Harvesting Consumer Intentfrom the Social Web

@edwardboches @lizgumginner @jeffjaner @aerocles

The social web encourages us to send out a constant stream of likes, Tweets and check-ins. Things we’ve done and want to share. Most of it, however, consists of past actions.

But what about our future actions? Our interests? The things in our bucket lists? There’s a new interest graph emerging on the web that allows us to express our passions, plans and intent in a way that should be far more valuable to brands and marketers than our declaration of things we’ve already done.

What is the interest graph?How and why is it different than the social graph?What are the platforms and what characterizes them?What does the “interest graph” mean to consumers?What are best practices and cases?How do you start leveraging the interest graph?How do we measure success?Where do we think this is going?

1

What is the interest graph?

The Social Graph consists of who a user knows while the Interest Graph consists of what they like and the facets of their personality that make up who they are. These connections can be much stronger than simply who they are friends or acquaintances with.

2

How is it different from the social graph?

Social graph: if I follow a friend, I follow all of her.

Even shoes and cats.

If I follow only interests,

I get what’s relevant to me.

If a brand markets to me based on who I know.

Enjoy a complimentary resort stay when you book a cruise of 7 nights or longer online with American Express Travel.

It sells me stuff that I don’t want.

If it markets to me based on interests, it doesn’t have to guess.

3

What are the platforms?

Lots of platforms trying to tap into interest. But as always, platforms come first, then consumers, and brand show up last. Learn them and what they can do.

Curation and Search

Social Commerce

Advertising

Content Distribution

"I believe that every interest will,at some point, have a channel serving that interest."

Robert Kyncl, Global Head of Content, YouTube

4

What does it mean to consumers?

Consumers can express interest.

Springpad example, product,

decorating...

They can follow interests.

pinterest or other platform

Trippy?

Media properties can curate interests.

5

What are best practices?

Marketing to interest and context.

There aren’t many. AMEX and Foursquare is good. Reward based on context, real time, user interests.

#influencers

Leveraging interest via influencers.

Kotex leverages influencers. Not bad.

Combining social and interest.

Beso incents customers to leverage their own interest.

whole foods pinterest

Establishing presence and sharing content.

Whole Foods shares in the space on Pinterest.

But too many brands still try creative gimmicks in hopes of getting reach.

targeted most active pinners*paid $500 to take 24-hour break#pintermission boardpin what they did

*mashable

AutoMarketing Blog

They don’t really work.

5,495 followers

6

How do you leverage the interest graph?

Market to the data

Be useful and contextual

Re-think content

Where to start.

Be interesting. Share content to see what resonates. Find relationships between and among customers, your products and mutual interests by posting and paying attention.

Confirm mutual interests

Identify new ones

Discover relationships

Distribute content

It affords opportunities to learn.

7

What does success look like?

• Platforms like Pinterest can drive more traffic than Google or Twitter.

• It’s becoming a top traffic driver for women’s magazines.

• Distribution channel for retailers and content brands.

Web traffic

Brand awareness and engagement

Outcomes in purchase and action (ROI)

• Increased trust

• Demonstrate understanding of customer interests (rather than marketing to their demographics)

• Relevant engagement leads to higher rates of conversion

8

Where do we think it’s going?

+Who you know

does not translate into what you like.

Netflix and Amazon capture interests.

9

How do brands get started?

• explore all the sites

• establish a presence

• don’t commit to just one

• learn conversation strategy

• measure and track everything

• create relationships with platforms

• understand data and market to it

• do it yourself

If all you do is show,

the only thing users will do is look.

@farrahbostic

Questions