As anyone who spends time online could tell you, the Internet is growing and changing at an astounding rate. Take as evidence the graph below, which shows a consistent rise in social networking use among all age groups. As a web trafficker yourself, think for a moment about all of the changes that have taken place across the Internet in the last few years alone - In 2005, for example, tweeting was designated only for birds; today Twitter has become one of the most heavily trafficked sites on the Net… Change is happening fast and for companies to thrive they must adapt to and embrace this media revolution.
This graph alone should convey to any company the urgency of developing a social media presence
As this revolution persists many businesses struggle to keep up with the times. Traditionally, for large companies change is slow to come about. Yet within this ever-shifting environment, now more than ever companies must act quickly by integrating and committing to new technologies. For companies that are able embrace these technological changes, opportunities for creativity, innovation and growth are abound.
Above all else, a successful company first requires meaningful and effective communication. As Li and Bernoff explain throughout Groundswell, social media technologies provide numerous platforms through which people (including customers, employees and employers) can connect and communicate. As the authors explain in Chapter 11, not only is it important for companies to communicate with their consumers, but they also must communicate with their employees as well. As evidence of this fact, Li and Bernoff reference Best Buy's successful Blue Shirt Nation campaign. Although this website has since been discontinued, during its existence it provided a significant forum on which Best Buy employees could connect with each other by sharing their thoughts, ideas and insights about the company. The authors state that, “…In creating a collaboration tool, the company had also created a communication channel" (Li, 222). By providing their employees an open forum through which to communicate, Best Buy created a collaborative environment where employees felt involved and valuable.
These Blue Shirt Nation people may look kinda stupid, but they certainly appear to be happy employees.
When Li and Bernoff speak of embracing the power of the Groundswell, Blue Shirt Nation is an ideal case in point. When used effectively, social media have the power to bring people and ideas together... Yet success as in the case of Blue Shirt Nation is only achievable when a company has veritable intentions in mind. In the case of Best Buy, company executives truly wanted genuine feedback from their employees. They strived to create a better business and working environment that would in turn provide customers with a better shopping experience. These types of goals are universal, because everyone benefits; as a result, Blue Shirt Nation proved to be a master stroke.
It is clear from this and other examples provided throughout Groundswell that success in social media results only if the people want it. In the real world, when people share common interests, goals and/or desires, they incline to connect with each other. The same is true of the groundswell, where people's commonalities often lead them to form productive and substantive relationships.
For a company looking to tap into the vast potential of the groundswell, it is essential to realize that success comes only when everybody is on board. To access the potential benefits of groundswell technologies, the authors assert that companies must, “Promote a listening culture from the top down, ease and encourage participation with incentives, and find and empower the rebels in your organization" (Li, 227).
In chapter 12, Li and Bernoff contend that the groundswell will continue growing and evolving; “…The groundswell is about to get embedded within every activity, not just on computers, but on mobile devices and in the real world. This is the ubiquitous groundswell" (Li, 235). In the short time since Groundswell was published, changes like these have already taken form. So whether you like it or not, the Internet is now an integral part of our social, cultural and economic fabric. Just as individuals must learn to adapt, business, in all of its manifestations, must incorporate the tools afforded by new technologies in order to establish contemporary channels of communication. Companies that are failing to look forward and incorporate within this revolution must learn to adapt, lest they be left behind for good as the groundswell relentlessly advances.
Seeing as my blog concentrates on the use of social media in the music realm, for my monitoring assignment I thought it would be relevant to examine how particular bands can exploit social media to their benefit. This is especially worthwhile considering that much of the music industry is making an marked transition onto the web. The group I chose to track is a rock & roll band called The Black Keys. The Black Keys are an excellent social media monitoring case study because they have established a reputation across several Internet forums and have truly engaged with the groundswell. My project outlines how this band’s effective use of social media has undoubtedly contributed to their recent rise in popularity.
The Black Keys ~ Dan Auerbach (left) and Patrick Carney (right)
The Black Keys are blues-rock duo from Akron, Ohio made up of guitarist/singer Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band edged their way into the pop music scene in early 2002 and in the last decade since, The Black Keys have released 6 studio albums as well as two EPs and one live album. Over this time they have gained a solid reputation in music circles as a hard-edged and authentic rock band.
Over the last two years The Black Keys have experienced a surge in popularity, thanks in large part to their presence across several social media forums. In late 2010 and through 2011 in particular the band has witnessed an impressive spike in popularity that is currently holding steady. Shortly after winning two Grammy Awards in February 2011 for “best alternative music album” and “best rock performance” The Black Keys witnessed their peak in interest/popularity to date. Since winning their Grammys, the band has garnered growing recognition and support. The chart below displays the The Black Keys' relatively sudden rise in popularity since 2009. The highest spike in this chart directly corresponds with the band's February 13 Grammy Award victories.
Of all the major social media networks, The Black Keys have accounts on Facebook, Youtube, Myspace and Twitter. The band utilizes these platforms as means of distributing and promoting their music and merchandise as well as for notifying fans of upcoming shows and band-related events. On all of these pages the band provides a considerable amount of content for fans to peruse. On Facebook, for example, there are over 1000 photos, as well as free music samples that anyone can listen to. Similarly, on Myspace there are free songs, as well as videos, photos and chat-boards. Furthermore, each webpage links fans to band merchandise (i.e. CDs, t-shirts, totebags) and lists of future tour dates.
To track The Black Keys, I used a variety of quantitate and qualitative data sources, including Google Insights for Search, Addictomatic, Icerocket and Socialmention. Google Insights was particularly useful in providing a chronological timeline revealing The Black Keys’ trends in popularity, or so-called “interest over time.” As the graph below shows, when narrowing search terms specifically to uncover The Black Keys' social media relevance, the data reveals that the band’s recent rise in popularity directly coincides with their growing social media presence. Until mid-2009, The Black Keys were virtually nowhere to be found in the social media realm. Once they formed a presence on these platforms, the band’s popularity has risen precipitously.
Search results for The Black Keys on Addictomatic reveals that the band is popular across a wide range of web channels. For instance, websites like Flickr and Truveo have an abundance of content all related to The Black Keys. Flickr search results, for example, yield over 50,000 images that are tagged with 'the black keys'. Furthermore, according to Icerocket, the term 'the black keys' is tweeted about roughly 20 times per hour, certainly a substantial ratio.
Across every social media platform I have examined, comments and discussions regarding The Black Keys is almost entirely positive. Fans and followers praise the band for their fresh, “alternative” sound that some fans seem to find lacking in today’s mainstream music. On Facebook, every hour several fans leave comments on The Black Keys’ page, offering encouraging messages and displaying their affection for the band.
Here are a few examples of some comments posted to the bands Facebook wall:
“So inspiring-so amazing-so face-melting-rocking-my-socks-off goodness... i just love you guys!”
“Your show in Paris was something ! Thanks guys ! You are one of those bands that remind me why I love music so much. Come back soon please !”
“Thank you!! thank you!! i've been searching for many years to find a band that rocks as awesome as you guys do! Keep it up!”
“Seriously. The Black Keys are taking over the part of my brain that requires music. This is very strange for me.”
Nearly every comment on the band’s Facebook wall is equally supportive and admiring. Countless posters encourage the band to play a show in their city, while many others post simply to thank the band for their excellent music.
Similarly on Twitter, users are tweeting flattering comments about The Black Keys:
mellifluous1; “Omg I didn't know anyone else loved theblackkeysas much as I did. Heeey Heze! (February 26).”
katiemiranda; “can't stop listening to the black keys.... i need to get tickets (March 2).”
SaydiSunshine; “I've been listening to The Black Keys all day today. Yes (March 9).”
_UhhhhhSucks4U; “My new favorite song. The Black Keys-She's Long Gone *includes link to song* (March 13).”
It is evident from these and countless other examples that The Black Keys have effectively branded themselves online and built a powerful following of very devoted listeners. To support this claim, on Socialmention The Black Keys overall have an 7:1 sentiment ratio, meaning the band receives over 85 percent positive feedback. Considering that this type of data is imprecise, I would not be surprised if in all actuality the band has an even higher ratio of positive feedback.
Out of all the social media forums exploited by The Black Keys, Facebook and Youtube appear to be their most effective resources. On Facebook the band has 858,517 followers as of March 13, 2011; comparatively on Myspace the band has 150,000 friends. On Facebook they use simple but effective teasers that help steer traffic to their band website, www.TheBlackKeys.com, where more merchandise and content is available. Under their Facebook page description it reads, “Register at TheBlackKeys.com to receive a free download of "Ohio." Be the first to hear about tour dates, tv appearances, new music and merch.” Simple promotional offers like this effectively excite the groundswell and help push more traffic towards the bands own website.
On Youtube The Black Keys have 20,000 subscribers and in total their music videos have over 15 million views. This implies that people are linking to The Black Keys channel and sharing their videos in forums, blogs and on other networks. The music video for their song “Tighten Up” alone has over 7 million views. For a group like The Black Keys, music videos are content-rich media that fans and followers can repeatedly enjoy and share with others. These videos become embedded in web pages all across the web and helps maintain buzz. It was a very shrewd business decision for them to create a Youtube account. This way they can distribute their content on their own terms, while simultaneously linking fans to their other videos, webpages and merchandise.
In sum total, The Black Keys are effectively reaching and engaging with the groundswell. The band has quickly learned how to brand and themselves online. Though they have yet to reach an audience that can truly be considered "mainstream," they have captured a large base of devoted followers. In the following weeks I will be interested to see if the band’s popularity/interest remains steady, or whether the beneficial effects of their February Grammy awards will wear off. Considering the band's prevalence across several forums and their ability to engage with fans, I predict that The Black Keys will maintain their high levels of success and popularity for the foreseeable future.
I'd be interested to see if anyone might have some suggestions about other artists/bands that I could look at to compare my findings to in my final assessment... lemme know if you got any ideas, why dontcha!
The notion of “embracing” the groundswell brings to mind a superfluous metaphor... As a young and impressionable child, my uncle Marvin would take my four brothers and I on venturesome fishing trips in the beautiful waters off of Cape Cod. Uncle Marvin taught us a type of fishing known as trolling.
Trolling in action... See as the fish are enticed by the variety of bait...
Unlike angling, which is done from a stationary position, trolling is achieved by slowly dragging several fishing lines through the water behind the boat. Long poles known as “downriggers” allow fishermen to drag the different lines at varying depths, depending on the type of fish being hunted. Trolling requires a knowledge of many different factors, such as water currents, water temperature, time of day, migrational patterns, etc. Other factors must be considered before simply tossing the lines into the water. The type of lure, for example, is essential, as specific types of fish are attracted to different colors, movements and shapes. A spoon lure, for instance, will entice different fish than a spinnerbait.
In the world of the groundswell, businesses are like fishing boats, slowly trolling the open waters. Consumers are the fish, in search for some tasty food. Perhaps where this analogy falls short is that after capturing a segment of the groundswell, companies are best suited to not eat their customers; Instead they must ENGAGE with them. Most Internet users, like albacore tuna, revel in their online autonomy. Like fishermen at sea, in order to entice these free-swimming consumers, companies must exploit a broad range of tools and knowledge to build interest around their product.
Gaze, and enjoy the wonderment of the mighty albacore tuna.
In chapters 9 and 10, Li and Bernoff emphasize the need for marketers to take part in honest and substantive discourse with online consumers in order to develop a constructive relationship between buyer and seller. Li states, “… You need to do more than just ask for feedback. You need to show that feedback online, good and bad, where people can see that you are ready to act on it, that you are committed to improving things” (pp. 194).
Chapter 10 takes a look at two companies that effectively changed their business strategies by embracing the collaborative benefits of the Internet. Both Dell and Unilever are enormous businesses that bring in huge profits each year. Despite their size, forward-thinking employees pushed executives to consider new ways of communicating and working with customers. In the case of Dell, engaging the groundswell helped revive dwindling sales and rising customer dissatisfaction. By providing a forum on which consumers and employees could discuss the company's products, Dell created an ongoing dialogue with its customers. Not only did this allow for the company to better recognize its flaws, it also created a more positive and honest business environment. When customers can look to a company for answers to their problems, the company establishes trust and a strong reputation.
Here's a simple breakdown of the social media mechanism used by Dell. As you can tell, in engaging the groundswell the first step starts with the act of listening.
On the Internet, building a reputation is fundamental for success. The Internet is ripe with deceitful scumbags. Take, for example, this vile company called Dentech Whitening. The company purchases ad space on popular websites such as the HuffingtonPost and advertises its free tooth whitening trial. Unsuspecting customers are lured in by this seemingly auspicious deal, only to find weeks later that they actually have agreed to pay Dentech Whitening $90 a month for a useless product. Internet savvy consumer have grown weary of such unscrupulous companies, and as Li points out, consumers tend to consort with businesses that, you know, keep it real. As common sense would presume, people gravitate towards businesses that are compassionate, sincere and above all, trustworthy.
My Uncle Marvin
More often than not, we would return home from our fishing expeditions with a boat stuffed with fish. It was as if uncle Marvin had a way of speaking with the fish, a “fish sense,” if you will. However sometimes, even with his vast knowledge of the seas and his unrivaled fishing expertise, uncle Marvin just wasn't on the fish. Certain variables would come into play, and we would turn for home, despondent and empty-handed. (As uncle Marvin steered us to port, me and my brothers would yell from the stern, “Uncle Marvin, we're starvin'!!!”)
Much like trolling the high seas, engaging the groundswell requires a calculated, well thought out plan, and a knowledge of people's online patterns and tendencies. Exploiting the realm of social media is complicated, but if done right, more often than not, at six o'clock sharp, they'll be more than enough fish to go around the dinner table... Who knows, maybe even enough for seconds :)
