What did we learn at the Spider event?

So…our event. What did we learn? Each presentation was pretty different but you could see common themes across the set. Social media gives you access to mammoth audience sizes but effective identification and targeting of small, but influential crowds is required – so it’s all about the ‘niche’. Can bloggers be PR’d? Iain Dale and our MD, Debbie Wosskow disagreed on this point. The conclusion? Highly relevant information passed to bloggers is an effective way of encouraging both advocacy and feedback. Rewards are important. Both Alistair and Richard talked about rewards – a carrot for consumers as they engage with the campaign. The lesson is that the reward doesn’t have to be a big cash prize – relevancy and a tailored experience are more important. Take time to get to know your audience - your ‘niche’.

The interaction between traditional and new media was a discussion point. Iain described how, by writing a popular blog, he is now an attractive commentator for the national mainstream press. His internet TV channel, ’18 Doughty Street’ is another example of the adoptability of new forms of media for niche audiences who want more than a generic offering.

Richard from ITV talked us through the minxy Belle de Jour case study. The Facebook profile moderated by the elusive Belle herself, the use of the revamped ITV.com and previews for fans all combined to help a traditional media company communicate with a younger audience on a platform they engage with. Again, rewarding them with exclusive content before anybody else. For further reading.....

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Neville Hobson provided an insightful look in the social media ecosystem and, in particular, the tools that facilitate communication, engagement, transparency and trust. Participation was his key theme, command control tactics no longer work, companies have to employ social media, ultimately because in today’s web 2.0 world, you no longer have a choice. For further reading.......

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Thanks again to all our speakers and attendees. Head over to Neville’s blog to read his thoughts on the event, and the venue (!).