Speak No Evil – Why Trust Isn’t a 4 Letter Word in Social Media
Now is the summer of our discontent. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. For social media, one hand giveth (instant spread of the Bin Laden news) while the other hand taketh away (seemingly daily stories about a company or person doing it “wrong”). The most egregious occurrence of late […]
Debating the Future of Social Media Management
Join Mark W. Schaefer (whose {GROW} blog is a must-read) and me for a fireside chat about social media centralization vs. decentralization. While Mark and I agree about nearly everything, we have a difference of opinion on one particular topic: social media management and the role that social media will play within organizations. I contend […]
Blinded by the White: Social Media and Diversity
Over the past couple weeks, two events got me thinking. At South by Southwest in Austin, I was at several events attended by the “social media mafia” – the 300 or so folks that create much of the content around social media nationally. Bloggers, consultants, community managers, et al. There are of course many excellent […]
Why Social Success is No Accident
If you read Convince & Convert on even an occasional basis, you know that I’m firmly in the social integration camp. You need to focus on how to “be” social as a company, and worry less about how to “do” social. This is because social touches do not occur in isolation. I’ve seen a LOT […]
3 Key Roles to Make Your Social Team Scalable
One of the continuous discussions and questions surfacing in the social media chatterbox is that of “who owns social media?” Is it marketing? Public relations (PR)? Customer service? The answer is . . . yes. For the long-term, anyway. You’re not likely at the point yet where you have social media wired into everything. Right […]
The New Small – How Technology Levels the Playing Field
Phil Simon is a technology cupid. Whatever your company’s issues or objectives, he can recommend the optimal platform, rollout strategy, and operational considerations. In his work as a tech consultant, he’s realized the days of “big iron” – solving problems with huge, expensive systems are gone. Now, it’s the nimble, inexpensive technology that rules. So […]
The Dirty Secrets of Time, Priorities, and Honesty
I hate excuses. And the one I despise most of all is “I don’t have time.” Bullshit. You can find the time. It exists. You choose not to devote the time, and there’s a big difference. I don’t work out. (people that have met me in person are LOLing about the understated nature of that […]
6 Newfangled Social Media Tools Worth Discovering
I’m not really sure how all of these guys are going to make a living, but there sure as hell is no shortage of innovation in social media. The torrent of new digital tools and gadgets makes Sharper Image, SkyMall, and Hammacher Schlemmer look like an Amish electronics store. Just in OneForty alone (the unofficial […]
7 Skill Sets for Nurturing Open Community
Guest post as part of the virtual book tour by Maddie Grant and Lindy Dreyer to explore concepts from their new book Open Community: a little book of big ideas for associations navigating the social web. We come from the association industry and for many of us “membership” people, community is old hat. It’s what […]
The 8 Wrong Questions PR Firms Are Asking About Social Media
The enthusiasm about social media among public relations professionals is rampant, and encouraging. Wanting to be at the center of a new way to communicate to customers and prospects is a worthy objective. But, under pressure from digital and advertising agencies each looking to be the driver of the social media express, PR firms are […]
You’re Pissed Off at the Wrong Guy
Of course it’s upsetting when a customer slams you via tweet, status message, blog comment or humorous video. But it’s not like social media created negativity, it just puts a magnifying glass to it. Do you know why you don’t get angry when customers call customer service and say all kinds of crazy, depressing stuff […]
Get Your Social Media Operations Act Together
Guest post by Josh Lysne, Director of Digital Strategy for the Flint Group of agencies and AdFarm, specializes in the development of multi-channel communication strategies for a wide range of clients ranging from small businesses to large global corporations. When it comes to creating a social media strategy, there is one, often overlooked piece of […]
Social Media is the Servant of Strategy, Not the Master
Guest post by Mike Cassidy, a non-profit Senior Executive Director specializing in membership development, engagement and retention. His ramblings can be found at www.membershipjedi.com This post is a compilation of ideas born out of Jay’s post “Why You’re the Key to Social Media Success” in which he succinctly describes one of the biggest obstacles facing […]
It’s Time for Real-Time
When I was a kid, I set a few goals: Having a laundry chute (I’m easily amused) Having a pool table Owning my own company Learning to play guitar Writing a book The first three I got handled pretty easily. Turns out, I’m totally non-musical, so that guitar thing is going to be tough. But, […]
Would You Try It With a Fox?
Guest post by Jennifer Maggiore, CEO of Maggiore Consulting, a multi-media lead generation firm and co-host of Locals Only: a Phoenix-based live Internet show. Find her at jennifermaggiore.com I love reading to my 3 year old son. One of our favorites is Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (another great book is I Had […]
Social Media’s Internal Impact – An Interview with Phil Simon
How does social media impact your internal organization? I’m delighted to have had the chance to interview technology consultant and author Phil Simon about how technology and social media adoption is changing companies. (Check out Phil’s blog too) Your new book The Next Wave of Technologies deals with how organizations can adopt and adapt to […]