Your Business Image is Linked to Your Customers Converstations
There was a time when companies issued press releases, and operated under the impression that they controlled the message of their brand. Those days are gone. Today, the brand image is linked to the thoughts and conversations of a company’s consumers. Therefore, businesses must get to know their constituents.
Do you realize how big your customers voices have gotten? Your businesses reputation is more connected than ever to the sentiment of your consumers.
The above is from an article about why social media is vital to corporate responsibility. Businesses of all size have a responsibility to their community and consumers. Being a good business citizen is not a marketing strategy. It is a fundamental operating principle moving forward for everyone.
Social Media is a super important tool for getting the good work you’re doing in the world out to a wider audience. People like to do businesses with companies they feel good about. Letting the public know about what you and your business care about is a wonderful use for social media.
Does Your Biz Have a Social Media Hub?
When most businesses begin a social media campaign, they tend to focus on Facebook, Twitter and other social sites. They usually forget to incorporate their own site and tie their social profiles together. Your business can score a big social media win with the creation of a blog or social hub. Why push your consumers to connect with you on other sites, but not give them a reason to visit yours?
Communicating Through Lifestreaming
I’ve been blogging since 2003 and have noticed many bloggers moving to the Lifestreaming mode of communicating. The rise of Twitter and the Facebook home page is an example of how information is flowing and being consumed in streams.
What are are to do with all this information? “information is going to continue to scale, but human attention doesn’t scale, so we have to think about how each of us manages it.” – Steve Rubel I jumped on the idea of Lifestreaming a few months ago. I like how I can integrate my activity on my blog through the Lifestreaming plugin on my sidebar. I’ve been experimenting with Posterous as a way to update my blog and some of my other sites. Posterous helps me collect information and share it through my networks. I’ve been gradually evolving my blog into a hub of my activity. Louis Gray shares how Steve Rubel is using a hub and spoke model to build his personal brand and spread his content. This hub and spoke model is the future of blogging and social media integration for many people. “Instead of fighting against the stream and forcing people to come back to the originating hub, Steve started to think that maybe his blog “didn’t matter as much any more”, and appeared “archaic”. Now, he is posting content, via Posterous, to his lifestream and also each of the spokes (like Flickr, Delicious, etc.) and participating where that content gainst traction – essentially creating a very customizable hub and spoke model that has his own personal brand and the flexibility to put the right content in the right place.” Read more about Communicating in the Age of Streams on Louis Gray’s blog.http://blog.louisgray.com/2009/10/communicating-in-age-of-streams-with.html
Social Media is Changing Our Daily Lives
While business in the past was generally conducted with those in one’s immediate environment, social media, including everything from blogging to tweeting to posting videos on YouTube (), has opened new possibilities for both customers and clients. Who we do business with and how we promote that business has moved increasingly online, and for small business especially, social media has proved valuable.
Expand your business networks with the value tools social media provides your business. Not sure how? We can help.
Can the Cool Kids and IMer’s Play Together?
I wonder, though, if there’s any possible way a tribe could come together that was about building real businesses online without being cheesy, sleazy, or tacky? Could a tribe form around ethical business practices, effective persuasive communication that actually sells something, respectful relationships with customers, and a commitment to keeping the White Hat on at all times?
Could that tribe actually come to terms with getting paid for the work they put in? Could they be willing to learn to create businesses that don’t require a superhuman effort to get off the ground? Not necessarily getting rich quick, but getting rich without killing yourself?
Is it possible for these two tribes to actually learn from one another? To find the greatest value, satisfaction and success at the intersection of the crossroads?
I love this post on Copy Blogger. Above is an excerpt of may favorite part. Click the link after the excerpt and read the entire thing. It’s worth diving into if you care about doing any kind of business. I think it speaks to 2 of the major internet tribes and the way they like to operate on line. Sonia, the author brings up some great points.
I think it is likely that these tribes are going to learn to work together to create wonderful businesses and create real, sustainable financial flow along with a balanced life.
I believe that we are smart enough to learn that we can come together for quality and sustainability without selling our souls. This is not a stretch. Everything I see is lining up to create brilliant new life paths and all we have to do is make the choices.
I’m optimistic that these tribes are coming together. How about you?
Smart Social Media Hiring and Training
Can you solve your social media program by hiring a new generation of employees? Um…. No. Millennials are digital natives to be sure – but their day-to-day knowledge of using Facebook to post study abroad pics in no way translates to a deep understanding of social media’s business applications. Are there exceptions to this rule? Brilliant young people who have used social to establish themselves as a brand, launch a business, or promote an issue – for sure. But they still need someone to help apply their expertise to the business. The solution is a hybrid of hiring social media experts (young and old), and training great thinkers you already have.
Trusting your brand’s social media communication to an intern is setting yourself up for challenges. Find the best people that can represent your organization and do high quality training to help them succeed.
The Internet Extends your Word of Mouth
Word-of-mouth is by far the most powerful form of marketing a company can access and its greatest ally is the internet.
Good piece on thought leadership and social media. Businesses need to be part of creating their own conversation online. The internet accelerates and amplifies word of mouth. Including your voice in your word of mouth is becoming increasingly important in today’s world of social media.
Initiating Useful Action
If you’re the person who can initiate useful action, if you’re the one who makes something productive or transformative happen, then smart organizations will treasure you.
Are you cultivating your initiators? Do you celebrate their innovation?
Hyperlocal Search Getting Better with Google
Google’s new mobile browser make over has great new features to help people find your business on the go. The desktop version of Google Maps will integrate with your smart phone using your Google account to store and sync information.
The new Google features make it even more important to get your business well established on line and it help make Google’s job easier so customers can find you.
Google’s SideWiki Shifts Power To Consumers –Away From Corporate Websites « Web Strategy by Jeremiah Owyang | Social Media, Web Marketing
No commenting feature on your website? Google’s Sidewiki will let the world say whatever they want about your website through their new browser add on.
Your website has just become social media enabled.
If Sidewiki gains widespread adoption its a corporate social media game changer.
I’m excited to see what happens.
What do you think?
