Archive for June, 2009As you know if you’ve been to my professional site, I’ve been training businesses and individuals in the use of social media tools for almost a year. Some of my clients have included the National Association of Women Business Owners, the Society of Professional Journalists and even local chambers of commerce. I just ran across something a colleague of mine is doing and I love it. Truly. Tags: adrian dayton, Jeff Cutler, social media training, twitterMonday – June 29 Boston Wordpress Meetup – 7-9PM Tuesday – June 30 MediaBistro – 6-8:30PM Realize the ROI of a Social Media Community – 6PM Girls in Tech – 6-10PM Subversive Supper Series at BetaHouse – 6:30-10{M Wednesday – July 1 Open Coffee – 8:30AM-??? Thursday – July 2 Unemployed Networking Meetup – 4PM Sunday – July 5 Boston Media Makers at Doyle’s Cafe Please share events I might have missed in the comments. Keep reading! Tags: @jeffcutler, calendar, meetup, social media, tweetupHere in Boston we have a few organizations that help you identify and track worthwhile events. But these tracking services still sometimes have gaps in their coverage due to their mission of only relaying Tweetups or Business events. Therefore, when it’s convenient and I remember I’ll be posting my Week Ahead notes right here on the blog. Feel free to share these notes and to update my listings with your comments. My notes for June 29-July 5 will be up soon. Yes, Monday to Sunday seems appropriate as this weekly listing will appear each Sunday – hopefully. How do you keep your event calendar up-to-date? Keep reading! Tags: @jeffcutler, Boston, calendar, tweetupA while back I signed up to attend the What’s Next in Tech event at Boston University. The line-up of folks speaking was impressive and I thought it might be a nice networking event. Turns out, people are still signing up, so the night could prove to be one of the best of the year. And that’s considering that this week I rubbed elbows with Alex Howard, Chris Brogan, Jack Nicholson, David Armano, Peter Kim and David Cutler. Here’s the lineup for the BU event… A networking reception will be held from 6:00-7:00pm followed by the program at 7:00pm. Speakers will include: Michael Greeley, General Partner, Flybridge Capital Partners The conversation will be moderated by Scott Kirsner, Innovation Economy columnist at The Boston Globe. I think there’s still room, so here’s the INVITE. Hope to see you there. Here are the names already on the attending list…
Mr. Anton Yakushin, VP of IT, BongoBing
Website: http://www.bongobing.com Keep reading!
Jun
23
2009
Enterprise 2.0 Conference Jammed with Collaborative Business Tool CompaniesPosted by Jeff Cutler™ in Column, For Sale, New Media Friday, social mediaHave you ever had to edit a Word doc with a group of committee members? If so, you know that by the time you get the original document back, it’s every color under the rainbow and all shred of continuity has been extinguished. That’s usually the power of collaborative tools. And that’s why there are so many jokes about large committees not being able to accomplish anything. In fact, there’s a town north of Boston where the school committee chair allows everyone from the crossing guard to the custodian to give their thoughts on policy before making a decision. In that hamlet, the meetings regularly go for 90 minutes longer than scheduled and it’s taken them years to agree on topics as menial as school naming procedure. But I digress. Technology now makes it possible – and has made it possible for years – for large groups to work together without being at the same table or even in the same hemisphere, and actually accomplish real work. These tools, on display at the Enterprise 2.0 Conference at the Westin Waterfront Hotel this week, are proving to be the lifeblood of doing more work with fewer staffers. For example, RollStream has a product that allows companies to build networks like Facebook for their clients. Essentially, the software creates a closed social network where teams can work together online, safely and easily. Also at the show is a company called ThoughtFarmer. They’ve created a tool that’s used internally at companies for collaboration and information exchange. One interesting way people are using this software is to put up company alerts, HR info, and other internal forms and data – all inside the walls of the firm and presumably safe from prying external eyes. Walking around the exhibit floor, I saw a dozen companies with similar products and that made me realize it might be the wave of the future. But why? I think it’s got the promise of financial savings and ease of use. People are increasingly comfortable sharing their updates on Twitter and LinkedIn and Facebook, so why not leverage that familiarity to create tools that work the same way at the office? Are we hearing the bell toll for shipping, hard media forms like CDs and DVDs, and for business travel? Well, products will still have to be shipped and people will still want to look at larger documents in hard-copy (architectural drawings, etc.). But as these tools get more popular, we are going to see fewer people jetting around the world to sit in a room with a useless committee. We’ll see less spending on shipping if people can just click and see a product or contribute their thoughts. And we’ll continue to see companies tightening their belts on resources. One can only wonder what’s going to happen to conferences like this one when everyone finally buys into distance learning and collaboration. Why would you ever need to go anywhere to be AT a conference if you could be there just by sitting down at your desk? What’s your take on new media tools for business? Are you marketing, collaborating and interacting only on line these days? Keep reading! Tags: collaborative tools, distance learning, enterprise 2.0, Facebook, Jeff Cutler, technology
Jun
20
2009
ROI vs. Impact – a discussion whose time has comePosted by Jeff Cutler™ in Column, Main, social mediaThe other day I was a panelist on the Skeptical CMO radio show. We regularly put out broadcasts exploring the challenges, perspective and solutions applicable to C-level executives and specifically those in a Marketing Director or higher role. Well, Wednesday’s discussion got lively when a listener asked the panel about ROI measurements when it comes to using social media. We all realize – if we’ve been using social media for any length of time – that ROI is elusive because of the lead time these tools require. What I mean here is that if you tweet something today, it may have a measurable impact either NEVER or after a significant period of time. Rarely is a social media approach immediately effective. That said, let’s talk for a second about ROI and Impact. If my clients ask me to show them ROI on a social media campaign that I’ve implemented for them I counter with a request for financial and customer service logs. If I’m allowed to look at month-over-month stats in these areas, from before the campaign began to the present, I can at least show impact figures. I would further do my work and scour the media world for mentions of my client’s brands. Then I would collect this information and show the client that our efforts together had a measurable impact and that a likely ROI would soon follow. Some impact specifics you can look for and share are… Blog posts by influential writers Once you compile this information, the skeptical client (who must already have released some of that attitude if they’re paying you to leverage social media tools on their behalf) will be even more convinced that a marketing campaign that uses all tools properly is the correct strategy. Finally, feel free to share this one example when confronted with social media challenges… The billboard a client just paid $50,000 for is probably going to generate fewer calls and less traffic to their Website than half a dozen well-placed messages and links in the social media space. And the cost to do that is 1/50th or less than the sign by the side of the highway. What can you share about measuring ROI and Impact in the social media sphere? Keep reading! Tags: Impact, Jeff Cutler, metrics, ROI, social mediaIt occurred to me the other afternoon that my cats don’t have to worry about food or kittly litter…YET! They lead unencumbered lives and are free to nap whenever they please. They could even use Twitter and Facebook if the cat maker had given them opposable thumbs instead of those useless annoying toe claws. I’m not that way. Neither do I have a claw on my toes or a sugar Jeffrey to keep me in marshmallows and Powerade. While that might just be an idle musing, I found out the other day that my financials support wouldn’t weep if they had an influx of cash. Luckily I’ve been planning. As most people know, I do four things well… I’m a kickin’ content creator in a variety of forms Were you in my shoes, surrounded by social-media activity and a market hungry to enter the fray, what would you do? My answer – tweak my 17-year-old content company so that its mainstays are new media services and content services including: A comprehensive menu or corporate new-media training and tools for all levels of employees; How’s it going? Perfectly. This week I’ll be present at no fewer than eight networking events, I have two speaking engagements and I already have marketing assignments from two new clients. How can you help? With your feedback and your attention. On Wednesday I’ll be speaking on the syndicated show The Skeptical CMO. This Webinar covers everything a concerned Chief Marketing Officer might ask. Wednesday’s session is on timing your jump into the social-media fray. Sign up HERE Then Thursday I’m continuing my social-media world tour with a session for the Metro-West Chamber of Commerce. As you’re likely aware, the following organizations have either already hired me to present or have expressed an interest in having me speak with them or to their organization about the power of social media… AIM Mutual Insurance Companies If you want to be next, or have questions about what goes into using social media for business, leave a comment on this blog post. I’ll get back to you shortly. Keep reading! Tags: business, Jeff Cutler, novel ideas, social media |
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