Online Community Best Practices Slideshare and Zero Cost Publishing

Posted on March 14th, 2008 in: Community Manager, Community Marketing, Forrester

I’ve been presenting in public at conferences or webinars my high level findings from my recent research on Online Community Best Practices, the detailed version is on the Forrester site. I interviewed 17 companies and leaned on my experience launching the social media programs at previous companies. You can view the powerpoint on Slideshare.

The next time I’m presenting this is in Mountain View on March 25 (yes it’s open to men too), discount code for $50 off for Web Strategy readers is SNC325.

It seems counter-intuitive for me to share these presentations on the web as I’m often hired to present these to clients or at conferences, or hired for advisory, but in today’s social media world, my presentation has already been filmed, blogged, and talked about around the industry. The real value comes from the explanations and and insight from a researcher presenting their findings.

I’ve noticed an influx of the $100 Flip cameras (many received them free as giveaways), I spotted 1-3 of them in every panel I spoke at at SXSW, as well as half a dozen in the bloghaus. Cell phones have on board video, and can upload to the web in seconds. See, even analyst firms are impacted by changes that social media tools bring us. Information can’t be hidden, it simply hasn’t been published online.

The key is to learn to let go to gain more, learn how to offer additional value that a .PPT or a YouTube video can never fulfill. I look forward to presenting at your event!

Update: I forgot to include “Forum One Networks” as one of the companies included in the report. I can’t update this version (I tried on slideshare) and since it’s already being spread, I’m not going to update it, but for future iterations it will be updated.

  • Jeremy

    Very nice work Jeremiah, I think you were born to be a thought leader on social media. I’m a new subscriber to your blog which is great, along with following your tweets. Keep up the good work, I look forward to your future content.

  • http://www.andrewcafourek.com Andrew Cafourek

    Great presentation Jeremiah, I think it really provides a great overview of the perspectives needed for online social community involvement to work.

    And thanks for posting the entire thing online for the world to see!

  • http://danceamongelephants.wordpress.com Mike Mathews

    Not to become too base here, but think of your slides as the bait; the real information and highest value is in your interaction with a live audience and especially a specific group of people who can glean the full value of your insight in 1:1 or 1;few interaction.

    I am coming, slowly, to the conclusion that all the knowledge I have is really just the promotion for a company to work with me to reach their specific ends. The knowledge is only general until applied to specific circumstances (i.e., anybody can take a picture, but can they take a picture of this bottle, on Wednesday, at 1 pm, in Ulster, deliver the finished file in San Francisco on Thursday, and make it celebrate all things Irish?).

  • http://danceamongelephants.wordpress.com Mike Mathews

    Forgot to add the final paragraph:

    This is the same revolution we are seeing in the music industry. Most musicians really only make money when they perform live, be it a small jazz club or a large arena. The record labels make the money from the recordings and that money supports their efforts to promote the musicians. The web is now disintermediating the process, reducing the need for record labels and giving back the musicians more control over their creation, and musicians are now experimenting with giving away recordings in order to promote their live performance–parallel with your effort here today.

  • http://www.jmorganmarketing.com Jacob Morgan

    Hi Jeremiah,

    Just went through your presentation. On slide 11 you mention POST, what about the why? Establishing a motive before beginning to access your “people” is crucial. Your objective may be to create a leading blog on online marketing, but why? Are you trying to manage your online relationship? Increase brand awareness and visibility? Or are you just bored and want to make a blog for the hell of it?

    Understanding why you are making a blog to begin with, helps shape the rest of the process.

  • http://www.consumersphere.com Pat Furey

    excellent,excellent post.
    thorough and informative!
    thanks

  • http://www.jmorganmarketing.com Jacob Morgan

    Jeremiah,

    If you don’t mind, I also wanted to invite your readers to attend the Search Marketing Salon event in SF, more details can be found here, along with the rsvp.

    http://searchmarketingsalon.eventbrite.com

  • http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/ jeremiah_owyang

    Mike,

    Very insightful, the performing arts and analyst industry does have some ties. I’m going to mention that to my CEO next time I see him.

  • http://adjustafresh.com Scott

    @Jacob – I agree that business goals and objectives should define the “why” as you put it. I assumed (maybe incorrectly) that the why was established prior to deciding to engage in social media at all–the focus of the presentation.

    All objectives of the social media campaign should tie back to business goals.

  • http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/ jeremiah_owyang

    Jacob

    Good question. The “O” for Objectives help define this.

    We believe there’s a power shift, so companies need to first ‘listen’ and learn about the participants “P” before aligning a marketing objective.

    The power is in the hands of the users, so start with them first.

  • http://www.twitter.com/streetforce1 Mike Street

    Thanks for wonderful presentation yesterday. I really enjoyed the webinar and I hope you will be giving more through out the year. It really helps me the Dir. of Community Development for Associated Content to read your blog and hear what you have to say.

    http://www.twitter.com/streetforce1

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  • http://www.jmorganmarketing.com Jacob Morgan

    Jeremiah,

    I agree that there is a power shift, however that does not mean that a company should not address the issue of “why.”

    If I am a corporation trying to repair my online image, then my “why” is going to be something along the lines of “help repair the tarnished image of xyz by directly communicated with the customers, etc.”

    I think the “why” is the most crucial part, and is completely separate from the objective.

    The power is in the hands of the user that is correct, BUT that doesn’t mean companies should completely relinquish control, there is a balance. A company decides on the “why” and then works with the customers/users/readers to establish the “how.”

    Jacob

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  • http://www.uifoundation.org eric hodgson

    I caught this session last week and enjoyed it. It’s important to reinforce identifying roles rather than just assuming this will happen.

    Thanks for the information.

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  • http://danceamongelephants.wordpress.com/ Mike Mathews

    Not to become too base here, but think of your slides as the bait; the real information and highest value is in your interaction with a live audience and especially a specific group of people who can glean the full value of your insight in 1:1 or 1;few interaction.

    I am coming, slowly, to the conclusion that all the knowledge I have is really just the promotion for a company to work with me to reach their specific ends. The knowledge is only general until applied to specific circumstances (i.e., anybody can take a picture, but can they take a picture of this bottle, on Wednesday, at 1 pm, in Ulster, deliver the finished file in San Francisco on Thursday, and make it celebrate all things Irish?).

  • JG

    Hi Jeremiah – I found this post while searching for ‘community site best practice’ as i’m working on a pitch for a client. This preso is marked private, would you mind sharing with me?

    Thanks,

    JG