How to identify and take advantage of surprising behaviors, communities, and obsessions of social media users to meet your business goals.

1. How to be an
Internet Anthropologist
Social Media Week 2014
--#smwanthropology
@gsg
@hughadam
@its_alexflores

2. an·thro·pol·o·gy / noun
the study of human races, origins, societies,
and cultures

3. Every minute, people pump information into the
internet.
This represents more than just numbers. These
are very human behaviors, moments,
passions, fears, and aspirations.
This is culture.

4. The Megaphone
Process (old timey
PR & marketing)
1.Figure out what is
important to me.
2.Shout about it,
aggressively.
3.Wonder why it’s not
becoming important
to other people.

5. The DJ Process
(what needs to
happen now)
1.Figure out what
other people like
now and what they
will like soon.
2.Give them those
things.
3.Repeat.

6. HEY LET’S ROCK IT
IN SOCIAL!!1!! WE
NEED A TWITTER
STRATEGY!!1! WE
NEED A SNAPCHAT
STRATEGY!!!! LET’S
ENGAGE WITH THE
CONVERSATIONS
LOL!!

7. HEY LET’S ROCK IT
IN SOCIAL!!1!! WE
NEED A TWITTER
STRATEGY!!1! WE
NEED A SNAPCHAT
STRATEGY!!!! LET’S
ENGAGE WITH THE
CONVERSATIONS
LOL!!

8. Why do people pin
things? Why would
they pin our things?
What are people
asking about? Can we
answer? What things
are folks obsessed
about? Could they
obsess about us?

9. Why do people pin
things? Why would
they pin our things?
What are people
asking about? Can we
answer? What things
are folks obsessed
about? Could they
obsess about us?

10. Behaviors, then channels.
Verbs, then nouns.
Ask: Why?

11. “Okay so just what kinds of
‘human’ behaviors are we talking
about here, guys?”

12. Behavior 1:
Chronicling

13. People chronicle live events

14. People chronicle trips

15. People chronicle achievements

16. People chronicle complaints

17. People chronicle aspirations and fantasies

18. Try this: Next time you’re about
to watch a televised speech,
sports event or big television
premier, follow the hashtag and
related terms.
What compels people to share
thoughts and images as they
happen?

19. Behavior 2:
Asking

20. People ask about “how?” and “what’s
happening?”

21. People ask about health issues

22. People ask about each other

23. Try this: Type questions into
your searches that your
company or organization
could answer.
Are people asking these
questions? Is anyone
answering?

24. Behavior 3:
Collecting and
obsessing

25. People collect artifacts

26. People collect “inspirational” “quotes”

27. People collect jokes

28. People collect things they want to have

29. People obsess over almost anything

30. People obsess over almost anything you can

31. People obsess over almost anything you can
think of

32. Try this: Identify one or more
things you are interested in: a
sports team, a social issue, TV
show, etc. Obsess and collect on
Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram,
Twitter, Meetup... any new
channel you hear of.
What content finds its way to all
these channels? Could these
topics and behaviors relate to your
organization?

33. “Now how do you suppose we get our head
around all this and what it means for the
company?”

34. Make blobs.

35. Draw a blob and
write words in it
that make up your
organization or
issue what it is.
PROGRAMS
AND
INITIATIVES
HISTORY
PEOPLE,
CULTURE
AND
EXPERTS
LOCATIONS
YOUR
BRAND
PRODUCTS
OR MISSION
PROCESSES
OR DATA

36. For example,
here’s one for
American
Automobile
Association
(AAA).
Old ads
and
manuals
Roadside
assistance
guys
Infrastructure
investment
advocacy
AMERICA!
AAA
State-specific
chapters
Distance
data
Triptik
folks
Driving
data
Maps

37. Now draw
overlaps between
your brand blob
and what people
are interested in
on the internet.
Old ads
and
manuals
Roadside
assistance
guys
Infrastructure
investment
advocacy
AMERICA!
AAA
State-specific
chapters
Distance
data
Triptik
folks
Driving
data
Maps

38. People
chronicling
roadtrips
People collecting
historical stuff
People asking
about car
maintenance
Old ads
and
manuals
Roadside
assistance
guys
Infrastructure
investment
advocacy
AMERICA!
AAA
Distance
data
Triptik
folks
People who
geek out
about their
city or state
Maps and
data nerds
State-specific
chapters
Driving
data
Maps

39. Now it’s time to blob together, you guys.

40. So what?
This is where an effective,
people-first content strategy starts.

41. ❏ Homework:
Open lots of tabs: surf Tumblr & Instagram tags,
spy on Meetup.com groups, go down the
Wikipedia rabbit hole. Get weird.
Grow and refine your brand blobs. Figure out
the connections. Ask: Which are the most
lucrative connections? What kinds of content
and activities will appeal to these people?

42. Thanks!
@hughadam
@its_alexflores
@emily_williams
@lukepartridge
@lmamaio
@Meirabb
@jonathanmlesser
@gsg