While his presentation style is undeniably understated, his observations and insights are powerful.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Question of the day:

In the last bit of [...]]]> Robert Scoble, blogger and entrepreneur  discusses how ideas spread. The public session was part of the Stanford GSB marketing course, the Power of Social Technology.

While his presentation style is undeniably understated, his observations and insights are powerful.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Question of the day:

In the last bit of the video he refers to an intimate dinner conversation, if shared with the right four people, you could change the world.

Who would you like seated at your table?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here, Tony, uses the phrase social marketing, not social media. I think we’ve got some serious semantics at work here.

I agree that tactics should never be confused with strategy, but so often are! To all you [...]]]> Tony Chapman of Cap C shares his views in this video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here, Tony, uses the phrase social marketing, not social media. I think we’ve got some serious semantics at work here.

I agree that tactics should never be confused with strategy, but so often are! To all you self proclaimed social media experts , ad agency types who invest an hour on Facebook before you start hyping  its’ “game-changing” benefits to your clients, you digital dudes, dude-ettes and drive by “strategists” take note of this – a twitter profile, a Facebook fan page, or single blog does not constitute an effective marketing strategy. What you are recommending, is a flavour of the day, smoke and mirrors approach that hops on the latest shiny object band wagon and preys on client ignorance, then taints the experience for clients who have entrusted you with their business and ruining the name of real strategic marketers in the process. These are the professionals who will embrace a far broader approach and encourage dialogue around a truly strategic solution to the client’s specific marketing challenge.

Why can’t we get this concept of strategy first? It’s then, and only then, can we decide on the appropriate selection of  tactics to be used in an integrated approach to ensure you achieve that strategy. And, of course, social media tools may right for that mix.

Mitch Joel, a man, whose views I really respect on this topic, had this to say  in a recent blog post about “marketers’ missing the mark on twitter

Social media may lead you to developing new strategies, to assessing how you currently approach the marketing and communications challenge. And yes, they may in fact lead you down a path of massive change and take you to a place where you do new things in new ways, to create a new way of thinking, acting, doing and relating with your customers.

But, from where I sit, I don’t see social marketing or social media as strategies. They may be the conversation starters, the instigators, but strategy is still driving force that will guide the effective use of these new tools.

So, if your potential provider can’t talk strategy – don’t waste your breath. Find someone who can and let the social media dilettantes go “help” your competition.

Question of the day:

What are your thoughts on tactics versus strategy? Social media versus social marketing? Share your thoughts…

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“We’re building a cluster of solo players [...]]]> Chris Brogan’s recent post Social Media Needs to Become a Team Sport makes some valid points. In essence, he says that social media is full of a bunch of solo players, rather than teams of people working together to achieve (or, in his analogy, score) a common goal.

“We’re building a cluster of solo players out there on the field when what is necessary is a team methodology with all kinds of touchpoints, system connectors, and deeper communications/strategy channels,” he writes.

Many companies who have adopted the use of social media tools (applause here for this in itself is a huge step) are entrusting  the success of  their  efforts to only a few company representatives – often the responsibility lies with only one or two people within the organization (and even more often, this person’s position  is far removed from senior level strategic decision making and many are also new to the organizations they represent).

How ironic that social media tools are being trusted to so very few people.

I would love to see companies embrace the power of social media by first seeking to really understand it – to embrace the opportunity to offer education to  employees around these new tools that have become embedded in our culture , to teach employees of all levels and within various functional areas how Facebook works and how to tweet important news, how to find and upload videos on YouTube regardless of whether or not they will actually use these skills in their day to day jobs. I don’t have to be an accountant to get value from understanding balance sheets and income statements, but I make better  bottom line decisions becauseI understand the basics of how what I do affects the bottom line, and the same holds true here.

Imagine if companies sought to understand what twitter, Nings, Facebook, YouTube, wikis, etc can actually do, AND how, once they have become familiar with their capabilities, these tools  can  be used and integrated to accomplish the organization’s goals from various departmental, and management level perspectives. For HR and PR will have very different needs, views, concerns and ideas of how social media might be used to achieve their goals, as will the Systems Developer when compared with the CFO.

What benefits would we see from organizations that take advantage of the opportunity to use teaching social media as the springboard for greater internal dialogue between departments and use it as the galvanizing force for ongoing communication and in breaking down functional barriers? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we saw decisions about how best to leverage social media be the thing that brings together departments like Sales, Marketing, IT, Communications, PR and HR.
We might be skipping in the streets if the same organization demonstrated an integrated approach in their selection of chosen tools AND in the creation of the messaging that was then used by an integrated team of employees representing various functions, management levels, geographies, viewpoints, etc.

Yes, I agree with Chris Brogan and think there needs to be a team approach to social media adoption. Maybe this is the strategy that will drive corporate adoption rates.

Maybe this is the only way we’ll truly see a lasting increase in corporate “socialarity”.

Questions of the day.

Do you know an organization that is doing great things with social media? increasing their “socialarity”? one that is educating employees around these tools? using social media to help increase interdepartmental communications or break down functional barriers?