The SQUARED Root

Posts Tagged ‘technology’

Social Media and Business Profitability

Posted by Mike Chapman on January 12th, 2009

If you’re reading this blog post, you’re a part of social media. If you have an email account, you’re involved with social media. If you’ve ever used Google or another search engine to do research or look something up, you’re right in the middle of social media.

Wikipedia, itself a great example of social media, describes social media as “primarily Internet- and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings.” If you have a computer or a mobile with internet access, you’re most likely involved in social media.

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If done right, social media has the potential to enchance customer relations while simultaneously increasing brand awareness and increasing sales. And since social media is user-generated and digitally measurable every business should be interested in adding social media to their business strategy, right? Well, not quite.

Because of how social media has come to be what it is today, there is a certain amount of mystery and mistrust toward it. I have some recommendations for an enterprise and other organizations looking to adapt to the evolving world we live in and to do so in a way that will more likely be successful.

The first step is to consult with savvy professionals in the areas you hope to succeed in and that might benefit from a social media component. Ask the prospective consultant or new employee how they view social media.

Do they understand cultural trends and new technologies that digital natives and a growing group of digital immigrants are coming to view as standard? Have they devised strategies to incorporate social media into their offerings?

If you’re satisfied that you’re getting honest and satisfactory answers, ask if they can offer some solid evidence of their abilities and also find out whether they actually participate in or with social media communities. Listen to and evaluate what they have to say and consider their overall capabilities including, but not exclusively, social media.

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The economic downturn has increased the interest in social media tools for business. FG SQUARED is the title sponsor of an upcoming conference in April centered on utilizing social media to enhance enterprise profitability.

Stay tuned for more information on that conference here on the SQUARED ROOT.

 

Great Content is Key

Posted by Mike Chapman on December 12th, 2008

We spend a lot of time in social media talking about the tools involved. Just this week I was reminded again that great content is really the key.

 

My friend Eileen Smith has been the online editor of TexasMonthly.com for more than a year now. Evan Smith, her boss and no relation to her, had previously brought her in to direct their efforts in social media. Since then, Eileen’s coverage of state and national politics and culture have brought an edge, new insights and a whole lot of new interest to the magazine’s online offerings.

 

Years before, Eileen had created her own blog and had generated a large following by creating great content – she’s a fantastic writer – and having an “anything goes” attitude about comments. The blog literally has been a gathering place for lobbyists, members of the legislature and their staffers, journalists, and anyone else with an interest, something to say and maybe some time to kill.

 

Eileen is a trained journalist with solid political credentials but decided to enter into the blogosphere at a point when it was still very unproven. She chose the name “In The Pink” in reference to the pink granite of which the Texas State Capitol building is constructed.

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Discussions can get very heated when commenters, often using psuedonyms, discuss politics or other cultural hot buttons. Yet, somehow, the community that makes up the readership always handles its own squabbles and Eileen just keeps cranking out hilarious, insightful, current, and very well written content.

 

Yesterday, as I often do, I typed “inthepink” into my search bar and discovered that Eileen’s blog is now a part of the Texas Monthly family of blogs. I’d heard the rumors, but didn’t know for sure if or when it would happen.

 

Her first post is hilariously titled,“We Are the Blog We’ve Been Waiting For.”

 

In typical Eileen Smith fashion she explains, “(e)verything that you’ve grown to love or come to hate about In the Pink will remain the same. Sure, I suppose that this hand-over could prove to be a “legal risk” to Texas Monthly while providing constant ethical challenges to its well-respected brand, but isn’t that why they have a lawyer on retainer?”

 

This is great, in my opinion, and it’s made possible by the fact that Eileen and a group of guest writers have always provided great content even while being very edgy. It wasn’t enough to simply add a blog that takes risks, it had to be one that is very well done when taking those risks.

 

This kind of strategy might not work for everyone, but in the case of Texas Monthly my betting is that it will pay off very well. I know I’ll be reading.

 

The Communications Revolution

Posted by Mike Chapman on September 26th, 2008

I have sometimes characterized social media as a revolution in communications. While that may be a bit of hyperbole, social media and online social networking are certainly providing a multitude of new opportunities for two-way and multi-directional forms of communications.  

These often disruptive and sometimes less than polished online conversations, form the basis of the Groundswell occurring on and around the internet. Marketing, advertising, and all forms of media, including customer and public relations, have been profoundly impacted.

Despite the feeling of newness, however, the basic characteristics of social media are at least as old as the United States. Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense, written in 1776, encapsulated the concepts of the American Revolution in an unorthodox form for its time and was circulated in a purposefully disruptive manner among the American colonists.

The pamphlet served as a call to arms against the King of England’s tyrannical rule and offered an alternative approach for self-governing. The ideas in the pamphlet weren’t completely original, but the simplicity of the language used was out of the ordinary.

Paine’s more casual style of writing was more suitable to the kind of democratic society he and others envisioned. Complex ideas were made intelligible to the average reader in contrast to the more formal style favored by institutions of power. That sounds similar to the authenticity and transparency which are also the hallmarks of modern social media.

Finally, Paine’s willingness to openly confront King George III, on the record for all of his fellow colonists to read, was very uncharacteristic among colonists who feared the wrath of the King. His willingness to voice his opinions in the open, and in understandable language, was instrumental in initiating a public debate about independence.

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Common Sense Communications Today

Compare Paine’s revolutionary pamphlet to what’s going on in communications today. Because of the many options that have been created by new technologies, each of us has the opportunity  to engage in conversations with other people who share our interests and in a language that can be understood by those involved.

Consequently, proactive companies are instituting new strategies that anticipate the sweeping changes in communications and self-organizing occurring around the internet. Not only can a business or not-for-profit organization get out in front of potential negative communications coming from their various constituencies, they can effectively convert them into brand loyalists with sincere attempts at developing genuine relationships with them

By acknowledging them as being important and then communicating openly with them, it’s possible for corporations to foster good will and enhance the organization’s social capital among its customers. It’s not only possible; it’s happening.

There are profound opportunities for large organizations, including corporations, to empower their employees in this new environment by opening new channels of communications to the communities outside of the company. This very natural form of social capital is nothing short of revolutionary. Well, it’s certainly a move in the right direction.

Additionally, through effective implementation of an internal communication system, such as an intranet, employees can be empowered to be excellent advocates for their company. With clear internal guidelines in place, an intranet can provide a platform for coordinating teams of goodwill ambassadors who can be available to reach out into the groundswell. I’ll write more about how FG Squared is taking the lead in this direction in a future post.

It’s a little too late for King George III to learn about the benefits of listening. It might be, however, the perfect time for you and your business to start.

 

Bill Fields at IA08

Posted by Beth Ranson on June 18th, 2008

I just learned that Bill Fields, the former president & CEO of WalMart Stores Division, is going to be a part of Interactive Austin 2008. He is going to be on a panel with our very own Dave Evans and they will be discussing the new trends and technologies that are driving social interaction.

Social interactions are increasingly becoming “virtual,” always present and close as your mobile or handheld. As a result these virtual interactions are now a part of real life: people expect to be able to connect independent of physical proximity. Networks of friends, colleagues, partners, and suppliers are playing an essential role in the collaborative processes powering leading organizations.

However, I digress, back to Bill. What makes me so excited to hear Bill’s perspective on social interaction is his background. To put it simply, Bill is not new to the world of big business. Bill has served as Chairman and CEO of Blockbuster Entertainment, President and CEO of WalMart Stores Division, as well as President and CEO of Hudson’s Bay Company, which at 332 years is the oldest chartered firm in North America.

Currently, Bill is the Managing Director of Field Texas Limited which is a consulting and investment company that specializes in consumer, retail, and supply chain in North American and in China.

Bill’s experience and vision in building larger organizations will no doubt provide a very unique and exciting perspective on how social media and social interaction are affecting the business world.

 

The Innovative World of Social Commerce

Posted by Beth Ranson on June 18th, 2008

If you ever wondered what social commerce’s impact is on business, then you will be very interested in Steve Guengerich’s keynote presentation tomorrow at the Interactive Austin 2008 conference.  Steve, who is the Chief Learning Office at nGenera, will be discussing the intricacies of social commerce and what it means for the companies of today.

Steve is going to take the audience through the “perfect storm” that is Web 2.0 as it brings together globalization, talent and technology.  He also will bring into light the necessary redefinition of corporate marketing, as well as the trust that consumers and clients have in companies, brands and individuals.

According to Steve, Wikinomics is the model for leveraging social commerce.  He will use case studies to show how early adopters of wikinomics have utilized this social commerce tool in their business and the major impact that it has had on corporate trust and marketing.

Finally, Steve will introduce Interactive Austin 2008 attendees to the next generation enterprise.  With the next generation enterprise, companies will be able to source talent both inside and outside the enterprise, as well as allowing the customer to come inside the enterprise to co-innovate.

Mr. Guengerich’s keynote is sure to bring excitement into the audience as he delivers them to the cutting edge of social commerce.

Before joining the C-level ranks at nGenera, Steve was the Director of Information Technology for Bridgepoint Consulting, as well as the President of Perceptive Sciences Corporation.  He began his career with Accenture and PriceWaterhouse-Cooper’s consulting group where he specialized in advanced technologies.

Steve also is an award-winning writer and has authored eight computer books and articles for publications like Computerworld, eWeek and NetworkWorld.

 

My Tag Cloud

Posted by Steve Golab on March 27th, 2008

Now that I am serious about meeting up with the rest of the world, my friend Cynthia Baker has asked me to draft a real professional biography that would be useful for securing presentation slots at target rich business conferences. Upon drafting the biography, I immediately reviewed at http://www.tagcrowd.com/ and here is the result.

 

 

created at TagCrowd.com

 

 

It’s amazing how well tag clouds center in on your thinking process! Thank you www.tagcrowd.com.

 

Here is my current biography to be recorded in Internet history forever. Please trust this only represents my life until now. But afterall now is gone.

 

Kindest Regards.

 

Steve Golab began his career as a pioneer of interactive communications while still an undergraduate in mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Golab piloted the university’s College of Engineering Multimedia Lab, developing interactive educational materials while demonstrating the powerful impact of multimedia and the Internet on learning complex technical subject matter.

 

In 1994, during the early adoption of HTML 1.0, Golab co-founded FG SQUARED (www.fg2.com). Launched as a technology consulting business, the Austin-based firm soon evolved into a multimedia design agency focused on digital video, 3D animation, motion graphics, information management, and systems.

 

Golab’s engineering background brought the firm its initial success as a high-tech consultancy. His talent for understanding what really happens inside technology and visually communicating complex subject matter is core business at FG SQUARED.

 

From business visionary to organizational thinker and from strategy leader to relationship builder, Steve’s role in the agency he helped create is wide-ranging. A typical day finds Steve moving from addressing high-level client needs to consulting with team members in planning and execution of world-class interactive strategies.

 

Steve focuses on longevity, leadership, and the building of profitable relationships. However, it is Golab’s strong entrepreneurial spirit, diverse business management skills and his passion for achieving total client satisfaction that have enabled FG SQUARED to consistently remain an industry leader. Today, FG SQUARED has evolved into a full-service, interactive agency that applies interactive technologies and expertise in marketing to help clients achieve a faster track to profitability.

 

Since 2003, FG SQUARED has achieved upwards of 35 percent compounded average annual growth. The agency’s core capabilities span the spectrum from strategic planning and digital branding to interactive media production and social media solutions for Fortune 500 clients such as Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NYSE:AMD), Hitachi Ltd. (NYSE: HIT), Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS), Motorola (NYSE: MOT), Premier Global Services (NYSE:PGI), Canon (NYSE: CAJ), and Texas Association of Community Health Centers.

 

Building long-term relationships with clients in diverse fields including energy, technology, healthcare, entertainment, and mobile communications, FG SQUARED has earned more than 100 interactive media awards including the New York Festivals, Business Week MC Icon, WorldFest International Film, and Telly Awards. FG SQUARED is also a past recipient of the New Media 500, honoring it as one of the world’s most influential interactive agencies.