MySpace, YouTube, FaceBook, Second Life, and how that all plays out in an increasingly mobile environment. Even those comfortable with blogs and podcasts are wondering how to deal with sites and channels such as these. How to build your brand across the next generation of the social media landscape. Social software guru Barb Dybwad, teen market expert Anastasia Goodstein, P.R. pioneer Aedhmar Hynes and Linden Lab community manager Cyn Skyberg offer insights into your next Everest. This session is sponsored by Cisco Systems (who gave away the best pens in the swag bag, thanks Cisco!)

Digital Immigrant – Adults, people who didn’t grow up with the technology.
Digital Native – Kids who grew up with technology.

How companies need to treat this environment.

• Aedhmar: We must understanding that a social shift is happening. Social change is being enabled by technology. It’s important to understand that we look at things through a different lens. We have to look at it through kids who have lived with this technology since the beginning. This is a generational shift.
• Anastasia: Kids figure stuff out intuitively; they don't read manuals. But they like simple to use items. They spend time online and have a much different motivation for it. Teens are all about socializing. Individuating from their families. They use technology to keep up with friends. It’s core to their adolescent needs.
• Cyn: Second life, MySpace, ”the internet with people in it.” You’re experiencing stuff in real time with other people.

Case Studies

• Reuters news bureau in 2nd life was a fantastic PR opportunity. It provided lots of press and concrete benefits for Reuters as a company and brand. They had a commitment to innovation. The team who put the project together put it together for only the 2nd life community in mind. Lessons learned: when it’s done with genuine intent, it has a better outcome. Feedback: great from access to newsmakers.
• Aedhmar: When we look at the world and advise clients, we ask them to think about an in world presence around themes. Education, collaboration, innovation, marketing. There’s buzz and excitement endorsement from within the company. We invite people to attend events who’ve never been in 2nd life. It gives them a sense of an immersive experience. Business seems to be drawing more into the community. [“Instead of over thinking – just did what was best for the environment.”] You honor the people who live there first. Have respect …. The principles/dynamics/social protocol are all exactly the same: Respect the people who are there already.
• Community. Queen of Spain blog joined Second life and it bumped up her community. It brought mom bloggers to second life. They come hang out, party and go to a nightclub. Tripled the hits to her blog from Second Life. Create a community on top of a community.
• Facebook/MySpace. Social communities, target is spending a lot of time. What might be a way in for marketers to talk to these teens. Create things they’d be interested within the medium.
  • Anastasia: MySpace is cracking down on marketers. Successful – Wendy’s all about the square burger. Burger King’s King have been successful. If you have a brand already resonating with the youth audience. If they love and have affection for it, they’re embrace. If they’re not familiar with them, it probably won’t work. Unique, cool, fun thing to relate to. Teens more likely to respond to an actual teen.
  Anastasia: Facebook: inexpensive way to blast message. Can also create communities. Facebook less commercial. Facebook has been a bit touchier and has been less advertising based.

Advice for companies on how to be more playful

• Cyn: User-created content. Everything in 2nd life is created by people who live there. Tough for people who are more used to rules. What you’re seeing is presented by regular people who are there and are being open-minded. Walking into 3d representation of the internet.
• Aedhmar: Understand your audience. Spend some time understanding what competitors are doing there and what it’s like and what has been done already and what’s comfortable for your company/culture. Listen to the community. Need to think what you want to get out of it.
• Anastasia: Being playful, having a sense of humor is very important. If you can create a game that is good… Coke did virtual world and had a lot of people making stuff… Brands that are comfortable with it. Going the user-generated route is great. Jones soda lets users submit photos and vote on flavors. Harnessing MySpace ecosystem. Widget companies – embedded code into myspace. They have widgets and layouts and slide shows. Celebrating user-generated stars. Knowing what’s happeneing in the digital culture and using it to integrate with culture and making yourself relevant.

Has there been interest by school systems in getting with the program?

• Schools are struggling with it. Teachers are afraid of losing the place as the head of the class… Immigrants. Empower the students who know. Teachers need to be educated and know how to use the stuff. Great equipment not being used. Public social media in the classroom brings up all kinds of issues with privacy.
• Aedhmar: 2nd life surrounded by education. Universities and companies teaching in 2nd life. It’s an age issue. The biggest challenge is the fear factor. Fear or parents/teachers exposing children to stuff that they feel out of control in. Will take time for people to become most comfortable with.
• Cyn: Teen dedicated area in 2nd life. Adults have to go through background check to interact with space. Some educator groups are doing some great work in 2nd life. Really exciting. Much growth in the education area. People need to recognize that teen 2nd life is made for the kids. Careful and conscious of who’s working with the kids.

Non-profit interest?

• Cyn: Giant non-profit sector. Impossible to name all … island for relatives of people with schizophrenia. So they can understand what it’s like. Annual events. Race for a cure.

Youth social media sites:

• Habbo hotel: 2D avatar reality space
• Yville: Toyota virtual car.
• Viacom: virtual laguna beach.
• Nickelodeon
• MTV
• Club Penguin
• Web Kins
• WeeWorld
• Gaia / stardoll virtual paper dolls

Endnotes

• Not every platform is for everyone. Finding your fit is the way to be successful. Lots of places out there in virtual worlds in social media environments.
• Is it an equal playing field in 2nd life? “You should never underestimate jungle drums” it all has to do with what you create and what core you hit with the community.