FreshNetworks Blog

I’ve only recently started reading the Novactif blog and it’s in French so sadly it didn’t make it onto our list of Five blogs you should read in 2009, but perhaps we’ll add it as a late sixth blog on this list. Just before Christmas, Frédéric Lopez wrote about the role that Facebook is playing in society (Facebook : le prozac des temps modernes) and raised a number of issues and ideas that rung true for me.

We’ve written before about the differences between social networks and online communities. About how social networks are very much a ‘me’ space, where I go to see and show of my photos, connect with my friends, find out what they are doing and tell them what I’m doing, plan my events. Social networks are a very me-centric space, and one that is difficult to engage people in on other topics. They contrast well with online communities, which is focused on a shared goal or aim, and where the personal focus is less pronounced.

Frédéric’s critique of Facebook takes this further, for him the ability to both see what others are doing and, perhaps more importantly, to broadcast what you are doing as a constant stream can be a form of self-affirmation. In his words (apologies in advance for any change of emphasis in my translation), he says:

…more than anything, Facebook acts as a kind of digital antidepressant, providing us with both self-affirmation and mass-voyeurism

He goes on to cite the apparent desire people have to gather millions of friends, to make their profile interesting and attractive and then to let these friends see what they are doing at all times.

…[it] pushes us towards an unhealthy exhibitionism: “to really have fun, I have to show people just what fun I’m having”, “to really succeed in life, I have to show people that I’m succeeding”…

For me this critique of Facebook is true, but just plays on an inherent human desire to have your voice heard and tell your own story. At FreshNetworks we are often asked why people will take part in online communities. The answer is that if you get the planning and launch right, you will have no problems getting people to take part. We are social beings that like having our voice heard and our thoughts listened to.

This teaches us much when we are working with social media and building online communities. We need to make sure there is sufficient opportunity for people to see that their opinions are seen by others, that they are adding to the discussions and others know that. This has implications for the way we design and build communities, the way we manage and moderate them and the way we interact with members. We need to truly understand motivation and then make sure we use this to maximise the benefit we get.

Subscribe to updates from the FreshNetworks Blog

Some more reading

• Not all social networking sites are created equally
• Time Enough for Social Media (Subtitled, “When Real Life Crashes Into Social Media Life”)
• Web Technology: Impact on Social Media and Community
• Marketing on the Web: How to Profit From Social Networking
• Social Marketing in ’09… Good Content Is The Key To Buy-In

I came across this video from Scott Drummond from Sports Hydrant in Australia when it was posted in the Online Community Manager LinkedIn group. It was filmed at a Barcamp session in Australia last year, where Scott is presenting about what an online community manager is and how to define community management. This video, Scott’s approach and the discussion in the room fits very really well with our attitude to promoting community management.

The video is worth watching and it’s great to see the discussion that people have when they try to define the role of community manager.

Three points from the discussion really struck a chord with our experiences of managing communities and our theories of what makes good community management:

1. The community manage has an important connector role – sourcing information from people who use the product and bringing it to the brand so that they can improve it. This is not just the role of online research communities, but a real benefit you can get from all communities.
2. You need to advocate the community within the organisation, and also advocate the organisation within the community. You translate what goes on in the community and make it relevant for the organisation and different people within it – you can explain to a CEO why the community is important and show the value they can personally get.
3. You need to be a trusted and transparent source within the community. I see too many communities where the community manager is face-less, has a generic name and never really interacts with members. Honesty and transparency are really important online and your community manager should be a member of the community like any other.

Community from Ben Grubb on Vimeo.

Subscribe to updates from the FreshNetworks Blog

Some more reading

• Social Networks vs. Online Communities vs. Panels
• When physical and virtual worlds collide
• Another example of good use of video in online communities

For our first post of the new year, I wanted to touch on two questions that often crop up when we talk to clients about their online presence and how they are and could use social media:

1. “If somebody talks about us online, should we respond?”
   
2. “If we respond, what is the best way of doing this?”

This can be a difficult set of questions for brands to answer. If they engage they fear they may open the metaphorical floodgates and end up having to find and then respond to every mention of their brand online. If they don’t engage they fear that they are losing control of the brand. Our approach has typically been to discuss a set of real-life scenarios with them from blogs, social networks and online communities, and then establish when and where it is appropriate to engage as part of their social media strategy – what do they hope to achieve from engaging and so how should they do this.

Of course, this still leaves a lot of unanswered questions about how to act in specific circumstances and what we’ve really wanted is to have a crib sheet for these brands. And it seems that we might now have just that, courtesy of what might at first seem an unlikely source: the US Air Force.

I really like this approach, for four reasons:

1. It recognises that it is not always appropriate to “join the conversation”. Just as you wouldn’t unnecessarily go over and join a conversation about your brand you might hear in a restaurant, it’s not always appropriate online. Assess when you should and shouldn’t talk and then so it in an appropriate way.
2. It emphasise the importance of honesty online. The first instruction when you respond online is to identify who you are and where you’re from. This is really important online.
3. It lets you differentiate between different types of negative posts. Not all negativity is the same and sometimes it doesn’t make sense to respond and sometimes it does.
4. It’s easy to remember and follow. Any process needs to fulfill all your needs but be simple. This has the beauty of simplicity.

Subscribe to updates from the FreshNetworks Blog

Some more reading

• Brands can learn a lot from the US Air Force
• Friends are not the same as influence
• The best of social media over the holiday season
• Consumers are Increasingly Looking to Social Networks for Advice
• Why Social Works Part IV: Final Notes and Future Directions