In Engage!, I review the important catalysts and methodologies defining the new era of Social CRM or sCRM. In the discussion, I also introduce the idea of SRM (social relationship management), a concept that may at first blush, seemingly appear to introduce yet another acronym or perhaps challenge the promise of sCRM. However, its only intention is to spur thinking beyond the literal frameworks of traditional customer relationship management, whether it’s social or one-way. Much of this chapter was cut…
Top 10 Ways to Become a Real Social Media Expert
The headline is shared mostly in jest, but this topic is one worthy of serious attention. The question at hand is whether or not the general advice shared in popular blogs and books when designed to be snappy, shareable, and consumable, help or hinder the ability to learn critical and important lessons in social media. I recently read a post by Alan Maites that used an article that I wrote for AdAge as the nexus for an industry-wide quest to…
Q&A: Is One-Way Communication an Oxymoron?
Every now and then, I’m asked to answer questions for other blogs and media outlets – more so lately due in part to the recent release of Engage! The conversations that always trigger new insights, ideas, or perspectives and sometimes, I believe that the discussion is worth sharing with you, here. This is one such discussion hosted by my friend in Belgium, Jean-Paul De Clerck. #Engage! 1) A thought: Social networks are merely a technological extension of our human nature…
We Are The Champions
An important reminder that you are on the right path… Social Media marketing is not new nor is it widely established or even understood. However in 2010, it will completely transform the way businesses attract customers and the way consumers find the businesses and services that matter to them. And like that, an overnight landmark, which really is over a decade in the making, will challenge business owners, more so than today, as they now compete for the future, right…
How Businesses Learn the Value and Impact of New Media: Uh-Oh vs. Aha Moments
In celebration of National Small Business Week… This year, Social Media marketing will gain significant support in resources and investment across businesses of all shapes and sizes. So what’s new? Now, a line is being drawn between edglings and underlings. Where we choose to stand affects the presence of our brand and value in new markets and our ability to capture attention where and how it is focused – both online and in the real world,. On one side of…
Social Media in Small Business is Anything But Small
In celebration of National Small Business Week… For entrepreneurs, business owners, investors, and consultants, one of the most exciting prospects of social media, lies in the ability to dramatically amplify your visibility and value proposition among existing and potential stakeholders. Social Media finally places small, local and emerging businesses in the spotlight in ways that up until this point, were largely unattainable. New Media is rapidly shifting the landscape of how people find and share information and much of it…
Facebook Around the World
In March 2010, Facebook emerged as the top search term at Google, Bing, and Yahoo according to Experian Hitwise. Bing reported that 2.6% of all searches were dedicated to Facebook with Google at 1.17%. To say that Facebook is capturing the minds and search boxes of people in the U.S. and around the world would be a gross understatement. Facebook wasn’t only the top search term in America, again, according to Experian Hitwise, it was also the most visited website…
How Can I Help You Engage?
One of the most difficult tasks that I face when discussing Engage is the dance I perform between author and promoter. The balance is never clear, but intention is what I hope speaks volumes. Engage is a handbook for anyone working in new media. For executives, it will help you lead transformation. For champions, it provides you with the insight to win support. For business owners, it empowers you to compete for attention and customers and expand your footprint. The…
In Social Media, Consumers Offer Rewards to Deserving Brands
In social media, questions, and not answers, dominate the landscape for branded digital programs. Anyone who tells you otherwise, is misinformed. The answers that reveal strategy and direction are ours to discover, however it’s our responsibility to take the initiative to answer our own questions and accordingly, pave the roads for experimentation and experience. It is in these journeys where we learn everything and as such, become the experts we sought in our quest to seek direction and validation. As…
Report: Top 20 Brands on Twitter – April 2010
Twitter is a stream of incredible collective consciousness. Every day, people all over the world share their experiences through a truly personal lens, providing insight into the real-world experiences and observations that inspire conversations, define communities, and move markets – all in real time. Perhaps one of the most profound and largely untapped treasures in all of Social Media, Twitter indeed represents one of the world’s richest conversation mines. The openness of Twitter holds the information necessary to learn, adapt,…
