Does Community lead to Commerce?

Image by jtyerse via Flickr

Before Arik departed for turquoise waters, he posted “Is Social Media Really About Me?” Consensus from comments to that post in my rough observation revolved around sharing, collaboration and making connections. We can all agree that some ego is likely involved. Right?

For me, it is affirming when I get retweeted, @replies, or blog comments. It feels great to think that a post I have written compels someone to take time to respond – even in disagreement. I like feeling the connection. I am uplifted by feeling I participated in a conversation that taught me and others something new.

Unfortunately, most businesses need to believe something more valuable than an ego boost or “good collaboration” is on the other side of a journey into social media participation. The famous ROI question keeps getting raised one way or another. I usually run in to this question from business leaders who are still trying to understand online social spaces and their place, if any, within the operations of their organization. I heard it this week:

“How do we monetize Twitter?”

“How can we make money using social media? Nobody seems able to answer that.”

This feels like one of the most frequent questions asked with the widest range of answers. What is the ROI in social media? To me, the answer is in the verbiage. “How can we make money USING social media?” “Using” needs to be replaced with “participating.”

Businesses have used mass media. They use accountants. They use raw materials. Social media is not for use. It is for participation. Commerce, as a motivation for community, can easily lead to contrived interaction, superficial relationships and limited desire for customers and employees to engage.

I am driven to explain to these organization leaders that authentic/human participation in social media leads to real relationships, passionate employees, and engaged customers. Lack of participation, strategy, and tactics lead to issues like the recent Domino's debacle on YouTube or a loss of connection with the millions of consumers/employees who have come to expect a more personal relationship with brands.

In which camp do you fall? Should social media participation and engagement be measured against expenses and sales? Are you one that believes social media can be statistically judged?

Or are you of the belief that participation is about relationships, connections, collaboration, and sharing?

Can it be both?

Thanks you, Arik, for inviting me to guest post. It is an honor to try and fill in for you. I hope your readers enjoy the post. Cheers, All. @camgross

Related articles by Zemanta

• Terrorized into Excellence (pr-squared.com)
• The Domino's Effect (briansolis.com)

6 things to do on Twitter before you die

We all have our "life lists." 10 things we want to do before we leave this earth. It usually includes incredible trips to far-flung destinations like Australia or Tahiti and serious challenges that you would normally never consider. Think sky-diving (OK, so maybe that one's not on Peter Shankman's list).

Life in the online world's a little different. But, I would argue it's somewhat similar in that there are a number of things I think every Tweep should do before they pass on to the next life.

Here's my short list. What would you add to this Twitter "bucket list"?

1. Participate in a Twitter hashtag conversation. Specifically, I'm thinking about Sarah Evans' and her immensely popular Journchat on Monday nights from 7-10 pm CST, but really any chat will suffice. I recommend Journchat because of the collaboration and sharing it fosters between PR pros, journalists and bloggers. But, I also recommend it to many who are new to Twitter for the "experience." I mean, the first time you try to follow Journchat (I recommend using an application like TweetChat), it can be insane. Your eyes glaze over. You can't follow the conversation. You may even get a little dizzy. But, then you start to figure it out. You begin to follow the threads. You may even post a tweet or two. Next thing you know, you're hooked. And then you're participating every week and encouraging your colleagues to join the fray (and Sarah's legion of Journchat disciples continues to swell!).

2. Live tweet an event. Attending a conference in the next month? Bring your Blackberry or iPhone along and tweet right from the event. For you, it's a fun way to relay useful information to your followers, friend and colleagues. And for those following you, it's a great way to glean useful nuggets of information from an event they may not have the good fortune to attend. Right now, this is relevant as I, and many others, would love to be in Austin at SXSW. But, since I can't, I'll be sure to follow Mack Collier, Beth Harte and others who are in Texas and relaying the best practices, tips and interesting stories along the way. Over the last few months, if you've noticed, I've also enjoyed live tweeting Gopher basketball games (lately @dfolkens, @mnheadhunter, @rpmaus and @ryanmathre have joined in the action)

3. Raise money for a good cause. Think Danny Brown and 12for12K. Think David Armano raising more than $16,000 for a homeless mother of three in just a few days in early January. Twitter can be a powerful tool to help rally your community around a common cause.

4. Have fun with your avatar. Chris Brogan seemingly changes his avatar once a week (closed circuit to Chris: I like the one with your daughter in the pic). Others have swapped out their avatars to demonstrate support for causes or charities (the various 12for12K avatars, for example). Whatever the case, let your hair down. Have some fun. Live a little.

5. Help someone get a job. Heather Huhman and Sarah Evans are the leaders in helping connect job seekers with employers in the PR area, but really, anyone can lend a hand. Send PR job openings you hear about to these two and they'll RT them to their networks (2,400 for Heather, 15,000-plus for Sarah). That's some serious reach. Or, make personal connections among your friends and followers. You might know someone who's hiring--and a few people that are out of a job. Broker an online Twitter introduction. And change someone's life.

6. Be a virtual mentor. Many Twittizens mentor in their "real lives". However, that doesn't mean you should pass on the chance to mentor someone virtually as well. It's easy and doesn't require a ton of time. Just passing along a few good pieces of advice to younger pros can help immensely. And make sure to tag your posts--use the #pradvice tag so everyone can benefit from your pearls of wisdom. You'd be surprised how far your message, tips or insights might travel.

Twitter 101 for PR pros

In chatting with a few colleagues over coffee and at recent PRSA events, I've heard a common theme emerge: a distinct need for Twitter 101 for PR pros. For every David Mullen, Danny Brown or Sarah Evans that understands the nuances of Twitter and how to use it, there are thousands of PR pros out there that still just don't get it. But, they want to learn.

Hey, I'm no Dave Fleet or Peter Shankman, but I think I have a decent understanding of the basics and I thought I'd share some of the tips and tricks I've learned along the way to getting started on Twitter:

* Knock off the basics first. Set up your account by clicking on the "Get Started" button on the main Twitter site. Fill out the basic contact information. Then, work out the details of your account:

* Find a good photo or head shot of yourself to use as your avatar. Make sure it's a photo that makes you look approachable. Remember, Twitter's kinda like online dating--people are going to follow others who look friendly and approachable. Plus, you want to put your best foot forward on behalf of your clients and the organization's you represent (if that's how you're engaging).

*Don't get too cute with your Twitter "handle" (name). I'd suggest the first name/last name approach. Keep it simple. Easier for others--including journalists and other key stakeholders--to identify you in the Twitterverse that way.

* Make sure you fill out the "Web" and "Bio" portions of your profile. For the "Web" link, use your LinkedIn profile if you don't have a blog or Web site. Most folks want to know more about you when they follow you. Make it as easy as possible for them.

* Who to follow? Once you have your account/profile set up, start thinking about who you'd like to follow. There are a few ways to do this:

* Use Twitter Search. Easy way to find people with similar interests. Search by industry, product, service, etc. Find the people you want to connect and share with, learn from and listen to.

* Find journalists within your industry/areas of interest to follow. One good resource: http://mediaontwitter.pbwiki.com/. (thanks Sarah Evans!)

* If you read blogs in your industry/niche regularly, search the blog rolls for folks who might be on Twitter. Most bloggers have links to their Twitter page right on their blog.

* Raid the followers of your first follows. Once you've identified a few folks to follow, take a peek at the folks who follow them or people they follow. You can find this information on the right hand side under "Following."

* If you're in MN, and you're looking for other PR tweeps to follow, you'll find a slew of Twitter handles for local PR/communications pros using a list I recently created, which has been supplemented from folks across the Twin Cities.

* Lurk, then engage. OK, now you've got a few people to follow (and soon, hopefully a few followers of your own). Before you start engaging, I'd suggest "lurking" for a while. Maybe for a few weeks or so. Read other people's tweets. Get to know them--read their bios and blogs (especially important with media--just like "offline" media relations). Just observe how others are acting and behaving on Twitter. After a few weeks, start posting your own tweets. But, make sure you have a strategy first. What kinds of information are you going to tweet? Will it be professional? Personal? A mix (what I recommend--humanizes you, makes you more approachable). How often will you tweet? More importantly, though, start responding to others. Do this by hovering over the right-hand side of each tweet. You'll see a curved arrow--that's the @ button. Click on that and you'll reply to that person's tweet. Keep in mind, if you go this route, everyone that's following you can see your response. Want to keep it more private? Go with a DM. Find this button on the right-hand side under @Replies. By using DM, your tweet to that person is private and only they can view it (DMs more appropriate for pitches to journalists). Replies and DMs are the lifeblood of Twitter. Use them often to engage in conversations. I try to keep the 80/20 rule on Twitter. 80 percent of my time is spend replying and DMing fellow tweeps. The remaining 20 percent is spent generating my own tweets.

* Be yourself. Some of my favorite people in the Twitterverse are also some of the most funny--and I've never met them face-to-face. People like Danny Brown, David Mullen, Amber Naslund and Scott Hepburn crack me up daily. They also come across as real, genuine people. I think that has a huge impact on your success online--even if you are representing your organization. Don't be afraid to share who you are. How do you pull this off? Create a mix of tweets that reflect your professional thinking and your personal life. The best way to connect with people is to give them a glimpse into your life. If they find something you have in common, they will reach out, connect and share.

Up next, Twitter 201--taking it to the next level (including using favorites, building communities and other Twitter applications to use).

Any additional tips for PR Twitter beginners? What's missing from this list for first-timers?

Photos courtesy of: wboswell, seydoggy and Steve Woolf.

7 Life Lessons and Professional Pointers You can Learn from Twitter

I'll admit, I'm a relative rookie when it comes to Twitter. I just started really participating and engaging a few weeks ago. But, in that short amount of time, I feel like I've learned as much or more than I have during entire college courses. Or, even some of my post-grad classes for that matter. Hey, Chris Brogan said it best--maybe you don't have to go back to school to hone certain key skills you need for your dream job today.

Since my primary MO is sharing, collaborating and connecting on- and off-line, I thought I'd share with you the life lessons and professional practices you can learn--as I have this last month--by engaging with others using this tool:

1--Twitter will make you a better writer. Writing in 140-word chunks forces you to communicate more efficiently and effectively. It makes you a great headline writer, which is only going to become more important as brevity is stressed more and more in the online--and offline--communications world. Twitter also forces you to write interesting, engaging copy--you know the kind you should be writing for your clients and organizations? If your tweets aren't engaging and interesting, people simply won't read them and engage with you. Wow, seems like I've heard that before somewhere...

2--Connect and collaborate with today's great minds. You would be so lucky to have the opportunity to collaborate and learn from great minds like Chris Brogan, Shel Holtz, Jason Falls and Geoff Livingston. And those are just a few of the luminaries in the social media/communications industry. What about finance? Or, health care? Or, technology? They're out there folks. On Twitter, you can connect with these thought leaders instantly in 140 characters. Believe me, these people are more approachable and open to conversation than you might think. Try them.

3--Be a sponge. A big, fat, ready-to-take on the world, kinda sponge. Soak in information as fast as you can take it in. I participated in Sarah Evans' remarkable and wildly successful Journcat last night. With a non-stop stream of tweets running by at warp speed, it was tough to keep up. But, I tried to gather and learn what I could, connect with a few folks, throw in my two cents and move on (One of my lame tweets even landed on her "Top Tweets" list--Sarah, I'm blushing now...) Always remember: Do more listening and learning and less shouting and preaching and you'll do fine.

4--Twitter can make you a happier person. Yes, psychology majors, you read that right. OK, so I may be over-stating it a little, but I find myself laughing at many tweets throughout the day. Just follow @ambercadabra, @darthvader or @skydiver for a while--you'll laugh. Trust me. Doesn't laughing make you happier? I've also met a boatload of people from everywhere from New Hampshire to Australia to Utah on Twitter. Doesn't connecting with new people and building those relationships make you happy? Or, use Twitter to help others. Just look what @armano did last night on Twitter--helped raise more than 4K in two hours (running total is now around 11K, I hear) for a family in desperate need. Amazing.

5--Twitter will help you hone your "pitch" skills. If you're in the media relations game, you know what I mean. When you pitch a reporter or blogger on a story idea you have to do a little research before crafting your pitch, right? You need to find out what makes the reporter tick. What he or she writes about. What they're interested in. Twitter's the same way. Before connecting with others on Twitter, take a few minutes to review their profile and read their blog. Find out where they went to school and if they have any special interests. Mention some of those things in your tweet. It's the same skills--different arena. One more thing: reporters appreciate it when you send them a personal note after they've written a great story, right? Again, same principle holds true in Twitterville. Retweet a follower's recent post. Or, just send them a nice tweet saying how much you've enjoyed connecting with them. Makes all the difference in the world.

6--Twitter: The new post-grad degree. Of course, it's not all about Twitter. It's about the conversations you have, the connections you build, the stories you share. It's also about what you put into it--blog posts you write, comments you provide on other blogs, videos and podcasts you develop. Think you can learn all that in a classroom right now and in the next six months to a year? I'm not saying post-secondary education isn't useful or a smart thing to do. I'm just saying tools like Twitter now give YOU the keys to your future. Take it. Run with it. You might like where you go.

7--Be yourself on Twitter. Isn't that the first rule of dating? C'mon ladies, help me out here. I know it's been a while since I've been in the dating game, but I've always followed this mantra. Applies on Twitter, too. Be funny. Smart. Irreverent. Whatever. Just be who you are. People see right through the folks who are trying to be someone they're not--just like in the real world.

OK--your turn. What have you learned on Twitter? Any life lessons or professional tips you'd like to share?

Minnesota PR/Communications Pros online

Over the last few weeks, I've been informally compiling a list of Minnesota-based PR and communications professionals who author blogs or are engaging on Twitter. Lately, I've found myself asking "Gee, I wonder if X is on Twitter." Or, "What other MN-based blogs can I link to or follow and learn from?" 

After a handful of searches for a definitive resource/list, I continue to come up empty. So darn it anyway, I'm starting one myself. 

This is by no means meant to be an end-all-be-all list. Instead, it's merely a starting point. So please, if you know someone I've missed, please leave a comment below or DM and I'll add it to the list. My plan is to update this list and re-publish every month so we have a definitive, running online catalog of all MN PR/communications blogs and Twittizens. 

Blogs

www.beehivepr.biz (Waxings--authored by various Beehive staffers)

www.mnprblog.com

www.samerowdycrowd.wordpress.com

www.marketingpie.risdall.com (authored by various RMPR staffers)

www.axiom.blog.com

www.fasthorseinc.com (authored by various FH staffers)

www.providentpartners.net.blog

www.toprankblog.com

www.conniebensen.com

www.getfreshminds.com (authored by Katie Konrath)

Twitter

@graemethickins (GTA Marketing)

@jenkaneco (Jennifer Kane--Kane Consulting)

@stephaniesnyder (Padilla Speer Beardsley)

@annehendricks (Fairview)

@patrickstrother (Strother Communications Group)

@timotis (Axiom Communications)

@aprilnel (April Nelson--Weber Shandwick)

@mjkeliher (Mike Keliher--Provident Partners)

@jeffshelman (Augsburg College)

@albertmaruggi (Provident Partners)

@katiekonrath 

@karyd (Kary Delaria--KD Public Relations)

@asdeos (Anthony Deos--Target)

@leeodden (TopRank Online Marketing)

@cbensen (Connie Bensen--Techrigy)

@reinan (John Reinan--FastHorse)

@bskogrand (Brant Skogrand--Risdall McKinney Public Relations)

@bmjewell (Bridget Jewell--Mall of America)

@jasonsprenger (Xiotech)

@saramasters (Minneapolis Synod)

@rebeccamartin (Beehive PR)

@curtisrsmith (Carmichael Lynch)

@beehivepr 

@sleepnumbersara (Sara Ryder--Select Comfort)

@prchck123 (Heather Schwartz--Weber Shandwick)

@evakeiser (Risdall McKinney Public Relations)

@risdall

@ekdao (Erika Dao--Mall of America)

@uptowngirlmpls (LeeAnn Rasachak--Select Comfort)

@knegs (Keith Negrin)

@terrijellman (Tastefully Simple)

@kellygroehler (Best Buy)

@minnesotaprsa

@azemke (Ayme Zemke--Beehive PR)

@perfectporridge (Greg Swan--Weber Shandwick)

@joel22882 (Joel Swanson--Risdall McKinney Public Relations)

@laskaroy (Jared Roy-Risdall)

@mnpr (Ryan May)

Four reasons Peter Shankman is a genius

It's ridiculous to even infer that there is any limit to Peter Shankman's brilliance. For full disclosure, not he's not paying me. I'm not a long-lost relative. And I'm not a personal friend.

But I am a fan. A big fan.

For those of you who were online late last week, you know @skydiver held giveways literally every 10 minutes for those unfortunate souls stuck in the office on Christmas and the day after Christmas. Genius idea. Great for Shankman (he got to de-clutter his desk) and key to HARO's future success. Why?

1--He catered to his key audience. @skydiver now has 19,000-plus followers on Twitter. How many do you think were working Thurs/Fri? I'm guessing more than a few. How many of those folks work in media relations/PR? I can't speak for the media folks, but we PR peeps need all the free stuff we can get. Most importantly, he knew his audience of Tweeple would all be experiencing a slow work day so he'd have their undivided attention. He knew his audience, understood their frustrations (working on Christmas-big bummer) and needs (free stuff) and what would pique their interest. Hmmm...media relations colleagues, sound familiar?

2--He created a whole new legion of HARO followers, believers and advocates. If you visit shankman.com you'll see his first-hand account of his original plan for the giveaway and the initial reaction. After his announcement on Christmas Eve, he suddenly had 400 new Twitter followers. That's 400 more people to help spread the HARO message and further the HARO--and Shankman--brand. Pretty stellar result for someone who was just trying to de-clutter his desk by giving away some SWAG on a holiday.

3--He knows the word-of-mouth game. The brilliance behind this idea: the bulk of the folks who won those giveaways last week were media/PR types, right? Guess what the lion's share of media/PR types like to do? Communicate. Especially about products, services and experiences they've won recently. You're telling me whoever won that trip to Tahoe or those blacksmithing lessons isn't going to be talking about that to their friends, family and colleagues for the next six months. Great way to introduce the brands of the companies who donated items to the Tweeple masses and Shankman followers--creating a whole new slew of brand champions for these organizations.

4--He's not afraid to try new things. For a day-and-a-half, Peter held the giveaway all on Twitter. Enter @brianshaler. Suddenly, we had a live stream of "two guys and a couch" (if you followed, you understand that reference). For those of you who know or have met @skydiver, he's an engaging fellow, which is why the video was so powerful. In a matter of minutes, it went from online giveaway to interactive entertainment experience. Not all of it was riveting. But it was funny, human (you could actually see him realizing he messed up with the final answer) and honest (can't hide from the camera). In any case, the real lesson here is he wasn't afraid to try something new on the fly (fairly sure he wasn't planning to do that--then again, I could be wrong). As companies navigate this unsettled economy, they may start implementing strategies and tactics they once thought to be impossible, ineffective or risky to build their brands or jump-start revenues. Like Shankman, these organizations are going to take risks and try new approaches to reach their key audiences.

What do you think? Smart move by @skydiver? Lame self-promotional stunt? Typical Shankman? Or pure genius?

My New Year's Resolutions: Five things I resolve not to do in 2009

As I thought about my resolutions for the new year, the garden variety goals came to mind: exercise more, eat better, spend more quality time with the kids, etc. But, there are a few others I've been kicking around that don't involve taking action. In fact, these five goals actually require a little different approach:

* I promise not to be "that guy"--Shannon Paul really put it best. As I continue to explore and engage in new social media tools online, I hope to build relationships within my preferred networks, be human (and hopefully, inspire a few laughs along the way), and promote others whenever possible. Not too tough, really.

* I won't have an intimate relationship with my Twitter account. Sometimes it seems we're all a little too close to our online activities. This was most evident to me over the long holiday weekend. Instead of spending quality time with the people that matter most to us, I noticed a number of folks active on Twitter, Facebook and other social networks online. Of course, I was out there, too (after all, how did I know the others were online?), so I'm just as guilty. But that's where my resolution comes in. Using Twitter, Facebook and other tools to develop relationships is great, but I also plan to get out of the house more and meet up with the great PR/marketing/communications minds in the Twin Cities in 2009, too. Nothing replaces good, old-fashioned face time.

* I won't do someting just because "that's the way we've always done it." This one applies not only to my professional life but my personal life. For example, I'm currently researching a way to listen to my music library throughout our home. Originally, I thought about the traditional approach and buying a new portable Bose Sounddock. But as I thought about it, what I really want is access to my expansive music collection in virtually every room of the house, without having to lug around the sounddock. I need a "wired" house--not a sounddock or a run-of-the-mill receiver and speakers. I'm guessing this is going to mean a fairly expensive trip to Best Buy in my near future. For business, this means not falling into the trap of taking the easy way out. I plan to challenge the status quo and never stop thinking of innovative solutions to my organization's communications challenges.

* I promise not to talk too much. Another goal with multiple applications. I need to be a better listener with my clients, my wife, my kids, my friends and my extended family in 2009. Why? Because good listeners are better friends, better dads, better husbands and better communicators. David Mullen seems to agree. Organizations should also make this a priority--listen more intently to your customers next year. Whether it's online through tools like Twitter or blogs or face-to-face through focus groups or personal one-on-one conversations, companies can learn a lot from their customers. Just ask Dell, Starbucks and Southwest Airlines.

* I will not go back to school. Ok that's an odd thing to say, right? Yeah, well I don't have an extra 15K lying around to pursue my MBA right now. Hey, you try it with two kids and 24K in annual daycare bills. What I will do, however, is passionately continue to learn. I hope to spend at least one hour online each night listening on Twitter, commenting on blogs I follow, developing my own blog content and discovering new tools. I plan to stay engaged in my local PRSA chapter as a board member where I've learned so much from so many smart people the last seven-plus years. And I plan to read feverishly. Books on my short list include Groundswell and Naked Conversations.

Those are my goals for 2009. What about you? What do you resolve not to do in the new year?

We need online medicine--NOW!

OK, I'll admit, I have a vested interest in this topic as an employee of Fairview Health Services and as someone who needs to visit a physician soon (I may or may not have broken my pinkie earlier this week). That said, as health care providers, insurance companies and government entities look for ways to transform the health care system, I make this plea: Make it happen--faster!

Why? Quite simply, the "Facebook generation" will demand it. Heck, I'm demanding it. And if my local provider can't figure it out soon, I'm going to Google for my health care needs (as soon as they figure it out, which I'm guessing should be any day now). Anyway, as always, I have a few ideas:

* Online chats with providers to address simple ailments. Similar to the MinuteClinic model, couldn't we develop a model where you could chat online with a doc by IM about basic ailments--ear infections, colds, broken pinkies, etc. Just identify a few physicians on a rolling schedule who would be responsible for connecting with patients online all day. One doc could actually interact with multiple patients at once. Why not--it's called multi-tasking, right? Not sure how we'd reimburse for care in this kind of model, but as has always been the case, industry would find a way.

* Health care Twitter feeds. Wouldn't you sign up to follow a Twitter account that fed you useful health care facts and tips? Five ways to help reduce the duration of your child's cold. Three tips to help you run more and suffer less from joint pain. You get the idea. The tweets could include a quick tip and "point" to a blog post for more information. Mayo Clinic (big surprise) is already doing this--kinda. Like that old public service statement, "the more you know..."

* Virtual visits with providers. We almost have the technology to pull this off now. Tools like Second Life are in relative infancy. When they mature, which is not as far off as you might think, this becomes a very real possibility. The other option--video conferencing. You could visit with your doctor through tools like Skype--look your doc in the eye, ask questions, show your doc a rash, etc. It could be fairly interactive using today's technology with the promise of a whole new experience in the future using virtual tools.

What are your thoughts?