In This Issue
Also This Week:
When Should Thought Leaders Play Defense?
This is admittedly contrary to what I usually say about thought leaders always “playing offense” as part of the insurgent marketing mentality that most thought leaders posses. However, there are times, such as in the case of Mayo Clinic, where a defensive, thought leading posture is necessary. This article adds to the discussion on defending, sustaining and growing your thought leadership status once you’ve attained it.
Read the article: "When Should Thought Leaders Play Defense " »
How Companies are Benefiting from Web 2.0
Over the past three years, McKinsey Quarterly has tracked the rising adoption of Web 2.0 technologies, as well as the ways organizations are using them. This year, they sought to get a clear idea of whether companies are deriving measurable business benefits from their investments in the Web. Their findings indicate that they are.
Read "How Companies are Benefiting from Web 2.0" »
Here are some of the best bits of marketing wisdom that came across Twitter this week:
Gandhi's Top 10 Fundamentals for Changing the World http://ff.im/-89rWQ
Content Strategy: The Future of Marketing http://ff.im/-7WZBg
Google Launches Internet Stat Center http://ff.im/-7TzQ7
Follow Dana's marketing updates on Twitter »
Download the entire "Social Media Toolkit" »
AMA TechnoMarketing Workshop & Podcast
if you're looking for a comprehensive 2-day event on all things social media & marketing technology, look no further! The American Marketing Association is running the TechnoMarketing workshop this September and is still accepting registrations.
Register for the AMA's TechnoMarketing Workshop! »
Listen to a 5-minute podcast that I just recorded on social media and "technomarketing" for the event. »
August Marketing Links: Social Media & Thought Leadership
Want to see the cream of the crop in marketing, thought leadership and social media articles? Just look at what we're linking to!
Hit the Links! »
There are key qualitiesthat determine the rate of adoption of a particular innovation. This mindmap explores the marketing implications of each of the 5 characteristics.
DOWNLOAD »
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Upcoming Speaking Engagements
09.17 - Social Media - Northern Illinois University
09.22 - New North Panel Session: Implementing Social Media Culture
9.29 - 9.30 - AMA TechnoMarketing - Chicago, IL
10.03 - Social Media Saturdays: Strategy
10.10 - Social Media Saturdays: Blogging
10.14 - Thought Leadership Marketing: Construction Specification Institute, NM
10.15 - Social Media Marketing: Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
10.17 - Social Media Saturdays: Twitter
10.24 - Social Media Saturdays: LinkedIn
11.05 - St. Norbert Marketing & Technology for Leaders Series
11.07 - Social Media Saturdays: Facebook
11.14 - Social Media Saturdays: Podcast & Video
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Tuesday September 15, 2009
Hiring for Social Media
 It's no secret that many brands are embracing social media. From internationalheavyweights like Ford and Coca-Cola to local ice cream shops, everyone is trying to figure out "how to get social media done."
In several client meetings recently, the discussion has turned to the subject of staffing up for social media and to then training those staff to ensure that they do "the right things right" in the social media space and flawlessly perform the role of "brand steward". There are a few questions you should ask as you're considering the social media staffing issue.
Should I hire or outsource? I'm biased here, but I'll tell you from experience that the most successful social media work that I've seen involves social media personnel inside of an organization. Yes, you need to have some who gets your company, culture and (deeply) understands the market(s) you serve and the industry you're in. A true steward of the brand (a phrase I use daily to describe those who work in the social media space on behalf of their company) should be embedded in the company. (caveat: A contract social media person can be embedded as well...but they need to really "get you" in order to work out). If you want some more ammo for this discussion, check out Beth Harte's 25 Signs You've Got a Strong SM Consultant or Agency.
What role should I absolutely hire for?
If you're really serious about social & digital media, one of the most popular roles that brands hire first is that of "community manager". Basically, the community manager is the brand steward within the community of customers, prospects and partners that you serve.
What qualifications should they have?
I could write a laundry list of which qualifications one should have to do social media for your brand, but at the end of the day, there are a few non-negotiable things that I'm stuck on.
- Community managers should be advocates, ambassadors and stewards of the brand in one.
- Community managers must be able to communicate in writing, video, audio, 140 characters and in any other mode that's social media ready.
- Believes in the core "social media ethic" which is to always ask "how can my company be useful, relevant and helpful to the community we serve?"
- Loves what they do and loves people!
What if I can't hire anyone?
That's a great question, and you have a couple of options. First, you can "do" social media in less than 20 minutes a day if you have a defined process. That way there's no capital investment, only your time (which can be worth quite a lot, so choose your channels wisely). You can also hire in help. While I don't advocate that brands "outsource social media" wholesale, a growing number of businesses are embracing social media by hiring part-time employees or contract social media folks to operate Twitter, Facebook and similar sites on their behalf. Some companies, like Garrett Popcorn, have hired people to tweet for them.
At the end of the day, I believe that organizations that take social media seriously will either dedicate staff, or a portion of their time to the discipline, or hire in professionals to help out with social media. I've advised a number of brands to hire community managers and interns to help out with the process with great success. Read the full article - "Hiring for Social Media" »
Have questions about social media professionals? Need help staffing up for social media? Drop me a line. I can help.
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Marketing Classics: Diffusion of Innovations (Everett Rogers, 1962)
Everett Rogers
defines diffusion as "the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system." For me, this has been one of the most influential marketing theories of my career. As I've worked at the intersection of marketing, technology and sales, innovation (any new concept or idea) is an absolute that we see every day. The big questions that the diffusion of innovations studies (over 500 of them are synthesized in Rogers' book, Diffusion of Innovations) is "what does it take for my innovation to spread" and "how fast can it happen?"
To summarize, there are four main elements that are essential for a new idea to spread.
- The innovation (the idea, concept, product, etc.)
- Communication channels (how will people find out - mass media, social media, etc.?)
- Time (not just how long, but the various stages that people go through in adopting an innovation)
- The social system (the community or customer base that adopts the innovation)
Why is this important to me?
If you've ever developed a new product or service and taken it to market, you've worked with the concept of diffusion of innovation. In the technology sector, this concept was popularized by Geoffrey Moore's book "Crossing the Chasm" which refers to
the "chasm " that exists between between the early adopters (enthusiasts and visionaries - 13.5% of individuals) and the early majority (the pragmatists - 34% of individuals).
For anyone who desires a successful launch of a new product, service, idea or venture, understanding and employing your knowledge of the how innovations diffuse in a social system is critical to your success. Learn more at the Wikipedia entry on "Diffusion of Innovations" »
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Social Media Saturdays Course
Green Bay, WI
Social Media Saturdays is unlike one-day social media events or web seminars where you try to learn everything in a day and leave with more questions than you have answers! Social Media Saturdays is a six-week, hands-on social media boot-camp for professionals who don’t want to just “know” about social media, but who really want to master it.
Taught in a computer lab at Rasmussen College, in a relaxed weekend atmosphere, Social Media Saturdays is the most thorough yet relaxed and informative series of social media classes that you’ll ever attend. The limited class size and hands-on approach in a fully functional computer lab ensure that you’ll leave each session with a new set of social media tools and the skills you need to make them work for you.
The six-week series provides ample time between topics and allows you to interact with the instructor in between classes to ensure that you are able to master each of the social media topics discussed before you move on to the next.
Dates & Topics for Social Media Saturdays:
- October 3rd – Course overview, planning session, RSS & social media listening
- October 10th – Blogs, blogging & creating your home base online
- October 17th – Twitter – Everything you ever needed to know
- October 24th – LinkedIn & online networking fundamentals
- November 7th – Facebook, Ning & online communities
- November 14th – Podcasting, video recording and sharing, screencasting
Event Particulars:
Dates: October 3rd, October 10th, October 17th, October 24th, November 7th, November 14th
Time: 9:00AM – 11:30AM
Where: Rasmussen College (Green Bay)
Fee: $299 before 9/18 – $399 after or $79/class
Class Size: Limited to 24 PEOPLE
Click this link to sign up for Social Media Saturdays.
Learn more about Social Media Saturdays»
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Cool Resource: Google Docs Forms
 Google Docs is one of the most useful tools for any size business. I use it for keeping the notes on this newsletter, sharing client projects with multiple stakeholders and for a whole host of other reasons.
I was delighted when Google announced their Forms-to-Spreadsheet support last year. It's a great asset that they just improved on this week and I thought it was time to share something that I think might be useful to others seeking more reasons to use tools like these.
In the spiritof creating useful tools to help run the business, I created a quick Google Docs Form that feeds a corresponding spreadsheet that I use when I'm interviewing prospects in anticipation of filling out a proposal.
As a personal aside, I'm also creating a form to use as a cycling training journal. After each ride, I'll go to the form, fill out the info and it will automatically keep a training diary spreadsheet that I can access from anywhere!
Learn how to create your own Google Docs Forms »
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