Building a Brand Through Social Networks

Social media encompass communication possible throughout all of the forms of social communities online. Social-media communities include forums, virtual worlds, social news organizations, social opinion-sharing sites, and social networks.

By Dr. Tracy Tuten
Author of Advertising 2.0: Social Media Marketing in a Web 2.0 World

Social media encompass communication possible throughout all of the forms of social communities online. Social-media communities include forums, virtual worlds, social news organizations, social opinion-sharing sites, and social networks. Social networks are built around site platforms that enable members to develop identity profiles, interact with other members, and participate in various site activities. Social networks are 2D environments with identity representation limited to one's profile rather than by visually detailed avatars common to virtual worlds. Although interactions with others can seemingly approximate synchronous real-time communication, the messaging structure is static rather than dynamic. Networks can be thought of as utility-based tools. They are an elegant but fun way to organize content, socialize, and promote one's self-identity.

Despite this, social networks have grown in popularity from their ability to provide a platform for information sharing, communication, and relationship development and maintenance. In a world where individuals may have reduced physical contact and heightened time spent interacting with electronic devices, social networks have evolved to provide an online platform for personal, intimate, informal neighborhood and office chatter. They offer a sense of "contact comfort" in a society where many of us spend less time with actual people than we do with machines. Contact comfort helps to meet individual needs for affiliation and socialization. Social networks meet our need for contact comfort while also providing entertainment and information sharing.

Social networks are above all else communication hubs. While they all offer the core product of networking capabilities, networks do find ways to differentiate themselves. Myspace and Facebook support relationship building and maintenance. YouTube offers a venue for sharing and promoting videos and related opinions. Flickr enables photo sharing and reviewing. LinkedIn provides a form of self-promotion and career net-working. There are niche sites as well focused on any number of hobbies and personal interests. Catster, for example, offers tips and information on caring for one's feline companion with the added benefit of being able to talk with others who define themselves in part by the pets they love.

With all that’s going on with social networking these days, we’re seeing a lot of figures leverage the popularity of social networks to gain visibility for themselves. We’ve seen it a lot with musicians, films, and especially politicians, who recognize the potential of reaching out to the teen and young adult demographics that connect over social networks and are hoping to get the young vote for the 2008 Presidential elections. The social marketing blog Quick Sprout has noted 3 rules for you to brand yourself through social networks. Here’s the abbreviated version:

Create a Profile

It’s important to have a profile on every major social network out there, including MySpace and Facebook. Most profiles have public URLs that become hubs for people seeking information on you. They’re great because they allow you to share pertinent information for the rest of the world to see. We’ve seen it with politicians such as John Edwards, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on MySpace, YouTube and even Twitter, as they rake up friends and offer a place to disseminate updates and announcements in a way that reaches MySpace users quickly and easily; on their level.

The more customizable the profile, the better. MySpace, Magnify and Bebo offer a pretty high level of customization, enabling you to add backgrounds and color schemes that match your brand. Magnify can also be incorporated into your existing site or profile elsewhere.

Networking

In order to get visibility for your profile, you need to network. This means, get out there and connect with the other users. Send them messages, add them as friends and leave comments on their user profiles. You can also join and start groups that are related to topics that connect back to your brand, participate in forums and chats, as well as special activities a site may have, such as Voxs Quotd, which is a daily question they pose to the community. This allows you to reach other users on a personal level, and lets them know you’re an active member of the community.

You see this a lot with musicians and profiles that are set up for movies or series, such as pop singer Mandy Moore, who holds several contests on sites such as Photobucket, and Prom Queen and Afterworld, who have garnered quite a following on MySpace and YouTube. Facebook newsfeeds and Twitter updates will also let your friends know what’s going on with you, which sparks a continued interest in your profile. Several services have incorporated Twitter into their own sites, such as MyBlogLog and 30Boxes, so no matter what networks other people are using, there’s a growing chance they’ll still see what’s new in your life. Twitter also makes it easy for people to keep up with you even when they’re on the go, as Twitter gives SMS updates as well.

Stickiness

In order to get people to remember your brand, you’ll have to make sure they see it over and over again. In order to achieve this, you’ll need to get people to keep coming back to your profile. You can do this by giving updates about yourself and your brand, and adding interesting content such as photos and videos.

I’ll add to this the use of widgets. If you create a widget with content that’s directly related to your brand, and this widget is exportable directly from your profile, you are encouraging others to place the widget on their own profile, letting them work for you while still expanding the recognition of your brand. You’ll need to incorporate a way for people to know how to get back to your site if you decide to use widgets. If the widget itself can’t be linked back directly to your profile, add a caption to your images slide show or video that displays your brand and your public URL. Try to keep this simple. Services for photo and video editing include Mixercast, Mojiti and Jumpcut.

If you employ a widget strategy, you can use tools such as those offered by ReverbNation, which gives you stats and demographics for your profile and your widgets, so you can see where they are the most effective, and what type of people they appeal to.

Major Lesson Learned

One key takeaway from these guidelines is to remember that smaller, even niche social networks can be used to build up your presence in larger communities. A lot of smaller sites offer tools that will let you incorporate additional content that’s important for branding purposes, as well as ways to manage your overall web presence, offering compatible tie-ins with larger networks.

Social Networking Sites and Categories

Social-networking sites can be classified into four primary categories. General social-networking sites, like MySpace, have social networking among friends as the primary focus. There are also several social- network sites that are affiliated with major portals (like Yahoo! 360). Because of their portal affiliation, they are typically separated from general sites for classification purposes. Lastly, there are vertical social networks. Vertical social networks differentiate themselves by emphasizing some common hobby, interest, or characteristic that draws members to the site. These vertical networks do not attract the same traffic typical of general sites, but one might argue that the members are more involved because of the common interest that initially brought them to the site. Within this realm of vertical networks, sites exist for pet lovers (e.g., Catster), photography (e.g., Flickr), soccer fans (e.g., Joga), gays and lesbians (e.g., Glee), and more.

Some social-networking sites are generating advertising revenue on a larger scale than others; eMarketer predicts that MySpace will capture a full 60% of the market for ad spending. Other major players for advertisers including smaller sites like sites like Facebook, Bebo, and Piczo, which expected to earn about 23% of ad spending on the social-networking realm. Portal-affiliated sites will garner about 11% of ad spending and vertical sites about 5%. It probably comes as no surprise that Myspace earns the lion’s share of ad spending, at more than $510 million for 2007 alone!

The landscape of social-networking sites changes daily as new entrants seek to enter a growing market. The number of sites with reasonably large name recognition is fairly small, but the Mashable lists entries for 350 social-networking sites! A few examples are highlighted below.

MySpace.com: A Place for Friends

Myspace is a general social-networking site with more than 100 million registered profiles and unique visitors exceeding 64 million per month. It is the mass market of social networking, akin to the Super Bowl for television advertising. In fact, the most recent Super Bowl broadcast partnered with MySpace to deliver additional advertising impressions for Super Bowl commercials by offering a MySpace community site dedicated to the ads. MySpace was initially intended for an audience of teens and young adults, but an analysis of MySpace user demographics from comScore corrects that perception. MySpace's age demographic is distributed over a range of ages with its largest category being the 35-45 age group (making up 40% of MySpace’s user base). A strength of MySpace is its broad appeal, developing at least in part from its vast array of features, including individual profiles, music, video, instant messaging capabilities, blogs, groups and communities, and a host of others. Given that social-networking sites exist (at least from the user perspective) to create and maintain personal relationships, using the largest network increases the likelihood of an existing friend base. Niche networks, in contrast, must rely on invitations from users to build membership and expand network. MySpace is the most successful network in leveraging what is known as the network effect. The network effect explains that a network gains value as more people join the network.

MySpace recently announced one of the most advanced developments in social-network advertising. It now offers an advertising solution for businesses that claims to microtarget ads to members. Because the ads are highly targeted based on the data in user profiles, the ads should have more relevance to and meaning for the target audience, resulting in a higher rate of response. This system promises to improve online advertising, especially for local advertisers, but its accuracy depends upon the accuracy of the data in user profiles and the quality of the data-mining function used to extract the segments for targeting. In addition to targeted display ads, brands can create brand profiles and communities.

Facebook

Facebook is the second largest social network. Though largely dwarfed by MySpace's size and traffic, it boasts highly involved members, many of whom report spending hours each day on the site and constantly checking for new Facebook messages on their mobile phones. When Facebook launched in February of 2004, it focused on high school and college students, relying on existing tangible networks to build the virtual network base. It has been enormously successful with the college audience. According to the GenX27 Youth Research Initiative, a higher percentage of college students use and prefer Facebook over MySpace. According to Student Monitor's Lifestyle & Media Study, Facebook is one of the top five "in" things to do on college campuses, second to iPods, named by 73% of students and tying with beer, which was named by 71% of students. Early estimates suggest that about 85% of all college students use Facebook, with 60% of them logging in daily, spending about a half hour per day on the site. Since that time, it has opened the site to non- students, expanded to several other countries, and earned more than 27 million members. An article featuring Facebook in Fast Company magazine reports that Facebook boasts 47,000 networks, 30 billion page views per month, and more photos than any other photo-sharing site, and is the sixth most trafficked Web site."

Facebook has offered advertisers more strategic value than perhaps any other social network. It has accomplished this with a mix of strategic vehicles, including targeted display ads and sponsored stories, known as Social Ads and Sponsored Stories, branded profiles known as Facebook Pages, a developer incentive program to encourage content development called Facebook Developers, and a social news feed of brand-related user behavior called Beacon.

Facebook Social Ads are targeted at specific users based on member profiles and behavior in the network. For instance, Facebook Social Ads can be delivered to users whose friends have recently engaged with the brand's Facebook profile or visited the brand's Web site. Even the location of delivery for social ads can be targeted with ads appearing next to news feeds of friends (a Facebook feature that allows friends to update others on their recent activities) who mention the brand. By delivering ad impressions that are related to news feeds, Facebook encourages discussion and word-of-mouth communication about a brand.

Facebook Pages are brand equivalents to user profiles. It is the location on the site where brands develop their brand personas. They can be enhanced with applications from the business itself and from developer widget applications.

The free developers feature enables programmers to create widgets, mash-ups, tools, and projects for Facebook users. These small applications are popular with consumers and are useful to brands that utilize them to maintain a presence on user profiles. For example, FaceBank is a widget that enables Facebook users to track expenses (and share information about expenses with friends). Another popular application is Lickuacious, which lets users rank friends according to the popularity of their wall posts. The Wall is Facebook's comments feature.

Facebook Beacon offers brands a way to virally distribute information about user brand-related activity. News feeds notify friends of a user's engagement with a brand's profile and Web site along with specific product search history and purchases. The news feed stories act as a form of word-of-mouth promotion. Further, they are targeted in that the feeds are then seen by friends who are also likely to be interested in the brand. Beacon offers a potentially powerful way to utilize the influence tactic of social proof, the influence a group of others have over a consumer's decision. This feature should provide more value for advertisers who will benefit from the additional exposure and the easy transference of opinion-leader information to others in the network. However, it has been criticized by privacy advocates and some brands publicly expressed a discomfort with the degree of user information it reveals.

During these rough economic times and with the online environment being so competitive, businesses need to create and sustain brand awareness now more than ever. Businesses must also focus on building customer loyalty with their online audience; this in turn will drive repeat visitors and sales.

Creating and Distributing Videos

Creating a video and distributing it online through various media channels can be a very useful tool in driving awareness and sales. A video can be used to communicate products and services in an easy, digestible and useful format that can be shared easily among viewers and visitors to the site. There are business areas where video has more obvious advantages and natural appeal such as entertainment (music and TV) and lifestyle. However, with the right production and development there is no reason that other sectors should be excluded from creating and displaying a video.

Developing video content for an online audience conveys a myriad of messages and can be managed in so many different ways to suit requirements. Human psychology being what it is suggests that the more robust or stimulating the experience, the more engaging it is then the better we will comprehend, understand and retain the message or experience. Thus developing a video that is engaging will almost assuredly ensure that your viewer will watch to the conclusion.

Creating a video, vlog (Video web LOG), or posting a video is essentially the involvement of more human senses to gather information, which in turn makes the viewing of the video more engaging. Try to make a video that can educate, entertain and communicate with your network and potential customers. Make it entertaining and informative, you do not have to create the next 'Will It Blend' video, but you get the general idea.

Video is an excellent tool for brands attempting to provide more in-depth messaging and is best suited for content that is original, allowing the video to be presented and viewed as it was intended. If the content is focused such that it appeals to specific user groups, they may share the content with their friends and peers within their social network environment or other user generated content sites they feel would also be interested in your video, product or service. The added benefit is the advancement of the brand.

Video Hosting Options

Flash video players have become extremely flexible with a number of capabilities and functions, other than the playing of content, users have the ability to embed the video player into their blogs or websites. Creators have the ability to add robust media sharing functionality, they can link to e-commerce websites playlists for similar content, the ability to define the use of other videos e.g. music, artists, line-up and podcasts and so on.

Marketers looking to utilize video for their branding have three choices available to them:

• Creating a video channel with a third-party service (such as YouTube, Daily motion or MetaCafe etc) and host your videos.
• The business can host their own proprietary videos on their video, allowing visitors to download or embed the videos on their Website or email the videos to others within their trusted network that may have an interest in the video.
• The final option is actually a combination of the first two.

Each of the options noted above have their own pros and cons. The deciding choice for the business should be determined by such factors as the brands goal, the cost of hosting and maintaining the video technology internally versus utilizing a third-party video channel service and the objectives of the content or how will it be communicated and consumed.

Creating a video presence or channel for your brand makes sense when the target audience is already a frequent visitor or has an existing relationship with the brand. The presence of a video channel allows users to follow the brands content easily by subscribing to the business' video channel. The visitors can be introduced to similar content related to the brand.

Building content or videos around similar subject matters has the added bonus of driving their audience into additional video channels. Allowing individuals to participate and upload similarly themed videos can help ensure that content is fresh, up-to-date and also appeals to broad and niche channels or viewers.

Third party video hosting not only provides an inbuilt audience, but allows brands to utilize the advancements in technology of the third party host as they become available / adopted by the site. The use of multi-video channels can be an effective way of catering for a range of requirements from interviews, podcasts, marketing and promotions. Video hosted in a User Generated Content environment becomes extremely useful and flexible for a number of different audiences whether they are the target audience, media and other important stakeholders.

Managing videos through a third-party site in conjunction with brands effectively extends the videos longevity. This longevity can allow the brand to experience the benefits of universal search and other social media benefits of how videos can become viral. However, one of the downsides of third-party hosted content is the advertising and 'related' content that may be served may be of a questionable or competitive nature that marketers have little to no control over. Additionally if there is ever a problem with the site (ex: temporary or permanent shutdown), brands and marketers can run the risk of losing their content, any positive feedback and even their inbuilt audience.

Brands that host video content on their own website and servers have realized that it provides flexibility, while ensuring the involvement of a complete synergy with a web destination. The brands can then choose the correct elements to accompany the video content, such as having users forward the videos to friends, embed on their own blog or social network. While some brands may not feel it necessary for the audience to rate or leave comments, it is encouraged to help build a trusted network and following.

If a brand hosts their own content, then they not reliant on a third party service that could implement any developments in technology or user interaction that may be of benefit or interest to the target audience. Brand hosted content does not have to bother with any advertising or competitor's content being served up and ensures the safety of the content.

The brand that wants to create and host their own videos should have the capability to provide an environment accurately reflecting the content message as well as one that their target audience will relate to and wish to share with others.

When considering online video include the following:

• The original content should be high quality and created for the Web.
• Should you decide to utilize content from a third party, find out what quality is used and assess how it will impact your target audience.
• If the third party content is withdrawn or if the service is no longer available have a backup plans.
• Visualize how the video will be shown in relation to the brand. Make the video search engine friendly.
• Make sure that the video is viral. (Passed along easily between parties whether they use the Web or a mobile device)

Characteristics of Social Networks

Social networks, like other online communities, are participatory, conversational, and fluid. Members produce, publish, control, critique, rank, and interact with online content. On Facebook, for instance, the second most popular social network, members can build a profile that includes information about their education, habits, favorite movies and books, and other personality indicators. They can send and receive messages to members, "friend" people, and join groups and networks. Profiles can be complemented with pictures, news feeds on member activities (e.g., Tracy just went shopping), and a variety of widgets.

Widgets are small applications made up of code embedded on a Web site. Facebook widgets enable members to virtually hug, wink, smile, and engage in a host of other behaviors. Most sites offer similar features, with messaging, profiling, and friending being the core functions of any network site. The interaction with others enhances the need to return to the site and continue the process of generating new content. The result is an online community of friends who may spend hours in the network each day.

Mashable, a social-networking news Web site, claims more than 350 social-networking sites exist. It wasn't terribly long ago that social networking was thought of primarily as a teenage pastime with general Internet population statistics suggesting only about 15% of Internet users visited social-networking sites.' Since those early days of online communities, social networking has taken off as a cultural phenomenon among youth with 70% of teens reporting use of online networking sites. These days adults, too, are social-networking online. Social-networking sites are among the fastest growing and most commonly visited sites online. According to Nielsen/NetRatings, the top ten most-visited social networking sites reach 45% of active Internet users.

Despite the diversity of sites targeting Internet users based on a host of hobbies, interests, and demographic characteristics, two sites, MySpace and Facebook, reach more than any of the others. It is reported by comScore that MySpace reached more than 40% and Facebook near 20% of Internet users in the United States. The raw figures amount to hundreds of millions of unique visitors at these sites.

There is no doubt that much of this growth can be attributed to the attractive features social networks offer members. At the same time, the flat learning curve for new adopters surely plays a role. Most networking sites have advanced options for members, but the basics of joining, completing a profile, and sending and receiving messages are simple enough to be mastered in moments. The ease of use has resulted in a steep rate of adoption for social-networking sites.

Given the audience size and the length of exposure time consumers spend in the network, it is no wonder that advertisers have embraced social networks for social-media marketing more than any other