How to set up an online community?

Editor's Notes

• #2: 1100 Good morningMy name is AtleSkjekkleland, Vice President of AIIMResponsible for all AIIM productsEarly adopter and super user of social mediaHave failed often and fast, but learnt a lot along the wayBy the way;Question: Anybody know where I am from?Nor, Swe, Indo, Port….AgendaHow to set up an online community to engage channel or customers? Tell you about our experience…How to use social media to promote the new community (improve communication, brand exposure, web traffic, and SEO)? Tell you about our experience…
• #3: 1101First, - let me start by introducing AIIM….AIIM is a community for people looking at ways to improve their org find, control and optimize informationStarted in 1943Have approx 65,000 Associate and professional membersHQ just outside Washington, DC, - where I also live. More then 20,000 professionals have attended the AIIM Certificate programs.Also doing a lot of research – e.g. capture market trends, distributed vs centralized capture.Also doing standards – most known / unknown is PDF, PDF/A, PDF/Healthcare, etc.And events; next one is a virtual conference on how to benefit from and manage social technologiesLearn how to create and grow a community from 0 to 45,000….
• #4: 1103Remember to also check out John Mancini’s blog DigitalLandfill.orgGood resource for ideas and market trends
• #6: 1115How to improve our community platform?Remember: Seth Godin defines a tribe as a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea that inspires their passion. There are tribes everywhere, and people form tribes with or without us using the Internet as a platformTribes grow when people recruit other people. That’s how ideas spread as well. They don’t do it for you, of course. They do it for each other. Leadership is the art of giving people a platform for spreading ideas that work.Communities already exist. Instead, think about how you can help that community do what it wants to do”Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of FacebookAnd remember: Facebook try to get you to use your real name.
• #7: 1117 To understand how to approach this we got some ideas from the best selling book Groundswell.Start by asking yourself the following 4 questions;1. PEOPLEWhat are your customers ready for? What is their problem or goals? How can you help them?2. OBJECTIVESWhat are your goals? Listen, energizing, tapping the community for R&D?3.STRATEGYHow do you want relationships with your customers to change? Help carry messages to other, become more engages in your company?4. TECHNOLOGY What applications should be build? After having decided 1,2,3… Get your technology platform right and make it easy for people to join, update their profiles, comment, rate, etc.
• #8: 1119The web is no longer just a place to publish information. The authors of the book The Cluetrain Manifesto in 1999 very early to foresee how the web changes how we sell and market products…Old days: went to the market to discuss and learn about a product before buying it.Now: I use TripAdvisor for hotels, user ratings and reviews for movies, etc.Its not a monologue, it’s a dialogue.People are now participating….
• #9: 1110 And what do you want to get out of the community? Is it…Research – ListeningMarketing – TalkingSales – EnergizingSupport – SupportingDevelopment – EmbracingAccording to Get Satisfaction – an online support community:You want to enable companies and customers to create meaningful relationships where before they only had transactions. You do this by creating a safe (and public?) space for companies and customers to come together, which breeds trust.It also makes every people feel empowered and makes them more willing to participate in the life of the company whose products and services they use.Whatever you do, do it in a way that matters – that’s what creates community. A Support community often focus on the following according to Get Satisfaction:Questions and AnswersProblems and SolutionsIdeas and Implementations“Help us help you” Engage discussions, don’t censor, learn and improve, show how customers have an impact
• #10: 1120 Determine the Content Strategy… I like to use Personas and ScenariosSome options we identified…CNN = Provide industry news for industry professionalsWikipedia = provide an industry reference for newbies that has been reviewed by industry peersFacebook = social networking for the industry, mentoring, expanding networkings, maintaining networksTripAdvisor = discuss technologies and products, help new buyers select the right product based on their reqs. Incl product descriptions, rating by users and implementers, and comments/reviews by users and vendor repsWe decided to go for all…
• #11: 1123 Malcolm Gladwell identifies three types of social networkers in his book ‘The Tipping Point’, and the below infographic expands on Malcolm’s notions.Malcolm defines:Mavens love to gather knowledge and pass it onConnectors seem to know everyone, and they can also connect different networksAnd Salesmen are great persuaders and ambassadorsAnother way of looking at it…What type of people do you find in an online community?Producers = create contentCommenters and Conversationalists = discuss it / improve itConnectors = connect their network with your networkYou need to get the relevant types involved depending on your objective.
• #12: 1125 Lastly: select the right community platform…Leading “white-label” providers: JiveTelligentmany also recommend Drubal (used by Whitehouse.gov)Question; Pros/cons of using Facebook and LinkedIn?Can you configure it as required?Can you migrate the users?Can you migrate the content?
• #13: 1129 And when we look at the actual design of the community;Here are the 10 commandments for creating a community according to Get Satisfaction.Know your special purpose - what is the purpose of the community?Establish a social norm – e.g. for Get Satisfaction: asks companies and customers to meet at a neutral place. They ask companies to work hard on the customer’s behalf in public, and customers to cut them some slack as we know mistakes will get made along the way.Set clear expectations – E.g. for a support community: “we listen” vs “not montioredCast a wide net – its not necessary about getting a volume of traffic, its about getting deversityCreate productive outcomes – make it solve a problem / provide help. people judge a community based on their ability to to achieve their goalMake it personal – Real name, no corporate profiles, Be a bridge – you represent the community AND companyDon’t feed the troll – rules/guidelines, ban users (and blog about it), don’t engage bad discussion / sucked into the black hole of debateMeasure the right things – new users, interactions, etc.Assemble – get Mavens, Connectors, etc. Empower your champions (e.g. community management by community members). And remember for a Support Community:“Help us help you” Engage discussions, don’t censor, learn and improve, show how customers have an impact
• #14: 1131 We introduced January this year phase 3 running on aiim.org (customized Sitecore…)Necessary components:My Page/Profile – now integrated with our membership databaseActivity WallBlogging Platform / Embed YouTube or SlideShareComments/Discussion ForumNavigation with pre-defined taxonomy and tagsLike ItShareReport Bad BehaviorAnd you need in addition to this a view and reports for managers…Remember to focus on people- Show members, spotlight members, interview them, etc.
• #15: 1133 Improvement 1: Content Strategy – know your archetypes and whats important for themHave the last few months been working on improving the content strategy – why will people come, why will they engage, why will they return? Doing interviews with different target visitorsFor example:1. THE NEWBIE WITH A PROBLEM- Solve a problemBusiness benefitsUse cases / case studiesHow to…? / Tips & Tricks / Guidelines Ask questionContent: Web page, wiki, video, blog posts, discussion forum, report, podcasts, eBookLanding: Google SEO, What is…  cross promotion, …. Cross promotion: Design every page as a landing page with recommended content and social media integrated2. THE PROFESSIONAL- Latest news and perspectivesProduct and industry newsAnalysisNetworking Self promotion / Brand Me / Marketing / Share Perspectives (Blog here)Content: Blog posts, discussion forumGet returning visitors; social media presense, digest/newsletter, 
• #16: 1135 Improvement 1: Content Strategy (continues)If the purpose of the community is to market and sell; - Check out the Content Grid v2 by Jess3 - this might be the type of content that brings value to members…
• #17: 1137 Improvement 2: Get engagementAsk visitors to contribute: Mancini’s 8 series blog posts by industry experts improved our traffic by approx 280% in 12 monthsEngage visitors with quick polls, survey, etc– make it easy for them to engageReward and show involvement – give badgets, points, rewards to drive behaviorAnd try to recommend content based on profile, preference and behavior
• #18: 1139 Improvement 2: Get engagement (continues)Develop mission, define purpose, describe objective Make it emotional - play on their emotions (save a tree – attend the paper free day)For example:Introduced new annual Paper Free Day – first year we had approx 18 events in support of thisRegular TweetJams– select topic, get panelists, ask for questions, and market itCompetitions – ECM in 60 seconds, Messiest Desk Award
• #19: 1141Improvement 3: Integrate with Social Media Make it easy for visitorsto en engage using their FB, Twitter profile/loginSee what other members find valuable or LIKEMake it easy to share with your networksFOCUS ON PEOPLE, NOT CONTENT.
• #20: 1144 And remember: sometimes Muhammad has to go to the mountain….For members: NOTIFICATIONSSubscription to topic-based weekly or daily digestsbased on device, profile, preference, and behaviorAutomatic notification about new comments, replies, etc.Make it easy to share and “like” contentFor corporation: MONITORINGRemember also that Community Managers and staff have to monitor incl notificationsE.g. TOYOTA DES MOINESA customer shares on Facebook about her bad experience at a Toyota reseller in Des Moines when getting her car services (while she is there) Social Media account manager was lucky enough to have seen this post only 5 minutes after it had been posted.Because the Facebook post was fairly recent, shedecided to call someone at Toyota of Des Moines. She wanted to see if they could find the displeased customer before she left the dealership, in hopes that they could try to work through the issue with her in person. As luck would have it, the customer was still at the dealership at the time that I called to inform them of the post. They were able to talk with her, to let her know that they saw her Facebook post, and that they wanted to work through the issue with her. 
• #21: 1145 And how can I leverage social media to grow the community?CMO have the last few years published some really good guidelines for social media marketing…Example of using Twitter for support Remember when you provide groundswell customer service, you will convert naysayers into advocates (from customers to ambassadors).Created Twelpforce, Best Buy’s 2,500-person strong Twitter help force.Members of the Geek Squad and corporate employees staff Best Buy’s @twelpforce account, fielding questions from consumers using an @reply to the customer. Best Buy has employees tag their tweets with #twelpforce, sending the answer through the @twelpforce account and allowing anyone searching the feed to find topics of interest.According to Twitter101 CaseStudies, the Twelpforce has provided over 19,500 answers to customer inquiries, over 2,500 Best Buy employees have signed up to answer questions, andcomplaints to Best Buy were reduced by 20% in the first year of the Twelpforce program.Here’s Best Buy’s policy. There is a little more to it, but fundamentally this is it. And while it doesn’t cover records management, compliance, etc., if your employees embrace it (and are trained on how it applies) it will cover the vast majority of issues found in much more detailed policies. - Be smart.- Be respectful.Be human.Another example:Zappos is a $1b clothing and shoe retailer – and their Twitter policy is only 7 words:Be real and use your best judgment.
• #22: 1147 We also have to understand that we need different tools for different purposesPeople spend their time on Google and Facebook – how do they then find you?Is it to find the answer to a question?Is it for networking?Is to discuss things?MY CONCLUSION:You can’t do this on your own – you need an army- Internal: All staff are encouraged to blog, tweet, comment, etc.- External: Microsoft MVPs, AIIM Ambassadors, etc.Importance of content – you need a content strategyQuestion; What is the role of your website if your visitors spend their time on Facebook?
• #23: 1149Lets also remember a few important principles….Social media is a dialog, not a monologue – Engage people, don’t only spam them with promotional materialsThe person that shares the most will become the recognized industry expert – create and share new contentDon’t just follow others revolution, create your own – important to RT and Like others, but more important to get them to see value in your contentThe world is flat again – reputation matters! – Be honest, truthfully, show respect and be responsive. Say Thank You all the time.
• #24: 1152 Facebook: Share community posts on FBLike posts – require integration with FB (more important then RT…)Run unique campaignsJoin other relevant groups – cross post to these groupsQuestion: Is FB relevant for b2b marketing?I care about my FB friends, not that much about LinkedInLinkedIn is just a public list of resumes and Google the reference check?Facebook is my valued connections – where I create and maintain relationships – why not tap into this?
• #25: 1154 LinkedInMake your LinkedIn group as good as possible – cross post to LinkedIn from community, provide comment and Like to boost post to ensure it shows up in weekly/daily digest
• #26: 1156 For your own products and events:Ask for recommendationsAsk people to join events using EventBrite, LinkedIn, FaceBook, etc.
• #27: 1158 Join other relevant LinkedIn groups709 Imaging groups…- provide value- mentioned relevant discussions or content in the community, don’t spam!
• #28: 1200TwitterDon’t try to drink it all – just watch it now and then… Always use different hashtags to reach new audiences OR monitor brandsTweet and RT community blog posts and commentsJoin discussions – continue them on the communityFollow othersThank you for RT, …Host TweetJamsQuestion: Anybody taken part of a TweetJam? What’s the value for the participant? What’s the value for the host?Secure panelists, define hashtag, get questions, market the event, reach 54,000 people?
• #29: 1202 SlideShare:Provide Educational presentations – some of my pres have 20K views… (long tail)Embed presentations on your communityShare them with relevant Slideshare groupsallow download as PPT as long as people reference you when using the contentWe are at AIIM using both personal and a corporate account that aggregates users
• #30: 1204 YouTubeUse WebEx or Adobe Connect to record virtual presentationsOr CamtasiaOr video of public presentations Create an army; We are now training our 200+ chapter leaders how to record presentations…
• #31: 1206 Others…GovLoopXingRMlistserveCIO Connect
• #32: 1208 Practical advice for getting started with an online community Start small, but plan for larger presenceReach out to your most active customersPlan to drive traffic to your communityBuild in a reputation systemAnd remember;1.    Plan and decide on your goals2.    Devote resources, technology and personnel, to nurture and grow the community.3.    Be patient.4.    Plan content in advance untilyour community growsenoughtonurtureitself. Andthen, keep planning.5.    Be honest. Ifyou make a mistake, admit it.6.    Don’tbeafraid of criticism.
• #33: 1211 Lets end by giving you a few tips;Social media is ever changing – you have to learn fast and fail fast.Check out the AIIM Social Business roadmap for a formal framework for evaluating and implementing social processes and technologies both inside and outside the firewallMost important for social media;Monitoring. Initially the organization should spend time monitoring and listening to the conversations taking place in and around a particular tool to get a sense of the nature of the tool, the content of the conversations, the target audiences, and who the leading participants are. This is perhaps more visible in externally focused processes but is important for internal ones as well. Participation. Once the organization has done some listening it will be able to participate more meaningfully and should begin doing so according to what it has learned about the target market and the nature of the conversations on the various tools.Engagement. The goal is for participation to move to engagement – from speaking at or to customers to engaging with them. This means creating processes to respond to issues, both internally and externally, and ensuring that communications are clear, accurate, and authentic.
• #34: 1213 And remember to sign up for the social business virtual conference Sept 8Learn how orgs like GovLoop grew to 45K membersSpace is limited – register now at www.aiim.org/socialbusinessconference
• #35: 1215 Questions?