Lafayette Park Zoo and Social Media

Should we join the conversation?

Emily Overmyer, Lafayette Park Zoo, Marketing Intern October 2011

Introduction: Zoos and Social Media

Traditionally, the Lafayette Park Zoo has relied on television and newspaper ads, billboards, and wordof-mouth advertising in attempts to raise zoo awareness and attendance. In this digital age, however, we must question our strategies and look to new possibilities for advertising and marketing. One such possibility is social media. In this report, I will be giving an overview of social media, providing details about the zoos target audience and its relationship to social media, detailing benefits and drawbacks of social media, and providing a general plan for the future in order to help answer the question: should we join the conversation?

exclusive groups, the creation of events, chat, photo albums, games, and privacy features.

YouTube
The core focus of YouTube is video sharing. The company website states the purposes of YouTube are, for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe. Anyone can search Image 2: YouTube Icon (2011) and view videos on the website, and users with an account can upload original videos to share. All users have a channel, which allows for organization of videos. Comments can be made on videos, creating a conversation between users.

Social Media Overview

The terms social media and social networking refer to internet-based communities established by users that allow for the sharing of ideas, messages, information, videos, and more. Some of the earliest forms of social media include websites like MySpace, which allows users to create an online, personal profile to share with friends. MySpace, launched in 2003, was quickly followed by Facebook, a social networking site created in 2004. Subsequently, sites like YouTube and Twitter were created in 2005 and 2006, respectively (Cross, 2011, pg. xi). The following list details some of the main social media sites used today:

Twitter
The companys website describes Twitter as, a realtime information network allowing users to learn about information they are most interested in. Users post Image 3: Twitter Icon (2011) Tweets which are messages, stories, or conversations that can be up to 140 characters long. Individuals can follow others accounts and get quick updates whenever a new Tweet is posted. People can also respond to Tweets, give feedback, or join a conversation.

Facebook
According to the companys website, the main purposes of Facebook for users are, to communicate more efficiently with their friends, family and coworkers, and to create the Image 1: Facebook Icon (2011) digital mapping of people's real-world social connections. Through Facebook, users are able to create a personal profile, sharing general information. Then, users can request others to be friends, increasing the social connection map. Each user has a wall where they can post and receive messages and website links, allowing for ease of communication between friends. Other features include

Who is Using Social Media?

With advances in technology and the ability to access the internet nearly anywhere, social media has transformed the way people interact, communicate, and learn. Members of all age groups can manage a social networking site, and the numbers are growing. According to Nelson-Field and Klose (2011), The rate of exponential growth in social media surpasses that of any media to date (Background section, para. 1). Social networking sites have seen tremendous growth in a short time period. In one year, Facebook added over 200 million users, with 500 million users

total on the site. Interestingly, it took around 13 years for the television to reach 50 million viewers (Background, para. 1). Similarly on Twitter, growth has been dramatic. In 2009, only 4% of surveyed individuals were users on Twitter, but by March 2011, the number had risen to 34%. Based on these figures, social media popularity is on the rise.

Figure 2: Social networking site use by age groups, 2005-2011 (Madden & Zickuhr, 2011)

The rate of exponential growth in social media surpasses that of any media to date - Nelson-Field and Klose (2011)
But the question remains: who are the millions of people using social media sites? Researchers at Pew Internet (2011) released a project describing the demographics of social media users, giving information about age groups, income brackets, income, education, and location (pg. 3-7). There were several important social media trends discovered through the Pew Internet, which are particularly important for our organization to note. Some of these trends include: 65% of online adults use social networking sites 43% of adults use social networking sites daily Women use social media significantly more than men (Figure 1) The age groups 18-29 and 30-49 are the top social media users, with older generations on the rise (Figure 2)
Figure 1: Social networking site use by gender, 2005-2011 (Madden & Zickuhr, 2011)

Based on the graphs, the percentage of adults using social media in the age range of 30-40 years old grew from less than 50% of adults to 70% of such adults in two years (2009 - 2011). Interestingly, the younger generations, ages 18-29, have remained relatively stable. Therefore, we can see that social media use is on the rise for nearly every age category, and remains at a high, yet somewhat static, level for younger users.

The Importance for Zoos

While the numbers of internet users are impressive, the real importance of the data is its relationship to zoos. According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) (2009), the visitor demographics of zoos are primarily: Women/Mothers Age 23-35 House Hold Income $50,000 75,000 Two out of three adults visit with a child When these demographics are compared to the Pew Internet Research, some striking connections can be made. The majority of zoo visitors are women from the ages of 23-35. The top users of social media are predominately women, and individuals between the age ranges of 18-49, therefore significant overlap in audience demographics is apparent. In short, the zoos primary target audience is actively and increasingly using social media. If we want to adapt with these changes and keep our target audiences attention, we need to seriously consider utilizing social media.

Social Media Analysis

Now that we are aware what social media is and how it relates to our target audience, we can examine the pros and cons of social media use in zoo marketing to help us make a more informed decision.

Benefits
One of the main functions of social media is to start a conversation between users; in our case, the conversation would be between our zoo and our patrons. One article from WARC, by G. Precourt, summed up the general idea: "Consumers value open dialogue with a company as opposed to one-sided messagingpeople tend to respond more positively to a two-way conversation than to being bombarded by marketing messages" (Social Media Usage, para. 4). An online conversation allows for interactive marketing, unlike more traditional advertising, and consumers may appreciate this new approach.

We can ask for feedback from our audience on exhibits, overall experience, and new ideas or improvements . In other words, we can determine what is working well in the eyes of patrons, what needs to be improved, or what might need to be removed. Social media sites can be easily accessed from phones and computers, which allows access to information (maps, questions, etc.) even while at the zoo. Patrons could use their smart-phones to look at maps, find out about activities, and share with others about their experience in real-time. Zoo patrons can ask us questions, which we can respond to more quickly, and the answers can be read by the public to increase awareness. For example, if a visitor is curious about a specific species, we can provide the patron with accurate information through social media, and others that visit the site can learn from our response. Pictures and videos of animals can be posted by the zoo and users to help create an emotional connection to the zoo. This allows users to feel included and informed about the zoo and its inhabitants and makes the zoo seem personable and inviting. By monitoring trends and requests, we can better analyze our audiences needs and wants and react through change. If many visitors make comments on a certain topic, or repeatedly mention an issue, we can better recognize patrons needs and take action. Social media reaches a large audience, expanding our range of marketing. Television and paper ads only reach a select audience. Given the data presented earlier in the paper, social media use is on the rise, and there is the possibility of a new audience that will be able to learn about our zoo. The cost to join social networking sites is free. Compared to the price of creating a television ad or a print ad, setting up social media sites only requires a valid email address and is free to users.

"Consumers value open dialogue with a company as opposed to one-sided messagingpeople tend to respond more positively to a two-way conversation than to being bombarded by marketing messages" - Precourt (2009)
The following points, adapted from examples from Gibbon and Hawkes (2009), list possible benefits of generating such a conversation (Advantages and Disadvantages of Embracing Social Media section, para. 1-2): Facebook and Twitter allow people to comment and leave messages for pages they like or follow. As a result, their friends and family can see activity on our site, which increases awareness and interest for our zoo.

Potential Drawbacks
Sometimes, social media seems too good to be true. Just like any other media outlet, there are possible issues and obstacles social media advertising faces: All messages posted on social media can be read by the public. If the zoo receives criticism or any type of negative comment, every member can see it. We might not always receive the positive feedback we hope for, and we must be ready to monitor activity and handle criticism professionally. Because many zoos are using social media, there is extreme competition among our establishments. Users might judge our zoo based on our social media performance or appearance, increasing criticism. Other zoos may have had more time to develop a site, and our novelty to social media may be a hindrance when first starting to create a site. Like any technology, errors, hacking, and misuse can occur, and we must have a team ready to handle such issues. Professionals may be needed or workers might need training, both of which could cost money. Pictures and videos posted by users could be used inappropriately and must be monitored closely. If we open up photo albums to the public, we risk misuse, and we would not want this to tarnish our image. Attracting attention to social media sites to increase followers may be challenging. Getting the word out to customers may require a separate campaign, changes in our website, or word-of-mouth to visitors. There are many social media sites seeking support, and we need to find a way to make our site stand out. Social media will change how our zoo appears to the public. Some patrons may prefer our traditional style and will be against a technological advancement. We risk losing some customers in favor of new customers, and we must decide if this is a risk worth taking.

While social sites are free to join, they require frequent attention and maintenance. If not kept up to date or monitored, the site will not serve its purpose effectively. This task will likely result in a full-time staff member, which increases the overall cost of social media.

The Next Steps

While both sides of the social media argument should be considered before making a decision, it is also important to understand what the next step should be if we adapt social media.

Choosing the Right Sites

First, we should decide which sites to use, taking into consideration of some of their functions. There are a wide variety of social media sites available online, but there are some sites that have become clear frontrunners. Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, the three sites described at the start of this paper, are among the most popular sites. According to the websites of each company, Facebook now has over 800 million current users, over 3 billion videos are viewed each day on YouTube, and 100 million active users on Twitter create 230 million Tweets per day.

Facebook has over 800 million current users, over 3 billion videos are viewed each day on YouTube, and 100 million active users on Twitter create 230 million Tweets per day
Businesses can opt to use primarily one site, or a combination of sites. Colleen Dilenschneider (2011), a zoo and aquarium blogger, came up with several ways to use social media in Zoos. Table 1 provides examples of how each of the three major social media sites could be used specifically for zoos using Dilenschneiders ideas and some of my own original ideas.

Table 1: Examples of Social Media Usage by Site (Adapted from Dilenschneider (2011)

Facebook

YouTube

Twitter

Can act as an extension to the website, including maps, coupons, links to other sites, general information, etc. Create/advertise zoo events and invite all fans of the page Create contests and sweepstakes that require online participation (e.g. zoo animal photo contest to win free admission for a day) Show our support for other causes (conservation efforts, non-profit organizations, etc.)

Ability to create a public page for the Create an exclusive zoo Quick updates on happenings zoo channel at the zoo as they occur (e.g. People can like the site, leave com Create videos for users (e.g. The dolphin show starts in ments, post pictures from their visit, ask behind the scenes, animal 20 minutes!) questions biographies, new babies, new Links to other websites, like Polls/questions can be made to gain exhibit previews, chat with conservation efforts or our audience opinions or interact with users the keepers, etc.) advertisers (e.g. animal fun fact questions, ask visitors which exhibit is their favorite, help Comments can be posted on People can follow our site and videos post comments or share our name a baby animal)

Video contests for zoo patrons to increase awareness and activity Educational material on conservation efforts and animal facts Video tour of the zoo for new guests to help them navigate Live zoo-cams that show animals in their enclosures at all times of the day

Tweets with others Links to pictures can be posted quickly Active conversations with users and answers to questions in real time Show support for other causes (especially other Twitter users). Daily fun-facts about animals or the zoo Informal advertising for the on-the-go visitor

Site Development and Management

additional staff members, current workers will have to shift their goals, learn new skills, and the process could Once we establish which site(s) we want to use, be lengthy. Also, depending on which service we use to the next question is: who will be in charge? Currently train our current workers on social media (free podin our marketing department, we have workers that casts, blogs, hire a professional, etc.), there may still be are not skilled professionals in social media use. As a a slight cost. However, this would be an excellent opresult, we have a few options for site development and portunity for the staff to widen their breadth of knowlmanagement. edge and make us a more competitive organization in One option would be to teach a current group the field of technology. of workers or interns how to set up and use social Another option would be to hire a new staff media sites. This could be done by workers conductmember, already trained in social media marketing research on the topic, or possibly hiring a profesing, and willing to work part-time or full-time. For sional to conduct a workshop to help us get started. For example, a job description posted by the San Diego example, on Twitters website (2011), there is an entire Zoo (2010) lists credentials for a social media planner, section dedicated to businesses that want to learn more including: a degree in journalism, communications or about Twitter as an advertising or marketing tool. related field; knowledge of social media trends, conWhile these techniques would prevent us from hiring tent development, and photography; ability to write,

conduct computer programs, communicate effectively (verbal and written), follow social media trends and develop strategies to enhance the social media exposure. Hiring a new employee may also be a challenging and lengthy process, but the hired specialist will be able to create our sites more efficiently and will already have a deep understanding of social media. To help us decide which path to take, we could start researching and contacting other zoos using social media and ask them how they got started, what tools they used, what works best, and what they wish they had done differently. Currently, based on information from the AZA (2011), of the 221 institutions that are members of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, at least two-thirds are using social media of some kind, and the number is growing continually. Thus, we have extreme variety and many experienced zoos that could potentially help us decide what is best for our own zoo. Whichever method we decide to use (outsourcing or training current workers), we have to take into consideration who we put in charge. Klose and NelsonField (2010) explain that, social media champions are directly responsible for public interaction, and as such should be of high quality and should understand your business goals (Enable Employees, para. 1). So, whoever we chose to run our social network sites needs to be trustworthy, committed, and knowledgeable about our purpose, goals, and needs.

of 1-100, and is a measure of how many people you influence (True Reach), how much you influence them (Amplification), and how influential they are (Network Score) (The Klout Score, para. 1-4). The company focuses on Twitter and Facebook activity, but may expand to include additional sites in the future. While this technology is mainly used by large companies, it could give us a general idea of our success if we establish social media.

Image 4: Klout, Inc. (2011)

Judging Our Success

After establishing our social media and deciding on management of the sites, our next step is measuring the sites success. Because social media is relatively new, there has been little research done on how to accurately measure its impact. There are obvious ways to try and judge success, such as number of followers or fans, activity on the site (conversations, message posts, etc.), and an increase in zoo attendance, but research is currently being done to try and find more reliable methods. One method that can be used for measuring Twitter success is the Klout Score. The official website for Klout, Inc. (2011) describes the Klout score as a measure of online influence. The score is on a scale

Because the overall goal of using social media is to increase awareness and attendance at the Lafayette Park Zoo, our marketing staff would likely pay close attention to zoo sales if social media is created. Although other factors may play into an increase in zoo attendance (season, special events, promotions), we could supplement our information with surveys asking individuals about their social media use in relation to the zoo. With social media, judging success may prove to be a challenge, but active research and key tools may could help us realize our reach.

Concluding Thoughts
With the recent development and growth of social media, we are forced to examine our marketing strategies and question our future endeavors in attempts in increase zoo awareness and attendance. There are both benefits and drawbacks from implementing social media into our system, and the decision to commit to social media can be difficult. Powered with the information in this report about types of social media, our target audience, and possible plans for the future, we can assess our organizations needs and develop a realistic and effective plan of action.

Sources
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Madden, M. and Zickuhr, K. (August 2011). 65% of online adults use social networking site: Women maintain their foothold on SNS use and older Americans are still coming aboard. Retrieved from http://pewinternet.org/ Reports/2011/Social-Networking-Sites.aspx Precourt, G.(2009). The Global Web Index: A Map for Social Media Trends. Retrieved from http://www.warc.com/Content/ContentViewer. aspx?MasterContentRef=3b160d0e-d00c-4ec1a3a2-cd7f22a3bf64&q=precourt San Diego Zoo (2010). Job Title: SOCIAL ME DIA PLANNER. Retrieved from https:// www.hrapply.com/sandiegozoo/AppJobView. jsp?link=3478&page=AppJobList.jsp&op=reset Twitter (2011). Twitter is the best way to discover whats new in your world. Retrieved from http:// twitter.com/about Youtube (2011). About YouTube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/t/about_youtube