Narrative: Mark Zucerkebrg

Some of you may know him as the networking king, or boy genius or some of you may know him from the film, The Social Network. Others simply know him as the guy who created Facebook. Zuckerberg has a unique story unlike the founders of Myspace or other social networking sites. He created Facebook from his college Harvard dorm room at the age of 19. He never knew this application would change the way people and businesses interact FOREVER.

Mark Zucerkberg came from a Jewish background in the suburb of White Plains, NY. He was raised in the trendy village of Dobbs Ferry, NY. As a young child he developed a fondness for communications and computers early on. He was only 12 years old when he created his first messaging system. He graduated High school with a focus on literary classics and enrolled in Harvard in 2002.

Harvard is a prestigious school and is known to harvest great talents such as our very own President Obama, Bill Gates and many more. Harvard graduates are known to become leaders and innovators. It was during his sophomore year at Harvard when he created Facebook, the social networking site that connects over 550 million people worldwide.

If you have seen The Social Network, Zucerkerberg was portrayed to be a greedy and a socially awkward guy. In the scene below you will see how socially awkward Mark Zuckerberg is.  In this scene he is at bar with a lady friend. He seems to have trouble holding a conversation and doesn't understand her sense of humor. 

She responds to one of his statements with the following: 

Maybe, but sometimes you say two things
at once and I’m not sure which one I’m
supposed to be aiming at.

There was confusion about the situation until he cleared it up with an interview with New York Times. Mark is said to have a warm presence rather than a cold one. He has a quick smile and doesn't shy away from eye contact. He is a people’s person, hence, the social network he created. He also discussed how he could take Facebook to the heights he had planned for it to be.

Zuckerberg, Facebook's CEO and co-founder and presiding visionary was named "Person of the Year" in 2010

Facebook started as a connection for Harvard-students only. It then grew to allow only ivy-league schools. When Facebook received a huge investment of $12.7 million dollars from a capital firm they decided to take the company to the next level. He moved his operation to California, also known as Silicon Valley. Soon after, he decided not to go back to his Ivy League education, and instead devoted his time to creating a social network that is now worth more than $50 billion dollars. Zuckerberg is the world’s youngest billionaire; his personal net worth is approximately $6.9 billion. But, he lives a modest lifestyle by most standards for someone with such a high net worth. He is a workaholic and is currently studying Chinese. He drives a black Acura, which is chump change for a billionaire. For thanksgiving break, he took his family to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Overall, Facebook is the realization of a dream. Fortune 500 companies like Viacom and Yahoo both have offered deals in the billions to acquire his concept. Instead, Zuckerberg sticked to his and is constantly working to improve the site, making it easier for people to share messages, photos, locations, updates, play games and more. But, while this happens Zuckerberg is growing up. He won’t be the same person as the Zucerkberg who founded it. There will be a time that it might get complicated to remain sensitive to the richness of the outside world. But for all its flaws, there was no other way for Facebook to begin. Only someone like Zucerkberg could have built the empire we know as Facebook today.

Interview with David Prince, VP of Marketing at CQ Fluency

David Prince is the VP of Marketing at CQ Fluency. They are a communications company with a difference: cultural fluency that ensures the message is adapted seamlessly for all audiences. He brings a wealth of knowledge in the worlds of brand building, multicultural solutions and team leadership. This interview will give you insight into why social media is essential for a business to be successful. 

What is your experience managing multiple social media accounts?

When I worked for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention we worked on the VERB campaign. It was a social marketing campaign to increase physical activity among youth. The sources of influence were on tweens, teachers, program leaders, and parents. Through this campaign I utilized multiple social media accounts to advertise. Back then MySpace was the hot commodity of social media as well as Facebook.

How do you stay on top of the latest innovations in social media?

I follow key blogs such as Social Media News and Social Media Network/Marketing. In my Twitter and Facebook newsfeed I follow several companies and prominent names. I engage in discussions on several LinkedIn groups. I also utilize Google alerts and receive an e-mail daily in regards to current events and trends in the social media industry.

What different social medium are you experienced in and how effective have you found them?

I am experienced in the Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Foursquare, and Pinterest. These social media tools are effective at brand building. Social media also drives sales for a company. It’s a great way to promote the brand and products. It increases awareness of the brand and image. Social media are a way to strike conversation with your consumers. You are able to see what their interests are and can relate to them through your next product or service.

Now that we covered the bases, here are further questions I asked:

Enhance Awareness/ Improve Perception:

How do you remain fresh and relevant in a constantly changing environment?

It’s very vital for companies to stick with their message and remain persistent in an ever-changing environment. You should stay on the message across all social media platforms. New people are always discovering your brand.

What ways have you helped improve brand loyalty in the past through social media?

While I worked for the U.S. Army I made a push to Twitter. I enhanced their technical abilities and initiated the first tweet from space during one of our projects. Overall, I raised the level of army technical standpoint.

How do you build an engaged social audience?

You must understand how consumers use the many platforms. Understand how they’re using and when they’re using it. I learned that Facebook is primary used  at home, Twitter is an on-the-go platform where Pinterest is used for consumers to "pin" images and objects that they like. All in all, you must know how consumers use different platforms differently.

Educate Your Audience:

Do you feel that social media can be used to educate our audience, if so, how?  If not, why?

Yes! You are allowed to tweet 140 characters depending on the medium you are using. You must repeat your message/motto but repeat it creatively to get the message across.

How do you get users to listen or participate in the discussion you are creating?

Best way to get people to listen is to ask a question! But, provide options to respond to the question such as:

“Have you tried XXX Company’s new feature?”

1. Yes, I like it!
2. Yes, I don’t like it!
3. Not yet
4. Jury’s out

It’s easier to interest people in online conversations when you make it easier for them to respond.

Convert Leads/Drive Sales:

In what ways would you suggest using social media to help drive sales and/or convert leads for our brand/company/product?

Reach out to consumers through TV, radio, and e-mail. You must identify who the core consumers are then it’ll be easier to create personalized online conversations for them to join.

Can you provide an example of a successful campaign you've launched in the past?

"Talk to a U.S. Army Solider" is a campaign I’ve launched. It’s geared towards those interested in joining the army such as recruits and their parents and families. The means of communication included, e-mail, and a discussion board on the goarmy.com site and a Facebook page. I learned that if you want to invite people to participate in your campaign go with the latest social media trend. Facebook is a social media asset that everyone must use to promote their service.

It was such an insightful interview. It was interesting to learn from a social media professional standpoint. Companies cant survive without social media. From building new potential partnership relationships, receiving real time customer feedback, to enhancing your brand image. Social media does it all! You must understand how to use it and when to use it.