Cow Bell: Rethinking Marketing for the Digital Age » opinion

Likeminds. Bringing people together? A resounding Yes!

Chris — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:22:43 +0000

Like 350 others I was lucky enough to attend Likeminds 2010 in Exeter, Devon last Friday.

Much has been written about it the day; from the speakers, the attendees and the atmosphere, and most it has been very positive.

There has even been a minor backlash at all those who seemed to infiltrate the twitter stream with the ubiquitous #likeminds hashtag. But isn’t that the point. Did I miss something? Isn’t the very essence of why we all went was to meet ‘Likeminded’ people who all want to understand, learn and develop their communication skills – for themselves, for their clients, and for their organisations?

How many events have you been to where you’re still left reeling from the energy and knowledge that was in the room. It’s nearly one week since being there and I’m still filled to the brim with action points, plans, ideas, thoughts, questions and you know what – memories.

I, like many of you, understand the power of social media as a communications tool and as a route to get people together. This is why I love it; but something happened around about 10.30am on the 26th February. Something new to me! I looked around the room and all you could see was smiles, all you could feel was anticipation, all you could sense was something big was going to happen.

I’m not going to analyse all the speakers & panels, as many others this week have done that very thing, but when Jonathan Akwue stands up and tells you that social media actually saves lives – you listen, when the incomparable Joanne Jacobs leads you through a perfectly timed presentation that literally holds attention like a children waiting for Santa Claus then you know you’re witnessing something memorable and special. To keep things flowing Olivier Blanchard makes you think about the very terms and definitions we all use across this channel, and then you end up with Chris Brogan talking about Metallica – it’s a pretty good day. [NOTE: Molly Flatt your comments on the panel were so spot-on I wish I had said them]

But the real value was in the people. All of the people. The speakers, those who attended, and the virtual audience. There were no barriers. Relationships were being created, improved and developed all over.

The real Likeminds for me happened afterwards. Conversations were full of energy and thrust. I was involved in chats where collaboration and engagement were at the very heart of the discussion. No barriers or divisions present. Everyone was willing to offer advice and support to any question or problem.

I know this all sounds as I’m head of Likeminds PR department but this is not the case. It is simply my own views. Many will feel sick by now, I hope many will also agree. As I look back on it now only some of the above emotion has quelled. I realise that we all had to come back and apply ourselves to our work and simply do more than pat each other on the back and say ‘I was there. Aren’t I great!’.

This isn’t the case. There’s nothing great about watching and listening to people talk. There’s nothing great about talking to the same people as the last event…but there really is something great about watching people communicate and talk to each other with energy and passion. The same people who will now be passing on small snippets of what they heard and learned. If, as Chris Brogan said, “we make people feel special” then isn’t that way better than great?

I’m nearly done but here’s a mini case-study of what it’s all about to me. A microcosm of social communication.

It’s now a week later and because I was at Likeminds I’ve formed two of the strongest relationships I have known for a long time. Both are a testimony to collaboration, communication, knowledge, humour and friendship: Likeminds at work! Thank you.

Let me know your thoughts and comments on this. Please leave a comment, however small.

Trey Pennington: Interview

Chris — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:05:47 +0000

Trey

For those of you who haven’t met, engaged or spoken with Trey he’s one of the nicest guys in marketing today. Thankfully he’s also a leader in social media and without doubt an expert, innovator and source of great knowledge. He describes himself thus “ A Marketing pro, speaker, author, dreamer. Add it all up and you have a partner who’s relentless in making sure your marketing connects with the hearts in your marketplace.”

Here follows an interview with Trey which includes some great insight into his mind, knowledge and advice.

1. At what point did you decide the career path you’ve chosen and what drew you to it?

Tough question. Though I’ve been a long time of Zig Ziglar, Napoleon Hill and so many other motivational leaders who have advocated having a “definite aim/chief purpose,” sometimes having a clear vision about my future has been a significant challenge for me. At heart, my joy is helping people identify their own missing piece and then either help them find that missing piece or connect them with someone who can. Being a “marketing pro” seems to give me a solid platform for doing just that.

So, to answer: seems like I organically grew into my current role and it’s “fit” has become more comfortable over the past several years.

2. What excites you most about the growth of social media?

Absolutely thrilled at the ability to not only make new CONTACTS, but to make new FRIENDS, and then share in their lives so regularly. Watching my friends enjoy the adventures of their journeys is rewarding. It makes those face-to-face times even more valuable.
3. Why do you think that so many businesses are fearful or are struggling to come to terms with the social media world?

They face a reasonable struggle. Time is a huge factor: anything that seems to take so much time with such an indefinite payoff is scary. Right now, small business owners need to know that not only every penny (or pence) spent AND every moment spent, is worth it.

We (the social media enthusiasts) don’t really make it easy for them. We argue and pontificate and scare bystanders away.

4. You’ve written a books on blogs (link here) . What one of advice would you give a blog start-up?

At the heart of my book, Spitball Marketing: How to use what you’ve got to get more of what you want, is the philosophy that echos Zig Ziglar: “you can get everything you want in life if you’ll just help enough people get what they want.” Seems like that’s a good quote to put on a sticky note and post above one’s blog editing screen. If bloggers would write to help them get their customers’ message IN instead of getting their own message OUT, they’d be rewarded with more attention.

A second thought: Like Nike says, “Just do it.” Start. Post. Learn. Grow. Adapt. Repeat.

5. How much time do you feel a company should devote towards social media (per day/week)?

That’s an intimate question. A blanket response would be, “it depends.” It comes down to:

• what industry (some industries are probably more conducive to social media interaction than others; if you’re a politician, you should have at least one person helping you with social media listening/responding full time; if not, expect to be replaced soon by the leader who’ll invest in his/her constituents at that level)

• what purpose (social media is not an end, it’s merely one of several means to an end; that ultimate destination will shape one’s time commitment to social media interaction)

• what priority (other job factors may warrant a higher priority than customer engagement; if you’re a doctor, vet, CPA, attorney, etc., research and professional development might take a higher place on one’s calendar/diary than other jobs. Then again, seems like social media can also contribute to one’s research and professional development, too)

Another blanket answer might be, “as much time as you can.”

For me, social media has such a high payoff (now almost all of my new client work and bookings come through social media), I spend more time on social media than probably most small business owners can afford to spend. Still, I spend most of a work day doing something other than social media.

6. Why do you feel Marketing departments are slow to adopt new online techniques, particularly PR companies who seem to be slow-adopters to change?

This is a perplexing question. Honestly, I’m bumfuzzled that marketing communications pros seem to have totally missed it with social media. Why they allowed a whole new profession to spring up, and allowed a new chair at the corporate table, is beyond me. CMOs, Marketing Directors, Public Relations Directors, and others of that kind, were in the best position to bring social media into the corporate suite. That a new silo has grown up for social media directors simply puzzles me.

7. If a colleague (or client) was going to sum you up in 5 words what do you think they would say?

Need help? Discouraged? See Trey.

8. What’s your vision for marketing, on and offline for 2010 and onwards?

For some folks, results are the focus. For others, the tactics or even the strategy are more important. For me, what lies beneath is what catches my fascination. By “what lies beneath” I mean our presuppositions about metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. What IS the nature of reality of commerce? Is it really “to maximize shareholder wealth”? Is it really true that knowledge comes through “frequency and reach”? Can we really tell people whatever we want to tell them if it gets us what we want?

My vision for marketing entails a reconsideration of why we do what we do and where is it that we’d really like to get where we intend to go and why. From a practical perspective, it means marketers will devote more and more time, effort and tools toward listening and understanding (getting a message IN) instead of efficiency in message distribution (getting a message OUT).

My hope for marketing? That we’d value others more highly, realizing that everyone wants to be heard, to be understood, and to know his or her life matters. Marketing can play an important role in facilitating our neighbors’ quests for significance.

9. How should we be measuring success in this ‘social’ world?

Ah, the measurement question. Since that’s not my cup of tea, I tend to downplay and probably undervalue measurement. Then again, not only have none of my clients even asked that question, neither have any prospective clients. No doubt the big boys (the big companies) have people on staff to ask such questions and debate such issues. Small business owners, at least the ones I’ve working with, don’t. For small business owners there seems to be a certain intuition that says, getting closer to customers is a good thing.

Seeing the incredible waste throughout the world of big business, at least corporate America, I have a tough time taking the measurement clamor seriously. It seems apparent that American big business isn’t truly concerned about anticipating future consequences of current decisions. Why start getting concerned about it now that social media is on the scene, and why start with social media? Then again, I confess, small business is my field. I could be totally washed up when it comes to big business.

10. What’s your definition of social media?

My own definition of marketing is, “Marketing is the ongoing process of engagement whereby strangers are nurtured into advocates.” http://treypennington.com/2009/11/03/definition-of-terms-marketing/

Social media encompasses a wide array of tools and platforms to facilitate human engagement online. Though I humorously say, “My favorite social media platform is an independent coffeehouse,” I think most folks understand social media to be a digital, versus physical, phenomenon.

11. Do you feel social media is just another bow in the armoury of ‘marketing’ just like PR, advertising etc?

Social media does seem to be “another option” or “another tool” in the tool bag in several areas: marketing, of course, especially since I’m a “marketing pro,” but it’s also good for research, customer service, academia, professional development, citizen government, etc. The key is, social media is not an end. It can probably help you get where you want to go, wherever that is, and in whatever industry you’re in. It’s a piece of the puzzle, but not the whole puzzle.

12. Can social media work for business to business?

There’s a HUGE opportunity to leverage social media for business-to-business engagement. One might make a case that there’s even greater opportunity for B2B than B2C. B2C often relies on frequency and reach, or efficiencies of communication (having to reach millions of people right now), more so than B2B. B2C seems like a perpetually moving target; B2B more stable. For instance, the number of households with children in diapers present changes radically every day. The number of purchasing agents at Fortune 1000 companies probably doesn’t. Dads and moms with kids in diapers probably don’t really WANT to know Kimberly Clark that well. It probably just doesn’t matter. Besides, their child is only going to be in diapers for a short (though it doesn’t seem so at the time!) period. Not so with the purchasing agent. He or she will probably be there longer than a child will be in diapers (y’all call them “nappies,” right?). A real relationship with that agent is probably more valuable for both the agent and the business.

I could go on and on and on about the opportunity for B2B to use social media. In fact, B2Bbloggers has asked me to write a regular column on the topic, so please stay tuned.

If any one wants to contact with Trey you can do so at all or one of the following:

Twitter

Facebook

Online

The people I want to meet up with this year

Chris — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:20:37 +0000

As we’re into the new year and everyone is full of lists or predictions of what they want to achieve I thought I’d take a different slant and look at people I want to spend more time working with, meet, engage & collaborate in social media and marketing; or at least hold a really decent conversation with across 2010. You can click on each name to find out more for yourself (twitter name at the end of each as well)

Here’s my list

1. Scott Gould. Scott’s a thinker, strategist and a planner. He understands how things affect not just small areas of an organisation but the whole thing; all those who are in it. His frameworks are intelligent and unique. I’ve never met someone so passionate, and at the same time knowledgeable about what he does. His site says ‘ a thinking blog for thinking people’ and that sums him up. I’ve been lucky enough to meet Scott, and I hope we continue to talk, collaborate and engage across 2010. @scottgould

2. Trey Pennington. A man who seems to have an amazing skill of saying the right thing at the right time. Very considered, intelligent and a leader in social media. A true gentlemen. We could all learn a lot from him and not just his business and social media skills. He’s the very essence of the ‘social’ in social media. I hope to have some great conversations, across all mediums, throughout 2010. A marketing expert. @treypennington

3. Andy Sowards. Brilliant conversationalist and always engages well on Twitter. Areas of expertise are wide reaching and include web development, design and social media.He was also one of the very first people to say Hi on twitter to me and continues to do so to this day. @andysowards

4. Marta Majewska. I have only recently been engaging with Marta but her tweets and her approach to her work seems very similar to mine. Subjects we talk about, type of things we’re reading – all in the name of marketing and social media – seem to be very similar, as do the people we collaborate & engage with. She also has a great cooking blog (which isn’t my thing, but hey)! @princess_misia

5. Craig Deakin. Craig Deakin is an Social-Web Strategist, Social Media Marketing Consultant, Entrepreneur, Blogger, Aspiring Web Developer, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist & Web expert. I look forward to working with him and hopefully meeting him one day. I think we would be able to share knowledge and provide new things in the same business environment. @deakaz

6. Kristi Colvin. I have had hardly any contact with Kristi, apart from following her on Twitter and reading her blog/website. This is a bit of a curve ball but from what i can see she’s a leader in business communication and online. This mixed with a background that includes design, software development and marketing she is someone I hope to meet, talk or communicate with across 2010. @kriscolvin

7. Julie Rickson. Julie doesn’t work in the same sector as me, but whenever she’s online, through social media, we always seem to communicate. Helpful, friendly & great to have around. Really hope we continue to talk across 2010 on a regular basis. @juliaerickson

8. Jackie Ng: Jackie always involves herself in discussions across blogs and twitter. I love the way that she sees areas that interest her and if she feels she has something to add then she will. Just what social media is all about. A brilliant engager and has collaborated with me recently. @Jacoutofthebox

9. Ciaran Norris. At media140 last year Ciaran gave the best presentation I saw on social media. He’s concise, easy to follow and above all really interesting. Some of his tweets are crazy too. Ciaran knows his stuff, and I hope to meet him, engage and collaborate across the year. @ciaranj

10. Gemma Went. What Gemma has achieved in the first year of Red Cube is astounding and a model for all. Her level of expertise and her approach to social media and other strands of the marketing mix is how it should be done. No flashy gimmicks, no bullsh*t, and no false promises about being a social media messiah; just hard work and great results for her clients. @gemmawent

11.Chris Brogan. I don’t need to say too much about him. It’s a long shot but you have to aim high. He’s going to be at Likeminds next month so fingers crossed. @chrisbrogan

12. Joanne Jacobs. A social media consultant & expert with a great personality – simple as that. Confident in her own abilities with a track record to back it up. Brilliant speaker and thought leader for social media. I hope to talk with engage on & offline across 2010. [note - see my interview with her late last year here]. Again, she’ll be at Likeminds next month as well. @joannejacobs

13. Dickie Armour. He just says it how it is. Never dresses things up with any kind of fluff or over-complicated jargon. Very genuine and a pleasure to share and collaborate with. @dickiearmour

14. Daren Forsyth. Always involved in conversation and meetings with interesting and informative people. Often at events as a speaker and seems able to cut through the jargon and myths surrounding social media and the role it plays. @darenbbc

15. Richard Baker. I met him whilst I started this post a few weeks ago and he turned out to be as open, friendly, interesting and knowledgeable as expected. He keeps it straight-forward whilst able to share in depth and detailed thoughts. I hope for more conversation across 2010. @richard_baker

16. Steve Bridger. We’ve met. Top Man! Very knowledgeable and interesting guy, one people and organisations (especially charities) should engage with. I really don’t need to say anymore. @stevebridger

17. Mark Jennings. I love the way Mark moves from humorous, to serious, then personal to work related comments across each day. Always varied subjects which makes him not only interesting and informative but a great guy to have around online. @MarkOfRespect

18. Caroline Bosher: Caroline’s been recommended to me by many. “Follow her” they say, “interesting, different approach, fun, intelligent”, was what I’ve been told. Hopefully I’ll engage with her soon or meet at an event. @carolinebosher

19. Gabrielle Laine Peters: Follows the same pattern as Caroline. From what I can see she’s quirky, is a source of great knowledge , fun, always talks and involves herself in online chats/discussions. Gabrielle was recommended to me too and so far from my twitter experience she’s met expectation. @GabrielleNYC

20. Sarah-Jayne Gratton: Sarah Jayne describes herself as “Screenwriter, Producer, Actress, Wine Lover, oh and good fun too!”. I love her early morning tweets describing breakfast or coffee (often coffee) and they seem to have an energy and lift to them. Always seems to have a smile in what she says. @grattongirl

21. Olivier Blanchard: ‘The Brand Builder’, as he is also known, is an expert with social media and in particular the ROI debate. I urge you to follow his discussions and online precence @thebrandbuilder

This one’s for free.

No number required… My family… Working hard and for long hours is all very well and good, but it has to be for a reason. So I’m going to make sure I spend as much time as I can with family and friends. I don’t know about you but I ‘work to live…not to live to work’. Keep smiling. Those who know me well know why.

…So that’s my list. I’ve met some already, so for them I want to grow our relationships. For those I haven’t met – I want to start them.

What about yours? It’s worth thinking about because it’s the people who are the essence of social media, not the technology; and meeting people is what life is all about. After all it hasn’t got the word social in it for no reason. For that reason alone I’m sure they’ll be more to add to this list soon.

Why not add yours to your own blogs and tweet them or send me a link.

living in 2009…how technology has changed us!

Chris — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:00:59 +0000

Hilarious….but true

Living in 2009

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2009 when…

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.
2 You haven’t played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don’t have e-mail addresses.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.
8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn’t have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )
12 You’re reading this and nodding and laughing.
13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.
14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.
15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn’t a #9 on this list

AND NOW YOU ARE LAUGHING at yourself.

Go on, forward this to your friends. You know you want to.

Its the size of the blog that matters right???… WRONG

tigerfish10 — Sun, 03 May 2009 19:44:33 +0000

You know how it goes, you spend a lot of time on the web, keeping up with news/views and comment. This always leads you to blogs. media sites et all…but why oh why do so many on line journalists (that’s all of us my friends – this is 2010, we ALL publish now) have to write a million words per article.

blog support please

A million words may well be an exaggeration, but based on some of my experiences this week I’m not that far away. I kid you not that some word counts have broken the back (and my spirit) of over 4000 words. Does anyone really think that visitors to that page, a page that had done the hard work by drawing them in and getting them there, want to read WAR & PEACE before moving on to their next scheduled task; hopefully not planned until next summer.

And tell me where i go wrong, but isn’t one of the biggest USPS of the Internet is that we can get our information quickly.

Once we get to that information 9 times out of 10 we want to read and digest that information quickly. So come on bloggers and professional journalists, we’ve all heard the old adage but …less really is more