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A Presentation About Community, By The Community neilperkin.typepad.com Image credit: http://dicksdaily.co.uk/

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WHO AM I? neilperkin.typepad.com

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This is a presentation with a difference. Because it’s written not by one person, but by many It’s a presentation about the power of online communities. And since almost everything I have learnt about how online communities work have come from being part of one, I figured it would be best if I let them tell you how it all works. So I put a post on my blog, and asked them to contribute one slide on what they felt was important. And almost 30 of them did. Planners, strategists, digital specialists, media owners…very bright people all. So look out for the credits at the bottom of their slides. I have added my own slides to give context and cohesiveness to everyone’s thinking, but these are the words of the community. So enjoy.

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SO WHAT’S SO IMPORTANT ABOUT ONLINE COMMUNITIES? http://www.flickr.com/photos/pogonophobia/

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Source: Future Foundation: Entertainment Futures 2007 Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kicey/ SOCIAL IS BECOMING A PART OF ALL MEDIA STREAMS Social dimensions are paramount to most people … and most forms of entertainment “ The desire to be part of a group that shares, cooperates, or acts in concert is a basic human instinct.” Clay Shirky

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Media brands are increasingly defined less by the platform and more by the community http://www.flickr.com/photos/hankins/

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EMPOWERED USERS, UNLIMITED CHOICE Everyone is a media owner http://www.flickr.com/photos/esparta/

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THE RELATIONSHIP IS NO LONGER LINEAR http://www.flickr.com/photos/timothyschenck/

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In the old days, hierarchy was the network http://www.flickr.com/photos/splorp/ Charles Frith, Punk Planning, Bangkok…http://www.charlesfrith.com/

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“ The other guys think the purpose of communication is to get information . We think the purpose of information is to foster communication. ” Mark Zuckerberg, CEO Facebook http://www.flickr.com/photos/differentperspective/114394347/ Jason Oke, Director, Strategic Planning, Juniper Park, Canada…http://jasonoke.wordpress.com/

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The internet is for people . For people to form groups Groups with shared purposes http://flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/ David Cushman, Brando Digital…http://fasterfuture.blogspot.com/

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/adviceposters/sets/72157602720078403/ WE HAVE TO RELEARN WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW

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SO WHAT’S THE BIG SECRET? http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

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ONLINE COMMUNITIES CAN BE A PUZZLE www.spy.org.es/upload/actuacion/imagen-35.jpg

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"Over and over again, connecting people with one another is what lasts online. Some folks thought it was about technology, but it's not.“ Seth Godin Image: http://www.gapingvoid.com/ UNTIL YOU REMEMBER THAT IT’S NOT ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY

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“It’s about relationships” Andrew Rogers, Head of User Content Development, RBI…http://engagement101.blogspot.com/

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“ At some point the anonymity of the internet transformed into a social networking clearinghouse of daily minutiae…and most of us willingly opted in, choosing the ease and comfort of virtual intimacy over a lonely existence of real world disconnectedness” (The Psychology of Sharing, Scott Lachut) Image: Wollas (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wollas/2571298396/ Jon Howard, Strategy Director, Quietstorm …http://jonhoward.typepad.com/livingbrands/ AND BEING HUMAN

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Facu Medina, Argentina…http://www.alwaystrytogowithsomethingelse.blogspot.com/ AND BEING HUMAN

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Communities are like dysfunctional families. Dysfunction is natural, not abnormal. Stanley Johnson, Senior Creative, Wunderman, Melbourne…http://branddna.blogspot.com/ AND BEING HUMAN

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Online communities aren’t like the real world, they ARE the real world. Being authentic and polite are the ONLY ways operate As people change, so will the online communities they form - being right isn’t important, but being right there is Predicting how we form and shape our communities online is impossible. But it is safe to say that the future will be awesome. Sam Ismail, Digital Strategist…http://www.samismail.com/

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Higher repeat visits More repeat custom More loyal users More loyal customers Higher levels of interaction More opportunities to interact More useful site Better customer experience More content More feedback, ideas More traffic More people talking about your brand More links More word-of-mouth referrals More authority Something worth talking about THE VIRTUOUS CIRCLE

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SO HOW CAN I CREATE A COMMUNITY?

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WRONG QUESTION

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“ Communities already exist. Instead, think about how you can help that community do what it wants to do” Mark Zuckerberg

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Blog Her/Compass Partners 2008 Social Media Study UNDERSTAND THAT MOTIVATIONS ARE DIFFERENT

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Listen when online communities speak : they often perform the role of an oracle Photo credit: John William Waterhouse, ‘Consulting the Oracle’, 1884 (reproduction of original painting) Anjali Ramachandran, Strategist, Made By many, http://one-size-fits-one.blogspot.com/

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/twenty_questions/ AND ACT ON THEIR FEEDBACK

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AND GET STUCK IN http://slimgoodies.tumblr.com/ Encourage discussion, be a part of it

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Community is not a place. It’s about people. People own their communities: brands don’t. http://www.flickr.com/photos/piet_musterd/1858568495/ Katy Lindemann - Naked Communications - kitschbitch.com

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The community decides. You don’t John Dodds … http://makemarketinghistory.blogspot.com/

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“ One part anarchy, one part aristocracy, one part democracy, one part monarchy” Jimmy Wales on the Wikipedia Community http://www.flickr.com/photos/vhata/

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9 1 90 Every community has super-users – high authority, highly active Know who they are

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‘ enabling’ networks social networks, blogging software etc super users sidekicks citizens lower profile content generators Gemma Teed, Strategic Planner, Brahm …http://almostalwaysthinking.com/ BUT COMMUNITY HAS LAYERS, RESPECT THEM ALL

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BECAUSE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF COMMUNITIES COMES FROM OUR UNDERSTANDING OF PEOPLE http://www.flickr.com/photos/pulpolux/

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“ Our focus should be not on emerging technologies but on emerging cultural practices .” – Henry Jenkins, Professor of Comparative Media, MIT and author of Convergence Culture: When Old and New Media Collide Faris Yakob, Chief Tech Strategist, McCann Erickson New York…http://farisyakob.typepad.com/

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Pic by skeddy in NYC on Flickr (CC Licence) If you want to know what technology will change the world, watch young mothers and don't watch teenage boys - young mothers have no time for any technology that isn't useful and doesn't work. Clay Shirky, 2005 Dan Thornton, Bauer…http://thewayoftheweb.net/

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THE RAPIDLY CHANGING ROLE OF CONTENT http://www.flickr.com/photos/inflite/

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Media owners shouldn’t lose sight of what they’re really good at: Delivering content Will Humphrey, Strategist, Lowe London …http://wannabeadman.blogspot.com/

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BUT THE VALUE EQUATION IS CHANGING Content = Attention Content, tools, services = Attention, participation, interaction, content http://www.flickr.com/photos/wespionage/

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Graeme Wood, Client Planning Director, Zed Media ... http://graewood.blogspot.com/ “ Content isn't king.. If I sent you to a desert island and gave you the choice of taking your friends or your movies, you'd choose your friends -- if you chose the movies, we'd call you a sociopath. Conversation is king. Content is just something to talk about” Cory Doctorow SO CONTENT IS NO LONGER KING, IT IS NOW THE ENABLER

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SO SUCCESS WORKS DIFFERENTLY http://www.flickr.com/photos/8998965@N05/

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Make it as easy as possible for your fans to find it and spread the word If the web is a mass of conversations, then get talked about Create content and services that are worth passing on CREATE CONTENT THAT IS REMARKABLE http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldflints/

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ADD VALUE http://www.flickr.com/photos/artsyt/ "In the past you were what you owned. Now you are what you share." Charles Leadbeater – We Think

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It’s like having a beer with millions. Still need a good gag or a story for anyone to care. Jim Dowling, Managing Partner, Cake Group…http://jimdowling.typepad.com/

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How Community Engagement Models work: Brand Benefit Information and Reduced cost to Serve BRAND NARRATIVE (Being interesting) DATA THROUGH DIGITAL CHANNELS Leading to Behavior Change Customer Benefit Involvement BRAND UTILITY (Being Useful) Mark Hancock, Strategy Director, Agency.com…http://www.holycow.typepad.com/

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Mark Earls, Author of HERD…http://herd.typepad.com/

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VIDEO DIDN’T KILL THE RADIO STAR …BUT SOCIAL MEDIA HAS CHANGED COMMUNICATIONS FOR GOOD

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<ul><li>3 million online donors </li></ul><ul><li>6.5 million online donations …$500m </li></ul><ul><li>Almost 2x as much as McCain </li></ul><ul><li>Of these 6m were $100 or less </li></ul><ul><li>Average online donation $80 </li></ul>

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/picturesofthings/3009655146/ Mobilising Offline And On 4.8 million facebook fans 200,000 events 500,000 blog posts 35,000 volunteer groups Ben Akin-Smith, Head of Strategy, Enable Interactive…http://www.akin-smith.com/

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The “Purpose Idea”: What are you for? Mark Earls, Author of HERD…http://herd.typepad.com/

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COMMUNITIES CAN AFFECT REAL, POSITIVE CHANGE Niko Herzeg, Holland …http://ontimewithnowheretogo.blogspot.com/ Daniella’s story http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2009/01/neighbors-neighborhoods.html

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Thousands of people from around the world create, upload, share, discuss and purchase original LEGO creations online every day They probably wouldn’t all fit around this table http://www.flickr.com/photos/misbehave/ Willem van der Horst, Strategist, iris Digital…http://icecream4everyone.blogspot.com/

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The Power of Online Communities The Power of Online Co mutinies Simon Kendrick, ITV …http://curiouslypersistent.wordpress.com Dell Hell Motrin Moms Whole Foods Disclosure Apple Stock Crash

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Ian Fitzpatrick, Almighty, Boston, Massachusetts (http://weblog.hvyset.com)

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamshots/ So What About You?

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3. It means you get digital…the nuances and potential of social media. And how it works. Because you’re doing it, not looking at it. 5. But most of all, it shows you’re bothered. You have an opinion. You’re not afraid to express it. You're passionate about your subject. And real passion is rare indeed. 4. It’s by far the best way to network FIRESTARTERS: 5 REASONS BLOGGING IS WORTH IT 1. You start fires. Blogging forces you to come up with new stuff. To be interesting. 2. It means you understand the value of connection. And are connected. To great thinking and other interesting people.

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Eaon Pritchard, Head of Digital, Geronimo … http://www.eaonpritchard.blogspot.com/

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Andy Hunter, Reboot Strategy, Austin TX. http://experiencefreak.com/blog/

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Without online communities my brain would starve http://www.flickr.com/photos/spinksy/2951033544/in/set-72157607291515677/ Matt Moore, Innotecture, Australia …http://engineerswithoutfears.blogspot.com/

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IT’S ABOUT BEING GENEROUS WITH YOURSELF http://thisisindexed.com/

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THE MORE GENEROUS YOU ARE, THE MORE YOU GET BACK Quote: Paul Arden “It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be”

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So there you have it Thousands of pounds worth of consultancy…freely given. That’s how community works.

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Particular and public thanks to all those who have contributed to make this presentation what it is. http://www.flickr.com/photos/alphadslr/

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neilperkin.typepad.com