This isn’t a “I’m sorry I haven’t blogged in a while” post. I’ve definitely been a little slow, but that’s entirely deliberate. I’m thinking.
I’m thinking about how to take this conversation a step beyond where it’s been. I’ve never been much for having the same old discussions everyone else is having, and I’m not about to start now.
I want to focus a lot more on the practical application of a lot of this stuff, but I want to do it with you in mind. That means that I know not everyone is a social media crazy person, which means that some fundamental information is still really valuable, so long as it has HOW as well as WHY. But I also know we need to move past the circular discussions and questions, and get to some solutions, even if they’re a little rough hewn yet. We need to try stuff. Hypothesize about what works, and try it.
I spend a lot of time with companies that are trying to figure this stuff out, and I want to be helpful and a guide for those with the right intent and attitude but perhaps not all the pieces they need. I don’t want to keep beating dead horses (and I know that as much as I’ve tried, I’ve fallen into that trap once in a while) and I don’t want to waste oxygen preaching to the converted or the obstinate.
So, I’m asking you dear friends. Those that have been such active, participatory members of my community from the start, and those of you new faces that are just finding this blog and hoping it can help you. If you’ve ever stopped lurking for a few minutes to pipe up, let today be the day.
Tell me what conversations you don’t need to hear anymore. Tell me which ones don’t get enough attention. Dig out the niggling issues that you can’t seem to make headway on, and let’s make this some proving ground for ideas and practical stuff.
I’m sure I’ll still throw in a bit of pontificating and musing on occasion, because that’s what I do. I think. And my thinking is always better with your input.
So, I’m being deliberately a little slow and contemplative. I’m contemplating next moves and figuring out how Altitude can be different, be the blog where you get social and community stuff that you can’t get somewhere else. Will you please share your thoughts with me? This isn’t just a forum for me. It’s meant to be a resource to you. Let’s make it one. Sound off.
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Perhaps I haven’t been looking in the right spots, but I haven’t been able to find much in the way of practical conversation relating to the disparate focus required for small biz to effectively utilize varied social media milieu. Tone, content, interaction, audience; all differ from one application to the next. I would enjoy breaking them down to help get a clearer idea of how to maintain focus and effectiveness.
Amber,
First of all – thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your social media process.
Me personally, I’m always looking for practical applications of social media to be used for small businesses. Marketing, advertising, branding – all valuable topics. Also, how to meld this process into our everyday activities. Numbers – tracking and the importance of them.
I’m a little esoteric and do enjoy the ramblings of the professionals (that would be you) – however, that’s not at the top of my priority list. For newbies in theis field, not so important. For those of us that have been around awhile – more interesting because it helps build the bigger picture of who you are.
Thanks!
@debworks
Perhaps I haven’t been looking in the right spots, but I haven’t been able to find much in the way of practical conversation relating to the disparate focus required for small biz to effectively utilize varied social media milieu. Tone, content, interaction, audience; all differ from one application to the next. I would enjoy breaking them down to help get a clearer idea of how to maintain focus and effectiveness.
Amber,
First of all – thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your social media process.
Me personally, I’m always looking for practical applications of social media to be used for small businesses. Marketing, advertising, branding – all valuable topics. Also, how to meld this process into our everyday activities. Numbers – tracking and the importance of them.
I’m a little esoteric and do enjoy the ramblings of the professionals (that would be you) – however, that’s not at the top of my priority list. For newbies in theis field, not so important. For those of us that have been around awhile – more interesting because it helps build the bigger picture of who you are.
Thanks!
@debworks
Amber – I’d very selfishly like to hear more about practical business uses for social bookmarking. I think we hear a lot about all the ways people can monitor and converse in social media channels but less about *doing* things and collaborating and working *with* social media. Toobla (http://toobla.com) is my new baby, an Internet startup in Ohio, and we’re trying to reinvent bookmarking through making it easier to build collections of content, share them easily with others (via short urls, as embedded widgets or on facebook) and even enable true collaboration and crowd sourcing of content. I see a lot of discovery enabled by social bookmarking on sites like Digg and Delicious but would love to explore more how people are incorporating the new social web and all our webtwenny-ness into our actual work day. I’m working on a post for the social media SmartBrief right now on this topic and would love to collaborate or share this content with you if you think your audience might be interested.
Amber – I’d very selfishly like to hear more about practical business uses for social bookmarking. I think we hear a lot about all the ways people can monitor and converse in social media channels but less about *doing* things and collaborating and working *with* social media. Toobla (http://toobla.com) is my new baby, an Internet startup in Ohio, and we’re trying to reinvent bookmarking through making it easier to build collections of content, share them easily with others (via short urls, as embedded widgets or on facebook) and even enable true collaboration and crowd sourcing of content. I see a lot of discovery enabled by social bookmarking on sites like Digg and Delicious but would love to explore more how people are incorporating the new social web and all our webtwenny-ness into our actual work day. I’m working on a post for the social media SmartBrief right now on this topic and would love to collaborate or share this content with you if you think your audience might be interested.
I love it when people step back and spend time contemplating their own evolution. It’s exciting to think of taking new steps, charting unknown territory, and progressing, isn’t it?
You know, Amber that I’ve been a fan of your blog since way back when. It’s where I turn to get not only fresh insight, but real actions that I can take for myself and with my clients. You’ve got a great recipe here, and I hope that never changes.
Personally I’ve been thinking a lot about the future. We social media types spend a lot of time contemplating how to use the tools of today, how to implement strategies for new media and, fortunately, lots of us are now in a position where we’re able to do these things and people will pay us. That’s tremendous progress over even 2 years ago, when people thought we were nuts for thinking anyone would hand over hard earned cash to learn to more effectively use social media. (I make no apologies for wanting to make money from working with social media, by the way. It’s part of what I do.)
I think it would be really interesting to start some conversations around the future. Forget Twitter, forget Facebook, forget “brand management”, and all those kitschy buzzwords we toss around. Let’s get down to brass tacks with where this stuff is all headed. We are the ones that live and breathe this stuff. We are the ones who can help shape what it becomes. Idealist? Maybe. But if we don’t start having these conversations we might miss the boat, and the opportunities right along with it.
Thanks for all you do, Miss.
xo
Suze
i like what you said about starting “conversations around the future.”
for me, SM opens doors and exposes me to people i may not have otherwise met. with SM (and networks), i can be in several different places/countries at once – learning more about the people and causes.
i enjoy traveling and with SM i can met people and find work/opportunities before i ever arrive. i like to say i’m “entrepreneurial kind of girl who believes through Twitter and Couch Surfing she can rule the world”.
the future i want for myself is to be able to use SM to make a difference and educate.
@haveAwonderful
I love it when people step back and spend time contemplating their own evolution. It’s exciting to think of taking new steps, charting unknown territory, and progressing, isn’t it?
You know, Amber that I’ve been a fan of your blog since way back when. It’s where I turn to get not only fresh insight, but real actions that I can take for myself and with my clients. You’ve got a great recipe here, and I hope that never changes.
Personally I’ve been thinking a lot about the future. We social media types spend a lot of time contemplating how to use the tools of today, how to implement strategies for new media and, fortunately, lots of us are now in a position where we’re able to do these things and people will pay us. That’s tremendous progress over even 2 years ago, when people thought we were nuts for thinking anyone would hand over hard earned cash to learn to more effectively use social media. (I make no apologies for wanting to make money from working with social media, by the way. It’s part of what I do.)
I think it would be really interesting to start some conversations around the future. Forget Twitter, forget Facebook, forget “brand management”, and all those kitschy buzzwords we toss around. Let’s get down to brass tacks with where this stuff is all headed. We are the ones that live and breathe this stuff. We are the ones who can help shape what it becomes. Idealist? Maybe. But if we don’t start having these conversations we might miss the boat, and the opportunities right along with it.
Thanks for all you do, Miss.
xo
Suze
i like what you said about starting “conversations around the future.”
for me, SM opens doors and exposes me to people i may not have otherwise met. with SM (and networks), i can be in several different places/countries at once – learning more about the people and causes.
i enjoy traveling and with SM i can met people and find work/opportunities before i ever arrive. i like to say i’m “entrepreneurial kind of girl who believes through Twitter and Couch Surfing she can rule the world”.
the future i want for myself is to be able to use SM to make a difference and educate.
@haveAwonderful
Sue, I love your thoughts about “what’s next”. I think there has to be a balance. As you can see from many of the comments here, some folks are still figuring out FIRST steps, let alone next steps.
I think what might be a middle ground is talking about not just practical application, but the elements of business that are required as prerequisites to make social fit in. Culture, process, resources, etc. That’s what makes it scalable. And that’s what allows us to say “okay, great, now what?”
I’m going to take a page out of Chris Penn’s playbook and liken where where are at to going from casual to hardcore raiding in World of Warcraft.
(I know, lame. Bear with me. I have a point!)
In World of Warcraft, you start out exploring the world, leveling your character, and basically getting your head around the game. This stage of the game is about learning and exploration. It’s casual.
At some point, you start paying attention to the details of the game: class, gear, and raid strategy. The game becomes about precision and execution.
In the endgame, you know your character, your class, and what the game has to offer, so you start to look for “what’s next.”
What is the next piece of gear, what is the next raid, what new content is there to consume? It’s hardcore.
I think we are still in between exploration and execution. Companies are exploring the social media and content economy landscape, and trying to decide if it’s for them or not.
We are starting to talk metrics, but we are not talking much about precision. Yet.
Where we need to be is: what’s next? We need to move beyond the casual and making moves towards hardcore social media.
We need to be asking:
What comes after the tools?
What comes after ROI, if ROI is really important?
How do we move past the tools and into a greater community? Are social media networks portable, or are they always going to be platform centric?
What does a social business look like, when we strip away the bureaucracy and look at it’s DNA?
When social media becomes the norm, what does marketing and PR look like?
What does business look like? What does that mean for the agency business?
We really need to move on. These are the sort of discussions I think we should be having, and aren’t.
I’m going to take a page out of Chris Penn’s playbook and liken where where are at to going from casual to hardcore raiding in World of Warcraft.
(I know, lame. Bear with me. I have a point!)
In World of Warcraft, you start out exploring the world, leveling your character, and basically getting your head around the game. This stage of the game is about learning and exploration. It’s casual.
At some point, you start paying attention to the details of the game: class, gear, and raid strategy. The game becomes about precision and execution.
In the endgame, you know your character, your class, and what the game has to offer, so you start to look for “what’s next.”
What is the next piece of gear, what is the next raid, what new content is there to consume? It’s hardcore.
I think we are still in between exploration and execution. Companies are exploring the social media and content economy landscape, and trying to decide if it’s for them or not.
We are starting to talk metrics, but we are not talking much about precision. Yet.
Where we need to be is: what’s next? We need to move beyond the casual and making moves towards hardcore social media.
We need to be asking:
What comes after the tools?
What comes after ROI, if ROI is really important?
How do we move past the tools and into a greater community? Are social media networks portable, or are they always going to be platform centric?
What does a social business look like, when we strip away the bureaucracy and look at it’s DNA?
When social media becomes the norm, what does marketing and PR look like?
What does business look like? What does that mean for the agency business?
We really need to move on. These are the sort of discussions I think we should be having, and aren’t.
“What does a social business look like, when we strip away the bureaucracy and look at it’s DNA? ”
This is a big, important topic for me. I’m thinking about how to fit all the wanted practical examples in context of here’s the tactic that worked (or didn’t), but here is the characteristics of the business AROUND it that helped it on its way to success or failure.
I think we need to be able to identify the elements of social *business*, not just social media. The media is just the mechanism. The business is what forms the intent, which is the basis for it all.
Amber,
I’m a participant in lots of discussions about defining Social CRM and have seen folks confusing it — the tool — with strategy or culture.
Your use of the term “social business” is the true culture and strategy. In a chicken versus the egg thing, then, I’d recommend businesses start with defining their vision for a social business and then letting the media and tools (like SCRM) fall out of it.
Things I don’t need to hear about any more (and not that you go on about these things, but in social media in general): arguments/disagreements/debates between figureheads/”thought leaders” in social media spaces (linking to blog posts by all parties and offering the author’s “take”); recaps of conferences that are just crazy party pictures and a few slapdash comments about a session or two (if you’re going to provide me with something I missed by not being there, you better have learned something); anything that focuses obsessively on existence/use of a particular tool and uses the word “game changer”; anything aimed at provocation, purely; anything written to rehash the same old, same old general topics “you need to listen!” “be in the conversation!” “Soylent Green is people!” (though I know these things are new for some, you can direct them within more advanced posts back to things that cover the basics if they need a refresher.)
I think people need to know how to take this stuff into their everyday surroundings and do something with it. Scott Monty has had his unique challenges at Ford, but what if I’m a tiny car dealership in Asheville?
How do I decide what defines my brand? How do I begin branding myself if no one knows who the heck I am? How do I begin listening if I don’t know who to listen to, or even who is talking? How do I take part in the conversation if I don’t even know what the heck is being said around my industry… or if no one is saying anything at all? Does everyone have a community? When do I give up?
That’s who I end up talking to all the time: small business owners who have no idea how to brand effectively, and where to go to connect, and what to spend time on, and how to measure if anything is working. Or, conversely, larger companies who have never really been online.
I don’t know if that’s in your wheelhouse, but that’s what I hear about the most.
Things I don’t need to hear about any more (and not that you go on about these things, but in social media in general): arguments/disagreements/debates between figureheads/”thought leaders” in social media spaces (linking to blog posts by all parties and offering the author’s “take”); recaps of conferences that are just crazy party pictures and a few slapdash comments about a session or two (if you’re going to provide me with something I missed by not being there, you better have learned something); anything that focuses obsessively on existence/use of a particular tool and uses the word “game changer”; anything aimed at provocation, purely; anything written to rehash the same old, same old general topics “you need to listen!” “be in the conversation!” “Soylent Green is people!” (though I know these things are new for some, you can direct them within more advanced posts back to things that cover the basics if they need a refresher.)
I think people need to know how to take this stuff into their everyday surroundings and do something with it. Scott Monty has had his unique challenges at Ford, but what if I’m a tiny car dealership in Asheville?
How do I decide what defines my brand? How do I begin branding myself if no one knows who the heck I am? How do I begin listening if I don’t know who to listen to, or even who is talking? How do I take part in the conversation if I don’t even know what the heck is being said around my industry… or if no one is saying anything at all? Does everyone have a community? When do I give up?
That’s who I end up talking to all the time: small business owners who have no idea how to brand effectively, and where to go to connect, and what to spend time on, and how to measure if anything is working. Or, conversely, larger companies who have never really been online.
I don’t know if that’s in your wheelhouse, but that’s what I hear about the most.
Some interesting ideas here, Meg. I’m in your camp with the tired conversations, that’s for sure.
I’m particularly stuck on your question “when do I give up?” I think maybe the layer beneath that is “how do I identify when I need to retool something, back up, or start over”? I’d never advocate giving up altogether, but I do think there are places for necessary reassessment.
Thanks for contributing.
Tell me what conversations you don’t need to hear anymore:
Any conversation involving the word “change”, that’s over 7 sentences.
Tell me which ones don’t get enough attention:
“Acton” doesn’t get enough of the spotlight.”Change” happens through small action, if we talk TOO much about how everyone needs to change we really don’t move toward change but away from it.
I have no business to URL drop here, just an opinion. Thanks for all the great tweets and such Amber!
Tell me what conversations you don’t need to hear anymore:
Any conversation involving the word “change”, that’s over 7 sentences.
Tell me which ones don’t get enough attention:
“Acton” doesn’t get enough of the spotlight.”Change” happens through small action, if we talk TOO much about how everyone needs to change we really don’t move toward change but away from it.
I have no business to URL drop here, just an opinion. Thanks for all the great tweets and such Amber!
smart post.
i find the information you share very valuable.
the only thing i can add is – my challenge is getting clients to understand the “social” in social media. they have a difficult time understanding that social media alone will not save their business nor be the cause of exponential growth. (of course there are exceptions)
they watch the news, read articles and listen to friends who tell them how SM can catapult their business and “want that”. in addition, many don’t have budgets to support the desires and/or do not want to put in the time/work necessary. SM is also very scary to them. because it has no rules, they have a hard time being creative and improvising. corporate america and traditional media are ‘rule’ driven, and has taught people to not think outside the box and clients freak out when you tell them to let go and ‘try it’.
so maybe some conversation can be given to: 1) coaching business how to make connections offline with online communities. 2) letting them know it’s okay to fail but bounce back with a different approach (taking what worked and learning from what didn’t).
i think it’s also important to remember that most of us live in an online world and get tired of hearing each other, but we forget that there is a world of people who ‘just don’t get it’ but want to.
OH! and the language…keep it simple. many more non-SM (techie) people want to learn, but some of the language is WAY over their heads.
that’s it.
thanks for the work you do. keep up the good work and keep thinking!
-have A wonderful…
smart post.
i find the information you share very valuable.
the only thing i can add is – my challenge is getting clients to understand the “social” in social media. they have a difficult time understanding that social media alone will not save their business nor be the cause of exponential growth. (of course there are exceptions)
they watch the news, read articles and listen to friends who tell them how SM can catapult their business and “want that”. in addition, many don’t have budgets to support the desires and/or do not want to put in the time/work necessary. SM is also very scary to them. because it has no rules, they have a hard time being creative and improvising. corporate america and traditional media are ‘rule’ driven, and has taught people to not think outside the box and clients freak out when you tell them to let go and ‘try it’.
so maybe some conversation can be given to: 1) coaching business how to make connections offline with online communities. 2) letting them know it’s okay to fail but bounce back with a different approach (taking what worked and learning from what didn’t).
i think it’s also important to remember that most of us live in an online world and get tired of hearing each other, but we forget that there is a world of people who ‘just don’t get it’ but want to.
OH! and the language…keep it simple. many more non-SM (techie) people want to learn, but some of the language is WAY over their heads.
that’s it.
thanks for the work you do. keep up the good work and keep thinking!
-have A wonderful…
smart post.
i find the information you share very valuable.
the only thing i can add is – my challenge is getting clients to understand the “social” in social media. they have a difficult time understanding that social media alone will not save their business nor be the cause of exponential growth. (of course there are exceptions)
they watch the news, read articles and listen to friends who tell them how SM can catapult their business and “want that”. in addition, many don’t have budgets to support the desires and/or do not want to put in the time/work necessary. SM is also very scary to them. because it has no rules, they have a hard time being creative and improvising. corporate america and traditional media are ‘rule’ driven, and has taught people to not think outside the box and clients freak out when you tell them to let go and ‘try it’.
so maybe some conversation can be given to: 1) coaching business how to make connections offline with online communities. 2) letting them know it’s okay to fail but bounce back with a different approach (taking what worked and learning from what didn’t).
i think it’s also important to remember that most of us live in an online world and get tired of hearing each other, but we forget that there is a world of people who ‘just don’t get it’ but want to.
OH! and the language…keep it simple. many more non-SM (techie) people want to learn, but some of the language is WAY over their heads.
that’s it.
thanks for the work you do. keep up the good work and keep thinking!
-have A wonderful…
Thanks for some great thoughts. Especially like the offline-online bit. That’s a biggie, and something that doesn’t get discussed enough. Appreciate the ideas.
Conversations that dont need to happen anymore: be on twitter or be left behind…measure measure measure…the audience is out there…
Conversations that need to happen more:
– Define your goals, then your strategy, THEN use social media as part of the toolkit of executing on the strategy
– There is no ‘them’. We’re all in this together.
– How to find your company’s voice
– Social Media for Social Change.
First of all, I was delighted to see a post up from you this morning.
OK. What I *DON’T* want to hear anymore is the incessant re-bleating of social media bullet points. Don’t tell me to be human, don’t tell me to be transparent, don’t tell me to join the conversation. BAAAAAAA! Even for people new to the medium, these things are cliched beyond comprehension.
What I *AM* looking for … well, that’s a tougher question to answer. I’m always on the lookout for that small little something special. Something that I can hone into something really sharp for my own clients. Something that makes me say, “AHA! If I tweak this THIS way and flip it around THAT way, this could really be interesting for Client X”. Because, for me, while it’s my presence that everyone sees in these forums, my reason (well, not the ONLY reason) for being here is THEM. What can I do for them?
Talking to you, and to the other members of my community, not only gives me a lot of personal enjoyment, I glean lots of information that keeps me and my business sharp.
So, while I’m not sure what I am looking for, I’ll know it when I see it. And I promise to scream out loud when I do. 🙂
Conversations that dont need to happen anymore: be on twitter or be left behind…measure measure measure…the audience is out there…
Conversations that need to happen more:
– Define your goals, then your strategy, THEN use social media as part of the toolkit of executing on the strategy
– There is no ‘them’. We’re all in this together.
– How to find your company’s voice
– Social Media for Social Change.
First of all, I was delighted to see a post up from you this morning.
OK. What I *DON’T* want to hear anymore is the incessant re-bleating of social media bullet points. Don’t tell me to be human, don’t tell me to be transparent, don’t tell me to join the conversation. BAAAAAAA! Even for people new to the medium, these things are cliched beyond comprehension.
What I *AM* looking for … well, that’s a tougher question to answer. I’m always on the lookout for that small little something special. Something that I can hone into something really sharp for my own clients. Something that makes me say, “AHA! If I tweak this THIS way and flip it around THAT way, this could really be interesting for Client X”. Because, for me, while it’s my presence that everyone sees in these forums, my reason (well, not the ONLY reason) for being here is THEM. What can I do for them?
Talking to you, and to the other members of my community, not only gives me a lot of personal enjoyment, I glean lots of information that keeps me and my business sharp.
So, while I’m not sure what I am looking for, I’ll know it when I see it. And I promise to scream out loud when I do. 🙂
Thanks for being here, Melissa. You’ve given me reassurance that people like us can make a difference in all this craziness.
Yeah, what Meg said!
Funny, I’ve been contemplating purging my follow and feed lists for the very reasons Meg mentioned. I’m less interested in discussing the medium, and more interested is what’s working (for orgs small as well as large), who’s using it well, how it’s being integrated into overall organizations and larger strategies, what can be learned from what didn’t work, etc. In other words, ideas and inspiration I can discuss with my company, clients, friends, wife and others who are not SM geeks and don’t know their Brogan from their BethHarte (or whatever…).
That is not to diminish any of your excellent work (you would be last to fall into what’s being kvetched about). I don’t think you publish without carefully considering how you’re moving things forward, and even your more esoteric pieces come coupled with practical ideas and pragmatic advice. It’s always a good thing when you’re thinking, and I look forward to what comes next.
Yeah, what Meg said!
Funny, I’ve been contemplating purging my follow and feed lists for the very reasons Meg mentioned. I’m less interested in discussing the medium, and more interested is what’s working (for orgs small as well as large), who’s using it well, how it’s being integrated into overall organizations and larger strategies, what can be learned from what didn’t work, etc. In other words, ideas and inspiration I can discuss with my company, clients, friends, wife and others who are not SM geeks and don’t know their Brogan from their BethHarte (or whatever…).
That is not to diminish any of your excellent work (you would be last to fall into what’s being kvetched about). I don’t think you publish without carefully considering how you’re moving things forward, and even your more esoteric pieces come coupled with practical ideas and pragmatic advice. It’s always a good thing when you’re thinking, and I look forward to what comes next.
Yeah, what Meg said!
Funny, I’ve been contemplating purging my follow and feed lists for the very reasons Meg mentioned. I’m less interested in discussing the medium, and more interested is what’s working (for orgs small as well as large), who’s using it well, how it’s being integrated into overall organizations and larger strategies, what can be learned from what didn’t work, etc. In other words, ideas and inspiration I can discuss with my company, clients, friends, wife and others who are not SM geeks and don’t know their Brogan from their BethHarte (or whatever…).
That is not to diminish any of your excellent work (you would be last to fall into what’s being kvetched about). I don’t think you publish without carefully considering how you’re moving things forward, and even your more esoteric pieces come coupled with practical ideas and pragmatic advice. It’s always a good thing when you’re thinking, and I look forward to what comes next.
Ok, Amber, I’ll bite:
Here’s what I don’t need to hear about anymore: Arguments for the importance of Social Media. At this point, people are in or they are out (apologies to Ms. Klum).
Here’s what I’m interested in and want to hear more people discuss: We’re very focused right now on SocMed ROI. What is the brand getting out of their efforts. I think we need to discuss the Consumer ROI, what are they getting out of their friending, following, tweeting and blogging about brands. At this point, the difference between most products is negligible, so what added value do brands provide those consumers who are acting as evangelists?
Ok, Amber, I’ll bite:
Here’s what I don’t need to hear about anymore: Arguments for the importance of Social Media. At this point, people are in or they are out (apologies to Ms. Klum).
Here’s what I’m interested in and want to hear more people discuss: We’re very focused right now on SocMed ROI. What is the brand getting out of their efforts. I think we need to discuss the Consumer ROI, what are they getting out of their friending, following, tweeting and blogging about brands. At this point, the difference between most products is negligible, so what added value do brands provide those consumers who are acting as evangelists?
Boy do I love this idea. Thanks, Rick. Will definitely be putting this one in the basket.
Amber, One of the greatest things about your blog posts and tweets is that your ego is not an issue. As an observer and sometimes contributor to the social media space, the one thing that keeps coming up is the blatantly obvious popularity contest that exists among key players. I’m not sure it’s always intentional, but we learn much more from people like you and the Chris Brogans of the world than those who would rather toot their own horns than provide value, tactics and insight.
Thanks for always providing smart content-I really look forward to reading.
Amber, One of the greatest things about your blog posts and tweets is that your ego is not an issue. As an observer and sometimes contributor to the social media space, the one thing that keeps coming up is the blatantly obvious popularity contest that exists among key players. I’m not sure it’s always intentional, but we learn much more from people like you and the Chris Brogans of the world than those who would rather toot their own horns than provide value, tactics and insight.
Thanks for always providing smart content-I really look forward to reading.
Amber, One of the greatest things about your blog posts and tweets is that your ego is not an issue. As an observer and sometimes contributor to the social media space, the one thing that keeps coming up is the blatantly obvious popularity contest that exists among key players. I’m not sure it’s always intentional, but we learn much more from people like you and the Chris Brogans of the world than those who would rather toot their own horns than provide value, tactics and insight.
Thanks for always providing smart content-I really look forward to reading.
Amber, I know where your at, and I feel your pain. Many of the folks that frequent our blog are in the “fishbowl”…. damn there is that word again. In fact I find 95% of business owners and those that really need our services and information don’t even read blogs or have even a fraction of a clue of what RSS is. This does not mean that they never will, but what I am sensing is a huge influx of new users. We cover things on our blogs in a sort of timeline that mirrors our level of understanding and maturity in the space, but I personally see grwth in the newbie user. I know when I was a newbie I was wishing that I could put my mentors in reverse… that they would cover the basics for me. As the people who others seem to recommend first is this our duty to revisit the old? Not to give too much away, but I am thinking about an ebook on the topic. Right now I tend to send people to Mitch’s and Chris’ books.
Keith
For me Keith you have hit the nail on the head. I’ve been using Social Media for only a couple of months and have had to do a lot of figuring things out on my own. This is how I do most everything else in my business and personal life – I find something that is an AHA! moment and then start digging around.
I have been able to decipher a little of what goes on in the SM world by listening, following leaders like yourself, reading books, blogs and comments. I’ve adopted some tools to begin the “conversation” but easily get lost the deeper I go. Listening for me is second nature – I’m not a big talker and don’t profess to know a lot about any one subject. I can usually find what I need to know by searching either online or offline. The subject of SM is so large and covers so many tools/applications/websites etc. that I find myself chasing my own tail so to speak.
No one person could ever try to encapsulate this kind of data in a neat little package. If however the professionals like yourself, Amber and the Brogans and Scobles of the industry would step back in time and revisit what they did to get going with their real world experience as examples to follow then maybe it wouldn’t be such a daunting task for us newbies to get going. Way too long a sentence… but it says what I feel.
Thank you Amber for sparking the thought process, for your comments, tweets and posts. I find I learn just that little bit extra from it all.
Bruce, this is where I am heading with things. http://keithburtis.com/2009/10/01/im-not-too-proud-to-teach-social-media-101/ Hopefully this will help rectify some of the taboo around digital. Of course coming here to Ambers site should always be priority number one! She is a rockstar for a reason. Hope this link is ok..not trying to shill. 🙂
Amber, I know where your at, and I feel your pain. Many of the folks that frequent our blog are in the “fishbowl”…. damn there is that word again. In fact I find 95% of business owners and those that really need our services and information don’t even read blogs or have even a fraction of a clue of what RSS is. This does not mean that they never will, but what I am sensing is a huge influx of new users. We cover things on our blogs in a sort of timeline that mirrors our level of understanding and maturity in the space, but I personally see grwth in the newbie user. I know when I was a newbie I was wishing that I could put my mentors in reverse… that they would cover the basics for me. As the people who others seem to recommend first is this our duty to revisit the old? Not to give too much away, but I am thinking about an ebook on the topic. Right now I tend to send people to Mitch’s and Chris’ books.
Keith
For me Keith you have hit the nail on the head. I’ve been using Social Media for only a couple of months and have had to do a lot of figuring things out on my own. This is how I do most everything else in my business and personal life – I find something that is an AHA! moment and then start digging around.
I have been able to decipher a little of what goes on in the SM world by listening, following leaders like yourself, reading books, blogs and comments. I’ve adopted some tools to begin the “conversation” but easily get lost the deeper I go. Listening for me is second nature – I’m not a big talker and don’t profess to know a lot about any one subject. I can usually find what I need to know by searching either online or offline. The subject of SM is so large and covers so many tools/applications/websites etc. that I find myself chasing my own tail so to speak.
No one person could ever try to encapsulate this kind of data in a neat little package. If however the professionals like yourself, Amber and the Brogans and Scobles of the industry would step back in time and revisit what they did to get going with their real world experience as examples to follow then maybe it wouldn’t be such a daunting task for us newbies to get going. Way too long a sentence… but it says what I feel.
Thank you Amber for sparking the thought process, for your comments, tweets and posts. I find I learn just that little bit extra from it all.
Amber, I know where your at, and I feel your pain. Many of the folks that frequent our blog are in the “fishbowl”…. damn there is that word again. In fact I find 95% of business owners and those that really need our services and information don’t even read blogs or have even a fraction of a clue of what RSS is. This does not mean that they never will, but what I am sensing is a huge influx of new users. We cover things on our blogs in a sort of timeline that mirrors our level of understanding and maturity in the space, but I personally see grwth in the newbie user. I know when I was a newbie I was wishing that I could put my mentors in reverse… that they would cover the basics for me. As the people who others seem to recommend first is this our duty to revisit the old? Not to give too much away, but I am thinking about an ebook on the topic. Right now I tend to send people to Mitch’s and Chris’ books.
Keith
For me Keith you have hit the nail on the head. I’ve been using Social Media for only a couple of months and have had to do a lot of figuring things out on my own. This is how I do most everything else in my business and personal life – I find something that is an AHA! moment and then start digging around.
I have been able to decipher a little of what goes on in the SM world by listening, following leaders like yourself, reading books, blogs and comments. I’ve adopted some tools to begin the “conversation” but easily get lost the deeper I go. Listening for me is second nature – I’m not a big talker and don’t profess to know a lot about any one subject. I can usually find what I need to know by searching either online or offline. The subject of SM is so large and covers so many tools/applications/websites etc. that I find myself chasing my own tail so to speak.
No one person could ever try to encapsulate this kind of data in a neat little package. If however the professionals like yourself, Amber and the Brogans and Scobles of the industry would step back in time and revisit what they did to get going with their real world experience as examples to follow then maybe it wouldn’t be such a daunting task for us newbies to get going. Way too long a sentence… but it says what I feel.
Thank you Amber for sparking the thought process, for your comments, tweets and posts. I find I learn just that little bit extra from it all.
Bruce, this is where I am heading with things. http://keithburtis.com/2009/10/01/im-not-too-proud-to-teach-social-media-101/ Hopefully this will help rectify some of the taboo around digital. Of course coming here to Ambers site should always be priority number one! She is a rockstar for a reason. Hope this link is ok..not trying to shill. 🙂
Bruce, your perspective is refreshing and welcome. And I love the idea of revisiting what we’ve all done to get started. I bet there’s a lot we can teach from our own examples, challenges, failures, etc. I suppose I hesitate to write about “me” sometimes for fear that it’s narcissistic. But I think there are certainly ways to use my experiences as education, and I appreciate your reminding me of that.
Amber and Keith, thanks for the follow up. To practice what I preach I will be chronicling my journey into Social Media via my personal web site. As I read and learn I will by trial and error move forward (I hope) and as I go I will be posting these adventures. It may not be a good read most of the time but I hope it will be beneficial to some. As more and more people join the SM community I know one thing for certain I will not be alone in my travels. – Peace
ps. Maybe you can tell me how I can get my photo to show up on your comments – this could be a topic for my 1st SM journey post… 🙂
I’d like to start by echoing Melissa’s sentiment — it was so nice to see a new post from you in my reader this morning. 🙂
Not going to go near what I don’t want to hear anymore, because I think your other commenters covered the gamut pretty well. What I’d like to see more of? Discussions surrounding igniting culture change (h/t to the inimitable Spike Jones for emphasizing the importance of “igniting” vs. “creating”).
Lots of people in this space agree that social media adoption and understanding is fundamentally about shifting internal culture, and as much as that’s a subjective action each business has to take based on its own goals and vibe, I think there are discussions that can be started to help ignite (I said it again!) that sort of shift within companies.
That’s where I stand.
Happy to see the cogs constantly turning around here. 🙂
I’d like to start by echoing Melissa’s sentiment — it was so nice to see a new post from you in my reader this morning. 🙂
Not going to go near what I don’t want to hear anymore, because I think your other commenters covered the gamut pretty well. What I’d like to see more of? Discussions surrounding igniting culture change (h/t to the inimitable Spike Jones for emphasizing the importance of “igniting” vs. “creating”).
Lots of people in this space agree that social media adoption and understanding is fundamentally about shifting internal culture, and as much as that’s a subjective action each business has to take based on its own goals and vibe, I think there are discussions that can be started to help ignite (I said it again!) that sort of shift within companies.
That’s where I stand.
Happy to see the cogs constantly turning around here. 🙂
Yep yep yep. This is going to be a major underpinning for me. The whole house of cards falls down if it’s not build on a solid surface.
Easier said than done, but it merits the tough discussions in case they can ignite those changes and breakthroughs. Thanks for reinforcing that.
Amber,
I concur with Teresa – the biggest thing I think we all miss (even me, being part of a ‘tools company’) is the human side of the equation – how do you push/ignite/migrate cultures in the direction you need them to go to meet the clients needs, or to solve a particular issue.
Companies may hire community managers to help them with tool implementation, but overall, I’d like to see us ‘upgrade’ the value-add of the profession to be one that understands how to get the best out of the humans involved in problem solving, even if that means choosing alternative tools that fit the bill.
Thanks for all you do! 🙂
Amber,
I concur with Teresa – the biggest thing I think we all miss (even me, being part of a ‘tools company’) is the human side of the equation – how do you push/ignite/migrate cultures in the direction you need them to go to meet the clients needs, or to solve a particular issue.
Companies may hire community managers to help them with tool implementation, but overall, I’d like to see us ‘upgrade’ the value-add of the profession to be one that understands how to get the best out of the humans involved in problem solving, even if that means choosing alternative tools that fit the bill.
Thanks for all you do! 🙂
Hi Amber,
As someone fairly new to the whole social networking milieu, I use Twitter, FaceBook and LinkedIn to drive people to my blog. I do it to build an online presence and get my name out there to build credibility as an expert in my field (to aid in getting gigs or a job).
So far, I see a strong correlation in my blog stats between mentioning a new blog post and and having my stats take a significant jump–from say 20 to 75 or 80 the day of mention and 1 or 2 more. The blog helps me build my writing skills and I’ve also received requests to republish my writing, so it’s helping me there.
I don’t need to hear how to get more of just any followers, I need to know WHY getting them makes a difference if it’s just more numbers. I need to understand the fine points of RSS and the services like Delicios, Digg, and Technorati. I need whatever the next steps are to building brand me online. I hope this helps!
-Nani
Hi Amber,
As someone fairly new to the whole social networking milieu, I use Twitter, FaceBook and LinkedIn to drive people to my blog. I do it to build an online presence and get my name out there to build credibility as an expert in my field (to aid in getting gigs or a job).
So far, I see a strong correlation in my blog stats between mentioning a new blog post and and having my stats take a significant jump–from say 20 to 75 or 80 the day of mention and 1 or 2 more. The blog helps me build my writing skills and I’ve also received requests to republish my writing, so it’s helping me there.
I don’t need to hear how to get more of just any followers, I need to know WHY getting them makes a difference if it’s just more numbers. I need to understand the fine points of RSS and the services like Delicios, Digg, and Technorati. I need whatever the next steps are to building brand me online. I hope this helps!
-Nani
Hi Amber,
As someone fairly new to the whole social networking milieu, I use Twitter, FaceBook and LinkedIn to drive people to my blog. I do it to build an online presence and get my name out there to build credibility as an expert in my field (to aid in getting gigs or a job).
So far, I see a strong correlation in my blog stats between mentioning a new blog post and and having my stats take a significant jump–from say 20 to 75 or 80 the day of mention and 1 or 2 more. The blog helps me build my writing skills and I’ve also received requests to republish my writing, so it’s helping me there.
I don’t need to hear how to get more of just any followers, I need to know WHY getting them makes a difference if it’s just more numbers. I need to understand the fine points of RSS and the services like Delicios, Digg, and Technorati. I need whatever the next steps are to building brand me online. I hope this helps!
-Nani
PS All of this is incredibly time consuming, and I keep wondering how anybody who has more paying hours than I do at the moment would have time to keep up with any of it. A client of mine started a blog on her website and hadn’t written a post in, oh, 6 months! Also, I’m dubious about (and bored by) FaceBook and question the efficacy of the whole “become a fan of company X” thing.
PS All of this is incredibly time consuming, and I keep wondering how anybody who has more paying hours than I do at the moment would have time to keep up with any of it. A client of mine started a blog on her website and hadn’t written a post in, oh, 6 months! Also, I’m dubious about (and bored by) FaceBook and question the efficacy of the whole “become a fan of company X” thing.
I’ve read enough of the you need to (fill in the blank about social media). You need to be on Twitter, you need to measure your results, you need to create conversations with your customers, etc. I get it. I learn a lot from examples, and I’m sure this is the same for many other people. We don’t all work with clients who dove right into SM when it first started growing, or clients who have the budget to support large-scaled marketing/PR campaigns that include traditional and social media components. How did a smaller, lesser-known company make social media work? I’m thinking mini case studies, but filled with useful info that another company could generate ideas from or say “hey, that could work for my company, too.” I’m looking for more social media lessons learned (what worked, what didn’t) from companies of varying sizes. We’ve all read the Zappos and Jet Blue case studies, but I KNOW there are more stories to be told. We just need someone to focus on finding them and sharing the successes (and failures!) other companies have experienced with using social media to build relationships with customers and grow a business.
Thanks for reaching out and starting this discussion!
I’ve read enough of the you need to (fill in the blank about social media). You need to be on Twitter, you need to measure your results, you need to create conversations with your customers, etc. I get it. I learn a lot from examples, and I’m sure this is the same for many other people. We don’t all work with clients who dove right into SM when it first started growing, or clients who have the budget to support large-scaled marketing/PR campaigns that include traditional and social media components. How did a smaller, lesser-known company make social media work? I’m thinking mini case studies, but filled with useful info that another company could generate ideas from or say “hey, that could work for my company, too.” I’m looking for more social media lessons learned (what worked, what didn’t) from companies of varying sizes. We’ve all read the Zappos and Jet Blue case studies, but I KNOW there are more stories to be told. We just need someone to focus on finding them and sharing the successes (and failures!) other companies have experienced with using social media to build relationships with customers and grow a business.
Thanks for reaching out and starting this discussion!
I’ve read enough of the you need to (fill in the blank about social media). You need to be on Twitter, you need to measure your results, you need to create conversations with your customers, etc. I get it. I learn a lot from examples, and I’m sure this is the same for many other people. We don’t all work with clients who dove right into SM when it first started growing, or clients who have the budget to support large-scaled marketing/PR campaigns that include traditional and social media components. How did a smaller, lesser-known company make social media work? I’m thinking mini case studies, but filled with useful info that another company could generate ideas from or say “hey, that could work for my company, too.” I’m looking for more social media lessons learned (what worked, what didn’t) from companies of varying sizes. We’ve all read the Zappos and Jet Blue case studies, but I KNOW there are more stories to be told. We just need someone to focus on finding them and sharing the successes (and failures!) other companies have experienced with using social media to build relationships with customers and grow a business.
Thanks for reaching out and starting this discussion!
Amber,
Thanks for being open and I would say vulnerable. You are leading by example.
As for topics- I would love to keep learning about how to help companies, especially small business, become more social. I talked to a biz owner recently that has no web presence and is thinking about starting a blog. Ultra-beginner.
I agree with Keith that we will see more people jumping on board these tools for business. But there will be a need to basic training and learning.
Also, I rarely hear people talk about forums. Lots of customers are still using forums. I think an overlooked area for learning.
Thank you for being generous with what you are learning.
Cheers,
Tim
Amber,
Thanks for being open and I would say vulnerable. You are leading by example.
As for topics- I would love to keep learning about how to help companies, especially small business, become more social. I talked to a biz owner recently that has no web presence and is thinking about starting a blog. Ultra-beginner.
I agree with Keith that we will see more people jumping on board these tools for business. But there will be a need to basic training and learning.
Also, I rarely hear people talk about forums. Lots of customers are still using forums. I think an overlooked area for learning.
Thank you for being generous with what you are learning.
Cheers,
Tim
Amber,
Thanks for being open and I would say vulnerable. You are leading by example.
As for topics- I would love to keep learning about how to help companies, especially small business, become more social. I talked to a biz owner recently that has no web presence and is thinking about starting a blog. Ultra-beginner.
I agree with Keith that we will see more people jumping on board these tools for business. But there will be a need to basic training and learning.
Also, I rarely hear people talk about forums. Lots of customers are still using forums. I think an overlooked area for learning.
Thank you for being generous with what you are learning.
Cheers,
Tim
Open is the whole point, hey? I’m not here to hear myself talk! I’m aiming to help, but I can only ASSUME what’s helpful. Hearing from all of you helps me understand what REALLY is.
Rather than try to re-state what Susan Murphy said, I wholeheartedly agree with her. Its refreshing you the question and to brainstorm the answer we need to see through the 2009 trappings of social media as she suggests.
Rather than try to re-state what Susan Murphy said, I wholeheartedly agree with her. Its refreshing you the question and to brainstorm the answer we need to see through the 2009 trappings of social media as she suggests.
I think there is a lot of focus placed on statistics and data surrounding social media usage, and that’s a good thing. But I think what many overlook is an actual strategy. For example, what can a Facebook group page help you achieve that a Twitter account cannot? And vice versa… I see too many social media users fail to recognize the opportunities and strategies available; they just fling the same message across all platforms without realizing that users and audiences differ, tools differ, etc.
-Steve
I think there is a lot of focus placed on statistics and data surrounding social media usage, and that’s a good thing. But I think what many overlook is an actual strategy. For example, what can a Facebook group page help you achieve that a Twitter account cannot? And vice versa… I see too many social media users fail to recognize the opportunities and strategies available; they just fling the same message across all platforms without realizing that users and audiences differ, tools differ, etc.
-Steve
I think there is a lot of focus placed on statistics and data surrounding social media usage, and that’s a good thing. But I think what many overlook is an actual strategy. For example, what can a Facebook group page help you achieve that a Twitter account cannot? And vice versa… I see too many social media users fail to recognize the opportunities and strategies available; they just fling the same message across all platforms without realizing that users and audiences differ, tools differ, etc.
-Steve
Hey, Amber…
What a wonderful idea… asking for what people want to know instead of guessing. I think you generally are pretty spot-on anyway, but love that you asked. 🙂
What I don’t want to hear anymore (and I want to stop talking about, too): strategy vs. tactics (chicken and egg conversations). It’s not important what you call it, it’s important what you DO with it. Have to echo Keith’s lament that so many of the people who need to be reached aren’t in this space now, so using it to preach to them may be difficult.
SO, maybe you could talk about traditional marketing ways to move people toward investigating the social media space, where then they can drink some of the (addicting!) kool-aid? Practical ways to grow online audience, starting with offline venues. And then practical ways to walk them through a process so that they WILL listen, engage (blah, blah…) and so on.
Thanks for asking & caring about the responses. Love “knowing” you through your blog and social nets.
Hey, Amber…
What a wonderful idea… asking for what people want to know instead of guessing. I think you generally are pretty spot-on anyway, but love that you asked. 🙂
What I don’t want to hear anymore (and I want to stop talking about, too): strategy vs. tactics (chicken and egg conversations). It’s not important what you call it, it’s important what you DO with it. Have to echo Keith’s lament that so many of the people who need to be reached aren’t in this space now, so using it to preach to them may be difficult.
SO, maybe you could talk about traditional marketing ways to move people toward investigating the social media space, where then they can drink some of the (addicting!) kool-aid? Practical ways to grow online audience, starting with offline venues. And then practical ways to walk them through a process so that they WILL listen, engage (blah, blah…) and so on.
Thanks for asking & caring about the responses. Love “knowing” you through your blog and social nets.
Hey, Amber…
What a wonderful idea… asking for what people want to know instead of guessing. I think you generally are pretty spot-on anyway, but love that you asked. 🙂
What I don’t want to hear anymore (and I want to stop talking about, too): strategy vs. tactics (chicken and egg conversations). It’s not important what you call it, it’s important what you DO with it. Have to echo Keith’s lament that so many of the people who need to be reached aren’t in this space now, so using it to preach to them may be difficult.
SO, maybe you could talk about traditional marketing ways to move people toward investigating the social media space, where then they can drink some of the (addicting!) kool-aid? Practical ways to grow online audience, starting with offline venues. And then practical ways to walk them through a process so that they WILL listen, engage (blah, blah…) and so on.
Thanks for asking & caring about the responses. Love “knowing” you through your blog and social nets.
All I ever see and all my fellow students hear is how powerful social media is and can be. Duh! Get it! Show me how. Show me how to use it. Show me someone who has used it and how they did it.
Show me how someone integrated social media into an effective marketing plan and someone who failed. Show me what they did wrong and right.
I want to use social media and I do. I see where some of the power is, but I know there is more than just “talking up the brand”.
Show me how to use it to benefit non-profit organizations who have no tangible product to sell, but must instead inspire action and giving.
Show me that!
All I ever see and all my fellow students hear is how powerful social media is and can be. Duh! Get it! Show me how. Show me how to use it. Show me someone who has used it and how they did it.
Show me how someone integrated social media into an effective marketing plan and someone who failed. Show me what they did wrong and right.
I want to use social media and I do. I see where some of the power is, but I know there is more than just “talking up the brand”.
Show me how to use it to benefit non-profit organizations who have no tangible product to sell, but must instead inspire action and giving.
Show me that!
Hi Amber,
I think the practical application aspect of social media is definitely crucial. There are innovative brands who gets SM and made headline stories with their successes, and there are businesses who see those success stories and wants a piece of the action. But what worked for one brand will not work for another, that’s where distilling the “what worked” to “why did it work” is important – the practical ideas that businesses can understand and apply those ideas back to their businesses right away. That’s what I’m trying to do in my blog (writing about SM practical ideas and case studies), and it’d be great to see your insights on your blog as well.
Hi Amber,
I think the practical application aspect of social media is definitely crucial. There are innovative brands who gets SM and made headline stories with their successes, and there are businesses who see those success stories and wants a piece of the action. But what worked for one brand will not work for another, that’s where distilling the “what worked” to “why did it work” is important – the practical ideas that businesses can understand and apply those ideas back to their businesses right away. That’s what I’m trying to do in my blog (writing about SM practical ideas and case studies), and it’d be great to see your insights on your blog as well.
Hi Amber,
I think the practical application aspect of social media is definitely crucial. There are innovative brands who gets SM and made headline stories with their successes, and there are businesses who see those success stories and wants a piece of the action. But what worked for one brand will not work for another, that’s where distilling the “what worked” to “why did it work” is important – the practical ideas that businesses can understand and apply those ideas back to their businesses right away. That’s what I’m trying to do in my blog (writing about SM practical ideas and case studies), and it’d be great to see your insights on your blog as well.
There was a time when people thought primarily of how to derive more from the earth: more crops, more enjoyment, more shelter…etc. In recent decades, however, people have begun to think more about how to better protect the earth from misuse, ensuring that our food, enjoyment, and shelter will be there for a long, long time.
As we work to find better ways to benefit from the social web, I think we would be wise to take a similar approach. So for me, a really fascinating question is… What can we do to foster the continued growth of the social web, benefiting users and ourselves _in the long run?_ Not so much what can social media do for me, but how can I get strategic and make sure that its growth is sustainable?
Related subjects would include relevance, best practices, voice, context, spam, engagement, and relationships.
eMarketer just reported that 52% of social media users have become a fan of at least one brand and that twice as many post positive comments compared with negative ones. So we’ve been welcomed to the table in ways unguessed by the earliest advocates of the space. Now, how can we be good guests that get welcomed every time?
I know that the best practitioners already observe this, but it’s worth repeating. The social web is more than simply the next thing after print, radio, and TV. Its rules of engagement are different and like never before, its users have the ability to respond in ways so powerful that a misstep can ripple and multiply. These differences make our work crucial.
I’d like to see the disappearance of the lines between the early purists and brands online. Being part of the community that fosters sustainable growth will help.
Mitchell Savage
Strategic Alliances at nomee
nomee.com
There was a time when people thought primarily of how to derive more from the earth: more crops, more enjoyment, more shelter…etc. In recent decades, however, people have begun to think more about how to better protect the earth from misuse, ensuring that our food, enjoyment, and shelter will be there for a long, long time.
As we work to find better ways to benefit from the social web, I think we would be wise to take a similar approach. So for me, a really fascinating question is… What can we do to foster the continued growth of the social web, benefiting users and ourselves _in the long run?_ Not so much what can social media do for me, but how can I get strategic and make sure that its growth is sustainable?
Related subjects would include relevance, best practices, voice, context, spam, engagement, and relationships.
eMarketer just reported that 52% of social media users have become a fan of at least one brand and that twice as many post positive comments compared with negative ones. So we’ve been welcomed to the table in ways unguessed by the earliest advocates of the space. Now, how can we be good guests that get welcomed every time?
I know that the best practitioners already observe this, but it’s worth repeating. The social web is more than simply the next thing after print, radio, and TV. Its rules of engagement are different and like never before, its users have the ability to respond in ways so powerful that a misstep can ripple and multiply. These differences make our work crucial.
I’d like to see the disappearance of the lines between the early purists and brands online. Being part of the community that fosters sustainable growth will help.
Mitchell Savage
Strategic Alliances at nomee
nomee.com
Mitchell, lots to chew on in there, and much of it painfully relevant. thank you for getting my gears turning. Good stuff in here.
Good question to ask, Amber! I come at the answer from the tech head mindset, spiced with marketing.
Practitioners in the social media space are a bit jaded. There’s a common theme that boatloads of folks already know about SM so we don’t need to talk anymore about its value. However, I think there are a lot fewer business folk who understand SM value than we give credit to, especially in the SMB and B2B space. Personal social value? Yes. Business? Less than. Too many business people still see social media as a party.
What’s going to tip the scales for these folks is cold, hard data. They want realistic assessments of resource requirements (personnel, technical, etc), ROIs on successful SM strategies as well as insight into SM strategies that failed.
Further, the social media needs for B2Bs differ than for B2Cs so let’s hear more stories about the former. And I’d also like to hear more stories about SMBs. These aren’t folks who will be in 5+ SM channels but more likely to be in 1 (or maybe 2 at most). These folks will be intereste in finding the right channels to connect with their prospects and customers so information on where different types of people by function and industry are most likely to be found is of the good.
Another topic is the very unsexy topic of building SM policies both for internal use and as part of corporate strategy.
My 2 cents.
Good question to ask, Amber! I come at the answer from the tech head mindset, spiced with marketing.
Practitioners in the social media space are a bit jaded. There’s a common theme that boatloads of folks already know about SM so we don’t need to talk anymore about its value. However, I think there are a lot fewer business folk who understand SM value than we give credit to, especially in the SMB and B2B space. Personal social value? Yes. Business? Less than. Too many business people still see social media as a party.
What’s going to tip the scales for these folks is cold, hard data. They want realistic assessments of resource requirements (personnel, technical, etc), ROIs on successful SM strategies as well as insight into SM strategies that failed.
Further, the social media needs for B2Bs differ than for B2Cs so let’s hear more stories about the former. And I’d also like to hear more stories about SMBs. These aren’t folks who will be in 5+ SM channels but more likely to be in 1 (or maybe 2 at most). These folks will be intereste in finding the right channels to connect with their prospects and customers so information on where different types of people by function and industry are most likely to be found is of the good.
Another topic is the very unsexy topic of building SM policies both for internal use and as part of corporate strategy.
My 2 cents.
Good question to ask, Amber! I come at the answer from the tech head mindset, spiced with marketing.
Practitioners in the social media space are a bit jaded. There’s a common theme that boatloads of folks already know about SM so we don’t need to talk anymore about its value. However, I think there are a lot fewer business folk who understand SM value than we give credit to, especially in the SMB and B2B space. Personal social value? Yes. Business? Less than. Too many business people still see social media as a party.
What’s going to tip the scales for these folks is cold, hard data. They want realistic assessments of resource requirements (personnel, technical, etc), ROIs on successful SM strategies as well as insight into SM strategies that failed.
Further, the social media needs for B2Bs differ than for B2Cs so let’s hear more stories about the former. And I’d also like to hear more stories about SMBs. These aren’t folks who will be in 5+ SM channels but more likely to be in 1 (or maybe 2 at most). These folks will be intereste in finding the right channels to connect with their prospects and customers so information on where different types of people by function and industry are most likely to be found is of the good.
Another topic is the very unsexy topic of building SM policies both for internal use and as part of corporate strategy.
My 2 cents.
Great post!
I agree 100% to the dead horse analogy. There’s many-a-blogger who might want to take their cue from you on this front. Blogging for sake of blogging to rail about blogging and give tips on blogging for bloggers going to blogging conferences where blogs are contemplated takes away from the thoughtful discourse the forum allows.
Hazaa to you!
VBR
Your post cracked me up, Geoff!
Great post!
I agree 100% to the dead horse analogy. There’s many-a-blogger who might want to take their cue from you on this front. Blogging for sake of blogging to rail about blogging and give tips on blogging for bloggers going to blogging conferences where blogs are contemplated takes away from the thoughtful discourse the forum allows.
Hazaa to you!
VBR
Great post!
I agree 100% to the dead horse analogy. There’s many-a-blogger who might want to take their cue from you on this front. Blogging for sake of blogging to rail about blogging and give tips on blogging for bloggers going to blogging conferences where blogs are contemplated takes away from the thoughtful discourse the forum allows.
Hazaa to you!
VBR
Your post cracked me up, Geoff!
I’ve been following your blog through various RTs for the last several months. I like every single post I’ve read on it, though I yet have to go through all the posts.
For me I think the blog should go more into how to use social media for small, big, medium companies….then also include non-profits, people, even pets (just kidding).
The idea is to see if there is a return to this and how we can measure it. There’s the classic ROI but that’s very short term, there needs to be other stuff, something more meaningful to do it.
I will also like to see a discussion on how Social Media will change the scenario completely in the coming years and how embracing it now is very important to be prepared for that.
Of course I want to continue to read the posts that INSPIRE me very much to act, do and kick ass every single day!!!
Thanks a lot for writing this blog Amber it has really made an impact in my life!
I’ve been following your blog through various RTs for the last several months. I like every single post I’ve read on it, though I yet have to go through all the posts.
For me I think the blog should go more into how to use social media for small, big, medium companies….then also include non-profits, people, even pets (just kidding).
The idea is to see if there is a return to this and how we can measure it. There’s the classic ROI but that’s very short term, there needs to be other stuff, something more meaningful to do it.
I will also like to see a discussion on how Social Media will change the scenario completely in the coming years and how embracing it now is very important to be prepared for that.
Of course I want to continue to read the posts that INSPIRE me very much to act, do and kick ass every single day!!!
Thanks a lot for writing this blog Amber it has really made an impact in my life!
I’ve been following your blog through various RTs for the last several months. I like every single post I’ve read on it, though I yet have to go through all the posts.
For me I think the blog should go more into how to use social media for small, big, medium companies….then also include non-profits, people, even pets (just kidding).
The idea is to see if there is a return to this and how we can measure it. There’s the classic ROI but that’s very short term, there needs to be other stuff, something more meaningful to do it.
I will also like to see a discussion on how Social Media will change the scenario completely in the coming years and how embracing it now is very important to be prepared for that.
Of course I want to continue to read the posts that INSPIRE me very much to act, do and kick ass every single day!!!
Thanks a lot for writing this blog Amber it has really made an impact in my life!
Thanks for being here, Jorge. That kind of statement is what keeps me hammering away at this, even if I’m not sure where it leads. 🙂
Amber,
I’m a participant in lots of discussions about defining Social CRM and have seen folks confusing it — the tool — with strategy or culture.
Your use of the term “social business” is the true culture and strategy. In a chicken versus the egg thing, then, I’d recommend businesses start with defining their vision for a social business and then letting the media and tools (like SCRM) fall out of it.
Amber and Keith, thanks for the follow up. To practice what I preach I will be chronicling my journey into Social Media via my personal web site. As I read and learn I will by trial and error move forward (I hope) and as I go I will be posting these adventures. It may not be a good read most of the time but I hope it will be beneficial to some. As more and more people join the SM community I know one thing for certain I will not be alone in my travels. – Peace
ps. Maybe you can tell me how I can get my photo to show up on your comments – this could be a topic for my 1st SM journey post… 🙂
Amber and Keith, thanks for the follow up. To practice what I preach I will be chronicling my journey into Social Media via my personal web site. As I read and learn I will by trial and error move forward (I hope) and as I go I will be posting these adventures. It may not be a good read most of the time but I hope it will be beneficial to some. As more and more people join the SM community I know one thing for certain I will not be alone in my travels. – Peace
ps. Maybe you can tell me how I can get my photo to show up on your comments – this could be a topic for my 1st SM journey post… 🙂
Amber –
Your “I’m Thinking” now has me thinking. That’s the power of your blog though. It is rare when I read one of your posts and don’t think. I mean really really think.
So what do I want to read on this blog? I want to continue to read posts that make me think. Ones that get me talking with others…sharing, contemplating, debating, disagreeing. You do this all the freaking time.
I know that people want case studies. They want “best practices.” The problem with that – as others above have said – is that we all know case studies and “best practices” (quotes intentional) don’t work for every single case. In fact, I’d say they often don’t work in many cases. In business school we all study the classic cases: IBM, Starbucks, Southwest Air, etc. The question that always comes up is “Why can’t we just follow the ‘case study’ and make it happen at our company?” The answer is that each company is different – different product, different culture, different timing, etc.
I think the key is to ask thought-provoking questions and offer a few suggestions. Not suggestions that one should go out an implement, but suggestions that they should consider and adapt for their own use.
My title at my last company was “Director of Deliverabilty and Best Practices.” Lame city, right? I’m in the process (3 weeks now) of blogging about best practices vs practices that are best for you.
I hope this reply made you think a bit. Get ready for a bear hug in Boston next week.
DJ Waldow
Director of Community, Blue Sky Factory
@djwaldow
Amber –
Your “I’m Thinking” now has me thinking. That’s the power of your blog though. It is rare when I read one of your posts and don’t think. I mean really really think.
So what do I want to read on this blog? I want to continue to read posts that make me think. Ones that get me talking with others…sharing, contemplating, debating, disagreeing. You do this all the freaking time.
I know that people want case studies. They want “best practices.” The problem with that – as others above have said – is that we all know case studies and “best practices” (quotes intentional) don’t work for every single case. In fact, I’d say they often don’t work in many cases. In business school we all study the classic cases: IBM, Starbucks, Southwest Air, etc. The question that always comes up is “Why can’t we just follow the ‘case study’ and make it happen at our company?” The answer is that each company is different – different product, different culture, different timing, etc.
I think the key is to ask thought-provoking questions and offer a few suggestions. Not suggestions that one should go out an implement, but suggestions that they should consider and adapt for their own use.
My title at my last company was “Director of Deliverabilty and Best Practices.” Lame city, right? I’m in the process (3 weeks now) of blogging about best practices vs practices that are best for you.
I hope this reply made you think a bit. Get ready for a bear hug in Boston next week.
DJ Waldow
Director of Community, Blue Sky Factory
@djwaldow
DJ,
I like your reference to the fact that everyone looks from a distance at the big, obvious “case histories” and clucks or backslaps, depending on their perspective, and naturally adds their insights, for whatever they’re worth.
But as you say, since every company is different, I think I might learn more from “tiny” case histories. The company down the block that put its toe in the water and either felt things take off, or got bit by a snapping turtle. Might be more personal, more interesting, and likely more relevant to more people than Starbucks, IKEA, or IBM stories.
Maybe a steady diet of these would be hard to acquire and get old quickly. But maybe one per week wouldn’t be too much. And would give one little business in some small corner of the world the spotlight for a change.
Amber…I’m a newbie to this blog, but looking forward to tuning in.
Mike Marn
DJ,
I like your reference to the fact that everyone looks from a distance at the big, obvious “case histories” and clucks or backslaps, depending on their perspective, and naturally adds their insights, for whatever they’re worth.
But as you say, since every company is different, I think I might learn more from “tiny” case histories. The company down the block that put its toe in the water and either felt things take off, or got bit by a snapping turtle. Might be more personal, more interesting, and likely more relevant to more people than Starbucks, IKEA, or IBM stories.
Maybe a steady diet of these would be hard to acquire and get old quickly. But maybe one per week wouldn’t be too much. And would give one little business in some small corner of the world the spotlight for a change.
Amber…I’m a newbie to this blog, but looking forward to tuning in.
Mike Marn
DJ,
I like your reference to the fact that everyone looks from a distance at the big, obvious “case histories” and clucks or backslaps, depending on their perspective, and naturally adds their insights, for whatever they’re worth.
But as you say, since every company is different, I think I might learn more from “tiny” case histories. The company down the block that put its toe in the water and either felt things take off, or got bit by a snapping turtle. Might be more personal, more interesting, and likely more relevant to more people than Starbucks, IKEA, or IBM stories.
Maybe a steady diet of these would be hard to acquire and get old quickly. But maybe one per week wouldn’t be too much. And would give one little business in some small corner of the world the spotlight for a change.
Amber…I’m a newbie to this blog, but looking forward to tuning in.
Mike Marn
Mike:
You make an excellent point about “tiny” case studies. I like it. A lot. Adding to that, how about case studies where they are not “big wins” but examples of moving the needle…just a bit.
What do you think?
DJ Waldow
Director of Community, Blue Sky Factory
@djwaldow
Mike:
You make an excellent point about “tiny” case studies. I like it. A lot. Adding to that, how about case studies where they are not “big wins” but examples of moving the needle…just a bit.
What do you think?
DJ Waldow
Director of Community, Blue Sky Factory
@djwaldow
DJ –
Absolutely. For quite a few businesses today, ANYTHING in the right direction is a “big” win. And somehow, social media in more manageable chunks seems like less of a leap to someone unfamiliar, or even skeptical. The business owner I am envisioning doesn’t care to be a Harvard Business Review subject – he or she just wants to do something the dry cleaner (or whatever) down the block isn’t doing!
Mike Marn
DJ –
Absolutely. For quite a few businesses today, ANYTHING in the right direction is a “big” win. And somehow, social media in more manageable chunks seems like less of a leap to someone unfamiliar, or even skeptical. The business owner I am envisioning doesn’t care to be a Harvard Business Review subject – he or she just wants to do something the dry cleaner (or whatever) down the block isn’t doing!
Mike Marn