Sound familiar? You need to have software know-how. Learning a bit of html doesn’t go amiss, plan content, network, attend trade events, learn new platforms, recruit and train, publish and join the conversation… At some point, surely, these roles will more become defined – but until then, ‘Jack of all Trades’ kind of fits….
How do people (myself included) find out local news? I thought I was the only one in still ‘needing’ TV news of an evening to stay up todate but it seems not:
Pew’s infographic (2011) on how people find out about what is happening in their (US) neighbourhood found that local newspapers still scored the highest (25%). Pew’s full report here
While local TV news remains the most popular source for local information in America, adults rely on it primarily for just three subjects—weather, breaking news and to a lesser extent traffic. And for all their problems, newspapers (both print and on the web) are the source Americans turn to most for a wider range of information than any other source, according to a new survey out today.
I also rely on friends to tell me what events are happening in town so, despite the internet, some things have not changed
If you want an overview of some of the things that Google offers, Hubspot have an excellent ebook. If you don’t know about Hubspot – they are offer a ton of free Hubspot resources and clear explanations on business use of social media as well as software. Below is one such example.
If you have thought about blogging and wondered where to start you might like to take a look at what Google has to offer in the form of blogger.
And if you are in the health profession you might also like to take a look at Dr Ves’ posts on how to write a medical blog.
Did you know that the average corporate social business program is only three years old? Some companies are already defining best practices. Alitmeter have produced a superb report on how to prepare for social business. It’s free. It’s very good.
Some points that I pulled out from it are here. The full report is at the end.
Many companies are looking at using the latest social media technology, yet most have not prepared for the threat of social media crises, or the long-term effects on business. To become advanced in the use of social media as an organisation there are four recommended steps. First, develop business objectives and establish governance, then get organized by establishing a team and a process to deal with crises. Next, connect business units to increase coordination and reduce duplication. Finally, weave real-time market response into business processes and planning. Advanced companies prepare for social business with the following four internal requirements:
As part of a company’s digital strategy, a crisis management strategy- including an escalation plan for dealing with negative comments should be formulated including outlines of rules responsibilities and possible actions
A social media crisis is an issue that arises in or is amplified by social media, and results in negative mainstream media coverage, a change in business process, or financial loss.
Crisis can be categorized according to 3 severity levels:
Level 1: crises that result in negative coverage in mainstream media
Level 2: crises that result in negative coverage in mainstream media, and a significant response or change by the company
Level 3: crises that result in short-term financial impact.
In the majority of cases crisis can be prevented or diminished with thorough preparation and staff training.
Source Altimeter report (August 2011) Social Business Readiness: How Advanced Companies Prepare Internally
Causes of Social Media crisis primary stem from the exposure of poor customer experiences, poor influence relations or violations of ethical guidelines. Most companies that suffer from a social media crisis lack proper social media internal education for employees.
These recommendations are organized by dependency – much like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Companies must first meet baseline needs at the bottom of the pyramid before moving on to the next set of requirements.
And here is the most excellent report. THANKS Altimeter for making it freely available.
Last year I compared Australian and US hospital social networks based on data collected by Mike Cadogan – Life in the Fast Lane, and Ed Bennet – Found in Cache. This is the state of play just over a year on.
US and Australian Hospital social networks Oct 2010
US vs Australian Hospital social networks Aug 2011
In just under a year, Australian Hospital YouTube accounts have risen from 1% to 8%, Facebook remains the same at 9%, Twitter has risen from 0 to 1%, and the number of hospital blogs has stayed the same at 1% (we don’t have LinkedIn and Foursquare data). Australian hospitals still have a long way to go. Especially with the recent news that one Aussie blog, the ImactedNurse.com and associated social media sites were closed.
