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HOW CHANGED THE WORLD. HOW HASHTAGS CHANGED THE WAY

01 WE TALK // PAGE 02

02 WE ADVERTISE // PAGE 12

03 WE SOURCE CONTENT // PAGE 20

04 WE ADVOCATE // PAGE 32

05 WE BUILD COMMUNITY // PAGE 42 For a generation especially interested in brevity, that’s a pretty“ cool way to talk. —Lauren Schuhmacher, Huffington Post1

01. HOW HASHTAGS CHANGED There’s a story about hashtags “tag” tweets. It slowly gained THE WAY WE TALK and how they’re changing traction, until 2009 or ‘10 our speech patterns. It goes when suddenly hashtags something like this: (and their users) went rogue. These errant tweeters took The arose in 2007 as hashtags from their good and a way to categorize and purposeful tagging function,

#ParaLanguage #BenjaminFranklin #Memes 1 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lauren-schuhmacher/how-the-hashtag-changed-t_b_3407787.html 03 and changed them into of parenthetical commentary things like “I love you guys! Gizmodo article: How the something terrible – a form on the rest of the tweet. Hashtag blessed!” Hashtag is Ruining the English Language.2 For example: “The colloquial hashtag has burst out of its use as a sorting Yup.The hashtag is a tool and become a linguistic linguistic tumor. L @DANNSAYER tumor – a tic more irritating than any banal link or lazy The tweet that invented the Late night milk and cookies and I accidentally just image meme,” declared Sam hashtag: dunked my earphones, fml #FirstWorldProblems Biddle in his oft-referenced

The narrative doesn’t end there adjusted), to (#dog L @CHRISMESSINA of course: Hashtags escaped #hat #thisismyhat #Sunday how do you feel about using # (pound) for , and spread, like a plague, #thisismydoginmyhat groups. As in #barcamp [msg]? to (“they don’t even #followmeplease #aghhhh), to use hashtags” irate bloggers everyday speech, where it is complained, until Facebook now acceptable to say (say!)

04 2 http://gizmodo.com/5869538/how-the-hashtag-is-ruining-the-english-language 05 Sometimes we agree with this language and hashtags, we HASHTAGS ARE “PARALANGUAGE” Now we could do sarcasm version of events. We’ll hear don’t think they’re destroying and self-deprecation. Paralanguage is something you someone drop a hashtag into the English language. already use, every day. daily conversation in an “Among Twitter’s triumphs It’s the non-verbal cues that ironic but not-so-ironic way, And neither do linguists, who is the reinvention of seem delighted by hashtags accompany speech and help us and think, hashtags are self-mockery.” express meaning and tone – ruining the English language. and their mission creep away from tagging and into con- shoulder shrugs, intonation, So says linguist Ben Zimmer, facial expressions. But in the In case you have no idea versation. In fact, a number of who argues in the Boston world of text, it is difficult to what we’re talking about, stop linguists see Twitter’s fast-paced Globe that hashtags have given communicate those non-verbal reading this right now and environment as a microcosm us a “sly new way” to under- ideas – like sarcasm or the video of Justin where they can study language mine what we say. When we self-mockery. Its part of the Timberlake and Jimmy trends that often parallel complain about milk covered language trends offline.4 Not reason that “JK” and “LOL” headphones and append Fallon speaking with hashtags.3 are so heavily used. Emoticons See? Please don’t ever say one linguist has called “#firstworldproblems, it shows do their fair share of sub- “Hashtag: Blessed.” It’s terrible. hashtags a tumor. So far. we know our own complaints stituting as paralanguage as are ridiculous. well. But hashtags expanded But after a little research about So if they’re not a tumor, what are they? Here’s what we found: that ability drastically.

3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57dzaMaouXA 06 4 http://www.aclweb.org/anthology/W11-0708 07 Zimmer tells the story of the HASHTAGS ARE OUR GREEK as performers, view ourselves Gabe Doyle, a linguist at spread of the hashtag from tag CHORUS from an ironic distance. Saying Stanford, makes the same point to tic very differently than Biddle: “hashtag #happy” elicits a about tweets as -com- “The spoken hashtag is part mental picture of the speaker mentary, but he compares “Suddenly, a humble indexing of a general trend—one rarely viewed from a distance, hashtags to the narrator of a tool became a sophisticated treated as a scourge, gener- labeled with the word happy. book and a chorus in a Greek new technique for self-depreca- ally barely perceived, and ac- play. He calls it a shift in tion in type.” tually a sign of the zeitgeist.” McWhorter claims that this viewpoint from first person to -McWhorter, New Republic, perspective would have been third person.6 Hashtags aren’t a tumor – they’re 20125 impossible before movies and a sophisticated new technique. television began to deeply And put that way, it doesn’t They help us add a much-needed In 2012, when spoken hashtags permeate modern life. seem like the sign of our tonal layer to our communica- were first ‘causin a ruckus, times that the New Republic tions. New Republic published an In this framework, Hashtags are article makes it out to be. article that claimed hashtags a way of distancing ourselves Forget television – hashtags were a sign of our modern from our own words – com- are serving as a very ancient times – part of a recent trend mentary on what we’ve just said literary device. to see ourselves in the third or experienced. But is that person, to frame ourselves really a sign of the zeitgeist?

08 5 http://www.newrepublic.com/article/politics/magazine/104238/Twitter-language-writing-speaking 6 http://motivatedgrammar.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/the-hashtags-not-ruining-anything/ 09 WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR Oxford English Dictionary Yeah. That’s right. We’re the group “Condescending Corporate SPEECH? added “TL;DR” (short for Too generation that uses meta- ”10 mocks bad social Long; Didn’t Read)8 to the linguistic terms in everyday media efforts from Linguists are pretty much divid- dictionary in 2013 – at least in speech. Feel brilliant yet? Good. corporations. They like to point ed. Some say verbal hashtags their online version. out when companies fall prey

are a passing fad. Others don’t. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR to creating the #corporate- In a recent Mashable article,9 hashtagthatnoonewilluseever. Anne Curzan, a linguist who ? specializes in the history of the Linguist Gerard Van Herk For example, asking consumers to English language, points to argues that speak has If you’re trying to create a hashtag tag posts of their Halloween Benjamin Franklin’s dislike of made us smarter: that will stick, there is at least costumes with #spookysavers. the verbs colonize and notice, one lesson we can take from the 7 comparing it to modern objec- “Today’s youth are much more linguists: Nope. tions to LOL or using “friend” aware of the social and stylistic as a verb. uses and meanings of different Hashtags that straddle its multiple A common failure with these genres and language types, hashtags? They often only use the uses (tagging and paralanguage) As if to prove that new internet- and are able to discuss them are most likely to be successful. tagging function of hashtags– words will someday be as using metalinguistic terms like not the metacommentary inoffensive as “notice,” the meme,” he writes. The fairly funny Facebook satire function, or the paralanguage

7 http://chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2013/03/01/txtng-rules/ 8 http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/august-2013-update/ 10 9 http://mashable.com/2014/09/25/what-is-internet-speak/ 10 https://www.facebook.com/corporatebollocks/photos_stream 11 function. There is an easy litmus test to avoid creating the #corporatehashtagthatnoone- willuseever. Ask your-self: Would you say it in daily speech? Would Justin Timber- lake?

The answer should be yes.

12 THE DECLINE OF BANNER ADS It’s not news that banner ads have become a poor invest- Twenty years ago,11 the first ment. Modern day banner banner ads ran on the web. ads have a click rate of less They were psychedelic and un- than .1% (or 1 in 1000 people) abashed and stood out beauti- which means you are more fully against the gray webscape likely to complete NAVY SEAL of 1995. The early banner ads training than click a banner 02. HOW HASHTAGS CHANGED were cheap and effective, ad.13 What’s worse, a small THE WAY WE ADVERTISE boasting a jaw-dropping 50- percentage of internet users 90% CTR.12 They were lucra- (about 8%) do 85% of that tive and spread like wildfire. clicking – and those humans Until everyone, including the (or bots) probably aren’t the inventors, realized how terrible high quality traffic advertisers banner ads are. are looking for.

11 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/06/technology/personaltech/banner-ads-the-monsters-that-swallowed-the-web #BannerBlindness #TheRiseofContent #UserGeneratedContent 12 http://www.launchbit.com/blog/why-banner-ads-are-dead-and-native-ads-are-the-future/ 13 http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/horrifying-display-advertising-stats 15 We could spend a lot of time customers – are smart. They and your brand with something simple: Instead of trying to analyzing why banner ads are learn quickly what is an ad and annoying that they want to avoid? create ads that look like content, in decline. what isn’t, and they don’t want create the content itself. Don’t argued that the banner ad is to click on your banner ad. The Susan Wojcicki, Google’s SVP of try to sell anything – just be in decline14 because the web market is unbelievably saturated Advertising, predicted a future useful. itself is in decline – replaced – the average person is served where online ads are governed by mobile apps and social over 1,700 banner ads per by choice and views are In its simplest form, content networks. Perhaps – but the month. We’ve developed ways voluntary–consumers choose marketing can be done by mobile equivalent of banner of coping: eye tracking studies to look at the ads because they publishing your own content, ads – mobile popups – are sim- show that consumers now have provide value. creating your own content ilarly ineffective (50% of mobile “banner blindness.”15 Do you and publishing it elsewhere,

banner clicks are reportedly remember any of the 1,700 CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT or sponsoring content that is accidental). It’s not just the banners you’ve seen in the past created elsewhere. BuzzFeed platform – it’s the medium. four weeks? Neither do we. Adobe’s own content marketing is one company that has seen effort CMO.com, covered the with selling quality HUMANS ARE SMART AND THEY A big problem with banner ads rise of content16 over the sponsored content that doubles is that they are disruptive and as an advertisement. HATE YOUR BANNER ADS death of banner ads. The idea involuntary. Why would you behind content marketing is Humans – internet users – your want consumers to associate you

14 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/06/technology/personaltech/banner-ads-the-monsters-that-swallowed-the-web 16 15 http://www.nngroup.com/articles/banner-blindness-old-and-new-findings/ 16 http://www.cmo.com/articles/2013/9/18/the_banner_ad_is_dea.html 17 USER GENERATED CONTENT and generate posts can be an 2. When sourced through convert buyers in stores and effective use of advertising social media, that content on checkout pages, when a Getting consumers to post dollars. is now shared to the user’s little extra social proof can go about you to their social net- social networks as well as a long way. works is a powerful new form For example, TEVA Sandals through the normal channels of content marketing – a recent used a social hub to encourage a brand might employ. Online and offline, it is no study17 showed that friends’ fans of the sandals to post longer enough for consumers posts or pins about a prod- their own “advertisements” to SOCIAL PROOF to see a model or a mannequin uct are a bigger influence on their personal networks of sporting the goods they might purchasing decisions than any friends, in hopes of seeing it on The power of social recommen- buy. They want to know that form of paid advertising. UGC the TEVA website. The advantage dations from trusted friends other real people have bought is becoming an important of User Generated Content is or other brand users can be these items, and look good piece of any content market- two-fold: leveraged at multiple stages of in them. This began online— ing strategy – and brands can the buying process. In addi- where insecurities at the point employ a couple tactics to 1. The content itself is more tion to the earliest stages of the of purchase are especially enticing and genuine (we turn social posts into useable buying process—advertising— high. Consumers can’t try on don’t have social media content. Whether online or the social proof offered by or touch the items, so they turn blindness . . . yet.) at an event, using a branded hashtagged photos can help to social proof to make sure social hub to attract eyeballs these clothes look good. Social

18 17 http://www.marketingcharts.com/online/friends-social-media-posts-impact-purchase-decisions-41594/ 19 posts embedded on checkout carry social content, is a testa- pages increase conversions by ment to this shift in shopping easing buyer tensions at time habits. of purchase. Both online and offline, the In 2012, U.S. shopping-center most powerful marketing tool retail sales totaled more than brands have is the voice of $2.4 trillion,18 accounting for happy customers,19 and their half of all retail sales in the U.S. willingness to share their ex- In the face of increasing com- periences. Investing in creative petition from cheap and con- ways to prompt shoppers to venient online retail, shopping share their love for a brand malls are investing in technical has redefined both how brand innovations that integrate the marketing operates and how online social experience with consumers expect to be com- the in-person social experience municated with. of shopping at a mall. Have you been to a mall lately? The large number of digital screens, which increasingly

18 http://www.icsc.org/uploads/default/2013-Economic-Impact.pdf 20 19 http://www.tintup.com/blog/8-brands-effectively-leveraging-user-generated-content/ User Generated Content (UGC) the network where the content is on the rise. Brands have was posted all potentially realized how valuable it is to have a legal claim to content tell their story and advertise that brands might use for their products using genuine advertising or other monetary images shared on social media gain. It’s a new legal domain by real-life customers, either – and the legal teams of large in place of—or in addition companies are often wary to—traditional ads staged of “User Generated Creative.” with models. The good news is, it’s not im- possible to navigate, it doesn’t 03. HOW HASHTAGS CHANGED With this shift has come a host need to be confusing, and it THE WAY WE SOURCE CONTENT of legal questions: when is it can be done safely. ok to use an image shared to

social media? When does a WHEN DO YOU NEED TO GET brand need to get permission THE RIGHTS TO USER GENERAT- to use the photo? And from ED CONTENT? whom? The photographer, the subject in the photo, and There are a couple key ques-

#UGCRights #CopyrightLaw #HashtagPermissions 23 tions marketing managers or media, it is free to use by you want to use a photo, you rights to the content they post legal teams can ask themselves, anyone. This is not true – need to get permission from – with the exception of the to understand when and who thanks to copyright law, the the photographer. license granted to Twitter and they need to get permission photographer still retains the its partners.” from. The two most important legal rights to these imag- The exception to this rule is questions are: es. This was supported by if you keep the content on These partners include social the ruling of a judge in the network. media aggregation and display 1. Will we profit from using 2013 U.S. District Court case: services like TINT, who legally this image? / Does this Agence France Presse v. Every , from pull the content through the qualify as an advertisement? Morel.20 Morel, a professional Instagram to Youtube, has networks’ APIs, and comply photographer, sued the news users sign an agreement that with their requirements for wire for publishing his pho- gives the social network and partnership – for example, 2. Are we taking the content tograph without his permis- out of the protections of its partners a license to share including the Twitter icon on sion and won. The news wire the network’s terms of ser- and display public photos and all Twitter posts. So it’s pos- unsuccessfully argued that by text. For example, in the case sible to media vice? uploading the images to Twit- of AFP v. Morel, the judge cit- content on your own website There is a myth that once ter, Morel had indirectly given ed the Twitter Terms of Service or at an event without tech- content is posted to social them permission to distribute (TOS), which he stated, “pro- nically removing the content and reproduce his photo. If vides that users retain their from the protection of the

24 20 http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2013/01/who-really-owns-your-photos-in-social-media-updated-2013-edition025/ 25 network’s TOS, provided you photograph (to protect your TYPES OF ADVERTISING WITH CONTENT AS ADVERTISEMENT = do so through a partner of the brand from statutory publicity USER GENERATED CONTENT DEFINITELY NEED PERMISSION network. rights).21 The larger the poten- If you change the content to become an ad itself – for tial monetary gain from the ad- ADJACENT = GOOD TO GO However, most networks do vertising campaign, the more Adjacent advertising means example, putting text over not allow brands to profit careful you will want to be that the user generated con- the image, or including it on a from their content or use their about complying with publicity and the ad appear on billboard – you must follow all content for advertising pur- statutes. the same page, but clearly the necessary guidelines for poses, while still under pro- separated from one another. traditional ad creative. tection of their TOS. In order Whether you need to get For example, a webpage with to avoid owing the network permission from the photogra- both a social hub with a banner Trademarks and Brands Online22 a cut of your revenue from pher and subjects depends on ad. For the most part, you can had this to say on the matter: advertising, you will need to whether you are still protected do this safely without specific get all the proper permissions by the network TOS. This de- permission from the poster or “Once the UGC has been that you would for any type of pends on how closely the User subject, provided you follow verified and the copyright advertising – this includes the Generated Content is associat- the above guidelines to make cleared, the usual advertising photographer (to protect your ed with the advertising. There sure you are still protected by copy clearance process will brand from copyright law) and are three main types: the network TOS. also need to be completed. possibly the subjects of the For example, has rule 6.1 of

26 21 http://www.natlawreview.com/article/hashtagging-away-your-rights-privacy-and-publicity-rights-social-media 22 http://www.trademarksandbrandsonline.com/article/use-your-head 27 the Committee of Advertising “click to buy” buttons with NYMag’s TheCut employed in- in the new social media land- Practice Code, which “urg- social posts. The posts are not line advertising for NY Fashion scape. Some make a distinc- es” the obtainment of written advertisements in themselves, week, where posts from their tion between “Implied Con- permission before referring to but unlike banner ads, the ads reporters in the field were sent” and “Explicit Consent.” or portraying a member of the are disguised to look similar to subtly combined with posts

public or his or her identifiable the posts. An argument could from Mac Cosmetics. All of IMPLIED CONSENT V. possessions, been complied be made that this is using the the content was sourced from EXPLICIT CONSENT with?” UGC effectively as advertise- social, and Mac paid to have ment. As we mentioned earlier their content placed with the 1. IMPLIED CONSENT Whether you’re nervous about – this is a new field, and there reporter’s content. In this case, publicity rights or the net- isn’t a concrete answer yet. It’s NYMag obviously had permis- Implied consent means that a works, you should seek content a gray legal area, and brands sion from both Mac and their brand can reasonably assume rights to the image before are deciding on an individual reporters to display their con- that the person who uploaded using it directly as advertising. basis how carefully they need tent. a photo intended for the com- to protect themselves. Getting pany to use it, and was aware INLINE = GRAY AREA rights to the image directly HASHTAG PERMISSIONS of the company’s intentions Increasingly popular, is the from the photographer is a There are a number of ways for the photo. The most com- effective marketing method great way to play it safe and that brands can seek permis- mon way that this happens is of mixing advertisements or protect your brand. sion from the photographer through the use of a specific

28 29 hashtag, which can con- “native” content. 2. EXPLICIT CONSENT permissions from the author vincingly be argued would of the image via social media, only be used by consumers However, as we’ve outlined Explicit consent means you and track which images you aware of the company’s above, if you are displaying have asked for and received have the rights to. While ser- campaign. For example, the content through a net- specific permission to use the vices like TINT facilitate the #ShareaCoke. work partner and using it content. permissions, the legal lan- for non-monetary purposes, guage is still determined by These campaigns are mar- you don’t even need implied Due to the increasing need the brand. The agreement can keted with terms and con- consent – you could display from brands to get the prop- include a certification from the ditions that describe the #Cars (an example of native, er permissions to use UGC in author of the post that they brand’s intended uses for not commissioned, content) advertising, or in other uses own the image, and that they the photo. Lonely Planet’s and not worry. Therefore, for beyond the protection of the have permission from the sub- network TOS, social display #BestPlacetoBeToday23 campaigns where you do need ject of the photograph. campaign is a great exam- consent (ie, where the content tools like TINT have expanded ple of a hashtag campaign is being used as advertising), it to included a Content Rights Legal permissions to content with terms and conditions is likely worth your time and ef- Solution for social content. obtained through a social me- attached. Essentially, you fort to procure explicit consent. These services allow you to dia is a new and rapidly chang- can argue that this is “com- discover content relating to ing legal field. For now at least, missioned” rather than your brand, request the proper the hashtag is the newest and

30 23 http://www.lonelyplanet.com/your-best-place-today/ 31 quickest way for consumers to grant permission for brands to use their photographs.

Disclaimer: Our goal is to help you understand this chang- ing field. This information should not be construed as legal advice, legal opinion, an endorsement with respect to any matter, or a solicitation for legal business. You should not rely on any such information as legal advice without actually consulting with legal counsel.

32 Many years ago, Malcolm jaw-dropping demonstrations Gladwell suggested that so- in Hong Kong. cial media lacked the ability to form the kind of close ties nec- “Hashtag Activism” – it’s a essary to inspire drastic action. phrase reserved for ineffective, His article was titled, “Small vaguely narcissistic Twitter Change: Why the Revolution do-gooding. And while many will Not be Tweeted.”24 hashtags do just make us feel better, some hashtags have In 2011 he was proven wrong started to really make a differ- by revolutions that were in- ence. 04. HOW HASHTAGS CHANGED cubated on Twitter and Face- THE WAY WE ADVOCATE book: the Arab Spring and PROTESTS the Occupy Movement, both of which grew in strength #BLACKLIVESMATTER, and numbers thanks to social #HANDSUPDONTSHOOT, media. In 2014 he was proven wrong again by the biggest cli- #ICANTBREATHE The protests surrounding the mate march in history25 and the

#Protests #Fundraisers #CaseStudy #WearYellowForSeth 24 http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/10/04/small-change-3 25 http://www.tintup.com/blog/1-billion-impressions-the-digital-climate-march/ 35 deaths of Michael Brown and more of an organizing tool rumors circulated the govern- 70 countries. According to our Eric Garner were viral on so- than an end. Tweeting helped ment might shut down the TINT analytics, those using the cial – notably on Twitter much #BlackLivesMatter activists take internet. The movement is hashtag #peoplesclimate gen- more so than on Facebook. action in the form of die-ins student-based and tech savvy, erated nearly 1 billion social The movement used a slew of and other protests. This may and that’s probably why they’re impressions on Twitter alone. hashtags, that grew with each be the first political move- still going. It may be one of the first major new instance of police vio- ment identified primarily by its protests to cite it’s social media

lence and tell its own sad story: hashtag. PEOPLES CLIMATE statistics alongside its turnout #BlackLivesMatter, #Handsup- The People’s Climate March statistics.

DontShoot #IcantBreathe. UMBRELLA REVOLTION – billed as the largest climate The pro-democracy demon- march in history — made head- Their list of most influential A heat map of those hashtags strations in Hong Kong were lines for its turnout. But their people tweeting about the spreading globally shows how miraculous. They out-foxed digital campaign26 was even campaign also provides a the rate and topic of tweets censorship efforts from main- more impressive. The orga- window into this movement: change during key dates as land China by frequently nizers of the People’s Climate the mix of politicians, media grand jury decisions roll in. The switching hashtags, and turned march estimate27 that on that outlets and entertainers shows thing that makes this separate to a bluetooth-based mes- day their digital campaign just how universal and diverse from ineffective “hashtag ac- saging app, Firechat, when reached 600 million people in the climate movement has tivism” is that the Tweets were

26 http://www.tintup.com/blog/1-billion-impressions-the-digital-climate-march/ 36 27 https://Twitter.com/Peoples_Climate/status/514856368356872192 37 become: Obama tops the list, personal story paired with a the real world - wear yellow to campaign to their networks, followed by The New York small action to spread on social support a small boy battling and offered their Times, Jason Mraz, Rolling media. The #IceBucketChal- SCID. “We never meant to services as a partner to help Stone Magazine, the UN, and lenge famously asked people start any sort of campaign, and spread the word. At the one Chris Rock. to dump ice on their heads, only expected friends and fam- week mark, Cosmopolitan28 raising an estimated $115 mil- ily to join in,” Seth’s mom, Le- and Buzzfeed29 posted articles

FUNDRAISING lion for ALS research -- possibly anne, told the Daily Mail. Then, about the campaign on Face- the largest single giving event as social media has a tendency book. That was the moment in the U.S. outside a disaster or it do, it snowballed. they realized, “Oh this is big #ICEBUCKETCHALLENGE emergency. now, this is going somewhere.” #WEARYELLOWFORSETH CASE STUDY The Bubble Foundation, a In the course of just a few days, For a small nonprofit without UK based non-profit address- over 97,590 posts poured in a huge budget for fundraising GOING VIRAL WITH ing the rare disease SCID, from around the world on ev- campaigns, hashtags provide #WEARYELLOWFORSETH also found success with their ery social network, generating an opportunity to reach a larg- hashtag #WearYellowForSeth, 188.2 million social impres- er audience. The wild success The campaign went viral ex- which raised awareness about sions. of the ALS #IceBucketChal- tremely fast. Celebrities like SCID while giving people a lenge showed the power of a Ashton Kutcher shared the small action they could do in For Seth, seeing the posts has

28 http://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a37933/the-heartbreaking-reason-why-you-should-wear-yellow-on-march-27 38 29 http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/a-5-year-old-bubble-boy-is-asking-people-to-wear-yellow-his# 39 been a great way to boost his unteers his time to the Bubble Dan helped in whatever ways he “To go from no social presence morale. “It all helps show Seth Foundation. could – designing a poster, set- at all to this huge campaign… that people are thinking of ting up social media profiles for It’s all paid off eventually, at the him,” said his mom, “I told him “This is a huge thing for us,” the small organization: a Face- most unsuspecting times.” about the views and he asked, Dan explained, “because this book page, a Twitter account. ‘Is it more than 20?’ I said, ‘yes charity is run by one lady in an it is’ and he said, ‘wowee.’” office – Gill Johnston — she’s a part time fundraising manager. “Huge charities pay a lot of money for

SMALL FOUNDATION, BIG CAM- I volunteer for her.” The Bub- this kind of exposure.” ble Foundation does amazing PAIGN work with their tiny team – as

30 Dan pointed out, “Huge chari- For The Bubble Foundation, REACTING QUICKLY idea, Dan describes it as a re- ties pay a lot of money for this the tiny non-profit that sup- sponsive campaign. As it took kind of exposure.” ports Seth and other children Like many successful social off, “all we could do was re- born with SCID, the scale of media campaigns, this one spond to it and get involved.” Dan started volunteering for the campaign was more than required the Bubble Founda- the Bubble Foundation when they could have dreamed of. tion to react quickly. Since the The campaign went viral so he was 16 — at that time they We spoke with Dan, who vol- hashtag wasn’t the charity’s quickly, there was almost no had no digital presence, and

40 30 http://www.bubblefoundation.org.uk/ 41 time to get the website up. to an opportunity to donate. it did if we had set up this “The CTAs were really good,” whole thing as a charity. Since “We had to move pretty fast,” Dan said, “that worked to get the idea and the video came Dan explained, “it was a lot of donations online.” from the parents, it was a lot late nights for me.” more personal.” Charities will

ADVICE FOR OTHER NON PROF- be most successful on social Dan got in touch with us at media when they not only tell ITS: KEEP IT PERSONAL TINT, and quickly put together the of the people their a microsite with posts from ce- When asked what advice he cause supports, but let those lebrities, friends, and support- would give to other small people tell the story them- ers around the globe. nonprofits hoping to replicate selves. Isn’t that what social their social media success, Dan media is all about? Small details helped the Bub- focused on keeping it person- ble Foundation get the most al: “Involve the patients more,” And as for Dan, quietly mod- out of this sudden spike in Dan said, “people want to hear est about all his hard word, he awareness about their cause: their stories.” would only say, “It all paid off.” They added Call-to-Action but- tons on a few of the posts, di- “This campaign might not recting visitors to the microsite have worked to the scale

42 43 #TINTLOVE

In this brave new world where should become the pulse of effective advertisements and your content marketing strat- content are sourced from an egy. High quality social posts 05. HOW HASHTAGS CHANGED engaged and loyal base of will come easiest from a well- THE WAY WE BUILD COMMUNITY consumers, effective com- built . munity management is more

important than ever. Whether DO YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY? you’re working for a non-profit, a company, or a political move- First, make sure you have a ment, your community can and real community, not just a

#VIPs #CommitmentCurve #CommunityCampaigns 45 user base. In the age of the 3. Shared emotional connec- greatest advocates. We’ve heard time and time hashtag, what is the difference tion: Members feel special again that brands are becom-

between a user or client base due to their shared belong- “INTERACTIVE” BRANDS ARE ing more “interactive” than and a community? Communi- ing to the group. ever before, but what this COMMUNITY DRIVEN BRANDS ties have these properties: really means is that they are 4. Fulfillment of needs: Mem- becoming increasingly more bers’ values or identity The better you understand community-driven. When your aspirations are embodied your community’s needs and community is the pulse of your by the community. emotional connection to your 1. Self-identification: Mem- product or service, the stron- content marketing strategy, bers recognize the bound- If you don’t yet have a commu- ger your community will be. you are poised for high returns. aries of membership and nity, you may need to spend How do you strengthen your Today, Millennials trust UCG see themselves within more time identifying your understanding of your commu- more than any other form of those boundaries on an 31 value proposition for your com- nity? Empower your communi- media and 84% acknowl- ongoing basis. munity members. What can you ty to influence you and other edge it wields influence over what they buy.32 UCG has real 2. Influence: Members yield offer them? Why should they members of your community some degree of influence participate? If you already have through community-driven power. When anyone can say on the shape of the com- a community, the next step is to campaigns and UGC. anything about your product munity. empower them to become your today with a single click, how do you empower them to

31 http://corp.crowdtap.com/socialinfluence 46 32 http://resources.bazaarvoice.com/rs/bazaarvoice/images/201202_Millennials_whitepaper.pdf 47 spread a constructive message, ing influence over your com- email asking for feedback CREATING YOUR VIP PROGRAM and who do you empower? munity, and growing it in the through user experience process. interviews. Who jumps at Here are three powerful ways

VIPS the opportunity? to invite your VIPs into the fold: Here are a few ways to identify Product usage: Who is us- 1. Content Beta-Testers: Invite The first step is to identify your your VIPs: 4. ing your product the most your VIPs to an invite-only VIPs and empower them to 1. Social media mentions: often or for the greatest group where they can give advocate on your behalf by Who is mentioning33 you amount of time? feedback on copy for your understanding and including the most across social me- communication channels their voice. VIPs aren’t neces- dia channels? before it goes live. You can sarily the people spending the Once you’ve answered these even ask them to sign an most money on your product, questions, see which users’ 2. Referral codes: Who is NDA. This makes them feel but they are without a doubt names emerge the most. evangelizing your product special, and sets the tone your most valuable custom- These are your VIPs. Now, it’s the most both online and that they are the voice of ers. These are the communi- time to involve your VIPs in offline through referral your product. ty members who are talking your feedback loop and work code traffic? with them to create fitting about your product the most, 2. Media Ideas Lab: Include opportunities to contribute to both online and offline, yield- 3. Self-selection: Send out an your VIPs in the ideation your content channels.

48 33 http://blog.mention.com/ 49 phase of any campaigns VIPs to create events offline USING VIPS TO ENGAGE THE bucks White Cup Contest you intend to create. Ask that they can then cross-pro- REST OF YOUR COMMUNITY in 2014 asked customers for their feedback as your mote across your social me- to share their drawings on evolve your campaigns dia channels. Etsy famously Once you’ve placed your VIPs their Starbuck’s cups and ideas. After they invest did this by giving stipends at the center of your content then selected one winner their feedback, they will to their VIP sellers to create strategy, there are a myriad of for a limited edition cup. help you promote the cam- events for their local seller ways you can work with them This contest captured how paign even more. This also communities. to catalyze your greater com- Starbuck’s community uses mitigates against creating munity to participate. This is caffeine for a creative boost campaigns that don’t reso- When you involve your VIPs the moment that your work and solicited 4k entries in nate with your audience. in the feedback loop and you with your VIPs will repay itself less than 3 weeks. empower them to help grow with your broader content 2. Member Spotlight: When 3. Community Empowerment: your community, you offer strategy: hundreds, or thousands, or Let go of the reigns a little them both creative license millions of people use your and help your VIPs to in- and legitimacy, which is then 1. Contests: Work with your product, then you’re bound fluence other community reinvested into your market- VIPs to create contests that to have some really inter- members through lead- ing making it more authentic. resonate with why or how esting stories, advice, and ership opportunities. You your community uses your use cases amongst your can offer a stipend to your product. For example, Star-

50 51 community. Work with your a comment field to encour- ence while engaging them Whether or not you believe VIPs to identify the knowl- age responding to reviews, in new ways. For exam- that community is the future edge valuable to your com- or allow upvoting to high- ple, the SF Ballet recently of marketing, community munity from within your light the most valuable user engaged previously less content is trusted more today community and feature it generated reviews. active millennials in a new when making purchases than across your blog and social way during a show and referrals from close family and media channels. 4. Display tools: Use display they ended up trending on friends.35 Community-driven tools like TINT to Twitter.34 strategy is rewarding — it 3. Reviews: Create valuable your community’s content brings the organization’s for your community in one place, which builds vision and customer voice members to review your trust across your product, By relying on your commu- closer together. products and design the and prompts your com- nity to create content, you experience in a way that munity to produce more can generate more authentic maximizes the content content. When you feature content than a full time staff shared. For example, add community participation of content writers could have a photo icon to encour- on your website or live at produced -- just make sure to age users to share pictures an event, you draw in more follow the guidelines in Chap- of themselves using the community members to ter 3 for obtaining the legal product when applicable, participate from your audi- rights to this content.

34 http://www.tintup.com/blog/dancing-millennials-sf-ballet-trended-Twitter/ 52 35 http://resources.bazaarvoice.com/rs/bazaarvoice/images/201202_Millennials_whitepaper.pdf 53 NOTES SOCIAL STUDIES is a free resource for digital marketers and community managers. How Hashtags Changed the World is the first print publication by Social Studies, and is part of a larger collection of , , videos and events produced by TINT. Enjoying this resource? Get more great Social Studies content at tintup.com/blog.