You might be interested in a workshop I’m co-hosting on the morning of Tuesday 17th November: Social Business: Making sense of Social Media. In this video, my co-host Nick O’Doherty from Bright Beehive talks about some of the risks and opportunities Social Media.
You’re probably familiar with LinkedIn, Twitter etc so probably have a view on so-called ‘Social Media’. There’s an overwhelming amount of stuff around. As an ‘average Joe’ just trying to run a business I find it quite hard to make sense of, and it doesn’t help that a lot of the noise comes from a technical background or from marketing consultants - rebranded as self-styled Social Media Experts.
And that’s a shame, because I feel that Social Media is more than just a bunch of cool technology and another channel to broadcast what I want to say.
At minimum, the various tools (and LinkedIn, for example, is only one, limited, part of the toolkit) are an aid to efficiency, better information flow and so on in day-to-day work - especially if you work across organisations, departments or geographic locations.
Unfortunately, there have been some PR disaster stories, such as air stewards using Facebook to criticise passengers, or Dell customers complaining about that company, although its been good to see the businesses affected spurred into taking Social Media seriously, responding honestly to criticism by engaging in conversations, and emerging with more respect from former critics.
More positively, for me work is and always has been social and my hope is that Social Media can give a massive boost to having more and better conversations - with clients, peers, and other folk who have interesting and useful ideas and experiences.
Luckily Nick, one of my former clients who has wide and deep business experience of how technology can help - and hinder - work has set up a business to “support organisations who want to engage more closely, transparently and authentically with clients, staff and business partners in pursuit of business benefits. .. by helping them to create rewarding conversations through effective use of social business tools”.
Well, I couldn’t miss this one! So, we’re co-hosting a workshop on ‘Social Business: Making sense of Social Media’.
Aimed at business people who are starting to engage in this area, or have already started and need some help, the workshop will include a mix of factual presentation, discussion, pragmatic advice, case studies and theory bound together with a focus on ensuring that all participants walk away with tangible value from the morning.
The workshop will cover, amongst other things, the business benefits, opportunities, risks and some case studies of Social Media. It will help you address questions such as: Should you get involved with this stuff? and, if so how? and, Where do I begin?
To find out more and book please visit http://social-business.eventbrite.com/
There’s an overwhelming amount of stuff around about Social Media. As an ‘average Joe’ just trying to run a business I find it quite hard to make sense of.
It doesn’t help that a lot of the noise comes from techies or from marketing consultants - rebranded as self-styled Social Media Experts.
And that’s a shame, because I feel that Social Media is more than just a bunch of cool technology and another channel to broadcast what I want to say.
For me, work is social and my approach to getting and doing work still boils down to having lots of great conversations.
So my hope and belief is that Social Media can give a massive boost to having more and better conversations - with clients, peers, and other folk who have interesting and useful ideas and experiences.
Whether you personally regard it with some suspicion, or as overhyped, or feel at home with the likes of blogging and Tweeting, Social Media is already changing the way we work and play.
Work has always been social, and we have long used various tools and technologies to help us work effectively together, develop and share ideas and get things done. In one way, new Social Media applications - that go well beyond Social Networking tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter - are just the latest tools. However, these tools represent a change that can be truly disruptive.
Whether or not you choose to engage with it, Social Media opens up both new risks and fantastic opportunities. On a rather negative note, you might be wise to ensure that your organisation doesn’t pick up all the risks while your competitors get all the benefits!
More positively, Social Media can be a powerful lever in improving the quality, value and impact of relationships both within your organisation and with customers and collaborators.
And it offers the chance of new ways of work that were just not feasible before.
All of that said, it’s not easy to get to grips with the issues. What IS Social Media and why does it matter from a strategic, business and organisational perspective? What are those risks and opportunities and what ideas are there about where it’s going?
I have a sack of questions and simple curiousity about Social Media and I like new ideas! So, I was delighted when some former clients set up a dedicated business and organisation consultancy - Bright Beehive - advising people on just these and related questions. They’re doing some very interesting stuff with charities, academic and business organisations.
Best of all, we’re doing some collaboration of our own and putting together a public workshop to give anyone who wants to come along the time and space to explore their questions about Social Media.
More information soon!
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