Help from the Social Web

A recent status update on Facebook: "Kneale Mann wonders how the social web has helped your career and business".


It generated some good emails and wall responses.

Nila "Expanded connections. I've been able to branch out beyond the network of people and resources I had before diving into the social web. The outcome has been expanded a stable of collaborators, additional business opportunities and greater access to information that helps me help clients better."

Alison "Not helped career but has sure helped through another move and the transition of isolation in a new town. Always someone to talk to here."

Jon "I was so leery at first. I wondered about privacy issues then time issues then revenue issues. Now I'm disciplined with my time online and can point to three clients all because of that."

Pat "It gave me a new start personally and a new career that turned into a passion, and great people all over the world to call friend and mean it."

Kelly Ann "Can I just "second" the previous comments? It's how I met you Kneale!"

Sheila "I can directly track $100,000 in sales to  Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, all have different audiences and different relationships. Blogging allows me to share useful info with clients. Socmed gives me immediate contact with hotels, cruise lines, airlines and travel agents around the world."

Sean "It change my life. I found a gig, met my wife and a bunch or great colleagues, clients and friends. But it takes time. Don't expect it all to come together in a few days or months. And you don't have to allow it to become a time suck."

Carol "Allows me to reconnect and stay current with friends around the world who I've met and don't see often enough. Had a Hungarian colleague comment that he'd also attended a Leonard Cohen concert last year after I posted about it (albeit I attended the Tampa concert, he attended in Hungary). Connected life is good!"

Joanna "It allows me to be a real person with people in my area that I would never normally talk to on a regular basis. Lets them get to know me as a person as opposed to just an advisor or neighbour."

How has the social web helped you?

knealemann

image credit: shareasyougo

Information Super Gridlock

We are pummelled with shards of online content constantly. It's like downtown Cairo traffic.

I saw Henry Rollins a few years ago talking about his trip to Egypt and he said there are four lane highways with six lanes of traffic.

The chatter, garbage and noise begin to blur while our ability to decipher crap from non-crap is tougher every day.

Good or Bad?

Technorati monitors around 200 million blogs; there are opinion columns, online news sites, forums, chat rooms and social networking spaces that give us choice. And that's over and above all the news, sports, information and entertainment portals.

But these options have created a problem. We have too much choice and all the good stuff is mixed with the stuff we don’t want or care about. That's why we often visit the same sites everyday, we are frozen in indecision.

The World Wide Maze

Search Engine Optimizationists (it’s a word now, just made it up) say it’s all about rank, bloggers stomp their keyboards for free speech and we marketing/social media types talk about open source conversations and collaboration.

If you don’t reside in those worlds, you don’t care. You just want to be entertained, informed and get details on that new rider mower. And you may not want someone to tell you what to choose or think.

How do you navigate the deafening racket?

@knealemann
marketing and social media strategy

image credit: google

Social Media and Small Business

Misunderstandings

It is fascinating to listen to the discussion surrounding social
media in regards to the view
of some that it is a fad and to
others that it is a quick fix.

It is neither.

Now What?

So you’ve been dabbling in social media. You have a Facebook profile with a few hundred friends and perhaps you’re now on Twitter. You aren’t interested in blogging or webinars; YouTube is fun to watch but you don’t want your own channel and now you wonder if it’s time to introduce the company you work for or own to this space.

This is Business

Your social media commitment must be completely in line with your strategic objectives. You wouldn’t treat any other part of your company with this type of haphazard approach so it is not wise to do so in the social networking space. In fact, it can hurt you.

No Time - Don't Bother

Companies can get caught up in their own ‘too busy’ mentality and let things slide. Social media is not something to do ‘when you have some time’ – make time for it or you won’t see the benefits. Watch that it doesn't take too much of your time either. Yes, it is a delicate dance.

In a previous life I would consult radio stations that didn't have the money or people but wanted to do a lot of fancy things on their website to actually do very little. Do it right or don’t bother.

Hey! There Are Humans In Here!

And you will need patience and all those other traits that make you a bright business person. It’s tricky to resist the temptation to use the social web as a giant advertising medium but figure out a way to curb that desire.

Social media is not a campaign and your company will not gain millions in revenue after a handful of tweets – though there are a couple of stories where this has happened, those are rare. And if you aren’t willing to pay attention to how people interact with your company online, this may be a struggle for you.

Metrics and Missteps

Oh yes, and this is paramount. Grasp this immediately. Metrics are not the same as the ‘sleep at night’ estimates from other mediums. Just because you put up a billboard at the corner of East and South Sts., doesn’t mean anyone saw your message. That is the same with social media, it takes time and commitment.

It Begins Within

You need a corporate champion. If someone in your organization is committed to online social networking, you can begin to be a part of the conversation where your customers and potential customers may be as well.

Focus the Funnel

There are many social networking spaces but it’s difficult to keep profiles and contact on each because of the law of diminishing results. You simply don’t have the time!

Pick the channels you want and do them well. Skip the rest.

Congratulations if you are in the space with your business. If you haven’t but are thinking about it, have a blast!

@knealemann
Let's create experiences, not campaigns

This Weekend: PodCamp Montreal

image credit: openrain.com

A Milestone. A Singer. A Memory.

One Million

So Ashton got a million and news agencies and bloggers reported on it. Now what? It’s interesting that if you look at the “celebrities” on Twitter – they follow very few people and those they follow are other “celebrities”.

What will this do for Twitter? What will this do for you?

One Hundred Million

Susan Boyle is a 47-year woman from Scotland who – until a little while ago – few had heard about. Today, over 25 million have watched her performance on Britain’s Got Talent and some say it could reach 100 million.

Ten Years

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the horrific mass murder at Columbine. If this was an isolated event, we may be inspired that things have changed. But just over two years ago, there was Virgina Tech. Four years ago another one in Montreal.

What is our inspiration when an actor/comedian reaches a million followers on a social networking site, or an unemployed women shows the world she can sing, or precious lives are cut short?

Perhaps it shows we get caught up in tools, we all have talents, and we must never forget.

Inspiration is not always from a positive experience. Inspiration can come from the most unlikely of sources. It inspires us to change or do something or improve for next time.

I’ll take stronger security measures in our schools and more stories about underdogs over someone trying to reach a number – but that’s just me.

What inspires you?

@knealemann

Friends - Colleagues - Storytellers

We all love stories. Stories are about real life people, imaginary characters, creative freedom and all the other delicious things our minds may conjure.

More Than Opposable Thumbs

Stories connect us and separate us from the rest of the creatures that roam this blue sphere. Years from now, you will not still be remarking about that new shirt you bought last week or the presentation you have to work on or the email that went unanswered.

But you may remark on someone you met, someone who helped you or changed your life. You may comment on how you changed someone’s focus or assisted in helping their business or life.

How Long Has It Been?

In the last week, I reconnected with someone I admire and like very much. We hadn’t spoken in four years. It was one of those situations where you just pick up where you left off; life gets busy but that all washes away. He is in a completely different industry now and is applying all his experience and ideas to a group that needed a fresh pair of eyes. He is a storyteller, a connector and it’s thrilling to see how he is applying all that to his latest project.

Do I Know You?

A few weeks back, I made a connection on Facebook. We had not met; we had some mutual friends. In the course of a handful of emails, we got on Skype and had a great chat about her business. In the course of the conversation, she came up with some ideas for me. We were oblivious to each other’s existence until a few weeks ago, now we are helping each other. She is an engaging storyteller who is great at making stuff way less complicated.

Can I Help You?

Someone sent me a DM on Twitter a couple of weeks to ask for some advice on their blog. Me? Someone who got in to this space a year ago on the advice (aka a dare) of a few people at a dinner. Two storytellers exchanging thoughts and ideas. What a difference a year makes.

Thanks CC!

Yesterday, CC Chapman wrote from the heart in a piece entitled Reflections Of The Future. CC is a great storyteller who loves to help others and share. Read and be inspired.

The Power of We

We run into old friends, contact complete strangers, connect with new colleagues across the globe and these moments are chances to widen our knowledge and create deeper relationships.

Who are you going to meet this week?

@knealemann

photo credit: thefarside.com

PodCamp Toronto

If you haven't immersed yourself in the social network, jump in!

The price of admission is contribution. There are no rules of how much or how often you should contribute just join the conversation.

Free to Join. Free to Join In.

You don’t have to do a podcast or a blog, you don’t have to have 30,000 followers on Twitter, your friend list on Facebook doesn't have to be in the thousands; you can just come in and grab a seat.

This weekend marks the third annual PodCamp Toronto and it will be busier than ever. There are almost 900 people signed up and the schedule is jammed with tips and pointers no how to navigate the digital space, how to interact better and perhaps even monetize the experience.

No salespeople wanted

That last part is tricky. If you think you can apply scam tactics to social media, you will find out very quickly that is not a wise approach. At the core of social media is the social aspect. People need to buy-in to people before they buy from people. Never has that been more crucial than right now.

PodCamp Toronto is an unconference which means admission, ideas and sharing is free. You are encouraged to share in the sessions and in the hallway, just get to know each other. The playing field is even.

Nice to meet you

The cool thing about this event is that you will meet people from all walks of life, experiences and professions. If you go to a marketing convention to watch marketing experts talk about marketing, it's can be too one-dimensional.

If you’re going to PodCamp Toronto, perhaps we’ll run in to each other.

km

Your Comments Are Welcome

You can tell more about a person by what they say about others than you can by what others say about them.
Leo Aikman

There have been many posts lately that have addressed the issue of comments on blogs. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to make a comment - here or via email - on my musings! It’s great that someone reads this stuff then takes the time to contribute to the conversation. I appreciate anyone taking a few moments to read this stuff and make a comment.

One issue that has been brought up often is that if you want someone to contribute to your conversation, you must do your part and contribute to their conversation. Feel free to scroll down to my "connections" section and click on all the people I read on a daily basis.

What are your thoughts on that?

When you spend many years in media, you get used to producing content that goes into the ether to an unnamed listener-reader-viewer with virtually no feedback. Once in a while, you get a complaint email or call if you do something that irks someone but rarely do they even contact you – they usually just stop listening-watching-reading.

The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.
John E. Southard

It’s always been my perception that Canadians are especially bad with confrontation. We have half a mind to complain, but the other half doesn’t want to offend anyone. But it works in our favor when we travel because we are known around the world as a polite people. That's okay, right?

How are you, today?

We are built for interaction and confirmation. This isn’t a media or social media thing, it’s a human thing. In all my years doing behavioral and perceptual research, ranked in the top three responses were always things like; ‘respect in the workplace’, ‘acknowledgement of a job well done’, ‘being appreciated by the boss’ or ‘ability to advance'.

The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.
Oscar Wilde

We aren’t good at asking for feedback and awful at taking it. We do love feedback ...as long it’s positive, of course ;-)

What did you think of my presentation?

I asked a highly successful blogger whether his Technorati ranking was important to him and he couldn’t answer fast enough – yes! He explained that it’s not about a chart position but rather a measurement of how his information is resonating with readers. But the confirmation of a job well done is okay too.

To escape criticism - do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.
Elbert Hubbard

We seem to spend a great deal of time hiding the fact that we enjoy positive feedback. We spend even more time failing to take the opportunity to give someone the same. Paint me cynical but most people have barely enough time to feed their own ego and very little time left to feed yours.

How was your meal?

You won’t have to wait long today before you hear the phrase “I’m so busy” – perhaps you’ll be the one saying it. “My life is busy. I am alone in a wind tunnel of busyness fighting the faceless foe known as ‘work load’. No one else is busier. How important I am to be so busy.”

When you start treating people like people, they become people.
Paul Vitale

Give it a shot - take the time to compliment him on his presentation or on her promotion. There is no such thing as a selfless act, so enjoy how you feel when you make someone feel good. Perhaps next time you feel the urge to huffily mention “no one appreciates me around here” someone will rush to your rescue.

km

How Does It Make You Feel?

We are inundated by information, pitches, news, content, blogs, offers, podcasts, emails, phone calls and the question remains: are we getting any further?

The blogosphere is fraught with economic news and predictions while we all try and stay focused. The 800lb gorilla is stomping on our collective skulls while we attempt to stay positive.

Help Wanted

We are looking at each other for guidance and answers but in the process forgetting that others are doing the same to us.

Some estimates say that we sift through thousands of images and pieces of content every day. We have become masters at weeding out what we don’t need and getting to what we do need.

Research Isn't Always The Answer

When I was buying my current car, I did my homework. I test drove 12 different vehicles, performed in depth price comparisons, examined options, pros and cons, and ended up buying the car that I wanted from the start. I had over thought it.

It wasn’t my homework that sold me; it was what my best friend said as we stood in the dealership parking lot one summer evening. He turned to me as we looked at three different models of the same car and said; “Dude, get the one that will make you smile”.

No Hoops | No Games

The best radio promotion I have ever been a part of was entitled “24 Hours In Vegas”. Unlike most radio contests, we did not ask listeners to wait for the sound of the clown horn or be placed on a waiting list or answer a skill testing question, we just gave away seats on our chartered plane all the time. I had 180 seats to fill and it was a blast. We kept our focus on how it feels to be told without notice that you are going to Las Vegas.

Winners received two plane tickets, that’s it. No hotel, no spending money, no rental car, no taxi chits, a plane ticket. We took off at 10am on Wednesday and left Vegas at 10am on Thursday. Listeners were left to fend for themselves and live large.

People Are People

There were grown men crying, women screaming in disbelief, and the morning we took off we had a plane full of excited people. It wasn’t about ratings, or the radio station, it was about connection.

There were no complaints or whining about extras. The plane ride home was full of tired but excited people sharing stories of their adventure. New friendships were formed, some stayed up all night, some grabbed a hotel, two couples renewed their vows, and not one person missed Thursday’s flight.

It was a team of people sharing an experience.

It's Not About The Bottom Line

In a time when companies are making cuts and trying to find the message that will cut through, perhaps it's time to find out how your message or product or service will make them feel.

With radio promotions, it was important to stay within four main prize categories: money, trips, cars and things people don't have access to experience on their own. No one would turn away the first three, but it is the last one that will last a lifetime.

The iPod isn’t about high quality audio, it’s about freedom. TED2009 on right now is not just about smart people talking, it's about showing others they can dream and think big. Social media is not about collecting friends, it’s about sharing with others.

How do you make others feel?

km

Newsflash: Social Media Is Not A Fad

Let’s take a quick trip back to a simpler time when laptops were rocks and Facebook was a cave. It was a time when grunts meant complex sentences and networking was done around campfires after the beast was conquered.

It was discovered then that humans enjoyed the contact of other humans. Similarly it was revealed that humans enjoyed multiple visits from those they knew and called them “friends”. Experiences shared, stories told.

From 2,000,000 BC to Today

Fast-forward several million years and a new study by Cision – a media research company out of Chicago has discovered that social media is in fact on the rise in Canada. The sites with the biggest growth are globeandmail.com and cbc.ca

If you aren’t in Canada – The Globe And Mail is a national newspaper which has recently stepped up their online content in the wake of that industry’s crumble and CBC is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – the national government funded television, radio and content company.

Content Content Content

Jay Krall from Cision says that social media and online content channels are the future. Not a big revelation but content still must be worthy of people’s time and people must know where it is and how to find it.

Not So Fast!

It’s dangerous to tell those not versed in the space to simply start a blog or sign up at social media sites or post their messages and content on a website. It’s like age-old issue in the music industry – bad music slammed over people’s heads will still not make it good.

Try It You'll Like It

Like with any piece of research, there are flaws. In this case, Cision measured online success by blog comments and mentions on “the social web” – love that term. It sounds like my dad talking about Nine Inch Nails as “that music you kids listen to”.

Reality and Media

Online is not the future, it is the present. As stated several times here and many more times to friends and colleagues – this isn't new media or new reality – this is media and reality.

How will you best harness the power of social media to help your business?

km

Media Hacks: A Necessary Initiative

Thought leaders such as Mitch Joel, Chris Brogan, CC Chapman, Julien Smith, Hugh McGuire, Christopher S. Penn and numerous others have stepped up with a necessary initiative called Media Hacks.

This is an open discussion about digital space, social media, marketing and anything else that comes up. Mitch talked about it this past weekend on his Six Pixels of Separation podcast. The idea is to gather thinkers and share ideas, no rules, opinions are allowed and encouraged. And it’s absolutely free.

The magic of this initiative is that others will be invited to contribute to the conversation.

That is the essesnce of social media – you can have information and thoughts from leaders in industry and they want to hear yours.

The Media Hack blog and podcast is coming very soon.

If you have an idea, start sharing!

km

from cc-chapman.com

Unscientific Study in Networking Socially

I took a few days away from the social media space and the emails have been hilarious. I’m okay! Thanks for your concern. But it did get me thinking about the power of social connection.

You Started It

Last April, I attended a Geek Dinner which was the birth of this thought space. Without realizing it, I have been conducting an experiment in human behavior for the past 10 months. The results have been astounding.

The friend, follower, and connection counts have grown but it isn’t about that – it’s about the human stuff and it all stems from one dinner.

I Know A Guy Who Knows A Guy

The amazing element of all this is the people you meet through the people you meet through the people you know. The six degrees of separation. Every person on the planet is linked to every person on the planet in six steps or less.

Have you experienced a situation where you couldn’t remember how you met someone? Through your network someone knows someone you know who introduces you to someone who is now your friend. Gladwell writes about it in The Tipping Point. The connectors, mavens and salesmen are everywhere - often all three reside in us at the same time.

The Network of Networks

Are we creating communities that coexist online as we do in life? Or are we making more true human connections than we would (say) by passing people in the mall?

The numbers are irrelevant – the human connections are important.

We Are All Just People

I have gained mentors, friends, colleagues and contacts. There is non-stop information and knowledge shared and all because someone reached out last year and asked me to join a group of people for dinner.

What is important is that if you are going to take from the social network you must be willing to give back and share.

Is Anybody Out There?

I received emails in the last couple of days because I hadn’t posted an Opinion or contributed to the Twitter conversation or posted information in my newsfeed. At the core of all this, we’re just people.

I worked for many years in radio, and just when you didn’t think “they” were listening, you’d get a sign. Thanks for the sign.

What are your thoughts?

km

The Evolution of Content

The three words I use a lot are: content, context and community. Words that roll off the tongue and sound kinda cute but they are – in my opinion – essential to most of the stuff we do, create, consumer and share.

We All Have A Voice
Technorati estimates there are about 150 million blogs in the world – that number is probably low. Anyone with a laptop and an internet connection has the ability to create content and discussion starters.

There are no interviews, no one will vet you, your resume will not be scrutinized, and you may gain a sizeable audience for what you have to say.

Toys Toys Toys
The Consumer Electronics Show is on right now in Las Vegas and while the throng gawk and point and touch and fiddle with all the coolest latest stuff, the challenge remains that we need stuff to put on all these toys.

Content comes in all shapes and sizes and sounds and tastes. It’s all too overwhelming for any of us to get a handle on what is available.

You Have To Be Good
A musician without good songs can have the nicest guitar on the market and it doesn’t matter. You can spend thousands on a Hi-Def plasma surround sound system but you still need quality content or all you have are more dust collectors.

The challenge is not content – it is quality content. Quantity is a word usually reserved for items that hold no emotional value and the lowest price will usually win the day. It’s okay to search for the best price on bathroom tissue but not when you are selecting a new cell phone.

Choice Is Everywhere
I would never suggest that we don’t have gobs of excellent choices available to us. Great music is being made, top-notch movies are being produced, bright minds are finding a space in the blogosphere and the world of podcasts, and the cable companies are providing a wide choice of shows.

And if you are in the area, you should check out Podcamp Toronto February 21 and 22nd.

While we continue to feed our seemingly endless appetite for the newest and shiniest gadgets, it’s important for us to spend an equal amount of time on the content that goes on these things.

What are your thoughts?

km

Why Social Networking Works

My life in the blogosphere began about eight months ago. I wondered what I would write about; I wondered if anyone would care. And I found out through reading experts on the subject that it wasn’t the point.

For some reason, the subject has bubbled to the surface again. People like Mitch Joel, CC Chapman and Seth Godin are writing about the benefits of writing a blog and immersing yourself in social media.

The bottom line: networking through blogs, podcasts, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Bebo, Last.fm, MySpace and the multitude of other social media sites is whatever you get out of it.

If you want to share recipes with friends, rant about government spending, share business tips, expand on your expertise, or simply stay in touch, it’s all okay. There are no set rules.

Don't worry about who will read or follow you. It’s important to share your honest voice. You must be cognizant of proper language (cursing won’t get you anywhere), and over time you will find your style.

My blogging life began with whatever came to the top of my head, but now I focus on my passions – media, integration, social networking, music, television, radio, and content.

I could write about golf, cooking, auto racing, or reading books but those are passions I prefer to enjoy rather than write about.

So if you have been thinking about starting a blog or a podcast, just do it. It’s free.

If you want to promote and share your thoughts with a wider audience, post your work on your various profiles to insure more people have the chance to know what you’re doing.

Let me know how it goes. Send me an email or a post here with a link to your blog.

In eight months, I have connected with hundreds of people I would never had met otherwise and reconnected with people I hadn’t seen or talked to in ages. We just want to connect and share. It’s really that simple. Abraham Maslow was right.

And most importantly - have fun!

km

WE Are The Network

I woke up this morning, had some coffee, and listened to some tunes. And while The Thievery Corporation filled my office, I caught up on the news and sifted through emails, various blogs and social networking sites. Then it hit me. The comments and updates that were most prevalent were about family and weekends and great weather and sharing pictures of experiences.

After a few tough weeks for all of us, I was looking at pictures shared and comparing music tastes again. Oh yeah, that’s what we’re supposed to be doing. It isn’t all about work and having the most friends on Facebook!

We get caught up on work and issues and problems and technology and what’s next and how each of us contributes. But through honest open moments, people were sharing simple human pleasures. It made me appreciate that stuff too. The coffee was delicious too.

It may sound trite but we tend to forget that the endgame is to be able to enjoy ourselves for the instant we’re here.

We are not on this sphere sharing and comparing and building to keep doing the same without breaking the cycle to breathe. We are here to stop once in a while and enjoy the important element we tend to forget – us.

We are the network. And once in a while, it's okay to share on a much more human level.

As I sat in my backyard with the laptop off and a book in my hand, I let the unusually warm October sun wash over me while I laughed at a wonderfully written and hilarious book a friend gave me three months ago. I had been too busy to give myself the break to enjoy it. By the way, if you want a great belly laugh, check out Bill Bryson’s “In A Sunburned Country”.

Happy Weekend.

km

It's A Jungle Out There!

As the worldwide markets continue to slide, we are all nervous. Most are more cautious, less creative, and frankly unsure how far this will go.

Jeff Pulver has reached out to the community for a helping hand. He is calling it "The Social Media Jungle: Leveraging Social Media for You And Your Business." Click here for more.

Companies are looking for ways to better tell their story. The best way to do that is to reflect life and not wedge their product in somewhere out of context. When you walk in to a grocery store and the first thing you notice is not the Coke on sale for $2.99 but rather the delicious smell coming from the bakery section. You will buy a pie and spend more time and money in the space.

Blogs, podcasts, and social media profiles allow others to see our creations being created instead of being force fed our logos and company slogans.

The key word is "social". We aren't selling drills; we are providing a way for people to put a hole in their wall to hang that picture.

In order to embrace the power of social networking, companies need at least one corporate champion in the space. This is not to market company attributes, but rather to offer more insight into the people involved.

I don't know about you, but I will buy-in to a person long before I buy-in to another empty sales' pitch.

The corporate champion must commit to the social network and be sincere. Many feel it won't lead to making money. If you put money before community, few will buy into you.

And the most important element is that we must admit we need to solve this together. No one person has the answer and we are all feeling the pinch.

Good luck with the event, Jeff!

km