Ebook Social Technologies 2014 July 29

DIGITAL EBOOK SERIES
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
Published by: Bookinars

5 Ruston Mews, London W11 1RB
www.Bookinars.co
Document title: Digital Technologies

Subtitle: Guide for Business
ISBN: 978-1-908035-04-2
Second Edition: August 2014
First edition: October 2011
Copyright 2011 & 2014 by Steven Nicholls & Bookinars.co
All rights reserved. No part of this document shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of Steven
Nicholls and Bookinars Publishing.
Cover image credit: Bojan Stanojevic
All brand names and product names referred to in this book are registered trademarks and unregistered trade
names of their owners. The publisher and author are not connected with any of the products, services or
vendors referred to in this book.
Disclaimers
This publication aims to provide accurate and reliable information regarding its subject matter covered.
However, it is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not in their involvement with
the book providing professional services/advice. The advice in this book may not be suitable for your business
situation. The authors and publishers specifically disclaim any liability arising from the use or application of
the contents of the book. You should consult a professional where appropriate.
References
Reference was made to each of the companies' websites listed throughout the book.
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Thanks
I would like to personally thank the following people for their help with this project: Farah Hesdin - Editor,
Sarah Keeling - type setting and page Layout, Bojan Stanojevic - for graphics , my colleagues James Kilgarriff,
Hitendra Patel and Vinod Chaudhry for their help and encouragement. Farah Hesdin I would like to single out
for her help and assistance. I would like to also thank the many people from the firms mentioned in the book.
Visit our website at: www.TechXB.com

2
Before you turn another page...

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with more questions than answers?
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.0 COMMUNICATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.1 Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.2 Media Sharing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.3 Location Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.4 Broadcasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.0 COMMUNITIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.1 Marketplaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.2 Social Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.3 Blogs and Microblogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
2.4 Virtual Worlds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.0 COLLABORATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.1 Freelance Platforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.2 Project and Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3.3 DIY Wiki Platforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
3.4 DIY Social Networks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
4.0 COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

4.1 Rating and Reviews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
4.2 Crowd Funding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
4.3 Ideas Platforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
4.4 Market Intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
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5.0 TAKE AWAY POINTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES: CASE STUDIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
6.0 COMMUNICATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Case Study 1: SalesForce.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Case Study 2: Zipcar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
7.0 COMMUNITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Case Study 3A: Pro Guitar shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Case Study 3B: edX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Case Study 4: Morphsuits.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
8.0 COLLABORATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Case Study 5: Elance.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Case Study 6: Yammer.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
9.0 COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Case Study 7: Radian 6 Dell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Case Study 8: VW Peoples Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Case Study 9: TripAdvisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Case Study 10: Indiegogo - Canary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
10.0 MARKET PRESENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Case Study 11: Netflix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Case Study 12: Naked Wines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
11.0 TAKE AWAY POINTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
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LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

FIGURE 1 Social Media Opportunities - Source :Social Media in Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
FIGURE 2 Social Media Applications Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
FIGURE 3 A Sample of Communication Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
FIGURE 4 A Sample of Communities Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
FIGURE 5 A Sample of Collaboration Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
FIGURE 6 A Sample of Collective Intelligence Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
FIGURE 7 Social Media Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
FIGURE 8 Salesforce.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
FIGURE 9 Zipcar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
FIGURE 10 GuitarPro.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
FIGURE 11 EDx Market Place. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
FIGURE 12 MorphSuits.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
FIGURE 13 Elance.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
FIGURE 14 Yammer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
FIGURE 15 Radian 6 Dell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
FIGURE 16 VW Peoples car. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
FIGURE 17 TripAdvisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
FIGURE 18 Indiegogo - Canary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
FIGURE 19 Netflix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
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FIGURE 20 Naked Wines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
TABLE 1 Sixteen Application Categories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

TABLE 2 Sixteen Categories of Social Media and Key Examples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Introduction
As technology moves forward, so must we. In this new edition, you will find some new subcategories within
our business opportunities matrix that support the constantly changing landscape of social media. For
instance, we have integrated the former Discussion Sites subcategory within the more general Ideas and
Insights one, and added the expanding field of Crowd Funding as a new subcategory. Moreover, along
with these subcategories come new examples. Social media is constantly moving; some companies no
longer exist, others have been acquired, whilst brand new ones emerged on the social media landscape.
We look at specific applications through the lenses of the four opportunities discussed in Chapter 1 of Social
Media in Business: Communication, Communities, Collaboration, and Collective Intelligence.
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Figure 1 Social Media Opportunities - Source :Social Media in Business.
Sixteen application categories (also called tools due to their essential functions) are revealed when we
examine social media through these lenses; they are listed below. This list is certainly not exhaustive and is
designed to give you a good feel for the landscape and the type of popular applications you might wish to
explore. Social media applications are growing at an astounding rate as people are finding more and more
ways to innovate. Following the table is a brief discussion of each one of the application categories, providing
examples of specific popular applications (see Figure 2).
FIGURE 2 Social Media Applications Guide
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Communication
Communities
Collaboration
Collective Intelligence
1. Meetings
5. Market Places
9. Freelance
13. Ratings and Reviews
2. Media Sharing
6. Social Networks
10. Project and Team
14. Crowd Funding
3. Location
7. Blog and Micro Blog
11. DIY Wiki
15. Ideas and Insights
4. Broadcasting
8. Virtual Worlds
12. DIY Social
16. Market Intelligence
TABLE 1 Sixteen Application Categories
1.0 Communication
SOCIAL MEDIA APPLICATIONS that fall under the business opportunity of Communication enable users to:
hold virtual meetings and conferences; share media such as documents, videos, audios, pictures, and slide
presentations; find information where location is important, such as where the nearest cash machine is; and
broadcast live video from a computer.
FIGURE 3 A Sample of Communication Applications
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1.1 Meetings
Online meetings or web conferences are meetings that occur through the use of the Internet as the medium
of communication. These platforms can be used for one-on-one communication or for conferences between
two or literally thousands of participants. This is cost-effective and convenient, since people from different
parts of the world are able to conduct meetings without having to physically meet. Users can also share
visuals like presentations, documents, and videos on computer screens, assisted by cloud computing services.
Meetings online can be conducted in a variety of methods. One of the most common methods is by creating a
private chat room with audio overlay. Another way is to make use of a web conferencing provider. This is much
more effective, since these providers have features that allow participants not only to verbally communicate
with each other but also see each other virtually and record the meeting. Recording is especially useful for
remote training purposes, to allow someone to catch up or allow a new member of your virtual team to review
training materials. To get the best out of these tools, it is desirable to have some training and to develop
effectiveprocesses.
Popular Examples
Skype (for up to 15 people)
On May 10, 2011, Skype announced they had been taken over by Microsoft for $8.5bn. As of July 2011, Skype
had 663 million users worldwide, of which 124 million are active users. Skype is one of the most common
means of communication used by businesses. It is a great way to connect with employees, suppliers, and
customers. The free instant messaging, video calls, and video conferencing features are convenient and
invaluable for different business transactions. It is also very easy to exchange any media with other users
during the call. Placing calls between people who have Skype is free. Additionally, users can place calls to
people who do not have Skype for a fee. The ability to see your list of contacts and their status, e.g. online,
away, not available, do not disturb, makes impromptu meetings very easy.
GoToWebinar (for up to 1,000 people)
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GoToWebinar enables users to carry out do-it-yourself webinars with up to 1,000 people for a flat rate. The
software handles the registration of your users and provides automated email templates for marketing
purposes. It also allows users to use customized branding and even do pre-webinar practice sessions. During
the webinar, presenters can easily share presentation slides. The site features drawing tools, a pen, a spotlight,
a highlighter, and arrow tools to encourage interaction with attendees. Presentation features such as audience
10
view, dashboard, Q&A, and polls enable the audience to fully participate in the session. Webinars can be a
great way to conduct remote training. Webinars can be recorded and posted for those that could not make the
meeting; this information can also be used for other purposes, such as blog posts, presentations, etc. Webinars
can be good for generating more qualified leads and acquiring potential clients because a potential prospect
gets to experience you for some considerable time (30-60 minutes).
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11
1.2 Media Sharing

Social networks allow people to share media like images, texts, videos, and slide presentations across different
platforms. One method of sharing media is for each user to download an application like Picasa in order to
share photos. Another method is called cloud computing via services such as Apple iCloud, Amazon Web
Services, or Google Docs. Finally, users can share media by uploading files to a specific online community or
social network, YouTube for instance. It can then be shared with all visitors to the site or just specific people,
depending on the preference of the user.
Internet marketers and business people regularly use social networks to share documents and video
presentations with employees or possible clients. Online media sharing is a cheap and effective way to build
brand recognition and promote the business. SlideShare is a popular site for sharing presentations and can
be used to generate traffic to your website. For large file sharing, I recommend using Dropbox. This free and
simple application allocates up to 2GB of space for creating folders of shared material especially useful when
working with a freelancer or working on small projects, for example when you need someone overseas to
work on your presentation slides.
Popular Examples
YouTube
YouTube is probably the most popular media-sharing site available today. Millions of people visit YouTube
every day. YouTube statistics claim that the site exceeds two million views per day, nearly double the
primetime audience of all four major U.S. broadcast networks combined. These statistics prove that using
this tool could be a huge opportunity for businesses to connect with existing and new customers. Creating
a YouTube channel for your business is highly recommended and is very easy. Additionally, there are many
videos explaining how to do it. The key benefit is that it creates traffic to your website or blog. The Holy Grail
for any business is to have a video go viral, in other words, to become popular through Internet sharing
and generate large volumes of traffic to your site. Advertising agencies typically are trying to create viral
campaigns in the consumer market, and it is worth looking at the top viral videos.
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A software application called Jing, by TechSmith, is very useful for recording and editing your screen, and it is
free. A more powerful version with more features by the same company is called Camtasia.
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Flickr
Flickr is an online sharing application and photo management tool that helps users organize and share
pictures and videos quickly, easily, and free of charge. Pro accounts are available for users who want to upload
and display high volumes of pictures. Flickr is a good way of generating traffic to your website or blog and
interacting with employees and customers. Photobucket is another popular application similar to Flickr.
Slide Share
Slide Share is a platform that allows the creation and sharing of mainly presentations, videos and webinars,
although documents and PDFs are also supported by the platform.
As well as the possibility to download their own content, users can also comment, share and download
content posted on Slide Share.
With a present community of more than 60 million monthly visitors, according to Slide Shares figures, sharing
a presentation on Slide Share is an efficient way to attract interest towards your ideas, get feedback from
others as well as generate leads. It is, moreover, a platform that invites users to find and connect to people
who share similar interests and goals.
Pinterest
Pinterest is virtual pinboard, whereby users can upload, save and share images or videos that they like, known
as pins. Pins can be categorized along themes, where a theme is called a pinboard.
Pinterest is currently one of the fastest growing applications on the Internet; with the latest user base figure
totalling up to 48.7 million users this last February 2013.
Pinterest supports a dynamic and more visual way of interaction and communication. Businesses can, for
instance, encourage employees to turn daily tasks and activities into pins, or follow a particular task through
step-by-step pins, organized in a pinboard. Businesses can also create 24/7 premises for their organization,
thus generating more traffic towards their websites.
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1.3 Location Services

Location services are software applications for web-enabled mobile devices. They work by detecting the
location of the user through their mobile device. This contextual information then allows the service provider
to send relevant information based on the users location, such as the location of the nearest bank or coffee
shop. You can also share your location with your contacts and friends if you choose. The service provider can
send a map with relevant information to the users mobile phone. Location services also allow businesses to
attract new customers when they are listed on location-based social networks like Foursquare. This gives them
an opportunity to attract more customers, increase revenue, and more importantly, reward loyalty.
Popular Examples
Foursquare
Foursquare is a location-based mobile platform that allows users to explore cities while earning points and
badges along the way. Users must check in at venues by running the program on their mobile devices and
selecting from a list of venues that the program locates nearby. They can then share that location with other
users. Merchants or brands optimize the Foursquare platform by utilizing its diverse set of tools to attract
and retain customers. Some businesses provide incentives for the most frequent customer. In Foursquare,
the most frequent customer is designated The Mayor. For instance, the JD Wetherspoon chain of pubs in
the UK provides a 20% discount on food for the Mayor of any of its public houses, rewarding their most loyal
customers.
Facebook Places
Facebook has created its own location-based service called Facebook Places. In October 2010, only two
months after Facebook Places was launched, over 20 million members worldwide had tried the Facebook
Places service.
Facebook Places lets the user see where their friends are currently checked in nearby. It allows users to share
their whereabouts anytime, anywhere. It also allows tagging friends in the places the user visits, viewing
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comments, and earning quirky merit badges and coupons. What is unique about Facebook Places is its range
of privacy controls. It lets the user have the power over the location information they wish to share and with
whom they want to share it.
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1.4 Broadcasting
Broadcasting or webcasting refers to dispersing a single communication to the general public or wide
audience at the same time, live.
Webcasting is broadcasting live audio and video transmissions via the Intranet or Internet. Companies can
enhance productivity by using social media applications that specialize in webcasting. It provides an efficient
way of broadcasting initiatives to customers, reaching a wide audience, working around time-sensitive issues,
and carrying out interactive question and answer sessions. It also creates ways to access potential buyers,
build brand awareness, and increase sales.
It is less costly to engage in webcasting than attempt to target each segment of consumers using individualized
marketing communication. Typically, users can register for free and are then given access to basic features.
Upgrading the membership for a cost provides more services, such as unlimited airtime, more file storage, and
an unlimited number of viewers. Receiving webcast content is also simple. It is usually accomplished by using
RealPlayer or Windows Media Player. Both applications are free for download.
Popular Examples
Livestream
Livestream allows the user to view and broadcast videos over the Internet. The user can choose amongst a
range of live video tools to create video content, as well as browse and watch a variety of live events from
sports to concerts. The platform also offers the opportunity to work with other producers around the world in
creating video content.
Ustream.tv
Ustream.tv is another site that focuses on webcasting live and recorded events. The platform allows the user to
watch and interact with shows around the world in real time and broadcast information from mobile phones
or computers.
Webcasting allows companies to promote their business in a more interactive, engaging, and affordable way.
Using this tool allows companies to reduce travel costs, improve communication, and develop sustainable
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business practices.
2.0 Communities
SOCIAL MEDIA APPLICATIONS that fall under the business opportunity of Communities are the markets,
the communities, and the groups where you will find your customers, suppliers, and competitors. This is the
evolving marketplace. Broadly speaking, the types of communities are marketplaces, social networks, blogs,
microblogs, and virtual worlds.
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FIGURE 4 A Sample of Communities Applications
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2.1 Marketplaces
An online marketplace is a site built around e-commerce; the buying and selling of a variety of goods between
users on the site. Most online marketplaces have user-friendly features. They offer a simple interface where
sellers can easily list items they have for sale, where buyers can browse and buy, and where a mechanism for
collection of payment is also available. Users only have to enter their payment information (credit cards, debit
cards, PayPal accounts) and the mechanics of the transfer of funds are taken care of. Online marketplaces
provide an avenue for businesses to increase sales revenue without much overhead cost. Using popular online
marketplaces allows companies to instantly reach millions of new customers around the world and generate
traffic to their website.
Popular Examples
Apple Store and Android Market
The rising trend of applications (apps) for mobile devices has given birth to online marketplaces for the sale
of these apps. Instead of having to comb the Internet to find an application that a business requires, app
stores help streamline the shopping process by providing a hub where users can browse and buy the apps
they need. Spearheaded by Apple, mobile app stores have flourished since consumers began valuing the
convenience and functionality brought about by either free or paid mobile applications.
There are new apps coming out every day that mirror the social media applications. They seek to extend
your desktop to your mobile device and to make it easier to sync the mobile and the desktop (e.g. LogMeIn
Ignition and Evernote). Popular applications such as Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Skype, and
Groupon all now have a mobile version of their site. It may be appropriate to have a mobile app for your
business site to make access from a mobile device easier for your customers. Use of a QR code, as discussed
in the previous chapter, may also beappropriate.
eBay Auction Site
The eBay marketplace is a practical online platform where businesses and individuals sell a variety of products
and services. According to eBay, more than 94 million people use their site every day. This number makes it
An account is, however, needed in order to buy or sell items. Items can be purchased through bidding in
auction-style sales, or by paying a fixed price in order to purchase an item immediately. Localized sites in the
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the worlds largest online marketplace. Browsing through items listed for sale does not require a user account.
United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom have also been created for a more community-based trading
experience. The sheer popularity of eBay makes it a valuable tool for businesses seeking another outlet for
sales and for driving traffic to your site. Again, creativity is the name of the game.
Amazon.com
Established in 1995, Amazon.com is worlds largest online retailer today, with more than 144 million active
Amazon customer accounts and more than 2 million active seller accounts, according to figures provided by
the company.
The site sells a very wide range of products, both new and used, ranging from e-books to beauty products, and
Amazon.coms distribution net covers more than 180 countries around the world.
Amazon.com is also widely sought-after for the community that has developed around it, based on users who
share their opinions and experiences of different products purchased and of the businesses from which they
bought the products. A user rating system exists as well, whereby the purchasers of a product can star-rate
the latter according to their satisfaction levels. The site capitalizes on loyalty as well; through its Amazon credit
card, users can collect loyalty points and vouchers, redeemable in future purchases.
Alibaba.com
Alibaba.com is an e-commerce platform specialised in business-to-business trading for small businesses. The
site works with businesses in over 240 different countries, and claims to be the worlds largest online businessto-business trading platform available today.
In addition, Alibaba.com offers the AliExpress service, whereby small businesses can buy certain quantities of
a product at its wholesale price.
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According to the company, there were more than 36.7 million registered users in 2012.
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2.2 Social Networks

Social networks allow a particular company to easily connect with suppliers, customers, and other key
individuals or organizations. Business social networks work by registering with a specific site, such as Facebook
or LinkedIn. Once an individual or organization is registered, other users of the same social network can be
added. The user can search for specific people or organizations that are registered with the social networking
site and send a request to be connected with these people/organizations.
There are some very successful local social networking sites, such as QQ and Baidu inChina, Orkut in Brazil,
and Hi5 in Thailand. However, their success is limited to specific countries.
Managers can use social networks to extend their reach, create branding opportunities, and improve
communication with suppliers and customers. There are many other benefits of business-oriented social
networking sites, but the ultimate goal is to improve business.
Popular Examples
Facebook
Facebook is the leading social networking website today and could fit into nearly all the categories of
applications; such is the scope and ambition of Facebook. Although it is far more than a social network, social
networking is at the core of Facebooks offerings. Facebook is an evolving social network with thousands of
applications operating within the platform through an ecosystem of developers, all of which must interwork
with Facebook.
Founded in 2004, Facebook aims to connect family, friends, and business associates by integrating email, chat/
instant messaging, photo and video sharing, and more. As of January 2011, Facebook had over 600 million
active users (Business Insider, 2011).
Having a Facebook strategy is now necessary for many businesses because it is a market of 600 million people
and therefore accessing that market effectively is a must. Developing such a strategy is beyond the scope of
this book because Facebook justifies a book in its own right. This subject is discussed in some depth in the
training courses provided on www.SocialMediaInBusiness.com/Training.
Facebook makes it possible for organizations to target customers by tailoring ads that appear in each users
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A business can create a unique presence on Facebook (fan page) and provide links to the companys website.
profile. This can be an extremely cost-effective advertising strategy and can be tried at low risk. Facebook is
fantastic for creating awareness of your company or brand and can be used for generating leads, building your
sales list, increasing sales, generating insight into your customers, or conducting customer service surveys.
Facebook provides a lot of customer analytics that can be very useful for feedback and for measuring your
progress.
Facebook has even got its own currency called Facebook Credits for purchasing virtual goods and apps,
which became mandatory on all gaming sites on Facebook after July 1, 2011. Facebook has launched group
buying, called buy with friends. This is currently only for virtual goods. It is possible that the currency could
be expanded to cover other physical goods in the future.
The biggest cost associated with Facebook is the cost of time required in gaining the appropriate knowledge
and experience to get the best out of it.
Google +
Google + is today the second largest social networking site, after Facebook, and has been constantly expanding
since it was established in 2011, with more than 500 million registered users as of May 2013, making it serious
competition for Facebook.
The key features of Google + are Circles, which enable you to segment your contacts; Hangouts, which
is a virtual space for video chatting ; Sparks, which looks for videos and articles that it thinks you will like;
Huddle, which enables group chat; and Google+ Communities, which allows users to create and invite
people to conversations around topics of interest.
Google + has also a On Air program where it broadcasts live videos on Hangouts and which users can join and
watch as it happens.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a professional social network, geared at professionals who seek to create and expand their
networking opportunities.
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By signing up and connecting to people you know, users automatically create a web of connections around
them. They can, in turn, connect to individuals in their connections own network, thereby expanding their
network of acquaintances.
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Users can create personal profiles with their professional experience, education and full resumes. The site can
be used by users to find jobs and business opportunities, as well as by employers and head-hunters to find
potential employees.
Users can also follow companies that they like or would like to stay in touch with, save jobs they want to apply
to as well as spread the word about a future job or business opportunity.
LinkedIn reported having more than 225 million acquired users as of June 2013, spreading across more than
200 countries around the world.
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2.3 Blogs and Microblogs

A blog can be a stand-alone website or a part of a bigger website. It is a place where a person can share their
thoughts and media, like pictures, videos, and audios. A microblog is a much shorter blog. A microblog entry
could just be a sentence fragment, picture, or video. This is also popular among businesses that are trying
to increase revenue. Twitter tends to be used by other applications, such as Tweetdeck (recently acquired by
Twitter) and HootSuite, as part of a growing Twitter ecosystem.
Creating a blog is easy because of different web-based platforms like WordPress, Blogger, TypePad, and many others.
The platforms allow plug-in tools that are provided free by an ecosystem of independent developers and have
additional features for a price. Blogs get higher rankings and quicker indexing, which means you are more visible.
They create brand awareness. They enhance customer relationship management by informing people of available
services and products, and help you gain insights into your customers through comments and feedback.
Position your company as an industry expert by using blogs. Apart from writing updates and information
about your company, include useful facts that can inform, educate, assist, and entertain readers. Consolidate
valuable and interesting content from other industries that are related to your field. This way, readers will
follow your blog and look to you as a good resource and expert in the field. Another strategy is to develop
relationships with other well-known and successful bloggers related to your industry by creating an occasional
blog post for them. This can optimize your companys exposure by back-linking the blog post to your website.
Popular Examples
WordPress
WordPress is one of the most popular free blogging tools available online. It has a powerful content
management system that allows users to do more than just blogging. WordPress is also a great tool for
building a business website. Its editing interface is easy to use, allowing users to create and update contents
like blog posts and web pages without knowing any programming language. By using just a web browser,
the process of creating and editing pages only involves a simple text editor, similar to using Microsoft Word.
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WordPress has a booming ecosystem of developers creating plug-ins and customizable themes. Users can take
advantage of the pre-existing design themes or add features like polls, ratings, contact forms, and more.
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WordPress also offers good search engine optimization (SEO) and social media integration. Additional features
can be added automatically, requiring little or no effort. It is advisable to get help setting it up, but once set up
it is relatively easy to use. There is a vast array of freelance website designers who are willing to help. They are
available via freelance websites such as Elance.com.\
Twitter
Twitter is the most popular microblogging service today. By the end of 2010, it had over 175 million registered
users generating 75 million posts or tweets per day. Twitter allows users to stay updated with the latest
information about what they find interesting. The core of this real-time information network is the tweets
consisting of up to 140 characters in length. Twitter is a great social networking site that allows companies
to reach out to customers and potential clients. Twitter serves as a tool in achieving successful customer
relationship management through social media marketing.
IBM uses Twitter to provide interactive communication with customers. Over 1,000 IBM employees worldwide
tweet with each other and their customers on a daily basis, thus the company has easy-to-obtain word-ofmouth marketing and easy networking.
Dell Outlet uses Twitter to tweet major promotions and discounts for Dell products. In 2009, Twitter helped
Dells retail chain sales surpass $2 million, a dramatic improvement.
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2.4 Virtual Worlds

Avirtual worldis an online communitythat intends for its users to inhabit, interact, and create objects in
cyberspace. The users often take the form of avatars, cartoon-like characters in a computer-simulated
environment through which the user is visible to others graphically. Visual gestures, text, graphical icons,
sound and voice commands, and touch sensations can be used to communicate with other users. If holographic
technology ever comes into its own, this technology will become commonplace.
The virtual world is generally well known for its ability to allow users to explore a whole new world of
playing online games. However, the virtual world is not only created for online gamers or merely to let the
imagination soar, but it also involves marketplaces, real business, and profit making. I would suggest this is a
more advanced strategy in the social media landscape. However, the virtual world might be where your target
market is located, so it cannot be ignored.
Advertising Using virtual worlds in business settings enables companies to access a specific clientele and
customer demographic. For example, Apple created an online store within Second Life that allows online
users to browse their new, innovative products. Users cannot actually buy a product, but virtual stores
contribute to brand or product awareness and online presence.
Generating Feedback Virtual worlds are a good environment for testing user reaction. Receiving feedback
and insights as to what the real market and buyers want from new products can give an organization a
competitive advantage and abetter understanding of the target market.
Training In a virtual world it is possible to create training environments, for instance, to learn a language.
The users can be transported to a scenario of being in a restaurant to learn and practice their language skills.
Popular Examples
Second Life
Second Life is the largest user-created 3D virtual community on the Internet. Basic membership is free but
premium memberships are also available for a price. Premium memberships offer additional features, like a
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private virtual home, sign-up bonus, and weekly rewards.

There are many interesting things to do in this virtual world. The user can create an avatar, explore different
places, and interact with other users. The user can even make money, buy things, and purchase virtual properties.
Text and voice chat is available for interaction with other users, allowing organizations to hold meetings.
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Active Worlds (3D World Creator)
In a nutshell, Active Worlds is a do-it-yourself version of Second Life, where you create your own world from
components that already exist or ones you have custom-made. The key advantage is your world your rules,
whereas with Second Life the world exists but the rules are set by Linden Corporation, the owners of Second
Life. Active Worlds is a popular 3D virtual reality platform where users are able to create their own virtual
characters, explore different 3D virtual environments that other users have built, and interact with other users.
Users can chat with each other and build their own environments. Tourist Mode allows interested parties to
enjoy this virtual reality for free.
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3.0 Collaboration
SOCIAL MEDIA APPLICATIONS that fall under the business opportunity of Collaboration enable users to
collaborate: use freelance skills; work in projects and teams; create DIY wikis; and create DIY social networks.
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FIGURE 5 A Sample of Collaboration Applications
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3.1 Freelance Platforms

Freelance platforms are a breakthrough in the outsourcing of programmers, designers, writers, translators,
marketers, researchers, and admin contractors to name a few of the skills available. These are online
marketplaces that provide cost-effective ways of hiring capable freelancers or contractors locally or globally
for duties such as administrative support, engineering and manufacturing, and design and multimedia. These
platforms draw web traffic in the hundreds of thousands each month, which translates into a huge pool of
skilled professionals that organizations can hire to work on projects. An important part of these systems
is contractors are rated by clients, who also provide testimonials and feedback. Some show earnings and
number of projects completed.
Many freelance platforms are free to join and others require a low membership fee. These sites aim to present
a user-friendly experience with easy transactions between employers and contractors. The process of posting
projects, choosing the best bid, hiring a contractor, and paying for the completed project is usually very
intuitive. Skype and Dropbox are also useful tools to use when working with freelance contractors; it is easy to
communicate and share documents effectively, especially given the different time zones. When dealing with
freelancers from other cultures, communication has to take into account the different cultural practices that
can be frustrating if you are not used to dealing with people from different parts of the world. Many of the
things we take for granted in our own culture can be quite different elsewhere. Make sure both parties fully
understand what is required for the job in question, including deadlines and fees.
Freelance platforms allow managers to bring in specialist skills and temporary skills in a time and cost-efficient
way, and to arrange payment on a project basis or to pay hourly. Managers can access thousands of freelancers
without sifting through various job sites and classified ads. Through freelance hiring, companies also minimize
their operational costs, since there is no need to pay a monthly salary, benefits, bonuses, or incentives. One
example is Amazons Mechanical Turk (mturk.com), which is one of the most popular Freelance platforms in
the USA but is currently only available in that country. Instead, I will focus upon two global freelance platforms:
Elance and oDesk.
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Popular Examples
Elance
Elance is a freelance site that is based in California and has existed since 1999. This platform allows outsourcing
companies and a talent pool of more than 100,000 freelancers to come together. Clients or potential employers
are allowed to post projects or job openings, invite freelancers to make a bid, and select the freelancer with
the best expertise and proposal.
Elance provides a workroom for each project to facilitate collaboration and enable effective communication
between the employer and the freelancer. The client only pays for the work that the contractor performs; at
a rate that is agreed upon before work begins. A typical project might range between $50 and $500. Elance
offers guaranteed payment of work done by holding funds in escrow until the project is completed to the
satisfaction of both parties. Elance also offers convenient modes of payment; freelancers have the option of
linking their Elance account with their bank account for wire transfers, as needed.
oDesk
oDesk is similar to Elance in that employers can post jobs and hire contractors to work on projects. oDesk also
offers the employer the ability to conduct interviews before hiring freelancers.
Portfolios, proposals, work histories, feedback, and ratings play an important role in allowing employers to
select the most qualified contractor. oDesk displays this relevant information to assist employers in decisionmaking during the selection process. oDesk also guarantees automated time-tracking, progressive results,
and close monitoring of contractors.
The oDesk payment system is secure, accurate, and streamlined. Weekly financial reports and contractors
work diaries can be viewed for auditing purposes. oDesk also has built-in messaging and chatting systems to
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enable all parties to communicate effectively.
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3.2 Project and Team

Technological advances mean that employees are no longer confined to the four walls of their respective
offices. Collaboration is now possible with the use of online document management systems, mobile phones,
laptops, and other similar devices. This is all possible with the aid of the different online collaboration tools
available today. These tools allow managers, project supervisors, and employees to:
Easily keep track of projects

Communicate with each other regardless of physical location
Submit reports from various locations
Streamline the work process
Access files and important documents from different locations
Online collaboration tools offer diverse features and specialties to help companies connect their teams across
silos. Managers only need to choose the right tool the one that suits their organizations needs.
Popular Examples
Wrike
Wrikes project management features are useful in managing multiple projects from one online workspace.
It provides managers with the ability to see the bigger picture in regard to all projects currently on the go.
It also helps with day-to-day tasks, such as reminders and scheduling. The site also allows project documents
to be stored online in order for employees to access them easily from anywhere. Thousands of teams from all
over the world make use of Wrikes intuitive project management features.
This site requires a subscription, with fees starting from $49 a month for a team of five members. There is,
however, a free trial available for companies interested in trying it on for size.
Zoho
Zoho is a popular collaboration site that provides a wide range of useful applications for businesses. It boasts
over 4 million users to date. According to the website, Zoho.com offers a comprehensive suite of award-
their business processes, manage their information and be more productive while at the office or on the go,
without having to worry about expensive or outdated hardware or software (Zoho.com, 2011).
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winning online business, productivity & collaboration applications. Customers use Zoho Applications to run
There are over 20 different applications available. They include project management applications, invoicing,
and web conferencing tools. These applications are free for individuals but require subscription fees for
organizations.
Zoho enables individuals and businesses to systematically manage documents and streamline the work
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process while significantly reducing operational costs.
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3.3 DIY Wiki Platforms

The rising popularity of wikis, such as Wikipedia, has encouraged many companies to build wikis internally to
help facilitate information sharing, collaboration, and better project management.
Wikis are sites where people from all over the world can contribute and edit articles about certain topics.
Since this platform is open to the general public, there is the possibility that articles may contain errors. And
it must be said that there have been isolated cases of large companies polishing articles to make them look
good by removing the negatives. This strategy rarely works because there is always someone watching on
the Internet, and getting caught creates a lot of negative press. Most sites try to combat this issue by asking
editors to ensure that only factual information is posted. However, used correctly, the benefits of this social
network outweigh the risks for most individuals and businesses. It provides managers with easy access to
information. Organizations can also use this platform to publish information about their mission and products
or services, thereby building brand awareness and reaching a largeraudience.
Wiki platforms are tools used to develop a user-created encyclopedia. Generally, they are used as project
management tools, but these platforms also provide other benefits, such as improved documentation and
customer or client collaboration.
DIY wiki platforms allow users to share information with other users on a central site. Collaborators are able to
share articles, spreadsheets, text, RSS feeds, and videos with each other.
Popular Examples
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is known to be the biggest online encyclopedia collection of all time. Today, Wikipedia had over 30
million articles, all written by volunteers and available in more than 286 languages. Wikipedia is so popular
that in January 2011, according to comScore, it made the list of the ten most visited sites in the United States.
A user account is required in order to create an article, but most articles may be edited with or without a user
account.
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PBworks
PBworks, formerly known as PBwiki, is a commercial collaborative editing platform in real-time format. With
over 1 million team workspaces, it is by far the worlds largest provider of hosted collaboration business
solutions. PBworks serves millions of users every month, including big companies like AT&T, Cisco, FedEx, and
Citi.
This site is a good starting point for users without wiki experience. It only features two tabs: view, used for
read-only viewing, and edit to make changes and deletions. It also allows users to add content by clicking
the Insert Plugin button. Users can add video and Google Gadgets, as well as upload files like spreadsheets
and calendars. PBworks offers basic features for free. Advanced features are also available for a price.
Social Text
Social Text is a collaborative platform whereby colleagues can work together on key business processes. Among
the social software applications it offers are wiki pages, shared spreadsheet, internal blogs, microblogging
and mobile apps, among others.
Social Text offers a safe internal environment for organizations and collaborators to work on a project, solve
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business challenges and share knowledge.
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3.4 DIY Social Networks

White label social networking platforms allow companies to create their own social networks (usually from
scratch). This is a great option for companies with specific requirements who do not wish to use popular social
media sites, or want to store their own internal knowledge for security reasons. They offer the flexibility
companies need to create specific marketing and communication tools that sites like Facebook do not have.
These DIY sites often allow companies to integrate their own applications into the platform. In choosing a DIY
network, managers will be wise to consider the specific features needed, as different platforms offer different
features and applications. Managers must also determine the ease of implementing the network into the
organization and ensure that security measures are in place to protect the flow of information across the
network.
Popular Examples
Ning
Ning is a DIY social networking platform that provides the most professional, user-friendly tools for setting up
visually appealing and fully functional social networks from scratch. Nings standard package is available for a
reasonable cost, allowing companies to build an ad-supported social network site using the functional features
that the site offers. The process is easy. It includes a point-and-click process to customize the look of their site
and add features like photos, videos, chat, blogs, Ning apps, and groups. In a matter of a few minutes, users can
create a social network and can immediately accept members.
Yammer
Yammer is an enterprise social network that provides a host of collaborative tools which companies can use to
collaborate more efficiently across their internal network.
The application allows users to share knowledge, ask questions, upload documents, store files and edit work
collaboratively from a single platform and in real-time. The application moreover has a search feature whereby
users can search for needed data instantly, across the entire organization.
While improving team efficiency, Yammer also gives the option for members to connect to and collaborate
partners. Accessible through mobile devices, the application can be used across geographical boundaries and
at anytime.
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with users outside of the organizations internal network, whether these are customers or other business
4.0 Collective Intelligence

SOCIAL MEDIA APPLICATIONS that fall under the business opportunity of Collective Intelligence enable users to
engage in discussion, access wikis, participate and share ideas, and gain market intelligence. Each category will
be discussed in brief.
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FIGURE 6 A Sample of Collective Intelligence Applications
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4.1 Rating and Reviews

Discussion sites include question and answer sites as well as sites where users post product or service reviews
and ratings.
Question and answer sites are exactly that a forum where users post a question online and members provide
informative answers. Most question and answer sites require users to set up a free account before they are able
to ask or answer questions. User ratings ensure the quality of answers that members give. Certain websites
such as Helium and WebAnswers also offer a financial reward to people who have given the best answer to a
particular question.
From a business perspective, question and answer sites are an avenue that an organization can use to
generate brand awareness. Answering questions allows that company to become known as an expert in its
field (particularly in professional forums, such as LinkedIn Answers). Proper answers to queries that are related
to your industry can also bring in potential buyers and repeat customers.
Positive reviews and ratings have always been a powerful influence in a buyers decision-making process
(e.g. Amazon for their products and TripAdvisor for hotels). The collective intelligence of previous customer
opinions influences future customer choices. Companies may spend thousands of dollars on marketing, but
without the support of positive reviews, buyers may not purchase a product. In fact, most people rely on user
reviewsfor product information or research before a buying decision is made. This results in an increased
volume of sales of products that are positively reviewed. There is a corresponding drop-off on the sales of
products with poor consumer ratings. Most reviews and ratings sites are free to use and are easily accessible
to the public.
Popular Examples
TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is perhaps the flagship example of a powerful Ratings and Reviews system. Based mostly on
customers own accounts of their personal experiences with hotels, restaurants, resorts and holiday packages,
the site offers visitors the chance to evaluate a destination from a peers point of view. People can post opinions
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and reviews, participate in travel forums and give their star ratings for a particular place.
This user-generated information is both useful for the customer who can make final decisions based on peers
previous experiences as well as for businesses who have access to their customers feedback, opinions,
recommendations and complaints. Thus, the site presents huge potential for businesses looking to enhance
their businesses and find new business ideas.
Disqus
Disqus is an online discussion and commenting platform for websites. It is designed to encourage visitor
engagement in a dynamic comment system, in order to create active communities around live discussions,
breaking news, events and other hot content. Users can also get access to other features such as email
notifications, social networking, user profiles and mobile commenting. Disqus supports virtually any type of
website through user-friendly plugins or copy-and-paste code.
Disqus has been growing significantly since its launch in 2007, reaching more than half a billion people across
a range of different websites, according to the company.
Yelp
Yelp is a site that provides online ratings of and reviews on a plethora of different businesses, from bars to
dental clinics.
Users can write and read reviews, as well as talk with other users of the site. Yelps user base reached more
than 100 million monthly unique visitors in January 2013, with more than 39 million local reviews, according
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to the company.
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4.2 Crowd Funding

Crowd funding refers to the collective cooperation of individuals, who each make a financial contribution
towards a particular project they like or believe in - through online platforms.
This common financial effort, or crowd funding, is becoming an increasingly important source of capital for
nascent ideas, start-up and small businesses.
Thus, it is no longer up to those institutions or individuals who hold large financial capital, such as banks, to
decide which direction the market should take by deciding which projects to fund or reject. These impactful
decisions can now be shifted to the public, who can choose to back the projects it likes the most..
Today, with the rise of social media, everyone around the world can contribute from as little to as much as they
wish in order to invest in an idea they would like to see materialize.
In return for individuals financial involvement, funders can get some kind of remuneration directly from the
creator, such as a free product, a discount on a future purchase or some sort of involvement in the project itself.
Crowd funding creates a fairer system whereby ideas that could have otherwise died out find a way to survive
and bloom, and whereby ideas that do not provide strong interest to the public are left out.
Popular Examples
Kickstarter.com
Since its launch in 2009, Kickstarter has not stopped growing in popularity, becoming one of the most utilized
applications of its type today, sought-after by individuals and small companies wishing to kick start their
businesses.
The way the application works is that those who have an idea first set a funding goal along with a corresponding
deadline. Then, backers decide whether they want to contribute to the project or not, based on how much
they want to see the idea materialize.
Each backer can thereafter make a pledge as to how much they are willing to pay to back the project and
this can be as little or as much as they want. If the project creators reach their funding goal before the deadline
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expires, they receive the money from their backers.
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In return for their financial contribution, contributors get some sort of reward such as a free product once
the new product is developed for instance a discount or a voucher, among others, depending on what the
creator decides to offer.
Kickstarter claims that since its launch, more than3.8 millionpeople have pledged over$567 million, funding
more than39,000creative projects.
Indiegogo
Indiegogo is a crowd funding site founded in 2008. Based on a similar model as Kickstarter, Indiegogo is used
by people with new ideas who turn to the website for help in their campaigns and fundraising initiatives, as
well as to get global exposure for their projects.People around the world decide whether to make a financial
contribution towards a given project, and get some sort of involvement in or reward from the project in return
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for their contribution.
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4.3 Ideas Platforms

Idea sharing networks provide a platform where different individuals can come together to brainstorm ideas in
order to solve problems. The ingenious concept of idea sharing networks has helped countless businesses all
over the world. It is a cost-effective and convenient way to share ideas and resolve challenges. These platforms
target specific market areas, including:
Research and development networks These networks focus on helping companies by providing solutions
to research and development problems.
Prediction platforms These are sites where a company can get an educated prediction about industry
trends to help with its decision-making process.
Online advocacy and fundraising sites Allow companies to get involved with different community
initiatives. Sponsoring specific causes is also a great way of increasing awareness for a company.
Crowd-funding platforms These sites bring together a group of people who pitch in to support a specific
idea or business. This is particularly useful to small companies that need capital quickly and where a bank
may not be inclined to fund them.
Popular Examples
InnoCentive
InnoCentive is an open innovation firm that focuses on aiding companies in acquiring fast solutions to research
and development problems. They use crowdsourcing to solve organizations challenges in areas such as math,
chemistry, computer science, engineering, physical sciences, and lifesciences.
InnoCentive operates a global network of over 200,000 potential problem solvers and offers cash prizes ranging
from $5,000$1,000,000, depending on the challenge. An example would be the unique challenges posed by
space exploration at NASA. As discussed in Chapter 1, a group of independent experts is more likely to come up
with a better result than a team of experts working together as one. InnoCentive uses this at the center of their
business approach. They protect the intellectual property issues by only showing the solution to the company,
InnoCentive, and the solution provider.
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How does it work? The company posts its challenge and gets a series of proposals to the challenge. InnoCentive
offers this example: Roche had a challenge that had been ongoing for 15 years. Within two months of posting
on InnoCentive, they had 1,000unique solvers signed on to the project and a total of 113 proposals; it was
solved in 60 days. Interestingly, all the solutions Roche had tried over the 15 years had come in as proposals.
Crowdicity
Crowdicity is a platform that allows organizations to leverage the ideas of employees, colleagues, customers,
suppliers and stakeholders among others. Crowdicity allows ideas to be shared, discussed and voted on so that
new perspectives can be found, challenges answered, solutions formed and business opportunities created.
Crowdicity communities can either be private or public based on whether organizations want to have a
conversation with just a specific range of people or one opened to more ideas and opinions from outside.
Crowdicity communities have no number limits so you can have as few or as many people in it as you decide,
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and the platform can be customized to look like your site or brand as well.
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4.4 Market Intelligence

Market intelligence tools show the overall evaluation of a given global market using economic and social
statistics, such as demographics, population data, and total consumption levels. Market intelligence tools
provide the bigger picture for companies to better understand the environment in which they are competing.
These tools also help business owners understand and take advantage of opportunities for the business,
minimize the probable threats, and plan strategic actions necessary tosucceed.
Building in-house market intelligence tools requires spending more resources than many companies can afford.
Using social media sites that provide these features is a more cost-effective option for most organizations. If
you are not monitoring what is being said about your company, products, and services, you will not be able
to respond effectively. Trendrr (www.trendrr.com) is an example of a business intelligence tool to listen to the
web.
People-search applications are useful services to carry out background checks on potential clients, suppliers,
and new employees. These tools are useful for managing your online profile. They are simple and easy to use:
just type in the name and location. Popular examples are Pipl and kgbpeople. In an aggressively competitive
industry, having good market intelligence will give an organization the competitive edge. Managers need to
research their industry in order to understand the purchasing patterns of their target market. This knowledge
will help businesses develop their brand in relation to consumer behavioral patterns. This is a key ingredient
to business success
Popular Examples
Salesforce Radian 6
Radian 6 is Salesforces marketing cloud software that allows organizations to detect and analyze discussions
taking place around their brand, products and competitors.
After spotting conversations around your or your competitors products and services, you can listen to what is
being said, understand the sentiments behind, as well as join in the conversations and connect to customers
and clients all in real-time. Radian 6 is thus designed to capitalize on social listening in order to engage more
constructively with your customers, enhance your business and generate new potential leads.
HootSuite
HootSuite is a management platform through which users can organize, manage and schedule posts on a
variety of social media channels, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+, among others.
The site also allows organizations to track what has been mentioned about their brands and measure
feedback. Through the HootSuite Social Analytics feature, companies can measure and monitor different
aspects of their social media activities including how many fans they have, how many likes were made and
how many comments they received. Companies can, moreover, understand the demographics behind their
fans or compare results in a historical order to detect any evolution. Other features allow companies to track
how much conversation is taking place around their brands, where it is taking place and what is being said.
This information can be tracked per social media channel and results can be combined in order to provide a
full, holistic picture of your situation on social media.
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5.0
Take Away Points
Given how quickly social media has exploded onto the scene for businesses, it is no surprise that the
possibilities can seem overwhelming. Using the four key business opportunities explained in this chapter,
it is possible to narrow the field to sixteen widely available applications or tools that businesses can easily
use to their advantage.
Managers are only limited by their biases or fears when it comes to the opportunities that social media
applications afford.
Because individual employees are likely to be familiar with one or more of these applications, there is an
obvious strategy available to managers that would see staff members taking the lead, as individuals or in
teams, to introduce and consult with colleagues on these various possibilities.
Communication
Communities
Collaboration
Collective Intelligence
1. Meetings
Skype
GotoWebinar
5. Market Places
Android
Amazon
Ebay
Alibaba
9. Freelance
Elance
Odesk
13. Rating and Reviews

TripAdvisor
Disqus
Yelp
2. Media Sharing
You Tube
Flickr
Slideshare
Pinterest
6. Social Networks
Facebook
Google Plus
LinkedIn
10. Project and Team

Wrike
Zoho
14. Crowd Funding

KickStarter.com
Indiegogo
3. Location
FourSquare
Facebook Places
7. Blog and Micro Blog

Wordpress
Twitter
11 DIY Wiki
Social Text
PB Works
15. Ideas and Insights

Innocentive
Crowdicity
4. Broadcasting
Livestream
Ustream
8. Virtual Worlds
Active Worlds
Second Life
12. DIY Social Networks

Ning
Yammer
16. Market Intelligence

Salesforce-Radian 6
Hootsuite
TABLE 2 Sixteen Categories of Social Media and Key Examples
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Case Studies
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Introduction
The world of social media is constantly advancing. The potential impact of such technologies is so
great and the pace of change so rapid that businesses and organizations can quickly be outflanked
by competing interests, if they do not adapt to this transformative trend. Where do they need to
look? How can organizations appraise the ever-changing social media landscape and adapt to it
appropriately? This is where Social Media in Business comes in. Social media in Business delivers its
crucial, actionable insight through training packages, C-suite advisory services and tailored delivery
programs. At the heart of the business is its renowned social media framework, which starts by
mapping the evolving technology with respect to five key value-delivery regions.
FIGURE 7 Social Media Framework
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6.0 Communication
Social media applications that fall under the business opportunity of Communication enable businesses to
create faster, better and more diversified avenues for communication.
As technology grows, so do communication channels. Whether it is Skype, webinars, live broadcasting, Flickr,
Photobucket or YouTube; the plethora of tools available for communicating with others has largely developed.
Moreover, it is possible, today, to have not only one-to-one or one-to-many communication flows, but also
many-to-many. When we are talking about communication in a social media context, thus, we are talking
about exchanging different types of media. Pictures, videos, voice calls, live broadcast or a mix of all these
different types; any kind of media can now be communicated. If we take the example of live broadcasting,
for instance; only major TV networks were able to own that type of communication flow at one point in time.
Today, anyone can be a broadcaster. Hence, whether you are a company or an individual, social media tools
allow you to communicate different messages easily, instantly and at no or very little cost.
Another side to be looked at with communication is its internal/external and formal/informal aspects. Social
networks, for instance, by their very nature, tend to feel informal. They can, however, be easily and quickly
formalized through the way companies seek to use them in the workplace. For instance, heavily monitoring a
social network internal to a company can leave many feeling frustrated, which becomes a counterproductive
strategy. It is thus important to allow staff to communicate freely on an internal online space; otherwise the
designing of such spaces beats their purpose. Next to internal virtual spaces, companies need to think about
external ones as well. Salespeople, for instance, would need to be looking at more external communication
media in order to reach their customers, such as webinars. Thus, you need to start thinking about designing
communication spaces for your company, both internally and externally.
I worked with a small company that had distributors all over the world, and I used to spend a lot of time
traveling all around the world in order to visit them. Nowadays, some face-to-face visits would still be
arranged, but most of the communication would take place through social media technologies, allowing us to
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communicate across time limits and geographical boundaries. We would, for instance, have a big event twice
a year where we got all of our distributors together and the rest of the communication would be undertaken
through webinars or conferences, online.
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You can design these communication spaces in such a way that they become more personal; to replace faceto-face ones. Of course, there is nothing like personal, face-to-face meetings, but for global business, one
does not always have the luxury of having face-to-face interactions and thus online ones provide a very good
alternative.
Below is a very interesting example, Salesforce.com. It is a very successful company, and a very innovative one
too. The company is a doing a host of things when it comes to communication, but one particular aspect I
would like to put forth are a few videos. When Salesforce.com initially started out, it quickly realized that video
was a very important communication medium for its business, when other companies saw video as a medium
that brought security issues rather than business advantages.
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Media sharing
Media sharing tools allow people to share all sorts of different media like images,
texts, videos and slide presentations across different platforms.
Case Study 1: SalesForce.com
FIGURE 8 Salesforce.com
Salesforce.com started by posting some explanatory videos of their rather complex products and realized
that customers would go directly to those videos instead of seeking out salespeople to explain the products
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to them. What the company eventually found was that this system was worth several hundred of salespeople
to them; i.e., millions of dollars in savings. More than that, the marketing team was able to put high-quality
videos that worked to reinforce their message, and thus strengthen customer service altogether. Looking at
this from an efficiency point of view too; if a salesperson is sent to explain a product offering, that person may
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not say what needs to be said and may end up overselling or underselling. Thus in this respect as well, video
was seen to provide a valuable solution to make sure the right message was put forward. Hence, looking
at tactical aspects such as these can help provide good saving structures - like the equivalence of several
hundred salespeople in the case of Salesforce.om.
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Location services
Location services add situational awareness by detecting the location of the user
through their device, and then by sending relevant information based on that
location.
Case Study 2: Zipcar
FIGURE 9 Zipcar
Zip Car is a very good example illustrating what location services can do. The company has, in fact, just been
bought for half a billion dollars by Avis, underlining thus its worth.
The way Zip Car works is that you can join the platform through the companys website, zipcar.com, and then
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reserve a car using your mobile app. The map on the image above is the one of my local area, and the green
tags show where zip cars are. Lets say you wanted a Mini like the one showed on the image above, the app will
tell you where you can find one and what the hourly or daily costs are before you decide to book it and then
pick it up, choosing the most convenient location for you to pick it up from.
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No more cuing up in front of rental car shops and no more filling up piles of paperwork. Everything is done
online. For the company, it means no more expensive garages where to store cars either. The Zip Card, as you
can see on the top right hand corner of the image, is a card with all your booking details that will unlock the
vehicle once you go pick it up. The keys will be found inside the car, and the latter can be driven for the time
frame you booked it for.
Thus, this business would not be possible without location. Merging mobile and location services, allowing
you thus to find a car according to your location, is what makes this business so successful. This company,
again, started as a local company in the United States before it greatly expanded. It is now in the UK and it is
gradually spreading around the world. Zip Car has thus brought a different way of looking at the car rental
industry.
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Broadcasting
Broadcasting or webcasting services get messages out to a wide audience at the
same time and live. They are useful for both time-sensitive and interactive Q&A
sessions.
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Example: USTREAM Cases
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Online meetings
Holding online meetings and web conferences is a cost-effective, convenient and
fast way to communicate across geographical boundaries.
Examples: skype and gotomeeting.com and gotowebinar.com
Skype is one of the most common means of communication used by businesses. It is a great way to connect
with employees, suppliers, and customers. The free instant messaging, video calls, and video conferencing
features are convenient and invaluable for different business transactions. It is also very easy to exchange any
media with other users during the call. Placing calls between people who have Skype is free. Additionally,
users can place calls to people who do not have Skype for a fee. The ability to see your list of contacts and their
status, e.g. online, away, not available, do not disturb, makes impromptu meetings very easy.
GoToWebinar enables users to carry out do-it-yourself webinars with up to 1,000 people for a flat rate. The
software handles the registration of your users and provides automated email templates for marketing
purposes. It also allows users to use customized branding and even do pre-webinar practice sessions. During
the webinar, presenters can easily share presentation slides. The site features drawing tools, a pen, a spotlight,
a highlighter, and arrow tools to encourage interaction with attendees. Presentation features such as audience
view, dashboard, Q&A, and polls enable the audience to fully participate in the session. Webinars can be a
great way to conduct remote training. Webinars can be recorded and posted for those that could not make the
meeting; this information can also be used for other purposes, such as blog posts, presentations, etc. Webinars
can be good for generating more qualified leads and acquiring potential clients because a potential prospect
gets to experience you for some considerable time (30-60 minutes).
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7.0 Communities
Communities facilitate access to markets and other targeted audiences where one can find customers,
suppliers, competitors and assorted other stakeholders.
What do we mean by communities? Internally, this could be branches, departments, a project team, your
engineers, your salespeople, your HR team or any other group of people. If you are a global or regional
company, this could translate into a very large group of people. It could be your branches. Externally, this
would, in essence, be your market. In a personal sense, communities could represent the hobby groups that
you follow, such as, for instance, World of Warcraft gamers.
Alibaba is a business example of a community. It is in the likes of eBay or Amazon, but with a range of
additional aspects. Alibaba brings buyers and suppliers together. The company has, as you can see here, two
million suppliers storefronts. Thus the company creates virtual stores for suppliers to reach out to buyers. This
allows customers to avoid going to their local trading estate, and instead purchase their goods online from
a single platform that mediates the selling of all sorts of products thus what we are looking at here is really
the power of a community.
Another example of a community is TED.com. This platform brings together interesting speakers to talk about
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different subjects. LinkedIn is also another, very famous online community of professionals.
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Online marketplace
An online marketplace is a site built around e-commerce; the buying and selling of a
variety of goods between users on the site. Online marketplaces provide an avenue
for businesses to increase sales revenue without much overhead cost.
Case Study 3A: Pro Guitar shop
FIGURE 10 GuitarPro.com
This is an example of a guitar shop that started out with an entrepreneur who sold guitars on an eBay store,
in a $400 investment. The eBay store still exists, only it is called Pro Guitar Shop and is one of the most highlyrated sellers.
Looking at the feedback the company has received on the eBay site in the past 12 months; only five negative
reviews can be found, next to about 2217 good reviews, and an overall of more than 35,000 reviews. The
budding guitarists eager to learn how to play; this was basically the engine of how they grew.
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company started out putting free guitar lessons on the Internet to attract more interest, especially by those
Other guitar shops copied this example in other ways. One shop in the UK, Andertons guitar shop, for instance,
has a little TV programme that it runs on YouTube to give a bit of fun to their customers. It simply represents a
way of growing their community, by always giving out free, entertaining content.
To go back to the Pro Guitar Shop, it thus started out as an eBay storefront to grow its business and used demo
videos on YouTube to grow its community, achieving today quite a substantial one. If you look at their online
store, you will see three social media buttons; YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, each a community. Hence,
there is the eBay storefront, their online shop on their official website guitarproshop.com, and their three
interrelated communities on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
The interesting aspect here as that the company witnessed a reverse story; it was after the creation of their
online platforms that they then opened a brick-and-mortar store, in Portland, Oregon, although the shop is
not always open. Their two virtual ones; on eBay and on their websites, are though.
The conclusion of this interesting story is that there is no need for huge budgets or grand marketing efforts
to grow; this company started out with a $400 investment, selling a few guitars, before it grew and saw the
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creation of a full-fledged business.
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Case Study 3B: edX
FIGURE 11 edX Market Place
edX is a joint venture between MIT, Harvard, Berkeley, Cornell, Boston and a number of other Universities
around the world. They all joined in a joint venture with Google and are now going to create a platform called
MOOC, with some free courses offered, which you can learn more about on mooc.org.
When MIT did this at first a couple of years ago, it had 55000 students from 160 countries, with an age range
between 14 and 74, register for an electronics course. About 15% tried the first test, roughly 6% passed; i.e.,
9000 passed out of 55000 students, resulting in a big drop out. Only 7000 passed the course as a whole.
Thus, more than 95% of the students did not complete the course, but on the other hand, they had more
students do their course in one go than they would have had for the next 40 years, had they ran the course
the way they traditionally do.
This example can be called a moonshot as it demonstrates a huge change in education. This is opening up a
of money are virtually gone. Part-time study, long distance learning and more importantly, free learning are
thus becoming possible and valuable alternatives. Hence this entire initiative is opening up a whole series of
different ways of studying.
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new market where the need to physically go to a university and the need to sum up and pay huge amounts
Moreover, this new system is creating interesting statistics. For instance, one of the top students in the course
discussed above ending up with a perfect score of 320 was a 15-year-old Mongolian student; a chance he
may not have had otherwise. He also shared a lot of material with his classmates so that they could follow the
course too. What was thus discovered was that people were creating little sub-groups to help each other this
small group learning may thus end up being a possible educational path in the future.
Of course, universities are still worried about this sort of innovative thinking in education because it is not
yet clear how these initiatives are going to develop in the future, and how these are going affect traditional
systems of education.
If one looks at the aims of the venture, however; with a $60 million venture, the platform aims to reach a billion
people this is thus very ambitious. The project is talking about being the Google of courses. It is not alone,
however, there are others such as Coursera, for instance, and in the UK are also a group of universities getting
together similarly, in a project called XSeries, which will be a sequence of courses that may eventually lead to
University degrees, although this has yet to be materialized. These projects are thus really forging the way for
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the future of education.
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Social networks
Social Networks allow companies to easily find and connect to suppliers, customers,
and other key individuals or organizations. These can be used by businesses
to extend their reach, create branding opportunities, and build insight into
stakeholder sentiments.
Case Study 4: Morphsuits.com
FIGURE 12 MorphSuits.com
This is an example called Morphsuits, which are the colourful suits that you can see on this image.
the Internet.
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The company is based in Scotland, with a team of less than 10 people who sells these suits through
The companys strategy is really simple. It uses Facebook as its main social platform to create and
build a community around its novelty product. The unusualness of the Morphsuit really resonated
with customers who found it interesting to take funny pictures and share them with others on
Facebook. Morphsuits Facebook Fan Page has today more than one and a half million followers
thus, a company of about 10 people was able to have over a million people around it, through an
online page.
The company not only used their Fan Page to build a loyal community of intrigued and interested
customers, but also to tap into collective intelligence. For instance, it asked its community feedback
on which Morphsuit it would want to see made next, and created competitions for the best Morphsuit
idea.
Thus, the company tapped into its own followers ideas, for free, engaging them into the making of
the product, listening to their feedback and hence increasing customer interest and growing their
business altogether.
This strategy is somewhat similar to what Volkswagen did by asking its customers what was, to them,
the car of the future. Involving customers who are, in the end, the group you are targeting - in the
designing process brings the customer one step closer to your brand.
The conclusion here is not to constantly use your customers to design new products, because one
needs to remember, as Henry Ford said, customers will want faster horses or more horses, which
are not feasible strategies. However, you could get an idea of what they are after in the case of
transportation, something faster, and you can thus find creative ways of achieving this. Having a
moonshot mindset, i.e. thinking 10 times better rather than 10% better will always push your
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company many steps ahead.
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Virtual worlds
Virtual Worlds are online communities that users inhabit and interact with via
their avatars. Virtual worlds are not only created for gamers; serious Gaming is
increasingly important for many organizations for simulation, training and even
conducting business.
Examples: Go to Secondlife.com and Active worlds
Second Life is the largest user-created 3D virtual community on the Internet. Basic membership is free but
premium memberships are also available for a price. Premium memberships offer additional features, like a
private virtual home, sign-up bonus, and weekly rewards.
There are many interesting things to do in this virtual world. The user can create an avatar, explore different
places, and interact with other users. The user can even make money, buy things, and purchase virtual
properties. Text and voice chat is available for interaction with other users, allowing organizations to hold
meetings.
Active Worlds (3D World Creator) is another interesting example of a virtual world. In a nutshell, Active Worlds
is a do-it-yourself version of Second Life, where you create your own world from components that already
exist or ones you have custom-made. The key advantage is your world your rules, whereas with Second
Life the world exists but the rules are set by Linden Corporation, the owners of Second Life. Active Worlds is a
popular 3D virtual reality platform where users are able to create their own virtual characters, explore different
3D virtual environments that other users have built, and interact with other users. Users can chat with each
other and build their own environments. Tourist Mode allows interested parties to enjoy this virtual reality
for free.
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Blogs and microblogs

Blogs and Microblogs are interfaces where ideas and media can be shared.
Microblogs are shorter blogs, get higher rankings and quicker indexing.
Examples: Twitter.com and Wordpress.org
Twitter is the most popular microblogging service today. Twitter allows users to stay updated with the latest
information about what they find interesting. The core of this real-time information network is the tweets
consisting of up to 140 characters in length. Twitter is a great social networking site that allows companies
to reach out to customers and potential clients. Twitter serves as a tool in achieving successful customer
relationship management through social media marketing.
IBM uses Twitter to provide interactive communication with customers. Over 1,000 IBM employees worldwide
tweet with each other and their customers on a daily basis, thus the company has easy-to-obtain word-ofmouth marketing and easy networking.
Dell Outlet uses Twitter to tweet major promotions and discounts for Dell products. In 2009, Twitter helped
Dells retail chain sales surpass $2 million, a dramatic improvement.
WordPress is another very popular and free blogging tools available online. It has a powerful content
management system that allows users to do more than just blogging. WordPress is also a great tool for
building a business website. Its editing interface is easy to use, allowing users to create and update contents
like blog posts and web pages without knowing any programming language. By using just a web browser,
the process of creating and editing pages only involves a simple text editor, similar to using Microsoft Word.
WordPress has a booming ecosystem of developers creating plug-ins and customizable themes. Users can
take advantage of the pre-existing design themes or add features like polls, ratings, contact forms, and more.
WordPress also offers good search engine optimization (SEO) and social media integration. Additional features
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can be added automatically, requiring little or no effort. It is advisable to get help setting it up, but once set up
it is relatively easy to use. There is a vast array of freelance website designers who are willing to help. They are
available via freelance websites such as Elance.com.
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8.0 Collaboration
Collaboration tools enable users to conceive and conduct shared and distributed projects. Collaboration can,
again, be seen along internal and external lines. Internally, this relates to creating effective teams and project
management. Most companies witness many problems at this level, especially in the form of information
silos characterized by only vertical movements and no horizontal flows. Social media has the ability to enable
information to move around the organization in all sorts of ways. However, people need to learn how to use
these social tools and training is important in order to ensure everyone is using those tools as efficiently as
possible.
Externally, this would translate into collaborative platforms between the organization and its suppliers or
customers, for instance. It is, however, important for organizations to start developing efficient internal
collaborative platforms and then move towards external ones as it is easier to try different things within the
safety net of the organization itself.
A good example is Yammer, which is one of a number of collaboration products. It is closely modeled on
LinkedIn, like a white-label version of LinkedIn, so it could translate into LinkedIn for your own company.
Yammer is an enterprise system that can be tried for free. In a couple of hours, you can literally build an
internal network for your department or branch.
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Freelance platforms
Freelance platforms provide cost-effective solutions for hiring capable freelancers
or contractors locally or globally for a variety of different duties.
Case Study 5: Elance
FIGURE 13 Elance.com
When I wrote my book I needed someone to read it in order to have it in an audio form. I am dyslexic and
thus it is difficult for me to read a long piece of text flawlessly, so I needed someone else to do it, preferably
American as my market is essentially based in the United States.
I thus posted a brief on Elance looking for an American freelancer and I gave two/three pages for respondents
to give me a sample. The fee range for this service was between $3900 and $142 dollars. I was not, however,
going to pay either for the most or least expensive service. I was also looking for someone with enough
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experience in such a specific job. I then found Troy Hudson who had good experience and I could see on
Elance that he had had 86 jobs done at the time. I liked his sample too and that is how I got to choose my
candidate. We awarded the contract and within a week he couriered me the disks.
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DIY Social Networks

White label social networking platforms allow companies to create their own
social networks. This is a great option for companies wishing to create internal
networks answering specific company needs.
Case Study 6: Yammer.com
FIGURE 14 Yammer
On this picture are three examples; a ship, shopping mall and airplane, and each of these can leverage
Yammer to collaborate more efficiently. Ships and their captains can use Yammer to communicate updates
about weather, routes, piracy threats and other relevant aspects of their journeys. With Yammer, captains are
able to create a community through which they can talk together and exchange crucial information. Airline
as it happens on the plane. The middle picture represents one of the shopping malls of Westfield, a chain
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crew members can also communicate via Yammer to send and receive important, time-sensitive information
with branches spread around the world. Yammer, here again, can allow these to all communicate across
geographical boundaries.
Thus through Yammer, these places ships, planes and shopping malls can be turned into effective offices,
allowing members to collaborate efficiently. It allows their members to reach out to colleagues rather than
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feeling cut off from others.
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Project and team tools

Project and Team tools allow for more efficient collaboration across geographical
boundaries and time zones, via supported online document management systems,
mobile phones, laptops, and similar devices.
Examples: Wrike.com and Zoho.com
Wrikes project management features are useful in managing multiple projects from one online workspace.
It provides managers with the ability to see the bigger picture in regard to all projects currently on the go.
It also helps with day-to-day tasks, such as reminders and scheduling. The site also allows project documents
to be stored online in order for employees to access them easily from anywhere. Thousands of teams from all
over the world make use of Wrikes intuitive project management features.
This site requires a subscription, with fees starting from $49 a month for a team of five members. There is,
however, a free trial available for companies interested in trying it on for size.
Zoho is another popular collaboration site that provides a wide range of useful applications for businesses.
It boasts over 4 million users to date. According to the website, Zoho.com offers a comprehensive suite of
award-winning online business, productivity & collaboration applications. Customers use Zoho Applications
to run their business processes, manage their information and be more productive while at the office or on the
go, without having to worry about expensive or outdated hardware or software (Zoho.com, 2011).
There are over 20 different applications available. They include project management applications, invoicing,
and web conferencing tools. These applications are free for individuals but require subscription fees for
organizations.
Zoho enables individuals and businesses to systematically manage documents and streamline the work
process while significantly reducing operational costs.
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DIY Wiki platforms

Modeled on the very popular Wikipedia, DIY Wiki platforms are internal wikis that
enhance information sharing, teamwork, and project management.
Examples: Socialtext.com and PBWorks.com
Many companies are now building wikis internal to their organizations to help facilitate information sharing,
collaboration, and better project management.
Wiki platforms are tools used to develop a user-created encyclopedia. Generally, they are used as project
management tools, but these platforms also provide other benefits, such as improved documentation and
customer or client collaboration.
They thus allow users to share information with other users on a central site. Collaborators are able to share
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articles, spreadsheets, text, RSS feeds, and videos with each other.
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9.0 Collective Intelligence

Collective Intelligence tools enable better access to and use of valuable business information. James
Surowiecki wrote The Wisdom of Crowds, a very interesting book that puts forward the theory of the
wisdom of crowds; the idea that a group of non-experts working together will come up with a better
solution to a problem than one expert working alone.
To illustrate this idea, we can take the example of a nuclear submarine that went missing in the North Atlantic
before it was quickly found again. The usual way of dealing with such a situation would be to gather a
salvage team to go after it. However, because the operation needed to be done very fast, five different salvage
teams were hired, each taking a different approach to it. the information from each team was then taken
to complement it with in-house information in order to pinpoint the submarines location within about 100
yards.
Working within groups typically comes with concomitant group dynamics, such as the person in charge not
showing effective leadership. In fact, many people often complain about the leadership in their companies.
A piece of research recently asked respondents how many people would recommend their company?, and
about 65% answered negatively, saying they would not recommend their company to their friends and family.
Thus, behind the nice coating of marketing efforts, we often find real challenges that companies face on a
daily basis.
Collective Intelligence is really looking at feedback. TripAdvisor, for instance, is an excellent example of
collective intelligence. The site allows vacationers to give feedback on the hotel or restaurant they visited,
helping others in their buying decisions. The incentive behind such a system is that if everyone contributes, a
substantial database of information is created for everyone to use.
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Market intelligence
Market intelligence tools help deliver the bigger picture of a companys
business environment and situation, using economic and social statistics, such as
demographics, population data, and total consumption levels.
Case Study 7: Radian 6 Dell
FIGURE 15 Radian 6 Dell
This image represents the Radian6 demo for Dell during Salesforces Dreamforce Conference; a software
that allows organizations to detect and analyze discussions taking place around their brand, products and
competitors.
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First, a note on what we see in the image. This is a glimpse of what you can have in your workplace; large
screens to make your message much more visible, especially if you are a large company. However, you can
still see at the bottom people working on their computers. I have worked for some quite large companies and
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often, their control centre would be essentially based on a PC, with some extra large screens placed around
just to give a fancier look. These are hence not necessary, but for a customer center, or for a demonstration,
having big screen can be interesting in order to optimize your message.
This Dell demo shows how the company is using Radian6 for their listening, or collective intelligence. Of
course, other tools, such as HootSuite, are available to channel listening, but this example was chosen as it has
an interesting video you can watch. The key point in this example is that it is not because it is Dell that is doing
it that a small company cannot tap into collective intelligence too.
One simple step you can take, for instance, is to have a Google alert set up to receive relevant updates about
a specific subject of interest directly to your email. This simple tool allows you to keep constantly up-to-date
with who is using the specific keyword you set up your search around and what has been said about it.
HootSuite is another interesting tool that integrates all of your social media feeds from a variety of social
media channels such as Facebook and Twitter, into one single platform that makes it much easier to read.
Setting up these social command centers, whether it is Radian6, Google alerts, HootSuite or others allows you
to listen to what is being said about your company.
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Idea sharing
Ideas sharing networks provide platforms where different individuals can come
together and brainstorm ideas in order to solve problems. From specific complex
technical issues to subjective creative challenges, they provide a cost-effective
and convenient way for businesses of all sizes to resolve many different kinds of
problems.
Case Study 8: VW Peoples Car
FIGURE 16 VW Peoples car
The Peoples Car is a very good example showing the power of ideas. It is a project that was started by
Volkswagen in China, with the aim of raising the profile of their brand. In order to achieve the latter, they
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created a competition encouraging people to put forward the sort of car they wanted Volkswagen to build.
Through this competition, the company saw about 33 million people visit its site, with more than about two
hundred thousand ideas for the next new car, the last time this figure was checked. On the left are some ideas
that sprung from the competition; with one being a sort of hover vehicle alike a maglev train. This is still just a
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concept, but the key point here is to show how taping into peoples ideas can help generate very interesting
designs for future products.
The other idea at the very top of the images left corner is a vehicle covered with LED lighting that would
change color depending on the drivers mood, music or some other factor. These are just two amongst many
ideas. What Volkswagen also did was to involve top universities in creating models based on some of these
ideas, in a whole TV campaign that really increased the companys publicity. At the right-hand side of the
image is a model behind the Forbes quote that was developed by a group of students from one of these
universities. The designs were then presented in a car show.
Thus, Volkswagen not only raised its profile by engaging people directly with the design of its products, but
also got brand new and interesting ideas for their future cars. On the long-term, this strategy helps create
more customers too because, just as Forbes says, the Chinese are more likely to buy whatever Volkswagen
produces, because they were asked to dream of it. In other words, by involving people in the design process of
the next new car, a connection is created directly between customer and product, increasing the chances for
purchase. Another interesting point is that, even if the company ends up not designing a car exactly based on
one of these ideas, it is nevertheless going to have valuable insight into what it is that customers are looking
for in a future design. Thus it can model a new car based on some of these insights.
Volkswagen is now talking about spreading this competition to other parts of the world including Brazil, India
and perhaps Europe. There are many other examples of how companies are using collective intelligence in
very advantageous ways for their businesses. One of such interesting examples is mystarbucksvisit.com, where
Starbucks invites visitors to share their thoughts about different aspects of its business. This is an example of
platform that all companies can create to tap into collective intelligence.
My local coffee shop once asked me: I am not Starbucks. How can I do what they do? My answer was that you
do not need to do exactly what they have done; you can just cherry pick the aspects that can work for you,
such as asking customers to rate your coffees on a suggestion page in your website. As a small company, you
do not have to always create campaigns and constantly come up with new ideas; you can simply look at what
others in your industry are doing and choose what works best for you. If you are a large company however,
the way to think forward and stand out in your industry.
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doing it big and coming up with new, entertaining or interesting ways to reach out to customer feedback is
Ratings and reviews

The opinions of previous customers influence future customer choices; ratings and
reviews are powerful tools to understand these sentiments.
Case Study 15: TripAdvisor
FIGURE 17 TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is perhaps the flagship example of a powerful Ratings and Reviews system. Based mostly on
customers own accounts of their personal experiences with hotels, restaurants, resorts and holiday packages,
the site offers visitors the chance to evaluate a destination from a peers point of view. People can post opinions
and reviews, participate in travel forums and give their star ratings for a particular place.
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This user-generated information is both useful for the customer who can make final decisions based on peers
previous experiences as well as for businesses who have access to their customers feedback, opinions,
recommendations and complaints. Thus, the site presents huge potential for businesses looking to enhance
their businesses and find new business ideas.
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Crowd funding
Crowd funding enables multiple previously unconnected individuals to each make
a financial contribution towards a particular project wish to back. Crowd funding
is an increasingly important source of capital for nascent ideas, start-up and small
businesses.
Case Study 10: Indiegogo - Canary
FIGURE 18 Indiegogo - Canary
Crowdfunding is becoming an increasingly more important funding source for turning entrepreneurial ideas
into realities. Kickstarter.com and Indiegogo.com are two very good examples of such endeavors.
To take the example of Indiegogo.com; this platform has successfully channeled the funding of thousands of
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projects around the world since its foundation only six years ago, in 2008.
Anyone with a project in mind can turn to the site to create a funding campaign. The campaign is set for a
specific length of time, targeting a specific target amount and is deemed successful if it reaches its target
amount, or more, at the deadline.
The project creators need to put forward the benefits that contributors will receive in return for their donations,
should the project move forward. Social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter can also be used to publicize
campaigns. Indiegogo takes a 4% fee for each successful campaign. This is thus an effective solution for both
creators, who find a way to develop their ideas, and for the general public, who get access to new products,
backing up those that they want to see materialize.
A very successful example, also the biggest fundraising campaign ever conducted through the site, is Canary:
The first smart home security device for everyone.
Canary is, according to its developers, a single device that contains an HD video camera and multiple sensors
that track everything from motion, temperature and air quality to vibration, sound, and activity to help keep
you, your family and your home safe. Controlled entirely from your iPhone or Android device, Canary alerts
you when it senses anything out of the ordinary from sudden temperature changes that can indicate a fire,
to the sound and movement that could mean an intrusion. Over time, Canary learns your homes rhythms to
send you smarter alerts. Canary is the smartest way to stay secure.
This campaign was launched on the 22nd of July 2013 for a target goal of $100,000, and achieved $1,960,884
by its deadline which was just a little over a month later. Participants from more than 70 different countries
contributed to the campaign.
Another very successful campaign was the Scanadu Scout, the first Medical Tricorder, a scanner designed to
read your vital signs and send them wirelessly to your smartphone in a few seconds, anytime, anywhere. The
target goal here was set at $100,000 and by the campaigns deadline; a total amount of $1,664,375 was raised.
Another campaign, Canonicals Ubuntu Edge, the next generation of personal computing: smartphone and
desktop PC in one state-of-the-art device, saw the biggest amount ever being pledged on the site, although
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the campaigns funding goal was not met.
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A total of $12,814,196 was pledged from more than 22,053 contributions from people in 63 countries,
according to Indiegogo, allowing the site to break the record for hosting the biggest crowdfunding campaign
of all time, and the news was even featured on BBC News. Although the campaign failed to meet its target
goal, it created a huge amount of publicity for the project as well as a large potential market.
The site thus allows for many opportunities to be forged. Other campaigns include SIGMO, a voice translating
device in more than 25 languages; iDoorCam, a WiFi enabled doorbell to answer doors from afar and Beddit,
a sensor that tracks ones sleep quality, heart rate, and breathing whilst asleep.
Crowdfunding thus is not only a way to put the power back into the creators hands and find and raise funds
for a project, but it is also an efficient way to gain global exposure, even if a campaign does not meet its final
funding goal. It is, also, an important opportunity for consumers to back projects that they are interested in.
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10.0 Market Presence

Market presence is always an important part of successful business, and through
social technologies, companies have been able to increase their online visibility in
an unprecedented way by channeling new ways of doing business. The example
below will illustrate this point in more detail.
Case Study 11: Netflix
FIGURE 19 Netflix
The story between Netflix and Blockbuster is a very interesting example of how a company adapted to new
social technologies to thrive, and how another in the same industry stuck to traditional business models that
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led to its bankruptcy.

Blockbuster LLC was established in 1985 to provide, as its core service, a movie and video game rental
service through rental shops. Although established before Netflix and successfully anchored in the industry,
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Blockbuster failed to change its business strategy as both technology and the consumer moved forward. Its
approach was nothing else than a stagnating one, with the occasional late adoption of new methods. DVDby-mail, for instance, was incorporated into Blockbusters product offering much too late, when even Netflix
had already started offering the service.
As Broadband made its way into the consumer market and people started to discover more convenient and
cheaper ways of watching movies, the old business model that Blockbuster stubbornly clang on to started
to die out. In September 2010, the company finally filed for bankruptcy and was bought by Dish Network in
2011. Dish Network closed 1000 of the companys branches by 2013.
Blockbuster is thus an example of a company that simply failed to adapt to the evolving technology around
it and the new opportunities this created, while the surrounding environment, including the consumers
themselves, quickly changed.
What Netflix did, on the other hand, was exactly the opposite. Netflix kept updated with new technological
advances, and was very quick to adapt to these and offer new products for the new consumer. As soon as
high-speed Internet became the state of the art and video streaming became more and more popular, Netflix
re-adapted its product offering and started providing a service whereby people could view streaming videos
online by paying the company fixed monthly fees. In 2011, the company had already reached more than 26
million subscribers worldwide. At the beginning of 2013, another 10 million people became subscribers, and
the company keeps growing.
Next to adapting and incorporating new technology, Netflix also made great use of social media opportunities
to gain more competitive edge over others in its industry.
One of the most important examples of this social media strategy is a competition it created to find a better
algorithm than its own, called Cinematch, for predicting ratings. The competition was named Netflix Prize,
and the reward for the winner was 1 million dollars.
As described by the company, the competition sought to substantially improve the accuracy of predictions
about how much someone is going to enjoy a movie based on their movie preferences, with the aim to
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improve [the companys] ability to connect people to the movies they love.
The competition was launched on the 2nd of October 2006 and less than a week later, a team had already
come up with a better algorithm than Cinematch. Just several months later, more than 20,000 teams, based in
more than 150 different countries, had registered to the competition.
In September 2009, the prize was finally awarded to a team that was able to improve Netflix algorithm by
10.06%. Thus, Netflix is an excellent case of how it used social media opportunities to tap into the potential of
collective intelligence in order to get a million-dollar worth idea for its business.
Netflix and Blockbuster are hence two companies that operated in the same industry, but whose different
business strategies led to two radically different paths. One was able to adapt to and make use of new
technologies and social media opportunities to gain further competitive advantage, whilst the other clang on
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an old business model that only barred it from moving forward with its changing environment.
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Case Study 12: Naked Wines
FIGURE 20 Naked Wines
Naked Wines is another excellent example of a company that successful utilized social technologies to build a
new business model. Founded in 2008, Naked Wines is an online business that integrates a bit of eBay, a bit of
Groupon, a bit of Twitter and a bit of Amazon all in one ingenuous, fast-growing platform.
The company connects independent wine producers with UK consumers; cutting out the middlemen and
offering wholesale prices instead of market ones. Naked Wines gets 10% of the transaction. The success of the
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platform is found in three main tools that Naked Wines has successfully leveraged:
Naked Market place this is an online space where wine-makers have the chance to pitch a parcel of wine.
Consumers can then bid on the case of wine and if the minimum price is achieved, the deal is on.
Naked Angels - through this, consumers can put aside regular amounts of money every month and use
these towards future purchases, in addition to discounts between 25-50% and other interesting bonuses
such as invitations to exclusive wine tastings events. The money set aside by Angels creates a cash flow for
the company that is partly used to finding and funding new winemakers, thus expanding business, while
customers get the chance to try out brand new wines that are not found in supermarkets.
Naked community in this community, customers can find a recommendation system through which they
can make their purchase choices based on others, and the companys own recommendations, a bit like
Amazon.com. Customers can also rate wines as well as have access to both wine ratings and discussion groups
whereby users can participate in a range of online conversations. Customers furthermore have the possibility
to follow winemakers and/or fellow wine drinkers to see who has bought what, get the latest updates, share
tips and post messages, as well as be followed in return all of these aspects have created a loyal fan base.
Within a year of its foundation, the company saw a turnover of $4 million with 60,000 customers. Today, it
has more than 200,000 customers and ships more than 10,000 bottles per day and that is during a time of
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recession. Naked Wines thus successfully leveraged social media tools to grow its business.
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11.0
Take Away Points
Business opportunities offered by social media to business can be narrowed down to five main categories;
communication, communities, collaboration, collective intelligence and market presence.
Social media applications that fall under the business opportunity of communication enable businesses
to create faster, more efficient and more diversified avenues for communication, both internally within the
different levels of an organization, and externally, between the organization and other parties.
Social media applications that allow the access to communities are useful to facilitate entry into key
markets and other targeted audiences where one can find customers, suppliers, competitors and assorted
other stakeholders.
Social media applications under the category of collaboration enable users to conceive and conduct shared
and distributed projects, increasing teamworks efficiency and efficacy. This can take place both internally,
amongst colleagues, or externally, between an organization and external teams around the world, for
instance.
Social media applications that channel collective intelligence allow the access and use of valuable business
information. Organizations can tap into the collective intelligence of internal resources such as their
employees, or external ones, such as customers, partners or simply the general web community. This can
bring great benefits such as solving important business challenges and getting needed feedback, insight
or new ideas to your business.
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Market presence is always an important part of successful business, and through social technologies,
companies can increase their online visibility in an unprecedented way by channeling new ways of doing
business. Whether you are looking to build a local and/or global market, social media platforms allow you
to create stronger market presence.
For more Case studies please go to our Blog at: TechXB.com/Blog

Also got to our library where you can access a library of case studies.
TechXB.com
TechXB.com/library/
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Praise for Social Media in Business
Ive seen many strategies for implementing social media...

... but Nicholls 3-CORE Project Success System might be one of my favorites, if only because it starts
with asking questions that force the reader to understand the outcomes they hope to achieve. He
doesnt give business managers an opportunity to just say I want 1 million followers, thats why!
If the reader has made it this far, he understands that he must provide meaningful answers to
questions like:
- Is there a clear outcome defined for the project? - Does the intention of the project support the
business strategy? - Is this the right project at the right time for my organization? - What support
is there from key players for the outcome? - Are there obstacles to different departments working
together?
Marisa Peacock - Senior Reporter , CMS Wire Magazine
The diagram on page 149 is worth 100 times what you paid for the book. Grab your mouse and get
a few copies for yourself, your team (or family) before your competitors.
Alex Mondossian Founder Marketingonline.com
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100 times what you paid for the book.
Gems of advanced thought, even for the experts in the trade.

One of the distinguishing marks of this book for practitioners is the inclusion of a large number
of case studies. Some of these discuss about companies for whom social media is the business
while some discuss about the social media strategies of more traditional businesses. These case
studies are both descriptive and analytical and can be used for classroom discussions of business
programs, too.
Social media is not a monolithically constructed entity. This makes theorization and generalization
difficult. However, despite the diversity and complexity, the author has been able to identify broad
patterns and governing frameworks. He has crafted his book in a comprehensive manner: it has a
rich blend of theory and practice, not only to deliberate but also to implement. There is no longer
a choice for businesses to shy away from social media and I believe that having this book as a key
source of reference is an investment worthy of serious consideration.
Babu George - PhD, Associate Professor of Business, Alaska Pacific University, USA
Covers the waterfront.

Steve Nicholls has written a book that covers the waterfront in this evolving area of business
communications. He has provided useful examples and cases to illustrate his points, and outlines a
process for developing and using social media that apply to most organizations.
James A. Goodrich , Dean - College of Business and Economics,
California State University, Los Angeles
To purchase Social Media in Business, please go to:

www.Amazon.com
SocialMediaInBusiness.com
www.Amazon.co.uk
www.barnesandnoble.com
Also available at all good bookstores
Steve is available for speaking, training and consulting services

Telephone: +44-203-369-6960, Email: Steve@TechXB.com
86
Tech XB EBook Series:
Keep up with all the latest social technologies affecting the business world
Find out how to implement social technologies strategically and constructively within your business
Stay ahead of your competition by keeping up with tech trends and looking ahead of the technology curve
Get familiar with both social media opportunities and risks and learn how to manage these effectively for your
business
Maintain and develop your competitive advantage by adopting a 10X mindset
A managers guide to the ins and outs of social media

Find out why business can no longer do without social media now and in the future
Learn to capitalize on social media opportunities to grow your business exponentially
Learn to mitigate social media risks strategically to avoid costly mistakes
Learn to embrace the 10X philosophy in order to compete in future business
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TechXB.com
Digital Business - Executive Version:
Steve Nicholls
Digital Strategist, Author and Speaker
Solves the Digital Puzzle for Business

Steve Nicholls is the author of the best-selling Social Media in Business,
international speaker, and social media strategist who helps business
executives implement a winning social media strategy into their
organization.
Steve grows client revenue dollars by millions with his proven approach
that social media needs to be implemented at the senior level and
integrated into the DNA of the entire organization. Steve tailors social
media strategy to help companies maximise benefits while identifying
and mitigating risks.
Steve has designed and implemented advanced internet applications for many leading global organization including
British Telecom, Ciena Corp., John Laing and NSPCC, among many others. He has been featured as a social media expert
in CNN, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Business Week, BBC, Huffington Post, among
many others.
SocialMediaInBusiness.com
As a former business executive, Steve is unique among social media experts in his ability
to bridge the language gap between those developing new technology and the senior
executives who need to implement them to keep their company's competitive edge.
After beginning his career as a project manager in skyscraper construction, Steve earned
his MBA at Henley Business School in 1992 and his Masters of Science in Organizational
Development from the University of Portsmouth in 2008. His background as a project
manager, combined with his extensive experience in the business and technology
industries, has given him the unique ability to help companies lay their own blueprint
for social media success.
88
Steve Nicholls
The Social Media

Expert
the Experts Rely On
Steve
Nicholls
For USA contact: John Connor

For UK contact: Steve Nicholls
Astonish Media Group
Tech XB Limited
245 Park Avenue
10 Park View Road
24th Floor, New York,
Ealing
New York USA
London, UK
Astonish Media Group
E: john@astonishmediagroup.com
Tel int: +44-203-369-6960
245 Park Avenue, 24th Floor
Tel: +1 646-912-6598
New York, New York Tel UK: 0203-369-6960
646.912.6598
http://techxb.com
www.socialmediainbusiness.com

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The Expert the Experts Rely On

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Ebook Social Technologies 2014 July 29

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Published by: Bookinars

Document title: Digital Technologies

Visit our website at: www.TechXB.com

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Before you turn another page...

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4.0 COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

5.0 TAKE AWAY POINTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

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DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES: CASE STUDIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

9.0 COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

10.0 MARKET PRESENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

11.0 TAKE AWAY POINTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

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LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

FIGURE 20 Naked Wines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

TABLE 1 Sixteen Application Categories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

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Figure 1 Social Media Opportunities - Source :Social Media in Business.

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FIGURE 2 Social Media Applications Guide

13. Ratings and Reviews

10. Project and Team

14. Crowd Funding

7. Blog and Micro Blog

11. DIY Wiki

15. Ideas and Insights

12. DIY Social

16. Market Intelligence

TABLE 1 Sixteen Application Categories

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FIGURE 3 A Sample of Communication Applications

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1.2 Media Sharing

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1.3 Location Services

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FIGURE 4 A Sample of Communities Applications

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2.2 Social Networks

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2.3 Blogs and Microblogs

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2.4 Virtual Worlds

private virtual home, sign-up bonus, and weekly rewards.

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Active Worlds (3D World Creator)

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FIGURE 5 A Sample of Collaboration Applications

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3.1 Freelance Platforms

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enable all parties to communicate effectively.

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