January 15th, 2010
by Sarah Caminker
This week, I had the pleasure of attending a seminar 
in New York City on Social Integration: Harmonizing Social Channels into the Marketing, Communications & Service Platform. The Business Development Institute put on this fantastic event that included case studies and roundtables for social media marketing, PR and communication professionals. Top-notch speakers included:
- Michael Mendenhall: CMO, HP
- Joshua Karpf: Digital Communication Manager, PepsiCo
- David Patton: VP & EIC, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide
- Brian Kenny: CMO & CCO, Harvard Business School
- Lynn Mann: Director of External Communications, Michelin
- Richard Pesce: Social Media & Digital Communications, Sprint
- Michael DiLorenzo: Director of Corporate Communications, National Hockey League
They all stressed the importance of not seeing social media as a separate entity, rather viewing it as an integrated part of your marketing, branding and customer service. The list below details the top 7 takeaways that were discussed during the seminar.
*Note #BDI stands for Business Development Institute and is the event’s hashtag on Twitter that you can search for real-time insight from attendees.
1. Technology is NOT Social. People Are!
Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other social media sites are just tools. They are only *SOCIAL* if you engage and interact with people on them. Technology is great, but it is about the relationships. Note: these tools are intended for two-way communication and not as a megaphone for your next sales pitch.
2. Feeding the Beast: An Insatiable Appetite for Content
The beauty of the social mediasphere is that anyone can publish, edit or distribute content. We are going through a renaissance of how consumption of information and content is being managed and distributed. Social media has enabled a constant mobility meaning that people expect to receive information 24/7. There is a never-ending hunger for quality content, hence the expression “feeding the beast.”
3. The Era of the Advocate
Mass communication is dead, rather it’s about building personal connections with consumers. The more you serve and support your customers, the more likely they are to recommend your brand to their network (both offline and online). It’s more credible to have an outsider toot your own horn than to have the CMO do it. Remember to thank your “advocates” and make sure they know you appreciate them taking the time to support you and your brand.
4. Digital Newsrooms Are No Longer a Resource For Just the Media
We’re all content creators, and it’s unrealistic to assume that journalists are the only ones seeing your content. Company and industry news needs to be integrated, aggregated and curated for a broader audience. Press releases are just the tip of the iceberg. Begin incorporating multimedia like podcasts and videos and re-purpose content (in the form of white papers, E-books, articles) to tell your story.
5. Transparency and Authenticity is the Only Way to Go
Whether you’re a small business owner, entrepreneur or marketing professional you must communicate who you are, what you do and who you serve right off the bat. It’s also critical that you are upfront and transparent about the content and advice you are giving. If not, people will see right through you, run screaming in the other direction and land on your competitor’s virtual doorstep.
6. Social Media as a Listening Tool to Feed Innovation
Take a step back and listen. Whether that’s monitoring a dialogue on Twitter, following a blogger in your industry to see what conversation they’re sparking or hosting a focus group, you never know when you might get the next big break from just LISTENING to your fans/customers. The #NHLTweetUp is a perfect example. Guess how they got that idea??? By listening to their followers on Twitter! Bottom Line…. Stop, Look and Listen. Then Respond.
7. Crossover From Online to Face-to-Face
Twitter and Facebook are excellent relationship building tools, but there’s something to say about in-person communication that makes that connection even stronger. Take the time to go to industry events, conferences and networking groups to put a face to the avatar. On the business end of the stick, host tweet-ups in different cities, so your can connect with your followers.
I’m interested to hear your feedback and any trends/topics you think could be added to this list.
Web Marketing Therapy Related Links:
- The 2009 Reference Guide: 99 Best Social Media & PR Blog Posts
- Hispanic Marketing and Importance of Social Media
- Social Media Marketing Class: Learn Facebook, Twitter, and New Social Network Gink
- Get In On the Action: Free, Online Social Media Marketing Summit–September 24, 2009
The Marketing Therapist
(January 15th, 2010 at 2:38 pm)
Sarah,
THANK YOU for sharing all your widsom from the social event! You just practiced what you taught above – this type of content sharing is EXACTLY what social *networking* is all about…
Social media is NOT a selling tool – it is a SHARING and COLLABORATION and CONNECTION tool!
Web Marketing Therapy is in the “relationship business” meaning the web is used as a medium to make meaningful relationships.
Social Media is the future and it is not the TOOL of social media, instead HOW we use the tool.
I plan to Tweet this, share it on Linkedin and with my trusted colleagues in this *wild web world*
Virtual Hugs,
The Marketing Therapist
Sarah Caminker
(January 15th, 2010 at 2:46 pm)
Hi Marketing Therapist,
You’re a content creator and sharer, and your wild web network is lucky to have you! Thank you for drilling in the point, “Social media is NOT a selling tool – it is a SHARING and COLLABORATION and CONNECTION tool!” There are so many amazing connections to be made in the social mediasphere, we just need to make sure we’re utilizing these tools correctly.
Appreciate your thoughts and insight!
~Sarah
anne orfila
(January 15th, 2010 at 4:21 pm)
sarah, these are all great points to keep in mind and will make a great share with clients. thanks!
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Kelly Kohen
(January 15th, 2010 at 6:26 pm)
Sarah,
Sounds like it was a great seminar. Thanks so much for sharing the tips! We hear a lot of people say that they don’t have time to invest in social media-but I love the fact that the speakers stressed the importance of not seeing social media as a separate entity, rather viewing it as an integrated part of your marketing, branding and customer service. Can I hear an Amen?!?!
Sarah Caminker
(January 15th, 2010 at 7:09 pm)
Amen My Wild Web Women Sistahs! This seminar really enforced the importance and value in connecting and engaging with your customer base. And hey…if you’re not going to, I’m sure your competitors are more than happy to build a relationship with your customers. It’s about staying ahead of the curve and serving and supporting your audience. Glad to have shared these takeways with you.
Hugs,
Sarah
Mike and Kali Kunkle
(January 15th, 2010 at 10:33 pm)
Wow, what a great post, Sarah! That’s quite a panel, too. We couldn’t agree more with the integration comments and those “top 7 takeaways” are deeply insightful and accurate, in our opinion.
So, even though we have to agree with everything they say at a strategic level, the challenge is still in the execution, right?
Even the biggest and best make mistakes and are still figuring out this channel. And no matter how strong the strategy, it can all fall apart at the tactical level… especially if the “voice” of the company bungles a few critical customer interactions, during their “moments of truth.” Nothing goes viral faster than stuff that is cute, funny, silly, or… sadly… stupid.
So, if mistakes, learning and growing pains are inevitable, how do you and your reputation stay intact? For that, we find #3 and #5 critical. Because faster than you can say faux pas, an advocate can turn if severely disappointed, or the volume of your unsatisfied customers can crescendo louder than you’d prefer. While those can be valuable learning experiences and an awesome opportunity for recovery, they can also be frightening, damaging and not for the faint of heart.
However, by 1) building, cultivating, and generally concerning yourself with the care and feeding of advocates, 2) problem-solving with empathy for customers with problems, and above all, 3) remaining transparent and authentic, then you earn the right to capitalize on the other top 7 tips and maximize your foray into social media marketing. To us, these are the foundations that make it possible to achieve the others.
Or, that’s how we see it, anyway.
Thanks for another great post, Sarah. It’s phenomenal information and we’ve saved this one – because we might have opinions, but we also know we have work to do on some of these.
Guess we should go get busy…
Mike & Kali Kunkle
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Pamela Sherman
(January 16th, 2010 at 5:18 pm)
Great Sarah! Love the outline and the line up of speakers. Thank you so much for helpful share.
Sarah Caminker
(January 16th, 2010 at 7:52 pm)
Hi Mike and Kali,
Thank you for sharing your insight and wisdom. The beauty about social media is that you roll up your sleeves, get dirty and see what works and tweak what doesn’t. People don’t expect “perfection” (or at least I don’t), rather they expect you and your brand to be transparent and upfront. If you make a boo-boo and receive negative feddback, OWN it! Reach out to those people and take proactive steps to move forward and learn from it.
You both are fantastic resources of information, and I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment!
Hugs,
Sarah
Rich
(January 19th, 2010 at 2:27 pm)
Great summary Sarah!
I like how you stressed the parts on authenticity and people. We’re doing a presentation here at the School of Public Health for Columbia to get them to finally take the plunge and they’re still seeing Facebook and Twitter as toys and fads. You really laid out a clear 7 highlights.
Sarah
(January 20th, 2010 at 3:09 pm)
Hi Rich,
So glad you checked out our blog! It was a pleasure meeting you at BDI and hope to see you at other events. Good luck with your presentation for Columbia. Just like what was said at BDI, I try to see social media as an integrated part of your marketing, branding and customer service efforts. Social media is not Twitter (that’s just a tool!), rather it’s a way to connect with millions of people who might help spread your message.
All the best,
Sarah
Steve Etzler
(January 22nd, 2010 at 8:38 am)
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for attending the event and your valuable post. You nailed the most salient points from our speakers and outlined them succinctly. We appreciate your contribution to the community and look forward to having you involved in future programs.
Regards,
Steve Etzler
BDI
Sarah
(January 26th, 2010 at 10:06 am)
Hi Steve,
Thank you for commenting on our blog. Always enjoy seeing new faces. BDI put on a fantastic event, and I look forward to attending future ones!
Best,
Sarah
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