So at least half of us can now be found hanging out on social networks. Should marketers be there too? Absolutely, notes eMarketer, channeling the results of a February 2010 survey by Chadwick Martin Bailey, a market research firm. According to their data, 33% of U.S. Facebook users have become fans of brands on the network.

And plenty more social network users are talking about brands online. Whether it’s good news or bad news, if it’s hot it spreads in milliseconds across the social networks.

An unfortunate example? On September 26 2009 Kraft Australia launched its glorious new line extension to the iconic Australian Vegemite brand. Vegemite iSnack 2.0 was launched in the quarter-time adbreak of the Australian Football League Grand Final (roughly equivalent to the Superbowl in terms of national sporting importance) down under.

Before the adbreak was even over, tweets of death were resounding across Australia and thence across the world:

NO! Vegemite cream cheese product CANNOT POSSIBLY be called “Vegemite iSnack 2.0″. Bad joke or most epic FAIL in FMCG branding history” - tweeted by downesy

I said “do you speaka my language?” She just smiled and gave me an iSnack 2.0 sandwich. #vegefail – tweeted by jmappellekim

On the rather more positive side, a recent Nielsen/Facebook joint study showed significant uplift in Advertising Recall, Awareness and Purchase Intent amongst those brands “liked” in Social Media.

Nervous yet? Worried about your brand? Or just eager to take advantage of the added value if fans ‘love you’ socially?

It’s time to upskill yourself on social media — it’s too late to be an early adopter, but now would be a good time to start getting yourself socially adept.

For many marketers, however, the social media space is fraught with danger. Recent studies have shown that marketers have three basic fears about social media — and those fears can be crippling (on a professional level if not personally) if the right actions aren’t taken to deal with the problems.

Author and marketing specialist Michael Carney has put together an ebook on “Marketers’ Fears About Social Media (and how to overcome them)”, based on the Social Media Marketing course he’s been running for the past few months.

It’s available free of charge from www.MarketersFears.com, and it’s already attracting attention (and praise):

• “amazing and awesome”
• “That’s the best looking social media document I’ve ever seen”
• “love the comic art”

Michael has made the ebook available at no charge to our readers. Simply go to http://MarketersFears.com and organise your copy.

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These eCourses are focussed on the challenges facing marketers as we head into the second decade of the new millennium. From that website, we’ll be bringing you a series of eCourses for marketers trained in traditional advertising and marketing methods, who know a little about new generation marketing tools and techniques – but not enough.

The first eCourse in the series, somewhat inevitably, is about Social Media Marketing, easily today’s hottest topic for marketers (both locally and globally).

Course S-1: Social Media

This is a seven-week eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to Social Media Marketing, from the Basics to detailed instructions on how to build and run a Social Media programme.

This eCourse is conducted on a web-based e-learning software platform, enabling course participants to proceed at their own pace, accessing materials online. This particular eCourse provides content in a variety of multimedia forms, including videos, slideshows, flash-based presentations and PDF files. No special software is required to participate.

Course lessons are released weekly, for participants to access in accordance with their own timetables. Interaction with the course tutor is enabled through the platform software tools (with telephone backup if required).

TIMING
The first eCourse in the 2010 series starts on Wednesday April 7, with the delivery to participants of the Introduction and Lesson One. New lessons will be delivered weekly on Wednesdays.

COURSE CREATION AND TUTORING
This course has been created and will be tutored by Michael Carney.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Any Marketing, Advertising, PR or Communications professionals (whether client-side or supplier-side) who, while they may have a fair knowledge of what social media options are out there, don’t know how to use them effectively (and have a perfectly reasonable fear of doing the wrong thing in a very public arena).

WHAT YOU SHOULD LEARN AS A RESULT OF THE COURSE:

• The principles of effective marketing in social media
• Which social networks are strongest, who uses them and how to sign up
• What social media can do for your (or your clients’) business
• How to build a social media programme (you’ll start constructing your own during the course)
• The best tools and techniques for monitoring social networks
• How to really understand and engage with the consumer
• How to create relevant, informative, killer content for your social media programme
• How to define and measure meaningful numbers to determine the success (or otherwise) of your social media activities
• Answering those questions that (if you’re not prepared) could kill your career
• How to watch for, and adapt to, the Next Big Thing in Social Media (whatever that is)

COURSE CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION:
WHY SOCIAL MEDIA SILENCE IS DEADLY
In which we put Social Media in context in the modern world; discuss the reality that the medium is a runaway success (regardless of whether marketers choose to participate or not); deal with marketers’ biggest fears about the medium; and discuss the key principles of effective marketing in social media.

LESSON ONE: THE BASICS
I’VE JUST ARRIVED FROM OUTER SPACE. TELL ME ABOUT THESE “SOCIAL NETWORKS”.
For those a little fuzzy on the basics: we introduce the concept of social networks; talk about the main players; give special recognition to Facebook and review its latest numbers and offerings; look at what else is out there (including the newest, Google Buzz); show you how to check out and claim your digital identity at key online sites and services; and (if you’re not already there) invite you to sign yourself up to the primary social sites.

LESSON TWO: SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOU
I’M AFRAID OF INTRUDING IN SOCIAL MEDIA – ALL THOSE CONSUMERS WILL TRASH MY BRAND
Social Media and Marketers: are we there yet? We review the importance of social media for brands; ask the eight key questions of vital importance to marketers wanting to join this social media party; consider how to choose which social media to support (sorry, you can’t do it all, at least not on post-recession-sized budgets and resources); look at what sort of social media personality you should adopt to flourish in the new environment; and look at the benefits, the pitfalls and the barriers when it comes to social media marketing. Applying those last attributes to your own business will be your assignment from Lesson Two.

LESSON THREE: BUILDING THE PLAN
ENOUGH TALK ALREADY, LET’S START BUILDING SOMETHING
So far, we’ve examined the principles of social media. Now it’s time to put those into practice and start building your own social media programme. This topic will occupy us for most of the lesson, as we cover the six key elements of a strategy framework. Your homework will involve turning that framework into a provisional plan.

LESSON FOUR: MONITORING
DON’T SAY A THING. JUST LISTEN FIRST (EVEN FOR JUST 10 MINUTES A DAY), THEN THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE HEARING. MAYBE THEN YOU CAN TALK.
We know you want to get your teeth into Social Media fast, but you need to start by just listening. And yes, you can do it for just ten minutes a day (if you’re very focussed). In this lesson, we show you where and how to listen (and where to find the mostly-free tools to do so); what to listen for; who to listen to (identifying opinion leaders); and we talk about how things can go wrong and how to react to problems when they arise. Your homework will involve listening, listening, listening.

LESSON FIVE: ENGAGEMENT
WILL CONSUMERS REALLY ENGAGE WITH ME AND MY BRAND, OR WILL THEY JUST BE POLITE? (IF THEY THINK YOU’RE ANNOYING OR INTRUSIVE, DON’T WORRY, THEY’LL TELL YOU)
Like most marketing, social media starts with a clear understanding of consumers: who they are (by whatever metrics available) and what they need and want. Social media marketing works the same way, but even more so. In this lesson we dig ever more deeply into understanding the audience; at this point you’ll be adjusting the plan you assembled a couple of lessons ago, to take account of your new knowledge.

LESSON SIX: CREATING KILLER CONTENT
TELL ME STUFF THAT’S REALLY INTERESTING – AND STOP SELLING AT ME, THIS ISN’T A USED CAR LOT
None of what we’ve covered so far is of any use if your contribution to the online conversation is merely self-serving and sales-oriented. In this lesson we cover the sort of content that is essential in social media, and how you can build it into relevant, informative, compelling content. Your homework will require you to create such content for your business.

LESSON SEVEN: METRICS AND ROI:
OVERCOMING THOSE QUESTIONS THAT KILL MARKETING CAREERS
Social Media in its early stages avoided those awkward issues about Return on Investment and whether it really delivered value for the time and money involved. Now times are tougher, the budgets are tighter and CFOs are asking the hard questions. In this lessons we look at the metrics that are nice to have but more importantly at the ones that matter. We also identify strategies you can follow to develop useful, meaningful measures that satisfy the C-suite. You can guess what your homework is.

CONCLUSION:
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE, AND WHO’S DRIVING?
Social Media (it seemed) arrived faster than a speeding bullet. What’s next for the medium, how do you tell, and what can you do to prepare? We look at the trends and offer some advice.

————————

INVESTMENT
This seven-part eCourse is available for $297.

However we are making a special EARLY BIRD OFFER available for just $197, for bookings and payment received before 5pm WEDNESDAY 31 MARCH, so if you are interested we recommend you book right away.

To book and pay by credit card (via secure provider PayPal), simply click here:

BOOK NOW

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10. You want to know everything about your consumer. Now.
Answer this – would you like to know everything possible about the 15 people that presently visit your site, or a little bit less about a lot more people discussing your brand? Social media is like dog food. Bite-sized chunks over time. Also, if you are going to create your own community, be prepared to drive to it (more on this later).
POV: Investing in social media requires a leap of faith. It’s about making your brand relevant within the space versus shoving traffic down through the purchase funnel. It can be about that, but not until you’ve shown some value and built some trust. Key performance indicators lie not in Google Analytics but in social media monitoring tools like Radian 6 and others. Much can be learned by listening to organic conversations.

9. Facebook isn’t big enough.
You want to build and own your own branded proprietary social media network. Congratulations. Starting your own business is an exciting and challenging gambit.
POV: Be prepared to provide wares for this value exchange proposition including compelling content, moderation, tips and other helpful stuff. Car dealers advertise for people to visit their lot. So will you. Online media drivers, including rich media advertising, Facebook apps, and other promotions will make your new business a success.

8. You are not staffed for social media.
If social media is your brand interacting with consumers at a micro level, you better be ready to participate. It goes beyond Tweeting about spectacular holiday sales. Social community demands moderation to stimulate discussions, respond to comments and create an open, genuine dialog with your consumers. Yes, dialogue means talking back. A LOT. More harm than good can be done by hosting a party, then slipping out the back door to catch a movie once the guests have arrived. Content creation within branded networks or mainstream avenues, including Facebook, requires production time and dollars.
POV: Account for dedicated and motivated additional staffing who can speak in the appropriate brand voice.

7. Social Media cuts across verticals in your organization.
Can your company draw from resources across the entire company to respond to customer or PR needs? In real-time? Everyday? That’s a lot of silos to work across. Don’t count on Bob from accounting or Jean from legal to help out on conversing to your 18-24 demo.
POV: For real-time social initiatives to succeed, you need an advocate within your organization that is a key decision maker, and has a Batphone to key stakeholders. They are the champion for your content. And you’ll need to pick up that Batphone from time-to-time.

6. Real-time means like – NOW.
Social media requires real-time responses that cannot be forecasted. If you have a smashing success on your hands then congratulations; you now have an even worse “predicament.” More people, more hardware, more analysis, more internal meetings, more funds requirements. Well – can’t get any worse, right. Guess again. You’ll now need to do battle with … (#5 below).
POV: You need trained moderators who can speak in a genuine voice on the brand. “For real” genuinely. It’s okay to post, “I don’t know.” Be for real. Have a conversation with the customer.

5. Procurement will freak.
“You need extra funds approved for what project by when?” “Aren’t Facebook and Twitter free?” Chances are if you must expand scope to build on timely conversations your procurement department (tag teaming with legal) might not accelerate this process. Plan accordingly, whatever that means.
POV: Pick up the Batphone for this one.

4. Click to Purchase.
Retailers are happiest when they are selling things. You’ll have a hard time justifying all that social media cash without an omnipresent click-through to purchase.
POV: There’s no need to divert traffic to your site if they can purchase within the social media space.

3. You can’t own the Internet®.
We just knew legal would make another appearance. You’re so excited about owning the ideas that come from your community that you need to let it foster and grow. Let go of your perceived intellectual property rights in favor of participation and trust. Consider tangible and intangible incentives for compensating community contributors for their ideas.
POV: Conversation comes from the exchange of ideas. Ideas come from people. You cannot own the Internet. Sorry.

2. “Advertising Honesty” is not honesty.
We’re talking “honesty honesty.”
POV: Don’t be afraid of negative dialogue. It’s an opportunity to be responsive and be a good listener. Score points and reinforce brand values with your customers. It’s about people.

1. Be worth it.
Be useful. Be engaging. Be worth their time. You may end up even being helpful.
POV: With all the chatter across the digital spectrum your customers will come back to you if you’re truly helpful. Value exchange.

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The most interesting part of the exercise was the debate that subsequently flared up in AdAge’s online comments, some pro …

Nice! This is one great way to trim the fat from the first round of bidding. And if they auto-DM him with a “Thanks for following!,” I hope JetBlue runs the other direction. cgenglund | Old Saybrook, CT

… but mostly con:

I’m not sure if this is absurd, egotistical, misguided or all of the above. Active use of an agency’s Twitter is hardly the best demonstration of how to advise a client on the explosion of digital opportunities. Nor would I want to position myself as a potential new client with the branding “sneaky” – what kind of smart, savvy team wants to work for someone like that? ddemerlier | Santa Clarita, CA

By analogy, I wouldn’t find my future wife by asking her to find me on twitter. muzaurieta | NEW YORK, NY

face it: its a hack move pure and simple (with the emphasis on SIMPLE). this is no “savant genius” at play. just an over educated over indulged numbskull playing with his marketing tools. the shareholders should kick this nitwit out of his position. butchand worm | wilmington, DE

The thing about social media is that it’s terribly, terribly public. One false move and it seems like you’re fair game for anyone with an opinion.

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This Saturday, according to MediaWeek:

… the network will launch ABC Social: Episode Commentary on ABC.com. The new tool allows Web viewers to add their two cents by commenting on the show in an adjacent window to the left of the site’s video viewer. Users can log in to this feature using their Facebook accounts and can instantly share their personal commentary with their Facebook friend circles if they so choose.

ABC is using this week’s premiere of the sci-fi remake V to kick off ABC Social—as the show’s debut episode will be the first to incorporate the functionality starting this weekend. To make ABC Social more compelling—and to stoke the passion of sci-fi fans—the site will include commentary from V executive producers Scott Peters and Steve Pearlman. ABC plans to include such “insider” commentary alongside other shows down the road—potentially including commentary from actors, network executives and show staffers, journalists and even bloggers.

Executives at ABC see Social as a differentiator in an increasingly cluttered online video landscape, according to Alexis Rapo, vp, digital media, ABC Entertainment. “This definitely allows us to engage with a deeper, broader audience,” she said, comparing the experience to the “DVD extras” model. “It’s so wide ranging in terms of the commentary that might be available. We have lots of interesting ideas keep coming into play.”

Why bother?

ABC is testing inserted ads within the stream of comments within the ABC Social feed. “We think this is going to be a compelling opportunity for our advertisers,” Rapo said.

Ah yes, of course. The search for the mighty dollar.

The notion of providing extended commentary is appealing, especially for SciFi fans — the BBC has done a sterling job of catering to that community with its DR WHO CONFIDENTIAL companion series to the rebooted DR WHO, which takes fans behind the scenes. But we’re unconvinced that a social stream is needed, especially one with ads.

All very fashionable, we guess.

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The Universal McCann (UM) research study reveals that globally social networks are becoming the dominant platform for content creation and content sharing.

After four surveys of active internet users—those who use the internet every day or every other day—showing impressive growth for all types of social media, consumers are starting to focus their digital life around the likes of Facebook, MySpace and Orkut.

It’s not that consumers are cutting back on blogging or sharing images it’s just that they are increasingly opting to do it via their social network page rather than the likes of Flickr and Blogger.

76% of social network users, for example, upload photos, up from 45% in Wave 3, and 33% upload videos compared to 16.9% last time around.

The heavy and varied usage of social networks has proven that these sites are no fad. Not only have 96% of social networkers visited a friends’ social network page but nearly two-thirds of all active internet users have spent time managing their own profile.

Another key change to note has been the expansion of video usage, with significant increases both in the number of social networkers and bloggers uploading video but also in terms of the number of the active internet users watching audio-visual content.

Key statistics from the report:

• The total estimated global active internet audience is now 625 million people
• Mobile internet usage has now reached nearly a fifth of all active internet users. Seventeen percent now access internet on the move as well as at home, work or college
• Widgets continue to thrive with 34% of social network users installing them for their own use and 24% installing them to impress visitors to their profile page

Glen Parker, Research Director at UM EMEA, comments that “Social media is a very fast-evolving landscape and one that’s taking an increasingly important role in consumers’ digital lives. Brands that want to engage with consumers in these spaces need to understand how and where and why they are using the many different platforms that enable content creation and sharing.”

It’s All Going Social
UM concludes that every element of digital media is becoming socialised, providing marketers with new ways to engage a target audience like never before.

Wave 4 shows that social consumption of digital content is either already highly penetrated among active internet users or still growing rapidly. It also sheds new light on consumer motivations for social media behaviour. Through the research UM have observed that the desire to belong to something is as motivating as the desire to communicate and express one’s self.

UM believes that the engagement opportunities of social media are deeper than those of traditional mass media and that the power of social amplification is also much stronger.

The UM 10-step programme for successful social media marketing:

1. Listen to/observe what the target audience is doing in social media
2. Create a “social object” that is relevant to the brand and of genuine interest
3. Segment the target into tribes. Give them something they can join.
4. Allow them to engage via their preferred platform of choice—create multiple interfaces to your community
5. Make the experience better when shared
6. Optimise your content for sharing—particularly via newsfeeds and Twitter
7. Use paid-for media to get the ball rolling
8. Take advantage of extreme targeting offered by social networks
9. Make sure you have the resources to manage your community management and refresh the content.
10. Track the results and optimise where necessary

About Wave 4
UM questioned 22,729 active internet users in 38 countries between November 2008 and March 2009 for Wave 4.

Download the study here.

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“Why won’t they let me in to play?” he wonders.

TMW, a British integrated marketing agency, wondered the same thing. As TMW’s Darran Snatchfold noted in an interview with Brand Republic:

The failure of a sizeable chunk of campaigns to gain any traction in Social Media highlights our continuing struggle in this (formerly) new frontier.  Our biggest challenge – how to ingratiate brands to audiences in a media where the risk of being an unwelcomed intruder looms large. The answer lies not in what we can build in terms of techno-wizardry, but in what we should build according to good old fashioned user mindsets and needs in this space.

Already, much is known about what people do in social media and what roles they play. Much less is known of the underlying reasons why.  If we know the answer to that, we can understand how we can introduce enduring value and make the contact with our brand far more rewarding.

To answer this question TMW identified 16 reasons why people might use the various Social Media channels (from networks to online gaming) grouped into 6 key themes:

• DISCOVERY – for self-development or to learn from others
• ALTRUISM – to help others make the right decision or become involved in the brand’s product decision
• SOCIAL – to connect to the like minded, reinforce tribal identity or gain a sense of belonging
• FAME – for personal notoriety or to challenge their ability against others
• ESCAPISM – for entertainment and an escape from the daily routine
• EXPRESSION – as an outlet for their imagination or expression of personal identity

They then asked an omnibus research panel why they used Social Media. Darran reported back:

The study suggests the strongest motivator to spend time in Social Media comes from DISCOVERY and in particular the ability to learn other people’s point of view (true for 70% of active users).  However the ego-centric FAME drivers cannot be ignored, with 31% admitting a degree of enjoyment from being seen to be doing well in life by others – explaining the breed of aggressive network builders on Facebook.

Perhaps the most encouraging finding for brands is that 60% enjoy the opportunity to input into companies about their products or services. This is an open invite from nearly two-thirds of users to involve them in your brand decisions through the likes of community forums and FAQs.

The least surprising finding was that men think differently from women.  For women the strongest value seems to come from SOCIAL factors (especially staying in touch with existing friends). For men it’s more about DISCOVERY.  FAME and the ability to get their opinion heard by a wider audience is a greater motivator for men, EXPRESSION and having an outlet for their imagination more so for women.

Does age play a part?

Those who have grown up with Social Media (18-24 year olds) gain greater pleasure from expressing their individuality and building their notoriety (FAME) than their older peers.  Brands should therefore look to provide the platform for them to be heard and to compete, just as Adidas achieved with their 2007 Predator and Tunit Myspace campaign.

Whereas, for 35-44 year olds ALTRUISM and DISCOVERY motivations are particularly strong.  The clearest opportunity for brands is therefore to provide the tools to help them learn and allow them to help others make the right choice.

What are your recommendations for brands?

Firstly, understanding what drives your particular audience to create, contribute or spectate should inspire every strategy and is the key to unlocking the value exchange in Social Media.  Ask the question of your customers or target audience and build a solution around the answer.

Secondly, explore the full spectrum of ways to deliver value according to identified user needs.  It seems all brands are looking to either entertain or to connect audiences in Social Media.  If everyone is doing the same it becomes very difficult for any single brand to be heard amongst the noise.

Thirdly, get in touch dsnatchfold@tmw.co.uk This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to find out more about the findings and their implications for today’s marketers.

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The report also reveals that two thirds of 18-35 year olds in the UK are actively engaged in social networking and almost two in five (38 per cent) are members of two or more online forums or social networking sites. There is a clear correlation between age and social network use, with usage figures increasing amongst younger age groups, peaking with eight out of ten 18-20 year olds actively engaged in social networking.

They’re Listening To What’s Being Said
The Report indicates that negative comments posted on online forums and social networks put off customers, with more than half (52 per cent) admitting that’s how they respond.

Travel brands are most at risk
Travel products and services were identified as the sector most at risk from negative comments on social networks, with 58 per cent saying that negative comments would lead to them abandoning a purchase. This was followed by consumer electronics (e.g. TVs and computers) with 51 per cent, financial services with 44 per cent and communications brands such as broadband and telephone providers with 40 per cent.

Neil McCarthy of Tamar commented, “The rapid growth of social networks and user generated content is shifting the online balance of power away from marketers towards the consumer, and the effectiveness of traditional online marketing channels is decreasing. With so many consumers actively commenting on brands through social networks, online reputation is becoming even more important. Social networks are a large and unregulated channel with a massive user base, through which brands could see their good reputation built through other channels, undone very quickly.”

Befriend, don’t banner
The Social Media Report noted that nearly 1.5 times as many 18-35 year olds would rather accept a friend request from a brand than have banner adverts on a social networking profile page. The best way to get users to accept friend requests was identified as through offering special offers and discounts (60 per cent). In contrast only 5 per cent said that they would be enticed by previews of forthcoming services, and only 10 per cent by exclusive products or services.

18-35 year olds are most receptive with more than half (51 per cent) stating the they would even be willing to act as a brand advocate (e.g. set up groups for brands, encourage friends to join and participate) on social networks in exchange for offers and discounts. This rose to almost two thirds (64 per cent) in the 18-20 age group, who are also the biggest users of social networks.

McCarthy concluded, “There is a clear need for brands to get their foot in the door of social networks, as these sites epitomise a new way of life for today’s consumers. However, users of social media are increasingly indicating that they don’t want to be advertised to by all and sundry, but would be happy to choose to have a closer relationship with advertisers they like.

“The first step is to understand how your brand is talked about in the social media space, and then decide on the best way of targeting a certain group of consumers. The approach preferred by the consumer is clear: brand owners must look to ‘befriend’ consumers on social networks rather than advertise to them, and the best way for them to do this is by offering discounts and special offers.”

Handle with care
The research results above fall into the “nice thought, proceed with caution” territory, in our humble opinion. Audiences circa 2007 don’t tolerate fools gladly. A recent example illustrates the peril of grown-ups trying to be cool: giant retailer Wal-Mart, has already racked up two failed attempts at trying to be Web 2.0 (their own social network, The Hub, closed after ten weeks; and a pro-Wal-Mart blog supposedly “written by two independent consumers” was later revealed to be part of a Wal-Mart PR initiative).

Wal-Mart launched its own “Roommate Style Match” group on Facebook earlier this month. The theory: that students heading to college would log on to Facebook to design their dorm room with their roommate.

As Wired notes on its blog network, so far the Facebook page has been hijacked and turned into a missive on the evils of Wal-Mart’s labour and business practices.

Of the more than 200 posts, only a handful relate directly to dorm decorating. And instead of color coordinating with roommates, users seem to prefer talking about how the retail giant “destroys communities” and prevents unionization.

To be fair, there was one positive comment — on a 4-pack of men’s environmentally friendly organic socks for $4.

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