Unless you literally run your business with your ears plugged and your eyes covered, you are aware of the importance of social media and its impact on both brand and bottom line. However, while social media is the topic du jour in mainstream news, on blogs, in books, at conferences and at your local Starbucks, we may still underestimate its overall promise and potential. The socialization of business is comparable to the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland or the…
Tweet This! Twitter Pushes Its Own Button
It’s no longer a matter of answering the micro riddle, “to tweet or not to tweet.” Twitter helps you simply Tweet everything that moves you. While this capability has existed through third-party services over the years, Twitter is rolling out a dedicated function to harness the power of the “interest graphs” that you weave. Not only can you share links with those who follow you, Twitter is extending its “Suggestions for You” feature to assist in the curation of your…
Video: Media Consumption vs. Usage and the New Role of Digital Sociologists
In part three of a series of conversations discussing the state and future of social media with Chris Beck, founder of 26dottwo (@26dottwo), we review media consumption and usage and how in social networks, individuals are in control of defining their own experiences. As such, organizations are now required to study the cultures of each community in order to learn how to best establish a presence to equalize the dynamics of engagement. The idea of a digital sociologist is discussed…
Please Repeat: Influence is not Popularity
…and popularity is not influence. In social media, influence has taken center stage. With the spotlight perfectly fixed on the “me” in social media, a large shadow is now cast over the “we” that defines the social web. As individuals begin to realize the possibilities and benefits that surface as a result of building connected social graphs, a very public exploration to find the balance between influence and popularity unfolds. What’s clear in this chapter of the ever-evolving Web is…
Video: Facebook as an Advertising Medium + Media A.D.D.
In part two of a series of conversations discussing the state and future of social media with Chris Beck, founder of 26dottwo (@26dottwo), we review the viability of Facebook as an advertising platform. The discussion brings up elements introduced in my recent post introducing the concept of The Last Mile and how everything begins with the First Mile. We also review the ever-thinning attention span (Media A.D.D.) and ideas introduced in Part Two of the Hybrid Theory Manifesto. This series…
ROI Doesn’t Mean ‘Return on Ignorance’
The new world of Social Media is among the most actively analyzed, misunderstood, and at the same time, celebrated mediums affecting businesses today. At the very least, it introduces a renewed sense of vigor that is challenging creativity and convention and also inspiring more human connections in the process. Social Media also introduces new channels and methodologies to drive and measure sales, service, and marketing. As such, discerning business executives seek direction to evaluate the opportunity costs associated with new…
Video: Introducing the 5th “P” to the Marketing Mix — People
I recently sat down with Chris Beck, founder of 26dottwo, a digital media agency in the San Francisco Bay Area for a in-depth discussion on the state and future of social media. We examine a broad range of topics that explore the impact of the social economy on business, culture and the democratization of influence. In this installment, we discuss “people” as the 5th “P” in the marketing mix. While this is a subject that’s been discussed over the years,…
CRM Magazine’s 2010 CRM Market Awards
There’s a saying that good things happen when you least expect it. Such is the case this past week. As part of its CRM Evolution ’10 conference, CRM Magazine announced the winners of its 2010 CRM Market Awards. I’m proud to say that I was listed as one of eight CRM “Influential Leaders” by the magazine, to which I am quite literally speechless. To say that this came as a surprise would be an understatement. To be included among a…
CRM Magazineâs 2010 CRM Market Awards – Brian Solis Influential Leader
As part of its CRM Evolution â10 conference, CRM Magazine announced the winners of its 2010 CRM Market Awards. Brian Solis was listed as one of eight CRM âInfluential Leadersâ by the magazine. The list of 2010 Influential Leaders: Marc Benioff, cofounder, chairman, and chief executive officer at Salesforce.com (see CRMâs November 2009 issue for our cover-to-cover special report on Benioff and Salesforce.com) Bill McDermott, co-chief executive officer at SAP Doc Searls, fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, head of the individual-empowerment initiative…
Almost Half of Small Businesses Find Customers in Social Networks
In social media, is there truth to the proverb, “seek and ye shall find?” As our experience in new media matures, learning what it is we wish to seek and also accomplish is at the forefront of rapid evolution. Converting questions into objectives is how we grow and succeed. While the opportunities within social media in general are sweeping, one such possibility that’s largely untapped in business social networking is the ability to find customers and prospects as well as…
