On Words and Business

Being social and networking are all about making the right connections. So is social media.

So how do you get people to notice you or your company? That’s a great question that many companies struggle with.

Like the six degrees of separation theory, having a social media presence means reaching the people who have lots of followers–the mass influencers–and tapping into their energy. Forrester talks about how to engage the mass influencers with the use of feedback. In this case, the story is about a site where reviews are posted and it makes sense. But does the idea work for different types of content?

Think about reaching out to anyone who comments on a blog post, separate from the blog; contacting them when you post something you think they will especially like or be able to respond to and asking for feedback. Contests to get people talking about your site.

What other ideas are out there for reaching mass influencers?

What is it with the Aussies? I’ve never been to Australia, yet I find myself time and again drawn to the thoughts of Aussie business people via their blogs or websites.

From this distance (it’s approximately 10,100 miles or 16,200 kilometers from Boston to Sydney) it seems to be a place of immensity and extremes. Luckily for us, it also seems to be a country that fosters business and sharing.

Stretch yourself with this new blog from the land of the golden wattle, the emu, and the walkabout.

Want to create a social media policy but don’t know how? Want to make sure your existing policy passes muster?

Check out Social Media Governance, a website with over 100 policies from companies like the BBC, FedEx, and Sun Microsystems. In addition, there are links to over 100 research reports about social media policy, some of them free.

A great resource.

The small business success index takes on social media:

• 75% have a company page on a social media site like LinkedIn or Facebook.
  I have a company page on LinkedIn and am wishing there was more I could do with it. In my world, Facebook is for personal use and I don’t see that my customers would be looking for me there. Are you?
• 39% have a blog
  Check. This is it.
• 26% tweet
  Nope.
• 61% use social media to identify new customers
  Working on this one.

How are you using social media technologies in your business?

Straight Talk with Nigel Hollis

Thoughts on marketing, branding, and communications from the folks at market research agency Millward Brown. Good stuff.

If you haven’t heard about this yet, you should know there’s a bit of a kerfuffle about a change in blogging policy at Forrester. It’s an interesting debate.

What I really like is Bruce Temkin’s piece offering five lessons companies ought to take away from this:

1. Assume everyone will find out.
2. Don’t get bullied by the crowd.
3. Pick your battles.
4. Be open and honest.
5. Don’t obsess about social media.

To those I add:

1. Be on the same page. When communicating with the media, which includes the press and anyone keyed into your social media outlets, have guidelines for communication. Since you can’t vet every single word or thought in a fast moving social media environment, make sure those communicating with the public understand how they represent the company and the limits of their communications responsibilities.
2. Don’t be afraid. Social media has the edge over traditional media in its immediacy and viral reach. But don’t let that stop you or your company from stating your opinions or policies. The quick feedback allows for a quicker course correction if necessary.