Social media communities have become the hottest marketing tool of the decade, but how can you tell if they are working? What are the ways to measure them? Are current marketing methods really the best way to measure a community? Learn how to start a successful community for under $100, and measure its success.

1. Measuring the Success
of Online Communities
Dave Linabury
SVP, Social Media Director
Campbell-Ewald

2. Who Am I and
Why the Hell
am I Qualified
to Talk About
Social Media?

3. Davezilla vs. Godzilla

5. In the End,
Godzilla
Backed Off.
Go Me.

6. An Intractable Problem
that Prevents Recruiting
Every Year

7. Moms.

8. Mothers have a
biological instinct to
protect their children

9. From the Navy,
apparently.

10. Moms don’t want to talk
to recruiters.
That’s worse than talking
to a used car salesman.

11. Our Proposal to the Navy:
We’ll build an online community for Moms
Moms can talk to moms who already have kids in the Navy
Open-source software to save money
All word of mouth to join
No Naval interference
Short of hate speech, no censorship

12. The Navy said…

13. “That just sounds
risky as Hell. Sir.”

14. Naval requirements to
Campbell-Ewald
This will be a six month test
No results? We pull the plug
If the results are good, refine and continue
You get to start the community in the worst recruiting area in
the country: Boston, Massachusetts
If you get results there, we’ll consider going national

15. Our Solution
Ning platform ($50/month)
Creative: A masthead design or three
Minimal engineering time (CSS and a widget or two)
Invite influential moms to populate during the soft launch
Pray

16. Secret Sauce
Googled Navy blogger Moms
Got 40,000 results
Invited 71 moms that had large followings to start the
community; 67 agreed
The moms added content for 2 weeks
while construction ensued

17. NAVYForMoms.com™ was born

18. My son is thinking of joining navy and i
am researching different programs navy
offers for new recruits. I had a lot of
This site is so warm and welcoming. reservations about signing papers for him
I looked at other Navy Mom/parent to join.
sites and was very disapointed but this
site was refered to me by a family member I guess what im trying to say is this
and I was totally blown away by the whole is the best research i have done so
thing. Technically you have done an far. Reading through different sites many
awesome job and the Moms have stepped of my ?’s have been answered and have
up and done the rest. I feel like I have found really good advise along way. Best
come home to my sister/moms and part i have actually been able to nd
they have welcomed me with open some info on what my son is interested in
arms and loving hugs. and have been thrown out of sites where
i thought i could nd info. Reminding me
Thank you —Laura that my son is going to be in government
job which do require security. So thank
you for your advice . It has made me see
things differently.
—Sylvia C. Meraz

19. To say it took off
would be a bit of an
understatement

20. 000+
100, s
P hoto 000+
27, 000+ 1,
bers Gr oups
Mem
7 50+
00+
6,0 s
Vid eos ents
150+ Ev T opic

21. Some potential recruits
began to show up on
NAVYForMoms instead
of Navy.com

22. 16 year old son?!?!?!?!?!?!
How should I tell my Mom?
hey i found this web site while i
was on the navy SEAL
website.... i am 16 years old i am I'm thinking about joining
not a mom but i need a mothers and I was hoping you ladies
point of view.... i really want to could offer me some advice
join the SEAL's and i think my on how I should tell my
mom would cry for days if i told
her i wanted to join the navy.... i mom. She's really sensitive
need to know how i should and this is something she
approach her with this because i will stress about constantly.
hate doing things like meeting
with a recruiter and taking the So do you have any advice
ASVAB behind her back.... for me? —Aimee Pintoski
i want to know how to earn
her support.... how would a
mother like to hear that her
son was going to join the
military what is the best way
for me to tell her??????? —Al

23. Sociological Data
A new mom joins the site every 21 minutes
She will post 4.2 personal photos
She will respond to 16 topics
She will watch 11 videos
She will invite four other moms

24. Viviane
Tina
Terry
Regina
Kimberly
Karen Davidson
Fred
Katey Lila
Marie
Jamie Nicole
SyracuseConnie
Heather Paul Libbey
Carolyn Love
Bill
Trish Vosburgh
Barb
HOW TO READ THIS MAP:
Social networks consist of two elements: Chris
Karen KAREN
GALLAGHER
nodes and edges. Super Influencer
Anita
LisaB
Nodes represent the people communi-
cating with each other. On this map,
Amber B
they are represented by colored circles. Angee
This chart was
Kay
Amber Patty Cole
Edges represent the connections be- Victoria
tween the nodes. In other words, who
Navy News
Char
created when there
StevesMom
spoke to whom. Nodes with many STEVE’SMOM
Theresa
edges (connections) show that person Potential Mom
turned Influencer
clearly reached out to lots of people
Mary Ellen
were only 96 women
Helen Martin
Julie MassMom
and thus had a lot of activity and en-
gagement; an important measure in
social media.
on the site. If we tried
Angela Jefferson
B. Smith
Larisa Elliot
to map the number of
Robin
Stacey Melanson
Allison McCann
Denise
Mary Pat
connec:ons now, the
Stephanie Henderson
Karen80
slide would be over
1/4 mile square.
Ann
Mari
Shirley Foland
Bridget Ralston
Carol Hughes
VICKIE HILL
Vickie Hill Potential Mom, Angie
highly motivated
Es:mated number of
Cathy Finch
Christine
Ronda
Chasati Martin
connec:ons between
MichelleB
Angela MacLeod
Chris Johston's Mom
Bruce Pennino
Jay Anderson
members has
Sha'
Joyce Tuscan Mom
Laurie Owens
Debbie
Elaine Roxann
Joyce Slabaugh Sherry Johnson LAURIE OWENS
Navy Mom, Influencer
exceeded 221,910.
Kim Mills
Diana Morris
Pat Gibson
Diane
John's Mom
Lucie Dunn
Maria Figueroa
Kathy Brandon's Mom
Sharon Simmons
Rita
Leann Castor
Susan J Tricia T
Sue
Melissa
Candy Girl
MaryAnn
Melanie
Peggy
Sheila
Shelly
Stephanie
Terry Whitney

25. She will change her mind
about the Navy on her 8th
day as a N4M member

26. Moms change their
minds for the same
reason every time…

27. They want to
be proud of
their kids, too.

28. Why Are Sociological Measures
Better than Marketing Ones?
We’re humans. Messy, unpredictable creatures.
How much do you love your Mom?
How well did your billboard do? Can you prove it? Really?
Office Party. Important. But not much ROI.

29. Is it ROI or IOR?
Return on Investment is sometimes utter shite.
Yeah, I said it.
What’s the investment of posting a tweet? Of a star rating?
Isn’t the Impact of Relationships more important?

30. Riple Effect

31. Thank You, LA2M!
@Davezilla
http://davezilla.com
davezilla@gmail.com
http://thenextengine.com
http://facebook.com/dave.linabury