Life Is Interactive

By: Monica Clarke Interactive Marketing Coordinator TheWakeman Agency

April 25, 2011

Contents
Introduction The Technology Grows Bookmark not defined. The Research Social Networking Technology Platform Options Measurment, Implementation, and the Bottom Line 6 3 2 1 Error!

Introduction In the Beginning.. The Technology Grows Technology is moving is the speed of light be can be navigated

The Research Just the facts.

Social Networking Technology Platform Options Methods that awareness campaigns are able to reach the most people are..
Facebook Twitter YouTube Blogs Email Text Messaging Message Boards

. Measurement, Implementation and the Bottom Line How do you measure your efforts, and how are the efforts to take place, and making sense of it all.

Introduction in the beginning

For centuries new languages have developed from communities of cultures interacting. Often these languages grow from communicating though storytelling, and the written word. Over the last hundred years we have experienced a spring forward in information technology that can be seen as overwhelming by most. The emergence of technologies such as the telephone, computers, cable television, cell phones, and the internet has allowed us more outlets to connect with people around us. There was a time in advertising that a good photo and witty copy was all one needed in order to sky rocket sales. Many of these photo advertisements not only had a funny catch phrase, but also many times included a short reoccurring story. This story would bring the reader coming back for more, buying the magazine they read the advertisement in and then sharing with friends. This type of advertising technique was not secluded to only the for profit world. In fact during the World War 2 these advertisements played a huge part in creating awareness, and bringing people together to support the home front efforts of military families, and the development and support of organizations such as the USO.

These advertisements took on a different name, the PSA (Public Service Announcement). Through radio and print; the primary mass communication tool of the times reached a targeted demographic and spread the word quickly across the country for support, and solidarity as Americans. It was a message of pride, safety, hope, and support in a time of uncertainty. It was very powerful, and many of these PSAs can be found in local antique shops marked very high in cost due to their importance and creativity - so much action and good occurring from just a simple placement of words at the right moment, with the right image to really hit home. They were able to make people think about their roles in bettering the world. PSAs grew as a powerful form of active media. With the popularity of cable television many organizations began to reach more people than they ever could have imagined. During the 1980s the war on drugs, and illiteracy was fought heavily during Saturday morning cartoons. Here is a great example on how the technology of that time was now able to choose their audience while pairing with popular programming granting them access to children and parents across the country. I am a child of the 80s, and these PSAs stayed deeply imbedded into my mind. I remember as a child that Just saying NO! was not only smart but, cool! It was something that celebrities and even cartoon bears were telling me to do. They informed

me of all the dangers, and horrible things that can happen when you make friends with the wrong people. Same goes for reading; ironically something I learned from watching TV was that; learning to read was FUNdamental. The message I will always remember was that when I picked up a book, I would be entering into a whole new world of adventure. I could learn anything I wanted to, and be who ever I wanted to be . and just imagine I may never have gotten that message ingrained into my mind if it wasnt for cable television. It is a pretty impressive thought. It is almost a scary thought of the power that television has had. It is the ability to communicate to millions of people with similar interests and concerns. In those times it was almost hard to imagine a medium more powerful.

scientist and mathematicians to use for large amounts of data. Now it was becoming more affordable and the internet, and idea that someone in the 1950s could only imagine coming out of science fiction; now really has the ability to connect millions, and eventually billions, through a keyboard, and pure space. It was a simple enough concept that was born of a successful transmission of information in, if you can believe it, the year 1969! It was not funded heavily until the 1980s, when it then was able to grow worldwide, and according to Wikipedia a quarter of the earths population now uses the internet, and is touted as the network of networks.

The Research
A 2010 PEW Research study shows that 79% of all adults are on the internet 95% of 18-29 year olds, 87% of 30-49 year olds, 78% of 50-64 year olds, and 42% of all those 65 and older. That is a large amount of people that through the power communication are able to make a real change in the world. But how do we get them to make this effort? How do we grab their attention for the greater good? How is it that all the years of public service announcements via a generation of technology can now reach more people than ever? It is a daunting task, and I dont blame you for being a bit put off by the ability to harness this technology for the greater good. But it can be done, with the right tools; it will push awareness, fund research for cures, and provide solutions to the worst problems plaguing our planet today.

The Technology Grows

During the late 90s I was in college and the cell phone was still pretty new. It was finally hitting a market that was able to afford the amenity. Similar to cable television programming, the cell phone was able to reach an entirely new medium of people. People began to connect to each other faster, and thoughts where shared at lightening speeds. At about the same time the internet was also catching on. Before this the computer was seen as a large word processor, or a HUGE number computing devise, only for the use of

With technology we have the ability to create and help build what will be one of the greatest generations of philanthropists. According to a Pew Research Paper entitled The Social Side of The Internet(2010): Two of the main drivers of activism in groups appear to be peoples sense of their own ability to make a difference and their sense of trust in others - in further statistics PEW shows that technology users were more likely to say they trusted others by 49%. 49% of those who connected to the internet wirelessly said others could be trusted, and to top it off 34.5% of technology users say they felt they could have a big impact on their communities. Currently the same research shows that the biggest reason people dont participate in social and civic groups is because they do not have the time. Technology allows people the time to participate.

Facebook is a driving force in many social awareness campaigns. It does this by allowing organizations to share events, and interact with members; providing daily postings of news, daily goals being achieved, and photos of staff members, and activities. It has brought a personal side to organizations. It has given them a voice. It is a palette where an organization can stand out from the crowd with the right content and to attract the right attention. Twitter: Twitter is a micro blogging environment that news links, ideas and information is shared live and in real time. It is like having a conversation with someone in a room that is full of even more conversations, and information, all of which you can to comment and share in. It is a continuous live networking event that needs no special ticket, no hotel room to book, and no plane ticket to buy. 24/7 you have access to people worldwide micro blogging in different languages, and breaking the rules behind breaking news. In some cases news has been shared before it ever had a chance to hit television or radio, and has saved lives in cases of natural disasters like earthquakes, and tornadoes. It is a living and breathing environment that needs constant attention to be used correctly. Interaction is the key to communication and the ground in which this technological application was built upon.

Social Networking Technology Platform Options

Here are a few of the most popular and most effecting social media platforms that are successfully being used in awareness campaigns Facebook: Facebook is a powerful social networking platform where over 600 million active users create profiles, join groups, discuss what is important to them, share pictures and communicate on a daily basis.

YouTube: YouTube is attention grabbing and one of the most viral of all the social networks. It gives a visual. In this platform everyone is a movie maker, and everyone is watching. From instructional videos on how to boil and egg, to speeches on the effect of global warming, YouTube when used correctly to communicate a compelling idea, can make moves in peoples hearts. Videos of hurricane Katrina gave those who have never experienced such a horrible natural disaster a window into the pain, the fright, and the need to help our fellow man. Yes there are videos of cats flushing toilets, and Stars Wars spoofs, but that is the beauty of YouTube; it is an outlet for creativity, news, and memories. The President of the United States even delivers his weekly address to the nation no longer just via the radio, but also uploads a video of himself speaking to the country giving a more human direct feeling behind his message. Blogs: Blogs allow a soapbox for organizations to share stories. Providing a forward thinking article that is penned personally creates credibility and trust, showing to your network that you have walked the walk and talked the talk. Blogs are easily shared among other social networking platforms. They can also elicit conversations

regarding the topics that are highlighted. Email: Email is a staple in our society. According to About.com: Statistics, extrapolations and counting by The Radicati Group, (April 2010) estimated that the number of emails sent per day was around 294 billion. It is a form of instant communication in direct and personal long form. Email is a great way to reach out to your group members, and those who have interest in your cause simply by signing up for your email list. Lists like this can be managed with such applications such as Constant Contact, which will allow you to track, and view the effectiveness of campaigns that are sent via email. Text Messaging: Text Messaging is the newest of social media outreach and campaign strategies. Text messaging went viral when it raised over $30million dollars for the Haiti Earthquake Relief efforts. There are many applications that are available for setting up a text messaging fund raising campaign. But it doesnt just stop at raising funds, many organizations send out text messages, similar to email lists. These messages then offer updates and tips that are of value to subscribers. Message Boards: Message Boards allow you to essentially create and manage a personalized social networking experience for your community directly on your website by offering updates, and a running a thread of information and

conversation on a message board via your URL.

Social media will not only bring people together but as I have highlighted above it can also, raise funds; build awareness, reach and new people to create action.

Social Media has redefined the way humans exchange and broadcast information. It is the future, and fits in well with traditional media. The key is that you must make it apart of the mix, or you will be left behind. If you dont your brand and cause will be lost in a sea of new and be overlooked for the more actively involved social media profile that is able to personalize their message, and tailor it to a new generation audience.

Measurement, Implementation and the Bottom Line

AccordingtoMashable.com There are hundreds of different ways to measure social media, which makes it kind of difficult to wrap your mind around. To help with that, social media metrics can be broken down into three different categories.

pick the key metrics that most influence your business and not get bogged down with the rest. Those metrics might include unique visits, page views, followers, demographics, frequency, bounce rate, length of visit or just about any other metric thats specifically dataoriented. Qualitative Metrics: These are the metrics that have an emotional component to them. For example, if 75% of the people who mention your product online call it cheap and only 25% call it inexpensive, thats a qualitative metric that has an impact on your business. There are several companies that provide in-depth analysis of the qualitative metrics online. Some of these include RapLeaf, Nielsen and Adobe Online Marketing Suite. ROI Metrics: In the world of social media, all roads should lead to ROI. After all, during business hours, social media isnt just about being social, is it? Were doing it to make money. And if you track what percentage of people you converted from a prospect to a customer on your e-commerce site, or how many people you converted from a prospect to a client on your B2B website, then youll be able to measure the success of your social media campaign on an ROI basis.

Quantitative Metrics: These are the metrics that are dataintensive and numberoriented. You can really get overloaded with different metrics here, so the trick is to

In short social media needs to be managed. Without it being managed it becomes overwhelming and your message can be lost in translation.

You need a plan with strategic planning on how to incorporate your main objectives into everyday conversations. You need to be able to track its success via a metrics of results over time.

like them as people - because if you dont like them, then your audience will respond to the content they are creating and managing for you negatively. Currently at the Wakeman Agency I coordinate our Interactive Marketing efforts for both our clients, and in house. We understand that the encompassing of all interactive media, not just specific, traditional social media venues, but the new and up in coming technologies that allow for us to connect with the audience. I am what one would call an early adapter. I test it out so that you dont have to make the mistakes. I plan it out so that the best outcomes are seen, and your visions are met through interactive communication. This is why my title is not Social Media Manager It is Interactive Marketing Coordinator. Public Relations and Marketing is interactive, the Internet and all the technology it encompasses is interactive. Creating is interactive and more importantly - LIFE is Interactive.

Many very successful organizations have already jumped into the social media game it can be done. There is no need to be overwhelmed. There is no need to avoid it, because whether you like it or not, it cannot be avoided. Just how the print PSAs of the 1940s and the television PSAs of the 1980s were important, pivotal and unavoidable - so is that of the messaging connection that Social Media has birthed. So where do you begin? Well you first seek out a professional. It is a big job and whether you hire this professional on directly or contract a team of PR professionals to help you get started to manage your part in the world of social networking, it will be they will be the key to your success. You want to find a professional or team of professionals that gets who you are. They should have the same passion for the brand and or the cause as you have. You should be comfortable with them, and actually