How are big organizations learning to thrive using social media tools? In this 12-minute podcast, you’ll hear an interview with Bob Pearson, president of the Social Media Business Council, which helps large enterprises to share best practices on social media issues. Bob spoke at Third Tuesday Toronto on July 7, 2009. You’ll see him pictured here in the converted church that is now the Berkeley Heritage Event Venue.
You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, you can subscribe through iTunes, or you can listen via the Blubrry player on the right side of the Trafcom News Podcast home page.
Here are the show notes:
Comment line: 212-624-0209
00:01 Intro and welcome; about Bob Pearson and the Social Media Business Council
02:10 Interview with Bob begins
02:20 Biggest challenge facing large organizations using social media? They have to not only think outside the box, but also create a new box. Are they aware of the conversations out there? Wake-up call!
03:30 Most people realize they are not speaking to customers at all; customers demand that you do things in a way that works for them; build a bridge between customers and organizations.
03:55 Social media skeptics change with time; lots of innovators are making things happen – Ford, Starbucks, Intuit, etc.
04:38 Why would you NOT want to build a better relationship with your customers?
04:53 Social media is very quantitative; you can see traffic, purchases, etc., helping you to understand what’s happening; ratings and reviews help you figure out where the passion is.
05:46 Even silence is a signal; it’s not a viral campaign if it stops when you stop spending money; word of mouth is the goal.
06:33 Great content at Social Media Business Council Web site; take a look.
06:40 Bob is actually in Canada on vacation.
07:12 Lots of info about Bob’s presentation on Twitter and blogs.
My own key takeaways from Bob:
07:39 Customers are shaping our reputations daily. Are you accidentally outsourcing the building of your brand?
07:55 True leaders identify issues before they happen; customers assume you are listening to them in real time; reminded me of the United Breaks Guitars event of this week.
08:20 Realize that the customer doesn’t care where YOU want them to go; they are part of their own liquid network.
08:42 Less than one percent of a customer’s time is spent purchasing; 99 percent is spent browsing and socializing.
08:49 Brands can build trust by being there when they’re needed, not when YOU need the customer.
09:00 Sharing of content is key. You must have content that people need to share. Why else would they come back?
09:19 Any time you’re talking to customers and you tell them the truth, you win.
If you work for a large organization and you’re involved with social media, check out the Social Media Business Council.
09:40 Thanks to Joe Thornley and the organizers and sponsors of Third Tuesday Toronto; in the fall Shel Israel will speak, launching his new book, Twitterville.
10:04 Take a look at the video version of my Webinar, “How to use new media to make the most of your event or conference.”
11:02 Lots of positive comments about my interview with Paul Barton of Hawaiian Airlines. You can find it here.
11:13 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog.
Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com. Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.
Do you ever sound good on my new, tiny iHome speakers.
Thanks for an interesting interview.
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Posted by: Term paper | August 15, 2009 at 01:47 AM