Don’t Interrupt the Conversation, Join it

As I was reading through my friends’ Twitter updates yesterday morning, I ran across a tweet that inspired me – @thatwoman_soho: “Marketing is an introduction to the conversation. Social media tools and channels allow the conversation to flow freely.”

The quote hits upon one of the main ideas of social media – it’s social. It’s about conversation and sharing. If you find something in the social media space of interest or of value to you, give something in return, whether it be a comment, your ideas/perceptions or even a simple retweet. This is what keeps social media going, and it’s a beautiful thing.

Her quote also subtly points out that marketing is different than social media. Are they related? Certainly. Effectively using social media is indeed a great way to market yourself or your organization as well as extend the reach of your brand.

Sometimes though, people tend to view social media as the silver bullet for their marketing solutions. After all, you can’t avoid the news and publicity it’s receiving everywhere you look. Many of your friends or coworkers are likely using at least one or two social media tools, as are small to large businesses and even the president of the United States. Considering the growth of social media we have had in only the last few years, it’s no wonder why some have placed social media on the pedestal they have. But is it really the “wonder drug” for marketing in the online world?

Potentially, but only if used for the right reasons. Keep in mind that social media is driven by the communities of people who use it, and that the people logging into these spaces have an objective in mind with little patience for interruptions. Let the conversations flow and add your own useful interactions to them, but just remember that marketing in this space requires you to continually add value to the conversation.

If things are done right, your following will grow and garner trust in you, making your marketing more successful. Just don’t interrupt the conversation, join it. 

You Don’t Know Me

I have never talked to your recruiters.

I have never sent you my resume.

I don’t hang out on your Facebook fan page.

I don’t know anyone who works at your company.

In fact, I have never even heard of your company.

Yet, I’m a perfect fit for your hiring needs.

And I would excel in your culture.

So, how will you find me?

Can you believe it? I actually think YOU have to find me.

I guess you don’t know me and never will.

An Emerging Double Standard in Business Communications

You find yourself on the phone with a prospect, or maybe it’s a face-to-face meeting with a client, or networking at an event or trade show. In each of these situations the expectations across any organization are likely to be pretty consistent and clear; at that moment you are the organization, so represent it in the best possible manner. Every day millions of professionals, across a broad array of industries and skill sets, are trusted to do just that.

Seems pretty straight forward, but why is it that this level of trust is not always so easily transferred to the social media space? The trust and related freedom to share insights, discuss an idea, or talk about a service provided by your organization that is common place in the “real world” can suddenly come under a microscope of perceived marketing perfection. Fear of a documented misstep and the desire to put out only the best, most aligned messages, drives rules, processes and approvals that take the “social” out of social media and make it just another marketing channel.

Certainly, as representatives of our organizations, we must always put our best foot forward. But a key step in leveraging the benefits of social media is recognizing that in many ways the perceived control risks are not much different than the risks all business take when engaging in a discussion with a prospect or client. Developing social media policy is a sound business decision, but ensure that it empowers your associates to engage in the conversation, and start to put the power of social media to work for your organization.

What do you think? Should organizations take the risk of trusting their employees more in social media?

Great Relationships Create Award-winning Work

Winning industry awards are a compliment to the strategic and creative teams that concept and produce the work. At Versant, we take a broader and more inclusive view of award-winning work. We believe it has a lot to do with the leap of faith that a client takes with us when they move forward with our ideas and are willing to stretch creatively. We can only win awards when clients trust us enough to create work on their behalf. And because these awards span a number of categories and industries, we believe this recognition confirms our company-wide commitment and ability to succeed in creating breakthrough work that gets results.

Some of our recent awards include…

Health Care

A Gold Aster Award (for excellence in medical marketing) was awarded to Versant and our client, Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging, for the PDI Teleradiology Web site we produced for them (www.pdi-teleradiology.com).

Grocery

Another recent award for innovative interactive work came from the Sixth Annual S.I.A.A. (Service Industry Advertising Awards) competition for our work with grocery chain, Fairway Market, in the greater New York City area. The Web site, www.discoverfairway.com, has become a key promotional tool for Fairway Market and a model for new store openings, with fun and engaging webisodes featuring Fairway personalities, weekly specials and recipes, e-mail sign-up and event announcements.

Legal

In the legal category, Versant and Davis & Kuelthau, a Wisconsin law firm, have won a prestigious Legal Marketing Association award for excellence in brand identity. You can see the new DK brand at www.dkattorneys.com.

Transportation

Versant and Southeast Wisconsin Transit Partners have received the Transportation Marketing & Communications Association (TMCA) 2009 Compass Award. This awards program recognizes organizations in North American transportation that have created innovative, results-oriented marketing and communications programs. Versant and SEWT were recognized for the “My Ride” television campaign.

Great work is a result of relationships with great clients!

Push for Creative L&D Communications

I recently participated in Human Capital Institute’s Learning Innovation Network roundtable discussion and asked fellow members to consider the following:

Are you pushing for creative L&D communications?

• Is it unexpected?
• Is it interactive?
• Will it stick to the business?

Why? Because creativity is too often overlooked as organizations pursue higher L&D awareness, strive for more engaged L&D users, and demand increased value from L&D investments. Admittedly, pursuing creative communications is not the easy, standard approach (think long, boring e-mails). It requires a keen understanding of your audience. It requires collaboration and buy-in from leadership. But most of all, it requires thinking outside of the box.

During the roundtable discussion, I had the opportunity to present case studies of our recent work with two clients who are both doing very innovative things in L&D: Cengage Learning and Kohl’s Department Stores. For Cengage Learning, our case study focused on developing and launching an L&D brand identity for Cengage Learning’s global workforce. For Kohl’s Department Stores, our case study focused on building cross-generational Kohl’s associate engagement through creative L&D communications.

Throughout the roundtable discussions, the group saw the importance of creative communications clearly revealed as members shared their L&D case studies and discussed current themes impacting their L&D functions, including:

• Blended learning
• Mobile learning
• Social learning
• Open source learning

Without question, the world is shrinking and becoming increasingly flat. Case in point, the Did You Know? video that our Learning Innovation Network facilitator, Jeanne Meister, opened the roundtable discussion with. So I challenge any leader in L&D to consider the themes above in relation to their L&D function and ask themselves the same question I asked the group. Are you pushing for creative L&D communications?