I recently wrote about Erik Qualman’s #awarenessinc webinar titled ”Socialnomics: It’s a People-Driven Economy, Stupid.”

Well Erik had so much content to cover during the hour long webinar that he didn’t have time for Q&A at the end. I asked Erik if he would take a moment to answer some of the questions that came through via Twitter and, the nice guy that he is, he graciously agreed to do that for us.

We received many questions and Erik went through and picked out the top three questions that he felt the audience would benefit from the most and provided answers to each. Those top three will also receive a copy of Erik’s book, Socialnomics, provided by Awareness, Inc.

Here you go!

Q:  @woodarml: “Ravelry” Do you think niche social networks are equally impt/worth your time as larger ones like Facebook?

A: Great question.  Some of it depends on what you are selling.  If you are selling Yarn or knitting patterns than Ravelry will be near the top.  For most, it’s analagous to when the search wars were going on.  You’d start with Google and than work your way to Yahoo, MSN, Ask, Excite, Looksmart, etc.  So, always focus on the ones that give you the greatest return and once you think you have a good handle on that go to the next one with the most potential and so forth rather than trying to boil the Ocean all at once.

Q: BuckLLC: How do B2Bs use Twitter effectively? Harder than B2C, yes?

A: A good use of Twitter for B2B is to see and capture insight into your customer’s customer.  Hence, if you are Intel and sell chips to Apple and Dell you will want to know of any issues or benefits the customer is experiencing from your product.  Whatever it is you sell having insight into what pain points and benefits your customer’s customer is experiencing will always make you a more valuable supplier.  This is particular true if your customer isn’t very savvy on social media so they may not even know this type on “intel” is possible.

Q: aharbourne: Quality vs quantity of followers? How targetted/niche should SM activities be? Multiple strategies per segment?

A: It’s all about quality of followers.  Quantity may look good, but if they aren’t active they aren’t going to do anything for your business.  This is similar to e-mail from this standpoint.  Good companies constantly update their e-mail data base to purge inactive accounts rather than “fool” themselves with an inflated number of e-mails.

I can’t wait for the Spring Fever #SoxUp at the Absolut Clubhouse at Fenway Park taking place on Thursday, February 25th.

The Boston Red Sox along with The Social Marketing Hub (we will be talking more about that later) are joining forces to bring you this awesome night of networking and fun.

Learn more by watching this short video promo filmed by Steve Garfield himself in one of the awesome Pavilion Suites at Fenway. Tickets are limited so I encourage you to buy yours ASAP! http://soxup.eventbrite.com

A huge THANK YOU to our #SoxUp sponsors including: Tungle.me, Awareness, Inc., Brightcove, Sullivan Tire, Soxology and Kodak! 

See you there!!!!

I had no idea that the Vatican was driving the whole “Religion 2.0″ movement, but after attending Erik Qualman’s #AwarenessInc webinar, ”Socialnomics: It’s a People-Driven Economy, Stupid” the other day, I did. Not only that, I also learned that even the Pope has his own iPhone App!!  Wow….Just like Chris Brogan! Who knew?

Well, Erik’s webinar was not about Religion 2.0. It was about Socialnomics – The way in which we can leverage social media as individuals and for business. If you missed the webinar, no fear. It is available to view at your leisure below along with another video that Erik shared – Social Media ROI: Socialnomics - which offers some great stats on the state of social media now. Of course this will need to be updated often as it is rapidly changing.

There were lots of discussions during the webinar on Twitter using the #AwarenessInc hashtag, some of which I captured below. This could also be due in part to Erik giving away copies of his book to those who were the first to answer his questions correctly.

What are your thoughts on Socialnomics? Join the discussion by adding your comments below or via Twitter using the #AwarenessInc hashtag. 

Video: Social Media ROI: Socialnomics

Webinar: Socialnomics: It’s a People-Driven Economy, Stupid

Image_Marketing: Enjoyed the #awarenessinc webinar yesterday, which showed some mind-blowing stats about the rise of social media http://tinyurl.com/nutlrj

 TonyNaldinho: RT @awarenessinc: Negative comments are an opportunity for brands to reach out to that person, start a discussion and turn things around #awarenessinc

DidrikE: #awarenessinc .. Great video .. Great message .. Great music ! BIG I LIKE !

@SarahTrujillo: Fail forward, fail fast, fail better! #awarenessinc

woodarml: Facebook- baby seat example — reminds me of previous #awarenessinc webinar — “If you suck off line, you're going to suck online”

@rbrt_rothschild: “..its not a Mad Men society where u sit around a conf room for hrs & talk about your brand any longer.” #awarenessinc

mrobin032009: #awarenessinc @equalman Utilize crowdsourcing – Good content doesn't always have to come from within.

@InfoSara: Your customer today can be your competition tomorrow #awarenessinc

johnavola: Social Media: Our customer today can be your competition tomorrow… #awarenessinc

BenReetz: The 4 main components of Social Media Listen, Interact, React, and Sell  #awarenessinc

djwaldow: McDonalds: “Our head of social media is our customer” via @equalman #awarenessinc – I get that, but not really. Ha ha. Help?

jerrycameron: Social Media = Braggadocian Behavior (It’s all about me, me, me) #awarenessinc

@DidrikE I like this – shift to survival of the FASTEST #awarenessinc

@dmarotta: #awarenessinc “whats worse than being talked about?” “not being talked about.”

A big thanks to Salina McIntire, Membership Director with The Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce for her assistance in planning this event and others. And we definitely couldn’t do it without the help of our sponsors – Microarts, Vital Design, Patti Fousek of CreativeMind Search Marketing and Awareness. Thank YOU!!

I am also very excited to be able to bring you live music from The Sea Captains!!

Adam Flaherty @aflaherty_media (also a member of @TheSeaCaptains) created this awesome video to help promote the event while we were at @RedHookNH yesterday afternoon. Check it out!!

See you on 2/18!!

NH Tweetup :: Retro TechUp 2/18/10 @ Redhook, NH from The Sea Captains on Vimeo.

If you aren’t listening, then you will never know. 

During a recent  #AwarenessInc webinar, “Answering the Social Phone,” David Alston of Radian6 discussed what organizations should listen for online, what to say when you engage, and of course, how to measure your efforts and ‘convince the boss’ on the importance of using social media to answer that social phone. Because if you’re not answering it, your competitor who is more involved and engaged will.

It was a very informative and interactive session for the social media novice and even those who have been around the block a few times. If you have never heard David speak before, I highly recommend taking a peek at the video below for yourself.

While tracking the discussion during the webinar online,  I pulled out some key points from the audience. What are your thoughts? Get involved in the discussion yourself by tagging any discussions with #AwarenessInc like these webinar attendees did below.

stephen_lamb: RT @BostonSarah: Think of ROI for social media in terms of “Return on Ignoring.” What is the cost of opportunity lost? -David Alston #awarenessinc

jerrycameron: Purchased mass media is essentially the “rental” of eyes and ears. Social media is about hearts and minds; engaging with them. #awarenessinc

@sarahnohr: If you suck offline, you suck online. Best quote of the day. #awarenessinc

BostonSarah: There is no silver bullet on measuring social media. Set your objectives up front. -David Alston #awarenessinc

AlexisDias: Why are people obsessed with the number of followers? Let’s  focus on ENGAGEMENT instead… #awarenessinc

mrktgeek: Do “Targeted Listening” to find conversations that you can add value to. #awarenessinc

btrandolph: thank you @davidalston #awarenessinc for saying “numbr of followers not always the most important thing” #beyondcpm

mrktgeek: Building community through connections with #awarenessinc

tanmoyroy: “The brand is the sum of all conversations” – @DavidAlston #awarenessinc

ajrinaldi: From @davidalston The beautiful thing about social media is it is digital…[and] leaves digital bread crumbs #awarenessinc

I also pulled a few of the tweets that highlighted some of the key discussion points/quotes from Katie’s webinar and pasted them below. If you would like to continue the discussion, feel free to add your comments below or via twitter with the hashtag #awarenessinc.

amybomar: People use & prefer different channels, expect different responses from the different channels. #awarenessinc

kellyrfeller: Wow, great objective: “Move folks from (neutral) conversation to engagement.” Big opportunity since 95% of content is neutral. #awarenessinc

IT4GenY: “research without insight is just trivia.” #awarenessinc

amybomar: Focus on fewer key messages with shorter sentences. #awarenessinc

msmamet: Blog and Twitter are the most common social media for Consumer brands @kdpaine #awarenessinc

goodridge: “There is no Audience, ther are multiple consituencies” – @kdpaine #awarenessinc

tguch: “You become what you measure” #awarenessinc

joshgunkel: good quote @kdpaine “you become what you measure” I also like “what gets measured gets repeated” #awarenessinc

amybomar: Should you blog or Twitter? Ask your customers! (via @kdpaine webinar) #awarenessinc
 

What’s Coming Up Next?

On January 28th at 2PM ET the amazing David Alston, VP Marketing and Community at Radian6 will be the featured guest for the next Awareness webinar. During his session, “Are you answering the “social phone?” David will talk about what to listen for, what to say when you engage, and of course, how to measure your efforts and ‘convince the boss. Additional details and registration form can be accessed here: http://info.awarenessnetworks.com/SocialPhone.html

You have likely seen the ENGAGEMENT db study that Charlene Li of Altimeter Group wrote in conjunction with Wet Paint. If you haven’t, I highly recommend taking a peek. The study looked at the top 100 brands according to Businessweek’s Interbrand Best Global Brands ranking and how they each engaged with different social media channels – a total of 11. What the study uncovered was that a brands’ engagement across multiple social networks significantly impacts its bottom line. Wow! This is great news, right? 

Well…yes, but wait. Don’t go running out and joining every social network you can in the hopes you will immediately see a rise in revenue. It takes more than an “if you build it, they will come” mentality when using social marketing tools. Brands need to go beyond just signing up for multiple accounts and instead focus on actually fueling their fanbase by actively engaging with consumers online – across all channels. 

Getting those accounts set up is just the first step in creating the platforms in which to begin to fuel a fanbase. It takes a lot of work and time to actually manage it all for it to be successful – especially if you are managing multiple channels that incorporate elements like video, podcasts, social networks, Twitter and branded online customer communities.  A few tweets here and there are not the makings of a successful social marketing campaign (sorry). 

The good news coming from early reports is that by creating and managing this type of multi-social-media-platform program, organizations are beginning to realize a multiplier effect that comes from integrating these programs. In other words, when you cross promote your efforts like tweeting a blog entry, you get better results than if you had used each platform independently. 

You’ve heard this over and over again so I apologize for beating this dead horse, but you no longer want to talk TO your audience anymore – it doesn’t work. They won’t listen. Instead, give your customers the opportunity to engage with YOU by creating a multi-social-media-platform approach that will not only fuel your fanbase, but improve your bottom line as it is doing for brands like Starbucks, Toyota, Dell and SAP.

Now you can go and get started!

On a side note….Can I get your vote?

I recently submitted a speaking proposal for the Enterprise 2.0 conference taking place in Boston in June suggesting that my Awareness, Inc. colleague, Mike Lewis (@BostonMike) discuss how brands can and are successfully fueling their own fanbase by managing multiple social networks.  Because Enterprise 2.0 requires that submissions be voted in by the masses, I would very much appreciate your help in making this session happen. If you have a moment, please click here and register to vote  up until  1/20/10 . I would be forever grateful

Thank you!!

If you are also a tea-loving, social media person like I am, then you will definitely want to check out this video interview I did with Marshall Malone of Portsmouth Tea Company (@PortsmouthTea) while attending the NH Social Media Breakfast.

Connections and Eye Contact!

Marshall was kind enough to sit down with me right after he got himself a bowl of Portsmouth Tea Company’s soup of the day (they offer some amazing food there too – FYI). Marshall shared with me some background on Portsmouth Tea Company, which was founded as an online-only retailer of fine teas and has since opened its first cafe located at 475 High Street in Somersworth, NH. He discusses how using social marketing has helped him connect with his customers both online and offline to help establish that “eye contact” that he says is so important in building relationship.

Want to buy a cow?

Portsmouth Tea Company is also involved in a very unique cause marketing initiative with True Sojourners that helps to buy cows that are then given to families in Nepal.  They ask their patrons to stop bytheir cafe and donate anytime; 100% of donations goes to purchase the cow.

I encourage you to take a peek at my interview with Marshall below and to also check out their online store if you are or know anyone that is a tea lover. If you are local, definitely stop by their cafe in Somersworth, NH for some tea and a bite to eat.

A big thank you to Marshall for sitting down with me. Sorry your soup got cold!

- I had kids! Two girls who are amazing, beautiful and so smart (I love you with all my heart A & L)
- I sold my house and built a new one. Well, I didn’t build it, but I had a lot of influence on what went into it. I made a lot of trips to Home Depot and Lowes that summer!
- I bought and sold 5 different cars (3 minivans, 1 Jetta Wagon and my current vehicle, a Nissan Cube) Guess I am fickle when it comes to cars
- I worked at 3 different companies. I am currently at Awareness and loving it! (you can include the bonus in my next check)
- I launched this blog
- I started planning these silly events called “TweetUps” where I brought people together offline to network and strengthen their online relationships
- I met all of you!

As I continue my journey into the next decade, I am excited and optimistic of what the future will bring. And I am truly thankful to everyone who has come along with me for the ride.  Each and every one of you has made an impact on my life in some way or another and I thank you for that.

So, without getting all mushy, I want wish you all a happy and healthy New Year. With you all there to join me, it truly will be an amazing journey.

During the webinar, Caroline shared with us the top ten operational barriers to social business success as well as the ten best practices for socializing your business. I outlined those in this post for you, but I definitely encourage you to check out the complete webinar below.

Top 10 Operational Barriers to Social Business Success

1. Organizational Silos
2. Command and Control Management
3. Top Down, One-Way Communication
4. Social Activities Not Integrated Into the Workflow
5. Employees Measured on Individual Performance
6. Competitive Culture
7. No Guidelines or Training
8. No Methods for Measuring Social Value
9. No Executive Sponsor
10. No Role Modeling

If a business truly wants to become a social business, they should definitely focus on overcoming barriers #9 and #10 and go beyond just signing up and purchasing social media tools. I refer to this quote from Scott Monty of Ford quite a bit because it rocks and it is very applicable here – 90% of social media is just showing up. What I mean here is that employees typically follow the lead of their leaders and if the upper managment isn’t particpating in social media, what is their motivation to do so?  To truly socialize your business, everyone must participate and incoporate these activies into their daily jobs.

As Caroline pointed out, IDC believes social media is transforming not just how we communicate, but also how we conduct business.  Corporations will not be able to easily adapt to this new order if the CEO is not on board. Social media use by employees for work purposes is coming into corporations, but the opportunity to harness it needs support from executives.

 Top 10 Best Practices for Socializing Your Business

1. Start small – take baby steps
2. Lead With a Corporate Initiative
3. Tie Measurement Back to Core Business Objectives
4. Put your Social People in Front to Champion
5. Establish and Official Framework for Participation (Social Media Guidelines)
6. Provide Incentives for Community Participation
7. Keep HR, Legal, IT Involved in the Process
8. Executive Sponsorship
9. Role Modeling
10. Ongoing internal education, training and outreach

Attendees were also sharing some key soundbites and commentary tagged with #awarenessinc during the session (highlights below), but the one statistic that seemed to resonate the most with everyone was when Caroline shared the results from a national survey of CIO’s by Robert Half Technology which showed that 54% of CIO’s completely prohibit public social networking site usage at work.  This study, as you can imagine, gained a lot of attention because this statistic was higher than many expected. Caroline went on to explain that with social media entering the workplace under the IT radar – the CIO has been put in a reactive position and challenged to address employee use of public social media in the workplace.

 bellatrixr: Ok, so I have baggage w/this: And in whose hands it rests — “Technology is only as good as a user.” (RT @awarenessinc

 karyncooks: AMEN! RT @kayhaswingsNo one should “own” socmed. Shouldn’t be separate dept, should be discipline of entire company. #awarenessinc

dmourey: Need to integrate into biz objectives & empower those who want to bcome cust. advocates, crowdsource ideas, demonst expertise #awarenessinc

 aaroncarter: #awarenessincshould there be a social executive officer? I think this depends on structure and needs of your organizaion.

 tallbonez: #awarenessinc What is the op operational barrier to SM for your company: 31% said getting colleagues to participate

 k8johnson: Technology enables, but doesn’t guarantee success. Culture is a major definer of social & community success via @cdangson #awarenessinc

dmourey: soc media is not just mktg. but across functions- cust. serv., prod dev., recruiting, just mktg limits orgs chance to chg. #awarenessinc

 tomassteele: social media is the discipline of the entire company!! #awarenessinc

 llgraham: Marcomm the lucky “winner” to own social media in recent survey #awarenessinc

 Ignitus: 47.5% of organizations implementing social media do not have published social media guidelines #awarenessinc

 christinelexa: Purchasing social software doesn’t make your biz more social – Amen. So true. #awarenessinc

Have your own thoughts to share? Please continue the discussion here or on Twitter by tagging with #awaressinc and @socialbiz  – Thank you!

What’s Next??

The next Awareness webinar focusing on Social Media Engagement is scheduled for January 14, 2010 at 2pm ET with Katie Paine,CEO of KDPaine & Partners, a NH-based company that provides customized research that measures public relationships and brand image. You won’t want to miss this one! Register Here: http://bit.ly/KatiePaine