SMO, SMM, CGM – Social Media Acronyms are here to stay

by Tristan Owen

Social Media has been stirring quite a commotion over the last year. 50 Million blogs are now tracked by Technorati, 100 million videos are downloaded each day on YouTube and there are 107 Million members on Social Networking site MySpace. If 2006 was the year that propelled these companies into stardom, what of 2007?

As I sit at my desk contemplating life, the universe and seagulls, I can’t help but wonder where the substance lies in Social Media. For example, a social networking site or blog is an intangible ‘thing’; it can’t be touched or felt and it doesn’t have a physical substance. And yet online monoliths such as Google are willing to invest billions of dollars into these community websites. How then does Google value networking communities? A simple answer would be numbers; the more people in a community, the more advertising revenue can be generated. I think this is an easy way out of a difficult question; like sending more troops to Iraq to cement democracy.

Due to my current ‘newbie’ status I cannot claim to have all the answers, I can, however,argue that the value lies not only in numbers, but in the ability of those numbers to multiply. It seems Metcalfe’s Law is important here: the value of a network grows proportionally to the number of users. Without others with which to communicate, a network becomes ineffective. The more users that continue to join a network therefore add more value to the entire network. The reason for this may not be entirely due to numbers but more towards a host of variables such as the extended opportunity for sharing and generating content, communication channels and peer influence.

Enter CGM: Consumer Generated Media. Users of Social Media are now active in their media consumption and production, not just with information but with people. Social sharing sites such as Flickr (photos), Del.icio.us (links), Digg (news stories), Wikipedia (encyclopaedia articles) and blogs are just a few examples providing the Diesel for the Social Media Land Rover.

The widespread adoption of Social Media has major implications for marketers. Social Media creates an untapped pool of ideas and tastes, a buzz-building machine for companies and brands and a database of users with demographic data and high traffic opportunities. Perhaps it is these factors that are worth the billions.

SMO & SMM
So how do SMO and SMM fit into this mish mash of Social Media? For starters, they may seem the same but are actually distinctly different. Social Media Optimisation (SMO) is optimising a website in order to spread content through social networks. In other words, creating video, multimedia or intriguing content on your webpage so that it is mentioned, linked to and spread across the Social Media hemisphere. This includes all onpage refinement such as design, usability and functionality. Having a Digg This and Del.icio.us icons are equally critical.

Social Media Marketing (SMM) on the other hand is about creating and distributing content through social networks by some form of viral marketing. Video viral clips have become the standard for creating buzz and attracting users. Perhaps one day the QuirkStars will don the dance floor and show the world how to really shake some ass. Surely this would add credibility to our reputation?!

The point I am trying to make is that community networks and Social Media are going to play an increasingly important role for both consumers and businesses. If somebody says something bad or good about a company, chances are that it will spread, for that is the nature of Social Media.

At our upcoming WebPR+ conference, we extend these thoughts and detail how online PR, reputation management and Social Media can strengthen your company's presence, build your brand online and drive traffic to your website.

2007/01/16 | permalink | comments (3) | trackbacks (0)

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"The point I am trying to make is that community networks and Social Media are going to play an increasingly important role for both consumers and businesses. If somebody says something bad or good about a company, chances are that it will spread, for that is the nature of Social Media." This is already so. Online publicity has always been around, the social media 'arm' is just an extension to this. As for SMM, there are many ways to market via the social media sphere, Viral Marketing is probably the most prominent one of them all, however, I have a feeling we will be seeing a new strain of SMM in 07. One can also not forget the relationship between online media and print media, even though they are separate, they do have influence on each other. (obviously, seeing as people live in both worlds :P ) Speaking of worlds, and SMM for that matter, SecondLife is also a fun marketing playground to open up shop. Especially for an eMarketing firm. Rob, I suggest (if you havent already) to play around in there and perhaps expand with an additional office in the virtual world.

Posted by Stefano on 2007/01/17

Hi Stefano. When in the UK I played around on SecondLife quite a lot. I stopped because I realised it might become my first life (and Quake III is also very fun... ;). The concept of an Agency setting up on 2nd Life.... I'm still on the fence in terms of cost/benefit, particularly for Quirk. That said, if in a years time its looking like a must, we'll do it. We can't pioneer everything unfortunately, sometimes you gotta stick to your knitting.

Posted by Rob on 2007/01/18

hah :) there is a PR firm in the US that has opened up shop in secondlife, cant remember what they are called. WRT cost/benefit, I can only imagine it to be experimental at first, and the budgeting for such a campaign should be be considered a 'loss' in the sense that the resources should be geared toward 'research'. With a probation period and a bit of stress, i'm sure it could at least break-even, no? Even if the return is a bit of extra knowledge. Of course, that is if your plate is big enough, I'm trying to make space on mine :)

Posted by Stefano on 2007/01/19

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Recent Comments

Kat on Engaging as a Company

I agree with you. There are some things that should ideally not be discussed by an employee in the public sphere.
Would a communications policy have stopped the said journo from speaking out? He/she must have known a huge risk was being taken? I suppose it's also an incredibly difficult thing to predict. The lack of control can be alarming.
I'm definitely interested in seeing a more specific list, so if you find it do share.
Thank you for your comments :). Here's hoping there's a good coffee shop close to you..
vincent on Engaging as a Company

I guess the mark of a well crafted brand starts at HR policy for new recruits - ensuring that they fit the brand's/corporate's persona. So in that sense yes you could argue that left to their own devices employees would, regardless of an online communications policy, communicate in a style the sponsor would approve of. Not sure if that's always the case but I'm inclined to agree with this generalization.
I think what is also important is that the individual writing within the bounds of a sponsor's site does so in a restricted locale. You can police your own domain if you're a corporate, you can't necessarily control the individuals mouth outside of it. For instance on twitter, personal blogs and forums. Owing to the nature of niche stardom you could argue that the employee comes to represent the brand, more so than that personifies the brand in organic conversation with consumers and would carry significant weight both within corporate sites and externally. Making some individuals very wary to write for their companies at all.
For instance in our not too distant past a prominent journo got the boot for publishing his gripes with his employers and their professional ability - he was promptly fired...He would no doubt have been policed on a company blog but owing to the fact that he chose to represent the company elsewhere he took his brand and the papers brand with him - dragging both through the mud as traipsed on towards epic-failuredom...
So to come back to a point, there is definitely a sense that the policies as listed above are quite ambiguous. Even you yourself suggest that requisite legalese is absent, and I have to assume that such legalese would include a fairly long list of do's and dont's. I have a list somewhere laying about which dictates in a very bland corporate fashion how to represent the brand in public - if I find it I will share it with you.
Perhaps its worthwhile to enforce points like "don't tell secrets" and my own favourite, "for the love of god don't gripe about the boss who you've publicly named online"...
That's my mental-riff for the day, I'm afraid I veered rather uncharitably off course but such is the nature of thought.
Now if only the company I worked for had some decent coffee!!
Kat on Engaging as a Company

Transparency is a key issue - as is allowing people to carve their own niche.
My thinking is that people engage with a personality - an individual personality - in conversation more than with a collective. It's just easier. A company personality surely reflects the people who work there as well as a crafted (constructed?) image that the stakeholders choose to present. While you want engagement it's not the same as speaking to an individual.
There are definite risks involved - but I would lean towards allowing people to carve a niche.
vincent on Engaging as a Company

Couldn't have said it better. Nice post, it is most certainly something corporates are going to struggle with. How much transparency is too much? Who should be allowed to represent a brand and to what extent should the individual be given the opportunity to carve their own niche rather than extol the virtues of the mother - brand?
Who knows. We shall soon see as this year pans out and we find out how the big media players tackle the rise of the cost effective digital media channel.
Kat on Engaging as a Company

It is a tough issue, and I can understand why you've never published. I would encourage you to do so though - you probably have a feeling for when your writing reflects your voice and when it doesn't - and the rewards are worth it.
Thanks for reading Wendy. :)

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SMO, SMM, CGM – Social Media Acronyms are here to stay

by Tristan Owen

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