New media marketing is creating an undercurrent that is shifting the very foundation of business. Without a full understanding of what’s possible, a clear view to the future or an idea of the strength or extent of the market undertow, executives cautiously embrace emerging social and mobile channels based on guidance of internal champions and external pressure from competitors and customers alike. But, leaders can only lead when their vision is focused and direction is defined. The ability to execute becomes paramount and the gaps that exist between goals and capabilities must be identified and solved quickly to stay the course.
business
10 Wins for my Business from Twitter
Through some recent debate about which social tools are best and why, I have been listening and reflecting on how my own business has been impacted. It is one thing to spend your time researching and writing and another to spend your time helping 20+ clients win everyday in this 24/7 viral world we live in. The challenge is surfing through it all to find what works for you and your business. Time will limit what resources companies can dedicate to the social channels. I think some channels are better for certain businesses. Digital and social don’t mean a “one size fits all” strategy.
The Four Hats of The Social CMO Webinar
Join us for The Four Hats of The Social CMO webinar for a unique look at four roles emerging marketing leaders can embrace as they evolve to become Social CMOs!
As with any new disruptive technology, social networking usage in enterprise business is still in its’ infancy with marketers in a preferred position to gain advantage. CMO’s can benefit from being first movers in introducing and adopting social networking technologies to become social leaders within their organizations.
Let’s Look Inside the Mysterious Mind of the CMO
I recently had the opportunity to be the keynote speaker at the “Ignite Your Growth” Conference in Atlanta at the new HP Graphic Arts Experience Center. Knowing that the audience would consist of printing professionals interested in growing their businesses, I thought it would be interesting to discuss an individual they probably have on their prospect list – the CMO.
As a B2B marketing agency, CMOs are one of our targets as well, so we do our best to maintain a persona profile of the typical CMO. That is, we try to think like they think so we can create compelling content that will interest them.
@ is the Universal Sign of Engagement
For decades, companies were very good at pushing messages into markets and talking at people rather than with them. Now companies are embracing the idea of two-way interaction. Monitoring conversations is becoming standard procedure as small and enterprise businesses alike make substantial investments in tools such as Radian6, Sprial16 and Brandtology. And, not only are companies monitoring conversations, they’re adopting social media management systems (SMMS) such as Seesmic and CoTweet to operationalize conversations and platforms such as Objective Marketer, PeopleBrowsr and Buddy Media to automate engagement campaigns.
There’s a difference between monitoring and listening and there’s certainly a difference between conversations and engagement. How social media is employed today promotes monitoring as a reporting function and conversations as a symptom of reaction. In many ways, the state of social media is eerily reminiscent of traditional marketing. We’re fooled into a sense of collaboration and co-creation because people can respond. But programs are not measured by functionality, they are valued by the value customers take away from the experience. It begs the question, is social media in actuality anti-social?
New media philosophies, while rich with good intentions, are confined by the culture of the organization they’re designed to help. Corporate culture is pervasive and planted. It is not anything that will change suddenly because of the popularity of Twitter and Facebook no matter how strong your case. Culture shock takes place because a business is subjected to the harsh reality that customers no longer support the way business is conducted.
Twitter Best Practices For Business
Twitter is a great place to do business, if you follow some simple best practices. Twitter has done a nice job of outlining core advice on the subject in their welcome center:
How to get the results you deserve for your business
If you’re like most people, you suffer from information overload.
There is so much information online about how to grow your business, improve your blog and sell more stuff that it’s enough to make your head explode, right?
Because there is SO much information to churn through, you tend to shut it all out. Or, maybe you digest a lot information online, but you never put it into practice because you just simply don’t know which direction is the right one for you.
After all, should you spend your money on advertising or a new website? Or, what about this whole social media thing – Is that even worth your time?
Customer-centricity Begins with Creating a Culture of Change
Customer-centricity or getting closer to customers is often the focus of many executive meetings I attend these days. The question always arises, “how can we use new media to get closer to customers?”
The answer is not, develop a social media strategy to start engaging with customers. The answer is, change. Any organization that focuses on operations, margins, and efficiencies over customer experiences will find itself unfavored by tomorrow’s connected customer. It’s difficult to see the customer or empathize with them if you’re focused on a spreadsheet. It’s impossible to change if you can’t see what it is they value.
A Conversation about 2011 – 2012 Trends in Social Media
While attending LeWeb in Paris, I caught up with the 99Faces crew to discuss trends in social media for 2011 and 2012.
Among the many topics we touch, we spent a fair amount of time exploring the evolving influence of social media on…
- Mainstream lifestyle and culture
- The rise of curation
- Elevating the importance of transparency and engagement between businesses and customers
- Businesses dynamics and the need to open the doors between silos
- Politics and organizing the “brilliance” of the crowds
I hope you enjoy the discussion!
Brian Solis at LeWeb about Trends in Social Media 2011 from 99FACES.
Spring Cleaning for Your Business
Spring cleaning isn’t just for your house. It’s for your business too.
And no, I’m not talking about organizing files or cleaning the dust bunnies behind your desk (though that’s helpful too). I’m talking about clearing the clutter off of your plate and spending some time re-focusing on your goals.
Are you on track to end the year where you want to be? If not, now is a good time to revisit your goals and look at what you can do to move the needle for your business.
It’s time to dust off the ideas you have for growing your business and move them up from the bottom of your to-do list. Stop procrastinating and carve out some time to get these things done.