Women Sharing Wisdom

Growing Business Through New Media at Global Summit of Women

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:06:00 +0000

Coverage on GSW 20 in Beijing

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:12:00 +0000

Historic Moments Revisted

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:17:00 +0000

Returning from a delightful and long overdue retreat with my husband to celebrate our 10 year anniversary, I paged through the news to what was happening over the weekend while we blissfully "checked out." A picture of a women standing in front of Checkpoint Charlie 20 years ago with hope-filled eyes and a charming smile brought me back.

I was sitting in "German for Foreigners" at Universitaet Salzburg on my year abroad when classmate, Elena Cooney, handed me a note. I opened it to read the words, "Do you want to go to Berlin?" Having woken up late, I had not read or heard any news, but nonetheless always up for an adventure. My response was, "sure, why Berlin?" Her simple response started my heart racing and lead to plans being made and us deserting our unfinished class. "The wall came down." Was all she wrote.

We agreed to rendezvous at the train station as soon as possible with bags packed for the weekend and passports in hand. We made it as far as Munich before we realized that we were not the only ones with the same intentions. Not a spot on a train to be had heading in that direction. Despite our disappointment, we settled into our pension and headed into town to be feel the buzzing city that soon would become part of the united Germany.

Just to be a part of the moment, to feel the vibe of freedom, was truly exhilarating. There were Trebants "zipping" around with their lawnmower-like engines and folk flowing in from the former Eastern block. We settled into a funny little pub called Zum Bärin. We sat drinking Jägermeister with a priest from Czechoslavakia and dozens of others who were newly arrived "on the other side" for the first time in over 40 years. Being part of such an historic moment was like nothing I have ever felt before or since.

I made it to Check Point Charlie a couple of months later. I chipped my obligatory pieces off the wall to keep as souvenirs. Crossing the border I was welcomed with smiles and open appreciation of my being an American. (Something I had not felt before then.) I was fascinated by the sharp contrast between the two sides, one so vibrant and new and the other so gray and deteriorated. I look forward to returning to Berlin to see what I understand is a completely transformed and exciting city.

Where were you when The Wall came down?

Solidarity Unobserved is Destructive

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:52:00 +0000

I have been holding off on writing this post, because I try to look at the positive in every situation. But life is now always a bed of roses, and even if it is, there can be thorns. In my work I teach effective networking and collaborative techniques and tools. I meet many wonderful people and I am inspired by everyone of them in different ways. We all have our reasons, be it a bad day or simply a personality conflict. My good intentions can be perceived as aggressive or controlling. When I am passionate about the work that I am doing, I tend to go full speed, which may not be the pace of those observing or taking part. So, I admit, this may be brought on by myself. None of us are perfect, after all, certainly not me.

The purpose of this post, is rather to "get it off my chest" as well as to remind others to think about the impact of their actions and reactions. It saddens me to think that my behavior might cause someone reason to be mean and disrespectful. Especially when they do not simply impact me, but others who benefit from my work. I don't care if everyone likes me, after all I don't like everyone either. If we spend all our time pleasing everyone, someone always gets burned, and we burn out. But I do try to be considerate of others and the impact of my actions, regardless of whether I "like" them or not.

I will not name any names and do not need to, as that is not the point here. But I ask that each of you in response take a moment to think before you act. Try to understand the intentions on those with whom you interact before reacting. We can accomplish so much more together when we do just that. It is more productive and far more enjoyable. I promise I will do the same.

Interesting article on Women Behaving Badly in Pink Magazine has some great ideas and thoughts on this topic. (note: image above from this article)

Social Optimization: Making the Most of Your Relationships

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:59:00 +0000

Social Optimization

View more presentations from Heidi Forbes Öste.

This presentation is from a three part class I recently taught on social media strategy. It was designed for a particular audience, which was business school students and entrepreneurs. The last slide provides a basic exercise for getting started on building a stronger foundation for your social strategy. I am revising the second two parts (Social Media & Implementation) for a more general audience to upload shortly. The class name has since been updated to "Social Business Strategy." Please feel free to contact me should you be interested in learning more about this class and supporting materials.

Wealth Acceleration and BPW Malmö

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:18:00 +0000

Last nights BPW Malmö meeting with Liselotte Molander presenting on Quantum Wealth Acceleration was a great success. She inspired us to look inside ourselves for the answers to our wealth issues. We saw demonstrated and felt the impact of her teachings. Clearly we all could use more of this. Her positive energy and enthusiastic story telling teaches complex concepts with beautiful and simple fluidity. What a treat to have such a talented speaker who I feel fortunate to call my friend. Thank you Liselotte for sharing your work and your time with the rest of your BPW Malmö sisters.

We have many new guests last night and six of them joined the club after the inspiring experience. We really are finally making traction. I am so happy to see the quality and engagement of the women that have chosen to take part in BPW Malmö. It was only a year ago that we talked about bringing the club to Öresund and now we are over 33 dedicated members with regular guests and the word spreading. Nearly half the club has an international background personally and all have an international professional background. More good things to come and a great team to do it with.

Solidarity

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:15:00 +0000

Another Business and Professional Women (BPW)Congress completed and more great memories and inspiration collected and shared. The European Congress took place in Munich and gathered members from members from around the map. Thanks to the hosting committee for their wonderful efforts and the attendees of my workshop on Social Media for Non-Profits for their enthusiastic participation. Liz Benham, BPW International President, emphasized the importance of participation and having a voice and sharing best practice.

Marianne Platnner spoke of the mentoring task force and the ideals of successful mentoring programs. She depicted it beautifully with the tandem bike in that the mentee (in front) steers and the mentor (in back) helps when the come to a steep hill, but for the most part it is mutual effort.

Sabine Schmeltzer said it best when she presented BPW Switzerland's their "Code of Solidarity" and "Just do it" program at the BPW Europe Congress in Munich. We sometimes need to be reminded not to be our own worst enemy.

"Code of Solidarity"
1. Say "No" to negative thoughts and jealousy
2. Be proactive - take the first step
3. Speak up when women are put down
4. Help uncover women's hidden potential
5. Always play fair
6. Be objective, don't get personal
7. Support other women whenever possible
8. Praise openly and unsparingly

"Just do it"
1. Overcome restrictive doctrines
2. Recognize your strengths and discover your potential
3. Pursue your goals. Don't get discouraged by set-backs
4. Stick to your opinion and set limits
5. Resist perfectionism
6. Convey presence and competence
7. Seize your chances
8. Put yourself in the spotlight
9. Celebrate your success
10. Use your network for support

Writing for a global audience, hello "z"

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:42:00 +0000

I finally give in. As a serial expat, my American language has become influenced by British and European English resulting in my spelling going to pot. Working with Social Optimization does not help given its blatant exposure of my weakness. So, I give in. I will use (or at least try) to return to my American roots and spell with the "z" of my childhood. I must admit I am attached to the the softness of the s in "optimisation" so it will be with regret. I have received sufficient flack from both family/friends and readers now that I must decide. On top of it all is the fact that in order to optimise for search engines, I must use the more common spelling. So forgive me if I slip up every now and again. From now on you can find my work under social optimiZation. But fear not, I will not become a ForbeZ.

Housecleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:08:00 +0000

In an effort to make the reading experience more efficient and interesting for my readers, I am doing some housecleaning. The blog on 2BalanceU's activity in Social Optimization regarding social media strategy from the technical and business perspective will be moved to blog.2balanceu.com. I will move some of the previous entries on this url to that location so as not to create a situation where you must toggle between them. This url which will be shortened to wsw.2balanceu.com will continue to have entries regarding my work in empowering women through knowledge sharing, which includes teaching social media strategy for entrepreneurs, international humanitarian organizations and networks. Please let me know if you cannot find what you are looking for, as I will be backing everything up in the process.

Q-Day Opening with Teitur

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:39:00 +0000

Enjoy the fabulous opening to Q-Day while I try to edit together footage from great presentations on innovation, creativity and conscience byHesslow, Persson, Mullis, Tunick, Albertson, Blackmore and Bushnell.

Keeping Social and Keeping Up

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:09:00 +0000

I am reminded by my colleague as we sit and work on the book about "Social Optimisation" that the biggest struggle that we all share is too few hours in the day. Trying to keep up with blogs and tweets, curriculum development for classes, presentations to tweek to specific audiences and deliverables for consulting clients becomes a bit of a balancing act (pun intended), not to mention having a life and keeping healthy (which by the way is not optional, its required in the social optimisation equation). Yes, even those who work with balance can become off-balance. But this only fuels my fire, so to speak. The more effective the tools, the easier to take the best of what there is to reuse where applicable and apply where needed. The beautiful thing about social is that we all use it in most of the areas of our work. It is about people communicating with people. The message and the methods may change, but the base principals are the same.

I have decided to try some different tools that might make the message simpler and cleaner, video. So keep posted, for video blogging to come. (Of course, the drilling above my office might make this a challenge, I will do my best.) Tomorrow begins "Q-Day" that leads up to "Innovation in Mind". So, I will be blogging and "V-blogging" during the day and we will see if this works well.

Stay tuned....

Social Media for Non-Profit Organisations and Networks

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:46:00 +0000

"Where do we start," is the common question I get at workshops on social media for global networks. The struggle that many have is partially based on a technology gap, partially quick turnover of volunteer boards, and often too much fear of getting out of the comfort zone. This leaves much room for knowledge to be lost and information to get caught in transitions and never shared. In my workshop on PR tools at the BPW Europe Congress yesterday, the discussion was quickly diverted to what are the tools for, how to use them effectively, as they were all perceived as channels. The beautiful thing about the way things are evolving, social media tools are, in general, user friendly and free (non-profits love this). So here is one way to simplify the recommendation:
Firstly, with each of these tools there must be an account that is shared by the club to access and a record of which tools are being used. This will simplify the archive and tracing process during handover of new boards. This can be done by creating a free gmail account which forwards to those currently responsible.

Second we select the content to be shared. This does not always have to be created, as it may have already been created by others (interviews, photos from events, in the press, links to products, services, articles, blog posts,...). Write your commentary and questions in text format and save for insertion.

Third we send these through translation tools that will host the dynamic content and provide an embed code or link to it to insert when you broadcast.
Here are some examples of translate tools that I have found effective:

Links: http://bit.ly Shorten urls so that they are easier to share.
Presentations: slideshare.com Converts Powerpoint presentations and images and hosts them, providing a, embed code
Documents: Adobe Acrobat, from Word download the conversion tool to make any doc a pdf
Video and Music: YouTube.com Upload video to host on YouTube, can use the direct link or create an embed code
Pictures: picasa.google.com Upload your images and create an album to share via link or embed

Fourth step is to take ownership of these tools and provide them context. You can do this through creating a press release uses the links and embeds to enrich the content. This can be broadcast through onlineprnews.com which with the free version will broadcast and the fee based will optimise it for search engines (determine which is best based on the importance of the reach and accuracy in targeting required for the particular message). Maintain a blog that can be linked to your homepage where your editorial, and content can be compiled and broadcast. Both Blogger and Wordpress are free and easy to set up and use.

In between these lies the infamous twitter. Do not use your personal twitter, keep a separate account for the organisation for relevant, contextual only tweets. They can be managed separately using tools like tweetdeck. Tweetdeck will also enable you to shorten urls within it, so that you can share individually elements of the content (from content host links, above) or the full summary (press release or blog). This is important as you are limited to the 140 characters. You can also embed the twitter profile and tweets in a sidebar of the blog or website by using a badge. If you are new to twitter, keep in mind to stick with format of headline and link only. To avoid "ego" only tweets, refer to other links in context outside of organisation.

Next you have the channels which here is just to name a few. The key is to understand where your audience is interacting and have a presence there, whether it be in the form of a group, a fan page, a separate community or site. Here are some of the ones that I use and their different purposes:

SOCIAL: Facebook is a great tool for social interactions that have extended and local reach. Just remember that the interaction is social, not professional, so unless it is of personal interest to the audience, it is not appropriate. As an organisation you can create a Fan Page that Facebook members can join to hear news, give feedback and share their appreciation of with their friends.(note: rule of thumb for connecting on Facebook, only do so if it is someone that you would ask how their family is, not just as a conversation starter, but because of genuine interest).
PROFESSIONAL: LinkedIn is the best tool for professional referal and reputation management. Create a group to where you can have interactive dialog, update when there is new content or news of note or interest to others. (note: rule of thumb for linking on LinkedIn, only do so if you have an interaction or experience to base a referral on to ensure the integrity of your network. When you refuse, do so politely leaving the door open for when you have that interaction or experience).
~Xing is a hybrid of the social and professional that also encourages local communities to create face to face events. Most active in German speaking countries but does have global coverage.
Homepage: Provide a space to announce your presence and link to them on your homepage so that your readers know to look for you there. Also be sure to provide the opportunity for your readers to share content via both RSS and tools they are using (try adding ShareThis). If you already have a community or blog, make sure to integrate the new content regularly).
INTEREST: Ning is a free online community building tool that can be used for both professional and social purposes, depending on your need.

Lastly, but very importantly, once you get to your audience, you need to remember that it does not stop there. To be truly effective, monitor and measure who your reader is and their behavior. Google has two great tools for the monitoring (Google Alerts) and measurement (Google Analytics): I am currently evaluating some of the more indepth tools that are coming out onto the market for measurement. This is a critical step to understanding our effectiveness and continuing improvement. You can always ask them directly if you know your audience or embed a survey in one of your communications via SurveyMonkey.

As we all know these tools are constantly evolving and new ones come to market daily. The recommendations made in this posting are simply what I am using today. I welcome your thoughts on others to try.

Why We Engage

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:13:00 +0000

In trying to understand better just why and how social media is better at engaging us as individual users, I have been looking into several different theories often applied to education technology. So here is a first shot and please feel free to put in your two cents, as this is just the start of what will be far more extensive research.

Engagement theory (Kearsley & Schneiderman, 1999) uses the base structure of Relate, Create Donate, assuming we are talking about engaging both the teacher and the student. As participants in user based media we are both the teacher (sender) and the student (receiver). We therefore all benefit and become more engaged based on participation as we contribute to of all the three areas (Relate, Create, Donate). Perhaps it is more cyclical in the open collaborative model version of how we interact online today. Instead of creating one final product of research, it is ongoing and dynamic. So we are engaged, but how do we stay there?

So, now let’s look at the psychoanalytical perspective to understand Social Representation (Serge Moscovici in 1961), a "system of values, ideas and practices with a twofold function; first, to establish an order which will enable individuals to orientate themselves in their material and social world and to master it; and secondly to enable communication to take place among the members of a community by providing them with a code for social exchange and a code for naming and classifying unambiguously the various aspects of their world and their individual and group history". Here we must have rules established in order to engage as the interaction is based on TRUST. It is generally agreed that we must have this trust in order for user based tools to be successful.

Outside of the academic sphere and into the multifaceted global realm, we have new rules and codes that are being created. The rules are evolving and are being created collaboratively. With each new evolution of the tools we use the codes of interaction evolve. And yet, the sharing and learning continues. Are we engaging simply for the sake of curiosity, the need to learn and to share? Even Wikipedia struggles to find a general collaboration theory that explains it. What we do know is that it is happening and users are engaging. In the quest of understanding effectively interaction for maximum benefit for both the receiver and the sender, I put this out there as a seed for discussion. What are your experiences with engagement and how do you feel that the rules have changed to make it more effective?

Social Media ABCs for Dinosaurs

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:34:00 +0000

Okay, so perhaps we do not need to go to the extreme of calling them or us dinosaurs. In fact, many clients referring to themselves as "dinosaurs" are not so old. They simply have a comfort level with the tools they are familiar with: paper calendars, email and newspapers. They may have adapted to the online version of their newspaper, and even do research using search engines. They might even order a book or two online. Their reference to dinosaurs being unfounded, for what they need is not savvy but comfort. So what is more comfortable than going back to being reminded that the base rules lie in what we already know, the ABCs:

A Authenticity
B Be Present where your intended audience is
C Consistancy encourages following
D Dynamic content is more engaging
E Edit entries before submitting
F Filter, you do not need to see everything
G Global reach, there is a big world out there
H Help others who are in need of answers
I Ideas, test them
J Just what you need, be selective about where and when to avoid "overindulgence"
K Knowledge is for sharing
L Link to that which adds mutual value
M Monitor what is being said about you (your brand)
N Networking, start with the ones you already have (face to face) and go from there
O Objectives, be clear on what you hope to achieve
P Policy, know what you want kept private and when
Q Questions, ask them
R Reputation, maintain yours with integrity
S Share
T Tools, use ones that simplify and automate where applicable
U User, all users ultimately are individuals
V Video, use it if you have it
W Watch your statistics
X Xenophobia, be wary of your own fear of the unknown, be open
Y You are a multidimensional being/organisation, expressing this is an asset
Z Zenith, you can achieve your maximum potential through more effective interactions

Get Social

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 06:59:00 +0000

During the Summer I had both the traumatic and delightful experience of being offline for nearly five weeks. Usually connected to the Internet every waking minute, I experienced what felt close to withdrawal when both my computer and Smartphone broke. Given my location being very remote, I took this as an opportunity to organise my thoughts and do the other part of social optimisation.

Yes, I got social face to face. I interviewed others on their professional and personal experiences with online social media and face to face social networks. I listened, reflected and responded. The beauty of faces and their expressiveness when they spoke with passion was profound. Having the unusual opportunity to being among a hugely diverse community in fields, levels, interests, ages, expertise and technical savvy was the perfect setting for testing theories on social optimisation and building relationships.

Amy Domini, CEO of Domini Social Investments (pictured above, as we headed out for a sail), said it well, there is no better way to get to the heart of things. With salt water splashing in your face and the sun beaming down, laughter and genuine experience is shared amidst conversations saving the problems of the world and sharing knowledge.

So, now I am back at the office with a repaired computer and replacement mobile phone. With weeks of mail to catch up on and meetings and trainings to prepare for, there is not much social for the next bit. I thank those who shared such wonderful social moments. I hope that others have had similar experiences, if not you should try and please share your insights. I am glad for the reminder of the power of the face to face connection of really being social.

7 Key Rules of Social Optimisation

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:11:00 +0000

These "rules of engagement" apply to Social Optimisation both online and off. Maximise your impact while minimising effort through following them.

BE AUTHENTIC: You can only be what or who you are. This is dynamic and changing as well as multidimensional. Represent that clearly and with both pride in success and humility in failures. It is much easier and will be respected. Deception will only come back to bite you.
DEFINE GOALS: Understanding what you hope to gain from a relationship minimises time spent on relationships with no gain, and often drain. Have a strategy and understand both what you have to offer as well as what you need. Unhealthy relationships as well as those connections that just create added noise without relevance most likely should be removed to make room for accomplishing goals.
LISTEN: There is much to be learned by listening, we gain insight into others, their needs, their feedback, the knowledge and their experience. Understand who they are and learn their story, this creates depth in relationships.
SHARE: Knowledge is a wonderful thing, but without sharing it is worthless. Share what you know with others and build. Connect peers that have mutual needs or potential synergies.
BE PRESENT: Isolation is not social. Learn where your peers, or audience are and participate in the conversation.
BE POSITIVE: Solutions never come from whining or shooting the messenger. If you see opportunity for improvement suggest it. When you come across something you like, provide praise.
BE CURRENT: Update your peers on your status, on things that are relevant and keep current with the tools which will always be evolving.

These are the foundation steps. They are meant to be generalised to accomodate both online and offline as well as individual and organisation scenarios. I welcome your thoughts on these "rules of engagement".

Summer is Social

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:45:00 +0000

In the effort to maximise my social impact and effectiveness, I will be focusing on my off-line social networks and developing curriculum during the Summer. I will be interviewing a lot of interesting people on the impact of social media and social networks and their lives and their businesses/work. I hope to compile a few highlights for a weekly blog entry and will return to more frequent entries at the end of August. So please check back and read through previous entries for morsels of social optimisation for impact.

Storytelling for Impact and Resonance

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:27:00 +0000

We are writing our own stories everyday, whether we take pen to paper, fingers to keyboard or tell it to a friend/ colleague. These are the stories that are woven into those of others. From individual letters to condensed newsletters, we evolved to the email and online newsletters. Creating websites and blogs and connecting through online communities spreads our stories to further corners of the globe. But, have the stories gotten lost? Do we remember to share how they impact our lives or others, rather than just the latest sales pitch or annual reports, what we ate for breakfast or what we are reading.

In pulling together the cases for my book, I am more determined than ever to tell the story from the impact perspective. How does social media effect our lives and our businesses. I am one individual with many roles which affect how I am impacted by any story. I, the shareholder, the executive, the speaker, the teacher, the developer, the social entrepreneur, the writer, the mother, the wife, the sister want to write a book that I would enjoy reading, that will resonate. I interview the people behind the case studies and hear the experiences and misadventures with social media and social networks. These speak to me with far greater resonance than the case studies. After all, "social" is about people. So, I am changing my strategy in collecting content. I will interview and collect stories of impact. These stories need to be shared. They are real. They impact our lives, our communities, our businesses and our futures.

Has social media or your involvement in social networking had an impact on you, your business and/or your community. Please tell me your story. Let me interview you to share it with others.

Social Media Not Just Marketing & Socializing

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:23:00 +0000

Finding the holy grail of engagement in social media, we have to be ready to take it on whole heartedly. This means not just throwing a web page or fan page up or even creating a social platform for participants. It means interacting and "engaging" for the maximum effect. Think in terms of stakeholders/people/social. It means listening and speaking.

Why do we participate in LinkedIn and keep our profiles fresh? To represent ourselves accurately in the case of a referral or a request. Why do we participate in a group? Because it is of interest and stimulating. Otherwise we become "lurkers" in our interactions online. We log many hours but never leave a trace, besides a number in the Analytics (which might just as well register the time while I leave my computer on a webpage while I go to lunch).

Let's look at several different forms and impact of engagement. First, PLAN!
What is the purpose? Is it engaging my consumers? Communicating with my shareholders? Selling something? Recruiting? Connecting remote teams? Define resources/time I have/wish to commit to it. In this case, let's say, I create a blog and start by talking about my work and things that impact my business and what I think is interesting about it. Hmm, the analytics show low traffic. Promote it with tags relating to the posts on other related social media sites. Ok, good start, still not much though. Remember that someone needs to be interested. So write to your audience. Your strategy includes understanding who you are communicating with. Context delivers quality and increases interest.

The beauty of social media is that it is based on "user generated content" (UGC), that means there is a person behind it. Speak to the person and show that you are one too, in other words, respond. What you are building is TRUST and RELATIONSHIPS. This is not limited to the world of marketing, but to the sphere of people. People are your peers, shareholders, employees, clients, customers, members, designers and developers, testers, and more. They will be talking regardless. Become part of the conversation.

Entrepreneurs on twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:37:00 +0000

This is a response to a tweet from Furqan Nazeeri (@altgate) listing 67 entrepreneurs on twitter. I am afraid I am not very good at limiting myself in 140 characters, so I decided to write him an email and share it with my readers. I responded to his post as there were no women on his list. Naturally he responded asking for suggestions. In an effort to respond, I realised, yet again, that their presence is greatly lacking. I referred @ariannahuff, @maggiefox, @charleneli, @adrianne and @connectedwomen based on their quality of interactions.

Two things stood out to me. I am curious if others have seen these trends as well. Note: these are observations, not judgements, and very generalised. The first is that women entrepreneurs often focus on coaching and soft skills, leading to small businesses that don't dare to think big. If they are on twitter they use it as a social update tool only or references to their own services only (which doesn't encourage others to follow them). If this is the type of interaction, I can see why they might consider it a time drain without much ROI. I guess there is a lot of work to be done.

The other trend I observe here is that twitter is still perceived very much an American toy to the rest of the world. I looked through my list of who I follow (keep in mind I only follow based on context of social media optimisation and social entrepreneurship) and the vast majority were US west coast based. Some of the women entrepreneurs that I thought would be an obvious hit in terms of twitter, didn't have a presence at all (ie. Julie Meyer of Ariadne Capital and Stina Honkamaa of Google Sweden, link in Swedish) or they only had a social one.

Entrepreneurs need to capture, listen and interact with their audience. If done effectively, participating on twitter with a strategy as part of overall strategy, will have a positive ROI. Twitter etiquette by Julie Niesen is a good place to start. The playing field is level, let's keep it that way. Thanks Furqan for sparking the question. I will continue my quest to support and share the stories of those who are succeeding as well as to encourage best practice for those who've just begun. Please feel free to send me ideas.

Jason Goldberg on R&D and Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:47:00 +0000

This is a powerful example of how we should be developing our strategies to incorporate social media in all stages in the future. Social media is not just for marketing and brand building.

Social Optimisation

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:19:00 +0000

People are what make things social. Our interactions with people are online, off-line, in the office, board room, and classroom, with our clients, shareholders, customers, friends and family. So, let us not mix up the terms "social media optimisation" and "social optimisation." Social media optimisation is about maximising the positive impact while minimising the effort when using social media channels for communications with people on-line. Social optimising includes the off-line relationships that are often (but not always) the foundation of these relationships and gaining the maximum mutual benefit from them. Where we are present for face to face interactions, or who we have shared history with can determine a great deal. The end result when we optimise is quality, improvement through learning and dialog, depth in mutual understanding and creation of sustainable relationships. The additional benefit is the we create more time to enjoy our successful relationships and ourselves: balance. Time is the ultimate return on investment (ROI) of social optimisation. Time is money, don't waste it, enjoy it.

Whether you apply these terms to a corporate strategy or to your individual approach, the end results are the same. Optimising requires understanding what you want to achieve, your strategy, applying the best tools to communicate with your people (where are they already), creating a dialog, listening to the response, and maintaining your relationships. Social optimisation requires application of the three basic rules (REAL, RELATIVE and RESPECT) to create sustainable quality relationships that will benefit you whether you are social for recruiting, branding, R&D, team building, selling or just keeping in touch with friends. In the end the "social" comes down to the person at the other end.

Social Media is Good Business

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:38:00 +0000

After a series of rather heated discussions on this topic, I felt it was time to put the words down on paper (or at least my version of paper, save a tree). It is mistake to think that social media is just about marketing and the social media optimization is only about building more traffic. Without even realizing it, many companies both big and small are using social media in all areas of their business practices with a very positive effect. Why do they not realize it? Because, social media and networks in general are being used by "users" who work for them as tools that optimize their work. Either way, it is still quality of the interactions that result in optimisation not quantity.

For example, most human resources departments commence by doing the simple Google search to learn more about a potential employee before they interview. This will lead them to other social media interactions like a blog or profile listing on LinkedIn and Facebook and on other sites. This practice has become standard in the first stage of reinforcing that which stands on their application, or weeding out individuals who will not fit with the company culture.

Imagine this chain for recruitment using twitter as a starting point: twitter search for subject matter expert on "socialmedia" --> See several posts by same person and follow link to their profile --> On their profile more interesting entries so check out the website listed in profile --> Leads to blog with more interesting/relevant content --> Look at the profile on the blog for full name --> Check LinkedIn for profile --> See some of their presentation posted on SlideShare --> just the kind of candidate we are looking for --> Send them and inMail requesting a Skype talk --> Speak to get the real connection via voice and see if they are available (or if not have a referral to someone else) --> Follow them on twitter to see if they react publicly to the call. This of course could go many ways. But each one of these steps to could apply to any field and costs nothing other than the person's time to follow through completely.

Product / Service development is another area in which the implementation of social media strategy can shorten the innovation cycle with direct consumer feedback. Whether B2B or B2C the end consumer is the one who needs to be satisfied. So, why not engage them in the process. Customer surveys have been done online for years. Now they can be integrated into conversations that are a true dialog. We can speed up development cycles by understanding our consumers' needs based on conversations rather than assumptions.

Try this example for using social media for product development à a company is looking to create new flavors --> Create a Facebook Fan page for product --> Hold a contest for most popular innovative flavor using their product as a base --> Promote it on Facebook, homepage, twitter, blog and anywhere else they know their consumers are with a tag --> Let contestants submit YouTube videos, audio, images or text narrating their recipe and post to Fan page --> Create link to daily best of on twitter --> Allow other users to rate flavors based on new recipes using base product --> Invite best flavors to share and compete via video conference --> Invite active fans to join the video conference by voting --> The Fans choose the flavor (the engineers develop it to scale, and then offer the fans a chance to test it) --> See if they got it right, thank those active fans who took time to help by giving them free product and ask for feedback (repeat until get it right) --> These fans in turn will spread the word through their channels (twitter, Facebook, etc.) --> Let those great videos and other content become part of a virtual recipe station and fun viral compilation video build your brand afterwards. --> Keep ear to the ground on reactions via all social media channels --> Reward their efforts, creator of winning recipe gets free product. The sites I am using for examples here are simply that, examples. (Oh yes, and by the way you will build your brand in the process as a by-product)

These are just two examples of business areas. Imagine the impact if they coordinated these efforts and incorporated them into their enterprise or business strategy. Now, THAT is social media optimization. I am not recommending that your R&D or your HR departments become social media experts. What I am recommending is that they learn to listen and watch. Social media in its basic forms are simple to use. More and more tools are being created to optimize how we interact with social media so that it becomes less of distraction and more effective. It is these tools that should be focused on. Planning is critical. How can you best apply a social media strategy to increase effectiveness in your organization? That is social media optimization.

Be Social for Success

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Wed, 27 May 2009 07:07:00 +0000

Understanding the value mix of online media participation and face to face interaction is key to the success of the modern business and individual. There is a delicate balance needed between on-line efficiency and off-line effectiveness. New tools are created to make our work easier and to connect us to our stakeholders and communities (those-whom or that-which we need/desire in our lives). The ultimate challenge in today's connected workplace and lifestyles is to find the perfect balance or mix. When not used effectively they achieve just the opposite of their intended purpose and priorities get re-arranged. Interacting with people whether face to face or online and sharing is how we learn and improve as individuals as well as organisations. In networks and face to face interactions we build the foundation for deeper connections and context for further interactions both online and off. In social media, we reinforce these relationships and are referred to others through authentic connections that further add value.

Three basic principles or "R"s should lead us to how and where we interact (REAL, RELEVANT and RESPECT). It is much harder to be someone you are not and it will catch up to you. Being authentic will earn trust, whereas getting caught being fake will ruin your reputation and those around you. Whether you are using social media to connect to your old friends, your remote colleagues, your employees or your clients or to meet or gain new ones, the quality of your interactions and their being in context to your audience and the arena are what count and resonate. "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all". In other words, constructive criticism is far more effective and it won't come back to bite you later. These basic principles are core to face to face networking as well, and what creates the foundation for valued relationships.

Strategy needs to be considered on all levels. Participating in social media or face to face networks should not be limited to marketing. If used properly they impact product/service development, employee engagement and turnover, brand building, customer satisfaction and relations, business development and individual success. Ultimately there is a person with thoughts feeling and views of their own called a "user". We feel engaged and become advocates when we learn about the things that impact us, we appreciate having our voice heard (and listened to), we appreciate respect and return it. We derive value from our interactions when the three R's are observed. That value creates incentive for further interaction and referral.

Social media optimisation and social optimisation should go hand in hand when building lasting and strong relationships with our friends, our employees, our consumers, our investors and extended community of stakeholders in our lives and our businesses.

Value of a Digital Relationships

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi) — Mon, 25 May 2009 11:57:00 +0000

Trying to determine the value of a friend in social media can be challenging, almost as much as it in real face to face life. Thinking about our digital relationships is quite interesting in terms of understanding value. In determining this we need to understand the different forms of relationships and why we have them.

Facebook's purpose is social interaction with our extended network. Overlapping the use of your Facebook profile that is connected to your college buddies and nephews is not the same profile that should be connected to your business peers. If a user is too focused on one side or the other with a blended profile, their "friends" will lose interest and turn down the volume or cut them off completely. It's like being stuck next to the old friend at a dinner party that talks about their work. Even worse, a business dinner that you are stuck next to the new parent who is struggling with potty training. Real friends provide context by understanding their audience and therefore have far greater impact (and greater value). To obtain the highest value from your friends in Facebook, make sure they are the friends you do want to be "social" with, and create a separate fanpage for your business. If your real friends are interested in your business they will be a fan of your business too.

When you want to boost your ego or build your brand, then tweet away. Yes, I am actually writing something positive about Twitter. I admit it, I have converted. But, and I mean a very strong "but", when used effectively. There are a lot of tools to build your followers (twitter's version of friends). I am happy that others are interested in the links and things that I share and appreciate their insight. Like many professionals, I use twitter to find other interesting links and things that others are sharing. The value of me following all of my "followers" would be merely to increase the noise in the feeds that I get. I have never been a fan of scrolling endlessly. Sharing my daily grind of how many shots of espresso I have consumed or my favourite chocolate is best left to my friends on Facebook, as I do not wish to create anymore noise for my followers. Besides, who I am following is also a resource to my followers. If there are interested in what I am saying, they are probably also interested in who I am listening to. It should therefore have context. They can see that I am real in the variation of my shared links as they vary from my personal reads like "Anatomy of Peace" to reports from the Skoll Forum on Social Entrepreneurship to new media tools or articles like Business Week's Byrne and Baker's podcast on the value of our digital relationships for advertising.

Let's not forget LinkedIn which is a great business networking tool. I am not going to hang out on it all day making small talk with my connections. I visit when I am looking for someone or something specific or adding a new connection. The groups and connections that I have in LinkedIn are based on real interactions. We worked together, participated in face to face networks together, studied together, met at conferences around the world and shared a conversation, had meaningful conversations from which we can refer back to and/or share mutual professional interests. All of which provide a basis for me being able to refer them to someone or them to me. I make a point of placing a high value on the connections and therefore not connecting with the ones to whom I come home with card in hand. So, I may not have thousands of contacts in LinkedIn, but in each of them there is something we mutually offer in terms of a reference.

Amassing a huge contact/friend/follower base has never been a high value in itself. Unless you are one of those unusual people who never forgets a face or a conversation, but that is mostly the exception. What it comes down to is authenticity and the value and integrity of those connections. Their value to an advertiser is not the same as what they are worth to you. Your value does come down to your influence and that can only be created by your own integrity.