Ghost Blogging and Authenticity

Date: December 4, 2008 Author: Sean Comments: 4 Replies

David Mullen nails it with his post on “Save the Ghosts for Halloween”

Think this is a great post and should be required reading for companies that want to “use” social media.

It may seem like splitting hairs, but in my mind there’s a difference between ghost writing the typical items mentioned above and ghost writing blog posts, Twitter “tweets,” and blog comments. That’s because there is a different expectation in place when it comes to social media engagement.

If we really believe in this stuff, not just paying lip service to cluetrain and treat “the conversation” like the newest jug of snake oil, then ghost blogging has to be seen as inauthentic, not real, and a BAD IDEA.

Strategists, “gurus” and agencies need to stop treating their clients like junkies and acting as crack dealers. They need to stop “blogging for”, “communicating for” and “using social media” for their clients and work with the clients to develop a real sustainable culture within the communications (marketing and PR and events) teams of DOING THIS THEMSELVES. Are you really joining the users in a conversation if you are doing it by proxy (ghost blogger)? Acting as a filter between the user and the client is inherently INAUTHENTIC, FALSE AND WRONG.

The main reason I got involved with digital media in the early days was because it was different, special, unique. The same goes with Social Media. How is blogging different from a press release if it isnt real?

Are you really joining the conversation if you are having someone do it for you?

Strategy at its core is about education. Guru by definition is a teacher or guide. These roles arent meant to be cutouts between the user and the org. We “experts” need to help the clients tell their stories and connect DIRECTLY with the users. I would rather see the intern in the client’s Comm department blogging than have some wonk in the agency write it for them.

In Social Media, WHO says it is as important as WHAT is said. Otherwise this will end up like press releases and advertising… and users will move on.

Corporates and Comments

Date: October 28, 2008 Author: Sean Comments: 2 Replies

Another mind-bomb from the desk of Chris Brogan concerns Comment policies for corporations. Its a solid piece of experience and sharing – comments aren’t scary, users aren’t all looking to “dis” you, but you have to plan and have principles and rules to follow.

You might say, “let the chips fall where they may.” But the thing is this: the audience who’s chosen to engage with the blog isn’t there with carte blanche to do what they wish. This is a chosen engagement. This is a relationship point. It’s NOT the right place for every interaction with an organization. It’s a place.

Before moderation and defining which (sometimes poor) soul is going to have to read all the comments, a discussion around what is and is not acceptable needs to happen within the corp and between the corp and its agencies. Legal needs to be brought in EARLY AND OFTEN to give them context for the who/what/when/why and most importantly HOW of comments. Getting the legal team and the PR team and the Marketing kids all on the same page is critical. The Corporation has to identify where the “third rails” are: what opening up conversations actually means to the people who work there (morale is a currency), the industry press (comments can be valuable as well as fodder), and the users who will never comment, but who will read EACH AND EVERY ONE.

Once the context around comments is set, once legal completely understands and appreciates and is engaged (continuously, not consulted and then ignored), and the communications twins (Marketing and PR) are on-board, then you can set the rules and principles. Rules are hard and fast – no cussing, no racist stuff, no lies. Principles are guidelines that for keeping things moving and flowing: act like an adult, this is OUR space not YOUR space, don’t post in all-caps, Funny is better than funny and mean, let the thread die.

Part of this Rules/Principles exercise is to set what the community standards are for the space. This is what we will not allow. Everything else, these are the guidelines and standards of behavior.

The result of this needs to be the “rules of the sandbox” – for moderators AND the users. And it needs to be made clear to the users that comment, clear to the users that are old members of the community and CLEAR TO THE MODERATORS. And not in a EULA or TOS that will be checkboxed and ignored, but in some way that the users SEE what you BELIEVE. This sets the levels for all users of the commenting system. Keeps it clean and aboveboard, and most of all, lets users know where they stand, what will be permitted and why things are/were removed.

So turn comments on, moderate them, but first, clearly define your rules and principles, live by them, and apply them consistently.

The users (all of them) will appreciate it.

Ideas & Mindset

Date: October 24, 2008 Author: Sean Comments: 2 Replies

Fun post here from Mark (of MyTropicalEscape and TrainForHumanity.org) about big ideas and where they come from.

Why do only some seem to have this mindset?

That’s the key, isn’t it? Mindset. Attitude. Intent.

Mindset affects everything. Mark Verstegen, the founder of our company says Mindset is the start of everything related to performance. Without having goals, the right attitude and a plan for success, you won’t get the results you COULD have. Sure you could have a work ethic that would shame the Amish, but imagine the results if you did it WITH a plan, instead of not having one.

While doing research for work I found the following book by Dr. Carol Dweick from Stanford University:

http://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Success-Carol-Dweck/dp/0345472322/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224874094&sr=8-1

Dr Dweick has a pretty insightful, simple and honest thesis – Mindset determines success and failure, performance, and development. Having a growth mindset (I can always get better) vs. a fixed mindset (I am this good and wont grow/evolve/get any better – i have limits and this is it) is the difference between getting the most out of an experience, job, effort. Being open to inspiration when it hits (it happens to Mark when he is running, when I am driving, when you are…?) rather than being shields-up, closed off, purposefully ignoring that little voice inside that says “this could be better, what if we try this, wow, brainstorm here!”.

She uses examples of Enron (“we are the smartest guys in the room, how can we go wrong??!!??!”) and John McEnroe (“I would have won but “)to illustrate how a fixed mindset can hold us back from ever reaching out potential (or land us in jail) and how leaders like Jack Welch and John Wooden, because of their open, growth mindset changed massive corporations and grew championship teams.

And mindset isnt a persistent state. I am the first person to admit that I have a VERY fixed mindset with certain things like project management and operations (once had a client say to me “you are like a brick wall, you know that?” – she said it with a smile), and a growth mindset with others things like growing talent, dealing with my family and leading my teams. The key is, to recognize the Fixed and deal with it, consciously keeping your mindset focused on growth, on learning, on helping, on being generous and on helping others. Managing is Fixed. Leading is Growth.

My goal now is to work on the Growth Mindset in everything from working out to learning to doing my job and helping out on the projects I believe in. Taking advantage of opportunities, not just taking them. To keep the radar on and listening for new ideas and opportunities and insights, very much in the way that Mark shared in his post. Thinking about how things can change and then changing them (as opposed to maintaining the status quo).

Fixed is safe. Fixed is limiting. Fixed is rigid and unyielding. Fixed means there is no opportunity for growth.

Growth is where it’s at.

Money on the Table

Date: October 23, 2008 Author: Sean Comments: 1 Reply

Had a great conversation with a couple of really smart guys. They shoot video for a living, specifically videoblogs for themselves and some not-small companies, and they do it really well. Part of the discussion focused on the kinds of things they are doing these days with Facebook, widgets, syndicating their stories (videos) to different platforms and how they are connecting with users via authentic forms of outreach.

Can ya tell that I really like these guys?

All of these tactics, depending on the client, their goals and the strategy defined to meet those goals is worth every dime spent. All of the different ways they are working with media and connecting with users would appear in any of my decks. There is only one thing that bothered me about the discussion. These tactics, these methods, only work if the client/company/non profit is actively listening. If you do all the right things… but forget the most important thing, the social media program is leaving Money On The Table.

If you have a blogging platform and don’t have comments turned on, then you are missing an opportunity for your users to say “hi”. You are leaving money on the table.

If you have a YouTube channel but no one bothering to watch the comments, then you are leaving money on the table.

If you spend a fortune on an agency or consultant to help you design and execute a social media strategy, but don’t plan for the resources and effort required to maintain it for the long term, then you are leaving money on the table.

So whats the point of all that work, money, connections, copy, personnel if you are leaving money on the table. Until you can take the time, via comments or trackback or twitter, to say “thanks” to a blogger or forum or twitterbuddy who took the time to mention you, then you aren’t ready to move on to the next step.

How NOT To Get The Most Out Of A Conference

Date: October 10, 2008 Author: Sean Comments: 4 Replies

Originally posted in the Project Dogfood Website. You should check it out

So you have decided to go to a conference. Maybe you got an invite in the mail or clicked on a banner. Maybe a blogger you like mentioned a show they were going to, or were speaking at, or even organizing (thanks @ChrisBrogan).

You drop some hard-earned cash (whether yours or your boss’) on a conference pass. You checked out the conference agenda, picking out the sessions and breakouts and BoF and parties you wanted to attend. You might have looked at the attendees list (if available), seeing who else in your industry, or region or field of interest is also attending.

With conferences now being net-casted on UStream, decks SlideShared, presentations LiveBlogged and Twittered and Utterli’d, why are you going? The content, the data, the decks, the presentations are all, for the most part available. Chris Pirillo, who runs Gnomedex, UStreams and the archives all of the sessions at Gnomedex. IT Conversations business model was the sharing of conference content (pay to get it right away or wait a couple weeks to download it).

The point of going to a conference is to meet people, to engage, to share your ideas not just consume someone else’s deck. Up until 14 years ago, there was an information imbalance between those who have the information about a subject or topic and those of us who wanted to know more. Conferences were meant to give people a chance to meet and share in real time and real space. Sure there were research papers, monographs, journals and books, but they were physical-world artifacts – you had to have them or have access to them.

It was gatherings/conferences/symposia that transformed affinity to community.

So here are my tips for How NOT to Get The Most Out Of A Conference:

1. Don’t approach this as YOUR Conference. You paid, you travelled to get there, you showed up, you are in attendance, and if you really dont want to get the most out of it, then good for you. You get out of it what you put into it… so give the bare minimum and get just that in return! Rock On!

2. Don’t spend the time to find out who else is going to your conference. Don’t use Summize to see who else is mentioning or going to the show (even though hashtags are wonky doesnt mean you cant track the #conference tag). Don’t check UpComing.org, the Conference website or the blogs of the speakers list. Don’t ping the people in your personal network who are also going. Dont make a list of people you want to meet at the show (I have a bunch of folks who I only know thru twtter that I want to meet at New Marketing Summit).

3. Don’t plan your conference experience. Spending time reviewing and understanding the agenda and looking at who is speaking and when is a great way to make sure you miss something you might enjoy or worse, NEED for your job/business/love of the game. Not preparing will result in lots of “session envy” when you find out how much more fun those guys in the other room had.

4. Don’t bother checking out the blogs and sites of the speakers… it helps you determine which are the sessions you want to attend and where the “gold” is at a given show, especially when you are at a multi-track conference – and no one wants that.

5. Don’t be a critical member of the audience. Don’t bother to ask yourself “is this a pitch” when looking at a conference agenda (at some shows the presenters are up there because their company is footing the bill for the mixer or coffee bar or SWAG bag). Be afraid to “vote with your feet” and walk out on a lame/boring/abusive session/speaker. God forbid you look impolite to people you wont bother to talk to.

6. Don’t participate. Don’t feel comfortable enough to ask questions. Be afraid to challenge the masters of the universe on the stage, especially when you disagree or they say something stupid. Make sure you put these folks on a pedestal, even though they are only human. Chris Brogan, Chris Pirillo and Dave McClure all put on some pretty incredible events and always take the time to talk to and appreciate the folks who show up. But you shouldnt approach them. Uh, uh. No way. Most importantly DONT thank or ask questions of the speakers/panelists after their session. They hate that (they dont want to be there either).

7. Don’t mingle. If you can get most of the content elswhere on the web in the comfort of your boxer shorts, why bother going to a show? Especially when 80% of the experience at a conference is the PEOPLE. Don’t spend time in the hallways between sessions. Don’t walk the floor, meeting people, introducing yourself. Don’t make small talk, trade business cards, join BoF discussions. If at all possible, spend as much time at a conference checking your email, answering voicemail messages, polishing your camera lenses and downloading music from iTunes. DO NOT, under any circumstances try to talk to anyone.

If you DONT want to get the most out of your conference experience, then follow the simple tips above. If you WANT to get the most out of the conference, do the exact opposite:

Prepare for the show, read the agenda, pick your sessions, get to know the speakers blogs, ask questions, talk to people, take notes and share them via your own blog and twitter/utterli/etc…

If you really want a black-belt in Conference-Fu, keep an eye out for the wallflowers and shy folks who are keeping to themselves or aren’t going out of their comfort zone- and introduce yourself/say “hi”/introduce them to someone else. Pay it forward.

Take ownership of your conference experience. And plan to have some fun.

Brands Brands Brands

Date: October 8, 2008 Author: Sean Comments: Leave a reply

Brands are important and valuable, but on the users’ terms.

For a long time the human race thought the sun revolved around the world. Then we figured it out.

I think brands and users are in a similar dynamic. Users don’t revolve around brands (even if they LOVE them, like Apple, the Corvette, & Manchester United), Brands revolve around users. Users bring brands into their own lives. Users add significance and context to Brands, not the other way around.

Canon helps me take pictures of important moments in my life. Those moments are going to happen with or without Canon.

Brands take up space in our lives when we let them in. Brand stewards create platforms for us to connect with, keep the brand relevant to their target markets, basically create opportunities for us to connect with brands.

Do the right thing…

Date: October 7, 2008 Author: Sean Comments: Leave a reply

Its been something top of mind for me the last couple of weeks. Doing the right thing. Not the easy thing. Not the fast thing. Not the thing thats right now. In a soon-to-come post this will make sense, but for now…

The right thing. The right way. Not “situationally” correct, or “what the handbook says”, but the right thing because it is right.

Chris Brogan drops a little mind bomb this evening during the debate about Ethics and Social Media.

Its a great post, and as usual a required read (he IS in your aggregator, right?).

Here are some of my thoughts regarding doing the right thing, ethics and social media:

If it feels easy you are doing it right

If you think you need might need to take a shower after coming up with a way to connect with users you should probably scratch that idea.

Be transparent. Be honest. Be Human.

If the user isn’t at the center of your strategy, planning, tactics and efforts then you should start over. Its not about budget, or the IWOOT (I Want One Of Those), or the client’s request. Its about the user. Its about doing the right thing by them. Its about partying with them. Its about creating and sharing spaces with them.

Viral isn’t synonymous with honest

If the deck has a slide about “gaming” anything (systems, users, groups, google, facebook, youtube ratings, etc,) its an EPIC FAIL

Are you proud of the work? Is it something you would put on your wall, describe at your kid’s “what does my do?” day at school, tell your buddies about over beers @ the 19th hole? If you aren’t proud of it, if you dont get psyched about it, if you dont get jazzed about how your users are connecting with the work, then why did you bother?

Do you trust the users? Do you value them? Do you tell them why decisions are made? Its ok to moderate comments if you tell the users UPFRONT what the rules on, AND THEN FOLLOW THEM. It’s ok to admit that you/your org/your company is just getting started, feeling this Social thing out, trying to change your mindset. Its ok for a huge company to admit to being a little scared. Heck, the users might actually give you the benefit of the doubt… as long as you dont take them for granted, try to play them, dismiss them.

There are so many ways to get caught. So many other ways to spend those $$$ that dont require you to make the effort, do the work, fight the good fight, have a conversation.

Why not do the right thing?

What is Baconfest?

Author: Sean Comments: Leave a reply

Thanks David Armano!