Social media:   How does it build real community? 

Photo credit:  From the video. Social Media Revolution 2, updated from the original video (http://www.socialnomics.com)  Based on the book Socialnomics by Erik Qualman.

I'm just back from a consulting conference, the Association for Change Management Professionals #ACMP11 (twitter, @RevelnConsults is me) professionals.  Social Media was a key theme.  Put change management and social media together, cool stuff COULD happen.  After being at the Future Midwest 2011 conference in Michigan, I thought the same thoughts.

However...

As a consultant & coach who's been pulled into social media consultations, so much of what was presented was "installation" oriented.  There was a paucity, however, about discussing and creating vibrant, enriching, people-focused community where learning, and "learning how to learn" can and does happen.  It is a focus and quest for the communities I now seek to help create.

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Put change management and social media together, cool stuff COULD happen.  ...However...

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Starting with a good foundation is a great start - and kudo's to Detroiter Nikki's blog post, another great start for building "live" social media community by getting clear on what you have and what you want. 

Daryl Conner. Credit: Janice & Conner Parters.

We look forward to discussions with Daryl Conner and his staff about building a change community focused on change that matters.   Daryl is one of the godparents of change management.

Daryl is also a godparent advisor to our "non-partisan," newly relaunched change site. More about that will be part of our conversation for consultants & coaches on Change Masters on Facebook and on our newly relaunched site:  ChangeManagementResources.com

Enjoy Nikki's great guest post on doing a Social Media audit.   AND, kudos to our growing, living, breathing, sharing LinkedIn group: 

• Social Media for Coaches, Consultants and Small Business Owners

We've got some traction going!

--Deb

PS:  If you are interested in the June 2nd, local (Spark East, Ypsilanti MI) hands-on session for Consultants, Coaches, and Business Owners, click >>>>  Social Media Learning Lab

 

Excerpted:

Nikki Stephan ...smart. Busts her tail. And, she’s not afraid to share her opinions. ....

...When we start working with a new client at my agency that wants to build their online presence, the client usually falls into one of two categories:

• the company has a presence online but needs direction and guidance to grow it, or
• the company has no presence online and needs to understand where to start.

A sample from Nikki's full post:

Companies with a social media presence  (paraphrased by Deb for the LinkedIn group audience):

• Is your company’s brand consistent on each network? Is the same logo and company description used? Are staff with personal profiles using the same company name and description?

• If you have a presence on Twitter and/or Facebook, are you only pushing out messaging, or are you using the platforms to create conversations?
  • Do you respond in a timely manner, or at all, to tweets/posts from others?
  • Are you injecting personality into your content?

• How often are you posting content?
  
  • The suggested frequency varies for each platform, but is it too often, not enough or just the right amount?

• How much interaction is there on posted content? Do people comment/like/post their own content?
  
  • This is important to know when recommending what type of content the company should be sharing that will elicit feedback and interactions.

• What are other people saying about the company/brand on social networks and blogs?
  
  • Paid platforms like Sysomos, Radian6 and Engage121 will definitely come in handy for this part, but free tools like Twitter Search, Social Mention, and Google News and Google Blogs are also great options.

• What exists on Digg, StumbleUpon and reddit?  Are people are sharing and submitting content related to the company?   If so, has that content gained any traction on those sites?

 

Companies without a social media presence

• Similar to above, is there user-generated content related to the company and the brand on social networks, blogs, review sites and forums?
  • Companies are often surprised to find out that while they haven’t taken the steps yet to create a presence online, people are spending a lot of time talking about the company (positively and negatively) and its products/services.

• What are your company’s main competitors doing online?
  
  • Have they built a strong presence, or are they just barely dipping a toe in the social waters?

• What social networks make sense for your company?
  
  • USE research and an audit to decide which networks make SENSE or the RIGHT social media places to be.  Twitter may be right or ALL WRONG for a company based on an audit.

Nikki Stephan is a public relations professional and social media strategist at Identity Marketing & Public Relations in metro Detroit. She blogs on her person site, Essential Elements, and Identity’s blog, id tags. She’s also the HAPPO Michigan champion, the assistant editor of the FutureMidwest Conference communications team, secretary of Social Media Club Detroit and a moderator of the weekly in-person and Twitter social media conversation group, Tweetea.

PS:  If you are interested in the June 2nd, local (Spark East, Ypsilanti MI) hands-on session for Consultants, Coaches, and Business Owners, click >>>>  Social Media Learning Lab