Eric Peterson — creator of Web Analytics Wednesdays, author of two books on web analytics, creator of the Analysis Exchange, and all around brilliant and neighborly guy, is going to be here! In Columbus!

October’s (always free!) event is sponsored by Foresee Results and will include heavy appetizers and a drink or two.

Date: October 4, 2011

Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Location Barleys Smokehouse and Brewpub, 1130 Dublin Road, Columbus, Ohio

RSVP Click here!

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Date: September 15, 2011

Time 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Location: Skyline Chili on Bethel Road, 2054 Crown Plaza Dr., Columbus, OH

RSVP: Click here!

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When you operationalize social media feedback at a $4B company, pointed questions such as ROI, social media organizational structure, and channel management come to the forefront quickly. Learn how Scotts Miracle-Gro utilizes new social media technologies to collaborate integrated outbound marketing and inbound customer service “voice of the customer” messaging to build our brand, increase revenue and retention, as well as seed innovation.

Beth Dockins is the Director of Customer Service for Scotts Miracle-Gro’s LawnService Division and will guide us through the strategy and tools for answering questions you have to successfully integrate your social media initiatives for both large and small companies.

Date: Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Time: 7:30 am – 9:00 am

Location: Columbus Metropolitan Library, 96 S. Grant Ave. , Columbus, OH 43215

RSVP: Click here!

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The Giant Eagle Multi Sports Triathlon will take place this weekend at Alum Creek State Park from 5 am to 10 am at the Beach.  (Saturday is a women’s race only.)

When?

Volunteers are needed on Saturday, July 30th, and Sunday July 31st.

How can I help?

Volunteers will help with registration, body marking, handing out chips to compute time, and will man the water aid station.  Up to 20 volunteers are needed each day.  Volunteers must be 16 years or older.

How do I Get Involved?

Please contact Josh Dwine at 724-630-5757 or email volunteer@hspracing.com.

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Welcome back to our Blogging Book Club discussion of “The Now Revolution.” We are now in Shift 2, where Jay and Amber discuss finding the right talent to represent your business and act as stewards of your culture.

I love the list outlined on pages 37-38 that detail what a social media role might entail. Perhaps the most important point in this Shift (in my opinion) is that none of the responsibilities speak specifically to social channels. I can’t tell you how many times I see job descriptions that require candidates to be proficient in Facebook and Twitter. Channels evolve. It’s far more important to have someone on your team that can apply social tactics in ways that align with business objectives… utilizing an array of tools that may be appropriate for the approach at hand.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to present a social media overview to some public relations students at Ohio University. I shared the below list with them, as these are questions I typically ask myself when considering a candidate who wants to work in social marketing:

I’ve found that targeting talent with these abilities result in a much more nimble, efficient and effective team.

Now. Let’s get talkin’!

Please share your responses via the comment field below. Number your answers so that we know which questions you are addressing. Feel free to answer all, or just a few that interest you the most.

1. Would you hire a “generalist,” rather than someone who specializes in a particular channel or type of marketing tactic (e.g., public relations, social media, etc.)? The concept seems to make sense, but how easy or difficult is it to find these people? How do you identify in the span of a few interviews that they bring the right mix of talents to the table?
2. How do you know when someone is a right fit culturally? What are some of the questions you might ask in an interview to get to that answer? Or, what might you look for in their social profiles that would be a strong “right fit” indicator?
3. What are your thoughts on Jay and Amber’s list of responsibilities for a social media role (p. 37-38)? Thoughts on my list of questions to identify the right social marketing talent? Anything to add to either list?

For next week: Read “Shift 3: Organize Your Armies.”

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In Shift 1, Jay and Amber waste no time getting down to business. They are quick and direct in stating that a successful social strategy can most effectively be realized within a real-time culture that embraces and nurtures adaptability, participation and empowerment, among other key elements.

I appreciate their focus on business intent as a prime driver of the “aftertaste” that is left by a brand and its experiences. Perhaps more important than an organization’s intent are the employees that execute it. Jay and Amber articulate what we all know but too often forget: that if your people are not advocating for your purpose, your culture is not a thriving one. And as a result of the social web’s transparency, consumers will see right through the façade. Let’s be honest…

No one gets excited about doing business with a disingenuous or “meh” brand.

I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of synergy in business – that is, the notion that “the whole is more than the sum of its parts.” To me, achieving synergy within the context of business in the online world means finding synchronicity between a business’ mission or purpose (or its intent) and its online actions and interactions (how employees live out the intent). As Jay and Amber point out, a culture that exhibits solidarity, demonstrated trust, feedback loops, diversity and reward systems is what fuses these two together.

A brand’s culture is what creates or hinders synergy.

Why does synergy matter? When a business achieves it, it is often able to pivot that into a competitive advantage. For example, let’s say you make the best, most differentiated widget in your industry. If you can now leverage the synergy created by your culture in a way that enables you to:

• tend to service issues,
• answer questions,
• meet customers in their “moment of need,”
• in their channel of preference,
• in a manner that competitors cannot easily copy or neutralize

Boom! You have the makings of a competitive advantage.

Synergy is often sustainable because it is based on the unique characteristics of an organization (your culture and intent!).

So those are my musings. Now, for yours. Here are some questions to guide your responses:

1. Generally speaking, what were your reactions to Shift 1?
2. What are the top three traits you value in a potential employer?
3. To bake a culture right into your business (a la Ritz-Carlton), what steps can you take on a smaller scale if you don’t have the advantages of scale or other expendable resources at your fingertips?
4. What do you think about the feasibility of an Idea Lab concept in your organization? What are your ideas to put a plan in place to activate the ‘good’ ideas and table the ‘not-so-good’ ones (without discouraging participation)?
5. What section(s) of the Culture Quiz are currently the most prohibitive to achieving an honest, real-time culture in your organization? What actions can you take to address and repair two or three items that you think could really impact your culture?

What say you, readers?

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But first, a confession.

I don’t blog very well. At all.

Sure, I do manage my own blog (and I use the term “blog” quite loosely).  But, when measured up against other Columbus blogging heavy-hitters, I fall pretty short.  I don’t post very consistently.  I never spell check.  I rarely promote my posts.  And my opinions are entirely too polarizing.  Which is why I thought Rocky had enjoyed one too many adult beverages when he asked me to lead this effort.

As a writer, I tend to have diarrhea of the mouth (fingers?) and just let my thoughts flow.  Which will occasionally make me seem unpolished, overly candid or any other series of not-so-flattering adjectives.  But, I think that also makes me seem more interesting.

So.  As long as you’re cool with that, I think we’ll have a fantastic discussion!  I like to ask a lot of direct, difficult questions.  I like to intentionally play devil’s advocate.  I think we all owe that to ourselves in order to walk away stronger professionals, armed with a sharper business sense and approach to marketing and social strategy.

That said, and without further ado…

Week 1 Assignment:

• Read Intro + Shift 1, “Engineer a New Bedrock”
• Follow me on Twitter and/or LinkedIn to see when my evaluation and discussion questions have been posted… and then PARTICIPATE in the conversation

Happy reading, folks!

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The Now Revolution

If you were at the 2011 Ohio Growth Summit, then you received Jay Baer and Amber Naslund’s book “The Now Revolution – 7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter, and More Social” at check in. If you did not attend, then go over to Amazon (non-affiliate link) and pick it up in hardback or Kindle.

When thinking who could lead such an endeavor, only one name came to mind – Carolyn Maul.

By day, Carolyn develops, executes and manages all social media strategy for Nationwide Insurance and also consults with a variety of

Carolyn Maul

Columbus businesses regarding smart implementation of social media. By night, she feeds her crochet, running and reality television addictions. She is also Vice President of Social Media Club of Columbus and lead singer of pop-rock band Abby Church.

Carolyn is pumped to be leading the blog book discussion of “The Now Revolution.” She hopes to get participation from a wide variety of professional functions and to foster robust, respectful discussion. It would be a nice bonus if people learned some things to take back and implement in their marketing programs.

Your first assignment, grab “the Now Revolution,” and come back on Tuesday as Carolyn kicks things off!

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Marcy gives a couple of tips regarding face to face networking and how it is important for building strategic networks to grow her business.

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Do you have a blog gathering dust? Is it on life support, barely getting by? Was your last post four months ago? If you answered with a sheepish “Yes!” then this post is for you.

Good Reading:

8 Ways to Collect Enough Blog Post Ideas For the Next 100 Years

Bootstrap Graphic

Graphic design and Marketing Communication for the entrepreneur and small business. Logos, Copywriting, Light Website Design, Print Communication.

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