Social BusinessBret L. Simmons, Ph.D.www.bretlsimmons.com@drbret

http://devinsizemore.com/Live blog coverage

#bflash

Do you know everyone in the

room?

INTP

SocialAllied with Friends

If you don’t care, no one

will

Gary Vaynerchuk (2011)

MediaMeans of

communicating

Scott McKain, 1/14/11

Social Media for BusinessMeans of communicating with those friends with whom you are allied to continuously improve and grow your

business

Social Media Doesn’t Work

1. Your product or service isn’t any good

2. You’re doing it wrong

Gary Vaynerchuk (2011)

Remarkable BusinessWhat is the single most important thing you need to do on a daily basis if you want to grow your business?

Loyal customersRemarkable products/services

Remarkable operationsRemarkable employees

You

Are you remarkable?

This isn’t just business, it’s personal

Mitch Joel

BrandThe set of expectations, memories,

stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another. If the consumer doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer

(Seth Godin)

Remarkable Brand

RelationshipsChoiceTalkValue

Action #1: Your Top Competitor

• Good or bad relationships with customers, employees, community?

• Why do people choose them?• What do people say about

them?• How does their value differ

from yours?

If I was your competitor

People are talking

Customers

Employees

Suppliers

People are talking

You earned everything

they say about you

Customers

Employees

Suppliers

What’s new?What’s new?

Speed, reach, and impact of good and

bad news about your business

How are you responding?

Business as usual?

Something new

You and your employees

Social Objects• The reason two people are

talking to each other • Social networks form around

social objects, not the other way around

Hugh MacLeod

Social Objects• Documents• Video• Audio• Pictures• Presentations

Your Website

Video, Audio, Presentations

Content (helpful social objects)Conversation

Influence

Engagement Matrix: Tom Webster

Social Objects

Focus on becoming a factory of

relevant social objects.

Social Customers

• Convene – not control – the conversation

• Help them find you, and when they do, make sure they have a reason to say good things

Remarkable!

Action #2: Social Objects

• How do you create social objects?

• How do you convene conversation around those objects?

• Join the conversation: By the end of the week, write a review on Yelp or leave a comment on a blog

Whether you think your company is social or not, it is – because your employees are social.

Tom Webster

Social Employees

• Talking – other sites• About you – other sites

policy, trust• For you – your site

strategy

Reasonable Openness

• Respect that your customers and employees have power

• Build trust• Nurture curiosity and humility• Hold openness accountable• Forgive failure

Charlene Li (2010)

Sandbox Covenant

• Sandbox: clearly defined boundaries where it is safe to operate

• Covenants: promises with shared accountability

• Structured openness Charlene Li (2010)

People Power

Social business is about people, not logos. Don’t just rely on official spokespeople to steward your brand; hire (and work hard to retain) people throughout the company that can build and nurture your community. Social media is not just a job, but also a skill.

Baer & Naslund 2011

Digital Citizens

Hire employees with a demonstrated track record of being professionally personal using the tools that can most help (or hurt) your business growth (e.g. blog, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube)

Action #3: Recommendation

• What do your employees say about you to their friends and family?

• How do you know?• By the end of the week, join

LinkedIn and write a recommendation for a former employee or employer

• Strategic opportunity• Operational excellence• Give everyone that touches

your business something good to say

• Convene the conversation• Become a valuable social object

factory

Key Points

Customers

Employees

Suppliers

Questions?

Social Business

Bret L. Simmons, Ph.D.www.bretlsimmons.co

m@drbret