Our Digital Footprint. When a Friend, and a Network, Dies
May 26th
This poignant post comes from {grow} community member Jenn Whinnem …
Remember Friendster? The social network that predated even MySpace (or am I showing my age?)? At any rate, it shuts down at the end of May, and I’m having a hard time with this.
See, Friendster is my last connection to Curtis, a friend of mine who died nearly eight years ago. That’s why I haven’t been able to bring myself to delete my account, even though Friendster stopped being a truly viable social networking service in 2005 (I think).
I never met Curtis – he was someone I knew through a message board and chat room. This was how I amused myself while I attended a rural college nearly ten years ago. Many of the people I met online became friends in real life.
Curtis was in his early 20s and very, very into music. In fact, he ran the site rantcore.com (no longer available), and it was pretty well known in punk circles back during that different world that was the internet in early 2000′s.
Curtis and I bonded because we were sickies. I have cystic fibrosis and Curtis had something called demyelinating polyneuropathy. This meant his nerve sheaths were destroying themselves, and he was becoming weak enough that he had just started walking with a cane. He was in pain every day.
At one point, he confided in me that he had found a blog (a newish thing, at the time) by a guy with an advanced case of the disease. The post that got to him was the one where the guy purchased a car for the handicapped that would load his wheelchair into the car for him.
When you have a fatal disease, you have these moments where you realize: this is going to happen to me. You feel your mortality. This was one of those moments for Curtis as he realized what his disease was going to do to him. If he did attend one of his beloved punk shows, it would be in a wheelchair. That was, of course, if he could even breathe. Curtis and I talked a long time about what this would mean for him.
And yet, this never happened.
Curtis slipped in the shower and hit his head. He lived alone, so he bled to death. We found out because his girlfriend logged into chat one day to tell us he had died. A friend verified this with the county coroner.
I can’t tell you what this felt like, to grieve for someone I knew but had not met. I talked to Curtis everyday for almost a year. He sent me a .zip file of The Bangs to cheer me up once; I told him stories about my job taking care of the elderly. You can’t tell me that that’s not a friendship.
Curtis died November 25, 2003 – just a few months after Friendster started and we joined. Every year I get a little reminder about his birthday, and I log into Friendster, see his photos, read the funny comments people wrote about him. Friendster shutting down means I lose one more little piece of Curtis.
It’s something that many of us don’t like to think about, but I’m going to ask, because what I learned from Curtis is that it can sneak up on you way before you’re ready for it: what’s your digital legacy? How will we remember you after you die? What do we do when the comments are gone?
Jenn Whinnem is the Communications Officer for the Connecticut Health Foundation (www.cthealth.org). In this role, she is in charge of the web and social media for the foundation. You can find her on Twitter www.twitter.com/jennwhinnem.
Turning an online relationship FAIL into friendship
May 25th
Lori Witzel, a newcomer to our community, asked me a good question the other day. “Did you get any phone calls? You left me hanging!”
You see, she had just read a blog post I wrote last year called “Social Media and the Big Conversation Fail.” The summary of the story is that my entire view of social media relationships had been shaken when I realized somebody I had considered a social media “friend,” Jenn Whinnem, had cystic fibrosis. I felt humiliated that I had not known this collaborator of mine suffered each day. What kind of a friend is that?
So I vowed to do better. In that post I issued a blanket invitation for my blog community to call me. It was a risky move. Many thousands of people read my blog every day! But it was also a necessary move. Is this a community or not?
The answer is, yes, this is an amazing blog community and lots of people called me in a very respectful and manageable way. Generally people DM’d me and we set up a time to talk. I allocated time each week for community chit-chat. I stopped counting, but if I had to guess, I would say that I’ve talked to at least 75 people from {grow} since that post.
This was by far the best thing I have ever done on this blog. You see, lots of people COMMENT on my blog, but few really give me feedback. There’s a big difference. I found the unvarnished conversations with my audience brought me closer to them personally and helped me improve professionally as well.
Here’s an example. One of the most profound conversations was with Caroline Di Diego, an entrepreneur in Singapore. I didn’t know her at all. I had not recalled her ever commenting on my blog, and maybe she tweeted it a few times but other than that she was a blank.
“You asked me to call,” she said. “So I thought I should. Your blog has changed my life.”
And the conversation just got more interesting from there. Sometimes I get a little down when a “smart” post I write bombs and then something silly like “The 20 Craziest Things You Can do on Twitter” goes viral.
But Caroline could recall every “smart” post I had written. And not only could she recall them, she could recount how it made her re-consider how she was conducting her business. “You write a blog that makes me stop what I’m doing and think,” she said.
I’m a lousy golfer. But if I have just that one great shot, it keeps me coming back. Caroline’s phone call was kind of like that.
And of course the first person I called after the post was Jenn. And a few weeks ago, we actually met in person when she flew from Connecticut to Knoxville to attend Social Slam. Oh yeah. She was unemployed at the time she made the reservations. “I want to meet you,” she simply said.
I hosted a little event for the {grow} community and tears filled my eyes when she walked in the room. I was overcome by emotion as I met this person after two years of friendship — now REAL friendship I think — and collaboration.
The whole experience has been inspiring! I encourage you to try it with your own blog community. Don’t be a stranger. Call people up and see what they think! And by the way, when are you and I going to talk?
Convincing the CEO to blog: Mission Impossible?
May 24th
By Stanford Smith, Contributing {grow} Columnist
The meeting room looked like most across corporate America. The fluorescent hum of recessed lights, the smell of 1-hour old Starbucks coffee, and the fake maple veneer conference table set the mood for another marketing meeting.
It’s your turn to update the team on your social media efforts for the last week.
Unfortunately the news is mixed.
You can’t seem to attract the right audience. Content on the blog is anemic due to half-hearted writing efforts from various divisions. Declining engagement numbers whisper of a blog that is failing to gain traction.
As you open your file folder you swear you hear Jeffrey, the traditional media superstar, mumble “dead-man walking” before you begin.
You clear your throat, stare intently at the CEO, and begin.
“Our blog is the hub of our social business initiative. It plays a leading role in telling our company’s story. It shows prospects and customers alike that we are a business that matters. It’s the most cost-efficient way to tell a deep story about our products. It’s critical for finding and cultivating brand evangelists.”
Jeffrey straightens in his chair, ever alert for the other shoe to drop.
You nervously re-adjust your water bottle a centimeter to the left and continue.
“But, every indicator shows that our blog, perhaps our most important marketing asset is dying”. You pause for blink waiting for the news to sink in.
After a moment you continue…
“And Maria” , your CEO straightens in her chair, “You are the only one that can save it. If you choose. Or we can continue to run the blog like an after-school project and watch a year’s worth of investment swirl down the toilet.”
The fluorescent lights hum their annoying applause. Everyone unconsciously shifts their bodies away from you.
“Ok…”, Maria says, “Let’s do this”
Leaning onto her elbow, she narrows her eyes and say,
“Convince me.”
Today we’ll talk about what you could and should say.
If your corporate blog is dying a slow, anonymous death then you can plan on having this conversation. Let’s make sure your prepared.
The Objections:
First you need to work your CEO’s most likely objections. The common ones are:
“I Have No Time”
CEOs are beyond busy. They are responsible for the entire business not just marketing. They rely on their marketing team to understand and execute the marketing strategy. The last thing on their mind is producing content for a blog.
In fact, they may get a little irritated by having yet another “to-do” placed on their list. You must be prepared to meet this objection.
“Our Customers Don’t Read Blogs”
There is an ongoing debate in many companies around the social expertise of customers. Many CEOs are skeptical that their customers have the time to read and comment on blogs. While these executives are fine with a placeholder effort for their company they are waiting for news that their suspicions have been confirmed.
These executives have to be shown that customers not only read blogs but make business decisions based on what they read.
I’m Not A Writer
It’s known that Public Speaking is the #1 fear of most business executives. I believe that “Public Writing” is the 2nd. The fear of writing an article from scratch terrifies many CEOs and goads them into rationalizing their fear with other objections.
Even though you may have a bullet-proof argument, be aware that your executive will most likely be wrestling with their secret fear of writing. You’ll need to factor this into your thinking when making your case.
Kicking Your CEO Off The Fence
Now that you know what is rolling around in the mind of your CEO, it’s time to kick them off the fence. The good news is that if you already have a blog then you can take comfort that the CEO is open to making it better. All they need is a reality check.
Here’s how to administer some tough love…
Show them what prospects are saying
Your prospects are talking about you and your competitors on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other blogs. They are asking for advice, getting recommendations and referring others to websites.
I recommend that you use a tool such as SocialMention.com to start compiling a digest of these conversations. Since your CEOs is the top salesperson and cheerleader for your company; they will hate not being a part of these conversations.
Ask your CEO this: “What impact would it have to offer a blog post written by you that answers our prospect’s top concerns or objections?”
For good measure, I would push a little further and inquire -
“Imagine the leadership we could demonstrate in the marketplace by being the first to show our CEO rolling their sleeves and engaging with our audience?”
Show them what the competition is saying
The Social Media party is in full swing. Almost every company is trying to take advantage of the new channel. It’s extremely persuasive to show your CEO that the world isn’t standing still.
Show her what the competition is tweeting or putting on Facebook. Analyze your competition’s blogging efforts and provide a hard-hitting evaluation of their performance. Paint your CEO a picture of how social media can quietly build competitive momentum and loyalty.
Pull examples of other companies with blogging CEOs. Show how these executives are championing their brand, engaging with customers, and how they are leading by example. Take the time to find good examples from a variety of different industries.
Next…
Show them what customers are saying
Go to search.twitter.com and search for your company name. Repeat this exercise on Google and examine the results using the “blog” link in the sidebar. You can also use SocialMention.com (free) or Radian6 to dig a little deeper.
Your goal is to create a snapshot of how your customers are talking about your company’s product and brand.
These customers are looking for cues that your company cares about them. The #1 person for the job is your CEO.
Quick Ways to Get Your CEO Writing
If your CEO is already a writer then laying out your evidence will probably push them in the right direction. Don’t be too critical of their initial posts. Let them get into the groove of writing and watching their work get published. Most of all don’t let them burn themselves out. One post a month is perfect for a new CEO Blogger.
On the other hand, if your CEO isn’t a writer then you will need to do a little (or a lot more) hand-holding.
Try this:
- Create a clear 12-month editorial calendar: An editorial calendar takes the “what will I write” stress off your chief executive. Work on the calendar with your CEO to make sure that their priorities and concerns are baked into the final product.
- Repurpose Current Communications: Your CEO probably already writes regular emails or columns for the internal newsletter. Offer to review and repurpose these existing communications for the company blog
- Ghostwriting: I am a fan of ghostwriting. The benefits of CEO blogging is to great to get dogmatic about how the final post is made. I recommend finding someone inside the company that can create a draft that edited and approved by the CEO.
- One Post a Month: In the beginning, one post a month is fine. Make sure that your CEO understands that the team is still executing the 99% of the work, but one post is needed to move the blog in the right direction. In my experience, most CEOs end up writing more because they learn to enjoy the process.
Ready?
I’m very interested in hearing your perspective on CEO Blogging. Is it worthwhile? Do you think that CEOs see the benefit of being the social voice of their company’s marketing efforts?
Stanford Smith is a hopelessly addicted angler, father of 3 hellions, and the wild-eyed muse behind PushingSocial.com. Follow him on Twitter to get his latest unorthodox tips for getting your blog noticed and promoted.
Stop shoving social media down my throat
May 23rd
It’s time to step up and address one of the great myths pervading the social web — that an essential best practice is decentralizing social media marketing and pushing it down to employees at every level of the company. This is a philosophy that sounds good, but is often detached from practical reality.
I have been immersed in the social web for more than three years. It’s a big part of my job. I teach about it. I consult about it, and of course I write about it. And here is a conclusion that I can confidently make: Social media marketing can be very, very difficult to do successfully.
Why force social engagement?
So why do so many people insist that we should be shoving social media down the throats of employees at every level of the company? This is like forcing me to do accounting. It would not be a good fit … I just don’t have that mindset. Not every person has the right mindset, ability, or openness to succeed with social media but that doesn’t mean they can’t still fit in your company.
Of all the people I interact with on the social web, I would say I am most in-tune with Jay Baer. He is a true intellect and I highly recommend a regular dose of his blog Convince and Convert. But we disagree somewhat on this point.
I’m not picking on Jay … his viewpoint is widespread. But his recent post Speak No Evil – Why Trust Isn’t a 4 Letter Word in Social Media, is a good focal point for the issue.
A hiring problem?
Jay concludes that “it’s everyone’s job to represent the company on the social Web” and that if you don’t have employees who can represent you, ”you don’t have a social media problem, you having a hiring problem.”
The underpinning of this hypothesis is that every employee should be both skilled and trustworthy on social media or you are not running your company well. This logic gets further twisted for me with claims that people are communicating stupid things to the outside world in emails any way … so why not trust them to put it out into public on the social web? Seems like apples and oranges. Emails don’t go viral. Just ask NFL player Rashard Mendenhall.
Should everybody tweet?
Jay uses the example of Mendenhall and his recent litany of tweets that were outside mainstream American thinking.
Let’s look at the Mendenhall example. Yes, he was out of step with mainstream thought. But who isn’t to some degree? The man was hired to carry a football toward a goal line, not necessarily to “stay on message” during a news event. So did the Steelers make a ”hiring mistake” because he sends out stupid tweets? No. The guy is one of the best football players on earth.
Part of the ”social media is for everybody” myth is that we should humanize our companies — trust people to be themselves and everything will be OK. Again, this is just too simplistic and disconnected from reality. You just might get what you ask for, as the Steeler ownership discovered.
I work with an extraordinarily gifted man who is one of the best sales people I have ever met. He is kind of “folksy,” maybe even leaning toward redneck. But he is a perfect fit for his marketplace and there is nothing he would not do to serve his customers. The man is a star and he has single-handedly built up his business — he’s probably the most valuable employee in the whole company.
Putting this fella into the public social media spotlight 140 characters at a time would be a disaster. I imagine his tweets would come across as incredibly embarrassing — taken out of the context of the individual and his environment. Does this company have a “hiring issue?” Of course not! His customers understand and love his quirky humor but that doesn’t mean the whole world would. Here is what I would say to him — “You just keep selling your heart out buddy. Don’t worry about Twitter.”
Uniform political correctness is impossible
When consultants pontificate that every employee should have enough common sense to be on the social web, what they are really saying is we need to hire people who are always politically correct. Which of course will create the most boring, ineffective companies — and who would even want to work there? Not every employee has good judgment about everything — especially when we are turning them into public spokespersons.
Before you drink the Kool Aid on this perspective of “cover the world with social media,” ask yourself one question. Think about some of the best bosses and employees you have ever had. Would they take naturally to the social web? And if not, does that make them a bad hiring decision?
Let’s put this into a practical context
Theoretically I agree with Jay. But I think applying social media effectively requires business sense and balance. We wouldn’t force everybody into a sales role. We wouldn’t put everybody into the glare of the six o’clock news in a PR role. Why would we set an expectation that everybody should be able to have a role in social media or that is a sign that we have a “hiring problem” if we don’t? Being adept at social media is NOT EASY for everybody. And we should be able to live with that human diversity.
Instead I think it makes sense to encourage social media participation in the context of the goals of the company, the available resources, the competitive environment, and the talents of the employees:
- I agree with Jay that the PR or marketing department hasn’t cornered the market on social media greatness. Certainly employees can become online ”beacons” for your brand, but don’t force them to do it or dismiss it as a “hiring problem” if they don’t want to blog or participate in Twitter.
- Acknowledge that social media participation is going to occur, sanctioned or not. An explicit social media policy is a must.
- If employees do want to be formally active on the part of a company, give them the training and guidelines they need to do it well. Explain how it connects to strategy and the implications of representing the voice of the company.
- With the increasing importance of social participation, start adding this to the job requirements of new employees, if that is key to their role in the company. For example, I certainly would not care if a star engineer doesn’t want to blog. You know, some people have to be about the business of actually making stuff. Again — “context.”
What do you think?
So I absolutely recognize and appreciate the opportunity that Jay and others put forth, but I think this nuance is important – It’s not that everybody SHOULD be a marketing voice for you company. It’s that everybody COULD be a marketing voice for your company depending on context. This approach simply recognizes human diversity and that an employee can be extremely valuable … even if they don’t participate in the social web. What do you think?
Welcome to {grow}
You’re in marketing for one reason: Grow.
Grow your company, reputation, customers, impact, profits. Grow yourself. This is a community that will help. It will stretch your mind, connect you to fascinating people, and provide some fun along the way. I am so glad you’re here.
-Mark SchaeferFollow Mark
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