Influencers in social media online world enabled by web 2.0 technologies are often said to be different from those of traditional media of TV, magazine, newspaper, and radio. Despite the difference in influencers, the main objective of communicating by online of offline media is the same; to influence opinion leaders and the general public to gain positive effect such as enhancement of reputation.
In this article, the author would like to discuss possible indicators to be used in measuring online influence, both the quantity (size and scope) and quality (positive or negative).
1. How influence can be measured in traditional media?
This is about defining metrics and indicators of measuring effectiveness of traditional media. It is usually rating for TV, the number of newspapers and magazines published, the number of people tuned in for radio, and the number of visitors for tradeshows and seminars.
Many PR professionals examine coverage of mass media as well. In the case of the company the author used to work for, what was examined were the space covered by the article of magazines and newspapers and duration of footage of the report of the company in the TV news. The tones of the articles and reports (i.e. whether positive or negative) were also examined, evaluated by 5 ratings.
By no means, positive tone is what PR professionals aim for. Negative tone coverage indicates that the influence itself is large.
Influence of an individual can also be measured in a similar way.
2. How online influence can be measured?
The author would like to discuss one by one of some major online media/channels.
1) Websites and YouTube
In the case of a (corporate) website, web metrics (indicators) to measure popularity of the website provide a guidance of the online influence. Such web metrics include PV (page view = number of pages viewed), number of unique users/visitors (an IP address plus a further identifier) and the average or total duration of web visitor(s) stay in the website.
If the website is made social, the number of people who has set RSS is also valuable indicators, so is the number of e-mail (e-newsletter) subscribers. The number of tweets, digs, shares and likes on Facebook etc. are also important indicators to examine the online influence of a website.
From such indicators, it is quite clear that the more social the website, the greater possibility of becoming more influential by viral marketing, creating “buzz”. This is why in today’s web 2.0 era it is ideal to make website or webpage social.
The author would also note how the website is mentioned in traditional media such as magazines, in online articles of traditional media, and blogs, in the similar way as measuring influence in traditional media already mentioned.
The same concept and methodology can be adopted for YouTube just that PV would be the number of time played/viewed.
2) Blogs
The concept and methodology of defining, measuring and evaluating indicators for websites can be adopted for blogs as well.
One additional point to take note is comment; i.e. number and quality of comments.
It goes without saying that larger the number of comments the greater the influence and therefore the better, especially when only 1 out of 10 people are said to leave comments.
The quality of comment(s) has multiple aspects.
One is whether the comments are positive or negative. Of course positive comments are better, but negative comments indicate much influence because unless the person has strong emotion he/she would not make negative comments. Also negative comments tend to provoke further comments and discussions, meaning increase in influence. In addition, if the blogger act appropriately to negative comments, in many cases the person of negative comment becomes a fan and future evangelist.
Another point to examine is whether the comment adds value to the blog community. Such comments are those that provide additional information, different views and so forth. Similarly to negative comments, value-adding comments also provoke further comments leading to constructive discussions and this means greater influence.
3) E-mails
The concept and methodology for defining, measuring and evaluating indicators of blogs can be adopted for e-mails, too.
Common metrics and indicators for e-mails include percentage of subscribers who actually opened/read the e-mail as well as the number of subscribers. Number of clicks to access the links in the e-mail is also an important metric/indicator. The author would also add the number and the quality of comments, similarly to blogs, also determine how influential the e-mail is.
The number of e-mails forwarded would also be a good metric because it indicates the effectiveness of “going viral” similarly to (re)tweets, digging, and sharing/liking of Facebook mentioned later in the article. However, with today’s technology it is almost impossible to be measured.
4) Twitter
Twitter is micro blogging and thus concept of defining, measuring and evaluating indicators of blogs can be adopted for Twitter. However, concrete methodology needs to be developed because of its unique functions.
The most popular metric/indicator is by no means the number of followers but as discussed in many English blog articles it is not just about the quantity (number) of followers. The quality (who follows) of followers is also important. The more influential people follow you the better.
Another good metric/indicator is lists. This is likely to be a better indicator to see the degree of engagement than followers because people would usually scrutinize more carefully before listing someone than simply following someone.
This means people who follow your list are highly engaged and thus the number of people following your list is a trustworthy indicator of the engagement. The more people follow your list, the greater possibility of being influential. Actually a social media expert (giving seminars in multiple countries) and a great online friend of the author explicitly said that what he really cares is who follows his lists than who follows him.
Other metrics/indicators to see the influence are the number of retweets and mentions. Number of retweets includes retweet(s) of the retweet i.e. viral of retweets. Retweets tends to go viral when an influential follower retweets your tweet because then the followers of the influential follower retweet the retweet of your original tweet, thus the influence is amplified. This is quite prominent from the author’s everyday tweeting, and there was an excellent example of this today. This is the power of viral marketing on Twitter/social media.
The concept of evaluating the tone of the retweet/mentions, i.e. positive or negative tone is the same as those of websites and comments of blogs.
5) Facebook
Together with Twitter, Facebook is one of the major social media and the concept of defining, measuring and evaluating indicators of Twitter can be adopted for Facebook.
The most popular metric/indicator is of course the number of friends. However, similarly to Twitter, it is not just the quantity (number) of friends but quality (who are the) of friends also counts. The more influential people you friend with the better.
Other metrics/indicators to examine are the number of shares and likes, similarly to retweets and mentions of Twitter. It is the posts tend to go viral by shares and likes if it is once shared and liked by an influential person, similarly to Twitter.
Of course, similarly to blogs, number of comments, especially the positive ones, is another indicator. As in blogs, negative and value-adding comments needs attention and analysis to measure influence.
Another good indicator is fan pages/groups. This is in a sense an equivalent of “lists” of Twitter. People who join the fan pages/groups are more likely to be thoughtful of joining the group than simply accepting friend request. For this reason this is a good indicator to see the degree of engagement than normal friends.
The concept of evaluating the tone of the comments to the posts, i.e. positive or negative tone is the same as those of websites and comments of blogs.
6) LinkedIn
Same as Facebook, LinkedIn is categorized as SNS (Social Networking Site) therefore basic concept and methodology of defining, measuring and evaluating indicators with Facebook can be adopted for LinkedIn.
The differences in wording from Facebook although the meanings are the same are:-
a) friends in Facebook are called connections in LinkedIn
b) fan page / page in Facebook are called LinkedIn groups
The same functions with Facebook that helps viral marketing are:-
a) shares
b) likes
The concept of evaluating the tone of the comments to the posts on group discussion, Q&A and updates, i.e. positive or negative tone is the same as those of website, blogs and Facebook.
3. The author’s final thoughts
As in all other measurement, analysis and evaluation, online influence needs to be measured, analyzed and evaluated from both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
In taking the quantitative approach, metrics/indicators are easier to be defined and monitored online than offline traditional media.
However, just like other data (including accounting and financial statements), there can be numerous possible indicators and selecting the optimum ones meeting the objective of measurement, analysis and evaluation is crucial. This requires defining online influence and making consensus with related parties.
What is more, numbers can be “manipulated”. Even in accounting, the output numbers differ according to the accounting principle(s) adopted.
Taking the qualitative approach is even more challenging; there cannot be one-fits-for-all methodology. This also requires defining online influence and making consensus with related parties to coming up with the optimum methodology.
What can be said is that “engagement” as well as "viral/buzz" is the key of online influence. Engagement is one of the many topics that has been discussed in many blog articles about social media. The author also would like to discuss this topic in one of her upcoming articles.
Resources:-
Measuring online influence requires quantitative and qualitative approach, both of which requires defining, measuring and evaluating optimum indicators based on the objective of measuring online influence, of reaching consensus with related parties. Basic concept is the same for all major online media just that concrete methodologies differ according to the different functions of each media. What can be said that engagement as well as viral/buzz is the key of online influence.
Friday, 15 April 2011
Saturday, 2 April 2011
Vol.54 – Leveraging Social Media for Strategic Integrated Interactive Communication
Many people including the author use multiple social media vehicles, using them differently based on the functions and characteristics of each vehicle and how to leverage and integrating them all requires strategic approach.
The author had written many articles that introduce social media realized by web 2.0 technologies and that present strategic integrated communication leveraging Internet (websites and social media) and traditional media for online and offline synergies and therefore there are some overlaps from such articles.
In this article, she would like to summarize how 5 major social media vehicles of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs and YouTube are effectively used in attributing to what characteristics of each.
1. Twitter
Twitter is likely to be used to collect and share information, and monitoring reputation and interests of the public, attributing to the following characteristics unique to Twitter.
As in the case of the author, she has been doing so with 2 Twitter accounts. One is @MegOyanagi for worldwide audience (English speaking community) and the other one @MOyanagiJP for Japanese audience (Japanese speaking community). With two different accounts, she could compare what has been said about the Japan disaster in Japan and outside Japan, by western media in particular.
1) Multiple accounts acceptable by a single user
This is means an organization or an individual can open multiple accounts according to their segmented target audience. The user then will be able to share information that better meets needs of the segmented target audience.
2) Large network
In most cases, the Twitter network (the number of people connected i.e. following or being followed) is the greatest among all social network by 1 digit or more. This makes Twitter ideal for “broadcasting” of contents.
3) Use of hash tags
This allows people on twitter to search and access to contents that are not necessarily tweeted by people they follow, meaning wider source of information to access with a clear objective and appropriate key word(s). This is what the author did to gather online articles about effect of the Japan disaster on global economy.
This function also makes Twitter ideal for monitoring reputation of specific brand(s), organization(s), individual(s) and topic(s).
2. Facebook
Facebook is likely to be used to share and exchange with connections/online friends what is happening around themselves and additional information and views on updates for the following unique characteristics of Facebook.
It was from Facebook friends that the author obtained live information about how the “planned” blackout has been affecting everyday lives as well as businesses and how goods had “disappeared” from shelves of supermarkets and convenience stores in Kanto region because of the Japan disaster.
1) Threads with little word limitation
Threads with records is what distinguished SNS (e.g. Facebook) from microblogging (e.g. Twitter) and allows users easily develop chain of threads which turn out to be a discussion as users sharing and exchanging information, opinions and views from a post.
Also, unlike Twitter for example (with limit of 140 characters), there is little limitation in the volume of updates and comments in Facebook. If the user would like to post a very long update he/she can do so by posting as “notes”.
2) Photos
Photos can be uploaded with an update, which is visible without clicking on the photo to open the link. Therefore the author could understand at a glance from her news feeds what was going on in Kanto that would have been difficult to understand just by online articles of mass media from updates of her Facebook friends in Kanto area with photos of the train station platform flooded with people going to work or school, outdoor in the middle of Tokyo at night without sufficient lighting, empty shelves of a supermarket etc.
3) Fan page / Group
This allows users to build an online community with a clear common value, objective and/or interest. Threads/discussions of a group would strengthen the value and message of the group and therefore communication tends to be more of drilling down on a topic and can be extremely strategic and effective.
It was by joining a group to raise 5 billion yen to save Japan immediately after break out of the disaster that the author obtained in-depth, pin-point critical information about what is said by western media difficult to obtain from other sources.
3. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is also a SNS so it is quite similar to Facebook, positioned as often said as “business version of Facebook, global online community of business professionals” for the characteristics below. They are also the reason why it is mostly from LinkedIn that specific business deals (e.g. new opportunity, consulting/support offer/request, partnership) are requested, discussed and accepted.
In the case of the Japan disaster it was from a LinkedIn connection located in Europe that she has a message explicitly offering any help, specifying the channels he could leverage such as access to Japanese community in his country as well as his 3,400+ LinkedIn connections. She asked him to spread and convey her message leveraging his possible channels that Japan is doing what it can do but urgently needs aids around the globe explaining the status in Japan.
1) Profile is an online resume
What distinguishes LinkedIn from many other social media its profile page. The format and content is of resume including work history, education and awards which is why LinkedIn is often called “an online resume”. More information can be incorporated because the page allows making links to website(s) and social media (blogs, Twitter, Facebook).
The author has been leveraging this page by attaching links/URL of her LinkedIn profile page in English social media (Twitter, Facebook etc.) and in her hard copy resume. This makes her online friends better understand who the author, facilitating her to be authentic and gain credibility.
2) Functions and applications directly related to business (e.g. job postings, LinkedIn profile is online resume
Easy to understand examples include presentation function and “jobs you might be interested in”. Some people leverage presentation function to upload documents explaining their business and/or appealing their expertise, achievements and so forth, anything that helps them win credibility. “Jobs you might be interested in” facilitates employers and hiring managers in their recruitment and job seekers in finding and landing on an opportunity.
3) Limited language localization
Compared to Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn language localization is limited and Japanese is not yet available (to arrive in June?). Currently profiles in Japanese can be created but either English or Japanese profile page must be chosen and discussions, commenting etc. cannot be in Japanese. Therefore in reality English would have to be used to leverage LinkedIn similarly in global meetings and conferences of the international community.
This is probably why it is only a few Japanese bilinguals who are truly comfortable communicating in English in international community that register, network and join groups and their discussions, and this is why the author have only a few Japanese friends on LinkedIn.
4. Blogs and YouTube
Blogs are ideal to discuss and express views on a topic of the blogger’s interest and/or expertise for the reasons below. Basic concept of YouTube is the same as blogs just that the content is in moving pictures (video) unlike blogs in text. Both media can be used in variety of settings for variety of targets and are often used together with other social media as embedded links to drive web users to the two media.
The author has been leveraging blogs and YouTubes to express her view and/or understand those of others, recently regarding the Japan disaster in particular.
1) Little limit to lengths = volume of content
Blob posts can be as short as a few hundred words to thousand pages of multiple pages and YouTube can be as short as 10 seconds to over 10 minutes.
2) Flexibility in design and style
Although the degree may depend on the blog platform, background, design and layout can be very creative and more flexible than other social media and the style can be from formal and businesslike to casual and personal. Being such a rich media YouTube can be even more innovative with creativity.
5. The author’s final thoughts
Understanding the characteristics of each social media is one of IT literacy skill and is a requirement to leverage them all at maximum and to strategically integrating them, which allows quick access to valuable and helpful information and efficient information sharing delivering strong, effective message. This was prominent when there is a strong objective and topic of information sharing such as the Japan disaster.
The author had written many articles that introduce social media realized by web 2.0 technologies and that present strategic integrated communication leveraging Internet (websites and social media) and traditional media for online and offline synergies and therefore there are some overlaps from such articles.
In this article, she would like to summarize how 5 major social media vehicles of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs and YouTube are effectively used in attributing to what characteristics of each.
1. Twitter
Twitter is likely to be used to collect and share information, and monitoring reputation and interests of the public, attributing to the following characteristics unique to Twitter.
As in the case of the author, she has been doing so with 2 Twitter accounts. One is @MegOyanagi for worldwide audience (English speaking community) and the other one @MOyanagiJP for Japanese audience (Japanese speaking community). With two different accounts, she could compare what has been said about the Japan disaster in Japan and outside Japan, by western media in particular.
1) Multiple accounts acceptable by a single user
This is means an organization or an individual can open multiple accounts according to their segmented target audience. The user then will be able to share information that better meets needs of the segmented target audience.
2) Large network
In most cases, the Twitter network (the number of people connected i.e. following or being followed) is the greatest among all social network by 1 digit or more. This makes Twitter ideal for “broadcasting” of contents.
3) Use of hash tags
This allows people on twitter to search and access to contents that are not necessarily tweeted by people they follow, meaning wider source of information to access with a clear objective and appropriate key word(s). This is what the author did to gather online articles about effect of the Japan disaster on global economy.
This function also makes Twitter ideal for monitoring reputation of specific brand(s), organization(s), individual(s) and topic(s).
2. Facebook
Facebook is likely to be used to share and exchange with connections/online friends what is happening around themselves and additional information and views on updates for the following unique characteristics of Facebook.
It was from Facebook friends that the author obtained live information about how the “planned” blackout has been affecting everyday lives as well as businesses and how goods had “disappeared” from shelves of supermarkets and convenience stores in Kanto region because of the Japan disaster.
1) Threads with little word limitation
Threads with records is what distinguished SNS (e.g. Facebook) from microblogging (e.g. Twitter) and allows users easily develop chain of threads which turn out to be a discussion as users sharing and exchanging information, opinions and views from a post.
Also, unlike Twitter for example (with limit of 140 characters), there is little limitation in the volume of updates and comments in Facebook. If the user would like to post a very long update he/she can do so by posting as “notes”.
2) Photos
Photos can be uploaded with an update, which is visible without clicking on the photo to open the link. Therefore the author could understand at a glance from her news feeds what was going on in Kanto that would have been difficult to understand just by online articles of mass media from updates of her Facebook friends in Kanto area with photos of the train station platform flooded with people going to work or school, outdoor in the middle of Tokyo at night without sufficient lighting, empty shelves of a supermarket etc.
3) Fan page / Group
This allows users to build an online community with a clear common value, objective and/or interest. Threads/discussions of a group would strengthen the value and message of the group and therefore communication tends to be more of drilling down on a topic and can be extremely strategic and effective.
It was by joining a group to raise 5 billion yen to save Japan immediately after break out of the disaster that the author obtained in-depth, pin-point critical information about what is said by western media difficult to obtain from other sources.
3. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is also a SNS so it is quite similar to Facebook, positioned as often said as “business version of Facebook, global online community of business professionals” for the characteristics below. They are also the reason why it is mostly from LinkedIn that specific business deals (e.g. new opportunity, consulting/support offer/request, partnership) are requested, discussed and accepted.
In the case of the Japan disaster it was from a LinkedIn connection located in Europe that she has a message explicitly offering any help, specifying the channels he could leverage such as access to Japanese community in his country as well as his 3,400+ LinkedIn connections. She asked him to spread and convey her message leveraging his possible channels that Japan is doing what it can do but urgently needs aids around the globe explaining the status in Japan.
1) Profile is an online resume
What distinguishes LinkedIn from many other social media its profile page. The format and content is of resume including work history, education and awards which is why LinkedIn is often called “an online resume”. More information can be incorporated because the page allows making links to website(s) and social media (blogs, Twitter, Facebook).
The author has been leveraging this page by attaching links/URL of her LinkedIn profile page in English social media (Twitter, Facebook etc.) and in her hard copy resume. This makes her online friends better understand who the author, facilitating her to be authentic and gain credibility.
2) Functions and applications directly related to business (e.g. job postings, LinkedIn profile is online resume
Easy to understand examples include presentation function and “jobs you might be interested in”. Some people leverage presentation function to upload documents explaining their business and/or appealing their expertise, achievements and so forth, anything that helps them win credibility. “Jobs you might be interested in” facilitates employers and hiring managers in their recruitment and job seekers in finding and landing on an opportunity.
3) Limited language localization
Compared to Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn language localization is limited and Japanese is not yet available (to arrive in June?). Currently profiles in Japanese can be created but either English or Japanese profile page must be chosen and discussions, commenting etc. cannot be in Japanese. Therefore in reality English would have to be used to leverage LinkedIn similarly in global meetings and conferences of the international community.
This is probably why it is only a few Japanese bilinguals who are truly comfortable communicating in English in international community that register, network and join groups and their discussions, and this is why the author have only a few Japanese friends on LinkedIn.
4. Blogs and YouTube
Blogs are ideal to discuss and express views on a topic of the blogger’s interest and/or expertise for the reasons below. Basic concept of YouTube is the same as blogs just that the content is in moving pictures (video) unlike blogs in text. Both media can be used in variety of settings for variety of targets and are often used together with other social media as embedded links to drive web users to the two media.
The author has been leveraging blogs and YouTubes to express her view and/or understand those of others, recently regarding the Japan disaster in particular.
1) Little limit to lengths = volume of content
Blob posts can be as short as a few hundred words to thousand pages of multiple pages and YouTube can be as short as 10 seconds to over 10 minutes.
2) Flexibility in design and style
Although the degree may depend on the blog platform, background, design and layout can be very creative and more flexible than other social media and the style can be from formal and businesslike to casual and personal. Being such a rich media YouTube can be even more innovative with creativity.
5. The author’s final thoughts
Understanding the characteristics of each social media is one of IT literacy skill and is a requirement to leverage them all at maximum and to strategically integrating them, which allows quick access to valuable and helpful information and efficient information sharing delivering strong, effective message. This was prominent when there is a strong objective and topic of information sharing such as the Japan disaster.
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Vol.53 – Role of Social Media Clarified from the Japan Disaster
As mentioned in the previous article Vol.52 – Limitations and Potentials of Social Media Revealed from the Japan Disaster many people including the author have been using social media in sharing information about the Japan disaster.
In this article, the author would like to clarify the role of social media which she concluded as “facilitate people helping one another” by introducing what kind of key messages are delivered to navigate people to take what kind of actions in the case of the ongoing Japan disaster, breaking down into 3 phases.
1. Phase 1 : Shock and sense of urgency
This phase is soon after the earthquake that triggered huge tsunami broke out, which was followed by ill-functioning of Fukushima nuclear plant.
1) Outbreak of the earthquake and tsunami
Media reported how the degree of tragedy is immense with much use of movies and photos, and people online including the author had been sharing such content. For the author it was to “broadcast” the natural tragedy and that this is extremely serious issue that would require help from countries and regions around the globe.
The information about help and support from countries and regions around the globe was also shared online by English and Japanese sources. For the author it was to persuade as many parties as possible to get in the mood of providing help.
What was unique about information shared in Japanese (especially in Twitter) is asking for information that helps safety confirmation and asking to spread information useful for victims to be rescued and evacuate.
2) Outbreak of Fukushima nuclear plant issue
Media, especially western, seemed to communicate in a way similarly to outbreak of the earthquake and tsunami but many seemed to be based on “assumptions” and not necessarily on “facts” which was proactively shared by many English speaking people online. One reason is slow announcement/disclosure about the status and countermeasures from the government and TEPCO.
But, the author did not mention about this issue until the first announcement about this issue was made in the press conference by the Prime Minister and the Chief Cabinet Mister and she has been selective and careful in posting information about this issue all because she wanted to minimize confusion.
2. Phase 2 : Condolence and confusion
This phase starts after a few days of the break out of the disaster and in this phase information about relief aids condolence went viral. Also, the focus of the disaster shifted from earthquake/tsunami to nuclear plant issue. And information on predictions and discussion by experts about effects on economy and business (and society including people’s lives etc. in Kanto as well as regions hardly hit by Japanese source) became a hot topic.
1) Aids, prayers and condolence
People shared information about praying and condolence, and about aids to promote relief aids and other supports, and the author was not an exception. This kind of information was promoted in a very similar way as in any marketing campaign. The key for success would be having successfully shared the seriousness of the disaster in phase 1.
What the author did additionally was sharing specific examples of aids by some major companies and individuals and also clearly said hat further aids from around the globe is inevitable to deny misinformation and false rumour of English source that circulated among English speaking people informed immediately by her kind English speaking online friend.
The author also highlighted on urgency of aid in healthcare to call for such aids, having heard from her Japanese friends in healthcare and science/technology field assisting such aids that shortage of healthcare and related aids (medicine and experts) is becoming a serious issue.
2) Fukushima nuclear plant issue
Radiation and recovery updates have been the critical issue almost replacing the seriousness of the natural disaster of earthquake and tsunami, and therefore this information immediately started to viral.
There have been sensational reports from western media and “fragmented” information from Japanese media that with no big picture of the issue and/or countermeasures and outlook.
The author wanted to deny misinformation and minimize confusion/panic and for this reason she shared information of facts and explanations/view of experts obtained from her online friends strong in science and technology.
3) Affect of the disaster on economy, business, society
This kind of information was in general neutral for worldwide media; the difference was the perspective of their analysis and discussion. This is quite natural because of the difference in writers and assumed target audience.
Perhaps the biggest difference was that unlike western media, Japanese media have been communicating much about “planned” blackout because the effect of this is more in Kanto (e.g. Tokyo), directly affecting people’s everyday lives as well as business and economy. Also this would determine the pace and dynamics of economic recovery.
One reason why the author decided to write her second English blog article about the reality of the Japan disaster was to include this information to help English people better understand the bigger picture of the disaster and its affects, which could lead to persuading more people worldwide to contribute to relief aids etc.
3. Phase 3 : Recovery/reconstruction for the future
This is from about 1 week from the outbreak of the natural disaster, of ongoing phase in which focus is mostly on recovery updates and radiation/ contamination from Fukushima nuclear plant.
Japanese media and its people also have been communicating about the reality of the victims and how experts in various settings are working hard in extremely harsh work environment. Moreover, they have been communicating about the future; i.e. recovery and reconstruction.
1) Radiation and contamination from Fukushima nuclear plant and its possible upcoming effects
This is what everyone around the globe is interested in but there is a great difference in the content and tone of the information shared between English and Japanese sources.
In general, English sources have been sensational causing a panic, as pointed out by quite a few recent Japanese sources. However, there are some English contents that are of facts, which contribute to denying sensational articles and the author has been proactively sharing such information, such as chart that compares radiation level among major worldwide cities that shows that the level is lower in Tokyo and Fukushima than people think.
Also there are contents from New York Times and Financial Times both by journalists with profound knowledge about Japan, based on the fact with constructive and convincing critism about the underestimated risk management, a good message to Japan.
2) Harsh realities and work environment of people actually doing the work in various settings
Japanese media have been communication updates of the recovery process and how much efforts are being made by TEPCO engineers in a severe environment. Japanese media also have been communication similar topics in the case of healthcare experts who volunteered to go to the devastated area to help the people in need. The objective of such communication is to convey the message that not only the experts rescuing people and clearing wreckages but many other people are making upmost efforts to safe people and the country, and this kind of information has been proactively shared by individuals.
In addition, Japanese media have been explaining the unfavourable healthcare environment for people; corrupt facilities and shortage of medicines/experts, of evacuation centres and other places where victims are currently living. This is to give a warning that unless it improves, it is quite possible that, for example, once a flue should start to spread it would spread immediately and rapidly, and it is quite possible that many people die from diseases after they managed to survived from the natural disaster, citing what actually happened in the Kobe earthquake in 1995.
3) Future of the country
The disaster is ongoing and thus most media focus on updates, but journalists and experts have also been publishing articles on recovery and reconstruction; what needs to be done, what are necessary and so forth. Some of such articles are closely linked with leadership and (risk/crisis) management. This trend is strong in media that issue (bi)-weekly business magazines.
A few English articles written by Japanese journalists have a unique trend. They focus on reconstruction and its meaning to Japan, saying the calamity would be an opportunity for the country’s rebirth, expressing the commitment of reconstruction.
One of the author’s latest blog articles is about the future (reconstruction) based on the business articles mentioned above with this message/tone and that is what she wanted to say from series of her blog articles together with her thoughts that Japan cannot possibly remain to be a burden in the international community; the reason for all the communications of the topics mentioned above.
4. The author’s final thoughts
The additional information being communicated by Japanese sources and difference in perspective and tone between English and Japanese sources is quite natural because of the difference in available information the two sources have, their target audience and mission/objective of communication.
The interest of English sources is the affect on the economy and business of their country while for Japanese media and its people the disaster is about their country and its recovery is about their own future. This is why their ultimate message would be calling every individual to do what he/she can, saying the they believe in the strength in the country and its people that enable the recovery and rebirth of the country,
The message is also delivered by many famous people in TVCF created and sponsored by the government, generating synergy with message circulated online.
What the author would like to point out is that information shared by English sources helped in crafting the contents and amplifying the effectiveness of information sharing in every phase. This is one way of help from the international community.
After all, the role of social media is to make the information go “viral” by sharing the information with online people around the globe timely and appropriately, to facilitate countries/regions, organizations and people helping one another to overcome difficulties and solve problems, opening the door to the bright future, although the journey may be a long one.
In this article, the author would like to clarify the role of social media which she concluded as “facilitate people helping one another” by introducing what kind of key messages are delivered to navigate people to take what kind of actions in the case of the ongoing Japan disaster, breaking down into 3 phases.
1. Phase 1 : Shock and sense of urgency
This phase is soon after the earthquake that triggered huge tsunami broke out, which was followed by ill-functioning of Fukushima nuclear plant.
1) Outbreak of the earthquake and tsunami
Media reported how the degree of tragedy is immense with much use of movies and photos, and people online including the author had been sharing such content. For the author it was to “broadcast” the natural tragedy and that this is extremely serious issue that would require help from countries and regions around the globe.
The information about help and support from countries and regions around the globe was also shared online by English and Japanese sources. For the author it was to persuade as many parties as possible to get in the mood of providing help.
What was unique about information shared in Japanese (especially in Twitter) is asking for information that helps safety confirmation and asking to spread information useful for victims to be rescued and evacuate.
2) Outbreak of Fukushima nuclear plant issue
Media, especially western, seemed to communicate in a way similarly to outbreak of the earthquake and tsunami but many seemed to be based on “assumptions” and not necessarily on “facts” which was proactively shared by many English speaking people online. One reason is slow announcement/disclosure about the status and countermeasures from the government and TEPCO.
But, the author did not mention about this issue until the first announcement about this issue was made in the press conference by the Prime Minister and the Chief Cabinet Mister and she has been selective and careful in posting information about this issue all because she wanted to minimize confusion.
2. Phase 2 : Condolence and confusion
This phase starts after a few days of the break out of the disaster and in this phase information about relief aids condolence went viral. Also, the focus of the disaster shifted from earthquake/tsunami to nuclear plant issue. And information on predictions and discussion by experts about effects on economy and business (and society including people’s lives etc. in Kanto as well as regions hardly hit by Japanese source) became a hot topic.
1) Aids, prayers and condolence
People shared information about praying and condolence, and about aids to promote relief aids and other supports, and the author was not an exception. This kind of information was promoted in a very similar way as in any marketing campaign. The key for success would be having successfully shared the seriousness of the disaster in phase 1.
What the author did additionally was sharing specific examples of aids by some major companies and individuals and also clearly said hat further aids from around the globe is inevitable to deny misinformation and false rumour of English source that circulated among English speaking people informed immediately by her kind English speaking online friend.
The author also highlighted on urgency of aid in healthcare to call for such aids, having heard from her Japanese friends in healthcare and science/technology field assisting such aids that shortage of healthcare and related aids (medicine and experts) is becoming a serious issue.
2) Fukushima nuclear plant issue
Radiation and recovery updates have been the critical issue almost replacing the seriousness of the natural disaster of earthquake and tsunami, and therefore this information immediately started to viral.
There have been sensational reports from western media and “fragmented” information from Japanese media that with no big picture of the issue and/or countermeasures and outlook.
The author wanted to deny misinformation and minimize confusion/panic and for this reason she shared information of facts and explanations/view of experts obtained from her online friends strong in science and technology.
3) Affect of the disaster on economy, business, society
This kind of information was in general neutral for worldwide media; the difference was the perspective of their analysis and discussion. This is quite natural because of the difference in writers and assumed target audience.
Perhaps the biggest difference was that unlike western media, Japanese media have been communicating much about “planned” blackout because the effect of this is more in Kanto (e.g. Tokyo), directly affecting people’s everyday lives as well as business and economy. Also this would determine the pace and dynamics of economic recovery.
One reason why the author decided to write her second English blog article about the reality of the Japan disaster was to include this information to help English people better understand the bigger picture of the disaster and its affects, which could lead to persuading more people worldwide to contribute to relief aids etc.
3. Phase 3 : Recovery/reconstruction for the future
This is from about 1 week from the outbreak of the natural disaster, of ongoing phase in which focus is mostly on recovery updates and radiation/ contamination from Fukushima nuclear plant.
Japanese media and its people also have been communicating about the reality of the victims and how experts in various settings are working hard in extremely harsh work environment. Moreover, they have been communicating about the future; i.e. recovery and reconstruction.
1) Radiation and contamination from Fukushima nuclear plant and its possible upcoming effects
This is what everyone around the globe is interested in but there is a great difference in the content and tone of the information shared between English and Japanese sources.
In general, English sources have been sensational causing a panic, as pointed out by quite a few recent Japanese sources. However, there are some English contents that are of facts, which contribute to denying sensational articles and the author has been proactively sharing such information, such as chart that compares radiation level among major worldwide cities that shows that the level is lower in Tokyo and Fukushima than people think.
Also there are contents from New York Times and Financial Times both by journalists with profound knowledge about Japan, based on the fact with constructive and convincing critism about the underestimated risk management, a good message to Japan.
2) Harsh realities and work environment of people actually doing the work in various settings
Japanese media have been communication updates of the recovery process and how much efforts are being made by TEPCO engineers in a severe environment. Japanese media also have been communication similar topics in the case of healthcare experts who volunteered to go to the devastated area to help the people in need. The objective of such communication is to convey the message that not only the experts rescuing people and clearing wreckages but many other people are making upmost efforts to safe people and the country, and this kind of information has been proactively shared by individuals.
In addition, Japanese media have been explaining the unfavourable healthcare environment for people; corrupt facilities and shortage of medicines/experts, of evacuation centres and other places where victims are currently living. This is to give a warning that unless it improves, it is quite possible that, for example, once a flue should start to spread it would spread immediately and rapidly, and it is quite possible that many people die from diseases after they managed to survived from the natural disaster, citing what actually happened in the Kobe earthquake in 1995.
3) Future of the country
The disaster is ongoing and thus most media focus on updates, but journalists and experts have also been publishing articles on recovery and reconstruction; what needs to be done, what are necessary and so forth. Some of such articles are closely linked with leadership and (risk/crisis) management. This trend is strong in media that issue (bi)-weekly business magazines.
A few English articles written by Japanese journalists have a unique trend. They focus on reconstruction and its meaning to Japan, saying the calamity would be an opportunity for the country’s rebirth, expressing the commitment of reconstruction.
One of the author’s latest blog articles is about the future (reconstruction) based on the business articles mentioned above with this message/tone and that is what she wanted to say from series of her blog articles together with her thoughts that Japan cannot possibly remain to be a burden in the international community; the reason for all the communications of the topics mentioned above.
4. The author’s final thoughts
The additional information being communicated by Japanese sources and difference in perspective and tone between English and Japanese sources is quite natural because of the difference in available information the two sources have, their target audience and mission/objective of communication.
The interest of English sources is the affect on the economy and business of their country while for Japanese media and its people the disaster is about their country and its recovery is about their own future. This is why their ultimate message would be calling every individual to do what he/she can, saying the they believe in the strength in the country and its people that enable the recovery and rebirth of the country,
The message is also delivered by many famous people in TVCF created and sponsored by the government, generating synergy with message circulated online.
What the author would like to point out is that information shared by English sources helped in crafting the contents and amplifying the effectiveness of information sharing in every phase. This is one way of help from the international community.
After all, the role of social media is to make the information go “viral” by sharing the information with online people around the globe timely and appropriately, to facilitate countries/regions, organizations and people helping one another to overcome difficulties and solve problems, opening the door to the bright future, although the journey may be a long one.
Saturday, 26 March 2011
Vol.52 – Limitations and Potentials of Social Media Revealed from the Japan Disaster
2011 is said as the first year of social media in Japan, with break out of Twitter in 2010 and of Facebook in January 2011. On March 11 of such a year there was the Japan earthquake and tsunami, followed by the Fukushima nuclear plant issue. Similarly to President Obama’s election campaign and the recent changes of power in North Africa countries, social media have been playing a major role among users including the in sharing timely information.
From actually leveraging social media to share the Japan disaster information the author acknowledged potentials of social media when she also acknowledged there are limitations as well. Such limitations and potentials are well analyzed and summarized with concrete examples by Motohiko Tokuriki, a leading Japanese Internet marketer, in his recent online article.
In this article the author would like to introduce the essence of the article, adding some comments to what she actually did. The article was posted on March 25 but Tokuriki had written the article one week after the earthquake and thus he says “the whole process is ongoing and might be too early to summarize but this is what he started to see as an expert”.
1. What are limitations of social media?
1) Social media are useless unless the lines are connected
It might be too obvious but what became clear is the fact that even if social media have become an important infrastructure to share information it is useless if the telecommunication network that operates under the media goes down.
At least just after the earthquake in many regions including Kanto area (e.g. Tokyo, Kanagawa/Yokohama, Chiba) mobile phone network did not operate properly and people were in extreme situation to use mobile phone and sending e-mails from their mobile phones.
The damage on telecommunication network in Kanto was comparatively small so many people managed to overcome by accessing the Internet using fixed line and mobile phone broad band connections. However, in regions where the communication network was severely damaged it was extremely difficult for people to access the Internet by mobile and smart phones.
This showed that compared to phones that were completely disconnected the Internet connection was more stable and better. However at the same time, people acknowledged anew that it is with stable telecommunication environment that social media can be leveraged.
2) Disinformation and false rumour can proliferate easily and quickly
This is also obvious as often been pointed out by mass media, but through use of social media in sharing information about the disaster people re-acknowledged that various disinformation and false rumour are easily proliferated. This is because social media such as Twitter and Facebook are of the world in which everyone can be a publisher at anytime, anywhere with ease. (This is mentioned in the author’s another article about the disaster Reality and Lessons from the Japan Earthquake / Tsunami Tragedy and this is why she included “Importance of integrity in accurate information sharing” as a lesson from the disaster.)
Of course, in reality, social media also is used to deny such disinformation and false rumour (and the author did, too) and it is true that disinformation and false rumour are also spread mouth-to-mouth by other forms of communications such as e-mails and face-to-face communication. But it is open media such as social media in which records clearly remain and thus people seem to have a strong impression that social media is weak against proliferation of disinformation and false rumour.
3) Social media is not suitable for one-way communication to the general public
This may contradict with what some social media experts in the west say whey they say why social media should be used in emergency; this statement is in comparison with traditional mass media such as TV and radio.
It is TV that is the most effective and the quickest in delivering the information immediately after the earthquake about the tsunami warning and earthquake intensity to the mass. Moreover it is traditional mass media that is more effective an quicker to deny disinformation and false rumour.
Of course, it is effective to provide people who could not watch TV a certain amount of information leveraging Twitter by including link(s) to TV company websites. But the number of followers of accounts of TV companies and/or of official government accounts is currently 200,000 at the most. The situation may change in the future when social media becomes much more popular in Japan, though.
2. What are the potentials of social media?
1) Strong “pull” media – ideal for safety confirmation
It was by no means social media were extremely effective in confirming safety immediately after the earthquake and tsunami. (Indeed the author leveraged Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to inform her worldwide online friends that her family and she are all safe).
With “push” media such as phones and e-mails, people would need to inform that they are safe by pushing the information to recipients of the information.
There are many people who could be worried about the safety of the person such as family, relatives, colleagues, boss and so forth and such list of people are limitless. It is impossible to know if the person is safe of not unless the person contact one by one of such people or unless the recipients contact the person.
With social media, posting/updating to say that the person is safe equals announcing that the person is safe, thus “pull” communication is possible. Therefore, as long as the recipients know the Twitter account etc. of the person, the person do not need to contact recipients one by one.
Many people actually said that in the disaster they could not contact by phone or e-mail but were able to know that the safety of their family and friends by social media.
2) Information sharing by the central player – timely and live
National and local government, companies and other organizations as well as individuals proactively leveraged Twitter to share information about the disaster, opening new Twitter accounts specifically for the disaster, when they already had opened official Twitter accounts as the “face” of the organization.
The fact that Fire and Disaster Management Agency is sharing information on Twitter account was informed by TV telop. Also Prime Minister’s Office opened a Twitter account, Japanese and English, specially to share information about the disaster, with which information including press conference information of the Prime Minister and the Chief Secretary Minister was shared. TEPCO also opened an official Twitter account to share information about “planned” blackout.
Recently experts in nuclear topics also started to leverage social media as well. They started to share their high level knowledge, information and insights on Twitter and/or to discuss on the topics on Facebook.
In addition, people affected by the disaster have been sharing first hand information from the devastated area to deliver what aids are necessary. This is something quite different from previous disasters.
(Indeed, the author has been sharing information with online friends around the global integrating information from Japanese and western media plus what her friends and she have been seeing and doing in Japan to deliver the information that are not reported by western media such as about the “planned” blackout and effects on Kanto area by blogging as well as Twitter, Facebook and LinedIn. It was because of such blogging that she was ready when a LinedIn friend in Europe with an enormous online network kindly offered her help; she asked him with a link to her blog article(s) to spread her message as much as possible leveraging his online and offline channel, including access to Japanese society/school in his country. She could also post her blog articles in the Facebook fan page designed to raise money to save Japan.)
3) Filter to screen and select useful and valuable information
As mentioned earlier, one of the social media limitations is the fact that disinformation and false rumour is easily spread, on the other hand, people acknowledge anew that social media function as filtering to screen and select useful and valuable information.
Vast amount of information is now flooded on the Internet because everyone can be a publisher, anytime, anywhere.
In such a situation, a certain level of IT literacy is required to screen and select useful and valuable information but this means that with a certain level of IT literacy people can efficiently screen and select such information.
For this reason, there has been many phenomenon in which useful and valuable information that became hot in the social media world are valued in the traditional mass media world to be acknowledged by more people.
A well known case is of a web site in which inspiring comments of a Twitter account of an engineer living in Fukushima @paryforjapan.jp are introduced. The web site became hot and was introduced in a few TV programmes. It seems that the information/articles in the website is regarded as a source to understand with calmness the risks of Fukushima nuclear plant issue that are difficult to be communicated by traditional mass media.
4) Collaboration among social media users
What is impressive is the fact that collaborations are ongoing to help people in need among social media users.
Some examples include promotion of saving energy/electricity to minimize and avoid “planned” blackout. This is not only calling for saving energy/electricity. There are also web sites that share poster designs calling for saving energy/electricity and for voluntarily restraining speculative stocking attributing to panic.
There have even such things as starting of Wiki to update with collaboration about volunteer information and with collaboration creating movie based on a comic and a song by a famous comic artist.
This could be an evidence that online collaborative work is also feasible in Japan when traditionally it was believed that online collaborative work is difficult and not feasible in Japan compared to the U.S.
3. The author’s additional comments and final thoughts
1) What is importance is strategic integrated communication of online and offline synergy, leveraging the characteristics of the Internet
The above analysis and insights of Tokuriki are based on the characteristics that distinguish the Internet from other traditional media, which was mentioned in the previous article Vol.22 – What Distinguishes Internet/Web From Traditional Media?
The importance is the approach based on media mix concept; strategic integrated communication using both online and offline traditional mass media for synergy.
2) It is the individuals that are responsible to minimize limitations and maximize potential of social media
It cannot be denied that it will take time to overcome the historical disaster, but on the other hand being connected online and through information sharing and collaboration by social media people including the author acknowledged anew the potential of mankind and social media/Internet.
After all, it is every social media user that determines the limitations and potential of social media. It is the mindset (integrity, openness, responsibility, authenticity), skills/competencies (IT literacy) and actions (flexibility, agility, courage) of the individuals as well as the technical IT infrastructure and environment that minimize limitations and maximize potential of social media.
References:-
Tokuriki, Motohiko (March 25, 2011) 3 “limitations” and 4 “potentials” of social media clarified by the Japan disaster (in Japanese)
http://business.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/manage/20110323/219105/
Resources:-
Social media have been a major communication tool in sharing information regarding the Japan disaster by the government, companies, organizations and individuals, from which limitations and potentials of social media are revealed. What is importance is strategic integrated communication of online and offline synergy, leveraging the characteristics of the Internet. And it is the individuals that are responsible to minimize limitations and maximize potential of social media.
From actually leveraging social media to share the Japan disaster information the author acknowledged potentials of social media when she also acknowledged there are limitations as well. Such limitations and potentials are well analyzed and summarized with concrete examples by Motohiko Tokuriki, a leading Japanese Internet marketer, in his recent online article.
In this article the author would like to introduce the essence of the article, adding some comments to what she actually did. The article was posted on March 25 but Tokuriki had written the article one week after the earthquake and thus he says “the whole process is ongoing and might be too early to summarize but this is what he started to see as an expert”.
1. What are limitations of social media?
1) Social media are useless unless the lines are connected
It might be too obvious but what became clear is the fact that even if social media have become an important infrastructure to share information it is useless if the telecommunication network that operates under the media goes down.
At least just after the earthquake in many regions including Kanto area (e.g. Tokyo, Kanagawa/Yokohama, Chiba) mobile phone network did not operate properly and people were in extreme situation to use mobile phone and sending e-mails from their mobile phones.
The damage on telecommunication network in Kanto was comparatively small so many people managed to overcome by accessing the Internet using fixed line and mobile phone broad band connections. However, in regions where the communication network was severely damaged it was extremely difficult for people to access the Internet by mobile and smart phones.
This showed that compared to phones that were completely disconnected the Internet connection was more stable and better. However at the same time, people acknowledged anew that it is with stable telecommunication environment that social media can be leveraged.
2) Disinformation and false rumour can proliferate easily and quickly
This is also obvious as often been pointed out by mass media, but through use of social media in sharing information about the disaster people re-acknowledged that various disinformation and false rumour are easily proliferated. This is because social media such as Twitter and Facebook are of the world in which everyone can be a publisher at anytime, anywhere with ease. (This is mentioned in the author’s another article about the disaster Reality and Lessons from the Japan Earthquake / Tsunami Tragedy and this is why she included “Importance of integrity in accurate information sharing” as a lesson from the disaster.)
Of course, in reality, social media also is used to deny such disinformation and false rumour (and the author did, too) and it is true that disinformation and false rumour are also spread mouth-to-mouth by other forms of communications such as e-mails and face-to-face communication. But it is open media such as social media in which records clearly remain and thus people seem to have a strong impression that social media is weak against proliferation of disinformation and false rumour.
3) Social media is not suitable for one-way communication to the general public
This may contradict with what some social media experts in the west say whey they say why social media should be used in emergency; this statement is in comparison with traditional mass media such as TV and radio.
It is TV that is the most effective and the quickest in delivering the information immediately after the earthquake about the tsunami warning and earthquake intensity to the mass. Moreover it is traditional mass media that is more effective an quicker to deny disinformation and false rumour.
Of course, it is effective to provide people who could not watch TV a certain amount of information leveraging Twitter by including link(s) to TV company websites. But the number of followers of accounts of TV companies and/or of official government accounts is currently 200,000 at the most. The situation may change in the future when social media becomes much more popular in Japan, though.
2. What are the potentials of social media?
1) Strong “pull” media – ideal for safety confirmation
It was by no means social media were extremely effective in confirming safety immediately after the earthquake and tsunami. (Indeed the author leveraged Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to inform her worldwide online friends that her family and she are all safe).
With “push” media such as phones and e-mails, people would need to inform that they are safe by pushing the information to recipients of the information.
There are many people who could be worried about the safety of the person such as family, relatives, colleagues, boss and so forth and such list of people are limitless. It is impossible to know if the person is safe of not unless the person contact one by one of such people or unless the recipients contact the person.
With social media, posting/updating to say that the person is safe equals announcing that the person is safe, thus “pull” communication is possible. Therefore, as long as the recipients know the Twitter account etc. of the person, the person do not need to contact recipients one by one.
Many people actually said that in the disaster they could not contact by phone or e-mail but were able to know that the safety of their family and friends by social media.
2) Information sharing by the central player – timely and live
National and local government, companies and other organizations as well as individuals proactively leveraged Twitter to share information about the disaster, opening new Twitter accounts specifically for the disaster, when they already had opened official Twitter accounts as the “face” of the organization.
The fact that Fire and Disaster Management Agency is sharing information on Twitter account was informed by TV telop. Also Prime Minister’s Office opened a Twitter account, Japanese and English, specially to share information about the disaster, with which information including press conference information of the Prime Minister and the Chief Secretary Minister was shared. TEPCO also opened an official Twitter account to share information about “planned” blackout.
Recently experts in nuclear topics also started to leverage social media as well. They started to share their high level knowledge, information and insights on Twitter and/or to discuss on the topics on Facebook.
In addition, people affected by the disaster have been sharing first hand information from the devastated area to deliver what aids are necessary. This is something quite different from previous disasters.
(Indeed, the author has been sharing information with online friends around the global integrating information from Japanese and western media plus what her friends and she have been seeing and doing in Japan to deliver the information that are not reported by western media such as about the “planned” blackout and effects on Kanto area by blogging as well as Twitter, Facebook and LinedIn. It was because of such blogging that she was ready when a LinedIn friend in Europe with an enormous online network kindly offered her help; she asked him with a link to her blog article(s) to spread her message as much as possible leveraging his online and offline channel, including access to Japanese society/school in his country. She could also post her blog articles in the Facebook fan page designed to raise money to save Japan.)
3) Filter to screen and select useful and valuable information
As mentioned earlier, one of the social media limitations is the fact that disinformation and false rumour is easily spread, on the other hand, people acknowledge anew that social media function as filtering to screen and select useful and valuable information.
Vast amount of information is now flooded on the Internet because everyone can be a publisher, anytime, anywhere.
In such a situation, a certain level of IT literacy is required to screen and select useful and valuable information but this means that with a certain level of IT literacy people can efficiently screen and select such information.
For this reason, there has been many phenomenon in which useful and valuable information that became hot in the social media world are valued in the traditional mass media world to be acknowledged by more people.
A well known case is of a web site in which inspiring comments of a Twitter account of an engineer living in Fukushima @paryforjapan.jp are introduced. The web site became hot and was introduced in a few TV programmes. It seems that the information/articles in the website is regarded as a source to understand with calmness the risks of Fukushima nuclear plant issue that are difficult to be communicated by traditional mass media.
4) Collaboration among social media users
What is impressive is the fact that collaborations are ongoing to help people in need among social media users.
Some examples include promotion of saving energy/electricity to minimize and avoid “planned” blackout. This is not only calling for saving energy/electricity. There are also web sites that share poster designs calling for saving energy/electricity and for voluntarily restraining speculative stocking attributing to panic.
There have even such things as starting of Wiki to update with collaboration about volunteer information and with collaboration creating movie based on a comic and a song by a famous comic artist.
This could be an evidence that online collaborative work is also feasible in Japan when traditionally it was believed that online collaborative work is difficult and not feasible in Japan compared to the U.S.
3. The author’s additional comments and final thoughts
1) What is importance is strategic integrated communication of online and offline synergy, leveraging the characteristics of the Internet
The above analysis and insights of Tokuriki are based on the characteristics that distinguish the Internet from other traditional media, which was mentioned in the previous article Vol.22 – What Distinguishes Internet/Web From Traditional Media?
The importance is the approach based on media mix concept; strategic integrated communication using both online and offline traditional mass media for synergy.
2) It is the individuals that are responsible to minimize limitations and maximize potential of social media
It cannot be denied that it will take time to overcome the historical disaster, but on the other hand being connected online and through information sharing and collaboration by social media people including the author acknowledged anew the potential of mankind and social media/Internet.
After all, it is every social media user that determines the limitations and potential of social media. It is the mindset (integrity, openness, responsibility, authenticity), skills/competencies (IT literacy) and actions (flexibility, agility, courage) of the individuals as well as the technical IT infrastructure and environment that minimize limitations and maximize potential of social media.
References:-
Tokuriki, Motohiko (March 25, 2011) 3 “limitations” and 4 “potentials” of social media clarified by the Japan disaster (in Japanese)
http://business.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/manage/20110323/219105/
Resources:-
Social media have been a major communication tool in sharing information regarding the Japan disaster by the government, companies, organizations and individuals, from which limitations and potentials of social media are revealed. What is importance is strategic integrated communication of online and offline synergy, leveraging the characteristics of the Internet. And it is the individuals that are responsible to minimize limitations and maximize potential of social media.
Monday, 28 February 2011
Vol.51 – How Internet and Social Media is Changing Recruiting in Japan
Japan has been behind western countries in which use of Internet and social media is already popular in recruiting and job hunting. For example, although companies have career pages in their website, concept of online resume such as LinkedIn profile is still unknown in general, and it is very recently that companies started to leverage social media such as Twitter in marketing as mentioned in the previous article Vol.48 – 2011 Japan’s First Year of Social Media / SNS.
However, as introduced in an online article of Nikkei.com, a leading online website managed by a Japanese leading business media, some Japanese companies started to strategically implement social media in recruiting.
1. What is the background of implementing social media in recruiting in Japan?
1) Job seeker: Find gap between expectation and reality
As much as 30% of new graduates who started working leave in the first 3 years, even thought they are the people who managed to find a job upon graduation in an extremely tough labour market. This is a shocking fact in Japan where lifetime employment had been the social norm for many years.
The reason for such people leaving the company is that they feel the reality they face in the workplace after joining the company is somewhat different from what they expected.
2) Employer: Recruiting is stuck in a rut
Companies have been trying to be creative in recruiting such as implementing internship which is still not so popular in Japan and asking unique questions in the interview; however, soon the how-to books about overcoming such screening process will be available in the book stores and all job seekers will give the same answers written in the book. Therefore, the companies will not be able to truly understand candidates.
2. How a few Japanese companies started to strategically implement the Internet and social media in recruiting?
1) Interacting and engaging online
Major Japanese IT companies including as SoftBank and Cyber Agent started to leverage social media such as Twitter and Facebook in recruiting last year. They would have online conversation with job seekers.
For example, to a question “what kind of tasks are assigned to people who started working in your company?” they would answer “there are a few hard working people who are successful in wining many contracts. There are even some staff members who start giving services to our customers only after they started working in the shop floor.” These kinds of conversation which are quite common in recruiting seminars are done online.
This trend is now spreading to companies of other industries as well.
2) Implementing webinars
For example, a company that plan and provide wedding ceremony and party services started to leverage Ustream and Twitter in implementing webinars to new graduate job seekers. They already gave 3 webinars since 2010 autumn in which the CEO, general manager of the wedding ceremony venue and young employees participated to convey how it is motivating and challenging to work in the company. Total of 400 job seekers accessed the webinar real time. In addition the recorded video was viwered approximately 6500 times.
3. What are benefits of implementing IT and social media in recruiting?
1) For employers
(1) Minimize mismatch
By holding webinar before face-to-face seminar, companies can deliver information about themselves to as many job seekers as possible with relatively low cost, and this ultimately leads to minimizing mismatch. This would help them to deliver better information (quality and quantity) to many job seekers, which help job seekers to better understand the companies. As a result, it is more probable that only the job seekers who are truly interested in their company attend their live seminar and apply.
(2) Attract innovative and social candidates
Use of social media in recruiting acts as the first screening process in attracting and recruiting innovative and social candidates. Use of social media in marketing and other settings is becoming inevitable for companies and they would want to recruit innovative and social candidates to meet such needs.
By leveraging social media in recruiting, they would be able to recruit candidates who leverage social media daily to proactively attend webinar, who are more likely to meet their needs. Recruiting such candidates would be the foundation in creating new business that is necessary for companies to grow.
2) For job seekers
In general, they would find it more comfortable to ask questions online in contrast to in a real offline seminar where they are surrounded by many job seekers they do not know. And because they would find it easier to ask questions online and thus be more open, they would be able to obtain more information that is truly meaningful for them to find an employer that meet their needs.
When candidates become proactive in asking questions online, companies will be able to better understand candidates. This also leads to minimizing mismatch.
4. Future of use of social media in recruiting in Japan
1) Use of social media in recruiting is likely to popularize in Japan
It goes without saying that use of social media in recruiting would become more popular Japan as well from the trend mentioned above. This also aligns with the fact that 2011 is said to be the first year of SNS in Japan, as mentioned in the previous article Vol.48 – 2011 Japan’s First Year of Social Media / SNS. Indeed, a leading job hunting agency in Japan named 2011 as “the first year of job hunting leveraging social media for interactive communication online”.
2) Companies will face challenges as well
Increased exposure online means increased risks. As companies get more questions online from job seekers, it is more likely that they overreach and cover loopholes with ease, and that they only answer to positive questions and neglect negative ones. Such actions would give negative impression to potential candidates. Companies need to be authentic and open.
In addition, in online world in which anonymity is often allowed unlike offline world, there are risks such as spam and posting with malicious motives increase.
Furthermore, companies may find it difficult to evaluate potential candidates who are proactive in asking good questions face-to-face. There are some comments from hiring managers that they do want to recruit candidates who are social online but they do not want to recruit candidates who are not social offline, not being to interact and ask questions face-to-face.
References:-
Goodbye to Recruiting Stuck in a Rut and Disappointing Job Hunting – How the Internet is Used Today (in Japanese)
http://www.nikkei.com/tech/ssbiz/article/g=96958A9C93819696E3E4E2E2858DE3E4E2E0E0E2E3E3E2E2E2E2E2E2;dg=1;p=9694E0E1E2E5E0E2E3E2E3E3E4EB
However, as introduced in an online article of Nikkei.com, a leading online website managed by a Japanese leading business media, some Japanese companies started to strategically implement social media in recruiting.
1. What is the background of implementing social media in recruiting in Japan?
1) Job seeker: Find gap between expectation and reality
As much as 30% of new graduates who started working leave in the first 3 years, even thought they are the people who managed to find a job upon graduation in an extremely tough labour market. This is a shocking fact in Japan where lifetime employment had been the social norm for many years.
The reason for such people leaving the company is that they feel the reality they face in the workplace after joining the company is somewhat different from what they expected.
2) Employer: Recruiting is stuck in a rut
Companies have been trying to be creative in recruiting such as implementing internship which is still not so popular in Japan and asking unique questions in the interview; however, soon the how-to books about overcoming such screening process will be available in the book stores and all job seekers will give the same answers written in the book. Therefore, the companies will not be able to truly understand candidates.
2. How a few Japanese companies started to strategically implement the Internet and social media in recruiting?
1) Interacting and engaging online
Major Japanese IT companies including as SoftBank and Cyber Agent started to leverage social media such as Twitter and Facebook in recruiting last year. They would have online conversation with job seekers.
For example, to a question “what kind of tasks are assigned to people who started working in your company?” they would answer “there are a few hard working people who are successful in wining many contracts. There are even some staff members who start giving services to our customers only after they started working in the shop floor.” These kinds of conversation which are quite common in recruiting seminars are done online.
This trend is now spreading to companies of other industries as well.
2) Implementing webinars
For example, a company that plan and provide wedding ceremony and party services started to leverage Ustream and Twitter in implementing webinars to new graduate job seekers. They already gave 3 webinars since 2010 autumn in which the CEO, general manager of the wedding ceremony venue and young employees participated to convey how it is motivating and challenging to work in the company. Total of 400 job seekers accessed the webinar real time. In addition the recorded video was viwered approximately 6500 times.
3. What are benefits of implementing IT and social media in recruiting?
1) For employers
(1) Minimize mismatch
By holding webinar before face-to-face seminar, companies can deliver information about themselves to as many job seekers as possible with relatively low cost, and this ultimately leads to minimizing mismatch. This would help them to deliver better information (quality and quantity) to many job seekers, which help job seekers to better understand the companies. As a result, it is more probable that only the job seekers who are truly interested in their company attend their live seminar and apply.
(2) Attract innovative and social candidates
Use of social media in recruiting acts as the first screening process in attracting and recruiting innovative and social candidates. Use of social media in marketing and other settings is becoming inevitable for companies and they would want to recruit innovative and social candidates to meet such needs.
By leveraging social media in recruiting, they would be able to recruit candidates who leverage social media daily to proactively attend webinar, who are more likely to meet their needs. Recruiting such candidates would be the foundation in creating new business that is necessary for companies to grow.
2) For job seekers
In general, they would find it more comfortable to ask questions online in contrast to in a real offline seminar where they are surrounded by many job seekers they do not know. And because they would find it easier to ask questions online and thus be more open, they would be able to obtain more information that is truly meaningful for them to find an employer that meet their needs.
When candidates become proactive in asking questions online, companies will be able to better understand candidates. This also leads to minimizing mismatch.
4. Future of use of social media in recruiting in Japan
1) Use of social media in recruiting is likely to popularize in Japan
It goes without saying that use of social media in recruiting would become more popular Japan as well from the trend mentioned above. This also aligns with the fact that 2011 is said to be the first year of SNS in Japan, as mentioned in the previous article Vol.48 – 2011 Japan’s First Year of Social Media / SNS. Indeed, a leading job hunting agency in Japan named 2011 as “the first year of job hunting leveraging social media for interactive communication online”.
2) Companies will face challenges as well
Increased exposure online means increased risks. As companies get more questions online from job seekers, it is more likely that they overreach and cover loopholes with ease, and that they only answer to positive questions and neglect negative ones. Such actions would give negative impression to potential candidates. Companies need to be authentic and open.
In addition, in online world in which anonymity is often allowed unlike offline world, there are risks such as spam and posting with malicious motives increase.
Furthermore, companies may find it difficult to evaluate potential candidates who are proactive in asking good questions face-to-face. There are some comments from hiring managers that they do want to recruit candidates who are social online but they do not want to recruit candidates who are not social offline, not being to interact and ask questions face-to-face.
References:-
Goodbye to Recruiting Stuck in a Rut and Disappointing Job Hunting – How the Internet is Used Today (in Japanese)
http://www.nikkei.com/tech/ssbiz/article/g=96958A9C93819696E3E4E2E2858DE3E4E2E0E0E2E3E3E2E2E2E2E2E2;dg=1;p=9694E0E1E2E5E0E2E3E2E3E3E4EB
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Vol.50 – Facebook’s Potential as Infrastructure of Online Businesses and Services
Zynga has already started providing social gaming leveraging Facebook, which has become a success, and Japanese gaming companies are to follow such a trend. Nikkei, Japan’s leading newspaper specialized in business and economy reported in its evening newspaper on February 12 that leading Japanese social gaming companies are to leverage Facebook in providing their gaming content to worldwide online users.
1. What is the potential of Facebook?
This implies that Facebook, a global SNS, has potential of becoming an infrastructure of online businesses services including social gaming and many others instead of being simply a SNS, leveraging its core competence of SNS “sharing information online”.
In a way, it is like Google, which has become an infrastructure of online businesses and services leveraging its core competence of search “finding and accessing information online” and expanded its product line-up and businesses domain.
It is quite possible that Facebook would further expand its product line-up and business domain and many other online business and service companies leverage Facebook as their online business infrastructure. To the author, this is one reason why many experts predicted that in 2011 Facebook will become Google (and Google become Nicrosoft).
2. What is the reason for Japanese companies now starting leveraging Facebook one after the other?
It is because Japan domestic gaming market had been growing rapidly but the growth has slowed down recently. Therefore, Japanese gaming companies need to look for other market or create other businesses to grow their overall business.
The former, i.e. look for and enter other market leveraging their content and know-how is the first option that is usually taken, and this means globalizing their business, similarly to other industry companies. Thus, many of them are now planning to expand their business globally.
3. Why Facebook is ideal for Japanese gaming companies as well as their counterparts abroad to leverage in growing their business globally?
It is because of the social infrastructure and global network of almost 600 million members. Japanese SNS such as Mixi is the leader in Japan but the members are mostly Japanese and the site and functions are made to meet basically needs of Japanese people only; therefore, leveraging such SNS is not appropriate in expanding their business globally.
In addition, Facebook has been a hot topic in Japan since January 2011, as mentioned in the previous article Vol.49 – Lesson from “Social Network”: Success Requirements in the Internet World. There have been online articles about how companies and business owners, not necessarily of IT industry, could leverage Facebook to drive marketing and business. Thus it is quite logical and natural for gaming companies to leverage Facebook now.
4. Which Japanese companies are to start leveraging Facebook to drive their social gaming business globally?
1) Sega
Sega http://sega.jp/ will start providing social gaming of baseball called Sega Play Baseball to Facebook users in the U.S., Europe and Asia from the end of this month. Online users would make their Facebook friends and play online baseball games with Facebook friends.
Basic fee to play social games is free, but Sega will gain revenue by charging fees for tools and other items to their users that make them advantageous in playing games or that make them more entertained.
2) Tecmo Koei Games
Tecmo Koei Games http://www.koeitecmo.co.jp/ will start providing their new simulation game to Facebook users from this spring. They will first provide to Facebook users of English speaking countries and plan to also provide to Facebook users of Japanese speaking people by the end of this year.
3) Bandai Games Inc
Bandai Games Inc http://www.bandainamcogames.co.jp/english/will start providing 3 social gaming including one of a popular action game in Japan by the end of this year. They have already started providing social gaming leveraging Facebook infrastructure for free as a trial, and plans to officially start the service that generates their revenue by start selling items in the near future.
1. What is the potential of Facebook?
This implies that Facebook, a global SNS, has potential of becoming an infrastructure of online businesses services including social gaming and many others instead of being simply a SNS, leveraging its core competence of SNS “sharing information online”.
In a way, it is like Google, which has become an infrastructure of online businesses and services leveraging its core competence of search “finding and accessing information online” and expanded its product line-up and businesses domain.
It is quite possible that Facebook would further expand its product line-up and business domain and many other online business and service companies leverage Facebook as their online business infrastructure. To the author, this is one reason why many experts predicted that in 2011 Facebook will become Google (and Google become Nicrosoft).
2. What is the reason for Japanese companies now starting leveraging Facebook one after the other?
It is because Japan domestic gaming market had been growing rapidly but the growth has slowed down recently. Therefore, Japanese gaming companies need to look for other market or create other businesses to grow their overall business.
The former, i.e. look for and enter other market leveraging their content and know-how is the first option that is usually taken, and this means globalizing their business, similarly to other industry companies. Thus, many of them are now planning to expand their business globally.
3. Why Facebook is ideal for Japanese gaming companies as well as their counterparts abroad to leverage in growing their business globally?
It is because of the social infrastructure and global network of almost 600 million members. Japanese SNS such as Mixi is the leader in Japan but the members are mostly Japanese and the site and functions are made to meet basically needs of Japanese people only; therefore, leveraging such SNS is not appropriate in expanding their business globally.
In addition, Facebook has been a hot topic in Japan since January 2011, as mentioned in the previous article Vol.49 – Lesson from “Social Network”: Success Requirements in the Internet World. There have been online articles about how companies and business owners, not necessarily of IT industry, could leverage Facebook to drive marketing and business. Thus it is quite logical and natural for gaming companies to leverage Facebook now.
4. Which Japanese companies are to start leveraging Facebook to drive their social gaming business globally?
1) Sega
Sega http://sega.jp/ will start providing social gaming of baseball called Sega Play Baseball to Facebook users in the U.S., Europe and Asia from the end of this month. Online users would make their Facebook friends and play online baseball games with Facebook friends.
Basic fee to play social games is free, but Sega will gain revenue by charging fees for tools and other items to their users that make them advantageous in playing games or that make them more entertained.
2) Tecmo Koei Games
Tecmo Koei Games http://www.koeitecmo.co.jp/ will start providing their new simulation game to Facebook users from this spring. They will first provide to Facebook users of English speaking countries and plan to also provide to Facebook users of Japanese speaking people by the end of this year.
3) Bandai Games Inc
Bandai Games Inc http://www.bandainamcogames.co.jp/english/will start providing 3 social gaming including one of a popular action game in Japan by the end of this year. They have already started providing social gaming leveraging Facebook infrastructure for free as a trial, and plans to officially start the service that generates their revenue by start selling items in the near future.
Saturday, 5 February 2011
Vol.49 – Lesson from “Social Network”: Success Requirements in the Internet World
“Social Network”, the movie about how Facebook started, has also been available in Japan since January 14, 2011. Many people who have seen the movie probably agree that it has many lessons in starting and growing business, such as importance in coming up with great ideas and/or identifying great ideas and implementing them quickly before your competitor, and quickly recognizing who to collaborate with and how.
It seems to the author that the KPS (Key Factors for Success) of Facebook’s start and growth can mostly be explained by The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding by Al Ries and Laura Ries (2000).
1. What are The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding?
According to Al Ries and Laura Ries, they are the following.
1) The Law of Either/Or : The Internet should be viewed as an entirely new business.
2) The Law of Interactivity : A website must be interactive in order to succeed.
3) The Law of the Common Name : Common names such as Art/com are poor brands.
4) The Law of Proper Name : Proper names are to be preferred to generic names, and best names follow most of the 8 principles (short, simple, suggestive of the category, unique, alliterative, speakable, shocking, personalized)
5) The Law of Singularity : Unlike the “real world” where there is room for a number two brand, there is room for only one.
6) The Law of Advertising : Advertising off the Net will be far larger than advertising on the Net.
7) The Law of Globalism : The Internet will demolish all barriers, boundaries and borders.
8) The Law of Time : The brand that is first into the prospect’s mind has the advantage, not necessarily the first into the marketplace.
9) The Law of Vanity : Many categories should not be included under a single brand.
10) The Law of Divergence : Technologies diverge into PCs, PDAs, laptops etc.
11) The Law of Transformation : The Internet will transform all aspects of our lives.
Frankly speaking, the author agrees more laws than others but she feels in general the 11 laws are useful in Internet branding and marketing.
She feels the law #2, #4, #5, #7 and #8 applies to the case of the startup of Facebook, leading to #10 and #11 as well.
2. How The Immutable Laws of Internet Branding Apply to the Success of Facebook Start up?
1) Business Model Based on The Law of Interactivity (#2)
Needless to say, Facebook is SNS, which is website leveraging on interactivity. This interactivity is not simply selecting from menu which is the interactivity of web 1.0 and/or typing in instructions and having the web site deliver the information in the form requested by the web user.
The interactivity of Facebook goes as far as interacting and sharing information with other web users in the online community in a real time. Such interactivity is something that distinguishes the Internet and social media from other offline media to create new business models.
2) First Mover Advantage to be the First Brand in the Prospect’s Mind in Niche Segment Base on The Law of Singularity and Time (#5, #8)
The two laws, of singularity and time, means that in the virtual world of the Internet, regardless of the size, industry etc. niche area needs to be defined by careful segmentation and the brand needs to be the first one in the prospect’s mind of that particular market segment.
This is how companies such as Amazon and Google succeeded. Amazon was the first brand for online book store and even the real world book store giant Barnes and Noble cannot deprive the number one position in the segment of online book store. Google, in entering online adverting market when Yahoo! already was number one in adverting mainly in banner ads, successfully created a more niche segmentation of online advertising based on search, leveraging its core business of search, which resulted in a great success.
In the case of Facebook, Foursquare was already a popular SNS and there was no way Facebook could be the number one brand in SNS in general; therefore, they first limited to Harvard students (and later expanded to some other top class university students) to create a niche segmentation of “SNS for top class university students”, and developed functions and contents meeting such targets such as friendship status. It was after Facebook had established number one brand in “SNS for top class university students” that the membership was made open to general public, which marked a turning point for Facebook to really grow.
3) The Great Name Based on The Law of Proper Name (#4)
The name “Facebook”, derived from the initial game of choosing the preference of the two photos of female student faces, is not a common name, and it does follow most of the eight principles of the best names. Also, to better follow the eight principles, “the” was dropped from the original name which was “The Facebook”, based on the advice from the Napster founder.
4) Expand Business Based on The Law of Globalism (#7)
After Facebook expanded to from Harvard only to some top caliber universities in the U.S., it immediately expanded to its counterparts in Europe (e.g. the U.K.) as the first step to global business expansion. This drove rapid growth of Facebook worldwide.
3. How The Immutable Laws of Internet Branding Apply to the Recent Success of Facebook?
1) Adapting to Mobile etc. as well as PC Based on The Law of Divergence (#10)
Facebook started with website for PC but it soon adapted to mobile. It was quick at rolling out mobile version website and applications. In addition to expanding business globally, successful and quick adaption to mobile led to rapid growth of Facebook because it allowed users to post updates and share information anywhere and anytime.
2) Making Facebook Part of People’s Lives Based on The Law of Transformation (#11)
As a result of anywhere and anytime use of Facebook, it became part of people’s lives and transformed how people find and share information. Today many Facebook users log in everyday and start and/or finish their day by checking the updates of their friends and posting their own updates; some even frequently check and post updates in a day.
In addition, as Facebook (and other social media) became popular, the people started to obtain information by social media instead of search which was the primary and only way of finding and accessing to relevant information. As it became common for the general public to share information by social media globally, many decisions are now made based on information obtained by social media hence viral marketing is now a hot topic among marketers.
4. The Author’s Final Thoughts
The above KFS based on The Immutable Laws of Internet Branding of Facebook give us a guidance of requirements to be successful in Internet business, marketing and branding. The requirements are more prominent the more the web evolves from web 1.0 of static website to web 2.0 of social media. This implies that they could well become even more prominent as the web further evolves to web 3.0, which might be semantic web or something more innovative.
References:-
Ries, Al and Laura, Ries (2000) The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding, HarperBusiness
It seems to the author that the KPS (Key Factors for Success) of Facebook’s start and growth can mostly be explained by The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding by Al Ries and Laura Ries (2000).
1. What are The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding?
According to Al Ries and Laura Ries, they are the following.
1) The Law of Either/Or : The Internet should be viewed as an entirely new business.
2) The Law of Interactivity : A website must be interactive in order to succeed.
3) The Law of the Common Name : Common names such as Art/com are poor brands.
4) The Law of Proper Name : Proper names are to be preferred to generic names, and best names follow most of the 8 principles (short, simple, suggestive of the category, unique, alliterative, speakable, shocking, personalized)
5) The Law of Singularity : Unlike the “real world” where there is room for a number two brand, there is room for only one.
6) The Law of Advertising : Advertising off the Net will be far larger than advertising on the Net.
7) The Law of Globalism : The Internet will demolish all barriers, boundaries and borders.
8) The Law of Time : The brand that is first into the prospect’s mind has the advantage, not necessarily the first into the marketplace.
9) The Law of Vanity : Many categories should not be included under a single brand.
10) The Law of Divergence : Technologies diverge into PCs, PDAs, laptops etc.
11) The Law of Transformation : The Internet will transform all aspects of our lives.
Frankly speaking, the author agrees more laws than others but she feels in general the 11 laws are useful in Internet branding and marketing.
She feels the law #2, #4, #5, #7 and #8 applies to the case of the startup of Facebook, leading to #10 and #11 as well.
2. How The Immutable Laws of Internet Branding Apply to the Success of Facebook Start up?
1) Business Model Based on The Law of Interactivity (#2)
Needless to say, Facebook is SNS, which is website leveraging on interactivity. This interactivity is not simply selecting from menu which is the interactivity of web 1.0 and/or typing in instructions and having the web site deliver the information in the form requested by the web user.
The interactivity of Facebook goes as far as interacting and sharing information with other web users in the online community in a real time. Such interactivity is something that distinguishes the Internet and social media from other offline media to create new business models.
2) First Mover Advantage to be the First Brand in the Prospect’s Mind in Niche Segment Base on The Law of Singularity and Time (#5, #8)
The two laws, of singularity and time, means that in the virtual world of the Internet, regardless of the size, industry etc. niche area needs to be defined by careful segmentation and the brand needs to be the first one in the prospect’s mind of that particular market segment.
This is how companies such as Amazon and Google succeeded. Amazon was the first brand for online book store and even the real world book store giant Barnes and Noble cannot deprive the number one position in the segment of online book store. Google, in entering online adverting market when Yahoo! already was number one in adverting mainly in banner ads, successfully created a more niche segmentation of online advertising based on search, leveraging its core business of search, which resulted in a great success.
In the case of Facebook, Foursquare was already a popular SNS and there was no way Facebook could be the number one brand in SNS in general; therefore, they first limited to Harvard students (and later expanded to some other top class university students) to create a niche segmentation of “SNS for top class university students”, and developed functions and contents meeting such targets such as friendship status. It was after Facebook had established number one brand in “SNS for top class university students” that the membership was made open to general public, which marked a turning point for Facebook to really grow.
3) The Great Name Based on The Law of Proper Name (#4)
The name “Facebook”, derived from the initial game of choosing the preference of the two photos of female student faces, is not a common name, and it does follow most of the eight principles of the best names. Also, to better follow the eight principles, “the” was dropped from the original name which was “The Facebook”, based on the advice from the Napster founder.
4) Expand Business Based on The Law of Globalism (#7)
After Facebook expanded to from Harvard only to some top caliber universities in the U.S., it immediately expanded to its counterparts in Europe (e.g. the U.K.) as the first step to global business expansion. This drove rapid growth of Facebook worldwide.
3. How The Immutable Laws of Internet Branding Apply to the Recent Success of Facebook?
1) Adapting to Mobile etc. as well as PC Based on The Law of Divergence (#10)
Facebook started with website for PC but it soon adapted to mobile. It was quick at rolling out mobile version website and applications. In addition to expanding business globally, successful and quick adaption to mobile led to rapid growth of Facebook because it allowed users to post updates and share information anywhere and anytime.
2) Making Facebook Part of People’s Lives Based on The Law of Transformation (#11)
As a result of anywhere and anytime use of Facebook, it became part of people’s lives and transformed how people find and share information. Today many Facebook users log in everyday and start and/or finish their day by checking the updates of their friends and posting their own updates; some even frequently check and post updates in a day.
In addition, as Facebook (and other social media) became popular, the people started to obtain information by social media instead of search which was the primary and only way of finding and accessing to relevant information. As it became common for the general public to share information by social media globally, many decisions are now made based on information obtained by social media hence viral marketing is now a hot topic among marketers.
4. The Author’s Final Thoughts
The above KFS based on The Immutable Laws of Internet Branding of Facebook give us a guidance of requirements to be successful in Internet business, marketing and branding. The requirements are more prominent the more the web evolves from web 1.0 of static website to web 2.0 of social media. This implies that they could well become even more prominent as the web further evolves to web 3.0, which might be semantic web or something more innovative.
References:-
Ries, Al and Laura, Ries (2000) The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding, HarperBusiness
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