So. I was thinking. I asked. You answered, and you got me thinking a lot about what’s next for me and for this blog and where we’re all headed together. And I didn’t want to leave that thread unfinished, so here’s what I want to share with you.
I started this blog because I needed a place to think out loud, to share the things that I was contemplating at the intersection of social media and business. That part really isn’t going to change, because it’s true to my intent with the blog from the get-go.
But what I’m thinking about has changed. I’m focusing a lot more today on what a socially-equipped business really looks like. I’m thinking about the kinds of challenges and obstacles that businesses and people are facing around social media adoption. Some of them are real, like disclosure and compliance and training and the need to build measurable goals. Some of them are imagined, like irrational fear of what’s not understood, the “phantom ROI”, or the notion of standardized, universally applicable metrics or (ack) “best practices”.
Most of them are rooted in culture and human elements. Some are due to a lack of strategic clarity, but most certainly not lack of available tactics. Lots of them can be helped with more discussion and education.
My hope moving forward is that I can use my experience and my tendency to not pull punches to talk openly about these things. So here’s what I’m planning to focus on:
- Fundamentals, but only as they relate to building executable frameworks. Not tools.
- Internal communication in organizations trying to integrate social
- Breaking down some of the empty arguments against social media, in the context of potential solutions and alternatives
- Tough cultural conversations and how to start them, like getting to the root of why PR and Customer Service love to bicker
- Cross-functional application of social media to get it outside just PR or Marketing silos
- Tangible ideas around community building, internal and external, related to all of the above.
What I’m going to try and stay away from is either preaching to the converted, or trying to convert the obstinate. Thing is, if you’re here, you’re probably already on the train. I want to help us, collectively, noodle out the stuff that’s really at issue. It’s education and discussion for the people that are in the right mindset, but need more thoughts and ideas around how to get stuff done.
I won’t be talking much about the ABC’s of social, because you can likely find those better elsewhere. I won’t be a good resource for the latest meme or the latest tech, because those aren’t the things I do well. I won’t be discussing topics that I think are long past their prime (if they ever had one), like the “social media expert” debate. I WILL, however, be needing you to keep telling me what you need. Because it’ll shape every step of this.
And I’m hopeful that together we’ll find more of you folks that are outside of the social media collective, but still need to understand the role this plays in their work. That’s where the real stuff happens. The people who need this most may not have found us yet. If you have friends out there trying to get beyond Twitter and Facebook, maybe you’d be kind enough to invite them over for a chat with us?
I don’t promise to have all the answers. I don’t promise that it’ll all be easy or simple to pull off. But this is what’s in my mind and is my passion right now, and it’s where I think I can help make an impact in this little world of ours.
I hope you’re with me. This discussion is nothing without your contributions – it’s just me blustering. I need your insights and your professional experience.
So, contemplation over for now. Time to roll the sleeves up. I’m glad you’re here. The next discussion starts now.
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It’s neat to see that we’re now talking about how technology is exposing our all-too-human limitations in stark clarity. My own research is taking me in areas where we want to quantify things that seem to be unquantifiable, and looking at how the human aspects of digital social interaction remain aligned with our analog aspects.
I’m happy to be a part of the conversation.
It’s neat to see that we’re now talking about how technology is exposing our all-too-human limitations in stark clarity. My own research is taking me in areas where we want to quantify things that seem to be unquantifiable, and looking at how the human aspects of digital social interaction remain aligned with our analog aspects.
I’m happy to be a part of the conversation.
Amber,
You’re part of the crowd that’s recognized it’s time to move to the next phase, to coin your phrase, focusing on “what a socially-equipped business really looks like” — and then building the culture and frameworks to support the social business.
My observation is there’s been too much siloing in social media (sm marketing, sm for customer service, etc.) What companies will need are thought leaders that can view sm holistically, without the silos, and build corresponding holistic frameworks. That’s when we’ll see true social businesses.
Looking forward to your continued thoughts and those of others you magnetize to the discussion. And to contributing to the discussion and the doing.
Amber,
You’re part of the crowd that’s recognized it’s time to move to the next phase, to coin your phrase, focusing on “what a socially-equipped business really looks like” — and then building the culture and frameworks to support the social business.
My observation is there’s been too much siloing in social media (sm marketing, sm for customer service, etc.) What companies will need are thought leaders that can view sm holistically, without the silos, and build corresponding holistic frameworks. That’s when we’ll see true social businesses.
Looking forward to your continued thoughts and those of others you magnetize to the discussion. And to contributing to the discussion and the doing.
Perfect – Amber, I can’t wait for this discussion. These are exactly the topics, concerns, and challenges being voiced by many of the folks I talk with. What indeed, does the socially equipped company look like and how does it function in a socially transformed culture. I’m thinking that doing the new work in new ways is a big challenge even for companies that “get” the new social dynamics.
Perfect – Amber, I can’t wait for this discussion. These are exactly the topics, concerns, and challenges being voiced by many of the folks I talk with. What indeed, does the socially equipped company look like and how does it function in a socially transformed culture. I’m thinking that doing the new work in new ways is a big challenge even for companies that “get” the new social dynamics.
Amber,
Thanks for the clarity and transparency you provide not only in how you are thinking of building this blog, but also as an example of how we should strive for it in our careers & with our clients/customers.
I’m partially through Chris Brogan’s Trust Agents, and I can really see how folks such as yourself model a lot of the great thoughts that Chris and Julien have over what it means to be a Trust Agent.
Looking forward to more great discussions here, and even the occasional debate. 🙂
Amber,
Thanks for the clarity and transparency you provide not only in how you are thinking of building this blog, but also as an example of how we should strive for it in our careers & with our clients/customers.
I’m partially through Chris Brogan’s Trust Agents, and I can really see how folks such as yourself model a lot of the great thoughts that Chris and Julien have over what it means to be a Trust Agent.
Looking forward to more great discussions here, and even the occasional debate. 🙂
I’m excited to hear about your renewed mission, Amber. With your role at Radian6, I think you’re uniquely positioned to understand what works and what doesn’t — and to help us understand that, too. Organizations now realize what we’re doing is important, but to fully commit they need more specifics and roadmaps to implementation.
We’re with you, on the train, and looking forward to the ride!
I’m excited to hear about your renewed mission, Amber. With your role at Radian6, I think you’re uniquely positioned to understand what works and what doesn’t — and to help us understand that, too. Organizations now realize what we’re doing is important, but to fully commit they need more specifics and roadmaps to implementation.
We’re with you, on the train, and looking forward to the ride!
Amber –
You’ve perfectly articulated where this conversation needs to go. For those of us for whom social media must integrate into a broader mode of – for lack of a better definition – being, this should soon become (even more so than before) the go-to blog.
Thank you for taking this on.
Dovya
Amber –
You’ve perfectly articulated where this conversation needs to go. For those of us for whom social media must integrate into a broader mode of – for lack of a better definition – being, this should soon become (even more so than before) the go-to blog.
Thank you for taking this on.
Dovya
Thank you for taking steps forward instead of steps in circles. You’re a gem in the social business space and I foresee this blog jumping from valuable to priceless in very short order.
Looking forward to continuing my hike up the social learning curve. 🙂
Thank you for taking steps forward instead of steps in circles. You’re a gem in the social business space and I foresee this blog jumping from valuable to priceless in very short order.
Looking forward to continuing my hike up the social learning curve. 🙂
I am in the business of providing social media education and advice myself. I work with Law Enforcement mainly, and I think there are many similarities between corporations and police, and the way each uses social media. I look forward to following this blog and keeping up on the intersection of business and new social media!
I am in the business of providing social media education and advice myself. I work with Law Enforcement mainly, and I think there are many similarities between corporations and police, and the way each uses social media. I look forward to following this blog and keeping up on the intersection of business and new social media!
I look forward to what you will provide in the near future for discussion. I think it is true that there are to many of ‘us’ out there talking about the past/present and not enough about what the future should look like and how to get to that future. I hope to be able to contribute to the conversation and can’t wait for it to begin!
I look forward to what you will provide in the near future for discussion. I think it is true that there are to many of ‘us’ out there talking about the past/present and not enough about what the future should look like and how to get to that future. I hope to be able to contribute to the conversation and can’t wait for it to begin!
Amber. I applaud you as the rest of your readers here do. I find it very interesting that many of us working in the business are running into many of the same walls. I am glad to be a regular reader and you know that I am always around to draw from if needed. Lets band together and help each other figure out what we need to do to help others figure it out. For myself I am revisiting 101 principals, techniques and practices on my blog in addition to the more advanced items. I am running into way too many people that think twitter and Facebook is the whole of social media. Even worse I am seeing these people thinking that Twitter and Facebook are somehow a savior for their business or personal careers. Keep rocking on and we’ll keep rolling.
@keithburtis
Amber. I applaud you as the rest of your readers here do. I find it very interesting that many of us working in the business are running into many of the same walls. I am glad to be a regular reader and you know that I am always around to draw from if needed. Lets band together and help each other figure out what we need to do to help others figure it out. For myself I am revisiting 101 principals, techniques and practices on my blog in addition to the more advanced items. I am running into way too many people that think twitter and Facebook is the whole of social media. Even worse I am seeing these people thinking that Twitter and Facebook are somehow a savior for their business or personal careers. Keep rocking on and we’ll keep rolling.
@keithburtis
You need to do what you need to do, and like you imply, your train full of passengers isn’t vacating anytime soon. Just a word of caution before insisting you wouldn’t write about x, y, or z: Don’t assume (as I have in the past) that your reader at a given second in time has read this or previous posts. Don’t introduce a new concept without explaining, or at the least, linking, to the background behind it. If we don’t know our ABCs, we’ll never know our DEFs.
Please honk the train horn when you have a chance. It’s a fun exercise your daughter would like.
You need to do what you need to do, and like you imply, your train full of passengers isn’t vacating anytime soon. Just a word of caution before insisting you wouldn’t write about x, y, or z: Don’t assume (as I have in the past) that your reader at a given second in time has read this or previous posts. Don’t introduce a new concept without explaining, or at the least, linking, to the background behind it. If we don’t know our ABCs, we’ll never know our DEFs.
Please honk the train horn when you have a chance. It’s a fun exercise your daughter would like.