What's
Inside:
Greetings Online Communizens,
You might think it is a slow news week if a candy brand makes headlines, but that is exactly what happened when Skittles launched their new web presence by overlaying a small traditional navigational bar over major social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and Wikipedia. The result was a lot of buzz, at least in the digirati-sphere. The Skittles campaign underscores one key trend: Marketers are leaning more heavily on communities and social media to achieve results.
On to the report!
ps: Are you going to South by Southwest? If so, I would love to connect with you. Please drop me a line.
Bill Johnston, Editor
bjohnston@forumone.com
(follow @billjohnston on Twitter)
A Message From Our Sponsors:
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Online Community Research Network
The OCRN is collaboration of online community and social media practitioners. Our members have access to unmatched peer to peer collaboration opportunities through monthly roundtable calls, quarterly webinars, a member's only network and six research studies throughout the year on timely social media and online community topics.
Join today and get ongoing access to collaborate with other smart social media and online community pros.
Go here to sign up
Online Community Highlights
Twitter - The Latest Online Marketing Tool?
There’s been significant buzz around Twitter ever since it’s launch a couple of years ago. The micro-blogging service is morphing again into a high touch marketing tool. Many companies are harnessing the power of direct communication with their customers, whether they utilize Twitter to answer questions about their services and products like Whole Foods, or to share a more personal side of the people who run the company like Zappos. If used correctly, Twitter can provide companies with an incredible opportunity to interact and engage with customers.
Twitter Marketing Successes - ClickZ
Harness The Power Of Twitter For Local Marketing - Search Engine Land
In Search of a Twitter Enterprise Use Case? - Gartner
Twitter Is Now a Must in the Enterprise - PC World
Social Media Marketing and the Skittles Experiment
In a slow economy where budgets have been cut and marketing folks are being tasked with finding new and creative ways to engage their customers, many are looking to social media and online communities and the great engagement opportunities they provide. Mars pioneered a new and daring social media campaign for their candy, Skittles, complete with a website redesign that includes a Twitter feed, Facebook page and lots of user generated content. Mars managed to get people to engage in their candy and their brand. Of course, there is plenty of positive and negative content, but the campaign created an incredible amount of buzz and now everyone's talking about it. And heck, after looking at all of those pictures of Skittles on Flickr, I'm ready to "taste the rainbow" myself! The "Skittles Experiment" will likely inspire other companies to test the social media waters and get more creative in how they try to connect with their customers through social media.
Mars Deserves Praise for Innovative Skittles Initiative - Paul Gillin
Marketers Praise Skittles' Gutsy Site Move - MediaPost
Skittles Website - Zany or Just Plain Crazy? - Corporate Eye
More Highlights:
Social Networks, Blogs Pass Email In Usage - MediaPost
In 2008, over two-thirds of the global online population visited member communities.
An "Unconference" for Online Communities - The Huffington Post
Marcia Yerman's report back from the Online Community Unconference East on February 11th.
Facebook Sending More Traffic Than Google to Some Sites - AdAge
Will Search-Marketing Dollars Also Shift to Social Media?
Social Media: Effective Branding Tool, If Monitored - MediaPost
Carat CEO Sarah Fay said marketing efforts that employ social media sites are more effective when used as part of a wider campaign and not as a solo initiative.
LinkedIn: Cultivating brand engagement through social networks - Mycustomer.com
LinkedIn's Kevin Eyres thinks marketers can interact with and engage their audience to gain new insight - and create brand advocates.
Online Communities: Surviving & Thriving - Part 3 - OC Report
This post is the third in a series of blog posts exploring our recent research into the effect of the down economy on Online Community and social media programs.
Tapping the Portable Social Graphs - AdAge
Social media is in an evolution phase and Facebook Connect, along with Myspace Data Availability, Google Friend Connect, OpenId and OAuth are playing a central role in what it will become.
Search box starts popping up on Twitter - CNET NEws
The industry buzz is that searchability is one of Twitter's killer features, and indeed, it looks like the microblogging service is starting to put it more front and center.
Social Media for Business: The Dos & Don’ts of Sharing - Mashable
Just as you create branding guidelines and key messaging guides, so too should you dedicate time to creating your social media personality.
Online Community Events
Online Community Business Forum
March 19-20, 2009
The Online Community Business Forum is an invitation-based event bringing together business leaders who drive active online communities. Based on the industry-leading Online Community Summit, the Business Forum focuses specifically on online community business models and tactics, what works, and what is on the horizon.
In the 2009 Business Forum, scheduled for March 19-20 in Sonoma, California, we'll have an in depth review of online community business topics such as advertising models; subscriber models; ROI frameworks; new revenue models; and other important topics for the online community executive. We limit attendance at our executive events to allow true discussion during our sessions.
Click here to request an invitation or email me directly at bjohnston@forumone.com.
Online Communities: Thriving in the Downturn Webinar
A webinar sponsored by the Online Community Research Network
April 21, 2009 @ 11:00 am PDT
Join Bill Johnston of Forum One Networks for a discussion on the key findings from the Online Communities: Surviving & Thriving in the Downturn report. Session highlights will include:
* Staffing implications during the downturn
* Community budget impacts
* How stakeholder attitudes are changing in light of economic pressures
* Advice on how to navigate the downturn
Please note: Attendance is limited to 200 people. Register early to reserve your spot!
Register now
Online Community Unconference
June 18, 2009
The Online Community Unconference is a gathering of online community practitioners - managers, developers, business people, tool providers, investors - to discuss experiences and strategies in the development and growth of online communities. Those involved in online community development (and social software in general) share many common challenges: community management, tools, marketing, business models, legal issues. As we have found with our past events, the best source of information on all of these challenges is other knowledgeable practitioners.
Click here to register
OC Expert Interview: Allen Blue, LinkedIn
This month's Online Community Expert Interview is with Allen Blue of LinkedIn. LinkedIn has traditionally been the professional network of choice, and has experienced a surge in use and attention in recent months because of the increase in job-seeking activity.Allen is one of the co-founders of LinkedIn, where he manages the Content and Communities division, covering LinkedIn's Groups, Events, Answers, Communication and Network Updates products. He was formerly Director of Product Design at SocialNet.com, a social networking service supporting dating, recreational and professional activities, where he was responsible for product design and implementation of SocialNet’s member-data focused business model.
Click here to read the interview.
Know an online community expert with an
interesting story to tell? Or are you one yourself? Email me, and
you may be the next expert interviewee.
Online
Community Jobs
A current list of Online Community job opportunities. If
you would like
to include an open position in the next issue of the newsletter, please
email
me with the title and link to the job description.
Apture
Community Manager
EAA
Online Community Manager
Care2 Inc.
Product Manager for Community
Clear Capital
Commumnity Manager
CODEPINK
Online
Community Organizer
Forum One
Interface Engineer
Senior Programmer - Technical Lead
Internet Research Analyst
KIPP Foundation
Manager, Teacher Recruitment Community
Lithium
Online Moderator (Part-Time), Remote
Microsoft
Windows7 Social Media Lead
Rare
VP, RarePlanet.org
Community & Product Manager, RarePlanet.org
Rosetta Stone
Community Manager
Sulake Corporation
Community Manager (Copenhagen/Denmark)
the groupery
Online Community / Website Manager
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Community Senior Producer
Walmart
Community Analyst
Warner Bros. Records
Community Director
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