Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on March 21, 2010 under Books, Communication, Connecting Moments, marketing, social media | 
Once again Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton have corraled a couple hundred writers, marketers, and entrepreneurs and asked them to provide their valuable insights into connecting with the customer through social media. The book is currently at the publisher and is expected to hit the book stores (print and Kindle/iPad versions) in April! I’m humbled to be part of this wonderful collection for the second time.
In the Age of Conversation 3 Gavin and Drew asked authors to share their thoughts in one of ten areas:
At the Coalface
There is much to be said for good strategy, but what happens when the strategy is done? What happens when the time for talking is over? This section is about working at the coalface of social media. It’s about the real world lessons that come hard and fast. It’s about case studies and the stories and events that are much better in the re-telling than in the moment.
Conversational Branding
When we talk of brands, we generally understand what it means. But what happens when a brand ventures into online conversation. What does it mean to participate in these conversations? Is this earned media? Is it paid for? Or is there an in-between space? How important is brand in the social media space? How does the conversation shape or change the brand?
Influence
Much is made of influence, but what does “influence” mean in social media? Who has it, and who creates it? Does influence mean different things to different people? Is it hype or can it make the cash register ring? Is influence one of the new currencies?
Getting to work
They say that the best approach to social media is dive in. But getting to work with social media can be harder than it first appears. What have you done to quickly get to work? Or perhaps this section is about how you use social media to get to work — literally. Is it a viable tool for networking and job hunting? Or maybe this section is about how social media is changing the face of work. Does getting to work now mean sitting at the kitchen table in your bathrobe?
Corporate Conversations
There is plenty of coverage of social media when the focus is on marketing or advertising. But what is happening in other parts of your business? How is social media playing within your business and has it surprised you? Or…if you’re a consultant or agency, how do you introduce social media to the C-level at your client’s business? How do you make social media more than a fad or seem relevant to the bottom line?
Measurement
Can you measure social media? Many claim you can and many claim you can’t. But if you can measure social media, should you? And how do you measure it? And do you measure it in terms of ROI? Or influence? Or ability to do good? What are the metrics that matter and how do you get to them?
In the boardroom
Is social media a fad dreamed up by the marketing department to get the attention of the executives? What are the hard questions and firm answers that get thrown around the boardroom. And who, if anyone, is best placed to answer? What role should the C-level executives play in a company’s social media strategy? Do they just green light it? Should the CEO have a blog? Or…from a non-profit’s perspective, how does the board of directors play a role in the organization’s SM activities?
Pitching social media
The work has been done and the late nights are weighing heavily on your shoulders. But it’s time to buck up – to pull it all together and wow your client. What do you do to impress? Is there a new art to pitching social media? And is it important to eat your own dog food? Or, if you’re from the PR side of the table, how are you pitching your client’s stories to social media’s influentials? Or are you using a different tactic?
Innovation and Execution
People make great claims for social media. Is it the long dreamed of silver bullet? Can the tools and techniques be harnessed to drive innovation? How can you take an idea or a strategy and make it work for your brand or your business? How do you move from idea to actual execution? What task or tool has social media eliminated or replaced? What do you predict it will eliminate in the future?
Identities, friends and trusted strangers
Many people are now living much of their lives online. Who do you call friend? How do you set boundaries or decide who to let into your circle of influence? How do you know who to trust when you can’t look them in the eyes? How do you define your own identity? What tools, techniques and sites do you find most useful in creating your online brand? How do offline meetings or conferences influence your online identity?
A pretty powerful collection of ideas – wouldn’t you say? So who are the contributing authors? Check out this list of amazing people:
Keep checking back here for updates on when you can order your copies! By the way – the really cool cover was designed by none other than cover designer Chris Wilson.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on January 29, 2010 under Connecting Moments, Customer Moments, Resolving Conflict, social media |
There is nothing worse than silence. Whoever said “no news is good news” or ”silence is golden” must have been the parent of a new born because as an entrepreneur and the mother of a college student – there is nothing worse than NO NEWS.
It’s Friday. The end of the work week. I should be wrapping things up – preparing for a girly weekend with my middle schooler, but no. Why?
SILENCE.
On a personal front, my son is facing the consequences of his actions today and I’m awaiting news. His phone is turned off – probably to avoid my text messages – and the silence is killing me. So I focus on work. Except, guess what?? SILENCE.
I am presenting a series of four workshops on Social Media scheduled to begin February 10 and follow for three additional Wednesdays. I’m very excited about the events and have receive great feedback from potential attendees.
Using the social media I so strongly believe in – I set up registration for all four classes on Events Bot. It was a fairly simple process and even included HTML code for spreading the word and creating cutsie REGISTER NOW boxes. Except here’s the rub. Sign up for my class and get charged an unexplainable shipping and handling fee of $19.80. What needs to ship? Who are we going to handle?
So I contacted the help desk. The email gave me no answers.
I sent another message to the help desk. Nada.
So I sent a message to the abuse email. Nothing.
I changed my account and paid for premium service thinking that maybe there was a glitch in the free service. I got a lovely canned welcome email. It included another customer service address to contact. So I sent them a message. No return message.
This is my first time using their service and could have been a long and mutually beneficial relationship as I am now using their premium service. But no communication isn’t sitting well with me. I see from the reports that a really good number of people are clicking on the events. If only 10% of them purchased, my classes would have been filled yesterday. So how many are getting to the invoice – seeing an additional $20 charge and cancelling out on their reservation?
Silence from Events Bot is not helping my business or theirs.
I was reading a recent post by Drew McLellan on follow up and the importance of being available and touching base and being responsive to your customers. HA.
How true is that?
So once again, I’m hoping social media will work for one of two things:
1. You might know of a different event site I can go to and set up my events – please share and quickly.
2. Events Bot has a Google alert set up for their name – will see this and finally give me an answer.
Cuz here’s the deal. I’m new. This is my first time. It could very well be my fault. In fact, I’m sure it is. I’ve probably clicked something I shouldn’t have. But TELL ME.
As for my son? Prayers.
Okay. don’t be silent – help me out here. Anyone have advice for me? Thanks a bunch!
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on October 5, 2009 under Books, marketing |
Drew McLellan of Drew’s Marketing Minute is at it again! For the third time he’s bringing together marketing and business professionals from around the world to share their thoughts, tips and techniques and profits benefit a charity.
I had the pleasure of joining in the Conversation last time.
This time Drew has invited 300 authors to participate and share their views in ten different areas. There are already 137 of the original authors signed up to contribute again (me too!) but effective TODAY, Drew has opened up the opportunity to YOU!
Go RIGHT THIS MINUTE – to complete this Survey Monkey survey and sign up to be a part of Age of Conversation 3. Only thirty people will be selected for each topic so you need to go right now and sign up so you can get the topic of your choice.
For more information about Age of Conversation 3 visit Drew’s blog.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on January 13, 2009 under Connecting Moments, General |
Andy Wibbels, blogger, speaker and author of BlogWild – a book I just love-love-love that helps you get started blogging, just posted his 5 Ways He’ll F— Up 2009. He starts his post by saying:
Instead of a list of tips and tricks on how to extract the maximum Shamwow out of your new year, I thought I’d do the exact opposite. Actually I started off writing a list of things I wish I’d kept in mind in 2008 and thought they’d probably be applicable to you as well.
I’m a “glass half full” kinda girl, but Andy has a point – if we look back at the things we did or didn’t do that we wish could have been different and apply those to our goals for 2009 – we might just be successful. Finally, a use for hindsight.
So here’s mine:
- Continuing to do the same thing everyday and expect different results. Whether it is my approach to exercise and eating or how I plan my work day – continuing to do the same thing and fingers-crossed, hope for different results has not been successful for me. I once attended a Weight Watcher meeting and the leader said that she gained 78 pounds by starting each day with a bowl of whole grain cereal, skim milk and a hope for weight loss. So whether it is how I approach customer relationships or healthy living – I WILL approach life differently in 2009 or else I’ll surely screw it up!
- Leaving myself off the priority list. I don’t know if it is a female thing or a working mom thing – but if I am on the list of things to do, I’m so far down the list I never seem to become a priority. So in 2009 I need to put myself closer to the top of the list to ensure there is time for continuing education, learning new skills, reaching out to friends and time for rest and rejuvenation. For if I’m learning new things, refreshed and healthier I can bring more to my business and my customers.
- Blow off reading, commenting and participating in the online, global community of Social Media. If my only presence on the web is to TALK AT I will fail to learn and build relationships. Just like students often provide a more valuable learning experience for the teacher – I believe I can learn far more from others on the web than I can inpart from my own experiences.
- Start a bunch of things and never finish anything. I’m a big picture thinker – there are a million ideas, projects and tasks rolling around in my head.
This is a photo of the binder with my ideas for 2009, to do lists, research, articles, notes and competitive information. Egads. So unless I take one tab at a time and work my way down the to-dos – I’ll fail in 2009 FOR SURE.
5. Miss My Make or Break Moments. If I stay in the office, head down and focused on each specific task I will surely miss opportunities to network, connect with my customers, make a difference in the life of a new entrepreneur and totally blow any chance of growing my business in 2009.
So how about you? In what ways will you screw up 2009? Andy asked that we tag a few blogging friends for their thoughts – so tag you’re it: Chris, Drew, Dan and Ivana
Join in the fun at Andy’s place.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on October 28, 2008 under Books |
I’m so excited to be part of this incredible book. This past spring I learned that Drew McLellan was putting together a sequel to the first successful volume Age of Conversation – this one with a subtitle “Why Don’t They Get It?”
I quickly responded that I wanted to participate and throughout the summer emails have traveled between the groups – with Drew the concert master behind this great endeavor.
Guess what? The book is now available.
From a press release written for each author – here is the back story which brought this book to life:
The book has an unusual story behind it, involving online connections between people around the world who have never met each other.
Drew McLellan, who heads an advertising agency in Des Moines, writes a blog online. Drew’s Marketing Minute is among the 25 most-read marketing blogs, and a regular reader is Gavin Heaton, who works for global software giant SAP in Sydney, Australia. Heaton writes a blog called Servant of Chaos
Nearly two years ago through a chance online conversation, McLellan and Heaton decided to invite fellow bloggers to participate in writing a book about conversation and how it impacts us in marketing, in business and in life in general. “Blogging, after all, is about conversation,” McLellan said.
More than 100 bloggers from the U.S. and eight countries responded by contributing essays on conversation. The book, published in the summer of 2007, earned $15,000, all of which was donated to the international children’s charity Variety.
“Gavin and I were overwhelmed with the response,” said McLellan “Almost as soon as the first book was published, we heard from bloggers asking when the next book would be published so they could contribute essays.”
I contributed an essay titled Put Your Advertising Strategy in the Hands of Your Customer, which offers the suggestion that you partner with your best customers when creating or revising your marketing message or even your strategy. If the idea is to “get more customers” just like your best existing customers, then why not ask them for advice.
Blogging is a wonderful way for professionals to share ideas, learn from each other and connect with like-minded spirits around the globe. Collaborating on a book about conversation is a perfect way to share among ourselves and among others who don’t read blogs. And we have the added incentive of helping a charity that does important work around the world. I am thrilled to be a part of this project.
The Age of Conversation 2 is available as a downloadable e-book beginning TODAY, at a cost of $12.50, of which $10 will be contributed to Variety. Beginning on the same date, orders will be taken for a limited number of printed books in hardcover ($29.95, with $6.04 to charity) and soft cover ($19.95, with $8.02 donated to charity).
Purchases can be made online at http://stores.lulu.com/ageofconversation . More information can be seen online at www.ageofconversation.com .
The Art of Conversation 2 is a unique collaboration via the internet, involving 237 marketing professionals who blog from 29 states throughout the U.S. and from 14 other nations from Australia to the Ukraine. Here is a listing of all the great contributing authors:
Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Chris Brown, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Schawbel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Dave Davison, David Armano, David Berkowitz, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne & Todd Cabral, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, John Herrington, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kristin Gorski, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tim Brunelle, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem
