social media

The Telecommuting Challenge

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Telecommuting isn’t a new topic. Under the right conditions theZenith Space Command Remote (00)re are many advantages for both employees and employers.

At both ends of the spectrum there are jobs that are impossible for telecommuting (i.e.: manufacturing) and there are jobs that are perfect (i.e.: some accounting tasks). We find the challenges in that grey blob in the middle. Those challenges can be our opportunities.

My good friend Rajesh Singh started a recent thread on LinkedIn asking about telecommuting.
(Read the full thread here.)

But, as I read the comments, I realized that as is often the case the question frames certain assumptions and we don’t think through the “real” problem. Continue reading →

Your Social Media, Marketing Advantage or Threat

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DSC07453Maybe some of you are dinosaurs who think social media is a passing fad with only a tangential relationship to your business.

I hate to admit this, but I have seen the birth of many services in the last 20 years that I thought had no chance of making it.  I could not at the time understand the utility of services such as short message services or picture sharing.

I realize now that “utility” was the wrong metric.  The correct measure was emotion.  I finally recognized the feeling that short messages gave me.  It was that same secret thrill of passing notes back in high school.  It was a feeling of inclusion that, in my opinion, is the emotional hook of social media.  The service platforms make the pathways for the messages easy and accessible.

Emotion is the essence of marketing.  When people resonate a product strongly with an emotion, you are building a powerful brand.

So what does this have to do social media?

Social media is a means to engage with your customers.  It can build and strengthen customer relationships and get immediate feedback.  Build the connection of the emotion, build the brand.

  • Measure your brand value by following yourself on social media.
  • Measure your competitors’ brands by following their activities (branding, market share, performance).
  • Follow industry events, conferences.
  • Follow campaign effectiveness and reach.
  • Follow industry influencers and connect with their followers for more reach.

That is the “why” of social media.

The “what” is how are you managing it, especially in a crisis? Continue reading →

Bill O’Reilly (Managing a Crisis)

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20150305 Bill O’Reilly (Managing a Crisis)

On the heels of the Brian Williams media crisis, another celebrity was caught up in a crisis similar to, and directly related to Williams.  Bill O’Reilly, the Fox News commentator, was accused of the exact same misconduct in an article from Mother Jones magazine.

Quick review: Williams was suspended by NBC News when it became publicly known that Williams had exaggerated a claim from 2003 that he had almost been killed in Iraq.  He claimed that he was riding in a helicopter when it took ground fire and was forced to make an emergency landing.  The actual facts showed that he was in a group of 4 helicopters at the time and it was a helicopter in front of his that was hit. He was unaware of the danger until after the fact and on the ground.

There is nothing worse for anyone than to be caught in the cross hairs of the media.  It can be a person, a company, or even a brand.  What can you do if you make an honest mistake or if you are the victim of a negative campaign?  How can you survive the experience?

The intent here is not to comment on Bill O’Reilly’ integrity or professionalism.  Let’s analyze how his crisis unfolded and ask how you would handle the situation?  How did O’Reilly do? Continue reading →

Media Crisis Management – Brian Williams

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Crisis Management (1)Brian, Brian, Brian…

Oh Brian.

Yes… Brian Williams.

There is nothing worse for anyone than to be caught in the cross hairs of the media.  It can be a person, a company, or even a brand.  What can you do if you make an honest mistake or if you are the victim of a negative campaign?  How can you survive the experience?

Continue reading →