Journal

Discussing Social Media with… Stuart Foster

A little while back, I sent out a request via Twitter asking if anyone would be interested in being interviewed for a discussion on social media. With the medium meaning so many different things to so many people, as well as how it can be used, I was interested to hear the views of the people I connect with.

My original plan was to run a ?round table? style of blog post – raise the questions and then have a mix of views as the responses. However, the answers I received back were all excellent, and showed why social media is the mix of interesting people and views that it is. So, I decided individual posts would be far more effective in an on-going series of interviews.

Sharing his views today is Stuart Foster, social media consultant at The Lost Jacket, a New Media and Web 2.0 Marketing company creating synergy between old and new website ideas. My sincere thanks to Stuart for taking the time to reply and share his views. To connect with Stuart, or find out more about him, please visit The Lost Jacket blog. You can also connect with Stuart on Twitter.

If someone was to ask you for your definition of social media, what would it be?

I define social media as the effective crowdsourcing of ideas, information and thoughts into a readable and (sometimes coherent) stream.

What is your reason for using social media?

I use Social Media for marketing and public (People) relations. I was tasked with running/overseeing the PR wing at my company… one problem:? no cash to back me up. My answer to this conundrum was to turn to social media. I have had a great deal of success with this approach and was very satisfied with my results. I also finally saw the business applications for something I had been doing for the past 10+ years. It was definitely a pivotal moment in my life.

Do you feel that social media is being used to its maximum effect?

No. In order for social media to be maximized in effectiveness… it needs to have the support of C-level executives. Some companies like Zappos and crowdSPRING get social media and have the support of their founders. However, until SM is approved and understood on a wider level… the same arguments against it are going to be used (example – Show me the Return On Investment, or ROI?).

What social media tools or applications do you use? Why these ones in particular?

I’m addicted to Twitter via Tweetdeck. I use LinkedIN to keep my street cred up with the older folks. I am also a very active social bookmarker on Digg, Reddit, del.ic.ous, and StumbleUpon.? With Twitter I am able to talk with people who would definitely not get on the phone with me or even respond to an email…it’s a huge way to level the playing field. LinkedIN is great for maintaining an online (and regularly updated) resume. Social Bookmarking gets eyes on your page of choice…and if content is king: traffic is god on the internet.

Where do you see the future of social media, both in general and for you?

Social Media is going to blow up in 2009 (In a good way). The reason for this being that people will begin to realize that the ability to soft sell on services like this is a much more attractive option then a cold call. Social Media can also make you a networking force, I predict lots more people will begin searching for and reaching out for jobs via the SM space.

Are businesses effectively using social media? If not, what can they do to improve?

No. Some businesses are using social media but it hasn’t gained wide spread adoption yet. Also, it is still viewed as being an accessory or a shiny hood ornament. Companies will allow their message to be communicated by an intern and even worse often let their message become outdated and forgotten. Nothing is worse then a company offering information about their new sale for the summer of 2002…

What do you feel are the best and worst features/uses of social media?

Everyone gets to use social media. So in a way it is the best and worst thing about it. Your detractors, naysayers will be there (as will a few irrational trolls). However it’s great because you can directly address your naysayers AND have your fans come to your support. Making sure the process is transparent can greatly add to your credibility and success.

You can find more ?Discussing Social Media with?? interviews here.

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Why 2009 Is Going To Be YOUR Year

: Image by Denis Collette…!!! via Flickr

You offer me hope.

You continue to amaze me (in the best way possible) with your ability to negate all the naysayers that doubt there’s still kindness in the human race.

You prove the positive nature of mankind is alive and well. And you do this on a daily basis. You are the heart of the future.

Why? Simple.

On Twitter last night, I mentioned that I wanted the community I share space with to write this blog post. I made a simple request: “In one line, how will YOU encourage greatness in 2009?” And you didn’t let me down – not by responding itself, but with the content of the responses.

These are the responses.

@haverhill01835 – “Don’t just listen to people, hear what they say.”
@3keyscoach – “Encouraging entrepreneurs to take their vision and put it into action on daily basis.”
@cognac – “Goodness follows Greatness. Be good, do good in 2009.”
@tmonhollon – “Help make work and writing fun through creativity and play.”
@sbradley3 – “Good is the enemy of greatness. Never settle for good. Never be afraid to start over when a good idea is not enough.”
@marinabroker – “I will always sell the best spot!”
@juliebonnheath – “My motto for greatness is what my drama teacher taught: Professionalism is attention to detail.”
@LaughingCrow – “I will spend more time with my children, help and inspire others, and spread ripples of compassion.”
@isCool – “I will be the change I seek. No one else can be that change.”
@russell_cook – “Greatness will be achieved when we give all we have to a purpose greater than ourselves.”
@abarcelos – “Using our talents (we all have them) to influence and help others in positive ways personally & professionally.”
@KatieKrafka – “I will encourage greatness by REPORTING greatness!”
@ShayRockhold – “I will encourage greatness in others by being their constant cheerleader and (when applicable) coach.”
@ScottHepburn – “Elevate your less ‘connected’ followers instead of fawning over A-listers… you’ll be amazed at what happens.”
@greytblackdog – “Act on the inspiration that I find everyday. The results will show up everywhere in my life, including my writing.”
@SternalPR – I will light a fire under people who lost a job and encourage them to find the entrepreneur spirit in a way that changes the world for the better.”

My own motto? Be interested in others. Genuinely interested. Encourage growth and assay fear. Be the rope for others to climb on.

I look forward to continuing to learn from you all in 2009 and thank you, and everyone I’ve connected with, for making this year the one where I really grew. If it’s true that we’re all in this together, I can’t think of any other people I’d rather be in it with.

Now it’s your turn – how will you encourage greatness in 2009? I’d love to hear your plans.

Turning Towns Into Cities

: Image by incendiarymind via Flickr

My good friend Susan Murphy wrote an interesting post yesterday, about how small towns are social networks. She points out that small towns have led the way for years when it comes to networking and seeing social leaders rise to the top. It’s a really good read and I highly recommend it.

It reminded me of something I’ve been thinking of for a while – how to involve the offline community more with the online one. While the likes of Twitter, Friendfeed and other social media tools are in the ascendancy, they’re still only used by a relatively small number of users, personal and professional.

So how do we change this?

How about we offer real-world and relevant use to offline communities so the online ones would experience growth and understanding? If we gave examples – workable examples – and led the way in showing users how to benefit from these self-same examples?

A conversation I had with my friend and PR person extraordinaire Lizz Harmon led me to think that this can be easier than many might think.

Imagine for a minute that you’re looking to travel somewhere for your vacation. Generally, you go by what the travel agent tells you. Now, unless you’re one of the very few lucky ones who’ve had great travel agents, the information you receive often doesn’t tell the whole story. Unfinished hotels, work sites just off the beach, sewer problems – and that’s just the good stuff.

I don’t blame the travel agent completely – after all, their job is to sell you a vacation and that’s where they make their money. I just wish for a little more honesty.

Now, imagine if you’re the same person looking to go on vacation and you get your information from a town or city’s Tourist Information Bureau – but via Twitter. Customer service representatives cover the account 24/7 and are able to answer any questions you might have. They’re not on commission so there’s no need for any imaginative descriptions.

They give you up-to-date information on places to stay and visit, local events and much more. By interacting with the future visitor, the tourist information office is doing everything right when it comes to placing its town or city in a positive light. And for small towns, it lets them keep up with their city equivalents and encourages tourism into their little part of the world.

Why stop there? Why not have councillors or Chambers of Commerce online and answering concerned citizens or incoming businesses respectively? Restaurants or movie theaters could offer discounts and incentives to anyone that brings in a printed deal from Twitter, Facebook or similar.

There’s a multitude of ways that businesses in particular can encourage the online and offline communities to come together. Our job is to help them get there. Who would you want to see online and what services would you use?

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Learning from Cats

: Image by Tjflex2 via Flickr

Cats can teach us a lot. I’ll admit to a slight bias here, having always been a cat man over a dog man (though my wife is trying her best to rectify that and we now have two dogs alongside our three cats). I just think cats offer more than dogs while looking for less in return. But I digress – as I say, they can teach us a lot.

Cats are extremely independent creatures. They will show you love and sit on your lap for hours, but on the same token they will also disappear for hours at a time as well. They offer and receive love but they can also make their own entertainment.

They’re fastidiously clean. Grooming and appearance is important to them and they’ll happily spend hours cleaning and re-cleaning the same spot, making sure they’re at their most attractive. They’ll also ensure they don’t leave a mess behind them when using a litter box.

The majority of the time, they won’t pick a favourite. The odd cat might choose one owner over the other, but generally they share their time with as many people as possible – owners, friends of owners, family members of owners and strangers outside. They’re not fussy, they’ll talk to everyone.

Be A Cat.

Be independent. Offer a view that’s uniquely your own while staying open to those of others. It’s easy to fall into line and just accept what’s being said or done, because it’s always been that way. But who’s to say that way is right? Think for yourself, question the status quo and never accept something for acceptance sake.

Stay clean. Be transparent about all you do and don’t keep secrets that can come back and bite you in a painful way. If you’re doing something that will affect those around you, be they friends and family or employees or bosses at your business, be open and honest. You might need help later on and that can be hard to come by without the trust of your closest allies.

Keep an open mind. Everyone has their favourites – movies, bands, bosses, employees, bloggers and more. Yet staying within that comfort bubble does nothing for your personal growth. Knowledge is power – knowledge gained with wide-scale insight is almost unstoppable. Keep your options open, never close a door completely and converse with everyone – you never know what you might discover.

How will you be a cat?

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Discussing Social Media with… Kathryn Jennex

Sharing her views today is Kathryn Jennex, project manager at moovy.ca, an online space for film-makers to network, promote and mentor. Kathryn also recently became Chris Brogan’s personal assistant. My sincere thanks to Kathryn for taking the time to reply and share her views. To connect with Kathryn, or find out more about her, please visit? the moovy.ca blog. Or you can connect with her on Twitter – @northernchick.

If someone was to ask you for your definition of social media, what would it be?

My definition is fluid and as I continue to learn more, always being added to, but the basis of the definition of Social Media that I adhere to is this: “At its most basic sense, a shift in how people discover, read, and share news and information and content. It’s a fusion of sociology and technology, transforming monologue (one to many) into dialog (many to many).”

To build upon that basic premise I also agree with this: “Social Media is the democratization of content and the understanding of the role people play in the process of not only reading and disseminating information, but also how they share and create content for others to participate. It is the shift from a broadcast mechanism to a many-to-many model, rooted in a conversational format between authors and people.”

I don’t define Social Media by the tools that are used? because I believe Social Media encompasses face to face networking, chatting around the water cooler and other discussions that occur off-line as well. (Definitions from Brian Solis).

What is your reason for using social media?

My initial reason was to promote a website I project manage, moovy.ca. When I became Chris Brogan’s assistant that changed – I live and breathe Social Media now and am beginning to help others new to the SM world.

What social media tools or applications do you use? Why these ones in particular?

I blog, am present on Twitter and Facebook and am trying to work more on my LinkedIn Profile. You can’t be effectively “present” everywhere. I think it’s necessary to pick 2 or 3 platforms and use them well. Remember, you choose those platforms based on the audience you’re working to engage with. It can change from project to project.

Just a comment ; building community takes time and effort, listening to the people you are trying to reach requires an investment, a level of commitment? and sincerity. These things don’t happen over night. The information about your Company, service, product, network etc. is already out there: choosing to manage it wisely, by using basic social media principals and tools, is a smart thing.

You can find more ?Discussing Social Media with?? interviews here.

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