Last Call for Fan Site
Xperiablog.net is an independent online community passionate about Sony Ericsson, specifically around the Xperia product line. Here are some quick stats about the community:
- Launched: January 2011
- Discussions: 360
- Messages: 650
- Engagement Ratio: 1.8 (the number of replies per thread)
- Members: 200
In my opinion, those are some really good numbers. I’d take two hundred passionate members who average almost two replies per post any day.
However, due to some recent [legal] events, the community will be unfortunately shutting its doors for good having only been live for ten months. Why? Sony Ericsson has filed a formal complaint regarding the use of its trademarked “Xperia” name, alleging it was used in “bad faith.”
“We do not have the resources to fight Sony Ericsson on this and therefore this is the last you will hear from us. Sony Ericsson has made great strides in its Xperia portfolio, especially in listening to the community. This makes it all the more confusing as to why Sony Ericsson would want to shut us down. We genuinely believe that 2012 could be a bumper year for the company, we just wish we could have been there along for the ride.”
I can see it from both sides here. First, I think the Xperia Play is a great mobile gaming platform. It’s easy for consumers to get all caught up in the brand to the point where it’s an obsession; that’s all they talk about and they search for others who hold the same passion. These customer evangelists tell the story on behalf of the brand and essentially do the marketing for them. You just can’t buy that kind of stuff. Secondly, I’m all for protecting the brand and all the associated trademarked assets that come along with it. It’s intellectual property, it’s sacred, and it’s what defines a company. Misuse can dilute the message, bringing it to the point of uselessness.
I don’t know the whole story, or the legalities behind it. I’m going purely off of what the admin posted as their last entry on the community’s blog. This is what I would’ve liked to see happen as an alternative:
Embrace it and partner up
- Sony Ericsson and Xperiablog.net to collaborate on co-branded assets. Something that delivers the message “This is the voice of the user.” By fully welcoming the situation, it would lead to a deeper more meaningful relationship where both sides would benefit. Sony Ericsson gains an independent voice, giving them more credibility in the marketplace. Xperiablog.net is recognized as a destination for passionate users, co-sponsored and fully supported by Sony Ericsson, fueling the community’s growth.
Or
Engage and Grow
- Sony Ericsson has an existing online community. They could offer Xperiablog.net membership with special privileges like moderator positions, their own independent blog, to be part of focus groups, product testing or VIP badges. This would appease the legal department and send the message to Xperiablog.net that they are appreciated as customers and there will always be a home for them.
Like I mentioned, I don’t know the whole story. Maybe both options were offered and the two parties couldn’t come to an agreement. Either way, Xperiablog.net, “you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”
How is your company handling it’s fan sites and user groups?
Photo Credit: erocka
Social Games are a Marketer’s Backdoor
The phrase “unwanted spam” use to be a redundant statement. I mean, who WANTS spam anway? Well, thanks to social gaming and according to eMarketer, approximately 69 million Americans do.
We as consumers are voluntarily opting-in to spam, and indirectly, opting-in our networks of friends and colleagues into getting spam. How exactly? With social games developed for the iPhone, iPad, Android and Facebook.
It’s quite an achievement by game developers and marketers. They realized that consumers are motivated by an addiction to building status and the ability to easily brag to their social networks by posting their most recent virtual accomplishments. I’m sure you’ve noticed your news feed cluttered with these types of postings.
The mechanics of most social games are fairly straightforward. With just a few clicks of the mouse and some basic math skills, users on their own can “level-up” and continue to broadcast their achievements to their networks over and over again. But recruit friends in your adventures and your “productivity” goes through the roof. Basically, spam your friends with invites so they’ll join you.
Users voluntarily subject themselves to incentive offers and in-app purchases too. With every game click comes a new offer:
- Invite ten friends and win a rare item
- Gold coins are 20% off for this week only
- Complete a partner offer for 10 profile points
I’m guilty of it too. I’ve spent countless hours trying to grow my mafia in Mafia Wars, build hotels in Monopoly Millionaires, finding players in Words with Friends and dozens of others.
My question is, with all the efforts we’ve all made to unsubscribe from email marketing lists, being careful not share any personal information online, why are we so eager and less hesitant to share now? So we can have a kick ass virtual farm?
Your Online Community is an Octopus
Your first reaction to this metaphor is probably to take offense. Because let’s face it, an octopus isn’t exactly one of Mother Nature’s cutest creations. But don’t take this personally. This is a positive comparison. What I’m referring to is how an octopus behaves in the wild. It uses its six arms…let me digress for a minute. You’ll notice I said ‘six’ and ‘arms’. I recently learned that octopuses have A) arms and legs, not tentacles and B) six arms for manipulation and two legs for push-off propulsion.
Ok, let’s get back to the point. An octopus uses its six arms to gather food and manipulate objects. Ultimately returning those objects to the center of its body to feed or observe further. This is very much how your community works. You have social media channels like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. These are the “tentacles.” You cast these tentacles out into the web because you know your customers spend their time talking about your brand in those communities and networks and you want to show a presence and take part in those conversations. This is great. But the ultimate goal should be to pull them back to your community and have the conversations on your home turf where it’s more easily managed and you hold control. They don’t call it “home-field advantage” for nothing.
This is a new play on the old “Hub and Spoke” business model. That model is archaic in my opinion. It’s too passive. So try providing value as you normally would when engaging your customers. And as a final call to action, mention “Hey we have a great example of that on <insert your community here>.” You’ll see an uptick in pageviews, registrations and participation the more you practice this octopus model.
Are you effectively pulling or driving customers back to your community? Have you tried the “octopus” model?
The Many Hats of Community Managers
For most companies that are just ramping up their community efforts, they run with a slim community team. In my experiences, there’s a Director who manages budget and drives overall strategy, a Community Manager (Hey, that’s you!) that’s in the weeds day-to-day, and then if you’re lucky, possibly a moderator. That leaves a lot of empty seats at the table if you want an ever-growing and thriving community. So a lot of responsibility is left up to the community manager to perform, forcing him/her to put on different hats to get the job(s) done. How many hats does a community manager wear?
Here are my top 10 hats:
1. Sales & Marketing
2. Advertising & Promotions
3. Technical Support
4. Customer Service
5. Public Relations
6. Copy Writer
7. Analyst
8. Moderaor
9. Project Manager
10. Content Manager
Did I forget a hat on the rack? Which one did I leave out? How many hats do you wear?
