I could be rehashing a topic that has been addressed many times before, but recent conversations within my own organization have resurfaced this for me and I know it is something that other peers are still sorting out as well. Companies are very much implementing social technologies to engage audiences externally, but still struggle with the advantages of implementing it internally. And this is something that I, in particular, am very passionate about. So, I’ve updated a blog post that I had written late last year focusing on this topic and have included what I hope is some fresh, relevant information and resources. Enjoy!
***********
I love how social media has made our world just a little smaller — bringing people together across the globe who might not have met otherwise. For business, one of the biggest and most under-realized advantages to integrating social networking tools is its ability to humanize a corporate workforce beyond just the typical four walls of a cubicle or office. Without social networking tools, companies risk problems not being resolved, ideas becoming stagnant and employees feeling underutilized or underappreciated. So, if you’re a company wondering how you can unify your global workforce, social technologies are an excellent step to building a more collaborative, productive and HUMAN workforce.
Tagged as:
Employee Engagement,
enterprise 2.0,
internal communications,
social technologies
If you haven’t seen the flurry of conversations the past two days, let me be the one to tell you that Forrester has just released a very insightful report on the use of Location-based Services (LBS). Specifically, the use of applications such as Foursquare, Gowalla and Loopt as a means for companies to engage and interact with consumers. LBS applications, as an emerging technology, has a lot of consumers (of the people surveyed 84% had never even heard of Foursquare, Gowalla, or Loopt) and brands wondering if it is technology that is all hype — not surprising since any new technology has a period of adoption while users determine it’s stickiness.
The report contains a lot of insightful information regarding the current fragmentation of the LBS application market — currently, consumers are having to choose between Foursquare, Gowalla and Loopt — where even someone like me, who considers herself a hard-core user of LBS applications has a hard time knowing what each application offers that’s unique from the other. And we haven’t even seen the impact that Google could / will have on LBS applications.
LBS Seeks Internet-Savvy Professional Male
But the takeaway that struck me the most interesting was how Forrester’s study shows that men, not women, are the majority users of LBS applications and suggests that male-oriented brands have the potential to have the largest impact.
And based on this information, Forrester’s report makes two recommendations:
- Almost 80% of location-based service users are male.
Tagged as:
foursquare,
location-based services,
newsweek,
paco underhill,
social influence,
social marketing
I have shoes… and LOTS of them. In fact, there’s probably only one thing I love more than social media and that’s high heels. When it comes to shoes, the higher, the better; the more colorful and unique… the more I have to have them. And if you looked inside of my closet, you would know this to be true. Shoes come in all shapes and sizes, colors and varieties, and it’s essential that you find the right fit. Kind of like social media — giving you a unique identity (think Carrie Bradshaw!), putting a little skip in your step, and adding a little swank to your swagger. And, when have found that combination that fits you perfectly, you will indeed drive conversation. In fact, I have found a lot of commonalities between slipping on a pair of high heels and stepping into social media. Here’s what I’ve found:
Instantly Achieve New Heights
It’s amazing what you can do when you achieve new heights! Most people don’t realize that I’m only 5’1″. And that’s because I almost always wear 4″ heels. In fact, the higher the better. The additional height allows me new visibility on what I’m trying to accomplish. If you’re someone who feels like you’re often looking from the ground up, try slipping into your own pair of social media shoes and see if it doesn’t put you at eye level or even higher than your competitors. Here are some basic methods for achieving new heights:
Tagged as:
personal branding,
social marketing,
social media
Whether it be Facebook’s lack of support for privacy, Google’s invasion of our privacy, or our individual inability to realize we no longer have any privacy… Privacy is a huge topic right now. I argue, though, that it’s not just privacy that is failing us. It’s also our inability to apply good ole common sense.
The latest story regarding an employee who got fired for her Facebook update and the ensuing outrage from her supporters really got me to thinking…If I were sitting at a table telling my friends how much I hated my job and criticized the people with whom I work, and my boss was sitting at the next table overhearing the entire conversation… would I get fired? Probably not. But at the very least, my credibility, reputation and career path would be severely damaged. And my common sense would tell me that it’s probably time to start job searching.
What’s the difference between this situation and displaying your discontentment on Facebook? HUGE. Online communication has taken what used to be conversations in controlled settings into an open community for public consumption. Nothing is sacred when it comes to social media and the web. NOTHING.
Late last year, Proofpoint released a study that showed 18 percent of companies had investigated a data loss event via a blog or message board in the past 12 months. 17 percent disciplined an employee for violating blog or message board policies, while nearly nine percent reported terminating an employee for such a violation (both increases from 2008, 11 percent and six percent, respectively). And with social participation increasing daily, we will see these numbers continue to rise.
Tagged as:
common sense,
facebook,
privacy,
social media
First off… this is NOT my typical post. Rather, it’s in honor of my best friend and in celebration of her birthday. So, Happy Birthday, Rosebud. I love you!
The Wiz - High School (1989) I'm going to be in BIG trouble for posting this!
If you ever saw the two of us, you would immediately notice the contrast. She’s 5’11″ and I’m 5’1″. She wears size 11 shoes that are close to the ground (or no shoes at all). I wear size 6 shoes that are sky high. She loves old (like grave stones & Geneaology {{{ shiver}}} ). I love new (the shinier and newer, the better). She listens and listens and listens. I talk and talk and talk. She lives in Reality. I live in La La Land.
She’ll tell you her first introduction to me was when I voraciously took a HUGE bite out of the Snickers bar she so graciously offered to me way back when we were 16. Clearly, she hasn’t gotten over it. In my defense, let me just say this: I don’t like chocolate. So, I don’t know how much credibility you can put into her claim. But despite all of our differences, we have a match made in heaven. And it’s been that way for well over 20 years.
What’s our common ground? We can shop at Nordstrom’s annual shoe sale for odd sizes together… and — you got it — social media.
Tagged as:
bff,
randi rountree mathieu,
snickers
