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Google+ is my social tool of choice these days, feeling more functional and valuable than Facebook, Twitter, et al. This is especially true for me because I’ve adopted so many parts of Google’s web ecosystem. Via a link posted by David Armano of Edelman, I’ve just found the most clueful Google+ overview I’ve seen – produced by the U.S. Navy.
I just met Chris Carfi via Project VRM, and this week learned that he’s joining Edelman. David Armano, now with Edelman, blogged about this, and included his social business variation of the Carfi’s customer manifesto:
- We will no longer view you as “consumers”. Instead, you are co-creators, participants, and advocates.
- We will actively listen, and participate authentically because we know you demand nothing less.
- We will meet you on your terms, not ours.
- We will provide value, not noise.
- We will evolve our workforce to meet the changing demands of a networked economy.
- We will focus on your needs vs. our messages.
- We will build relationships that connect us in ways where we all benefit.
- We will act ethically and transparently, because it’s no longer a choice.
- We will respond to changes quickly—we will adapt.
- We will move forward with you, not without you, because you are our future.
Is this a transformation of the organization? Great customer-centered orgs always come from a similar attitude, but there’s a sense of urgency here – this is what you have to do, because you’re in a media environment that embraces transparency – you’re in the participatory panopticon – and is about symmetrical relationship. So this isn’t just good advice, it’s survival training for the networked world.
David Armano at Edelman has created a particularly clueful slide deck about social strategy – “social media is dead, long live common sense.” Amen to that…
Interesting post about social media by Dave Levy at Edelman Digital. Levy says
I believe that the baseline of users sees “social media” and gets distracted by the social part. That conclusion translates into treating these types of publishing in interpersonal ways, thinking that what we create is a one-to-one or one-to-small-group manner. What is actually happening is that what we are constructing a personal broadcast based on what we choose to publish around our social contacts. We are building media by being social and not the other way around.
In this trend, there is a very cool opportunity for companies to act in the same way. They can create their own stories by acting in that social manner, becoming media on their own. It’s imperative that organizations get out there and do both sides of the social network by listening. There is a lot to learn by recognizing those publishers and hear what they may be sharing within their circles of influence or even directly with the brand. This isn’t going to change, either – as the trend of organizational engagement continues, the publishing voice will also grow.
He almost lost me when he said people were “distracted by the social part.” I think it’s the other way around – they’re wound up about the technology and not focusing enough on social engagement and connection. Somebody said “contact is king,” rather than “content is king,” and I have to agree on that point.
But it’s a good point, that “we are building media by being social and not the other way around.” I’m not sure that’s being “distracted by the social,” but whatever.
The second paragraph I quoted says that companies should build media from social interaction, too. Lately we’re talking more about building experiences, and building conversations around those experiences. Being authentic in the conversations, people talking to people.
Who knows where this is going?