To me, blogging is a way to share with others we might not have the opportunity to talk with face-to-face. As far as business goes I often tell my clients that their website is their sales pitch and their blog is their “one-on-one” or “let’s get coffee” meeting. Its give us a chance to share, be open and assert our uniqueness compared to other companies and our peers.

Often a blog is more of an opening to a conversation instead of a complete one. There is a chance for readers to respond with their own thoughts and ideas without all the outside interruptions that happen during a real life conversation (noise, phone calls, other people interrupting).

So I guess to me, blogging is really the first step to meaningful conversation online.

Thanks to great bloggers like Chris Brogan, who supported our “Kivathon” 24 hour live podcast in March of 2007.

Here’s my take on this topic. I run a small-ish, niche, B-C business with my husband. We both come from large Fortune 500 backgrounds and we’ve both worked exclusively in B-C, specifically consumer products.

We’ve been blogging for nearly two years and podcasting for about the same. I’ve spent the better part of my waking hours over the past 5 months trying to get my arms around the next level of social media – Twitter, Facebook, etc. Our industry in general were early adopters of blogs and podcasts, as are our customers. I KNOW our blog is working as is the podcast. Both are generating new customers, sales and quite honestly increased sales among existing customers. Can I justify every penny of expense? Nope. But the cost, including labor are so much lower than the traditional marketing and advertising channels, it’s not even a comparison.

Don’t get me wrong, as the marketer in our business, I not only have to justify things to the finance guy, I’m married to him. He’s not 100% convinced yet, but he’s getting there. I had a customer post last week on Twitter (never would have seen this tidbit any where else) who was disgusted that she ordered two books from Amazon and three weeks later they hadn’t shipped. She mentioned she should have ordered them from my company.

I Twittered her directly, she PM’d me back and in under 30 mins she had cancelled her Amazon order and had called into my customer service folks with her cc #. Sale done, books shipped that day. Now, I didn’t close a huge deal by any means, but I got that customer what she wanted, when she wanted it. She was thrilled. She’ll be back and she’ll tell her friends, etc. Might not be able to track all of that, other than her purchases, but they will come and I know there will be a bigger payoff.

Taking care of the customer, beyond just selling them stuff is the difference. It’s about interacting with the customer, making it a two-way conversation, not a one-way relationship. Relevant content and being real – key for us.

I could go on, but I think I’ve already far exceeded a rational amount of comment space. Sorry. I’m just jazzed about this topic and I have to say finding this blog has been such a great help.

We both agreed that our generation is coming up in all the industries and will be the execs and leaders in the near future, but waiting until then to find ways to incorporate the methods and environments for community that we have now will be too late. I think it is a huge challenge for us to show our teammates the value that online communities and social networking has and will continue to have, but it is an exciting cahllenge. In it we get to help shape and mold new culture, not just technology or methods. We get to put flesh and blood to the principles, technolgies, etc. This is such and exciting time we live in, and I am looking forward to actively participating with people all across the board and figure out ways to unite and communicate, connect and build relationships.

The value that i see as being very evident is INNOVATION …

Using the new tools, discussing the new tools, exploring, testing, playing, etc …

Coming up with suggestions & ideas about how the tools ‘could’ be used and what they ‘could’ do keeps pushing the envelope and forcing change, adoption and acceptance by the corporate world. Once it really takes off … a whole new world of innovation will happen.

–
http://twitter.com/franswaa

Most social media users go online to communicate, to get advice or just for fun. The majority of them don’t care about Facebook pages and “social” ads, newly launched websites or corporate blogs. What they care about is getting in touch with their friends and family.. or finding new people to interact with. They might want to listen to some good music or learn how to write a perfect grad school application essay. They would like to share their thoughts and experiences and learn from others.

Social media is about communication.. So, if you are selling rock climbing gear, start a social network for rock climbers, let them interact with one another, share their experiences, upload their photos and videos. Occasionally, sponsor an event and announce it on your social network, or organize a “Best Climbing Picture” contest and give out a pair of climbing shoes. Use your blog to write reviews on the best climbing places, discuss climbing techniques, give advice on the climbing gear… or post interviews. Building communities and facilitating communication – this is what social media is all about.

The power of feedback received through open dialogue delivers a tremendous tool to any communications team.

Finally, with real substantial data, communications teams now have the opportunity to play a critical role in inter-disciplinary strategies involving sales, customer service, marketing, advertising and operations.

Social media is driving alignment and cooperation between teams that have traditionally lacked any unifying set of data that made sense and is actionable to everyone.