Integrated MarComm

Five Burning Questions For Facebook's Kevin Colleran

Last week, Kevin Colleran, one of the first employees of Facebook and current Director of National Sales, stopped by Organic's NY office to answer a few questions. As we notice more and more companies jumping into the social media pool, we asked him to stop by to give a state of the union on Facebook.

Here are some highlights from our chat with Kevin about Facebook:

1. Brand pages...everyone from Starbucks to Obama have a page now. What's a little known fact about them?
Since they're free to setup, then companies sometimes build robust experiences - namely in the tabs. But, robust features don't outweigh quality content. At the end of the day, the vast majority of your fans do not continuously visit the fan page but will see the newly posted content in their News Feeds. And, with increased adoption of Become a Fan buttons, many never have to go to a brand page to express their affinity.

2. Over the past two years, Facebook has made significant changes to the user experience. What's been the result?
Many people visit Facebook every other day online. And with the mobile phone applications and mobile site, they're visiting in more places. You'd be surprised to know that 90% of the time people spend on Facebook is concentrated on the homepage newsfeed.

3. In terms of moderating conversation, what should we know?
First, know that all communications must occur in public. We don't allow brands to private message fans like individuals can private message each other. We block private messaging to avoid spamming. Second, by default, comments on the fan page Wall are turned on. So, when a brand posts something, then members have the right to comment. The only way for comments not to appear is if they're taken down by the page administrator(s). If you don't have a dedicated staff to monitor the page, then find a vendor that can auto-moderate by rejecting inappropriate comments and holding other comments until they've been manually approved. Expect these services to start at $2-3K monthly.

4. Should we remove pages created by people that bear the name and/or logo of our brand?
At first, it may seem that these user-generated pages are good - after all, who doesn't want users to generate positive content for your brand. But, things can go two ways. What if they start saying inappropriate things? What if they start misrepresenting themselves as employees? At the end of the day, these user-generated pages are liabilities. And as much as it may pain you to shut-down one of these pages, is the liability worth it?

We recommend brands migrate the fans of user-generated brand pages to the brand's official brand page. For current members of these pages, it's a seamless experience. How do you think Coca-Cola got to be the #2 brand on Facebook with over 3MM fans... it's mostly because they combined all the user-generated pages.

5. I'm noticing more and more brands integrating Facebook into advertising. For instance, T.G.I. Friday's is running television spots in which they've promised to give free hamburgers when their page reaches 500K fans. What are other ways to bring attention to your fan page?
Here's three things - ranging from free to paid. The cheapest way is to use a "Become a Fan" button on your homepage. If someone is already logged into Facebook, then clicking on the button adds them as a fan without having to leave your site. Second, you can put a link to your Facebook page in your communications - emails, newsletters, etc. Lastly, consider buying a roadblock on Facebook. We've noticed great success in growing the number of fans on pages with this type of media buy.

Social Media: What To Do When A Non-Fan Rallies More Non-Fans

Coca-Cola found itself at the center of a heated (global) debate when the brand's community manager opened a Facebook thread about their Dasani water.  With 3.6MM fans, the #2 brand on Facebook, starts threads on their discussion tab daily. But on August 5, 2009, Coca-Cola began to realize that even on pages where most people are fans, not all people are fans.

The seemingly innocent topic started with a question that would rally 88 skeptics (as of this post):

"Congress is demanding to know the sites and sources of Coke's Dasani brand water. When will Coke tell the public where its water is coming from?"

To start, I applaud Coca-Cola's willingness to enter the conversation to state its position, restraint in stepping away from the conversation after stating that position, and still allowing the community to discuss the hot issue (i.e. where does Dasani get its water). While I don't recommend using humor to diffuse a situation like Coca-Cola attempted, at least they're trying to display humanly characteristics. I like that they displayed firmness with their position and even pointed people to their site for more information. Another nice element is that Coca-Cola responded fairly quickly. Within three hours of the initial post Coca-Cola had formed an opinion; something we can solve by going through scenario planning before we open topics on the discussion tab.
 
There's an important underlying issue that Coca-Cola now faces: ensure that this topic doesn't jump into another social space.

Of the 100 threads started by Coca-Cola, this thread has received the most comments. And even weeks after breaking, the thread continues to receive new posts. The important thing for Coca-Cola at this point is to monitor other social platforms to make sure someone doesn't throw the conversation to Twitter to blow up. On Facebook fan pages, it's growing increasingly important to monitor conversations that garner attention/comments faster than normal. This allows brands to address issues before it reaches critical mass.

The Takeaway
What worked:
• Responded within hours of initial post
• Re-affirmed position in a second post instead of changing stance
• Kept the conversation going instead of closing the thread
• Giving a link to more information about their process
• Tried to change the subject by opening new thread topics
• Using a branded URL shortener to track user interactions

What didn't work:
• Trying to diffuse the situation with humor

What they need to do:
• Monitor other social platforms (e.g. Twitter) to make sure the conversation doesn't jump and then blow-up
• Prevent users from making personal attacks on each other

Coke did some things right. But if implemented from here on out, the lessons they (hopefully) learned will produce better corporate respect and more loyal fans.

Can Advertising Improve The Online User Experience

Old experience without ads

Let's talk about ads. Some people love them and some people hate them. As brand stewards, we're looking for places to put our messages; aperture moments in which consumers are receptive and likely to pay attention. But to consumers, all they see are roadblocks to desireable content. Roadblocks often manifesting themselves as commercials, pages in magazines, and homepage take-overs online.

New experience with ad

But imagine if advertising enhanced the way consumers interact with desired content. Some brands, such as Dove with Go Fresh, have begun to air mini series during commercial breaks for shows like Gossip Girl. Since their commercials feature one of the show's stars, Dove has successfully turned a roadblock into a connection opportunity. And in magazines, advertorials have long blurred the lines of selling versus informing. But online, making ads work with the content that someone seeks has yet to be perfected. Well, so I thought.

This week, while visiting a site I frequent almost daily (dictionary.com), I was startled by the advertising. Not startled like, "Oh look at these dancing babies for Evian water," but, in a good way. For those that have visited dictionary.com, then you share my sentiment that the experience is marred by its cluttered layout. On the site, users are forced to wade through an experience lacking the nurturig touch of a good experience architect (XA). This week though, the site seems to be trying something new: using the ads to clean-up the user experience. And they want to know what you think of it too. (There's a link to email them feedback dead center on the home page.)

Although the advertising is featured quite prominently, the ease of searching is significantly enhanced. To illustrate, upon landing on the page now, the search field is moved to the center of the page. There are no distracting columns of text and banner ads. Rather, the new layout delivers a clear nod to search engines such as its parent company, Ask as well as Google and Bing. And with the ad more prominently featured, I'm sure dictionary.com is making more money than its traditional banner unit inventory.

So, we now have a win-win situation - improved UI for the visitor and probably more money for the site. An experience that has been enhanced due to the advertising. (Gasp.) I wonder how long it will take Google, Bing, and Ask to start wrapping their search fields in a advertisement?

A Content Delivery Strategy Worth Praising

Digitally, habits between the generations vary. While Gen Yers tend to focus on entertainment and communication, older generations prefer utility and information. So, when I came across Jack Welch's latest online endeavor, Everybody's Business on MSN, I was pleased to see how it bridged entertainment and utility for a Boomer audience.

From a strategic lens, the site is nothing short of exceptional. First, the content is compelling. Jack and his wife, Suzy, are two of the most respected business thought-leaders. And in their web series, they lend their expertise to companies interested in launching new products or services; companies such as Hertz and Dominos. The show takes users on a journey - into the board room, into the back offices, and onto production lines to see how the companies operate and how the business is driven forward. It's like the Apprentice, except from the perspective of senior management instead of marketers on the ground.

Second, the delivery of the content is brilliant. The experience caters to someone that's an information hound. It takes into account that people will likely poke around the site; so as users explore, the video player reacts by pausing and allowing previews of upcoming scenes.

Here are a few reasons why this experience is a best-in-class example of delivering content through an engaging and interactive manner:

Integrated Polling: Viewers participate in polls every few minutes. They appear over the video as it plays, and then shows the results of the community after you enter a vote.

Dynamic content delivery: To the right of the video player, a box presents relevant content to the discussion in the video. For example, as different people speak, it gives their background and some information about their objectives. This experience is like a modern-day take of VH-1's pop-up videos - delivering interesting information that can't be voiced-over.

Smart Previews: Similar to Hulu, the video player allows viewers to preview scenes to come by holding down the scroll bar. Another great feature is that the videos in the Extras section will play in-place when users simply put their mouse over them. These smart previewing options result in a higher completion rate of videos while still feeding the impulse of viewers to explore.

Extras: These "behind the scenes" clips deliver an experience similar to director's commentary. Viewers can see footage that was left on the cutting room floor and get a deeper understanding of each of the executives at the company.

Automatic Pausing: When users engage with content, the video player pauses - allowing people to jump in and out of parts of the site without having to re-start the video from the beginning.

Branded Content: The box above the footer navigation delivers rotating call-outs to Microsoft white-papers. Users can click on the content to download, which does not interrupt the video from playing.

ALT View: By clicking the Overview button in the top right corner, users are given a different way for them to view the content. The simple ability to change the layout of the site is a feature that almost every site lacks, which is another reason that this one is exceptional.

Nailing target behavior proved a hit in this experience. Think of how you might entice your audience to engage more if your delivery changed.

Innovation That Can Save The Publishing Industry

For the past few years, the publishing industry has undeniably experienced turmoil - shrinking circulation, declined ad sales, and an aging reader base. Today, younger consumers are accustomed to consuming content through digital channels, both online and through their mobile phones. Consumers crave real-time information and a social experience. To no surprise, magazines are throwing up Websites and creating iPhone apps in an attempt to hold on to an increasingly tech-savvy audience. Still, Website growth and iPhone app penetration for publishers creeps along at near glacial paces. Alas, a beacon of hope - a shining example of a company that has the potential to stabilize and (dare I say) revitalize the fashion category. And if publishers pay attention to the innovation displayed in this start-up, then every magazine stands to benefit.

As I read the NY Times this week (on my iPhone may I add), I stumbled upon an article about Polyvore. Started in 2007, Polyvore offers a service that has virtually flown under the radar of digital strategist. Their site allows users to take images from around the Web and combine them into collages. Most of the three million unique monthly viewers create fashion collages, mixing and matching their favorite pieces from old and new collections. On average, visitors spend close to eight minutes per session on the site - more than Vogue's style.com, instyle.com and even the NY Times online. So, what's the connection between making collages and saving the publishing industry?
 

Simply, it's engagement. Polyvore has tapped into an insight that deeply penetrates Gen Y and the upcoming wave of Digital Natives. That insight is, while content may be king, the delivery strategy is the throne. For example, consider President Obama, hailed as 2008's marketer of the year. His content - words delivered in town halls, debates and interviews - resonated because they were spread online, person-to-person and offline in daily conversation. He did what few, if any, presidential campaigns had accomplished before. He made his message social. And in making it social, the message became engaging.

Leave it up to Vogue and they'll say engagement is creating a video-centric micro-site, a la Vogue.TV. And ask Ralph Lauren and he will point to his iPhone application as engaging. But, they're both wrong. Engagement is not simply creating a video or an application. Rather for an experience to be engaging, it must turn a user from a passive consumer of content to an active participant. In print, think Cosmopolitan polls or Men's Health workout checklist. In digital, think Polyvore.

From Polyvore, the publishing industry can learn that there's power in turning consumers into creators of content. This is the lesson that YouTube, Flickr and other user-generated experiences have taught marketers.

Three Ways This Can Help Publishers
1. Increase Awareness

• Allow people to have an avatar on their social media profiles. Giving people something permanent to put in their social media profiles will help turn social media into "earned media."
• Partner with a traditional fashion magazine to provide the "look of the week." This will unlock content syndication opportunities.
• Partner with Fashion Week and provide a widget for user engagement with their site. This will drive traffic and position Polyvore as a leader in fashion trends.
• Partner with Project Runway or another fashion show on TV for more exposure offline and through their online outlets.
Create an iPhone application. This will allow fans to stay connected to the experience on-the-go.

2. Generate Revenue
• Provide contextual advertising, which should leverage a "pull" model based on user actions and interests.
• Open an eStore with exclusive deals from a handful of brands.
• Figure out how to sell the user data about what people like. Even consider conducting "insider" research for designers or fashion buyers to get a read-out on upcoming trends.
• White label the technology for other major eRetailers (e.g. Macy's, Nordstrom) to enhance their shopping experience.

3. Enhance the User Experience
• Allow users to view collections of designers and vote on their favorites. Once this information is collected, optimize the experience for individuals to filter based on most popular, most emailed, most talked about, etc.
• Enable profit-sharing by allowing users to "sell" looks and get points or money.
• Invite prominent fashion stylists to contribute. Feature one a week; give a discount.
• Develop a style guide that has "go-to" looks for people that have not been blessed with a fashion gene.

Why Polyvore's Experience Works
Ease of entry: It's easy for users to become creators of content. For example, in a few steps of creating a profile and then dragging images, the user has published a collage. More advanced users can upload content, but the experience caters to Forrester's Inactives and Creators.

Personalization: Since everyone has a unique style, the site experience tailors to the user.

Metrics: It gives users a way to measure their influence through metrics (e.g. how many people like a user's set). 

Social: Polyvore makes the experience social by allowing individuals to views what other users have created as well as allowing content to be spread throughout social media.

Low maintenance: Leverages user-generated content through image uploads as well as cataloging from designers.

Permanence: When users upload images, then a bookmark for Polyvore is created. Now, every time a user opens their browser, they're reminded about the site.

So, who will be the first publisher to turn consumers into creators of content?

• Allow people to have an avatar on their social media profiles. Giving people something permanent to put in their social media profiles will help turn social media into "earned media."
• Partner with a traditional fashion magazine to provide the "look of the week." This will unlock content syndication opportunities.
• Partner with Fashion Week and provide a widget for user engagement with their site. This will drive traffic and position Polyvore as a leader in fashion trends.
• Partner with Project Runway or another fashion show on TV for more exposure offline and through their online outlets.
Create an iPhone application. This will allow fans to stay connected to the experience on-the-go.

2. Generate Revenue
• Provide contextual advertising, which should leverage a "pull" model based on user actions and interests.
• Open an eStore with exclusive deals from a handful of brands.
• Figure out how to sell the user data about what people like. Even consider conducting "insider" research for designers or fashion buyers to get a read-out on upcoming trends.
• White label the technology for other major eRetailers (e.g. Macy's, Nordstrom) to enhance their shopping experience.

3. Enhance the User Experience
• Allow users to view collections of designers and vote on their favorites. Once this information is collected, optimize the experience for individuals to filter based on most popular, most emailed, most talked about, etc.
• Enable profit-sharing by allowing users to "sell" looks and get points or money.
• Invite prominent fashion stylists to contribute. Feature one a week; give a discount.
• Develop a style guide that has "go-to" looks for people that have not been blessed with a fashion gene.

Why Polyvore's Experience Works
Ease of entry: It's easy for users to become creators of content. For example, in a few steps of creating a profile and then dragging images, the user has published a collage. More advanced users can upload content, but the experience caters to Forrester's Inactives and Creators.

Personalization: Since everyone has a unique style, the site experience tailors to the user.

Metrics: It gives users a way to measure their influence through metrics (e.g. how many people like a user's set). 

Social: Polyvore makes the experience social by allowing individuals to views what other users have created as well as allowing content to be spread throughout social media.

Low maintenance: Leverages user-generated content through image uploads as well as cataloging from designers.

Permanence: When users upload images, then a bookmark for Polyvore is created. Now, every time a user opens their browser, they're reminded about the site.

So, who will be the first publisher to turn consumers into creators of content?