Social Missfit

Putting a Plan into Action

August 17, 2009 · 2 Comments

It still amazes me how fast my reader fills up with new info and updates. I’m taken back by all the great content out there and how well all these great ideas are formulated so eloquently into words. I have numerous “works in progress” in my drafts folder, so many in fact, I’m not really sure how to begin sorting through them all. Incomplete, lonely, tidbits of text I can’t get up to courage to finish or figure out what to do with.

So why has it been so challenging for me to get this blog up and “running?”

The most challenging part of this process has been finding my own voice, feeling confident in my thoughts, and striking a balance between my personal and professional tone. It’s easier than it sounds, isn’t it? I’ve spent the last month or so really investigating what great bloggers are doing right….

Consistently posting valuable content is a key ingredient of success, but it takes more than just that. Developing a strategy, including objectives, tactics and goals are important even when it comes to your own blog. Linking to other’s blogs, weighing in, contributing to the conversation, organizing your thoughts before blurting them out, making it shareable, asking for input…the list goes on and on.

So I decided to start small by laying out some personal goals I have. Better late than never I guess.

My Goals:

Leave a comment on three other blogs a day, be consistent.
Include at least one link to an article, blog post, quote, etc in each blog post I write.
Allow other’s thoughts and insights to inspire my own entries.
Blog to inspire change, not conformity.
Make it easier for others to share it. This includes anything from the entries I write to the comments people leave.
Market yourself, promote you blog, just don’t overdo. Be humble.
Don’t be shy, be me.
Be respectful.
Be confident.
Always end a post with something engaging, invite others to participate in your conversation.
Write what you feel, not what you think others want to hear.
Take part in the conversation, don’t ever initiate a discussion and leave it to die.
Have a focus; always ask yourself, “Does this relate to my ultimate goal?”
- My ultimate goal: share my experiences, key learning’s, lessons, failures, successes, processes, trends and perspectives on social media in a corporate environment. Specifically, as it relates to internal corporate communications.
Utilize all of the knowledgeable resources around me. Always have another set of eyes read, review and revise before I publish.
Forget about the numbers. Visits/traffic is NOT how you will measure success. Comments left, frequency of engagement, key takeaways, and the relationships I build, are factors that I WILL use to gauge my success.

This list of goals is just start. I will add to, modify and revise as I see fit.

What are your thoughts? What experiences and challenges did you have in the beginning I may have overlooked?

“Pleasure in the Job Puts Perfection in the World”

July 10, 2009 · 1 Comment

We wouldn’t be in business if it weren’t for our customers. I also strongly believe that you won’t stay in business unless you make your most important asset, your staff, a priority. Maybe I’m stating the obvious, but I think often times we forget to show our appreciation for the things that matter to us most, make us most successful and influence us to be better individuals.

This morning, my boss took a minute to share his appreciation for my hard work and creativity. He gave me one of the biggest compliments I could have ever asked for; he said, “You inspire me.” These moments, although they may only last a minute or two, are the ones that drive me to work harder than ever. To be creative, loyal and confident and to do the best possible job I am humanly capable of. There are ways to cultivate loyalty, happiness and love. Surprisingly, they are far easier than we have ever imagined.

Think about the things you have done lately to show your customers and co-workers that you really value them (aside from sending them a bottle of wine or taking them out to lunch). Have you taken a moment to ask them their opinion? Have you sent them a simple hand written note, not only to say thank you for being a great customer or co-worker, but a great partner as well?

I would love to hear how you show your most valuable asset (HINT: it probably has a brain and two feet, not a chip and a keyboard) they get you out of bed every morning, want to work harder and strive for more?

DiGiorno Does it Right

July 8, 2009 · No Comments Yet

If your promoting a new product you better find a unique way to do it, and if you really know what you are doing, you’ll get people talking about it, for FREE. We can all learn a lesson or two from DiGiorno, who came up with a really cool way to launch their new product, flatbread melts.

Check it out…

Hungry? Free DiGirono's Flatbread Melts Are Always an Option, YUM!

Hungry? Free DiGiorno Flatbread Melts Are Always an Option, YUM!

And the best part…it’s not only a free lunch, but you get a free ride to get it!

If you really want people to try your new product, why not make it easy, appealing, and the best part…free? DiGiorno had branded bike taxis driving up and down Michigan Ave. downtown Chicago for a few hours during lunch offering hungry Chicagoans a free ride to a free lunch.

DiGiorno could have stood at the end of our local supermarket isle and handed out free samples of their flatbread melts. Instead, they took a creative approach, making their new product virtually irresistible. The return on their creativity? Free publicity and happy customers who instantly fell in love with their brand and their product. Now that’s what I call priceless!

Have you fallen in love with a brand recently? I would love to hear why.

Conversation Capitol and the Intranet

July 6, 2009 · No Comments Yet

It seems like most talk surrounding social media relates to its external use (B –> C). What about the value and benefit that comes from the connections enabled by social media internally? Conversation between “corporate tribes?” Like minded individuals connected by a common corporation?

We know that there is value in every business, regardless of industry or size, to listening, understanding and dissecting coworker collaboration and capturing intellectual property. Unless we figure out ways in which we can formulate and define how these social tools translate into an effective, powerful corporate communications strategy, its value and return on investment will remain unknown, companies will fail to succeed and be stomped on by competitors. Social media tools have elevated the standard, depth and expectation of corporate communications. Companies are quickly being forced to transition from simply using the intranet as a file sharing portal to using it as a valuable resource that also leverages and supports conversation capitol.

Standard corporate intranets were once owned by executives, but now we have the opportunity to create more democratic and personalized platforms, where employees exchange, share and own the dialogue. This dialogue ignites a sharing of ideas, opinions and personal conversation. I love the idea that social media tools enable a conversation of many, rather than one. It’s not just you and I anymore, but an increasingly robust conversation where diversity of opinion is encouraged. Employees now have the opportunity to be engaged, enthusiastic and actually excited about what they do. I strongly doubt that a corporations biggest challenge is a lack of creative ideas, but rather, figuring out ways to bring them out into the light, to be shared, to be built upon to be developed into a real competitive advantage.

I’m not sure that there has never been a more opportune time to start engaging our most valuable asset, our employees. I would love to chat about the strategies and tools you use that enable conversation capitol and your thoughts on the importance of leveraging employee engagement and participation. Lastly, if you are one of those companies who has thought about taking the leap but can’t quite make it to the edge, what’s holding you back?

Don’t Tell Me What to Do!

May 19, 2009 · 2 Comments

I was always one of those kids who hated being told what to do…which of course, only led to trouble. I now realize it’s not so much that I hate being told what to do – I pretty much got over that in the 6^th grade when I got sick of getting grounded – but more that I can’t stand others dictating the right or wrong ways of doing things. I have seen quite a few dos and don’ts out there lately and it’s getting old pretty damn quick.

I get it…you have done it longer, better, faster, more efficiently, and you know more than I do…. or do you? Even if that is the case, why does that give you the right police how others use social media? Those who really get it, understand that there is no universal right or wrong way to go about it – that every situation requires a sound assessment and a unique solution – and every individual is different. Just because you were successful in your approach doesn’t mean I can, or should, go about things the same way.

So what if you don’t like the way I play in pond? That’s the beauty of social media… there are many waters to dip our toes in. No one is forcing you to read their blog, friend them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

There are so many ways to navigate this digitally social world, many of which have yet to be discovered. There are far better ways of helping others understand and succeed in this space than to dictate a whole bunch of rights and wrongs. Why not offer up a solution, share your experience, or better yet, lead by example.

So please, just stop telling me what to do!

Two Valuable Lessons Learned

May 18, 2009 · No Comments Yet

This past month has been extremely exciting for me. With the help of the rest of the team at FLIRT, we have successfully launched one of our “common knowledge communities.” This particular community was designed to help and empower employees to create their own action plans by sharing personal successes, challenges and opportunities.

I have learned more about social media in the corporate environment in the past two months than I have over the past two years. The process hasn’t been easy, but living through it and learning from an actual experience, has made it all worth it and extremely rewarding. So here goes, two key takeaways…

1. Conversations are happening everywhere. They are not only occurring between consumers or between businesses and consumers - they are seeded within the walls of every company. Listening to those conversations, understanding how they can add value to your company and developing ways to make it easier for those conversations to take place -is vital. It directly relates to the attitude, atmosphere, and culture of your company.

Be understanding and patient. What I learned from this experience is that many companies are still uncertain about the value and security of online social communities. Don’t look at it as a burden; instead see it as an opportunity to begin a dialogue. Although the answers may be strikingly obvious to you - they may not be so apparent to others. Instead, recognize that you don’t have all of the answers either, no matter how much you may think you do. Take this opportunity to really learn from and listen to your client. Inevitably, you will uncover some of the most valuable insights into their DNA and anticipate unruly roadblocks

2. Many companies have an approval process…for every decision that needs to be made. Most likely, this process takes a heck of a lot longer than any of us would like. That doesn’t mean we should cut corners.

Knowing what the approval process entails from the beginning gives you a great head start. Understand who the major decision makers are and what their process is. Just because you are working with the marketing department, for example, doesn’t mean you can assume that other departments don’t need to be involved as well. Legal and branding happen to be the two “roadblocks” we faced. The lesson I learned: get everyone involved from the START of the project. No matter what your client may tell you, it is your job as their consultant and partner, to advise them otherwise. Often, your client is just as eager to get things moving along.

Approval time can nearly double, and in some instances, the project may even be rejected completely if you don’t take this into consideration. Getting everyone involved will ensure you are taking all of the necessary steps possible, to get things started off right. And when it comes time for branding and the legal department to review the site you have just designed and built, you won’t find yourself in a state of panic because you are back at square one.

What lessons have you learned the hard way, and what advice would you give others in order to avoid the same mistakes?

There’s No Such Thing as Private Practice

March 10, 2009 · No Comments Yet

I think more today than ever, corporations face the challenge of “controlling” and protecting their company information. From a realistic standpoint we have to question whether information is ever really controlled. As technology has evolved the web has made it easier and easier to share information. It’s not so much that companies need to let go of the idea of control, but rather the idea that they ever had it to begin with.

We forget, we hire people because we ACTUALLY have confidence they’ll succeed. When was the last time you hired someone you thought was doomed to fail or couldn’t be trusted? You haven’t – and if you have, you shouldn’t be in business anyway. So why don’t corporations have trust that the people THEY hire won’t damage or destroy their reputation? How loyal can your employees truly be if they know that their boss doesn’t trust them?

So does that mean what happens behind the firewall always stays behind the firewall?

A firewall does not stop information from leaving a corporation’s walls. If an employee wants to share confidential information with the outside world, they won’t have a hard time doing so in today’s tech savvy world, in fact it’s even safe to say that it would probably take less than two minutes. The good news: there are things you can do to reduce the chances of confidential information being leaked. There are even steps you can take to hold your employees responsible for their own actions. Here are a few of my suggestions – although I am sure there are MANY more…

Give your employees information they CAN share, don’t make them feel like they have to steal it. Give away an e book, a newsletter, whatever- just give them something.
Let employees know that they are trusted influencers for the company, without them you would not exist – illustrate the value you see in them – recognize those that share the RIGHT information
Giving up your perception of control- this actually enables others to do your marketing for you
Educating your internal team on what is acceptable – empower them. Empowered employees make better choices and feel personally responsible when they make bad ones.
Establish a set of social media guidelines for your company
Stop focusing on the way things HAVE BEEN done – it blocks your perception of what can be done/what the future holds

So if you’re a company that still believes you can control the message – think about where this notion comes from, and if it is even in the least bit valid. And if you can answer both of those questions, maybe we should start discussing how we actually measure value.

The Game Has Changed

February 24, 2009 · No Comments Yet

Back in the day, corporations lost touch with the very thing that made them tick, people. Luckily technology has enabled companies to grab hold of that again and rebuild the personal relationships once lost in the pursuit of growth.

The modern day potential of social media is unknown and difficult to measure. What we do know is that those who try and get it understand that conversations are critical. The more we listen and engage the more likely we are to stumble into insight, unique points of view, or a connection we never imagined possible. It takes dedication, passion, and commitment from people to keep the conversation going. The question now – how does all this translate into a powerful corporate strategy?

The game has changed. When people in organizations share information and an understanding of everything going on around them, new opportunities, challenges and creative strategies take hold. Web 2.0 has simply made that connection faster and easier. The key – let go of control, accept where the conversation goes; learn to listen better – real value stems from our ability to tap into the social consciousness of individuals and their hunger to connect with one another.

I’m here to try and make sense of it all. To evaluate and develop different SM strategies that makes conversation easier. To honor the fact that any dialogue is of value whether in a postcard, smoke signal or on twitter; people need a voice.

In a first attempt to filter through it all, I started a list of SM guidelines –“My SM Manifesto.” I’ll shape, add to, and alter it as I see fit.

My SM Manifesto

Misfits matter. They see and say things differently. It’s ok not to fit in.

Talk is cheap, just because you are talking doesn’t mean you have something to say.

The truth may hurt, listen to it and ignite change.

Invite everyone in; you never know who will be the life of the party.

Agree to disagree. Dialogue is better than debate.

If the conversation is not thriving it may just as well be dead. Water it, nurture it, and help it grow.

Platforms are forever changing. Conversations are the constant variable.

Dabble in areas and conversations that make you uncomfortable. Explore points of friction.

Trust is rooted in honesty. Honesty is seeded in transparency.

You are your brand. Be true and honest to it, it will always reveal itself.

Sociability goes beyond the keyboard and computer screen, it translates in real life.

One size does not fit all. Not every platform or community is the right one. Find the “one” that suits you.

Conversations are ongoing, two way, and require attention by real live people.

So what’s your manifesto? What principles guide your SM strategy and approach? If anything, has the game really changed? Or is it more a matter technology enabling us to go back to the way things used to be?