5300 BC … or so.

January 22, 2009

Social media is ultimately about people - how we interact, communicate, build relationships, etc.  In short, it is 6000+ plus years of human behavior with more efficient tools.  

Why 6000 years?  Give or a take a 1000 years, it was when human beings first started forming permanent communities.  (If this sort of stuff fascinates you, learn more here.)  The formation of communities became the catalyst for creating better and better communication tools (and more efficient ways of killing each other); a trend that continues today.  

From this comes two consistent rules:

  1.  People adapt and change, but core human behavior remains the same.
  2.  Communication tools always become obsolete.
These two rules are why we believe it is a mistake to focus on the phenom aspect of social media tools.  Instead, the focus should be on creating the same conditions that created communities for our ancestors.  This means working on your culture, setting up the communication infrastruce to allow and promote interaction, publishing content, staying relevant, etc.  Most important, set up a community that is people-centric, not tool-centric.  By doing this, you are ensuring that your “community” will evolve as tools become obsolete and new tools arrive on the scene.  
Of course, there is a fine line between getting left behind and jumping on the bandwagon.  We are convinced that much of the recent adoption of social media by companies is not so much cutural but executive over-reaction.  Something similar to a CEO telling his/her marketing team, “we need to get on Twitter!” - a conversation that has occurred every time a new tool comes along.   
Communication always takes the easiest path.  For today and the next few years, that will be in the social space.   So take full advantage of these tools by utilizing them properly.  Just remember that they will evolve.  But that’s ok if you are not defined by the tools you are using.  In fact, it could be said that a community’s ability to adapt to new communication tools is an indicator of relevance.  I’m sure that Byblos, Lebanon has broadband.  

Posted by justin | Filed Under 1000 Year Brand, social media | Leave a Comment 

5 Must Do’s for ‘09

January 13, 2009

[ add note for 2009 here ]

Image by Môsieur J. via Flickr

We can all sense that 2009 will be a different kind of year.  It is not just the economy or a new US president.  It is likely the beginning of a new era of how business will be done around the globe.   All of this sounds rather complicated - and it probably is.  However, what most businesses need is are some simple things to do; some specific, tangible steps that will help you have a successful year.

These 5 Must-Do’s are just that - simple, virtually free, and scalable to any kind of organization:

  1. Go Back to Your Roots. Why did you originally start or buy a business?  By returning to that original inspiration, you will re-discover the elements that inspired you to take the leap.  In today’s 360 degree, open culture, this is also the same inspiration that your employees and customers should have.  By going back to your roots, you are ensuring your employees and customers that you are in business for something bigger than just the revenue model; that there is a reason and purpose for your existence as an organization.  Inspiration is so much more powerful than coercion.  And much less expensive.
  2. Strip out the BS. As we teach our clients, you should be presenting your brand as an idea; something inspires the audience to believe what you believe.  If you are not quite sure how to do that, just talk in simple terms with your audience.  Answer these two questions:  1) What am I selling? and 2) Why should you buy from me?   People don’t want to be sold to, but they do want to know what you are selling.  Just put it in common, every-day terms that create strong tangibility and visual images - and keep it free of marketing cliches such as “service”, “value”, etc.  All of these rules apply to your employees, community, and other people that are connected with your brand.
  3. Deputize Everyone. Every person you come in contact with is not just a potential customer; they are also influencers.  Instead of trying to sell them, inspire them with your ideas and differentiation.  They may buy something from you - but even better is having them tell everyone in their sphere about you.  If you are a B2B organization, this also means that everyone is a sales person; both inside and outside of your organization.  Have a plan in place to pay finders fees to anyone that brings you new business.
  4. Be  Social. Organizations that try to use the traditional corporate-to-masses approach to marketing are going to struggle.  Instead, focus on methods that allow your people to talk to The People.  This often means just talking to people; asking them for feedback and insights on your business.  Of course, this also where social media comes in.  It is the most efficient way to have 1:1 conversations with people.  Like the other Must-Do’s, this also applies to your employees, vendors, and other non-customers. A word of warning:  don’t use social media unless your culture can handle the transparency and dialogue.
  5. Own the Experience. Brands will live or die based on the customer experience.  The customer experience doesn’t have to be amazing (unless you promised that); it just has to be consistent.  This starts by being easy to use, respectful, friendly, and just plain nice.  Another simple step for elevating your brand and increasing word-of-mouth is to treat every person as an individual. Or even better, as a peer - someone you can relate to.  As consumers, we are used to being treated as just-another-customer.  When we are treated with respect and connected with as people, it stands out.

It is not intended that you pick just a few of these suggestions.  This is a system and we recommend that they all be implemented.  You will find that they will compliment each other and create a net effect far greater than just implementing bits and pieces.  As we said, none of these are all that difficult to implement, but it may require a change of thinking. If you are an owner or CEO, then it starts with you.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Posted by justin | Filed Under Branding, Thoughts | Leave a Comment 

Copyright © 2009 Tricycle, LLC · Brand Development · Downtown Boise · 615 West Hays Street · Boise, Idaho 83702 · Call us at 208.287.8191 · Log in