Scott Monty

Global Social Network Figures

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</div>When any global company undertakes a social media strategy, there is an expectation that even company-wide initiatives will need to be customized for each region. Whether it's local customs, language or even the device on which the networks are accessed, it's vastly different all over the world. Facebook does not rule the world.<br />
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Not yet at least. ;-)<br />
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The growth of social networks globally is a sure thing. The question is, where are they growing and which networks are dominant in which markets? Last year, <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2008/09/social-what.html">I shared some statistics.</a> Naturally, things have changed.<br />
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Here are some interesting graphics, courtesy of <a href="http://www.vincos.it/world-map-of-social-networks/">Vinco's Blog</a>, that tell the story on social networks around the world.<br />
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Here's a breakdown of top three social networks in the top 10 markets:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/uploaded_images/sns-ranking-722081.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://www.scottmonty.com/uploaded_images/sns-ranking-722079.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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Is there anything you'd add? Are there social networks in your region that seem to be springing up? What's the next big thing that will spread beyond borders? Drop a comment below and let us know what you're thinking.

Global Social Network Figures

When any global company undertakes a social media strategy, there is an expectation that even company-wide initiatives will need to be cust...

Ford's Got a Reason to Fiesta

<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.scottmonty.com/uploaded_images/fiestaMovement-794613.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" />Last week, I wrote about how Ford was so thankful to the Fiesta Agents who were in 100 of our vehicles as part of the Fiesta Movement, and how some of them began to show their thanks as they wrapped up their experience.<div><br /></div><div>This week, it got even better.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Tuesday evening, Ford hosted a <a href="http://www.wordspy.com/words/tweetup.asp"><b>tweetup</b></a> in Hollywood at the famed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Palladium"><b>Palladium</b></a>, where we brought together more than 90% of the Fiesta Agents in person, their friends, and fans of the Fiesta Movement to celebrate the conclusion of 6 months of activity by these social influencers. It was a remarkable event - <a href="http://current.com/max-and-jason-still-up/"><b>check it out on Current</b></a> - featuring the band Parachute, a short awards ceremony hosted by <a href="http://www.jakeandamir.com/"><b>Jake & Amir</b></a>, mobile tweeting food vehicles (including the famed <a href="http://kogibbq.com/"><b>KogiBBQ</b></a> and <a href="http://www.eatcoolhaus.com/"><b>Coolhaus</b></a>), and the first reveal of the <a href="http://www.fordvehicles.com/2011fiesta"><b>2011 Fiesta</b></a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>We even managed to score the <a href="http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=31541"><b>World's Largest Tweetup</b></a> according to Guinness World Records, which is now getting into the social media record-keeping business. </div><div><br /></div><div>And when we were done with that, we brought all of the nearly 100 agents out on the floor of the Los Angeles Auto Show to help us unveil the new cars. You can check the video out on <a href="http://www.thefordstory.com/green/celebrate-with-the-fiesta-agents/">The Ford Story</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>And Now, For Something Completely Different</b><br /><div>We've completed the first phase of the Fiesta Movement. The numbers were great. But lost in a lot of that was the fact that the pool of 100+ drivers acted as something of a focus group for six months. The agents gave feedback to our design & engineering team so the North American version could be made with drivers like them in mind.</div><div><br /></div><div>Not only that, but here's the cool part: they've been creating content nonstop for 6 months. And really good content too. So here we have the making for consumer generated media as the cornerstone for some of our early advertising for the 2011 Fiesta:</div><div><br /><center><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lBs8jPDPveg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lBs8jPDPveg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center><br /></div><div><b>Now What?</b></div><div>Since the Fiesta won't be delivered until the spring of 2010, there are still a few months to go to continue the online buzz. But how will that happen now that the program is over? The good news is there's a Chapter 2 to this evolving story.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you liked what you saw over the last six months, now you'll have the opportunity to get involved yourself and apply to be one of the 20 teams of two that will be part of the Fiesta Movement Chapter 2. Just head over to <a href="http://www.fiestamovement.com/"><b>FiestaMovement.com</b></a> and check out the rules.</div><div><br /></div><div>And in the meantime, Ford will be continuing to nurture the relationships with the 100 or so agents who had to give their cars back. They'll be part of <a href="http://twitter.com/FordFiestaAsk"><b>@FordFiestaAsk</b></a>, which is being set up to answer questions from people who want to know about the car or the reservation process. You can <b><a href="http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/fiesta/experiencefiesta/?section=/ask">see the "Real Answers" interface here</a></b> or follow the hashtag <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23fiestaask"><b>#FiestaAsk</b></a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>And on <a href="http://www.fordvehicles.com/2011fiesta"><b>the shopping site</b></a>, we're giving people a chance to totally customize their car and get some pretty sweet features and a customer experience that are unmatched in this segment. Once your reservation is complete, you'll be able to share it on Twitter and Facebook to tell your friends about it - and show them the design you've chosen.</div><div><br /></div><div>So that's where we are at this point. Lots of information, I know. But it's exciting stuff. And there's more to come.</div><div><br /></div><div>Related articles:</div><div><i><a href="http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/12/ford-is-fiesta-movements-big-winner/">Ford is Fiesta Movement's Big Winner</a></i></div><div><a href="http://blog.tkcarsites.com/2009/12/crushing-doubts-about-social-media-marketing/"><i>Crushing Doubts About Social Media Marketing</i></a></div><div><a href="http://www.marketingvox.com/ford-update-automaker-launches-chapter-2-of-fiesta-movement-045657/"><i>Ford Update: Automaker Launches Chapter 2 of 'Fiesta Movement'</i></a></div><div><br /></div></div>

Ford's Got a Reason to Fiesta

Last week, I wrote about how Ford was so thankful to the Fiesta Agents who were in 100 of our vehicles as part of the Fiesta Movement, and h...

On Giving Thanks

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2676/4117112741_1ce0f76f90_m.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2676/4117112741_1ce0f76f90_m.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 140px;" /></a>For those of us in the U.S., we have just celebrated Thanksgiving. It's a time of year when we gather with friends and loved ones to celebrate and give thanks for all that we have and all that we are.<div><br /></div><div>I thought it was entirely appropriate then, to mention that the first segments of Ford's famed Fiesta Movement is coming to a close. And Ford has a lot to be thankful for. A bit of background, just in case you're not familiar with the program.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Beginning of a Movement</b></div><div>First of all, why the term "movement"? The Brand & Content Alliance team that put this program together likened it to a social movement - which as defined by <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/movement">dictionary.com</a> is <i>a diffusely organized or heterogeneous group of people or organizations tending toward or favoring a generalized common goal</i>. The collective awareness of and excitement around this new vehicle would be the goal.</div><div><br /></div><div>In late 2008, Ford re-launched the Fiesta as an all-new vehicle in Europe. The name had been around for some 30 years, but the new Fiesta was to be something special indeed. This would Ford's first truly global platform car, which means that it will be nearly identical in any country you find it. Since the car was already available in Europe and would not launch in the U.S. until the spring of 2010, there was a unique opportunity at hand.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, earlier this year, Ford announced that we would be making 100 Euro-spec Fiestas available to individuals or teams who proved they were socially vibrant and could take part in a 6-month long experiment, during which we would loan them a vehicle. The only requirement was that they would have to produce one video a month based on a theme (<a href="http://www.fiestamovement.com/missions/1">Travel</a>, <a href="http://www.fiestamovement.com/missions/2">Technology</a>, <a href="http://www.fiestamovement.com/missions/3">Style/Design</a>, <a href="http://www.fiestamovement.com/missions/4">Social Activism</a>, <a href="http://www.fiestamovement.com/missions/5">Adventure</a>, <a href="http://www.fiestamovement.com/missions/6">Entertainment</a>). Other than that, the Fiesta Agents (they received assignments, or "missions," from Mission Control) could say whatever they wanted about the vehicle. And we aggregated all of their content on <a href="http://www.fiestamovement.com/"><b>fiestamovement.com</b></a> - unedited, uncensored, in real time.</div><div><br /></div><div>In addition to building buzz, we solicited feedback from the agents as to what they liked and didn't like about the vehicle. We shared that input directly with our engineering team and they were able to make a few tweaks to the North American version of the Fiesta before production was locked down.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Results</b><br />The program is just winding to a close, but the output has been impressive. </div><div><ul><li>Of the 700 or so videos that the agents have produced, we've seen <b>6.5 million</b> views on YouTube. </li><li>Their Flickr  photos have been viewed more than 670,000 times</li><li>There have been over 3.4 million impressions of Fiesta Movement on Twitter. </li><li>Over 50,000 hand-raisers have indicated that they want more information about the vehicle as it goes on sale</li><li>97% of those 50,000 do <b><i>not</i></b> own Ford vehicles. </li><li>There is a 58% level of awareness of the Fiesta - for a vehicle that's not even available in this country yet, which is the equivalent of the awareness of some of our vehicles that have been in market for 2-3 years.</li><li>All with $0 in traditional advertising.</li></ul></div><div>More information on the vehicle and the program can be found <a href="http://media.ford.com/mini_sites/10031/fiestamovement/"><b>on Ford's Media site</b></a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>It's a Celebration</b></div><div>To help celebrate the success of our agents, Ford is <a href="http://fiestamovementcelebration.eventbrite.com/">throwing a little party</a> - a fiesta of sorts, you might say - in <b>Hollywood</b> on <b>Tuesday, December 1</b>. We're hoping to make it the world's largest <a href="http://www.wordspy.com/words/tweetup.asp">tweetup</a> - and <a href="http://fiestamovementcelebration.eventbrite.com/"><b><i>you're invited</i></b></a>.  Not only that, but as a community, we can work together to make the record a possibility. More on that in a moment. </div><div><br /></div><div>The event will salute the agents - some 90% of whom will be in attendance - with awards. The band <a href="http://www.weareparachute.com/">Parachute</a> will perform and music will be spun by <a href="http://www.djpesce.com/">DJ Pesce</a>, all while <a href="http://www.current.tv/">Current TV</a> roams around, giving you a chance to be seen on television. Not to mention that the North American Ford Fiesta will be revealed <i>for the first time</i>. Add to that some celebrities, weblebrities and lots of interaction, and you've got a rockin' party.</div><div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scottmonty.com/uploaded_images/fiestafiesta-743265.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.scottmonty.com/uploaded_images/fiestafiesta-743238.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 118px;" /></a><br /><br /></div><div><b>Here's Where You Come In</b></div><div>We'd love to see you at the party. Here are the details:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Date:</b> Tuesday, December 1, 2009</div><div><b>Time:</b> 8:00 p.m.</div><div><b>Location:</b> Hollywood Palladium, 6215 W. Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, CA (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=6215+W+Sunset+Blvd,+Los+Angeles,+CA+90028&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.144864,66.621094&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=6215+W+Sunset+Blvd,+Los+Angeles,+California+90028&z=16">map</a>)</div><div><br /></div><div>You can <a href="http://fiestamovementcelebration.eventbrite.com/"><b>RSVP on Eventbrite</b></a><b> </b>if you think you'll be in California next week. If not, please share the link with anyone in your network who might be in the area and encourage them to attend. There are a number of social networks built into Eventbrite, or you can tweet out something like this:</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Ford Invites You To a Hollywood Fiesta! <a href="http://bit.ly/FiestaParty">http://bit.ly/FiestaParty</a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>We'd like to make sure we've got lots of people there who are connected to the program, the agents, or to our extended networks in some way. This is a great way to show the power of social media.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Giving Thanks</b></div><div>As I intoned in the opening paragraph, this time of year is about giving thanks and also about reflecting on what's happened in the past year. I'm reminded of Thornton Wilder's play "Our Town," in which the characters were reminded that it's important to stop and consider the little things in life. One of them lamented:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>"It goes so fast. We don't have time to look at one another."</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>You can imagine that the Fiesta Agents, with their frenetic schedules over the last six months, have had little time to reflect. But already, even before the program is over, I've already seen a few of them stop to acknowledge how lucky they've been to be part of the program. Notably <a href="http://hilarymchone.blogspot.com/2009/11/nyu-to-fiesta-movement-in-18-years.html"><b>Hilary McHone</b></a> (aka <a href="http://twitter.com/BrooklynHilary">@BrooklynHilary</a>) and <b><a href="http://natashasartcandy.com/2009/11/18/thankyou-ford/">Natasha Wescoat</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "> (<a href="http://twitter.com/natasha">@natasha</a>). There may be others; these are the ones I recall seeing in a blur last week.</span></b></div><div><br /><center><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SmVUVe_dCAA&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SmVUVe_dCAA&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></center><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We have a lot to be thankful for at Ford this year. But that will be another post. Until then, I hope I'll be able to see you in Hollywood. If you can't be there, follow the #fiestamovement hashtag on Twitter on Tuesday night. It'll be a real fiesta.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Related article</span>: <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2009/12/fords-got-reason-to-fiesta.html"><b><i>Ford's Got a Reason to Fiesta</i></b></a></div>

On Giving Thanks

For those of us in the U.S., we have just celebrated Thanksgiving. It's a time of year when we gather with friends and loved ones to cel...

Enough Is Enough

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3054/2633173976_ed752090da_m.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3054/2633173976_ed752090da_m.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 180px;" /></a><div>The spam and other unsolicited DMs I've been getting on Twitter have finally gotten to me. And I'm going to be taking action. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-size:large;">A Bit of Background</span></div><div>You know the kind of direct messages I'm talking about, all with spammy links in them:</div><div>"Is this you on here?"</div><div>"I just gave you a High Five! Check it out"</div><div>"Hey, I got some free ringtones from here"</div><div>"Hey, can you take this quiz thingy?"</div><div>"I found out my IQ. You should too."</div><div>"I lost a bunch of weight doing this."</div><div><br /></div><div>And many, many more.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lots of the direct messages I get are of the automated sort when people first start following me. Having been someone who used to do that - mainly to let people know how I preferred to communicate - I can understand the need to do that. But what I've been seeing lately is out of control. It's gotten to the point where these disruptive DMs have crippled my ability to monitor and respond to legitimate direct messages. I'm spending more time deleting or ignoring messages, at the risk of missing messages from people I want to hear from.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-size:large;">Reciprocity</span></div><div>For a long time, I've believed that when someone follows me on Twitter, it's common courtesy to follow them back. What I have to say shouldn't be any more important than what anyone else has to say - that's one of the great features of social networks: true democracy at work. I realize that this isn't everyone's style, but it's been something I consciously chose to do.</div><div><br /></div><div>A tool I've used pretty successfully to manage this (rather than eat up my time manually following people back) has been <a href="http://www.socialoomph.com/"><b>SocialOomph</b></a>, which was previously known as TweetLater. It allows you to automatically follow (and unfollow) people back, among other nifty features.</div><div><br /></div><div>But lately, my Twitter stream as well as my direct message inbox has been polluted with spammy posts. The recent addition of Twitter lists, which have allowed me to begin to categorize some of the people I follow, has been helpful - <b><a href="http://twitter.com/ScottMonty/lists">you can check mine out here</a> </b>- but I'm finding it's not enough.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-size:large;">No More</span></div><div>I've decided that from now on, I can no longer afford to follow people back automatically, so I'm suspending that feature from my SocialOomph account. If you wish to be followed by me, you'll have to request it and I'll have to ensure that what you're saying provides value to me. </div><div><br /></div><div>In addition, I'm going to be unfollowing anyone who spams me with these Facebook-like apps that send automated direct messages or anyone who DMs or @s me their latest money-making schemes. </div><div><br /></div><div>I haven't gotten to the point where I'm purging and rebuilding my Twitter followers, nor do I feel like I need to go that extreme thanks to the addition of lists, but if this level of spammy behavior keeps up, I may have to revisit that decision.</div><div><br /></div><div>I suppose this is a natural extension of a service or platform going mainstream. But for those who use Twitter for more meaningful connections and communications, it's frustrating. I hope that Twitter management has a plan to try to minimize this.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Update</i></b>: reader <a href="http://www.andy-michaels.com/">Andy Michaels</a> notes that SocialOomph has <a href="http://www.socialoomph.com/optout"><b>an opt-out service</b></a> that takes care of automated DMs.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-size:small;"><i>Image credit: </i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49503157467@N01/2633173976/"><i>Chris Pirillo</i></a><i> (Flickr)</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-size:small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>

Enough Is Enough

The spam and other unsolicited DMs I've been getting on Twitter have finally gotten to me. And I'm going to be taking action. A Bit ...

When Worlds Collide

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/96/234008516_06a65b5e45_m.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/96/234008516_06a65b5e45_m.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 180px;" /></a>Well, it's finally here. Twitter and LinkedIn have decided to combine forces. This is pretty significant, and I know that it'll make it easier to share job opportunities and other more networking opportunities that are more professional in nature.<div><br /></div><div>I won't bore you with all of the details, but you can now update your LinkedIn status via Twitter, and your Twitter status from LinkedIn. If you'd like to see how to go about it, check out <a href="http://blog.linkedin.com/2009/11/09/allen-blue-twitter-and-linkedin-go-together-like-peanut-butter-and-chocolate/"><b>the post on the LinkedIn blog</b></a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the features I like best is how you can select which updates you want posted to LinkedIn - everything or just those posts tagged with #in.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scottmonty.com/uploaded_images/share-settings-759520.png"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.scottmonty.com/uploaded_images/share-settings-759519.png" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 80px;" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In December of 2008, <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2008/12/i-was-honored-to-receive-email-from.html"><b>I predicted that Twitter would attain legitimacy</b></a> in 2009. Aside from it being used by pretty much every major media outlet, not to mention a good number of celebrities, I think we're there. The fact that a site as grounded in the business world as LinkedIn would choose to align with Twitter is a huge nod to the 140 character service.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, two things need to be considered as these seemingly different worlds come together:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. If LinkedIn <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2009/03/social-network-shorthand.html"><b>is the business meeting and Twitter is the cocktail party</b></a>, we need to be very careful with the alcohol intake at work, so to speak. ;-)</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Twitter has its own language - some of which can be very confusing to outsiders. As our updates cross into new territory, we need to be mindful of how our networks understand us. This tweet from <a href="http://www.mandiengram.com/">Mandi Engram</a> says it all:</div><div><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.scottmonty.com/uploaded_images/mandiengram_tweet-721551.PNG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 154px;" /><br /></div><div><div>So there you have it. Twitter. LinkedIn. Two great tastes that taste great together. Or something like that.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What do you think? Will you use this service?</b></div><div><br /></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-size:small;">Image credit: </span></i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/79907828@N00/234008516/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-size:small;">K e v i n</span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-size:small;"> (Flickr)</span></i></div></div>

When Worlds Collide

Well, it's finally here. Twitter and LinkedIn have decided to combine forces. This is pretty significant, and I know that it'll make...

What's a Brand to Do?

<p>Say you work for a brand. Customers have more access to you than ever - and you've got a wealth of choices as far as channels go: traditional marketing, online & interactive, gaming, mobile, social media, etc.</p>  <p> </p>  <p>But for your customers that are interested in interacting online, what do you think they want from you? And what should you do when you connect with them? Look no further! eMarketer Daily has very helpfully <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007349" title="eMarketer">published a piece</a> on Lightspeed Research's "<a href="http://www.globalwebindex.net/">Global Web Index</a>."</p>  <p> </p>  <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Actions Brands Can Take that Are Most Relevant to US Internet Users, August-September 2009 (scale of 1-5*)" src="http://www.emarketer.com/images/chart_gifs/107001-108000/107750.gif" /></p>  <p> </p>  <p style="text-align: left;">What do customer want from the brands they love? Information, mostly (well, after a good discount, anyway). Ultimately, they want <em>value</em>. They're not there to be "friends," or to get <a href="http://adage.com/digitalnext/article?article_id=140024">your time-wasting app</a> - they want something that's relevant to them that helps push the relationship forward.</p>  <p style="text-align: left;"> </p>  <p style="text-align: left;">Something to think about when thinking about your online strategy.</p>  <p style="text-align: left;"> </p>  <p style="text-align: left;"><em><span style="font-size:x-small;">Chart courtesy of <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007349">eMarketer</a>.</span></em></p>  <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com/">Posted via web</a>  from <a href="http://scottmonty.posterous.com/whats-a-brand-to-do">The Full Monty</a> </p>

What's a Brand to Do?

Say you work for a brand. Customers have more access to you than ever - and you've got a wealth of choices as far as channels go: tradit...

Recent Twitter Statistics

<div style="text-align: left;">The <a href="http://pewinternet.org/">Pew Internet & American Life Project</a> has released some statistics about Twitter and other similar services that Americans use to post updates about themselves. The bottom line? About one in five Americans uses such a service.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4052278113/" title="who Tweets by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="who Tweets" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2421/4052278113_c62e86b6a1.jpg" width="218" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4052278113/sizes/l/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Click here</i></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i> for a larger image.</i></span></p><p>Another interesting phenomenon is that we're seeing more young people using Twitter now. There have been anecdotal reports that young people were shying away from Twitter, but we can see the hard numbers here:</p><p><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.scottmonty.com/uploaded_images/young-people-flock-twitter-september-2009-787424.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 352px; height: 400px;" />The median age for Twitter is now 31, while MySpace is down 26 from its previous 27 in May of 2008; and Facebook has risen significantly from 27 in May 2008 to 33 now.</p>There's a lot to digest in the study, but these are a few highlights that stood out. Anything interesting catch your eye? Please consider leaving a comment below.<div><br /><p><em><span style="font-size:x-small;">Chart courtesy of </span></em><a title="One in Five Americans Now a Tweeter" href="http://www.marketingcharts.com/interactive/one-in-five-americans-now-a-tweeter-10877/"><em><span style="font-size:x-small;">MarketingCharts</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:x-small;">.</span></em></p><p><i><br /></i></p></div>

Recent Twitter Statistics

The Pew Internet & American Life Project has released some statistics about Twitter and other similar services that Americans use to po...

No Kidding

<em>I originally wrote this <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2008/07/guy-walks-into-bar.html">over a year ago</a>, but I think it deserves another go around, as there seem to be even more social media "experts" out there. Please add your suggestion to the comments section or on Twitter with the hashtag <strong><a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23smbulb">#smbulb</a></strong> and let's see how many responses we can get.</em><br />
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/3036254720_052d0020cc_m.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/3036254720_052d0020cc_m.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0;" /></a><br />
Stop me if you've heard this.<br />
Yesterday, I asked a question on <a href="http://twitter.com/ScottMonty/statuses/866341837">Twitter</a> - one that <a href="http://www.jaffejuice.com/1608/07/a-six-pack-of-c.html">Joseph Jaffe</a> rhetorically asked on his blog - I posed it as a joke and asked for responses.<br />
The question was: <span style="font-weight: bold;">How many social media experts does it take to change a lightbulb?</span> My original answer on Joe's blog was: "309. One to come up with the idea, three to turn it into a strategy, five to execute it, and 300 to influence someone else to do it."<br />
Naturally, responses to my question were far better than my lame punchline. Here are some examples of what I received:<br />
<br />
 <a href="http://twitter.com/mncahill/statuses/866346785">@mncahill</a>: 14,465 to twitter about the need for "LightBulbCamp" and one to hire a developer to change it. <br />
 <a href="http://twitter.com/scottaparks/statuses/866347632">@scottaparks</a>: None, it never gets changed. They are too busy looking for a better bulb! <br />
 <a href="http://twitter.com/cohnjoyne/statuses/866349319">@cohnjoyne</a>: before I tell you how many soc media experts it takes to screw in a light bulb, full disclosure, GE is a client of mine<br />
 <a href="http://twitter.com/adam_rosenberg/statuses/866353441">@adam_rosenberg</a>: at least 10. that way you have 1 to change it and at least 9 to tweet about it.<br />
 <a href="http://twitter.com/scottstead/statuses/866354944">@scottstead</a>: A: 500, Chris Brogan to ask the question, 495 to respond, 3 to organize #changealightbulbweek08, 1 to change the lightbulb<br />
 <a href="http://twitter.com/ScottWitsToo/statuses/866370114">@ScottWitsToo</a>: 3. One to change bulb. Two to discuss how we could change light bulbs better if only we could talk ad nauseum about the process <br />
 <a href="http://twitter.com/LewisG/statuses/866383819">@LewisG</a>: At least two, so an argument over the ethics of monetization can occur. <br />
 <a href="http://twitter.com/jtobin/statuses/866390339">@jtobin</a>: A team of 6 will happily consult, but nobody actually wants to execute the light bulb change for you. :-) <br />
 And this one from <a href="http://twitter.com/jeffglasson">@jeffglasson</a>: 4, Mitch Joel to give 6 steps to open the package, Brogan to write a 100 blog post series on the process, L. Feldman to score the puppet adaptation, and CC Chapman to actually screw the lightbulb in and get the job done! <br />
My favorite was from <a href="http://twitter.com/dmscott">@dmscott</a>: What's your budget?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Got a retort humorous? Let me know by leaving a comment, or share the joke with some friends.</span> <br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66814335@N00/3036254720/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">zetson</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (Flickr)</span></em><br />
<div style="font-size: 10px;">
<a href="http://posterous.com/">Posted via web</a>  from <a href="http://scottmonty.posterous.com/no-kidding-3">The Full Monty</a> </div>

No Kidding

I originally wrote this over a year ago , but I think it deserves another go around, as there seem to be even more social media "expert...

Why Apple & Google Win - and Your Company Doesn't

It's all about usability. Common sense dictates that the easier something is to accomplish, the more readily it will be pa...

Don't Waste My Time

<p>I'm perfectly capable of wasting it myself.</p>  <p> </p>  <p>According to <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007184">a recent poll by Ruder Finn</a>, 100% of the people on the Internet go online to pass the time. But what other activities do they say they primarily use it for?</p>  <p> </p>  <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Reasons that US Internet Users Go Online, Q2 2009 (% of respondents)" src="http://www.emarketer.com/images/chart_gifs/105001-106000/105172.gif" /></p>  <p><br />For those of you interested in the social space, 92% want to connect with others, 76% wish to discuss, 72% aspire to be part of a community, and 56% desire to influence others, and 52% hope to activate support. Those are pretty strong numbers.</p>  <p> </p>  <p>Especially when you compare them to the percentage of people who wish to manage finances, comparison shop or join a cause (all 30% or less). Hmm. I wonder if that means we'll have a generation of people who are too busy yapping with each other to pay attention to how they spend their money?</p>  <p> </p>  <p>Unless they connect and discuss personal finances with others in an influential community. :-)</p>  <p> </p>  <p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Chart source: </em></span><a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007184"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>eMarketer</em></span></a></p> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via web</a>  from <a href="http://scottmonty.posterous.com/dont-waste-my-time">The Full Monty</a> </p>

Don't Waste My Time

I'm perfectly capable of wasting it myself. According to a recent poll by Ruder Finn , 100% of the people on the Internet go onli...

Recent Facebook Demographics

<p>If you get a chance, check out the latest statistics from <a href="http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/10/01/latest-data-on-facebooks-us-growth-by-age-and-gender-october-1-2009/">InsideFacebook.com</a>. Please keep in mind that these are only number for the United States. But there are some things that stand out:</p>  <p> </p>  <p>Looking at percentages, the highest growth rate is coming from the over-45 demographic:</p>  <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="facebook-oct09-users-30daygrowthrate" src="http://www.insidefacebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/facebook-oct09-users-30daygrowthrate.png" /></p>  <p> </p>  <p>While the absolute number of members is smaller in that group, the growth rate is fascinating to watch. I would imagine this will eventually slow, as we've seen with the younger demographic, until it normalizes. In anecdotal conversations, I'm finding that many people from this demographic are using Facebook to connect with high school and college friends (especially as we move into reunion time), stay in touch with children and grandchildren, and even begin to use it for some business networking purposes.</p>  <p> </p>  <p>Another worthwhile graph from the post breaks down current U.S. users by age:</p>  <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="facebook-oct09-users-age" src="http://www.insidefacebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/facebook-oct09-users-age.png" /></p>  <p> </p>  <p>If you bundle up the groups, you'll find that the 35 and older crowd makes up 38% of Facebook's population here in the U.S. Pretty cool when you consider that Facebook started about five years ago as a college-based tool.</p>  <p> </p>  <p>And finally, looking at gender, we find that - <em>in every single segment</em> - there are more female users than male users of Facebook:</p>  <p> </p>  <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="facebook-oct09-users-genderage" src="http://www.insidefacebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/facebook-oct09-users-genderage.png" /></p>  <p> </p>  <p>While we know that overall <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=112899"><strong>women use social networks more than men</strong></a>, I wonder how many of us are using that knowledge to effectively feed our marketing and communications programs? Seems like there's a good opportunity there.</p>  <p> </p>  <p>Do any of these data strike you differently? Can you draw any conclusions or make inferences that I've missed? Let me know.</p>  <p> </p>  <p><em><span style="font-size:x-small;">Chart credit: </span></em><a href="http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/10/01/latest-data-on-facebooks-us-growth-by-age-and-gender-october-1-2009/"><em><span style="font-size:x-small;">InsideFacebook.com</span></em></a></p> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com/">Posted via web</a>  from <a href="http://scottmonty.posterous.com/recent-facebook-demographics">The Full Monty</a> </p>

Recent Facebook Demographics

If you get a chance, check out the latest statistics from InsideFacebook.com . Please keep in mind that these are only number for the United...

Fear and Loathing in Social Media

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/443560667_ca229de8df_m.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/443560667_ca229de8df_m.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 180px;" /></a>You would think at this point that we'd be up to curiosity or even playful experimentation.<div><br /></div><div>But it seems that, according to <a href="http://www.e-tailing.com/">the e-tailing group</a> and <a href="http://www.powerreviews.com/">PowerReviews</a>' survey earlier this month that brands are still hesitant to entirely give over to the power of social media for fear of (what else?) loss of control of their brand and concerns about their competence. A secondary fear is that consumers might find social sites more engaging than the brands' sites, and therefore stop visiting the brands'</div><div> sites.</div><div><br /></div><div>I may be oversimplifying this a bit, but if I were at a brand that was concerned customers might leave my site for a better site I might, oh, I don't know...maybe <b><i>BUILD A MORE ENGAGING SITE</i></b>?!?!?!</div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.scottmonty.com/uploaded_images/SocialMediaFear-736074.gif" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 268px;" /></div><div><br /></div><div>That's only a start. Another course is to engage with consumers where they want to be reached. When the surveyed companies state that their goals of using social media are: to increase engagement, build brand loyalty, and spur word of mouth. If that's the case, you don't get there by (a) ignoring where the rest of the world is going; or (b) burying your head in the sand in terms of these sites.</div><div><br /></div><div>The good news is that half of the suggested activities/sites mentioned in the survey (Facebook page, Twitter, customer reviews, blogs and viral [sic] videos) are already accepted or used by more than half of the respondents. That's a great start, but there's more potential. </div><div><br /></div><div>Before I make a recommendation, I'd like to review a crude approximation that I've been working on - it's how some brands and agencies approach social media with trepidation. Because it's not unlike how humans deal with grief, I've developed a similar model for marketers:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-size:large;">The 5 Stages of Social Media Grief</span></b></div></div><div>(With apologies to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCbler-Ross_model">Elisabeth Kübler-Ross</a>.)</div><div><br /><ol><li><b>Denial</b> - first stage of social media grief in which the marketer refuses to acknowledge the existence of social media. This was the case early on in the industry's development. Luckily, I don't think there are many companies left that think like this.<br /><i>Common phrases</i>: "It's just a kid's thing," or "It's just a fad."<br /><i>Common behaviors</i>: avoiding the Internet, putting hands over ears and singing "I can't heeeeeaaaarr yoooouuuuu. La la laaaaa."</li><br /><li><b>Anger</b> - In the second stage, jealousy and rage are misplaced and rage ensues.<br /><i>Common phrases</i>: "This is stupid," "I've got better things to do with my time."<br /><i>Common behaviors</i>: full-fledged slave to work email; increase in print or television media buy to show effectiveness and superiority.</li><br /><li><b>Bargaining</b> -Anger gives way to hope that incremental adoption of social media will be enough to make a difference.<br /><i>Common phrases</i>: "If we have a Facebook page, we should be covered," "Let's just create a blog," or "Let the agency figure it out."<br /><i>Common behaviors</i>: the use of social media only in time-limited campaigns; half-hearted efforts on a limited number of social sites.</li><br /><li><b>Depression</b> -The fourth stage manifests itself in an understanding that the inevitable cannot be delayed and the marketer becomes doleful.<br /><i>Common phrases</i>: "Twitter/Google/Facebook is taking over the world," or "We're overwhelmed with choices."<br /><i>Common behaviors</i>: moping; pacing; complaining to friends on Facebook.</li><br /><li><b>Acceptance</b> -With the final stage, the marketer finally realizes that social media is here to stay and begins to determine ways to integrate activities and craft strategies that are truly integrated.<br /><i>Common phrases</i>: "Let's craft a comprehensive social media strategy," or "Let's spend some time listening to what consumers are saying about us."<br /><i>Common behaviors</i>: integration of marketing and communications functions, determination of measurement goals, online and offline alignment from the beginning of projects.</li></ol></div><div><br /></div><div>As we know in dealing with emotional grief, you can't skip steps - you have to go through them. Some folks may be stubborn and may take a while, while others may be ahead of the curve and breeze through them quickly. [<i>Aside: in 2004, when I heard Elisabeth Kubler-Ross died, my grieving went as follows: "No that can't be true. Curse you, Lord, no just God would take her from us. I wish she was back. Geez, life stinks. Oh, well, that's the circle of life."</i>].</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, in order to address those fears and to get on with the acceptance, why not start by aligning your social media activities with your business plan and your overall marketing and communications objectives? A second step would be to listen, listen and listen - get a sense as to what's being said about your brand and how people engage on these social platforms.</div><div><br /></div><div>And then if you'd like to make a more engaging site for customers, consider <i>integrating</i> or <i>aggregating</i> content from third party social sites or services right there on your own web page. Give people a chance to find contextually relevant material from other sources on <i>your</i> site. We've done it on the <a href="http://www.fiestamovement.com/"><b>Fiesta Movement</b></a> site and we continue to do it in a variety of ways on <a href="http://www.thefordstory.com/"><b>The Ford Story</b></a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>The thinking there is that people will go out and search for other peoples' opinions on your products anyway. Why not give them something contextually relevant while they're on your site and provide value? It's an acknowledgment - dare I say acceptance? - that the world around us is changing.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><i>Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58425233@N00/443560667/">tavopp</a> on Flickr</i></div><div><i>Chart credit: <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007296">eMarketer</a></i></div></div>

Fear and Loathing in Social Media

You would think at this point that we'd be up to curiosity or even playful experimentation. But it seems that, according to the e-tailin...

Are You Really Satisfying Your Customers?

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/483501996_f61c4ab208_o.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/483501996_f61c4ab208_o.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 280px;" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">We all know that social media plays a part in customer service.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As business becomes more fierce, margins shrink and barriers to entry are almost nonexistent in some areas, the competitive advantage that many companies can leverage exists in an often-overlooked but absolutely essential part of the marketing team: customer service.</div><div><br /></div><div>And for every new company that springs up to supply solutions to problems we didn't know we had, there are many companies that already exist and are competing in a commoditized market. "<i>There is nothing new under the sun</i>," <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+1:9&version=NIV">the quote goes</a>. And for those organizations, one of the accepted methods of differentiation is customer service. This itself isn't (or shouldn't be) news. <a href="http://www.briansolis.com/2007/12/social-media-customer-service-20/"><b>Brian Solis</b></a> and <a href="http://www.conversationagent.com/2007/05/customer_servic.html"><b>Valeria Maltoni</b></a> both wrote that customer service <i>is</i> the new marketing a while back.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><b>Examples abound</b></div><div>Because this is not a new concept, there are countless instances of companies stepping up their customer service efforts, particularly in the social media space. Here are a few to note:</div><div><ul><li>Comcast is <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jan2009/ca20090113_373506.htm"><b>the shining example</b></a> of customer service on Twitter, led primarily through the efforts of the head of their digital team, Frank Eliason (aka <a href="http://twitter.com/comcastcares">@comcastcares</a> on Twitter). </li><li>Recently, Best Buy ran national TV spots promoting their <a href="http://twitter.com/Twelpforce"><b>Twelpforce</b></a> - a legion of their "blue shirts" available to help people who submit questions for Best Buy via Twitter. </li><li>And <a href="http://www.zappos.com/">Zappos</a> bills themselves as "a customer service company" as they train every single employee on customer service and even have Twitter <a href="http://twitter.zappos.com/"><b>baked into their corporate site</b></a>.</li><li><a href="http://getsatisfaction.com/"><b>Get Satisfaction</b></a> has become a place where consumers and industry alike monitor and comment on, in an effort for more transparent dialog. </li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>Customers now expect an immediate answer online - something I see every day through the <a href="http://twitter.com/Ford">@Ford</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/FordCustService">@FordCustService</a> accounts on Twitter.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Speed isn't everything</b></div><div>But a recent survey written up by Dave Dougherty and Ajay Murthy in the<i> Harvard Business Review</i> called <a href="http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/2009/09/what-service-customers-really-want/ar/1">What Service Customers Really Want</a> demonstrates that speed isn't necessarily the answer. According to the survey,</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote><i>Evidence shows that customers will no longer tolerate the rushed and inconvenient service that has become all too common. Instead, they are looking for a satisfying experience. Companies that provide it will win their loyalty.</i></blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>The question is no longer how quickly can you provide customer service, but how <b><i>effectively</i></b>?</div><div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.scottmonty.com/uploaded_images/OneAndDone-785621.gif" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 390px; height: 323px;" /></div><div>When people are crunched for time (as nearly all of us are these days), the experience you give them on their first effort to reach you had better be the way you want them to remember you. Because, like the old cliche "you never get a second chance to make a first impression," their primary expectations are <b>(1) that your front line representatives to have answers</b>, and <b>(2) that their needs are addressed on the first call</b>. And as the article indicates, those two categories aren't even on the measurement dashboard for most customer service entities - they're still measuring time on hold and minutes per call.</div><div><br /></div><div>If anything, your customer service operation needs to be aligned not only with your marketing and communications organizations, but more importantly, with your customers. For customer service areas that simply field complaints and don't impact customer loyalty really aren't doing your organization any favors.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Photo credit: </i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/43017881@N00/483501996/"><i>libraryman</i></a><i> on Flickr</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div>

Are You Really Satisfying Your Customers?

We all know that social media plays a part in customer service. As business becomes more fierce, margins shrink and barriers to entry are al...

Social Media Books & Experts

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2604/3738107746_f944ec80b1_m.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2604/3738107746_f944ec80b1_m.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 160px;" /></a>One thing that has always puzzled me is the sheer number of books about social media. When your industry changes almost daily - not to mention that it's one rooted in the digital space - is it helpful to read (or write) books about it?<br /><br />At the same time we've seen the rise of the <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2008/07/guy-walks-into-bar.html">social media "expert,"</a> we've seen a proliferation of books on the topic. From a business perspective, it's not surprising: it's a hot topic; everyone is trying to make sense of it; and people will cash in while they have the chance. But someone new to this space needs to be aware of who's the true leader and who is the charlatan.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"  style=" font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-size:large;">Calling oneself an expert does not an expert make;</span></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"  style=" font-style: italic; font-size:large;">that label is usually granted by peers who recognize talent.</span></div></b><br />A good place to start as you try to figure this stuff out is to see who's following whom. While the social media space tends to be filled with a lot of people who are reciprocal in their follows, you can easily see who some of the stand-outs are. Check the blogrolls (links to other blogs) that are recommended by your favorite bloggers. See who pops as a thought leader. See who resonates with you.<br /><br />Another way is to see how many of them have written a book. There's a great list of the <a href="http://blog.mellowbillow.com/2009/08/17/top-100-best-social-media-books-ever/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Top 100 Best Social Media Books Ever</span></a> (well at least as of the writing of that particular blog post) that I can recommend. But again, that's quite a list. And some of the newer books don't appear on it.<br /><br />Here are six of the latest titles by people whom I respect, with links to their blogs:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/">Chris Brogan</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470743085?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0470743085"><b><i>Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust</i></b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0470743085" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" />. Chris is a prolific writer, cranking out multiple posts a day, all while running New Media Labs and tweeting until his fingers are raw. There's a lot of common sense in his work. And his book is all about trust. I trust Chris and can recommend his work highly.<br /><br /><a href="http://redcouch.typepad.com/">Shel Israel</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842794?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1591842794"><b><i>Twitterville: How Businesses Can Thrive in the New Global Neighborhoods</i></b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1591842794" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" />. Shel has been in the communications field for a long time. But his insights are as fresh as ever. He co-authored <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/047174719X?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=047174719X"><i>Naked Conversations</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=047174719X" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" /> with <a href="http://www.scobleizer.com/">Robert Scoble</a> and his latest book is all about Twitter. Fair warning: it's longer than 140 characters.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.twistimage.com/blog/">Mitch Joel</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446548235?ie=UTF8&tag=socialmediama-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0446548235"><b><i>Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone</i></b></a><b><i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0446548235" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" /></i></b>. Mitch is a super smart guy who has been chronicling the development of the online vs. offline world for quite some time. His blog and podcast are always thoughtful and inspirational. And he's one of the four bald guys who seem to haunt the new marketing world, yet whom we never see all in one place at one time. Weird, I know.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.webinknow.com/">David Meerman Scott</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470395001?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0470395001"><b><i>World Wide Rave: Creating Triggers that Get Millions of People to Spread Your Ideas and Share Your Stories</i></b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0470395001" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" />. David is probably one of the best public speakers I know. But his talents don't stop at the spoken word. He clearly demonstrates his ideas with case studies - and ones that aren't expected. After reading his stuff, you'll rave too.<br /><br /><a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/">Seth Godin, </a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842336?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1591842336"><b><i>Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us</i></b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1591842336" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" />. If you don't know Seth Godin, you should. Or perhaps I should say, you will. He has rocketed <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fentity%2FSeth-Godin%2FB000AP9EH0%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref%255F%3Dntt%255Fathr%255Fdp%255Fpel%255F1&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">every one of his books</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" /> to the top of the charts in creative and innovative ways. His blog is filled with observations about Marketing and marketing - by that I mean the craft as well as daily thoughts about how companies and individuals can differentiate themselves. And yes, he's one of those bald guys.<br /><br /><a href="http://garyvaynerchuk.com/">Gary Vaynerchuk</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061914177?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061914177"><b><i>Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion</i></b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061914177" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" />. Say it with me: VAY-ner-chuk! Gary is a force of nature. Host of the amazing <a href="http://tv.winelibrary.com/">Wine Library TV</a>, Gary has amassed a mini empire on his way to eventually owning the New York Jets. His keynotes and speeches are filled with the fire that comes straight from his belly, and his book will no doubt inspire the same level of commitment that his appearances do.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If anything, the takeaway from these authors is: if you want</span></span></div><span style="font-weight:bold;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">a successful book, make sure you've got a colon in the title. ;-)</span></span></div></span><br />Feel free to click around and check out their writing in whichever format appeals to you. And pass along those that resonate with you. Share them with you coworkers, your boss, your friends. Have you got other reading recommendations? I'd love to hear from you in the comment section below.<br /><br /><center><script charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822/US/thebakerstree-20/8001/42e9210d-655b-4d50-8489-49c8305d9b32"> </script> <noscript><a href="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fthebakerstree-20%2F8001%2F42e9210d-655b-4d50-8489-49c8305d9b32&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</a></noscript></center><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26231875@N00/3738107746/">Patrick Gage</a> (Flickr)</span>

Social Media Books & Experts

One thing that has always puzzled me is the sheer number of books about social media. When your industry changes almost daily - not to menti...

Panel Picker Pentathlon

<p><a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/47/107129621_6c447822dc_m.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/47/107129621_6c447822dc_m.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; cursor: hand; height: 160px;" /></a>One of the great features of the <a href="http://sxsw.com/interactive">South by Southwest Interactive</a> conference (that's SXSWi to you) is the plethora of panels and speakers there are to hear from. In many cases, you have to make hard choices because of an embarrassment of riches, so to speak.</p>  <p> </p>  <p>If you've never gone to SXSW, I strongly recommend it, whether you're learning about social media or you're a representative for your company in the field. You'll meet plenty of other talented and like-minded individuals, you'll see new technology debuted (it's where <a href="http://twitter.com/scottmonty">Twitter</a> first made a big splash), and you'll be able to hear some industry thought leaders. Not to mention you'll have a chance to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49078651@N00/2893724518/">keep</a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42097321@N00/3079546559/"> Austin</a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/65701179@N00/3036755365/">weird</a>. If you can only attend one social media conference a year, make it this one. </p>  <p> </p>  <p>Each year, the organizers of SXSW open it up to us <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plebs">plebs</a> to select which panels we'd most like to see. Never one to say no, I've been asked by five different individuals to be part of their panels. Here they are. Feel free to vote for (or against) as many as you like.</p>  <p> </p>  <ol>  <li><a href="http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/3646">#youFAIL: Respond or Die in Social Media</a> - featuring Planet Hollywood and Miramax Films, moderated by <a href="http://www.realpie.com/">Kirk Skodis</a></li><li><a href="http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/4353">Social Networking for Dealers: Cultivate Relationships First</a> - moderated by <a href="http://www.marysbutler.com/site/blog/avenue-a-razorfish">Mary Butler</a> from Razorfish</li><li><a href="http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/2496">Virtual Experience vs. Advertising to Change Brand Perception</a> - with ABC and Qik, moderated by <a href="http://www.z-comm.com/">Tom Martin</a></li><li><a href="http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/3160">Building Social Strategies at Fortune 100 Companies</a> - a who's-who of brands, from <a title="@markyolton" href="http://twitter.com/markyolton">SAP</a> to <a title="@seattlegirl" href="http://twitter.com/seattlegirl">Microsoft</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/smorty71">Nationwide Insurance</a> to <a title="@rawn" href="http://twitter.com/rawn">IBM</a> and <a title="@LionelAtDell" href="http://twitter.com/LionelatDell">Dell</a> and moderated by <a title="@jimstorer" href="http://twitter.com/jimstorer">Jim Storer</a></li><li><a href="http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/2828">Can You Tame the Twitter Beast? These Brands Think So</a> - <a title="@JesseEngle" href="http://twitter.com/JesseEngle">Jesse Engle</a>, CEO of <a title="CoTweet - how business does Twitter" href="http://cotweet.com/">CoTweet</a> moderates this panel that inclues <a title="@WholeFoods" href="http://twitter.com/WholeFoods">Whole Foods</a>, Sports Illustrated and <a title="@starbucks" href="http://twitter.com/starbucks">Starbucks</a>.</li></ol><br /><p> </p>  <p>But be kind. I'd like a chance to <em>see</em> some panels as well. ;-) And while you're at it, take a look around the <a href="http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/index/interactive">Interactive Panel Picker</a> and select some others. There are plenty to choose from.</p>  <p> </p>  <p><em>Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27403767@N00/107129621/">The Laughing Squid</a> (Flickr)</em></p>   <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com/">Posted via web</a>  from <a href="http://scottmonty.posterous.com/panel-picker-pentathlon">The Full Monty</a> </p>

Panel Picker Pentathlon

One of the great features of the South by Southwest Interactive conference (that's SXSWi to you) is the plethora of panels and speakers...

Are We There Yet?

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2037/2174481713_638022d201_m.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2037/2174481713_638022d201_m.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 146px;" /></a><p>Not quite, it would seem.</p>  <p>While we in business are seeing some advances from companies that are learning how to become more transparent, it's clear that the scientific community is stuck in the relative Dark Ages. Case in point: check out this guide on <strong><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/18773744/How-to-Publish-a-Scientific-Comment-in-1-2-3-Easy-Steps">How To Publish a Scientific Comment in 1 2 3 Easy Steps</a></strong> (<em>embedded below</em>).</p>  <p>It would be funny if it weren't tragic.</p>  <p>I suppose it's a chance for those of us who understand and operate in the realm of online communications and social media to be thankful that we embrace instantaneous commenting and direct access to authors. That we co-create instead of hoard. That we can request assistance and get dozens of replies from people willing to collaborate for the sake of solving a problem or helping a colleague. That's precisely how open source software has allowed us to advance farther faster. iPhone app, anyone?</p>  <p>What if the scientific community were more collaborative (and I'm speaking about the publications here, not institutions themselves)? Or at the very least, collegial? What if journals and scientific publications held their authors to such high standards that they required more open disclosure of data, processes, and errors? Wouldn't that be something that we could all benefit from? The process below stands to illustrate the old thinking of self-promotion, fiefdoms, and jealously guarded secrets.</p>  <p>There <em>must </em>be a better way.</p>  <p><span style=""><span style=""><br /></span></span> <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/18773744/How-to-Publish-a-Scientific-Comment-in-1-2-3-Easy-Steps" title="View How to Publish a Scientific Comment in 1 2 3 Easy Steps on Scribd" style="">How to Publish a Scientific Comment in 1 2 3 Easy Steps</a>   <object align="middle" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" height="500" width="100%">  <param name="movie" value="http://d.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=18773744&access_key=key-1md5zdvu8wpysalhsmqg&page=1&version=1&viewMode=">  <param name="quality" value="high">  <param name="play" value="true">  <param name="loop" value="true">  <param name="scale" value="showall">  <param name="wmode" value="opaque">  <param name="devicefont" value="false">  <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff">  <param name="menu" value="true">  <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">  <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always">  <param name="salign"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://d.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=18773744&access_key=key-1md5zdvu8wpysalhsmqg&page=1&version=1&viewMode=" height="500" wmode="opaque" width="100%"></embed>  </object>  </p> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com/">Posted via web</a>  from <a href="http://scottmonty.posterous.com/are-we-there-yet-12">The Full Monty</a> </p><br /><br />Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/53074617@N00/2174481713/">Wolfgang Staudt</a>

Are We There Yet?

Not quite, it would seem. While we in business are seeing some advances from companies that are learning how to become more transparent, i...

You Want Me to WHAT?

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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">If you were asked to give up your social networking activity, what would you rather give up?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">It's an interesting scenario. Given a choice between social media activity and something else - and don't think that time isn't coming - what do you think you would give up before you left your favorite social network? </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">That's the very question that was put to 711 female internet users in the U.S. and Canada by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://shesconnectedmultimedia.com/">ShesConnected</a> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://shesconnectedmultimedia.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Multimedia</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">. What do you think they said? Have you selected your priorities yet? I'll give you a moment before launching into the survey results.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Ready? Good. Here's what the online cohort said:</span></span></div>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">More than one-third (36%, to be exact) would sooner give up chocolate, their Pradas, or their mothers-in-law before they gave up social networking.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">But only half would be willing to pay a subscription fee for those site.</span></span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">It's amazing to think the limits we'll go to for social networking. Pradas are expensive, I </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">get that. Mothers-in-law are...well, that's personal, isn't it? But giving up </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span">chocolate</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">? C'mon, people!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">As to the fee, it seems that most women - 92%, in fact - would be comfortable with an ad-supported model on the socnets. But only 22% would be approve of their data being sold to advertisers, and just 28% are okay with a subscription-based model.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Chart courtesy of </span><a href="http://www.marketingcharts.com/interactive/women-ditch-mothers-in-law-for-socnets-but-wont-pay-fees-10014/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=mc&utm_medium=textlink"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">MarketingCharts.com</span></a></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />The post popular activities in which they partake online are:</span></span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Viewing video</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Reading blogs</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Posting photos</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Writing in blogs</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Posting comments</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />And some interesting additional data points about the respondents:</span></span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">More than two-thirds (67%) of survey respondents belong to three social networks, while 48% belong to four or more.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">The adoption of social networks by older women is especially strong. Women ages 50+ comprised the largest age group in the core user survey.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">More than one-third report they are in business for themselves</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Respondents spend a significant amount of time online each day, with 49% reporting they spend 1 - 2 hours per day for personal use and 48% reporting they spend five or more hours per day online for work.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">83% of respondents have 50 or more connections or friends.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">56% have started at least one group and have joined an average of two to five groups. Nearly one in three (29%) belong to 10 or more groups.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Pay attention to these ladies. There's clearly a lot of potential here. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">That is, unless you take away their chocolate.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">BTW, at Ford we recently asked women what they wanted in their cars. You'd be surprised at their reactions, which <a href="http://www.thefordstory.com/ford-on-blogs/what-women-want-with-blogher/">you can see by clicking here</a>.<br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Photo credit: </span></i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/18133618@N00/12149900/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Wiedmaier</span></i></a></span></div>
</div>
</div>

You Want Me to WHAT?

If you were asked to give up your social networking activity, what would you rather give up? It's an interesting scenario. Giv...

Say It Like You Mean It

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/17/91847052_06ef9648b4_m.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/17/91847052_06ef9648b4_m.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 232px; height: 240px;" /></a>I get a lot of unsolicited email. People looking for information, people with interview requests, people who are selling things. I try to be generous with my time, but it's the last group I don't have patience for.<br /><br />Let me tell you why.<br /><br />If I'm trying to make a good impression and I only have a limited amount of space or time to do so, I would think it's important to have my act together. While I certainly understand and can forgive nervousness or lack of polish, when I come across sloppy errors or blatant incompetence, it's the delete file for you. I have a very limited amount of time and I need to focus meeting goals. I'll give you an example of something that put me over the edge.<br /><br />An email arrived in my inbox with the subject: <b>Targeted Emailing List</b><br /><br />I thought: "Okay, I'm not directly responsible for email marketing, but this might be interesting for some related reason."<br /><br />I was quickly disavowed of that notion when I read the body of the email, which began:<div><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span"  style="color:#000099;"></span></b><blockquote><b><span class="Apple-style-span"  style="color:#000099;">Dear Customer: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">[<i>emphasis not even added - they were dumb enough to make it bold</i>]</span></span></b><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"  style="color:#000099;">We are a list compiler and a dominant player in the List Business Industry with over 40 Million B2B contacts and 200 Million B2C contacts. We have all varieties of business records that come with complete contact details including working business email addresses.</span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span"  style="color:#000099;"></span><br />Aside from the annoyance of being called "Customer," (which I'm not), the very service they're selling is "complete contact details" of 200 million contacts. I guess I didn't make it into the database.<div><br /></div><div>If you're going to convince someone of your ability, please be sure you've demonstrated it effectively. Physician, heal thyself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Have you had any similar experiences?</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Photo credit: </i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/steev/91847052/"><i>detritus</i></a><br /><br /><br /></div></div>

Say It Like You Mean It

I get a lot of unsolicited email. People looking for information, people with interview requests, people who are selling things. I try to be...

A Year @Ford - Part 1

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4265912802" title="2012 Ford Focus - front by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="2012 Ford Focus - front" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2710/4265912802_e19880c208_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Today marks exactly one year since I joined Ford Motor Company to head up social media efforts. You'd be surprised at how much has happened in such a short period of time.<br />
<br />
The last year has marked some of the most turbulent not only in our economy overall, but in the entire history of the global automotive market. Since last December alone, we've witnessed bankruptcies filed, quarterly and annual losses not seen in decades (if ever), and emergency government support of some of our most iconic brands.<br />
<br />
And I decided to move my family to Michigan just before it all began. Exciting times, huh?<br />
<br />
I've written occasionally here about my Ford experiences, wanting to keep this blog as wide-ranging as possible for my readers. But more than a few people have asked to hear a little more about some of our activities. I thought my one year anniversary was the appropriate time to reflect on what's happened during that time.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">This is the first part of a multi-part series - and it's rather long. I beg your indulgence.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="fullpost"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3291/2680401102_d883e32fa4_m.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3291/2680401102_d883e32fa4_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 189px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 240px;" /></a></span><span id="fullpost"><span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">The Beginning</span><br />
<span id="fullpost">I announced my intention to join Ford <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2008/06/why-im-blue.html" style="font-weight: bold;">a little over a year ago</a>. In re-reading that post, I notice that I spent time thinking about what I was leaving behind rather than what was in front of me, which in retrospect (do you sense the irony?) didn't really give much of an impression of what lay before me. The job opportunity with Ford was pretty </span></span><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost">exciting - running social media for a Fortune 10 company and an American and global icon. Enough to get any social media </span><span id="fullpost">strategist excited, right? Well, the notion of moving to Detroit didn't really sit well with me (chalk it up to an East coast elitism) and I wasn't totally convinced.<br />
<br />
It wasn't until I started doing my research and understanding where the company was headed that I started seriously considering it. After all, the company <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/25/business/25ford.html">turned a profit in April 2008</a> - a year ahead of <a href="http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=24203" style="font-weight: bold;">Alan Mulally</a>'s plan to turn the company profitable, and based on the product lineup I saw, this wasn't the Ford that I assumed I knew. Cool designs, interiors that rivaled foreign brands, hybrid technology, and an engine in the works </span><span id="fullpost">that would boost fuel efficiency across almost the whole fleet - not to mention a commitment to being leaders in digital communications - this is the Ford I discovered. And when I paid a visit to the company, every person I met - <span style="font-style: italic;">every</span> person - was intelligent, dedicated and passionate about Ford.<br />
<br />
In short, my perceptions were the only thing holding me back - something that Detroit and Ford experience on a daily basis. And - now that I've lived here for a year - I can say my long-held perceptions were incorrect.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">Early Progress</span><br />
Typically when a leader assumes a new role, he or she is judged based on how much they </span></span><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost">accomplish in the first 30, 60, or 90 days. And I knew that our lofty goal at Ford - to be become a leader in digital communications in four years and to become the world's leading social automotive brand - was one that would require a lot of teamwork. So, I quickly set out to meet as many people as I could, understand the processes in place, and start to work on our social media strategy.<br />
<br />
<span id="fullpost">I should mention that in addition to my social media responsibilities (my title is officially Digital & Multimedia Communications Manager), I also manage a team of people who are responsible for our TV & radio broadcast coverage, as well as our digital publishing team that maintains our <a href="http://media.ford.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">Media</a> site, among others. These teams really do a great job in keeping Ford in the spotlight. [<span style="font-style: italic;">I should note that I lost the only social media person on my team last August and still haven't replaced her - that's about to be rectified.</span>]<br />
<br />
Some of the assets that we had at our disposal early on included:</span></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><a href="http://ford.digitalsnippets.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">Ford's Social Media Press Releases</a> (SMPR) - our social media agency - aptly named the <a href="http://www.socialmediagroup.com/">Social Media Group</a> - created 15 separate SMPRs dedicated to corporate and product issues, updated regularly, built on WordPress with RSS feeds, fed by Flickr photos and </span><span id="fullpost">YouTube videos.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/fordmotorcompany" style="font-weight: bold;">A Flickr channel</a> - one in which we used a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Non-Commercial Attribution 2.0 Generic license</a>, meaning that our photos are free to be used as long as we're attributed and they're not used for a profit-making venture.</span></span></li>
<li><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/fordvideo1" style="font-weight: bold;">A YouTube channel</a>, mostly used for b-roll, but creating content that generally wasn't available elsewhere.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost">The early <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/scottmonty/setting-content-free-at-ford-web-20-expo">results were impressive</a>: SMPR material used in over 5,000 posts and articles, Flickr photos viewed over 120,000 times, and over 500 subscribers on the YouTube channel with over 1.2 million views of 140 videos.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">Expanding the Activity / Strategy Development</span></span></span><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3322/3444327465_6e39273c5b_m.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3322/3444327465_6e39273c5b_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 160px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 240px;" /></a></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost">While we were fine-tuning the strategy (and I had a pretty good instinct as to what it</span></span></span><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"> was going to look like), we expanded our presence: we developed a number of Twitter feeds (<a href="http://twitter.com/ford">@Ford</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/forddrivegreen">@FordDriveGreen</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/fordmustang">@FordMustang</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/fordcustservice">@FordCustService</a>, to name a few), we got more active on <a href="http://facebook.com/ford">Facebook</a>, and we interacted on blogs. These activities were intentional, for I knew as an outsider to the industry that Ford didn't have a face to the general public and we needed to begin humanizing the company by getting faces out from behind the Blue Oval. I went so far as to leverage my own personal brand - not because it was convenient, but because I believed so firmly in the direction of the company, and because that's the network I had build up before I came to Ford. It seemed natural to extend it.<br />
<br />
Twitter made a lot of sense for Ford because it did a number of things for the company: it showed that we were listening; we were able to have 1:1 communication with consumers - but also in the very public setting that Twitter provides (i.e., everyone else is watching it happen); and it showed that Ford understood social media and was hip & cool.<br />
<br />
As we developed the strategy, we spoke to people around the company, from managers to senior executives, in offices from all over the world. In the end, we realized we had to have a strategy that was flexible enough to:</span></span></span><br />
<ol>
<li>Allow us to speak to customers, employees, retirees, dealers, enthusiasts, shareholders;</li>
<li>Apply to whatever department within the organization would like to use social media (HR, communications, IT, marketing, product development, customer service, etc.);</li>
<li>Change according to the regional differences in social media adoption and technology saturation.</li>
</ol>
<span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost">Ultimately, Ford's social media strategy looked something like this:</span></span></span><br />
<blockquote style="font-style: italic;">
<span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Humanizing the company by connecting Ford employees with our stakeholders, allowing them to connect with each other when appropriate, and providing value in the process.</span></span></span></span></span></blockquote>
<span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost">At about the same time that we created the strategy, the company was engaged in the hearings </span></span></span><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost">in Washington - not to ask for funding ourselves (Ford had wisely borrowed against its own assets some two years earlier) but to support the industry. We quickly found out that we were lumped in with our crosstown rivals, despite our intentions. I spent day and night defending our position on blogs, forums and on Twitter</span></span></span><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost">, until <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2008/11/how-you-can-use-social-media-to-help-us.html">I finally created a post of my own</a> to help the cause. We realized that a scattershot and one-off approach wasn't sustainable; a better solution had to be created.<br />
<br />
</span></span></span><br />
<h4>
The Ford Story</h4>
<br />
<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2671/3722122261_22308a644d.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2671/3722122261_22308a644d.jpg" style="float: left; height: 353px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 500px;" /></a><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost">So, in a massive flurry of activity and cross-departmental coordination, in the five days over Thanksgiving weekend, we created <a href="http://www.thefordstory.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">The Ford Story</a>. </span></span></span><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"></span></span></span><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost">It was a huge win for us, as it demonstrated the <a href="http://www.ford.com/about-ford/company-information/one-ford">One Ford mission</a> that drives the company, and it got a lot of coverage and attention for its design and good content. We wanted to ensure that we were true to our strategy, so we led with faces on every page - our executives speaking unscripted and plainly (albeit staged) about what Ford stood for. And because we had a number of documents to share - our comprehensive plan, a number of fact sheets - we decided to use an innovative site called <a href="http://www.scribd.com/FordMotorCompany" style="font-weight: bold;">Scribd</a> for document sharing. And because we <a href="http://wordpress.org/showcase/the-ford-story/" style="font-weight: bold;">built it on WordPress</a>, it resulted in an easy to understand and robust site that can be easily changed over time.<br />
<br />
Since we seemed to be enjoying more media attention than before, I decided to have a little fun at an event I was attending with Alan Mulally. On a whim, I got a few moments of his time <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2008/12/fords-ceo-takes-to-twitter.html" style="font-weight: bold;">and took live questions via Twitter</a>. However, just to show you that it's important to stay focused on what matters and to not get overly optimistic,  during that time there was a little digital crisis communications effort that we had to deal with. I've covered that before - <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2008/12/case-study-social-media-for-crisis.html" style="font-weight: bold;">you can check it out here</a>.<br />
<br />
One bright spot, though: at the end of 2008, according to <a href="http://vitrue.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-vitrue-100-top-social-brands-of-2008/" style="font-weight: bold;">Vitrue's ranking of the 100 Most Social Brands</a>, Ford managed to snag the <span style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold;">#12</span> spot - the highest rank of any automaker on the list. It was safe to say that we were on our way.<br />
</span></span></span><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span style="font-style: italic;">Stay tuned for Part 2, in which I'll talk about some pitfalls along the way, our 2009 progress to date, as well as plans for the future.</span><br />
</span></span></span><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Is there anything so far that I didn't cover </span></span></span></span><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span style="font-weight: bold;">you'd like to know?</span></span></span></span><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span id="fullpost"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />
<br />
Special thanks to: <a href="http://socialmediagroup.com/">Maggie Fox</a>, <a href="http://johnbell.typepad.com/">John Bell</a>, <a href="http://leonahobbs.com/">Leona Hobbs</a>, <a href="http://www.catchupblog.typepad.com/">Kaitlyn Wilkins</a>, the entire Communications and Marketing teams at Ford, <a href="http://blog.stroutmeister.com/">Aaron Strout</a> (for spurring this post on), <a href="http://blog.agencypja.com/">Phil Johnson</a> for his cheerleading and for setting me free, <a href="http://www.jaffejuice.com/">Joseph Jaffe</a> for his inspiration, and <a href="http://www.cc-chapman.com/">C.C. Chapman</a> for his friendship, as well as the following people who were kind enough to acknowledge my anniversary today:<br />
<a href="http://twitter.com/prblog">@prblog</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/nadhiyamali">@nadhiyamali</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/cloudspark">@cloudspark</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/elliotschimel">@elliotschimel</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/eileen53">@eileen53</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/clairecelsi">@clairecelsi</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/PingTweets">@PingTweets</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ChrisCree">@ChrisCree</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/AdeleMcAlear">@AdeleMcAlear</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/nmalin">@nmalin</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/DougMeacham">@DougMeacham</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/HotLabRescue">@HotLabRescue</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/Gvision1">@Gvision1</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/bschestnutt">@bschestnutt</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/KelByrd">@KelByrd</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/cspenn">vcspenn</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/BiOH4ALLjk">@BiOH4ALLjk</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/woodlandalyssa">@woodlandalyssa</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/SandyspringFord">@SandyspringFord</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/KellyeCrane">@KellyeCrane</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/LionelAtDell">@LionelAtDell</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/LindaJacobson">@LindaJacobson</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/pfanderson">vpfanderson</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/tamaratam">@tamaratam</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/bigguyd">@bigguyd</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/MikeDriehorst">@MikeDriehorst</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/Girlfriendology">@Girlfriendology</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/tvdeegan">@tvdeegan</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/paullyoung">@paullyoung</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/jlicciardi">@jlicciardi</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/sgetgood%3C">@sgetgood</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/TdRamsey">@TdRamsey</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/Jen_Harvey">@Jen_Harvey</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/Military_Mom">@Military_Mom</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/theartofimpact">@theartofimpact</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/billgilliam">@billgilliam</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/Tiggr">@Tiggr</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/BryanPerson">@BryanPerson</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/russu">@russu</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/DanaSingleton">@DanaSingleton</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/JulieeSmith">@JulieeSmith</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/robgt2">@robgt2</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ayat">@ayat</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/chatterboxapp">@chatterboxapp</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/KyleRohde">@KyleRohde</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/jak2rocks">@jak2rocks</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/FordThunder">@FordThunder</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/DIRTFORGE">@DIRTFORGE</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/MustangMatters">@MustangMatters</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/Jericles">@Jericles</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/CMajor">@CMajor</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/gradontripp">@gradontripp</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/BethHarte">@BethHarte</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/Armano">@Armano</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/tomob">@tomob</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/eperry">@eperry</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/defcon_5">@defcon_5</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/DutchieDude">@DutchieDude</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ischafer">@ischafer</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/stlfordguy">@stlfordguy</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/kbuczko">@kbuczko</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/GeekMommy">@GeekMommy</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/rhappe">@rhappe</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/Stealx">@Stealx</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/JonBurg">@JonBurg</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/acowboyswife">@acowboyswife</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/DJLitten">@DJLitten</a><br />
<br />
You - and many others like you - make a difference every day. Thank you for being part of what inspires me.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Photo credit: </span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fordmotorcompany/11999819686/in/set-72157639870041874" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Ford Motor Company (Flickr)</a><br />
</span></span></span>

A Year @Ford - Part 1

Today marks exactly one year since I joined Ford Motor Company to head up social media efforts. You'd be surprised at how much has hap...

Scott Monty - Strategic Communications & Leadership Advisor