This social media is an amazing thing particularly for people who do a lot of thinking and have lots to say about their specialist stuff. Like anyone using tools like blogs, Twitter and Facebook, you have a journal of everything that you have ever written. The media would have us believe that this ability to record everything we do, say and photograph has its downside, well welcome to life, aren’t most things like that. On the whole, this ability to trace back and revisit something you said can be both a delight and embarrassment but, hey, how exciting and convenient is that?

You can’t avoid it. You can’t sweep it under the rug and you certainly can’t run like hell. We know the online world is starting to overpower the offline world. We can now start to show case studies of how big corporates are radically overhauling their marketing budgets towards social media activity.

People are talking about it, having conversations about it, delivering seminars about it, meeting about it, discussing it and, of course, doing it! You can’t stop what’s happening but you must understand this social media explosive wave of communicating with customers and spreading ideas. The implications are both fascinating and daunting.

It’s evolving rapidly and is causing huge problems for companies large and small. Marketing campaigns you’ve used over the last 3 years have become irrelevant. Before you think I’m thrusting Facebook down your neck and recommending you immediately create fans stop! It’s too late now just to test it out, you’ll fail. You can’t do what I did 18 months ago and plunge into it with no armbands just to see what it was like and whether it was for me. I did! I love it and hate it at the same time. But, life has moved on, its too serious for you to see it as a side issue.

I know how people are feeling, particularly those who haven’t done anything on the social media front yet and those who are wanting to rack things up this year. It presents a paradox; exciting and overwhelming! The key thing to think about is that actually the technology doesn’t really matter….it can almost do anything! What we all need to focus on, no matter what stage we are at, is how social media can help you  to develop relationships with people.

Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff in their book ‘Groundswell’ quote “people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions like corporations.” I  would add that this is not a trend that is about to go away, in fact, its likely to blow your business model apart over the next few years. As I mentioned earlier, its not something you can dabble in anymore, you need understanding, structure and strategy.

With hindsight, I’d consider following these four steps before embarking on a marketing approach that is not a spectator sport:

1. Read, read and read. Follow people who know what it’s all about and understand why its happening.

2. Understand what it is! It’s not just Facebook and Twitter. Consider some case studies.

3. Think about how you can use it to develop relationships with your customers, suppliers, people and community. It’s about allowing participation and having a conversation.

4. Then, with help, build a strategy that can be implemented. A focused approach that doesn’t expect miracles overnight but that gradually and solidly sustains your marketing over the long term.

Hope that helps!

Over the Xmas period I’m writing an eBook considering how business is changing including the fundamental shifts we are experiencing and, also the key things we possibly need to get back to. It will cover between 50 and 100 words all supplied by my colleagues, clients, followers, connections and fans. Although, I may throw a few into the mix.

I’m hoping to provide an overview of some critical factors that will influence the future of work and business. Some of you have been kind enough already to provide some interesting topics such as; value, adaption, substance, competition, talent, time and feel.

It would be great if you could join in! I’ll reference you in the book and provide a hyperlink to your website or blog. Hopefully, I can provide some thought provoking ideas and thoughts with a bit of humility too. Can’t wait for the conversation to start once it’s published in February/March 2010.

If you want to contribute a word or two, please just make a comment on this blog, direct message me on www.twitter.com/annholman or, email me at ann@annholman.co.uk

Thanks!

My post is made easier today by this mega post by www.scottgould.me

The case studies are starting to raise their heads above the parapet and Scott considers the recent race for the number one spot in the singles chart between Rage Against The Machine and the X Factor winner. In his usual style, Scott gives us an insight into how social media is impacting on the ’spreadability’ of ideas with a well researched article.

For those doubters, case studies are starting to appear from Dell, to the new VW Golf GTI, to how the music business is going to work in the future. Scott’s post is well worth the read and is telling us something fundamental….things have shifted!

http://scottgould.me/rage-against-the-machine-the-case-study-in-spreadability-vs-reach/

This eBook written by John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing is a great introduction to social media in business. Concise yet full of practical help it’s a good place to start and it’s free. Download it here:

http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/socialmediaforbusiness.pdf

I’m getting fed up with this ROI agenda, I really am! Its all a bit deja vue for me. If we had been sitting in that room at #likeminds on Friday 15 years ago, we’d have been discussing ROI on a web presence. Its about time we grew up, matured and got a sense of what is really happening, rather than trying to fit it into a old school business model box that doesn’t fit anymore.

Traditional marketing and I include public relations in that is, at best, (and I hope so) dead and, at worst, completely broken. We moved on some years ago, its just taking some others time to catch up. Social media is different and so is word of mouth too. If you want a good read and the impact of all of this look up ‘The Cathedral and the Bazaar” in your web browser. The industrial revolution is over and so is the way in which we behaved in that era.

The way in which we make profits and measure business success is changing radically. We no longer want spin, bloomin’ eck’ have we had enough of that? We despise any kind of interruption. Close our eyes and ears if we think we are being spun a yarn and recoil at people shouting at us how good they are. Like websites all those eons ago, its far too early to be able to look at return on investment in a scientific way. Life is not objective and it does depend.

I have stats coming out of my ears about how my ROI is stacking up in terms of my social media activity. And, surely ROI is not just about money and profitability? Hell, it’s so much more meaningful than that!  Here’s one stat, 50% of new visitors each month to my blog come from Twitter. When I invested my time in social media, I wanted an ROI, in financial terms, in five years, its only been 18 months. The non financial results we have strived for are starting to happen; followers, blog comments, connections and conversations with people I’ve not met before who are influencers etc etc. I could good go on, but I’m bored. Bored we are having this discussion too soon in the lifecycle of social media.

My experience, and I’ve talked to lots of people on this subject. Those that protest too much about its validity in the future, are the very ones really struggling to get to grips with the slippery pole that is social media. Get a grip, its here to stay. Tom Peters said way back in 1981 “we need to humanize the relationship we have with our customers.” Bang on and maybe, just maybe, social media will help us do that. Surely that will lead, at some point, to ROI for the traditionalist way of thinking. So come on relax and enjoy the ride. You’re involved in something new, fresh and inspiring, and of course, we’ve been here before.

My five biggest accomplishments in the last six months:

1. Changing the company brand and identity.

2. Launching the eBooks.

3. Working on Plymouth College of Arts new and exciting MA in Creative Entrepreneurship.

4. Doing work for some very cool people who just do get it and really challenge me to push them further!

5. Learning so much that the list is just too long.

My five biggest plans for the next six months:

1. Launch of the ‘Adventure’ eBook.

2. Launch of a graduate entrepreneurship product.

3. Launch of the ‘Customer Experience’ eBook.

4. Learning stuff I don’t even know about yet!

5. Developing the blog/website even further with video and podcasts.

What’s yours?

If you thought social media was a fad…watch this…..love it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8

Just finished Chris Anderson’s new book “Free.” Despite it’s potentially contentious content, the book throws new light on how to make money out of offering free products. Occasionally, its in danger of being too much of a history lesson, but you can’t avoid the main points Chris has wanted to communicate in his usual blatant style.

I guarantee that it will get you thinking and could turn the way you look at your business upside down, particularly, if you are involved in any form of digital content. For me, its certainly helped me look at the future business model of my company and clarified some thinking. The key statements:

1. “People are making lots of money out of charging nothing.”

2. “Those that understand the new ‘Free’ will command tomorrow’s markets and disrupt today’s.”

3. “Free may be the best price, but it can’t be the only one.”

It’s an extraordinary look at how you can use ‘Free’ to shift your business not only into a different gear, but, into a different world. There are useful examples of how some businesses have taken advantage of ‘Free’ and those that haven’t. How new business models that exploit the concept will be the survivors and leaders of the future. There are still a few questions, particularly why digital content is worth significantly less than a physical product such as a book (omitting the overhead cost of the book) despite the same amount of imagination, knowledge and experience that goes into it. And, the damage that ‘Free’ may do to some companies. However,  despite Anderson occasionally looking at the world through rose tinted glasses, you’ll get to the end of ‘Free’ and think that its actually a blinding flash of the obvious!

Don’t forget as well as buying the ‘atom’ form of the book you can download a free copy of the ‘bit’ form from Chris Anderson’s website!