While recently presenting at the SocialMediaPlus conference, I had the opportunity to spend some time with my colleague and fellow blogger, Michael Brenner. It was great to hear, first hand, the work that he has been pioneering with a large global organisation such as SAP – but it was equally interesting to learn of how this is changing his own thinking and professional approaches.
Michael constantly spoke about personal innovation – about the way he was making business personal – and also more social. He is constantly connecting with people all around the world, opening conversations around what it means to be a “social business” and then working to turn this into an operational reality. It is, he explained, a constant process of showing, tracking, engaging, educating and involving people at all levels – from executives and decision makers down to the newest of interns. And at the heart of this is conversation.
But what does it mean in reality? Michael suggests that you’ve got to first turn your lens onto your own marketing efforts. “The fact is, most marketing sucks”. And as he points out in this presentation, it’s not really a question of how to integrate social media into your marketing mix – it’s about transforming the way you do business. And a hint: it comes down to DOING.
Knowing the right target market, their needs and lifestyle can help a business grow. Interacting to your clients and prospective clients through social media platforms is a good way of personally reaching out to them. It makes them feel valued.
Gavin, thanks so much for sharing this presentation. It was great seeing you in Philly and look forward to working with you to spread the word on helping businesses become more social.