by uTest on Foursquare, Gowalla and Brightkite. People love touse the service as of ease-to-use factor though personal privacy and security concerns are high and disappointment on the deals and coupons opportunities.

It is always important to get some insights in what digital experts are thinking will make the trends in the future. Richard Edelmann shares some input from a future media panel and how media is re-shaping. Adam Shlachter, Director of Digital Investment, MEC shares his view what 3 things are working with new & emerging media, like social & mobile…

Global warming is an issue for everyone of us. Watch the video and think about it…

My Starbucks Case Study – Connecting Offline and Online

One of the famous examples we all hear when we join webinars and seminars on how to leverage your brand with social media is Starbucks. Starbucks is using Facebook and Twitter for customer care and yes, we can say that to increase sales. Case studies are a lot on the web and I often talk about them in my presentations. Asking my self if there is way to improve for Starbucks when connecting offline and online…

Now, sometimes you become part of a learning curve for brands as a prosumer. It happens quicker than you want or expect. And it happened to me at my last Starbucks visit.

When I was paying my bill, the friendly women at the counter started talking about my nice netbook. She was actually getting me inside of a comfortable small talk that was obviously intended already before I accessed their coffee shop. It is a part of their customer care strategy which connects offline and online in an interesting way.

When the cash desk threw out my receipe, the woman gets a smile on her face. She cut in our conversation with a “Hey, Congratulations! You have just been selected to take part in our customer online survey“. She hands over the recipe and explains that I have to answer some question and then will get a coupon for a free tall drink. I thought for myself “Nice idea!”, let’s see if they connect it with their social media efforts.

Now, obviously they were lucky in some way that I am a (business) blogger and always pay attention to such efforts of companies to look after their customers. I do not know whether she saw that I have logged in on that Starbucks shop via Foursquare while standing at the cash point. That would show how well trained the people at Starbucks are. She definitely knew that I will be working and going online during my stay in their shop. If the cash maschine has a customer care survey button, I don’t know. Anyway…

So, I took the survey and thus can interpret from their questions that there is an intention to get customers into a conversation. “Cluetrain in the offline world” comes to my mind. The survey itself is a normal five minutes multiple choice research. Nothing special. In the end, I get the code for my free drink, write it on the coupon and get my drink. Their customer care process works!

Spot On!
Now, why do I write about this experience? Starbucks is said to have a good social media approach -some might call it strategy- to work with their customers. But when the survey was done, I was surprised that I did not find a button to become their “fan” on Facebook. Which actually would lead me a step further in their process to think about their customer care card (see their app promotion). Or to become a follower of their Twitter account, so I can spread the word about my free drink and praise their cool customer service approach. And now, I am asking myself, is it better that they don’t ask for too much brand commitment. Or is it normal to give when you get? Maybe you can help my find an answer…

Meine Marken – Das Milka Bekenntnis

In zahlreichen Gesprächen und Präsentationen mit Marketingverantwortlichen habe ich in den letzten Wochen die Bedeutung der Bekenntnisse von Prosumern zu Marken im Social Web zugunsten des Referenz-Marketing und des Buzz um die Marke hervorgehoben. Auch Facebook nutzt dieses neuzeitliche Phänomen mit Fanpages von Marken, um den Marken eine Plattform auf ihrer Plattform zu gewähren, wo sie die Markenbekenntnisse in der externen Community-Cloud zusammenführen und Erkenntnisse über Gespräche hinsichtlich der Marke generieren können.

Diesem Bekenntnistrend folgt auch die W&V-Online. Sie hat die Serie “Meine Marken” ins Leben gerufen. Dort bekennen sich Branchen-Promis wöchentlich zu ihren Lieblingsmarken. Stephan Vogel von Ogilvy fährt für TWIX auch nachts noch an die Tanke, Serviceplan-Geschäftsführer Ronald Focken eher für Kitkat. Weber Shandwick Deutschland Chefin Astrid von Rudloff zieht Ritter Sport der Yoghurette vor. Saatchi-Chef Michael Samak mag Überraschungseier und Werbeprofi Thomas Kock liebt Kinderschokolade.

Schokolade ist ein gutes Thema bei Markenbekentnissen. Dem will auch ich mich hier mal widmen. Denn heute bekenne ich mich zu einer meiner Marken: Milka Schokolade. “I love Milka”! Nein, nicht die Herzen oder andere Milka Marken-Derivate. Nur die Richtige, die einzig Wahre. Die Milka Alpenmilch-Schokolade (Vollmilch). So, jetzt ist es raus.

Aber warum?
Ganz einfach. Meine Frau kam auf die glorreiche Idee, unserer Küche mehr Farbe zu verleihen. Und nun ratet mal welche… Richtig: Lila! Nein, kein Witz. Das Foto kann bezeugen, daß meine Frau wahrlich “milka-lila” gewählt hat. Ob sie das nun getan hat, damit ich mich endlich zur Marke bekenne, oder weil “Flieder” als Farbe gerade trendy ist. Ich weiß es nicht. Vermutlich eher, weil ich mir “Milka Schokolade wie Brot” einverleibe, wie sie meint. Und da könne ich mich auch endlich zu meiner Schoko-Lieblingsmarke bekennen.

Die Wand ist schön geworden. Die Küche ein kulinarischer Wohntraum sozusagen. Es werden noch zwei Designer-Barhocker gekauft (aus Gründen des Markenbekenntnisses vermutlich in weiß…). Dennoch wirkt die Wand und die Küche unvollständig.

Was fehlt?
Der Milka Schriftzug und natürlich der angemessene Schokoladenvorrat an Milka Vollmilch Tafeln.

Kraft Foods, bitte macht Social Media Monitoring. Denn auf das Social Web scheint sich das Unternehmen noch nicht so richtig einzulassen. Auch wenn es schon zahlreiche Bekenntnisse zu Milka auf Facebook gibt. Die offizielle Fanpage fehlt noch. Ebenso wie ein Twitter, YouTube oder ähnliche Social Media Engagements. Offensichtlich hat Kraft die Daten der Bekenner lieber incognito im eigenen Kuhstall statt publik in der Cloud. Die Gemeinde der Milka-Fans trifft sich derzeit in der Kuh-munity. Muß ich jetzt da noch Mitglied werden? Ich hab mich ja öffentlich zur Marke bekannt… Mehr Bekenntnis geht nicht, oder?

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