Forrester report on social media challenges

Announcements

Forrester report on social media marketing and engagement: Data Defines The Future Of Social Relationship Platforms (PDF courtesy of Social Flow).

Key findings from the report:

  1. Can’t measure effectively. Measurement remains social marketers’ biggest challenge. More than one-half of the marketers said they struggle to gauge the value of their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
  2. Don’t know what content to post, or when. Finding and selecting good social content is hard. Social relationship marketers list both deciding what to publish and sourcing content among their top three challenges.
  3. Don’t have the human resources they need to succeed. Managing branded profiles can be resource intensive and requires a well-drilled team. But more than one-quarter of social marketers say they don’t have the budget to hire enough social staff.
  4. Aren’t getting the help they need from vendors. Marketers’ commitment to social plus their difficulties and disappointments equals an opportunity for vendors.

Prep for class Feb 25

Announcements

A reminder, each team will have a maximum of 10 minutes to present on their status, challenges and next steps – based around the deliverable due, via e-mail to the course account, by start of class. We will be in 2 parallel rooms for this, three teams per room. We will then have a short discussion followed by work-time for teams with instructor input. We will then return to the large class setting to debrief on key learnings for the process and tips for moving forward in the last month.

The last hour of the class will be given over to our guest from China. Chunhua Wu, a Marketing Professor in the Sauder School of Business, has kindly provided this background briefing. You are asked to peruse this before class to improve your ability to ask meaningful questions.

The market has changed tremendously in the past few years. Simply put, the corresponding relations are as follows:

Google -> Baidu

Youtube -> Youku

Facebook -> Renren

Twitter -> Weibo

Whatsapp -> Wechat

Amazon -> Taobao

How Chinese journalists use Weibo microblogging for investigative reporting, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism

Technology, transparency and traditional media: How Weibo and Wechat are breaking the information monopoly, Nieman Reports

http://www.seeisee.com/sam/2013/04/02/p3682

http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2288982/search-in-china-how-baidu-is-different-from-google

http://live.wsj.com/video/chinas-wechat-gaining-global-attention/C6A709FF-CAE3-4504-A149-82FEF46DEECA.html#!C6A709FF-CAE3-4504-A149-82FEF46DEECA

http://thenextweb.com/asia/2013/12/11/wechat-is-going-international-in-a-different-way-to-whatsapp-using-games-and-commerce-interview/#!wvGuY

http://thenextweb.com/asia/2013/08/06/heres-why-a-war-has-started-between-chinese-internet-giants-tencent-and-alibaba/#!wvHJl

http://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1430262/price-war-escalates-between-taxi-hailing-apps-backed-internet

http://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1408024/chinas-online-giants-alibaba-and-tencent-go-head-head

http://www.forbes.com/sites/hengshao/2013/12/20/internet-companies-encroach-on-chinas-banking-sector/

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/tech/2014-02/17/content_17286062.htm

Feedback on social media self-assessment

Assignments

Each student will be receiving individual feedback on this formative assignment. Here are some overall comments that apply to the whole class to help with the final report.

  • Be specific about the rationale behind using a particular social media channel. Consider who you are trying to reach and which channels are most appropriate for those communities.
  • Be prepared to demonstrate specific improvements that you have made from now to the end of the course. We need to be able to see artifacts of before (screenshots) and after (selective screenshots and links). We will grade you on your progress against your improvement plan and not just because you have a plan.
  • Over and above creating content and updating and connecting profiles, you should be deliberate about cultivating the professional persona that supports how you desire to be seen by others. This is one of the challenging aspects of developing your professional profile. Be clear about who you want to be and how your social media activities reflect this persona.  At this stage in your career, that profile will be in flux so this is the time to make progress in this direction.
  • Consider how you can measure your progress by looking at baseline analytics now and comparing them with end of term analytics. This may include figures such as Twitter followers but also consider any changes in the make-up of those followers.
  • There were concerns about the personal and professional differences in content, audience and implications for reputation and effectiveness. This is a legitimate conundrum that everyone working in the social media and communication space has to navigate. Everyone will have a different level of comfort in mixing the personal and professional. Some  create second accounts in some platforms, others use selective access groups, and others allow their personality to show through from personal activities and interest to add depth and character in their professional life. There are no absolute rights and wrongs here – these are individual decisions. You should be thoughtful and deliberate in your choices, and aware of the pros and cons of being too restrictive or too open.

Course logistics

Announcements

1) Your self assessment on your social media profile (due start of c3 – tomorrow) is only required in soft copy to DSM.course@ubc.ca

2) Hootsuite Pro access – at the time of writing, only 16 of you have provided your e-mails – the rest of you are very late. Please supply asap to DSM.course@ubc.ca  This has held up the access for everyone as the arrangement with HS is normally to supply the full class e-mail list in one batch. We have now  arranged to split this into two lists, and so the initial student group should hear from HS shortly.

Assignment: Social media presentations

Assignments,

Social media in-class presentations – worth 15%

Students will work in pairs to prepare an 8-minute in-class presentation on the benefits and weaknesses of a social media tool/service. The presentation should explain how the platform is being used professionally, together with examples of best use in editorial projects.

You will be required to submit your slides and also a 1-page (max) summary of your key points. The 1-pager posting deadline is 24 hours before your presentation date so that we can post it to the course blog and all students in the class can preview the key points ahead of your presentation. This is intended to allow you to move more quickly on the main points of your presentation. After both presentations have been made, both sets of presenters will come to the front of the room and be expected to facilitate a discussion based on questions from the audience.

There will be two presentations every week, starting from week 4. Continue reading Assignment: Social media presentations →

Assignment: Social media portfolio

Assignments

Details of assignment: 10%

Students are to develop a professional portfolio that both demonstrates their social media capabilities and uses selected social media channels.  Think of this as an ePortfolio that showcases your work and abilities to potential employers. Consider how you appear electronically to potential employers, relative to everyone else seeking the same coveted spot.

The portfolio documents and highlights the best of who you are and what you have done. It also points to your potential. It is a collection of digital artefacts articulating experiences, achievements and learning.  Continue reading Assignment: Social media portfolio →

Assignment: Applied client project

Assignments

Students will work in groups, bringing together Sauder and Journalism students, on a social media project for a client. This collaborative project is intended to be a practical, hands-on exploration and implementation of what we’ve covered throughout the course.

We have lined up media partners from a variety of organisations with diverse interests.

Project breakdown:

  1. Assessment of needs and proposal (including an assessment of suitable HS Pro plugins) – 10%. Due Jan 28 9.30 a.m.
  2. Outline and scope of work (including evidence of significant research) – 10%. Due Feb 25, 9.30 a.m.
  3. Social media strategic plan (including appendix with breakdown of who did what) – 25%. Due March 25, 9.30 a.m.
  4. In-class presentation – 10%. Due April 1 from 9.30 a.m. Continue reading Assignment: Applied client project →

Media partners for client project

Assignments

Students will work in groups, bringing together Sauder and Journalism students, on a social media project for a client. This collaborative project is intended to be a practical, hands-on exploration and implementation of what we’ve covered throughout the course.

Please submit your top three choices on this shared Google Doc, together with one line on why you would be good for the media partner. Paul and I will try to accommodate your requests but you may not all get your first choice.

Media partners:

On the Coast, CBC Vancouver
On the Coast is CBC Vancouver’s drivetime radio show, hosted by Stephen Quinn. It is producing Gay and Grey, a series on gay seniors in Vancouver’s West End to run over the first few months of 2014, culminating in a public forum on the issue.

Continue reading Media partners for client project →