Gary Vaynerchuk talks about his book "The Thank You Economy" and what is going on now with Social Media. You've really got to admire his knowledge, energy and enthusiasm for the topic.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
This Little Light of Mine - Developing an Online Strategy
I was moved to hear today about the passing of Stephen Covey (1932-2012) on 16th July 2012. He has been a great inspiration to me for a number of years and his works, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, First Things First, and The 8th Habit from Effectiveness to Greatness, are three very well-read books in my library.
I saw him speak a number of years ago in Melbourne, Australia and the memory of that encounter remains clear in my mind to this day. This prompted me to think about what it was about him, Stephen Covey, the person, that made him so memorable to me - beyond the works he produced and the 'systems' he developed to enhance personal effectiveness.
And here's the thing, he spoke his truth and his light surely did shine.
Often when we attempt to embark on a programme of social media/online media/new media (whatever you want to call it) activity, we ask "how do I/we get people to take notice?" or "how do I/we stand out from the rest?".
The answer lies in understanding the simple fact that engagement - online or off - is personal; it's about people creating connections with people. Stephen Covey did this that day years ago in Melbourne, in an events centre with over 1,000 people present. He made a personal lasting connection with each and every person there, without moving from the stage.
Then what he did was he took that connection to the real world and created a business empire selling ideas, books, workshops, webinars, support groups, and so on. I bought his books. I attended his workshop. I joined his online community. I became a long-term customer and an advocate.
The point I want to make here is, when planning your online media strategy, don't get tied in knots focussing on "B2B", "B2C", etc., and the resulting drone of broadcasting and push marketing messages.
Take inspiration from the Stephen Covey (RIP) school of genuine, authentic engagement by developing real and lasting connections with your online audience - person to person "P2P" - then watch your customer base grow and oh how your light surely will shine!
I saw him speak a number of years ago in Melbourne, Australia and the memory of that encounter remains clear in my mind to this day. This prompted me to think about what it was about him, Stephen Covey, the person, that made him so memorable to me - beyond the works he produced and the 'systems' he developed to enhance personal effectiveness.
And here's the thing, he spoke his truth and his light surely did shine.
Often when we attempt to embark on a programme of social media/online media/new media (whatever you want to call it) activity, we ask "how do I/we get people to take notice?" or "how do I/we stand out from the rest?".
The answer lies in understanding the simple fact that engagement - online or off - is personal; it's about people creating connections with people. Stephen Covey did this that day years ago in Melbourne, in an events centre with over 1,000 people present. He made a personal lasting connection with each and every person there, without moving from the stage.
Then what he did was he took that connection to the real world and created a business empire selling ideas, books, workshops, webinars, support groups, and so on. I bought his books. I attended his workshop. I joined his online community. I became a long-term customer and an advocate.
The point I want to make here is, when planning your online media strategy, don't get tied in knots focussing on "B2B", "B2C", etc., and the resulting drone of broadcasting and push marketing messages.
Take inspiration from the Stephen Covey (RIP) school of genuine, authentic engagement by developing real and lasting connections with your online audience - person to person "P2P" - then watch your customer base grow and oh how your light surely will shine!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Pinterest: Believe the Hype, It's THAT Good
Pinterest.com is a new social site that enables members to create, share and comment on online pinboards (organised by their own defined categories of interests) on which they can 'pin' images and videos. Members can upload photos from their computers or mobiles, gather images online using the "Pin It' bookmarklet or 'repin' other people's images to feature them on their own pinboard.
That probably sounds like a whole lot of gobbledegook and at this point you may be thinking, blah blah, another social site, blah blah - but trust me, seeing it is a whole lot better than reading about it. This site is uber cool.
Globally, interest in Pinterest is vast. Statistics I've heard today indicate that membership has grown to 12 million in a matter of months; as much as 97% of users are female; and if you're in business, take notice of this especially - it is said to be driving more traffic to retail sites than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn combined. It is rapidly becoming a very big deal and when you check it out you will immediately see why.
It's got lots of applications -virtual recipe book, personal inspiration board, Santa List, planner for special events, house renovations or your new season wardrobe, etc., etc.
For businesses looking to hook into Pinterest, commercial application isn't entirely straight forward. Pinterest is not for 'self promotion' (aka 'advertising') so businesses need to approach their involvement from a "brand" rather than "product" perspective and to be smart and imaginative about how they do it. If you want to find out more about commercial applications for Pinterest, Mashable.com have put together an excellent article. You can read it by following this link:
Pinterest is still relatively new and so is still evolving. Membership is currently by 'invitation only'. Go to the website www.pinterest.com to request an invitation or if you know someone that is a member already, ask them to invite you.
A few words of caution:
1. Pinterest is an open network. Privacy may be an issue. Make sure you understand Pinterest's privacy policy before you start uploading your intimate family photos (potentially for the whole world to see).
2. It is cool - very, very cool and potentially very addictive.
Share with us your thoughts and experiences on Pinterest.
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