I was asked to come in for an interview, to maintain green.tv's social media profile. I knew very little about social media sites. I refused to join Facebook, 'I'm a private person.' And Twitter? I thought, no one is interested in my stream of consciousness. My mom and I used Twitter as a text message intermediary. It had taken me years to start blogging because I believed that no one cared what I had to say. I still emailed links to articles I read online to friends, instead of bookmarking them via Deli.ci.ous. Boy, was I in for a wake up!
This summer I was supposed to be writing my MSc Finance and Development Economics dissertation but having been in school so long, I was wearied by academia. I didn't study economics to become an economist, but because I thought it would make me a better journalist. With journalism in transition, new journalists have to know how to blog, tweet, and produce audio and video packages. I decided I needed some practical experience that would help me get a job when I was finished. I started with day courses. It quickly became apparent those weren't enough. Knowing I couldn't make it as a freelancer right off, my search for work experience began. I cold-called media outlets that looked good to me. In a down-economy most places were booked up through the end of the year. green.tv was first place that wasn't.
Jumping in Feet First My interview was quick. I was given an intro into green.tv (http://www.green.tv/), the world's first broadband channel entirely devoted to environmental programming, with 250,000 unique visitors and 900,000 page impressions a month, technology videocast consistently in the top 10 on UK iTunes Science and Medicine, and syndicated via Reuters, Yamago, Babelgum, Blinkx, and others. I was also given the passwords to existing MySpace and Facebook accounts, and a URL for a blog that hadn't been touched in years.
The existing green.tv website was minimalist and features all of green.tv's films. The player was outdated and getting a link for each film was a bit cumbersome. The only share button allowed the user to email the video. There were no social bookmarking features. I was told one final thing: 'the green.tv main site needs a revamp but we haven't the resources. What we'd really like to do is integrate a social network where people can upload their own films, bookmark their favorite green.tv films, and discuss them.'
Why not use NING or WPmu with a BuddyPress plugin? Both could accomplish everything green.tv wanted. The Director had never heard of them. 'Well,' he admitted, 'to be honest what we really need is a social media strategy.'
Start with Research This was my assignment, with my vast knowledge of social media. Once I finished panicking I queried my blogging instructor and a friend who is the Assistant Social Media Editor at Wells Fargo's blog. And then I sat down to do what I do best as a student: research. I combed through Mashable.com (http://www.mashable.com) and found a few other (US) based sites like it: http://www.socialbrite.org and http://www.123socialmedia.com. I checked out green.tv's direct and indirect competitors: LinkTV (US based Indie News and documentary channel from the Dajani family) and CurrentsTV.
LinkTV has a lot of online-only content and production notes as well as discussion threads. CurrentsTV website is more tabloid like but it's a useful example because its content is user driven. I also admired APM's Marketplace blog for their extensive online-only background content and MoJo's Blue Marble for its multimedia approach to blogging (video and audio-slideshows). This research enabled me to establish a baseline for successful blogs.
The interactive dimension
Twitter. Articles on Mashable.com, etc. suggested two models for companies using Twitter: customer service response or splitting Twitter feeds into two dimensions, one where changes to the site are an RSS feed (or several in the case of online newspapers) and the other establishing a personality for the face of the company. The point is to put a human face on a grey corporate box. green.tv's CEO Ade Thomas is a fairly well known figure amongst environmentalists. Making Ade (@greentvthomas) into the public 'face' of the company is what I suggested. But making changes to the green.tv website into an RSS feed seemed like it might not work.
After blogging for myself for a few months, I learned that when I post to my blog it's important to tweet the post on Twitter at the same time. The first time I did this I picked up almost 50 new followers in a day (ok, half were spammers), and in the first day the bit.ly link I used for that post registered over 30 clicks. For the green.tv Twitter feed, tweeting will be split between myself (the bloggess) and one of our producers, Verity, who was already responsible for tweeting (@green_tv) new green.tv films posted to the website.
Twitter is an amazing tool, if you know how to use it. It has to be used in an interactive fashion between you and your network using RT (retweets). The makeup of your network is important-- you want it to be mostly composed ofpeople with similar interests-- information gathering, references, professional networking, establishing relationships from similar hobbies etc.
It is critical that your network comprises both professional and personal interest -- most people miss this bit. Twitter is about information gathering, especially for people over the age 25, but it's those glimmers of humanity that make you a successful Tweeter and help put the face on a professional (this goes for CEOs and freelancers, no matter what the sector). As part of my strategy I included a starter network for Ade and a hashtag guide. Luckily Mashable.com had published '75 Environmentalists to follow on Twitter,' http://mashable.com/2009/06/15/twitter-environmentalists/ so starting there was easy.
Social Networking. After taking a look through MySpace and Facebook, I learned what users were looking for: the ability to share their own related content with other users on green.tv. By the numbers, 65% of green.tv's viewership is 25-45 years of age and male, and according to the director either hardcore green or green leaning and more than likely employed in NGO's. People were looking for the ability to network.
The conventional advice is to be where the masses are, in other words, establishing a social network away from Facebook and MySpace wouldn't work. But what if the objective was quality and not quantity? Green.tv could use its social networking site to build a tightly knit group of people who are interested in and work in green sectors (energy, tech, NGO's, activists, academia) and meet the needs of that group. The thing to do seems to be to continue on Facebook and MySpace in a reduced capacity, and post links every now and then to the blog-community space. We wouldn't win over all the 'friends' from MySpace and Facebook, but we would probably retain the truly interested. Green.tv didn't post all their films on MySpace and even fewer on Facebook because of time limitations (both in film length and staff). Those that were truly interested would likely already have found their way to the website.
Watch. Engage. Act.
Green.tv's corporate slogan made writing my strategy proposal easy: Watch. Engage. Act.
Watch. People can watch the films on green.tv
Engage. Viewers will be engaged by the new blog-community space by online-only content that adds value to the films. They can engage in a community and network, and share their own links and video content. Twitter will keep people updated on what's going on at green.tv and who the company is. The blog will include an About Us page so the users can understand the character of green.tv. There will also be a discussion forum, topics initiated by green.tv.
Green.tv has several NGO and government partners, including UNEP, Oxfam, Friends of the Earth, WWF, the Environment Agency, RSPB, to name a few. Viewers will be able to engage with the partners via guest blog posts that will emphasise their films and current campaigns. Ade Thomas will also write a semi-regular blog post in addition to tweeting. One or two days a week a themed story will appear that highlights green.tv films that fall within that category. And we will have a weekly '5 Somethings' list: 5 favorite staff films, 5 greentech stories from the week, 5 things you should know about water, etc that could also be used to highlight green.tv films
Act. This bit has been lacking in green.tv's business practice. The blog will include a list of current Partner campaigns and links to greenliving tips and websites. And here there is also the opportunity to personalise the blog for the company: since most of the green.tv staff are cyclists and both directors have young children. Links to cycling websites and green kid's resources would be included.
My next step was to build up a pile of non-time sensitive posts and '5 Somethings.' I also had a chat with the tech team at green.tv: James who is both amused at my naiveté and enthusiasm, and Fergus who can be counted on to sigh repeatedly as I create more work for him. We decided to go with Wordpress Mu with a Buddy Press plugin instead of NING because it looks more professional right out of the box and would be easier to bring 'inhouse' and 'hack' at some point in the future. Modifications to the website, like a link to the blog, and links to discussions would have to be made. Social bookmarking links will have to be added.
Most important things about developing a social media strategy
Personalisation is a priority wherever possible. The way that people interact with businesses is now personal. Site users want to know about the people behind the corporate box. Social media has to be personal (but not too personal http://mashable.com/2009/02/27/social-media-for-business-2/ ) to be successful.
Quality versus quantity: Trying to reach everyone will result in a sub-standard product. Focus on creating quality for your core audience and quality will leak out and attract those who aren't necessarily part of your core following.
Listen to your users: Read your comments, MySpace and Facebook are useful tools to discern what people want, even it means creating a different product to meet the needs of a more limited group. Twitter is all important.
Tweet: Twitter's uses are still expanding: text message middle-machine, networking, research, sales, the list goes on. Be professional but also personal on Twitter to give your business face personality. After decades of rigid business practice, business is becoming personal and consumers are reaching out for human face.
Ann Danylkiw is an aspiring freelance journalist, part-time bloggess and social media strategist for green.tv. Environmentally conscious since childhood, the first grown-up magazine she subscribed to was E: the Environmental Magazine. She's a quarter century old, hails from Boston and Wisconsin, though she now resides in northeast London she hopes to take a few months and live in Edinburgh next year (for the scenery and the people). Her recent addictions include Tudor history and Anne Boleyn, veggie burgers at Mildred's, train rides, and greentea flavoured frozen yogurt from Frae.
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I was asked to come in for an interview, to maintain green.tv's social media profile. I knew very little about social media sites. I refused to join Facebook, 'I'm a private person.' And Twitter? I thought, no one is interested in my stream of consciousness. My mom and I used Twitter as a text message intermediary. It had taken me years to start blogging because I believed that no one cared what I had to say. I still emailed links to articles I read online to friends, instead of bookmarking them via Deli.ci.ous. Boy, was I in for a wake up!
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